bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Ensemble Approach for Cognitive Fault Detection and Isolation in Sensor Networks
Authors: Roveri Manuel , Trovò Francesco
Published: June 2016

Cognitive fault detection and diagnosis systems are systems able to provide timely information about possibly occurring faults without requiring any a priori knowledge about the process generating the data or the possible faults. This ability is crucial in sensor network scenarios where a priori information about the data generating process, the noise level or the dictionary of the possibly occurring faults is generally hard to obtain. We here present a novel cognitive fault detection and isolation system for sensor networks. The proposed solution relies on the modeling of spatial and temporal relationships present in the acquired datastreams and an ensemble of Hidden Markov Model change-detection tests working in the space of estimated parameters for fault detection and isolation purposes. The effectiveness of the proposed solution has been evaluated on both synthetically generated and real datasets.
Harmonic Besov spaces on the ball
Authors: Gergün Seçil , Kaptanoğlu H. Turgay , Üreyen A. Ersin
Published: June 2016

We initiate a detailed study of two-parameter Besov spaces on the unit ball of [Formula: see text] consisting of harmonic functions whose sufficiently high-order radial derivatives lie in harmonic Bergman spaces. We compute the reproducing kernels of those Besov spaces that are Hilbert spaces. The kernels are weighted infinite sums of zonal harmonics and natural radial fractional derivatives of the Poisson kernel. Estimates of the growth of kernels lead to characterization of integral transformations on Lebesgue classes. The transformations allow us to conclude that the order of the radial derivative is not a characteristic of a Besov space as long as it is above a certain threshold. Using kernels, we define generalized Bergman projections and characterize those that are bounded from Lebesgue classes onto Besov spaces. The projections provide integral representations for the functions in these spaces and also lead to characterizations of the functions in the spaces using partial derivatives. Several other applications follow from the integral representations such as atomic decomposition, growth at the boundary and of Fourier coefficients, inclusions among them, duality and interpolation relations, and a solution to the Gleason problem.
Search for primordial symmetry breakings in CMB
Authors: Shiraishi Maresuke
Published: June 2016

There are possibilities to violate symmetries (e.g. parity and rotational invariance) in the primordial cosmological fluctuations. Such symmetry breakings can imprint very rich signatures in late-time phenomena, which may be possible to observe. Especially, Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) will change its face drastically, corresponding to the symmetry-breaking types, since the harmonic-space representation is very sensitive to the statistical, spin and angular dependences of cosmological perturbations. Here, we discuss (1) general responses of CMB to the symmetry breakings, (2) some theoretical models creating interesting CMB signatures, and (3) aspects of the estimation from observational data.
The simplest possible bouncing quantum cosmological model
Authors: Peter Patrick , Vitenti Sandro D. P.
Published: June 2016

We present and expand the simplest possible quantum cosmological bouncing model already discussed in previous works: the trajectory formulation of quantum mechanics applied to cosmology (through the Wheeler–De Witt equation) in the Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) minisuperspace without spatial curvature. The initial conditions that were previously assumed were such that the wave function would not change its functional form but instead provide a dynamics to its parameters. Here, we consider a more general situation, in practice consisting of modified Gaussian wave functions, aiming at obtaining a nonsingular bounce from a contracting phase. Whereas previous works consistently obtain very symmetric bounces, we find that it is possible to produce highly non-symmetric solutions, and even cases for which multiple bounces naturally occur. We also introduce a means of treating the shear in this category of models by quantizing in the Bianchi I minisuperspace.
Phase structure of the scalar Yukawa model with compactified spatial dimensions
Authors: Abreu L. M. , Malbouisson A. P. C. , Nery E. S.
Published: June 2016

In this work, we investigate the thermodynamic behavior of the generalized scalar Yukawa model, composed of a complex scalar field interacting with real scalar and vector fields. In particular, boundary effects on the phase structure are discussed using methods of quantum field theory on toroidal topologies. We concentrate on the dependence of the thermodynamics with the number of compactified spatial dimensions. In this sense, the phase transitions are analyzed and compared with the system in the situations of one, two and three compactified spatial dimensions. Our findings suggest that the presence of more boundaries tends to inhibit the broken phase.
Simulation of Q-factor, bandgap frequency and defect band structure dependence upon hole radius of air formed in InxGa1−xAs waveguides
Authors: Ali Latef M.
Published: June 2016

In this study, the structure being investigated consists of periodic layers of In[Formula: see text]Ga[Formula: see text]As that have a defect region in air holes and GaAs. Using the finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD), we show that the influences of hole radius on the [Formula: see text]-factor, frequency of defect region and the defect band structure. Also, we investigate property of the defect region on the bandgap structures.
Role of superconductivity in superconducting transmission line resonator
Authors: Qin Xiao-Ke
Published: June 2016

In order to understand the role of superconductivity in superconducting transmission line resonator, we derive the mode equations using the macroscopic wavefunction of the Cooper pairs. We make an appropriate scaling to obtain the dimensionless form of equations and establish the validity of good conductor approximation under most circumstances. Quantization of superconducting transmission line resonator is realized by the black-box principle. We also briefly discuss that the deviation from good conductor behavior would result in the observable effects, such as the considerable decrease of phase velocity and the soliton.
A link density clustering algorithm based on automatically selecting density peaks for overlapping community detection
Authors: Huang Lan , Wang Guishen , Wang Yan , Pang Wei , Ma Qin
Published: June 2016

