bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reliability and validity of two in vivo measurements for skin surface topography in aged adults
Authors: Trojahn C. , Schario M. , Dobos G. , Blume‐Peytavi U. , Kottner J.
Published: May 2014

Background

The non‐contact optical methods phaseshift rapid in vivo measurement of skin (PRIMOS) and surface evaluation of living skin (SELS) are widely applied for measuring skin surface topography. The aims of the present study were to evaluate reliability and validity of these methods and to compare skin roughness intraindividually.

Methods

SELS and PRIMOS measurements were performed on four skin areas of the left and right volar forearms in 12 healthy elderly subjects. Reliability and correlations were analyzed for Visioscan® and PRIMOS roughness parameters. Student's t‐tests for estimating differences between contralateral volar forearm sites were applied.

Results

ICC coefficients of the Visioscan® roughness estimates ranged between 0.50 and 0.95 and of the PRIMOS measurements between 0.01 and 1.00. The Visioscan® parameters SEr, SEsm, Rmax, and Rz, and the PRIMOS parameters Ra, Rz, Smax, Wt, and Sz showed most significant correlations with each other and to additional roughness parameters. Mean roughness differences between contralateral forearm skin areas ranged between 0.0 (SEsc) and 6.7 (Rmax).

Conclusions

The Visioscan® parameters SEr, Rmax, and Rz showed most reliable and valid values and were largely comparable on contralateral forearm skin sites in elderly subjects. Rmax, Rz, and Ra should be preferred for measuring skin surface topography with PRIMOS.
Isolation of bacterial skin flora of healthy sheep, with comparison between frequent and minimal human handling
Authors: Haarstad Amy C. , Eisenschenk Melissa C. , Heinrich Nicole A. , Weese J. Scott , McKeever Patrick J.
Published: May 2014

Background

Few data are available regarding skin bacterial flora of healthy sheep and meticillin‐resistant Staphylococcus carriage.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To compare skin, ear and mucosal bacterial populations between minimally and frequently handled sheep; to determine whether the frequency of meticillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus varied between groups.

Animals

One hundred and three healthy feedlot and show sheep from eight farms.

Methods

Swabs were collected from the dorsum, right ear and right nostril of each sheep. Two groups from each farm were evaluated, except from one farm, which had only one group. Bacterial isolates were identified to the genus or species level using phenotypic analysis or matrix‐associated laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and spa typing were performed on isolates of S. aureus.

Results

Sixteen bacterial genera were identified and 11 staphylococcal species, including S. aureus. The skin and mucosal bacterial flora were compared between the groups. The only statistically significant difference in bacteria was Streptococcus spp. on the dorsum (P = 0.0088), with carriage being more common in frequently handled sheep. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing did not find meticillin‐resistant S. aureus. There was no significant difference in S. aureus carriage in the ear (P = 0.33), nostril (P = 0.43) or dorsum (P = 0.053) between frequently and minimally handled sheep. The S. aureus isolates belonged to six different spa types. Three were of the ST398 lineage.

Conclusions and clinical importance

Sheep are a potential source of livestock‐associated meticillin‐sensitive Staphylococcus aureus ST398.
Effects of ubiquinol with fluid resuscitation following haemorrhagic shock on rat lungs, diaphragm, heart and kidneys
Authors: Bennetts Paul , Shen Qiuhua , Thimmesch Amanda R. , Diaz Francisco J. , Clancy Richard L. , Pierce Janet D.
Published: May 2014

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

What are the effects of administering ubiquinol (reduced form of co‐enzyme Q10) following haemorrhagic shock on leucocyte mitochondrial superoxide, diaphragmatic hydrogen peroxide concentration and apoptosis in the lungs, diaphragm, heart and kidneys?

What is the main finding and its importance?

The administration of ubiquinol attenuated damage to the lungs, diaphragm, heart and kidneys following haemorrhagic shock and fluid resuscitation. Leucocyte mitochondrial superoxide was reduced, while hydrogen peroxide and apoptosis in the diaphragm decreased, as did apoptosis in the lungs, heart and kidneys. These findings suggest that ubiquinol could be a potential antioxidant used to reduce the reperfusion injury following haemorrhagic shock.

Haemorrhagic shock (HS) and fluid resuscitation can lead to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), contributing to ischaemia–reperfusion injury and organ damage. Ubiquinol is a potent antioxidant that decreases ROS. This study examined the effects of ubiquinol administered with fluid resuscitation following controlled HS. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to treatment [ubiquinol, 1 mg (100 g body weight)−1] or control groups. Rats were subjected to 60 min of HS by removing 40% of the total blood volume to a mean arterial pressure ∼45–55 mmHg. The animals were resuscitated with blood and lactated Ringer solution, with or without ubiquinol, and monitored for 120 min. At the end of the experiments, the rats were killed and the lungs, diaphragm, heart and kidneys harvested. Leucocytes were analysed for mitochondrial superoxide at baseline, end of shock and 120 min following fluid resuscitation using MitoSOX Red. Diaphragms were examined for hydrogen peroxide using dihydrofluorescein diacetate and confocal microscopy. The apoptosis in lungs, diaphragm, heart and kidneys was measured using fluorescence microscopy with acridine orange and ethidium bromide. Leucocyte mitochondrial superoxide levels were significantly lower in rats that received ubiquinol than in the control animals. Production of hydrogen peroxide and apoptosis were significantly reduced in the organs of rats treated with ubiquinol. These findings suggest that ubiquinol, administered with fluid resuscitation after HS, attenuates ROS production and apoptosis. Thus, ubiquinol is a potent antioxidant that may be used as a potential treatment to reduce organ injury following haemorrhagic events.
Challenges of contact module integration for GaN-based devices in a Si-CMOS environment
Authors: Johnson Derek W. , Ravikirthi Pradhyumna , Woo Suh Jae , Lee Rinus T. P. , Hill Richard J. W. , Hoi Wong Man , Piner Edwin L. , Rusty Harris Harlan
Published: May 2014

