bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emotionally Oriented Analysis of the Experiences of Visually Impaired People on Facebook
Authors: Nobre Cristiane N. , Meireles Magali R. G. , Silva Débora B. F. Da , Faria Alberto H. , Vieira Niltom
Published: September 2018

With technological advancements, there has been a vast increase in the number of companies that fight over their market share. In search of a differentiating factor, companies are investing more and more in their products’ emotional designs. This researched work has evaluated the affects that are caused in visually impaired people when using Facebook's features and then compared them with the experiences of sighted users. To do that, these two types of Facebook users were subjected to a questionnaire that was based on the PANAS affect scale. Once the information was collected, statistics were employed so as to evaluate both users’ feelings. The results have shown that there were significant statistical differences between the sighted and the visually impaired users when the “affects” were evaluated by using the PANAS tool. The five “negative affects” that were selected (Irritability, Uselessness, Frustration, Sadness, and Confusion) were largely more relevant for the blind people in most of the evaluated features. This has indicated some serious accessibility problems. However, a high frequency of the five “positive affects” that were considered (Satisfaction, Pleasantness, Surprise, Excitement, Interest, and Determination) were additionally observed for both of these two groups. These results were interpreted as feelings of both social inclusion and social exclusion, indicating the possibility of exploring technological devices that were unavailable not long ago. After analyzing their experiences in their usage of the Facebook features, the findings have also highlighted the many differing emotions that are felt by the visually impaired and the sighted users. The resulting outcomes have indicated that there are some issues that are still open to problems and difficulties. Moreover, these issues involve human-computer interactions. Nevertheless, fortunately, there is light at the end of the tunnel, as will be revealed.
Speed-Accuracy Tradeoff
Authors: Gori Julien , Rioul Olivier , Guiard Yves
Published: September 2018

The rationale for Fitts’ law is that pointing tasks have the information-theoretic analogy of sending a signal over a noisy channel, thereby matching Shannon’s capacity formula. Yet, the currently received analysis is incomplete and unsatisfactory: There is no explicit communication model for pointing; there is a confusion between central concepts of capacity (a mathematical limit), throughput (an average performance measure), and bandwidth (a physical quantity); and there is also a confusion between source and channel coding so that Shannon’s Theorem 17 can be misinterpreted. We develop an information-theoretic model for pointing tasks where the index of difficulty (ID) is the expression of both a source entropy and a zero-error channel capacity. Then, we extend the model to include misses at rate ε and prove that ID should be adjusted to (1−ε)ID. Finally, we reflect on Shannon’s channel coding theorem and argue that only minimum movement times, not performance averages, should be considered.
OpenCL-based Virtual Prototyping and Simulation of Many-Accelerator Architectures
Authors: Sotiriou-Xanthopoulos Efstathios , Masing Leonard , Xydis Sotirios , Siozios Kostas , Becker JÜrgen , Soudris Dimitrios
Published: September 2018

Heterogeneous architectures featuring multiple hardware accelerators have been proposed as a promising solution for meeting the ever-increasing performance and power requirements of embedded systems. However, the existence of numerous design parameters may result in different architectural schemes and thus in extra design effort. To address this issue, OpenCL-based frameworks have been recently utilized for FPGA programming, to enable the portability of a source code to multiple architectures. However, such OpenCL frameworks focus on RTL design, thus not enabling rapid prototyping and abstracted modeling of complex systems. Virtual Prototyping aims to overcome this problem by enabling the system modeling in higher abstraction levels. This article combines the benefits of OpenCL and Virtual Prototyping, by proposing an OpenCL-based prototyping framework for data-parallel many-accelerator systems, which (a) creates a SystemC Virtual Platform from OpenCL, (b) provides a co-simulation environment for the host and the Virtual Platform, (c) offers memory and interconnection models for parallel data processing, and (d) enables the system evaluation with alternative real number representations (e.g., fixed-point or 16-bit floating-point).
Redesigning the Israeli Medical Internship Match
Authors: Bronfman Slava , Alon Noga , Hassidim Avinatan , Romm Assaf
Published: September 2018

The final step in getting an Israeli MD is performing a year-long internship in one of the hospitals in Israel. Internships are decided upon by a lottery, which is known as the Internship Lottery. In 2014, we redesigned the lottery, replacing it with a more efficient one. This article presents the market, the redesign process, and the new mechanism that is now in use. In this article, we describe the redesign and focus on two-body problems that we faced in the new mechanism. Specifically, we show that decomposing stochastic assignment matrices to deterministic allocations is NP-hard in the presence of couples, and present a polynomial-time algorithm with the optimal worst case guarantee. We also study the performance of our algorithm on real-world and simulated data.
Decision-Maker’s Risk Preference Based Intuitionistic Fuzzy Multiattribute Decision-Making and Its Application in Robot Enterprises Investment
Authors: Zhou Liandong , Wang Qifeng
Published: September 2018