In this paper, we proposed a link density clustering (LDC) method for overlapping community detection based on density peaks. We firstly use an extended cosine link distance metric to reflect the relationship of links. Then we introduce a clustering algorithm with fast search for solving the link clustering (LC) problem by density peaks with box plot strategy to determine the cluster centers automatically. Finally, we acquire both the link communities and the node communities. Our algorithm is compared with other representative algorithms through substantial experiments on real-world networks. The experimental results show that our algorithm consistently outperforms other algorithms in terms of modularity and coverage.
Cosmological implications of DGP braneworld via well-known holographic dark energy models
Authors: Rani Shamaila , Jawad Abdul
Published: June 2016

The cosmological analysis is being studied in the present work in Dvali–Gabadadze–Porrati (DGP) braneworld scenario by taking various interacting modified holographic dark energy (HDE) models. We discuss the various cosmological parameters such as deceleration parameter, equation-of-state (EoS) parameter and squared speed of sound. It is found that the trajectories of deceleration parameter exhibit in accelerated phase of the universe for all models. The EoS parameter corresponds to various phases of cosmic acceleration like quintessence, vacuum, phantom and also exhibits consistency with observational data. The squared speed of sound also gives stability of models in the current scenario. The [Formula: see text] also gives consistent results with various observational schemes. The statefinders plane also exhibits the cosmic acceleration. It is interesting to remark here that some of our results shows consistency with observational data like WMAP+CMB+BAO+[Formula: see text]+SNe.
Passive method for rescale detection using quadrature mirror filter based higher order statistical features
Authors: Birajdar Gajanan K. , Mankar Vijay H.
Published: June 2016

High resolution digital cameras and state-of-the-art image editing software tools has given rise to large amount of manipulated images leaving no traces of being subjected to any manipulation. Passive or blind forgery detection algorithms are used in order to determine its authenticity. In this paper, an algorithm is proposed that blindly detects global rescaling operation using the statistical models computed based on quadrature mirror filter (QMF) decomposition. Fuzzy entropy measure is employed to choose the relevant features and to remove non-important features whereas artificial neural network classifier is used for forgery detection. Experimental results are presented on grayscale and [Formula: see text]-component images of UCID database to prove the validity of the algorithm under different interpolation schemes. Results are provided for the detection of rescaled images with JPEG compression, arbitrary cropping and white Gaussian noise addition. Further, results are shown using USC-SIPI database to prove the robustness of the algorithm against the type of database.
Statistics for engineers
Authors: Hartmann Heinrich
Published: June 2016

Applying statistical techniques to operations data.
Legal advice on the smartphone
Authors: Kirkpatrick Keith
Published: June 2016

New apps help individuals contest traffic, parking tickets.
Accelerating search
Authors: Krakovsky Marina
Published: June 2016

The latest in machine learning helps high-energy physicists handle the enormous amounts of data produced by the Large Hadron Collider.
Forward Dynamic Slicing of Web Applications
Authors: Sahu Madhusmita , Mohapatra Durga Prasad
Published: June 2016

We present a technique to compute dynamic slices for web applications using forward slicing approach. In our work, we have considered JSP (JavaServer Pages) based web applications. The slicing technique can efficiently be applied using an intermediate representation of a web application. We have proposed a graph called Web Dependence Graph (WDG) as the intermediate representation to correctly represent web applications. We have named our technique Web Application Forward Dynamic Slicing (WAFDS) Algorithm. The WAFDS algorithm first constructs the WDG. Then, the web application is executed for a given input, specified in slicing criteria, and the nodes in WDG resembling the executed statements are marked. Finally, the WDG is traversed in forward direction only along the marked nodes. The traversal is started from the desired point specified in the slicing criterion. The statements corresponding to the traversed marked nodes constitute the required dynamic slice for the given slicing criterion. During traversal along the marked nodes, the dynamic slice at each node is computed. Thus, for a given slicing criterion, the dynamic slice can be obtained in O(1) time.
Mesa
Authors: Gupta Ashish , Yang Fan , Govig Jason , Kirsch Adam , Chan Kelvin , Lai Kevin , Wu Shuo , Dhoot Sandeep , Kumar Abhilash Rajesh , Agiwal Ankur , Bhansali Sanjay , Hong Mingsheng , Cameron Jamie , Siddiqi Masood , Jones David , Shute Jeff , Gubarev Andrey , Venkataraman Shivakumar , Agrawal Divyakant
Published: June 2016

Mesa is a highly scalable analytic data warehousing system that stores critical measurement data related to Google's Internet advertising business. Mesa is designed to satisfy a complex and challenging set of user and systems requirements, including near real-time data ingestion and retrieval, as well as high availability, reliability, fault tolerance, and scalability for large data and query volumes. Specifically, Mesa handles petabytes of data, processes millions of row updates per second, and serves billions of queries that fetch trillions of rows per day. Mesa is geo-replicated across multiple datacenters and provides consistent and repeatable query answers at low latency, even when an entire datacenter fails. This paper presents the Mesa system and reports the performance and scale that it achieves.
Trust in Cloud Computing
Authors: Lansing Jens , Sunyaev Ali
Published: June 2016