The authors report on the integration of an Au-free contact module intended for AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors fabricated in a 200 mm Si complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor facility. Contacts are characterized via transfer line method structures, tunneling electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Factors leading to incorrect extraction of contact resistance are discussed. The authors find that reoptimization of chemical vapor deposited silicon nitride on AlGaN/GaN substrates is required to ensure reliable determination of contact resistance, gate-to-source spacing, and gate-to-drain spacing. Additional process development is required to enable parallel processing of Si and GaN devices.
Evaluating the Implementation of a Professional Sport Team’s Corporate Community Involvement Initiative
Authors: Kihl Lisa , Babiak Kathy , Tainsky Scott
Published: May 2014

As corporate community initiatives (CCI) in sport are becoming an important dimension of corporate social responsibility, a key issue is evaluating the quality of the processes by which they are delivered and how they are managed. The purpose of this study was to explore the implementation process of a professional sport team’s CCI using program evaluation theory (Chen, 2005). Interviews were conducted with 42 key stakeholders (team executives, partnership implementers, participants, parents, coaches) from one Major League Baseball team’s CCI to understand critical processes involved in CCI implementation and execution. The findings showed concerns in the quality of program implementation with the: 1) the partnership agreement, 2) the ecological context, 3) protocol and implementation, and 4) target population. We propose an iterative model of program evaluation for use in the sport context. We conclude the paper with recommendations for further research in this area and implications for practitioners.
Estimating Consumer Spending on Tickets, Merchandise, and Food and Beverage: A Case Study of a NHL Team
Authors: Kelley Katharine , Harrolle Michelle G. , Casper Jonathan M.
Published: May 2014

Game day spending is critical for National Hockey League (NHL) teams’ profitability as nearly half the NHL franchises generate more than two-thirds of their annual income from ticket sales. The purpose of our study was to analyze financial data for 123 regular season home games to understand the influence of day of week, special promotions, opponent, month in season, time of game, and season on ticket sales, merchandise per cap sales, and food and beverage per cap sales for a NHL team. Ordinary Least Squares regression results revealed that the game day variables included in the models explained 52% of the variance in ticket sales, 70% of the variance in merchandise per cap sales, and 48% of the variance in food and beverage per cap sales (p < .05). Findings provide practical implications for teams who hope to maximize game day revenue.
Joint hypermobility syndrome subclassification in paediatrics: a factor analytic approach
Authors: Pacey Verity , Adams Roger D , Tofts Louise , Munns Craig F , Nicholson Leslie L
Published: May 2014

Objective

To determine if exploratory factor analysis can identify subtypes comprising recognisable clinical patterns of the presenting signs and symptoms of children with joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS).

Patients

Eighty-nine children with JHS aged 6–16 years.

Methods

Twelve tests comprising anthropometric, musculoskeletal and functional assessments were conducted. Signs, symptoms and family history were recorded. Exploratory factor analysis was performed, factor scores generated, and correlations calculated to identify associations.

Results

Sixty-six percent of the variance in the score set could be accounted for by five JHS subtypes (Eigenvalues >1). Factor 1, ‘joint affected’ JHS, had loadings on multiple joint pain, recurrent joint instability and postural orthostatic hypotension symptoms, and factor scores were associated with worse pain (r=0.48, p<0.01), fatigue (r=−0.54, p<0.01) and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL) (r=−0.5, p<0.01). Factor 2, ‘athletic’ JHS, loaded on muscle endurance, balance and motor skill proficiency, and scores were associated with less fatigue (r=0.3, p<0.01) and better HRQOL (r=0.44, p<0.01). Factor 3, ‘systemic’ JHS, loaded on skin involvement, incontinence symptoms, bowel involvement and recurrent joint instability, and was associated with reduced HRQOL (r=−0.24, p=0.03). Factor 4, ‘soft tissue affected’ JHS, loaded on recurrent soft tissue injuries and reduced muscle length, and was associated with greater fatigue (r=−0.43, p<0.01) and reduced HRQOL (r=−0.44, p<0.0001). Factor 5, ‘high BMI’ JHS, had high loadings on body mass index (BMI) for age, muscle endurance and no gastrointestinal involvement, and was associated with higher pain (r=0.33, p<0.01).

Conclusions

The presenting signs and symptoms of children with JHS can be summarised in five clinically recognisable subtypes.
Cross-sectional survey of attitudes and beliefs about back pain in New Zealand
Authors: Darlow Ben , Perry Meredith , Stanley James , Mathieson Fiona , Melloh Markus , Baxter G David , Dowell Anthony
Published: May 2014

Objectives

To explore the prevalence of attitudes and beliefs about back pain in New Zealand and compare certain beliefs based on back pain history or health professional exposure.