At present, the utilization of hesitation information of intuitionistic fuzzy numbers is insufficient in many methods which were proposed to solve the intuitionistic fuzzy multiple attribute decision-making problems. And also there exist some flaws in the intuitionistic fuzzy weight vector constructions in many research papers. In order to solve these insufficiencies, this paper defined three construction equations of weight vectors based on the risk preferences of decision-makers. Then we developed an intuitionistic fuzzy dependent hybrid weighted operator (IFDHW) and proposed an intuitionistic fuzzy multiattribute decision-making method. Finally, the effectiveness of this method is verified by a robot manufacturing investment example.
Experimental Studies on Drying‐Wetting Cycle Characteristics of Expansive Soils Improved by Industrial Wastes
Authors: Ye Hao , Chu Chengfu , Xu Long , Guo Kunlong , Li Dong
Published: September 2018

The improved engineering properties of the expansive soil by mixing with various additives will be changed during the long‐term variation of the meteorological and hydrological conditions. In the present work, a series of tests are performed to investigate the evolution of the unconfined compression strength and the Atterberg limits under drying‐wetting cycling conditions for specimens treated by iron tailing sands and calcium carbide slag. Typical results of the unconfined compressive strength can be divided into three stages. The unconfined compressive strength increases initially and then decreases to reach a stable state with continuous drying‐wetting process. The calcium carbide slag content (αCCS) of 10% can be determined for the minimum effect of the drying‐wetting cycle on the strength of the treated specimen. An exponential relationship is established to describe the evolution of the unconfined compressive strength with the drying‐wetting cycle. The liquid limit and plastic index of the specimen increase initially followed by a decreasing trend, while a reverse trend was observed for that of the plastic limit during the drying‐wetting process. The minimum effect of the drying‐wetting cycle on the Atterberg limits can be presented for the specimen with αCCS of 10% as well.
Stochastic Temporal Data Upscaling Using the Generalized k-Nearest Neighbor Algorithm
Authors: Mashford John
Published: September 2018

Three methods of temporal data upscaling, which may collectively be called the generalized k-nearest neighbor (GkNN) method, are considered. The accuracy of the GkNN simulation of month by month yield is considered (where the term yield denotes the dependent variable). The notion of an eventually well-distributed time series is introduced and on the basis of this assumption some properties of the average annual yield and its variance for a GkNN simulation are computed. The total yield over a planning period is determined and a general framework for considering the GkNN algorithm based on the notion of stochastically dependent time series is described and it is shown that for a sufficiently large training set the GkNN simulation has the same statistical properties as the training data. An example of the application of the methodology is given in the problem of simulating yield of a rainwater tank given monthly climatic data.
Real-Time Disturbances Estimating and Compensating of Nonlinear Dynamic Model for Underwater Vehicles
Authors: Zhang Yuexin , Wang Lihui
Published: September 2018

To reduce the deviation caused by the stochastic environmental disturbances, estimating these disturbances is required to compensate the navigation system. Based on the idea of Kalman filter using least-squares algorithm for optimal estimation, a nonlinear disturbances estimator which can be perfectly integrated with cubature Kalman filter (CKF) is proposed. For the nonlinear disturbances estimator, the disturbances are estimated by gain matrix, innovation sequences, and innovation covariance generated by CKF. The disturbances estimating and compensating algorithm consists of three parts. Firstly, the navigation system state space model is established based on nonlinear dynamic model of six degrees of freedom. Secondly, the external disturbances are estimated by using CKF and a nonlinear estimator. Finally, the disturbances compensation is carried out by improving the system state equation. In view of the uncertainty of the dynamic model and the randomness of external disturbances, numerical simulation experiments are conducted in the circumstances of sinusoidal disturbances, random disturbances, and uncertain model parameters. The results demonstrate that the proposed method can estimate disturbances effectively and improves navigation accuracy significantly.
The Diagnostic Value of Irisin in Pediatric Patients with Acute Abdominal Pain
Authors: Sarac Fatma , Buyukbese Sarsu Sevgi , Yeniocak Selman , Sahin Kamil , Yucetas Esma , Yildirim Dogan , Koldas Macit , Uzun Ozlem
Published: September 2018

Objectives. Diagnosis of pediatric patients presenting to the Emergency Department with acute abdominal pain is not always easy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of irisin, a peptide hormone with reactivity shown in the appendix and neutrophils, in the differential diagnosis of pediatric patients with acute abdominal pain. Methods. 162 subjects consenting to participate, including 112 patients presenting to the Pediatric Emergency and Pediatric Surgery clinics with acute abdominal pain and 50 controls, were enrolled in the study. Blood was collected from all patients following initial examination for irisin, WBC, and CRP investigation. Results. Mean irisin levels in cases of acute appendicitis (AA) and perforated appendicitis (PA) were statistically significantly higher compared to nonspecific abdominal pains and the control group. No statistically significant difference was observed in irisin levels between AA and PA cases. WBC and CRP levels were also significantly higher in cases of AA and PA compared to nonspecific abdominal pains. Conclusions. Differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pains in children and deciding on surgery are a difficult and complex process. Our study shows that irisin can be a useful biomarker in differentiating AA and PA from other acute abdominal pains in children.
Hawking Radiation of a Single-Partition Black Hole
Authors: Yoon Youngsub
Published: September 2018

