bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparison of Australian rural and metropolitan cardiovascular risk and mortality: the Greater Green Triangle and North West Adelaide population surveys
Authors: Tideman Philip , Taylor Anne W , Janus Edward , Philpot Ben , Clark Robyn , Peach Elizabeth , Laatikainen Tiina , Vartiainen Erkki , Tirimacco Rosy , Montgomerie Alicia , Grant Janet , Versace Vincent , Dunbar James A
Published: August 2013

Objectives

Cardiovascular (CVD) mortality disparities between rural/regional and urban-dwelling residents of Australia are persistent. Unavailability of biomedical CVD risk factor data has, until now, limited efforts to understand the causes of the disparity. This study aimed to further investigate such disparities.

Design

Comparison of (1) CVD risk measures between a regional (Greater Green Triangle Risk Factor Study (GGT RFS, cross-sectional study, 2004–2006) and an urban population (North West Adelaide Health Study (NWAHS, longitudinal cohort study, 2004–2006); (2) Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) CVD mortality rates between these and other Australian regions; and (3) ABS CVD mortality rates by an area-level indicator of socioeconomic status, the Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage (IRSD).

Setting

Greater Green Triangle (GGT, Limestone Coast, Wimmera and Corangamite Shires) of South-Western Victoria and North-West Adelaide (NWA).

Participants

1563 GGT RFS and 3036 NWAHS stage 2 participants (aged 25–74) provided some information (self-administered questionnaire +/− anthropometric and biomedical measurements).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Age-group specific measures of absolute CVD risk, ABS CVD mortality rates by study group and Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) region.

Results

Few significant differences in CVD risk between the study regions, with absolute CVD risk ranging from approximately 5% to 30% in the 35–39 and 70–74 age groups, respectively. Similar mean 2003–2007 (crude) mortality rates in GGT (98, 95% CI 87 to 111), NWA (103, 95% CI 96 to 110) and regional Australia (92, 95% CI 91 to 94). NWA mortality rates exceeded that of other city areas (70, 95% CI 69 to 71). Lower measures of socioeconomic status were associated with worse CVD outcomes regardless of geographic location.

Conclusions

Metropolitan areas do not always have better CVD risk factor profiles and outcomes than rural/regional areas. Needs assessments are required for different settings to elucidate relative contributions of the multiple determinants of risk and appropriate cardiac healthcare strategies to improve outcomes.
Development and application of a novel metric to assess effectiveness of biomedical data
Authors: Bloom Gregory C , Eschrich Steven , Hang Gang , Schabath Matthew B , Bhansali Neera , Hoerter Andrew M , Morgan Scott , Fenstermacher David A
Published: August 2013

Objective

Design a metric to assess the comparative effectiveness of biomedical data elements within a study that incorporates their statistical relatedness to a given outcome variable as well as a measurement of the quality of their underlying data.

Materials and methods

The cohort consisted of 874 patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung, each with 47 clinical data elements. The p value for each element was calculated using the Cox proportional hazard univariable regression model with overall survival as the endpoint. An attribute or A-score was calculated by quantification of an element's four quality attributes;Completeness,Comprehensiveness,ConsistencyandOverall-cost. An effectiveness or E-score was obtained by calculating the conditional probabilities of the p-value and A-score within the given data set with their product equaling the effectiveness score (E-score).

Results

The E-score metric provided information about the utility of an element beyond an outcome-related p value ranking. E-scores for elementsage-at-diagnosis,genderandtobacco-useshowed utility above what their respective p values alone would indicate due to their relative ease of acquisition, that is, higher A-scores. Conversely, elementssurgery-site,histologic-typeandpathological-TNM stagewere down-ranked in comparison to their p values based on lower A-scores caused by significantly higher acquisition costs.

Conclusions

A novel metric termed E-score was developed which incorporates standard statistics with data quality metrics and was tested on elements from a large lung cohort. Results show that an element's underlying data quality is an important consideration in addition to p value correlation to outcome when determining the element's clinical or research utility in a study.
Incorporation of assessments of risk of bias of primary studies in systematic reviews of randomised trials: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Hopewell Sally , Boutron Isabelle , Altman Douglas G , Ravaud Philippe
Published: August 2013

Objective

We examined how assessments of risk of bias of primary studies are carried out and incorporated into the statistical analysis and overall findings of a systematic review.

Design

A cross-sectional review.

Sample

We assessed 200 systematic reviews of randomised trials published between January and March 2012; Cochrane (n=100), non-Cochrane (Database of Reviews of Effects) (n=100).

Main outcomes

Our primary outcome was a descriptive analysis of how assessments of risk of bias are carried out, the methods used, and the extent to which such assessments were incorporated into the statistical analysis and overall review findings.