Design

Population-based cross-sectional survey.

Setting

Postal survey.

Participants

New Zealand residents and citizens aged 18 years and above. 1000 participants were randomly selected from the New Zealand Electoral Roll. Participants listed on the Electoral Roll with an overseas postal address were excluded. 602 valid responses were received.

Measures

Attitudes and beliefs about back pain were measured with the Back Pain Attitudes Questionnaire (Back-PAQ). The interaction between attitudes and beliefs and (1) back pain experience and (2) health professional exposure was investigated.

Results

The lifetime prevalence of back pain was reported as 87% (95% CI 84% to 90%), and the point prevalence as 27% (95% CI 24% to 31%). Negative views about the back and back pain were prevalent, in particular the need to protect the back to prevent injury. People with current back pain had more negative overall scores, particularly related to back pain prognosis. There was uncertainty about links between pain and injury and appropriate physical activity levels during an episode of back pain. Respondents had more positive views about activity if they had consulted a health professional about back pain. The beliefs of New Zealanders appeared to be broadly similar to those of other Western populations.

Conclusions

A large proportion of respondents believed that they needed to protect their back to prevent injury; we theorise that this belief may result in reduced confidence to use the back and contribute to fear avoidance. Uncertainty regarding what is a safe level of activity during an episode of back pain may limit participation. People experiencing back pain may benefit from more targeted information about the positive prognosis. The provision of clear guidance about levels of activity may enable confident participation in an active recovery.
Lactate clearance as a useful biomarker for the prediction of all-cause mortality in critically ill patients: a systematic review study protocol
Authors: Zhang Zhongheng , Xu Xiao , Chen Kun
Published: May 2014

Introduction

Arterial lactate is a reflection of balance between lactate production and clearance. Accumulating lactate may be a marker of global hypoxia or hypoperfusion. Lactate clearance is the reduction of lactate concentrations with interventional strategies, and it has been associated with increased risk of death in critically ill patients. However, conflicting results exist, which mandates a systematic review to clarify the association between lactate clearance and clinical outcome.

Methods and analysis

Critically ill adult patients will be included in our analysis. This population will include heterogeneous study participants, including patients with sepsis or severe sepsis, trauma, surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients, and so on. We will search four databases including EBSCO, PubMed, Scopus and ISI Web of knowledge from inception to February 2014. There will be no language restrictions in the electronic search for studies. Newcastle Ottawa Scale for cohort study will be employed to assess the reporting quality of included original studies. We will report pooled relative risk of death for those with lactate clearance and those without. The diagnostic performance of lactate clearance in predicting mortality will be explored by using the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic model.

Ethics and dissemination

The protocol for the systematic review has been registered in PROSPERO. The study will be disseminated electronically and in print. It will also be presented to conferences related to critical care medicine.

Trial registration number:

CRD42013006511.
MODELING AND ANALYZING BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS USING COLORED HIERARCHICAL PETRI NETS ILLUSTRATED BYC. ELEGANSVULVAL DEVELOPMENT
Authors: LIU FEI , HEINER MONIKA , YANG MING
Published: May 2014

Colored Petri nets allow compact, parameterizable and scalable representations of large-scale biological models by encoding, e.g., species as colored tokens, and offer a variety of analysis techniques, e.g., structural analysis, simulation and model checking to analyze biological models. However, so far colored Petri nets have not been widely used and well explored in systems biology. In this paper, we aim to present a systematic approach to modeling and analyzing complex biological systems using colored Petri nets in order to help biologists to easily use them. We first describe a framework comprising a family of related colored Petri nets: colored qualitative Petri net (𝒬𝒫𝒩𝒞), colored stochastic Petri net (𝒮𝒫𝒩𝒞) and colored continuous Petri net (𝒞𝒫𝒩𝒞). They share structure, but are specialized by their kinetic information. Based on this framework, we present our colored Petri net approach to modeling and analyzing complex biological systems. First a biological system is modeled as a hierarchical 𝒬𝒫𝒩𝒞model, animated and analyzed by structural analysis; then it is converted into a 𝒮𝒫𝒩𝒞or 𝒞𝒫𝒩𝒞model, to be further analyzed using stochastic or continuous simulation, and simulative or numerical model checking. We demonstrate this approach using a nontrivial example, Caenorhabditis elegans vulval development.
DIVERSIFYING SEMANTIC ENTITY SEARCH: INDEPENDENT COMPONENT ANALYSIS APPROACH
Authors: RUOTSALO TUUKKA , FROSTERUS MATIAS
Published: May 2014