Brian Kong and the present author recently presented a new area spectrum and showed that the new area spectrum implies that the decay time of a single-partition black hole (i.e., a black hole with the area not big enough to have two or more partitions) is roughly constant. In this article, we show why the decay time of a single-partition black hole is roughly constant.
Characterization of Pathogenic Bacteria Isolated from Sudanese Banknotes and Determination of Their Resistance Profile
Authors: Abd Alfadil Noha Ahmed , Suliman Mohamed Malik , Ali Manal M. , El Nima El Amin Ibrahim
Published: September 2018

Background. Banknotes are one of the most exchangeable items in communities and always subject to contamination by pathogenic bacteria and hence could serve as vehicle for transmission of infectious diseases. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of contamination by pathogenic bacteria in Sudanese banknotes, determine the susceptibility of the isolated organisms towards commonly used antibiotics, and detect some antibiotic resistance genes.Methods. This study was carried out using 135 samples of Sudanese banknotes of five different denominations (2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 Sudanese pounds), which were collected randomly from hospitals, food sellers, and transporters in all three districts of Khartoum, Bahri, and Omdurman. Bacterial prevalence was determined using culture-based techniques, and their sensitivity patterns were determined using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. Genotypic identification was carried out using PCR and 16S rDNA sequencing. Antibiotic resistance genes of some isolates were detected using PCR technique.Results. All Sudanese banknotes were found to be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria.Klebsiella pneumoniaewas found to be the most frequent isolate (23%), whereasBacillus mycoides(15%) was the most abundant Gram-positive isolate. There was a significant relationship between the number of isolates and the banknote denomination withpvalue <0.05 (the lower denomination showed higher contamination level). Our study has isolated bacteria that are resistant to penicillins and cephalosporins. Multidrug-resistant strains harboring resistant genes (mecA,blaCTX-M, andblaTEM) were also detected.Conclusion. All studied Sudanese banknotes were contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, including multidrug-resistant strains, and may play a significant role in the transmission of bacterial infections.
Optimizing High-Speed Railroad Timetable with Passenger and Station Service Demands: A Case Study in the Wuhan-Guangzhou Corridor
Authors: Wang Jin , Zhou Leishan , Yue Yixiang , Tang Jinjin , Bai Zixi
Published: September 2018

This paper aims to optimize high-speed railroad timetables for a corridor. We propose an integer programming model using a time-space network-based approach to consider passenger service demands, train scheduling, and station service demands simultaneously. A modified branch-and-price algorithm is used for the computation. This algorithm solves the linear relaxation of all nodes in a branch-and-bound tree using a column generation algorithm to derive a lower-bound value (LB) and derive an upper-bound value (UB) using a rapid branching strategy. The optimal solution is derived by iteratively updating the upper- and lower-bound values. Three acceleration strategies, namely, initial solution iteration, delayed constraints, and column removal, were designed to accelerate the computation. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed model and algorithm were tested using Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed railroad data. The results show that the proposed model and algorithm can quickly reduce the defined cost function by 38.2% and improve the average travel speed by 10.7 km/h, which indicates that our proposed model and algorithm can effectively improve the quality of a constructed train timetable and the travel efficiency for passengers.
An Architecture of 2-Dimensional 4-Dot 2-Electron QCA Full Adder and Subtractor with Energy Dissipation Study
Authors: Abdullah-Al-Shafi Md. , Bahar Ali Newaz
Published: September 2018

Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) is the beginning of novel technology and is capable of an appropriate substitute for orthodox semiconductor transistor technology in the nanoscale extent. A competent adder and subtractor circuit can perform a substantial function in devising arithmetic circuits. The future age of digital techniques will exercise QCA as preferred nanotechnology. The QCA computational procedures will be simplified with an effective full adder and subtractor circuit. The deficiencies of variations and assembly still endure as a setback in QCA based outlines, and being capricious and inclined to error is the limitation of these circuits. In this study, a new full adder and subtractor design using unique 3-input XOR gate with cells redundancy is proposed. This designs can be utilized to form different expedient QCA layouts. The structures are formed in a single layer deprived of cross-wiring. Besides, this study is directed to the analysis of the functionality and energy depletion possessions of the outlined full adder and subtractor circuits. For the first time, QCADesigner-Energy (QD-E) version 2.0.3 tool is utilized to find the overall depleted energy. The attained effects with QCADesigner have verified that the outlined design has enhanced functioning in terms of intricacy, extent, and latency in contrast to the earlier designs. Moreover, the redundant form of full adder and subtractor has uncomplicated and robust arrangement competing typical styles.
Bending Resistance of Composite Sections with Nonductile Shear Connectors and Partial Shear Connection
Authors: Kostic Svetlana M. , Deretic-Stojanovic Biljana
Published: September 2018