Trust is an important facilitator for successful business relationships and an important technology adoption determinant. However, thus far trust has received little attention in the context of cloud computing, resulting in a lack of understanding of the dimensions of trust in cloud services and trust-building antecedents. Although the literature provides various conceptual models of trust for contexts related to cloud computing that may serve as a reference, in particular trust in IT outsourcing providers and trust in IT artifacts, idiosyncrasies of trust in cloud computing require a novel conceptual model of trust. First, a cloud service has a dual nature of being an IT artifact and a service provided by an organization. Second, cloud services are offered in impersonal cloud marketplaces and build upon a nested network of cloud services within the cloud ecosystem. In this article, we first analyze the concept of trust in cloud contexts. Next, we develop a conceptual model that describes trust in cloud services. The conceptual model incorporates the duality of trust in a cloud provider organization and trust in an IT artifact, as well as trust types for the impersonal environment and the cloud computing ecosystem. Using the conceptual model as a lens we then review 43 empirical studies on trust in IT outsourcing and trust in IT artifacts that were identified by a structured literature search. The resulting conceptual model provides a conceptual typology of constructs for trust in cloud services, defines trust-building antecedents, and develops 19 propositions describing the relationships between trust constructs and between trust constructs and trust-building antecedents. The conceptual model contributes to research by creating grounds for future theory-building on trust in cloud contexts, integrating two previously disjoint strands in the trust literature, and identifying knowledge gaps. Based on the conceptual model, we furthermore provide practical advice for managers from service providers, platform providers, customers, and institutional authorities.
The role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in modulating seasonal changes in immunity
Authors: Pierre Kamau , Schlesinger Naomi , Androulakis Ioannis P.
Published: June 2016

Seasonal changes in environmental conditions are accompanied by significant adjustment of multiple biological processes. In temperate regions, the day fraction, or photoperiod, is a robust environmental cue that synchronizes seasonal variations in neuroendocrine and metabolic function. In this work, we propose a semimechanistic mathematical model that considers the influence of seasonal photoperiod changes as well as cellular and molecular adaptations to investigate the seasonality of immune function. Our model predicts that the circadian rhythms of cortisol, our proinflammatory mediator, and its receptor exhibit seasonal differences in amplitude and phase, oscillating at higher amplitudes in the winter season with peak times occurring later in the day. Furthermore, the reduced photoperiod of winter coupled with seasonal alterations in physiological activity induces a more exacerbated immune response to acute stress, simulated in our studies as the administration of an acute dose of endotoxin. Our findings are therefore in accordance with experimental data that reflect the predominance of a proinflammatory state during the winter months. These changes in circadian rhythm dynamics may play a significant role in the seasonality of disease incidence and regulate the diurnal and seasonal variation of disease symptom severity.
Feasibility and Safety of Absorbable Knotless Wound Closure Device in Laparoscopic Myomectomy
Authors: Chan Chying-Chyuan , Lee Ching-Yu
Published: June 2016

Purpose.Myomectomy has been performed through laparoscopy. Suturing is known as rate-limiting step in laparoscopic myomectomy. The present study was aimed at comparing the clinical outcomes of absorbable knotless wound closure device with the results of conventional suturing.Methods. This prospective study included 62 women who underwent laparoscopic myomectomy at Taipei City Hospital, Zhongxiao Branch, from January 2010 through to August 2012. The patients were randomized into two groups according to suturing materials, the knotless group and the 2-0 Vicryl suture group. Patient demographics, overall operative time, and intraoperative blood loss were compared between two groups.Results. Demographic characteristics and laboratory variables before surgery were comparable. Operative time was significantly shorter in knotless group compared with that in 2-0 Vicryl suture group (112±47versus147±63minutes;p<0.05). The results revealed a significant difference in intraoperative blood loss between two groups (knotless versus 2-0 Vicryl:112.8±54.2versus143.6±64.9). Use of absorbable knotless wound closure device was associated with greater hemostasis compared with that of 2-0 Vicryl. During a 2-year follow-up period, 12 patients (46.2%) from the group with absorbable knotless wound closure device and 14 patients (38.9%) from 2-0 Vicryl suture group became pregnant.Conclusion.Closure of myometrium using absorbable knotless wound closure device after laparoscopic myomectomy resulted in a shorter operative time and less blood loss.
Energy Storage Requirements for PV Power Ramp Rate Control in Northern Europe
Authors: Schnabel Julius , Valkealahti Seppo
Published: June 2016