Structured Web data are increasingly accessed using information retrieval methods and information retrieval increasingly relies on structured background knowledge. As users' searches are often directed towards finding information about entities rather than text documents, a key affordance of semantic search is the ability to retrieve relevant information about entities more precisely by utilizing the rich structured descriptions and background knowledge. Entity search also poses challenges for information retrieval methods. Entity descriptions are often short and conventional search term matching alone can be insufficient. As a consequence, the search engine should be able to increase the recall of the returned results and select a representative set of entities for a user; to diversify search results. This paper presents an approach to diversify entity search by using semantics present and inferred from the initial entity search results. Our approach utilizes ontologies as a source of background knowledge to improve recall of entity retrieval and independent component analysis to detect independent latent components shared by the entities. The search results are then diversified by selecting a representative set of entities based on their membership in the independent components. We demonstrate the performance of our approach through retrieval experiments conducted by using a real-world dataset composed from four entity databases. The results suggest that our approach can significantly improve effectiveness and diversity of entity search.
36
Cl terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide dating suggests Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene mass movements on the south face of Aconcagua mountain and in the Las Cuevas–Horcones valleys, Central Andes, Argentina
Authors: Hermanns Reginald L. , Fauqué Luis , Wilson Carlos G. J.
Published: May 2014

The morphology, sedimentology and mineralogy of deposits that previously had been associated with glacial advances (the Penitentes, Horcones and Almacenes drifts) were reinvestigated and dated using the terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN)
36
Cl. These results indicate that the deposits previously associated with the Horcones and Almacenes drifts are actually deposits of a rock slope failure from the southern face of Aconcagua mountain forming a debris–ice avalanche that were deposited 10 490±1120 years ago, while the deposits previously associated with the Penitentes drift is a rock avalanche from the Mario Ardito valley that deposited in the Las Cuevas valley 11 220±2020 years ago. Earlier in the Late Pleistocene a further rock–ice avalanche sourced from Aconcagua mountain and deposited in the Las Cuevas valley, predating related lake sediments with a calibrated
14
C age of 14 798–13 886 years and travertine deposits with a U-series age of 24 200±2000 years. In addition, three further rock-avalanche deposits were dated that sourced from Tolosa mountain, having
36
Cl mean ages of 14 740±1950 years, 12 090±1550 years and 9030±1410 years. No deposits of massive rock slope failures were found in those parts of the valleys that date younger, suggesting that climatic conditions at the transition from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene, that were different from today's, caused the slopes to fail. Alternatively, the rock slope failures could have been seismically triggered. We suggest that the slope failures at the southern face of Aconcagua mountain have caused or contributed to a reorganization of glacial ice flow from Aconcagua mountain that might ultimately be the cause of the surging behaviour of the Horcones Inferior glacier today. Our results indicate that the glacial stratigraphy of this part of the Central Andes is still poorly understood and requires detailed mapping and dating.

Supplementary material:

Sample coordinates, sample porosity and density, Cl nuclide composition and geochemical composition are available at
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18753
.
Merge-and-Shrink Abstraction
Authors: Helmert Malte , Haslum Patrik , Hoffmann Jörg , Nissim Raz
Published: May 2014

Many areas of computer science require answering questions about reachability in compactly described discrete transition systems. Answering such questions effectively requires techniques to be able to do so without building the entire system. In particular, heuristic search uses lower-bounding (“admissible”) heuristic functions to prune parts of the system known to not contain an optimal solution. A prominent technique for deriving such bounds is to consider abstract transition systems that aggregate groups of states into one. The key question is how to design and represent such abstractions. The most successful answer to this question are pattern databases, which aggregate states if and only if they agree on a subset of the state variables.
Merge-and-shrink abstraction
is a new paradigm that, as we show, allows to compactly represent a more general class of abstractions, strictly dominating pattern databases in theory. We identify the maximal class of transition systems, which we call
factored transition systems
, to which merge-and-shrink applies naturally, and we show that the well-known notion of bisimilarity can be adapted to this framework in a way that still guarantees perfect heuristic functions, while potentially reducing abstraction size exponentially. Applying these ideas to planning, one of the foundational subareas of artificial intelligence, we show that in some benchmarks this size reduction leads to the computation of perfect heuristic functions in polynomial time and that more approximate merge-and-shrink strategies yield heuristic functions competitive with the state of the art.
System Level Benchmarking with Yield-Enhanced Standard Cell Library for Carbon Nanotube VLSI Circuits
Authors: Bobba Shashikanth , Zhang Jie , Gaillardon Pierre-Emmanuel , Wong H.-S. Philip , Mitra Subhasish , Micheli Giovanni de
Published: May 2014

The quest for technologies with superior device characteristics has showcased
Carbon-Nanotube Field-Effect Transistors
(CNFET) into limelight. In this work we present physical design techniques to improve the yield of CNFET circuits in the presence of
Carbon Nanotube
(CNT) imperfections. Various layout schemes are studied for enhancing the yield of CNFET standard cell library. With the help of existing ASIC design flow, we perform system-level benchmarking of CNFET circuits and compare them to CMOS circuits at various technology nodes. With CNFET technology, we observe maximum performance gains for circuits with gate-dominated delays. Averaged across various benchmarks at 16 nm, we report 8× improvement in
Energy-Delay-Product
(EDP) with CNFET circuits when compared to CMOS counterpart. We also study the performance of a complete OpenRISC processor, where we see 1.5× improvement in EDP over CMOS at 16 nm technology node. Voltage scaling enabled by CNFETs can be explored in the future for further performance benefits.
Avalanches are coming
Authors: Denning Peter J.
Published: May 2014

Computing technology has generated conditions for radical transformations of jobs and professions---including education. How shall we cope?
Bayesian social learning with consumer reviews
Authors: Ifrach Bar , Maglaras Costis , Scarsini Marco
Published: May 2014

We study a market of heterogeneous customers who rationally learn the mean quality of an offered product by observing the reviews of customers who purchased the product earlier in time. The seller, who is equally uniformed about the quality, prices dynamically to maximize her revenue. We find that social learning is successful|agents eventually learning the mean quality of the product. This result holds for an information structure when the sequence of past re- views and prices is observed, and, under some assumptions, even when only aggregate reviews are observed. The latter result hinges on the observation that earlier reviews are more inuential than later one.