The paper presents the nonlinear section analysis for composite steel‐concrete beams with different degrees of shear connection. The analysis is fiber based, i.e., integration over the cross section is performed numerically, and any uniaxial nonlinear material model can be assigned to the steel and concrete parts of the cross section or to the reinforcement bars. The analysis assumed full interaction between steel and concrete and therefore, is suitable for analysis of composite steel‐concrete beam cross sections with nonductile shear connectors. Its accuracy is verified on few experimental results. The presented section analysis is used in the parameter study in order to evaluate different methods proposed by design codes for determining the bending moment resistance of composite cross sections with nonductile shear connectors and different degrees of shear connection. The following effects are considered: variation of concrete and steel material models, presence of slab reinforcement, and creep of concrete. Special attention is paid on two different constructional methods: propped and unpropped. The weaknesses of the simplified design method in determining bending moment resistance are identified and recommendations for practical design analysis are formulated.
Fast Local Laplacian‐Based Steerable and Sobel Filters Integrated with Adaptive Boosting Classification Tree for Automatic Recognition of Asphalt Pavement Cracks
Authors: Hoang Nhat-Duc , Nguyen Quoc-Lam
Published: September 2018

Effective road maintenance requires adequate periodic surveys of asphalt pavement condition. The manual process of pavement assessment is labor intensive and time‐consuming. This study proposes an alternative for automating the periodic surveys of pavement condition by means of image processing and machine learning. Advanced image processing techniques including fast local Laplacian filter, Sobel filter, steerable filter, and projection integral are employed for image enhancement and analysis to extract useful features from digital images. Based on the features produced by these image processing techniques, adaptive boosting classification tree is used to perform pavement crack recognition tasks. A dataset of image samples consisting of five classes (alligator crack, diagonal crack, longitudinal crack, noncrack, and transverse crack) has been collected to construct and verify the performance of the adaptive boosting classification tree. The experimental results show that the proposed approach has achieved a high crack classification accuracy which is roughly 90%. Therefore, the newly developed model is a promising alternative to help transportation agencies in pavement condition evaluation.
Scalable Multilabel Learning Based on Feature and Label Dimensionality Reduction
Authors: Lee Jaesung , Kim Dae-Won
Published: September 2018

The data‐driven management of real‐life systems based on a trained model, which in turn is based on the data gathered from its daily usage, has attracted a lot of attention because it realizes scalable control for large‐scale and complex systems. To obtain a model within an acceptable computational cost that is restricted by practical constraints, the learning algorithm may need to identify essential data that carries important knowledge on the relation between the observed features representing the measurement value and labels encoding the multiple target concepts. This results in an increased computational burden owing to the concurrent learning of multiple labels. A straightforward approach to address this issue is feature selection; however, it may be insufficient to satisfy the practical constraints because the computational cost for feature selection can be impractical when the number of labels is large. In this study, we propose an efficient multilabel feature selection method to achieve scalable multilabel learning when the number of labels is large. The empirical experiments on several multilabel datasets show that the multilabel learning process can be boosted without deteriorating the discriminating power of the multilabel classifier.
Feldspar Dissolution and Its Influence on Reservoirs: A Case Study of the Lower Triassic Baikouquan Formation in the Northwest Margin of the Junggar Basin, China
Authors: Xiao Meng , Yuan Xuanjun , Cheng Dawei , Wu Songtao , Cao Zhenglin , Tang Yong , Xie Zongrui
Published: September 2018

Feldspar dissolution is a common feature in clastic rock reservoirs of petroliferous basins and has an important influence on reservoir quality. However, the effect of feldspar dissolution on reservoir quality varies under different depositional environments and diagenetic systems. The study area in this paper is located in the Baikouquan Formation in the northwestern margin of the Junggar Basin, which is significantly influenced by feldspar dissolution. Based on the analyses of core and thin section observations, QEMSEM, XRD, SEM, CL, fluorescence, and image analysis software combined with logging and physical property data, this study shows that feldspar dissolution in the subaqueous distributary channel of a fan delta plain, which has good original physical properties and low mud contents, significantly improves the properties of the reservoir. The main reasons for this are as follows: (1) the sedimentary facies with good original properties and low mud content is a relatively open system in the burial stage. The acidic fluids needed for feldspar dissolution are mostly derived from organic acids associated with the source rocks and migrate to the good-permeability area of the reservoir; (2) the by-products of feldspar dissolution, such as authigenic clay minerals and authigenic quartz, are transported by pore water in a relatively open diagenetic system and then precipitated in a relatively closed diagenetic system; and (3) the clay minerals produced by feldspar dissolution in different diagenetic environments and diagenetic stages have different effects on the reservoir. When the kaolinite content is less than 3%, the illite content is less than 4%, and the chlorite content is less than 12%, the clay minerals have a positive effect on the porosity. These clay minerals can reduce porosity and block pore throats when their contents are larger than these values.
Traffic Allocation Mode of PPP Highway Project: A Risk Management Approach
Authors: Li Jie , Mao Peng , Dai Zhaohua , Zhang Jing
Published: September 2018