Photovoltaic (PV) generators suffer from fluctuating output power due to the highly fluctuating primary energy source. With significant PV penetration, these fluctuations can lead to power system instability and power quality problems. The use of energy storage systems as fluctuation compensators has been proposed as means to mitigate these problems. In this paper, the behavior of PV power fluctuations in Northern European climatic conditions and requirements for sizing the energy storage systems to compensate them have been investigated and compared to similar studies done in Southern European climate. These investigations have been performed through simulations that utilize measurements from the Tampere University of Technology solar PV power station research plant in Finland. An enhanced energy storage charging control strategy has been developed and tested. Energy storage capacity, power, and cycling requirements have been derived for different PV generator sizes and power ramp rate requirements. The developed control strategy leads to lesser performance requirements for the energy storage systems compared to the methods presented earlier. Further, some differences on the operation of PV generators in Northern and Southern European climates have been detected.
Afferent Loop Syndrome after Roux-en-Y Total Gastrectomy Caused by Volvulus of the Roux-Limb
Authors: Katagiri Hideki , Tahara Kana , Yoshikawa Kentaro , Lefor Alan Kawarai , Kubota Tadao , Mizokami Ken
Published: June 2016

Afferent loop syndrome is a rare complication of gastric surgery. An obstruction of the afferent limb can present in various ways. A 73-year-old man presented with one day of persistent abdominal pain, gradually radiating to the back. He had a history of total gastrectomy with a Roux-en-Y reconstruction. Abdominal computed tomography scan revealed dilation of the duodenum and small intestine in the left upper quadrant. Exploratory laparotomy showed volvulus of the biliopancreatic limb that caused afferent loop syndrome. In this patient, the 50 cm long limb was the cause of volvulus. It is important to fashion a Roux-limb of appropriate length to prevent this complication.
Fluorescence-Guided Resection of Malignant Glioma with 5-ALA
Authors: Kaneko Sadahiro , Kaneko Sadao
Published: June 2016

Malignant gliomas are extremely difficult to treat with no specific curative treatment. On the other hand, photodynamic medicine represents a promising technique for neurosurgeons in the treatment of malignant glioma. The resection rate of malignant glioma has increased from 40% to 80% owing to 5-aminolevulinic acid-photodynamic diagnosis (ALA-PDD). Furthermore, ALA is very useful because it has no serious complications. Based on previous research, it is apparent that protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) accumulates abundantly in malignant glioma tissues after ALA administration. Moreover, it is evident that the mechanism underlying PpIX accumulation in malignant glioma tissues involves an abnormality in porphyrin-heme metabolism, specifically decreased ferrochelatase enzyme activity. During resection surgery, the macroscopic fluorescence of PpIX to the naked eye is more sensitive than magnetic resonance imaging, and the alert real time spectrum of PpIX is the most sensitive method. In the future, chemotherapy with new anticancer agents, immunotherapy, and new methods of radiotherapy and gene therapy will be developed; however, ALA will play a key role in malignant glioma treatment before the development of these new treatments. In this paper, we provide an overview and present the results of our clinical research on ALA-PDD.
A Multistage Multiobjective Model for Emergency Evacuation Considering ATIS
Authors: Zeng Ming-Hua , Long Ke-Jun , Ling Zi-Wen , Huang Xi-Yan
Published: June 2016

The impacts of advanced traveler information system’s (ATIS’s) penetration and compliance rates on network performances during hybrid traffic emergency evacuation are investigated in a degraded road network. Before traffic incident a Path-Size Logit (PSL) route choice model is integrated with constraints on the level of service (LOS) of traffic to formulate a bilevel programming model. It aims at minimizing traffic demand in road network which may locally deteriorate the LOS. The lower level is a PSL-stochastic user equilibrium model for multiple classes of users. During the ongoing incident, a multiobjective multiuser-class stochastic optimization model is established with the objectives of maximizing evacuation reliability and minimizing expected network travel time. Furthermore, computations and analyses are completed for five designated scenarios including a method proposed in previous literature. The results show that the evacuation reliability and different kinds of total expected travel time costs regularly increase with emergency traffic’s ATIS compliance rate and decrease with general traffic’s ATIS penetration rate. The research will help improve transport network performance when considering ATIS’s effect on hybrid traffic.
FE Analysis of Rock with Hydraulic-Mechanical Coupling Based on Continuum Damage Evolution
Authors: Wang Yongliang , Liu Zhanli , Yang Henglin , Shao Zhichun , Zhuang Zhuo
Published: June 2016

A numerical finite element (FE) analysis technology is presented for efficient and reliable solutions of rock with hydraulic-mechanical (HM) coupling, researching the seepage characteristics and simulating the damage evolution of rock. To be in accord with the actual situation, the rock is naturally viewed as heterogeneous material, in which Young’s modulus, permeability, and strength property obey the typical Weibull distribution function. The classic Biot constitutive relation for rock as porous medium is introduced to establish a set of equations coupling with elastic solid deformation and seepage flow. The rock is subsequently developed into a novel conceptual and practical model considering the damage evolution of Young’s modulus and permeability, in which comprehensive utilization of several other auxiliary technologies, for example, the Drucker-Prager strength criterion, the statistical strength theory, and the continuum damage evolution, yields the damage variable calculating technology. To this end, an effective and reliable numerical FE analysis strategy is established. Numerical examples are given to show that the proposed method can establish heterogeneous rock model and be suitable for different load conditions and furthermore to demonstrate the effectiveness and reliability in the seepage and damage characteristics analysis for rock.
A Numerical Study of the Forces on Two Tandem Cylinders Exerted by Internal Solitary Waves
Authors: Wang Yin , Wang Lingling , Zhu Hai , Tang Hongwu , Wei Gang
Published: June 2016