In addition, we find that under general conditions the seller benefits from social learning ex ante|before knowing the quality of her product. Finally, we draw conclusions on the sellers pricing problem when accounting for social learning. Under some assumptions, we find that lowering the price speeds social learning, in contrast with earlier results on social learning from privately observed signals.
An optimized method for the estimation of the respiratory rate from electrocardiographic signals: implications for estimating minute ventilation
Authors: Weiss Eric H. , Sayadi Omid , Ramaswamy Priya , Merchant Faisal M. , Sajja Naveen , Foley Lori , Laferriere Shawna , Armoundas Antonis A.
Published: May 2014

It is well-known that respiratory activity influences electrocardiographic (ECG) morphology. In this article we present a new algorithm for the extraction of respiratory rate from either intracardiac or body surface electrograms. The algorithm optimizes selection of ECG leads for respiratory analysis, as validated in a swine model. The algorithm estimates the respiratory rate from any two ECG leads by finding the power spectral peak of the derived ratio of the estimated root-mean-squared amplitude of the QRS complexes on a beat-by-beat basis across a 32-beat window and automatically selects the lead combination with the highest power spectral signal-to-noise ratio. In 12 mechanically ventilated swine, we collected intracardiac electrograms from catheters in the right ventricle, coronary sinus, left ventricle, and epicardial surface, as well as body surface electrograms, while the ventilation rate was varied between 7 and 13 breaths/min at tidal volumes of 500 and 750 ml. We found excellent agreement between the estimated and true respiratory rate for right ventricular ( R2 = 0.97), coronary sinus ( R2 = 0.96), left ventricular ( R2 = 0.96), and epicardial ( R2 = 0.97) intracardiac leads referenced to surface lead ECGII. When applied to intracardiac right ventricular-coronary sinus bipolar leads, the algorithm exhibited an accuracy of 99.1% ( R2 = 0.97). When applied to 12-lead body surface ECGs collected in 4 swine, the algorithm exhibited an accuracy of 100% ( R2 = 0.93). In conclusion, the proposed algorithm provides an accurate estimation of the respiratory rate using either intracardiac or body surface signals without the need for additional hardware.
Assessing cerebrovascular autoregulation from critical closing pressure and resistance area product during upright posture in aging and hypertension
Authors: Robertson Andrew D. , Edgell Heather , Hughson Richard L.
Published: May 2014

Static cerebral autoregulation (sCA) is believed to be resistant to aging and hypertensive pathology. However, methods to characterize autoregulation commonly rely on beat-by-beat mean hemodynamic measures and do not consider within-beat pulse wave characteristics that are impacted by arterial stiffening. We examined the role of critical closing pressure (CrCP) and resistance area product (RAP), two measures derived from the pulse wave, across supine lying, sitting, and standing postures in young adults, normotensive older adults, and older adults with controlled and uncontrolled hypertension ( N = 80). Traditional measures of sCA, using both intracranial and extracranial methods, indicated similar efficiency across all groups, but within-beat measures suggested different mechanisms of regulation. At rest, RAP was increased in hypertension compared with young adults ( P < 0.001), but CrCP was similar. In contrast, the drop in CrCP was the primary regulator of change in cerebrovascular resistance upon adopting an upright posture. Both CrCP and RAP demonstrated group-by-posture interaction effects ( P < 0.05), with older hypertensive adults exhibiting a rise in RAP that was absent in other groups. The posture-related swings in CrCP and RAP were related to changes in both the pulsatile and mean components of arterial pressure, independent of age, cardiac output, and carbon dioxide. Group-by-posture differences in pulse pressure were mediated in part by an attenuated heart rate response in older hypertensive adults ( P = 0.002). Examination of pulsatile measures in young, elderly, and hypertensive adults identified unique differences in how cerebral blood flow is regulated in upright posture.
Characteristics Weak Galerkin Finite Element Methods for Convection-Dominated Diffusion Problems
Authors: Zhu Ailing , Xu Qiang , Jiang Ziwen
Published: May 2014

The weak Galerkin finite element method is combined with the method of characteristics to treat the convection-diffusion problems on the triangular mesh. The optimal order error estimates inH1andL2norms are derived for the corresponding characteristics weak Galerkin finite element procedure. Numerical tests are performed and reported.
Weak and Strong Convergence Theorems for Finite Families of Asymptotically Quasi-Nonexpansive Mappings in Banach Spaces
Authors: Deng Lei , Xiao Juan
Published: May 2014

A finite-step iteration sequence for two finite families of asymptotically nonexpansive mappings is introduced and the weak and strong convergence theorems are proved in Banach space. The results presented in the paper generalize and unify some important known results of relevant scholars.
Ubiquitous Sensor Networks and Image Processing Based Environmental Monitoring System for Fire Safety
Authors: Lee Changsoo , Jung Daewon , Lee Keun-Wang
Published: May 2014