Highway projects are the favorites of public‐private partnership (PPP) investors because of their stable cash flow. However, there are high uncertainties in terms of traffic volume, resulting in unpredictable revenues, which has drawn major concern of PPP investors. For a road in a network, the traffic volume is determined by the traffic allocation rate, which is affected not only by the total traffic volume in the region but also by other traffic risk factors, such as travel time, toll rates, and travelling comfort. The conventional traffic allocation forecasting technique predominantly depends on the travel time, overlooking other risk factors. Consequently, traffic allocation forecasting is usually inaccurate. To improve the accuracy of traffic allocation forecasting in PPP road projects, this paper proposes to consider the effect of traffic risks together with traffic time by using the mean utility. Multinomial logit (MNL) model based on mean utility is used to predict the traffic allocation rate. To validate the proposed model, the system dynamic (SD) modeling is established to forecast the traffic volume of a case highway using the proposed traffic allocation forecasting model. The simulated result shows that the simulated traffic volume of past years from the proposed model is highly consistent with the actual one, evidencing that the proposed model can greatly improve the accuracy of the traffic forecasting.
A Case Report and Literature Review of Clostridium difficile Negative Antibiotic Associated Hemorrhagic Colitis Caused by Klebsiella oxytoca
Authors: Fisher Aaron , Halalau Alexandra
Published: September 2018

Klebsiella oxytoca hemorrhagic colitis is a rare form of antibiotic associated hemorrhagic colitis that is Clostridium difficile negative. Klebsiella oxytoca colitis has been shown to be triggered by penicillin administration, yet other antibiotics have been implicated as well. It can mimic the appearance of ischemic colitis on endoscopy; however it will generally be found in young, otherwise healthy patients without risk factors. We present a case of a 33-year-old Caucasian female who presented to the emergency room with profuse, bloody diarrhea for 5 days, after a one-week course of ampicillin. Colonoscopy was notable for ulcerated mucosa with erythema and easy friability and the biopsy was suggestive of ischemic colitis. Stool culture was positive for many Klebsiella oxytoca. The patient was discharged home with resolution of symptoms after three days in the hospital. She was instructed to avoid penicillin antibiotics and minimize nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use.
Clinical Approaches of Whole-Body Vibration Exercises in Individuals with Stroke: A Narrative Revision
Authors: Sañudo Borja , Taiar Redha , Furness Trentham , Bernardo-Filho Mario
Published: September 2018

Stroke is associated with long-term disability and patients experience numerous physical impairments including muscle weakness, particularly in the paretic limbs, balance, and functional mobility. During acute stroke rehabilitation, when individuals are less likely to be functionally independent and rely on rehabilitative care, the efficacy of low skill interventions that can reduce sedentary behaviour should be established. As such, this narrative revision focused on the use of empirical studies of whole-body vibration exercise (WBVE) on different health outcomes in stroke patients. The effects of WBVE on neuromuscular performance (muscular strength and power), mobility, spasticity, and cardiovascular responses have been highlighted. Although some positive results were reported we can conclude that there is no solid evidence confirming the beneficial effects of WBVE among people with stroke compared with either other types of physical activities or sham WBVE. Therefore, further research should be performed in this area, testing the feasibility and efficacy of using WBVE in a more homogeneous sample of stroke patients or comparing different WBVE parameters.
Navigation for Indoor Robot: Straight Line Movement via Navigator
Authors: Zhu Chaozheng , He Ming , Chen Pan , Sun Kang , Wang Jinglei , Huang Qian
Published: September 2018

Due to the need of zigzag overlay strategy, long-term linear motion is essential for sweep robot. However, the existing indoor sweep robot navigation algorithm has many problems; for instance, algorithm with high complexity demands high hardware performance and is incapable of working at night. To overcome those problems, in this paper, a new method for indoor robot Straight Line Movement via Navigator (SLMN) is proposed to ensure long linear motion of robot with an acceptable error threshold and realize multiroom navigation. Firstly, in a short time, robot runs a suitable distance when it is covered by navigator’s ultrasonic sensor. We can obtain a triangle with twice the distance between navigator and robot and the distance of robot motion. The forward angle of the robot can be conveniently obtained by the trigonometric functions. Comparing the robot’s current angle with expected angle, the robot could correct itself and realize the indoor linear navigation. Secondly, discovering dozens of the magnitude gaps between the distance of robot run and the distance between navigator and robot, we propose an optimized method using approximate scaling which increases efficiency by nearly 70.8%. Finally, to realize multiroom navigation, we introduce the conception of the depth-first search stack and a unique encode rule on rooms and navigators. It is proved by extensive quantitative evaluations that the proposed method realizes indoor full coverage at a lower cost than other state-of-the-art indoor vision navigation schemes, such as ORB-SLAM.
Incidence and Trends of Leishmaniasis and Its Risk Factors in Humera, Western Tigray
Authors: Gebremichael Tedla Dawit , Bariagabr Fsahatsion Hailemariam , Abreha Hagos Hadgu
Published: September 2018