A three-dimensional numerical wave flume is employed to investigate the forces exerted by internal solitary waves (ISWs) on a pair of circular cylinders in tandem arrangement, using large-eddy simulation (LES) model. The effect of the centre-to-centre distance (L) ranging from 1.5 to 5 diameters (D) is studied for various ISWs amplitudes (ηa) in the two-layer fluid system. Vertical-averaged vorticity distribution and vertical-averaged pressure gradient distribution in each layer are presented to investigate the different hydrodynamic interference between cylinders and the ISWs forces on each cylinder at variousL. Furthermore, the force behaviors of the two cylinders are also compared with that of an isolated cylinder in the same environment. The interaction between the two piles occurs in both layers, and it is found that, for1.5≤L/D<3.5, strong mutual interference appears between two cylinders; for3.5≤L/D<5, the two cylinders continue to influence each other in a weak-interference state; forL/D≥5, the interaction gradually decreases into a noninteracting state. This paper tries to provide some references to structural arrangement of double-cylinder structure and grouped-cylinder structure in stratified flow environment.
Neuroendocrine Adenoma of the Middle Ear: A Rare Histopathological Diagnosis
Authors: Hasan Zubair , McGinness Sam , Gunaratne Dakshika A. , Coleman Hedley , Varikatt Winny , Cruz Melville da
Published: June 2016

Neuroendocrine tumours occur throughout the body but are rare in the head and neck region and particularly rare in the middle ear. Clinical findings are often nonspecific and therefore pose a diagnostic challenge. Furthermore, the nomenclature of neuroendocrine tumours of the middle ear is historically controversial. Herein a case is presented of a middle ear adenoma in a 33-year-old patient who presented with otalgia, hearing loss, and facial nerve palsy. A brief discussion is included regarding the histopathological features of middle ear adenomas and seeks to clarify the correct nomenclature for these tumours.
Estrogen Receptor Binding (18F-FES PET) and Glycolytic Activity (18F-FDG PET) Predict Progression-Free Survival on Endocrine Therapy in Patients with ER+ Breast Cancer
Authors: Kurland Brenda F. , Peterson Lanell M. , Lee Jean H. , Schubert Erin K. , Currin Erin R. , Link Jeanne M. , Krohn Kenneth A. , Mankoff David A. , Linden Hannah M.
Published: June 2016

Purpose: 18F-fluoroestradiol (FES) PET scans measure regional estrogen binding, and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET measures tumor glycolytic activity. We examined quantitative and qualitative imaging biomarkers of progression-free survival (PFS) in breast cancer patients receiving endocrine therapy.

Experimental Design: Ninety patients with breast cancer from an estrogen receptor–positive (ER+), HER2− primary tumor underwent FES PET and FDG PET scans prior to endocrine therapy (63% aromatase inhibitor, 22% aromatase inhibitor and fulvestrant, 15% other). Eighty-four had evaluable data for PFS prediction.

Results: Recursive partitioning with 5-fold internal cross-validation used both FES PET and FDG PET measures to classify patients into three distinct response groups. FDG PET identified 24 patients (29%) with low FDG uptake, suggesting indolent tumors. These patients had a median PFS of 26.1 months (95% confidence interval, 11.2–49.7). Of patients with more FDG-avid tumors, 50 (59%) had high average FES uptake, and 10 (12%) had low average FES uptake. These groups had median PFS of 7.9 (5.6–11.8) and 3.3 months (1.4–not evaluable), respectively. Patient and tumor features did not replace or improve the PET measures' prediction of PFS. Prespecified endocrine resistance classifiers identified in smaller cohorts did not individually predict PFS.

Conclusions: A wide range of therapy regimens are available for treatment of ER+ metastatic breast cancer, but no guidelines are established for sequencing these therapies. FDG PET and FES PET may help guide the timing of endocrine therapy and selection of targeted and/or cytotoxic chemotherapy. A multicenter trial is ongoing for external validation. Clin Cancer Res; 23(2); 407–15. ©2016 AACR.
Berberine Improved Aldo-Induced Podocyte Injury via Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Pathways both In Vivo and In Vitro
Authors: Wang Bin , Xu Xianlin , He Xiaozhou , Wang Zhigang , Yang Min
Published: June 2016