In recent years, since the tall buildings are getting increased and getting dense in the city area, those buildings can be more and more exposed to risks such as fire and natural disasters. In case if the high-rise building is on fire, it is not easy to put out the fire even with the modernization of the firefighting equipment. These risks can directly lead to human casualties so that it is necessary to quickly have an initial evacuation or initial suppression risks. In this paper, we propose the integrated method for reducing the fire risks through sensors such as temperature and humidity, ZigBee technology, camera control and image processing technologies, and real-time data transmission technology. Based on our proposed method, it is expected that our integrated system directly leads to the expansion of risk safety management system as well as the development of USN technologies.
Variations in Desired Family Size and Excess Fertility in East Africa
Authors: Muhoza Dieudonné Ndaruhuye , Broekhuis Annelet , Hooimeijer Pieter
Published: May 2014

This contribution studies the variation in desired family size and excess fertility in four East African countries by analyzing the combined impact of wealth, education, religious affiliation, and place of residence. The findings show an enormous heterogeneity in Kenya. Wealthy and higher educated people have fertility desires close to replacement level, regardless of religion, while poor, uneducated people, particularly those in Muslim communities, have virtually uncontrolled fertility. Rwanda is at the other extreme: poor, uneducated people have the same desired fertility as their wealthy, educated compatriots, regardless of their religion—a case of “poverty Malthusianism.”. The potential for family planning is high in both countries as more than 50% of the women having 5 children or more would have preferred to stop at 4 or less. Tanzania and Uganda have an intermediate position in desired family size and a lower potential for family planning. Generally, the main factor that sustains higher fertility is poverty exacerbated by religious norms among the poor only.
In VitroEffects of Two Topical Varnish Materials and Er:YAG Laser Irradiation on Enamel Demineralization around Orthodontic Brackets
Authors: Ulkur Feyza , Sungurtekin Ekçi Elif , Nalbantgil Didem , Sandalli Nuket
Published: May 2014

The aim of thisin vitrowas to evaluate the effects of tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) containing varnish materials and Er:YAG laser irradiation on enamel demineralization around orthodontic brackets. Forty extracted human premolar teeth were randomly divided into four treatment groups (i.e., 10 in each group): (1) 5% NaF-ACP varnish, (2) 5% NaF-TCP varnish, (3) Er:YAG laser, and (4) control (no treatment). Er:YAG laser was operated at a wavelength of 2.94 μm and the energy output was 80 mJ per pulse; a pulse duration of 200 μsec and and a frequency of 2 Hz were used with water cooling. All samples were then put into pH cycles. Surface microhardness values and representative SEM images were assessed. Surface microhardness values were evaluated using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-WhitneyUtests. The results revealed that demineralization was significantly lower in the TCP and ACP varnish groups, whereas mean surface microhardness values of the TCP varnish were found higher than the ACP(P<0.05). TCP and ACP varnish materials were found effective for reducing enamel demineralization around orthodontic brackets. Use of Er:YAG laser irradiation as described in this study for inhibition of demineralization was found not satisfactory.
Invariant Distributionally Scrambled Manifolds for an Annihilation Operator
Authors: Wu Xinxing
Published: May 2014

This note proves that the annihilation operator of a quantum harmonic oscillator admits an invariant distributionallyε-scrambled linear manifold for any0<ε<2. This is a positive answer to Question 1 by Wu and Chen (2013).
Using Rutile TiO2Nanoparticles Reinforcing High Density Polyethylene Resin
Authors: Tuan Vu Manh , Jeong Da Woon , Yoon Ho Joon , Kang SangYong , Vu Giang Nguyen , Hoang Thai , Thinh Tran Ich , Kim Myung Yul
Published: May 2014

The TiO2nanoparticles were used as a reinforcement to prepare nanocomposites with high density polyethylene (HDPE) by melt blending process. The original TiO2(ORT) was modified by 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPMS) to improve the dispersion into HDPE matrix. The FT-IR spectroscopy and FESEM micrographs of modified TiO2(GRT) demonstrated that GPMS successfully grafted with TiO2nanoparticles. The tensile test of HDPE/ORT and HDPE/GRT nanocomposites with various contents of dispersive particles indicated that the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of HDPE/GRT nanocomposites are superior to the values of original HDPE and HDPE/ORT nanocomposites. At 1 wt.% of GRT, the mechanical properties of nanocomposites were optimal. In DSC and TGA analyses, with the presence of GRT in the nanocomposites, the thermal stability significantly increased in comparison with pure HDPE and HDPE/ORT nanocomposites. The better dispersion of GRT in polymer matrix as shown in FESEM images demonstrated the higher mechanical properties of HDPE/GRT nanocomposites to HDPE/ORT nanocomposites.
An Adaptive Superpixel Based Hand Gesture Tracking and Recognition System
Authors: Zhu Hong-Min , Pun Chi-Man
Published: May 2014