Introduction. Leishmaniasis is a neglected vector borne disease, which constitutes a major public health concern in several tropical and subtropical countries. An estimated 4500 to 4000 new cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) occur per year and over 3.2 million people are at risk of infection in the country. In Humera, VL epidemics are associated with migration of workers from nonendemic highlands into the visceral leishmaniasis endemic extensive farmlands. Therefore, the objective of this study is to estimate the incidence and the risk factors of leishmaniasis in Humera, Western Tigray.Methods. A retrospective study was conducted using the hospital admission database on all patients admitted who have been suspected of having leishmaniasis infection and tested for rK39-based immune chromatographic test (ICT) at Kahsay Abera Hospital in Humera town from January 2012 to December 2017. Potential risk factors for leishmaniasis infection in human were collected from the hospital, which included categorical variables: age, sex, origin of place, clinical forms of leishmaniasis, mortality rates, and the occurrence of infections according to format of hospital.Results. A total of 26511 hospital discharged patients with diagnosis of leishmaniasis were identified, out of which 2232 (8.42%) human leishmaniasis cases were registered and of them 71 were dead from January 2012 to December 2017. Mortality rates of leishmaniasis were 18 (3.3%) in 2012, 16 (3.1%) in 2013, 15 (2.4%) in 2014, 8 (3.3%) in 2015, 9 (4.1%) in 2016, and 5 (5.4%) in 2017. Univariate analysis of the infection rate of leishmaniasis was based on the potential risk factors and found higher male infection rates than female (P <0.05) in all the study years. Origin of place was also significantly associated (P< 0.05) where labor migrants from highland to agricultural fields had higher infection rates than those who permanently lived in and around Humera. Trends in season of occurrence revealed that weeding and harvesting time (July–December) had higher incidence of leishmaniasis than dry time (January–June).Conclusion. Male labor migrants from the highlands older than 15 years of age were at the highest risks of leishmaniasis during weeding and harvest season. Therefore, awareness creation on the risks of sleeping outdoors and the impact of using of bed nets is imperative especially for labor migrants during weeding and harvesting season.
Moderate Hypertriglyceridemia Causing Recurrent Pancreatitis: A Case Report and the Literature Review
Authors: Gayam Vijay , Mandal Amrendra Kumar , Garlapati Pavani , Khalid Mazin , Gill Arshpal , Mowyad Khalid
Published: September 2018

Recurrent acute pancreatitis secondary to hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) with levels below 1000 mg/dL has been rarely reported in the literature. HTG is the third most common cause of acute pancreatitis and has been established in the literature as a risk factor when levels are greater than 1000 mg/dL. A 43-year-old patient presented to the hospital with severe epigastric abdominal pain. Initial laboratory investigations were significant for a lipase level of 4143 U/L and a triglyceride level of 600 mg/dL. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed diffuse enlargement of the pancreas consistent with pancreatitis. A diagnosis of severe acute pancreatitis secondary to high triglycerides was made based on the revised Atlanta classification 2012. The patient was initially managed with intravenous boluses of normal saline followed by continuous insulin infusion. Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) was ruled out due to a past medical history of diabetes. Her clinical course was complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation. During the course, she improved symptomatically and was extubated. She was started on nasogastric feeding initially and subsequently switched to oral diet as tolerated. After initial management of HTG with insulin infusion, oral gemfibrozil was started for long-term treatment of HTG. Emerging literature implicates HTG as an independent indicator of poor prognosis in acute pancreatitis (AP). Despite the paucity of data, the risk of developing AP must be considered even at triglyceride levels lower than 1000 mg/dL.
Passenger Travel Regularity Analysis Based on a Large Scale Smart Card Data
Authors: Ouyang Qi , Lv Yongbo , Ren Yuan , Ma Jihui , Li Jing
Published: September 2018

Analysis of passenger travel habits is always an important item in traffic field. However, passenger travel patterns can only be watched through a period time, and a lot of people travel by public transportation in big cities like Beijing daily, which leads to large-scale data and difficult operation. Using SPARK platform, this paper proposes a trip reconstruction algorithm and adopts the density-based spatial clustering of application with noise (DBSCAN) algorithm to mine the travel patterns of each Smart Card (SC) user in Beijing. For the phenomenon that passengers swipe cards before arriving to avoid the crowd caused by the people of the same destination, the algorithm based on passenger travel frequent items is adopted to guarantee the accuracy of spatial regular patterns. At last, this paper puts forward a model based on density and node importance to gather bus stations. The transportation connection between areas formed by these bus stations can be seen with the help of SC data. We hope that this research will contribute to further studies.
Hyperactivation of the Frontal Control Network Revealed by Symptom Provocation in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using EEG Microstate and sLORETA Analyses
Authors: Yoshimura Masafumi , Pascual-Marqui Roberto D. , Nishida Keiichiro , Kitaura Yuichi , Mii Hiroshi , Saito Yukiko , Ikeda Shunichiro , Katsura Koji , Ueda Satsuki , Minami Shota , Isotani Toshiaki , Kinoshita Toshihiko
Published: September 2018