Background/Aims: Berberine, a naturally occurring isoquinoline alkaloid, acts against oxidative stress (OS) and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), both of which are responsible for Aldosterone (Aldo) -induced podocyte injury. However, the direct effects of berberine on Aldo-induced OS, ERS, and podocyte injury are not well defined. Methods: Uninephrectomized Sprague-Dawley rats were given 1% NaCl (salt) in their water and an Aldo infusion (0.75 µg/h) for 28 days to induce podocyte injury in the Aldo group. In the Aldo/berberine group, in addition to Aldo infusion, rats were administered 150 mg/kg berberine per day by gastric gavage for 4 weeks. Podocytes were incubated in media containing either buffer or Aldo in the presence or absence of berberine for variable time periods. The kidney tissues and podocytes were then investigated using morphological analysis, immunohistochemistry, transmission electron microscopy, western blot, DHE staining, DCFDA fluorescence, and Annexin V staining. Results: Here, we have reported that berberine attenuated Aldo-induced OS, ERS, and podocyte injury both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, berberine treatment improved the extensive fusion of foot processes in electron micrographs resulting from Aldo/salt infusion in rats. Conclusion: Berberine may be examined as an effective agent against Aldo-induced podocyte injury.
Pazopanib in Primary Cardiac Angiosarcoma of the Right Atrium: A Case Report
Authors: Schur Sophie , Hamacher Rainer , Brodowicz Thomas
Published: June 2016

Primary heart tumors are an extremely rare oncological entity with primary cardiac sarcomas usually representing 20% of all primary cardiac tumorous lesions [Shanmugam: Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2006;29: 925–932; Orlandi et al.: J Thorac Oncol 2010;5: 1483–1489]. Angiosarcoma is the most prevalent histology and despite a multidisciplinary approach tends to have a dismal prognosis [Shanmugam: Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2006;29: 925–932; Fury et al.: Cancer J 2005;11: 241–247]. Based on the prevailing literature, we report a 48-year-old woman diagnosed with primary metastatic cardiac angiosarcoma who showed a severe hypersensitivity reaction to conventional chemotherapy with taxanes but an excellent response to treatment with the multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor pazopanib.
The effect of low-dose oral vitamin K supplementation on INR stability in patients receiving warfarin
Authors: Wang Luqi , Lazo-Langner Alejandro , Kovacs Michael J. , Yeo Erik , Schnurr Terri , Schulman Sam , Crowther Mark A. , Boonyawat Kochawan
Published: June 2016

The anticoagulant effect of warfarin is influenced by variations in vitamin K intake. Concomitant use of daily low-dose oral vitamin K (LDVK) and warfarin may improve INR stability. We hypothesise that administration of LDVK improves INR control. To test this hypothesis we performed a multi-centre, placebo-controlled, randomised trial conducted at four university-affiliated hospitals in Canada. Patients on chronic warfarin therapy received oral vitamin K 150 mcg daily or a matching placebo for a total of six months after a one-month run in period. The primary outcome was a comparison of mean time in therapeutic range (TTR) in LDVK and placebo group during a six-month-period. The secondary outcome was number of INR excursions <1.5 or >4.5. There was no significant difference in the final TTR between the two groups (65.1 % vs 66 %, p =0.8). Mean TTR in both LDVK and placebo groups were statistically increased compared with prior to the study. The number of INR excursions were significantly decreased in the LDVK group (9.4 % and 5.4 %, absolute difference [pre- minus post-] = 4 %, 95 % CI, 2 to 6 %, p-value <0.001). We conclude that LDVK administration did not increase mean TTR, but did decrease the number of INR excursions. The observed improvement in mean TTR in both groups suggests that more attentive monitoring of warfarin therapy, rather than LDVK, was responsible for the improvement in TTR observed. The reduced excursions suggest that LDVK did reduce extreme INR variation. The study is registered at www.ClinicalTrial.gov#NCT00990158.
Chronic Heart Failure and Inflammation
Authors: Dick Sarah A. , Epelman Slava
Published: June 2016

As a greater proportion of patients survive their initial cardiac insult, medical systems worldwide are being faced with an ever-growing need to understand the mechanisms behind the pathogenesis of chronic heart failure (HF). There is a wealth of information about the role of inflammatory cells and pathways during acute injury and the reparative processes that are subsequently activated. We discuss the different causes that lead to chronic HF development and how the sum of initial inflammatory and reparative responses only sets the trajectory for disease progression. Unfortunately, comparatively little is known about the contribution of the immune system once the trajectory has been set, and chronic HF has been established—which clinically represents the majority of patients. It is known that chronic HF is associated with circulating inflammatory cytokines that can predict clinical outcomes, yet the causative role inflammation plays in disease progression is not well defined, and the majority of clinical trials that target aspects of inflammation in patients with chronic HF have largely been negative. This review will present what is currently known about inflammation in chronic HF in both humans and animal models as a means to highlight the gap in our knowledge base that requires further examination.
Hermite Functional Link Neural Network for Solving the Van der Pol–Duffing Oscillator Equation
Authors: Mall Susmita , Chakraverty S.
Published: June 2016

Hermite polynomial-based functional link artificial neural network (FLANN) is proposed here to solve the Van der Pol–Duffing oscillator equation. A single-layer hermite neural network (HeNN) model is used, where a hidden layer is replaced by expansion block of input pattern using Hermite orthogonal polynomials. A feedforward neural network model with the unsupervised error backpropagation principle is used for modifying the network parameters and minimizing the computed error function. The Van der Pol–Duffing and Duffing oscillator equations may not be solved exactly. Here, approximate solutions of these types of equations have been obtained by applying the HeNN model for the first time. Three mathematical example problems and two real-life application problems of Van der Pol–Duffing oscillator equation, extracting the features of early mechanical failure signal and weak signal detection problems, are solved using the proposed HeNN method. HeNN approximate solutions have been compared with results obtained by the well known Runge-Kutta method. Computed results are depicted in term of graphs. After training the HeNN model, we may use it as a black box to get numerical results at any arbitrary point in the domain. Thus, the proposed HeNN method is efficient. The results reveal that this method is reliable and can be applied to other nonlinear problems too.
Head of State Immunity and the Rome Statute: A Critique of the ptc’s Malawi and drc Decisions
Authors: Ramsden Michael , Yeung Isaac
Published: June 2016