We propose an adaptive and robust superpixel based hand gesture tracking system, in which hand gestures drawn in free air are recognized from their motion trajectories. First we employed the motion detection of superpixels and unsupervised image segmentation to detect the moving target hand using the first few frames of the input video sequence. Then the hand appearance model is constructed from its surrounding superpixels. By incorporating the failure recovery and template matching in the tracking process, the target hand is tracked by an adaptive superpixel based tracking algorithm, where the problem of hand deformation, view-dependent appearance invariance, fast motion, and background confusion can be well handled to extract the correct hand motion trajectory. Finally, the hand gesture is recognized by the extracted motion trajectory with a trained SVM classifier. Experimental results show that our proposed system can achieve better performance compared to the existing state-of-the-art methods with the recognition accuracy 99.17% for easy set and 98.57 for hard set.
Predictors of Poor Outcomes After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
Authors: Arnold Suzanne V. , Reynolds Matthew R. , Lei Yang , Magnuson Elizabeth A. , Kirtane Ajay J. , Kodali Susheel K. , Zajarias Alan , Thourani Vinod H. , Green Philip , Rodés-Cabau Josep , Beohar Nirat , Mack Michael J. , Leon Martin B. , Cohen David J.
Published: May 2014

Background—

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a less invasive option for treatment of high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. We sought to identify patients at high risk for poor outcome after TAVR using a novel definition of outcome that integrates quality of life with mortality.

Methods and Results—

Among 2137 patients who underwent TAVR in the PARTNER (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valve) trial or its associated continued access registry, quality of life was assessed with the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire–Overall Summary Scale (KCCQ-OS; range 0–100, where a higher score equates to a better quality of life) at baseline and at 1, 6, and 12 months after TAVR. A poor 6-month outcome (defined as death, KCCQ-OS score <45, or ≥10-point decrease in KCCQ-OS score compared with baseline) occurred in 704 patients (33%). Using a split-sample design, we developed a multivariable model to identify a parsimonious set of covariates to identify patients at high risk for poor outcome. The model demonstrated moderate discrimination (
c
-index=0.66) and good calibration with the observed data, performed similarly in the separate validation cohort (
c
-index=0.64), and identified 211 patients (10% of the population) with a ≥50% likelihood of a poor outcome after TAVR. A second model that explored predictors of poor outcome at 1 year identified 1102 patients (52%) with ≥50% likelihood and 178 (8%) with ≥70% likelihood of a poor 1-year outcome after TAVR.

Conclusions—

Using a large, multicenter cohort, we have developed and validated predictive models that can identify patients at high risk for a poor outcome after TAVR. Although model discrimination was moderate, these models may help guide treatment choices and offer patients realistic expectations of outcomes based on their presenting characteristics.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00530894.
An exceptional event during the moulting process of an eutardigrade: two bucco-pharyngeal apparatuses present
Authors: PILATO GIOVANNI , LISI OSCAR
Published: May 2014

A specimen of Diphascon (Diphascon) procerum with two bucco-pharyngeal apparatuses (one of which should have been expelled during moulting process) is described, and that anomalous condition is discussed.
Descriptions of three new species of Cossidae (Lepidoptera) from Vietnam, with an updated annotated checklist
Authors: YAKOVLEV ROMAN V.
Published: May 2014

Forty-two species of Cossidae representing 27 genera are reported for Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Three species (Paracossus zyaung Yakovlev sp. nov., Phragmacossia laklong Yakovlev sp. nov., Butaya auko Yakovlev sp. nov.) are described as new to science. Five species (Paracossus indradit Yakovlev, 2009, P. griseatus Yakovlev, 2009, Aholcocerus ihleorum Yakovlev & Witt, 2009, Skeletophyllon puer Yakovlev, 2011, Azygophleps scalaris (Fabricius, 1775) are new country records. A brief biogegraphical overview of the Cossidae of Vietnam is given.
Indigenous Knowledge for Environmental Prediction in the Pacific Island Countries
Authors: Chand Savin S. , Chambers Lynda E. , Waiwai Mike , Malsale Philip , Thompson Elisabeth
Published: May 2014

Indigenous people in Pacific Island countries (PICs) often use their knowledge of the environment, acquired through generations of holistic observational practices and experimental learning, to make meteorological forecasts. Such knowledge systems are now recognized by several institutions, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as an important participatory forecast approach for decision making, particularly at a farm level. In this article, the authors show that indigenous knowledge of weather and seasonal climate forecasting is a crucial component of a potential strategy for making farming-related decisions and reducing vulnerability to environmental hazards.
Compression recovery performance of spring energized C-rings
Authors: Ma Kai , Guan Kaishu , Cai Renliang
Published: May 2014

Despite the fact that spring energized C-rings are widely used in nuclear power plants for flange seal, few studies are carried out to highlight the complex mechanical behaviors of the C-ring. A three dimensional nonlinear finite element analysis is developed to examine the compression recovery performance of the spring energized C-ring. Through the analysis, it is found that the compression recovery curve of the spring energized C-ring can be simplified to three straight lines. Two dimensional parameters, including the inner lining thickness and spring wire diameter, are studied to determine their impacts on the spring energized C-ring. Relations between the compression recovery curve and spring wire diameter are concluded and expressed by specific equations. Moreover, the deformation and contact stress distribution of the C-ring are also studied. The validation of the finite element model is confirmed by the experimental method.
Dentro y fuera de los muros: Manila, Ethnicity, and Colonial Cartography
Authors: Leibsohn Dana
Published: May 2014