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of brain electric field induced by symptom provocation in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in comparison to healthy controls in the resting state. For this purpose, EEG recordings in conditions of initial rest, clean control, symptom provocation by imaginal exposure, and final rest were used for computing spatiotemporal activity characteristics based on microstate segmentation. Within-group comparisons were significant for the symptom provocation condition: OCD showed high global field power (GFP) and transition rates into a medial frontal microstate, whereas healthy controls showed high frequency of occurrence and high percent of dwelling time for a medial occipitoparietal microstate. Between-group comparisons demonstrated significantly lower GFP and dwelling time for the medial occipitoparietal microstate in OCD in several conditions including initial rest and symptom provocation. In addition, OCD compared to healthy controls showed significant instability of the medial occipitoparietal microstate, with high preference for transitions into the medial frontal microstate. In conclusion, during rest and symptom provocation, OCD patients make preferential use of a medial frontal brain network, with concomitant reduction of use of a medial occipitoparietal network, as shown by dwelling times, explained variance, and dynamic transition rates. These findings support the idea of a possible biological marker for OCD, which might correspond to pathological hyperactivation of the frontal control network.
Labor Induction in Late-Onset Fetal Growth Restriction: Foley Balloon versus Vaginal Dinoprostone
Authors: Villalain Cecilia , Herraiz Ignacio , Quezada María Soledad , Gómez Arriaga Paula , Simón Elisa , Gómez-Montes Enery , Galindo Alberto
Published: September 2018

Objective: To compare vaginal delivery rate and perinatal outcomes of fetuses with late-onset fetal growth restriction (FGR) undergoing labor induction, depending on the method for cervical ripening (dinoprostone vs. Foley balloon). Material and Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 148 consecutive singleton gestations diagnosed with stage I late-onset FGR and Bishop score < 7, in which labor induction was indicated at ≥37 + 0 weeks. Before January 2016, cervical ripening was achieved with 10 mg of vaginal dinoprostone (n = 77) and afterwards with Fo­ley balloon (n = 71). Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between mode of delivery and induction method. Results: Foley balloon had lower percentages of uterine tachysystole with fetal repercussion (4.2 vs. 16.9%, p = 0.01) and cesarean sections for suspected fetal distress (7.0 vs. 26.0%, p < 0.01) when compared to dino­prostone. Lower percentages of cesarean sections were found in the Foley balloon group (15.5 vs. 37.7%, p < 0.01). The odds ratio and adjusted odds ratio of cesarean section with dinoprostone were of 3.3 and 4.4, respectively. Perinatal mortality and severe morbidity were null in both groups. Conclusion: The use of Foley balloon resulted in a higher percentage of vaginal delivery compared to dinoprostone, with a favorable safety profile in both groups.
Genome-Wide Network-Based Analysis of Colorectal Cancer Identifies Novel Prognostic Factors and an Integrative Prognostic Index
Authors: Hou Xiaolin , He Xuelai , Wang Kang , Hou Nengyi , Fu Junwen , Jia Guiqing , Zuo Xiaofei , Xiong Haibo , Pang Minghui
Published: September 2018

Background/Aims: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of leading cancers in both incidence and mortality rate. The 5-year survival rate varies considerably depending on the pathological stage of the tumor. Although prominent progress has been made through screening for survival-associated factors from a certain type of genetic or epigenetic modifications, few attempts have been made to apply a network-based approach in prognostic factor identification, which could prove valuable for a complex, multi-faceted disease such as CRC. Methods: In this study, a TCGA dataset of 379 CRC patients was subjected to a network-based analysis strategy consisting of multivariate regression, co-expression network and gene regulatory network analyses, and survival analyses. Both genetic and epigenetic aberrations, including those in gene expression and DNA methylation at specific sites, were screened for significant association with patient survival. A prognostic index (PI) integrating all potential prognostic factors was subsequently validated for its prognostic value. Results: A collection of six miRNAs, eleven mRNAs, and nine DNA methylation sites were identified as potential prognostic factors. The low- and high-risk patient groups assigned based on PI level showed significant difference in overall survival (hazard ratio = 1.32, 95% confidence interval 1.29-1.36, p < 0.0001). Patients in the low- and high-risk groups can be further divided into a total of four subgroups, based on pathological staging. In the two high-risk subgroups (PI > 0), there was significant different (Cox p < 0.0001) in OS between the earlier (stages I/II) and later stages (stages III/IV). However, in the two low-risk subgroups (PI < 0), earlier (stages I/II) and later stages (stages III/IV) showed no significant difference in OS (Cox p = 0.185). On the other hand, there were significant differences in OS between the low- and high-risk subgroups when both subgroups were of earlier stages (Cox p < 0.001) or of later stages (Cox p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The novel network-based, integrative analysis adopted in this study was efficient in screening for prognostic predictors. Along with PI, the set of 6 miRNAs, 11 mRNAs, and 9 DNA methylation sites could serve as the basis for improved prognosis estimation for CRC patients in future clinical practice.
Lung Carcinoids: Long-Term Surgical Results and the Lack of Prognostic Value of Somatostatin Receptors and Other Novel Immunohistochemical Markers
Authors: Daskalakis Kosmas , Kaltsas Gregory , Öberg Kjell , Tsolakis Apostolos V. 
Published: September 2018