The scope and effect of the Head of State immunity doctrine before the International Criminal Court has prompted much discussion following the 2011 decision of the first Pre-Trial Chamber concerning the immunity of serving Sudanese President, Omar Al Bashir. The ptcI held that, as a matter of customary international law, there existed an exception to Head of State immunity where such official is sought by an international court with jurisdiction, here the icc. In an apparent retreat, a differently constituted ptc in 2014 based the inapplicability of such immunity on the terms of Security Council Resolution 1593. Using the 2011 and 2014 ptc decisions as a critical lens, and drawing upon recent material, this article assesses the proper application of Head of State immunity under Article 98(1) of the Rome Statute.
Insecure Attachment Styles and Complicated Grief Severity
Authors: Schenck Laura K. , Eberle Kiersten M. , Rings Jeffrey A.
Published: June 2016

A growing body of evidence supports links between attachment style, complicated grief (CG), and coping mechanisms in bereavement. In general, adults with insecure attachment styles are at an increased risk for developing CG when faced with the death of a loved one. However, much remains unknown regarding this complex interaction. This article provides a comprehensive synthesis of this literature base, offering future directions for attachment-informed CG research, clinical assessment, and treatment. The clear risk posed by an insecure attachment style on CG highlights the need for a proper and thorough assessment of attachment style as part of standard practice in grief-related treatment as well as the importance of meeting the unique clinical needs of the bereaved in consideration of one's attachment style. Further emphasis also should be placed on the mediating impacts of sociocultural variables, any of which could help to mitigate one's return to a level of preloss functioning.
Relationship between aneurysm wall enhancement and conventional risk factors in patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms: A black-blood MRI study
Authors: Liu Peng , Qi Haikun , Liu Aihua , Lv Xianli , Jiang Yuhua , Zhao Xihai , Li Rui , Lu Bing , Lv Ming , Chen Huijun , Li Youxiang
Published: June 2016

Background and purpose

Aneurysmal wall enhancement (AWE) has emerged as a new possible biomarker for depicting inflammation of the intracranial aneurysm (IA). However, the relationships of AWE with other risk factors are still unclear for unruptured IA. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between AWE and other risk metrics.

Methods

Forty-eight patients with unruptured saccular IAs diagnosed by digital subtraction angiography were recruited to undergo magnetic resonance (MR) black-blood imaging. AWE was evaluated using the pre- and post-contrast black-blood MR images. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association of AWE with other risk factors, including size, maximal neck width, parent vessel diameter, location, multiplicity, daughter sacs and other clinical factors. The prevalence of AWE in each ISUIA grade was reported and compared by Wilcoxon rank sum test.

Results

In total, 61 aneurysms were detected in 48 patients. Aneurysm size was found to be an independent risk factor associated with AWE (OR 2.46 per mm increase, 95% CI 1.34–4.51; p = 0.004). Patient age was independently and inversely associated with AWE (OR 0.898 per year increase, 95% CI 0.812–0.994; p = 0.037). Higher prevalence of AWE was observed in larger aneurysms (12%, 71.4%, 100%, and 100% of ISUIA grade 1–4 IAs have AWE, respectively). Notably, 12% of small IAs (size <7 mm) exhibited AWE. The IAs with AWE had significant higher ISUIA grade than the IAs without ( p < 0.001, Wilcoxon rank sum test).

Conclusions

The wall enhancement in contrast-enhanced black-blood MR images was independently associated with aneurysm size in unruptured IAs. However, some small unruptured aneurysms did exhibit wall enhancement, suggesting that AWE may provide additional aneurysm instability information to improve current size-based rupture risk evaluation metrics.
Reginald Harrison; Liverpool’s first Urologist
Authors: Goddard Jonathan C
Published: June 2016

Reginald Harrison (1837 – 1908) was one of Liverpool’s most famous surgeons; in the late 19th Century he was well known to both the London and provincial medical world. Working at both the Royal Infirmary and Northern Hospital in Liverpool he developed an interest in genito-urinary surgery, becoming a notable expert. Hence, in 1899 he moved to London where he was appointed Surgeon to St Peter’s Hospital for the Stone, England’s first urology hospital. Harrison observed Bigelow’s early cases of litholapaxy in Boston, USA and championed the technique in England. He was an expert in urethral stricture disease, favouring gentle dilatation with filliform bougies, which became known as Harrison’s Whips.

He was an energetic Dean of the Liverpool Medical School and was active in its eventual rise and transformation into the University of Liverpool. He also tirelessly campaigned for the introduction of ambulances to Britain’s towns and cities. His efforts led to Europe’s first civilian hospital ambulance being introduced in 1883 at the Northern Hospital in Liverpool.