In 1671 the Dominican friar Ignacio Muñoz created a map of Manila that has since become one of the most frequently published images of the city. His pen-and-ink image describes key places in the island city—some that would have been characteristic of urban spaces across Spanish America and some that were highly distinctive. This cartographic representation also enlists visual and textual language that was, by the late seventeenth century, familiar across the Indies. In what ways, then, does the Muñoz map speak to local histories as well as those that were more global? This essay addresses this query and its implications by examining the ways the Muñoz map documents and implicitly imagines the spatial and civic experiences of Chinese, indigenous, and Spanish residents of Manila. In pursuing this theme, this essay also considers relationships between colonial cartography and histories of ethnic diversity.
The RNA exosome affects iron response and sensitivity to oxidative stress
Authors: Tsanova Borislava , Spatrick Phyllis , Jacobson Allan , van Hoof Ambro
Published: May 2014

RNA degradation plays important roles for maintaining temporal control and fidelity of gene expression, as well as processing of transcripts. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae the RNA exosome is a major 3′-to-5′ exoribonuclease and also has an endonuclease domain of unknown function. Here we report a physiological role for the exosome in response to a stimulus. We show that inactivating the exoribonuclease active site of Rrp44 up-regulates the iron uptake regulon. This up-regulation is caused by increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the mutant. Elevated ROS also causes hypersensitivity to H2O2, which can be reduced by the addition of iron to H2O2 stressed cells. Finally, we show that the previously characterized slow growth phenotype of rrp44-exo− is largely ameliorated during fermentative growth. While the molecular functions of Rrp44 and the RNA exosome have been extensively characterized, our studies characterize how this molecular function affects the physiology of the organism.
Identification of the RNA recognition element of the RBPMS family of RNA-binding proteins and their transcriptome-wide mRNA targets
Authors: Farazi Thalia A. , Leonhardt Carl S. , Mukherjee Neelanjan , Mihailovic Aleksandra , Li Song , Max Klaas E.A. , Meyer Cindy , Yamaji Masashi , Cekan Pavol , Jacobs Nicholas C. , Gerstberger Stefanie , Bognanni Claudia , Larsson Erik , Ohler Uwe , Tuschl Thomas
Published: May 2014

Recent studies implicated the RNA-binding protein with multiple splicing (RBPMS) family of proteins in oocyte, retinal ganglion cell, heart, and gastrointestinal smooth muscle development. These RNA-binding proteins contain a single RNA recognition motif (RRM), and their targets and molecular function have not yet been identified. We defined transcriptome-wide RNA targets using photoactivatable-ribonucleoside-enhanced crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (PAR-CLIP) in HEK293 cells, revealing exonic mature and intronic pre-mRNA binding sites, in agreement with the nuclear and cytoplasmic localization of the proteins. Computational and biochemical approaches defined the RNA recognition element (RRE) as a tandem CAC trinucleotide motif separated by a variable spacer region. Similar to other mRNA-binding proteins, RBPMS family of proteins relocalized to cytoplasmic stress granules under oxidative stress conditions suggestive of a support function for mRNA localization in large and/or multinucleated cells where it is preferentially expressed.
Case—Take Me Out Of The Ball Game
Authors: Pazgal Amit , Reinhardt Gilles
Published: May 2014

When the Chicago Cubs™ finish playing an afternoon baseball game at Wrigley Field, their home stadium, tens of thousands of fans start heading for the neighboring train station, the “Addison Red Line el stop,” and often experience very long delays before boarding their train home.
Drawing the Personal Perceptual Socio-Cultural Atom: An Exercise in Sharpening and Stretching Tele Function
Authors: Moreno Zerka T.
Published: May 2014

The author has provided a description of drawing a personal social atom from the perspective of the subjectively perceived sociogram. A clear approach on how to develop a personal social atom are given along with instructions on how to use lines and colors to indicate preference, neutrality or rejection between and among those represented on the atom, including the self/protagonist. The author notes that the clinicians using this approach are also free to further adapt it for their own particular populations, needs and uses. A series of questions on which to reflect, not found elsewhere, have been offered to expand the exploration of one's perceptional social–cultural atom, and enrich self-discovery. Regular attention is encouraged to investigate significant changes, areas of neglect, and promising developments.
Untangling the Drama Triangle Using the Circle of Restoration
Authors: Condon Linda
Published: May 2014

The Karpman Drama Triangle provides a clear description of roles that can assist psychodramatists in exploring through action interventions more satisfying interpersonal connection. This article will examine the dysfunctional, unconscious dance of the roles of Victim, Rescuer, and Persecutor. Psychodrama provides an excellent avenue for developing more satisfying roles that the author describes as the Circle of Restoration. A variety of action interventions will be suggested and explored for assisting clients to shift off of the Drama Triangle to healthier roles of expression, action, and connection.
Hyperprolactinaemia and psychotropics: endocrine effects and treatment
Authors: Jose Biju , George Sanju
Published: May 2014

Hyperprolactinaemia is a common endocrine abnormality. Causes are multifactorial. Medication use contributes a considerable amount, with psychotropics often implicated, although underlying hypothalamic–pituitary pathology can co-exist. This article discusses the management of hyperprolactinaemia during psychotropic use.