Background/Aims: Lung carcinoids (LCs) are often diagnosed at an early stage and surgical intervention becomes the next phase of treatment. To date, there is lack of long-term follow-up data after surgery and prognostication based on WHO classification criteria and evolving prognostic markers, particularly the expression of somatostatin receptors (SSR). Methods: We included 102 consecutive patients (72 women; age at baseline 51 ± 16 years [mean ± SD]) with LCs, who underwent thoracic surgery (n = 99) and/or laser treatment (n = 8). Hospital charts were reviewed for clinico-pathological parameters. Immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of SSR1–5 and other novel markers were studied with regard to their prognostic value. Results: Five- and 10-year overall survival (OS) was 96 and 83% respectively; relative survival (RS) was 101 and 93% respectively; and event-free survival (EFS) was 80 and 67% respectively. Independent prognostic factors for OS, RS and/or EFS were age at diagnosis, histopathological type and the presence of ipsilateral mediastinal subcarinal lymph node metastases. Macro-radicality of resective surgery and its extent were associated with increased OS and EFS. The IHC expression of SSR1–5 and other novel markers was not associated with OS or EFS. Conclusion: The long-term outcome of surgically treated patients with LCs is favourable. Age, histopathological type and ipsilateral mediastinal subcarinal lymph node status at baseline were independent prognostic factors for survival and disease recurrence or progression. The extent of surgery and operative macro-radicality also had an impact on prognosis. None of the IHC markers tested appeared to be associated with disease prognosis.
ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ КВЕСТУ ЯК ТЕХНОЛОГІЇ ПРАКТИКО- ОРІЄНТОВАНОГО НАВЧАННЯ СТУДЕНТІВ МЕДИЧНИХ ВИШІВ
Authors: Kravets N. Ya. , Shevchyk L. O.
Published: September 2018

Мета роботи – обґрунтування доцільності застосування квест-технологій з метою урізноманітнення навчального процесу, активізації пізнавальної діяльності, розширення сфери  інтересів студентів медичних  вишів України.Основна частина. У процесі роботи зі студентами найбільш доречно залучати такі  форми спільного обговорення проблеми і вироблення загального рішення, котрі дозволяють не  лише висловлювати свою думку, погляд і оцінку, а й почути аргументи партнера, часом відмовитися від своєї точки зору або істотно змінити її.Однією з таких технологій, яка вчить знаходити необхідну інформацію, піддавати її аналізу, систематизувати та вирішувати поставлені задачі, власне і є квест.Висновки. Завдяки проведенню інтелектуального квесту студенти мають можливість не лише перевірити власний рівень залишкових знань, дізнатися чимало нових цікавих фактів, а й можуть структурувати вже наявні знання.Роль викладача в ході квесту зводиться до коректного формування змісту завдань; підготовки та розподілення ролей для студентів; створення сприятливих умов у групі для висловлювання власної думки кожного з учасників; ознайомлення студентів з чітко сформованими правилами інтерактивної гри та спрямування їх у правильну сторону розвитку подій.
СУЧАСНИЙ СТАН, ПРОБЛЕМИ ТА ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ ВИКЛАДАННЯ ПЕДІАТРІЇ АНГЛОМОВНИМ СТУДЕНТАМ
Authors: Makieieva N. I. , Iarova K. K. , Alekseeva N. P. , Golovachova V. O. , Piddubna I. M.
Published: September 2018

Мета роботи – аналіз сучасного стану та досвіду викладання педіатрії англомовним студентам 4-го та 5-го років навчання на кафедрі педіатрії № 2 Харківського національного медичного університету.Основна частина. Викладання педіатрії англомовним студентам вимагає високого рівня професійної підготовки, педагогічної майстерності та вільного володіння англійською мовою. Для підвищення якості підготовки іноземних студентів на кафедрі проводиться постійний пошук та впровадження сучасних інноваційних технологій, регулярне оновлення методичних матеріалів, створення навчальних посібників та підручників з урахуванням міжнародних стандартів надання медичної допомоги дітям.Висновок. Зменшення кількості студентів у групах та лекційних потоках, удосконалення матеріально-технічної бази (комп’ютеризація, розвиток фантомних класів тощо) дозволить поліпшити якість навчання та оволодіння практичними навичками.