Reginald Harrison is a somewhat forgotten name in urology today, but his contributions to Liverpool’s University, the Ambulance Service and British urology should be celebrated and remembered.
T-cell defect in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas involves expansion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells
Authors: Azzaoui Imane , Uhel Fabrice , Rossille Delphine , Pangault Celine , Dulong Joelle , Le Priol Jerome , Lamy Thierry , Houot Roch , Le Gouill Steven , Cartron Guillaume , Godmer Pascal , Bouabdallah Krimo , Milpied Noel , Damaj Gandhi , Tarte Karin , Fest Thierry , Roussel Mikael
Published: June 2016

Key Points

Expansion of circulating monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) correlates with clinical outcomes in patients with DLBCL. Mechanisms of MDSC-dependent T-cell inhibition in DLBCL are related to IL-10, PD-L1, and S100A12.
Critical requirement of VEGF-C in transition to fetal erythropoiesis
Authors: Fang Shentong , Nurmi Harri , Heinolainen Krista , Chen Shuo , Salminen Essi , Saharinen Pipsa , Mikkola Hanna K. A. , Alitalo Kari
Published: June 2016

Key Points

Vegfc is essential for mobilization, maturation, and enucleation of primitive erythroblasts. Vegfc deletion compromises liver colonization by erythro-myeloid progenitors and subsequent macrophage/erythroid expansion.
Molecular mechanisms of regulation of Toll-like receptor signaling
Authors: Leifer Cynthia A , Medvedev Andrei E
Published: June 2016

TLRs play a critical role in the detection of microbes and endogenous “alarmins” to initiate host defense, yet they can also contribute to the development and progression of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. To avoid pathogenic inflammation, TLR signaling is subject to multilayer regulatory control mechanisms, including cooperation with coreceptors, post-translational modifications, cleavage, cellular trafficking, and interactions with negative regulators. Nucleic acid-sensing TLRs are particularly interesting in this regard, as they can both recognize host-derived structures and require internalization of their ligand as a result of intracellular sequestration of the nucleic acid-sensing TLRs. This review summarizes the regulatory mechanisms of TLRs, including regulation of their access to ligands, receptor folding, intracellular trafficking, and post-translational modifications, as well as how altered control mechanism could contribute to inflammatory and autoimmune disorders.
Management of postpartum haemorrhage
Authors: Bonnet Marie Pierre , Benhamou Dan
Published: June 2016

Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH) is a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Treatment of acquired coagulopathy observed in severe PPH is an important part of PPH management, but is mainly based on literature in trauma patients, and data thus should be interpreted with caution. This review describes recent advances in transfusion strategy and in the use of tranexamic acid and fibrinogen concentrates in women with PPH.
Extracoporeal photopheresis treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease following allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Flinn Aisling M. , Gennery Andrew R.
Published: June 2016

Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) continues to be a major obstacle to allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Thymic damage secondary to aGvHD along with corticosteroids and other non-selective T lymphocyte-suppressive agents used in the treatment of aGvHD concurrently impair thymopoiesis and negatively impact on immunoreconstitution of the adaptive immune compartment and ultimately adversely affect clinical outcome. Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is an alternative therapeutic strategy that appears to act in an immunomodulatory fashion, potentially involving regulatory T lymphocytes and dendritic cells. By promoting immune tolerance and simultaneously avoiding systemic immunosuppression, ECP could reduce aGvHD and enable a reduction in other immunosuppression, allowing thymic recovery, restoration of normal T lymphopoiesis, and complete immunoreconstitution with improved clinical outcome. Although the safety and efficacy of ECP has been demonstrated, further randomised controlled studies are needed as well as elucidation of the underlying mechanisms responsible and the effect of ECP on thymic recovery.
Pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis: update on disease types, models, and mechanisms
Authors: Phillips William D. , Vincent Angela
Published: June 2016

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) caused by antibodies that attack components of the postsynaptic membrane, impair neuromuscular transmission, and lead to weakness and fatigue of skeletal muscle. This can be generalised or localised to certain muscle groups, and involvement of the bulbar and respiratory muscles can be life threatening. The pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis depends upon the target and isotype of the autoantibodies. Most cases are caused by immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 and IgG3 antibodies to the acetylcholine receptor (AChR). They produce complement-mediated damage and increase the rate of AChR turnover, both mechanisms causing loss of AChR from the postsynaptic membrane. The thymus gland is involved in many patients, and there are experimental and genetic approaches to understand the failure of immune tolerance to the AChR. In a proportion of those patients without AChR antibodies, antibodies to muscle-specific kinase (MuSK), or related proteins such as agrin and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4), are present. MuSK antibodies are predominantly IgG4 and cause disassembly of the neuromuscular junction by disrupting the physiological function of MuSK in synapse maintenance and adaptation. Here we discuss how knowledge of neuromuscular junction structure and function has fed into understanding the mechanisms of AChR and MuSK antibodies. Myasthenia gravis remains a paradigm for autoantibody-mediated conditions and these observations show how much there is still to learn about synaptic function and pathological mechanisms.