Results

While Cochrane reviews routinely reported the method of risk of bias assessment and presented their results either in text or table format, 20% of non-Cochrane reviews failed to report the method used and 39% did not present the assessment results. Where it was possible to evaluate the individual results of the risk of bias assessment (n=154), 75% (n=116/154) of reviews had ≥1 trial at high risk of bias; the median proportion of trials per review at high risk of bias was 50% (IQR 31% to 89%). Despite this, only 56% (n=65/116) incorporated the risk of bias assessment into the interpretation of the results in the abstract and 41% (n=47/116) (49%; n=40/81 Cochrane and 20%; n=7/35 non-Cochrane) incorporated the risk of bias assessment into the interpretation of the conclusions. Of the 83% (n=166/200) systematic reviews which included a meta-analysis, only 11% (n=19/166) incorporated the risk of bias assessment into the statistical analysis.

Conclusions

Cochrane reviews were more likely than non-Cochrane reviews to report how risk of bias assessments of primary studies were carried out; however, both frequently failed to take such assessments into account in the statistical analysis and conclusions of the systematic review.
Mass‐mortality in green striped tree dragons (Japalura splendida) associated with multiple viral infections
Authors: Behncke H. , Stöhr A. C. , Heckers K. O. , Ball I. , Marschang R. E.
Published: August 2013

In spring 2011, high mortality in association with skin lesions, systemic haemorrhages and necrosis occurred in a group of green striped tree dragons (Japalura splendida) which were imported from southwestern China via Florida to Germany. Infections with various endoparasites were diagnosed in coprological examinations. Different antiparasitic and antibiotic treatments over a period of three months did not reduce the mortality rate. The remaining animals were therefore euthanased and submitted for additional testing. Predominant findings in pathological examination were granulomatous and necrotising inflammation of the skin, vacuolar tubulonephrosis of the distal renal tubules, hyperaemia and liver necrosis. Eosinophilic intranuclear and basophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies were detected in the liver. Virological testing (PCR and virus isolation methods) demonstrated the presence of ranavirus, adenovirus and invertebrate iridovirus.
Increased detection of mastitis pathogens by real‐time PCR compared to bacterial culture
Authors: Keane O. M. , Budd K. E. , Flynn J. , McCoy F.
Published: August 2013

Rapid and accurate identification of mastitis pathogens is important for disease control. Bacterial culture and isolate identification is considered the gold standard in mastitis diagnosis but is time consuming and results in many culture‐negative samples. Identification of mastitis pathogens by PCR has been proposed as a fast and sensitive alternative to bacterial culture. The results of bacterial culture and PCR for the identification of the aetiological agent of clinical mastitis were compared. The pathogen identified by traditional culture methods was also detected by PCR in 98 per cent of cases indicating good agreement between the positive results of bacterial culture and PCR. A mastitis pathogen could not be recovered from approximately 30 per cent of samples by bacterial culture, however, an aetiological agent was identified by PCR in 79 per cent of these samples. Therefore, a mastitis pathogen was detected in significantly more milk samples by PCR than by bacterial culture (92 per cent and 70 per cent, respectively) although the clinical relevance of PCR‐positive culture‐negative results remains controversial. A mixed infection of two or more mastitis pathogens was also detected more commonly by PCR. Culture‐negative samples due to undetected Staphylococcus aureus infections were rare. The use of PCR technology may assist in rapid mastitis diagnosis, however, accurate interpretation of PCR results in the absence of bacterial culture remains problematic.
Optimized holistic municipal right-of-way capital improvement planning
Authors: Carey Brad D. , Lueke Jason S.
Published: August 2013

Much of North America’s critical municipal right-of-way (ROW) infrastructure is facing a severe deficit in planned maintenance, rehabilitation, and renewal spending. An optimized holistic approach for capital improvement planning allows for the consideration of contiguity savings and efficiencies through the synchronization of rehabilitation and renewal projects for collocated segments from different ROW infrastructure component systems. This paper presents the results of the application of a holistic methodology to a small ROW network made up of segments of varying condition and criticality. This methodology was developed utilizing an evolutionary genetic algorithm to optimize a five-year capital improvement plan. The results from the application of the holistic model to an existing ROW network indicate that it is successful in achieving savings through synchronization and in providing superior maintenance, rehabilitation, and renewal plans when compared to the traditional paradigm where independent plans are created for road, sewer, and water utilities.
The ecosystem size and shape dependence of gas transfer velocity versus wind speed relationships in lakes
Authors: Vachon Dominic , Prairie Yves T.
Published: August 2013

Air–water diffusive gas flux is commonly determined using measurements of gas concentrations and an estimate of gas transfer velocity (k600) usually derived from wind speed. The great heterogeneity of aquatic systems raises questions about the appropriateness of using a single wind-based model to predict k600 in all aquatic systems. Theoretical considerations suggest that wind speed to k600 relationships should instead be system-specific. Using data collected from aquatic systems of different sizes, we show that k600 is related to fetch and other measures of ecosystem size. Lake area together with wind speed provided the best predictive model of gas transfer velocity and explained 68% of the variability in individual k600 measurements. For a moderate wind speed of 5 m·s−1, predicted k600 varied from 6 cm·h−1 in a small 1 ha lake to over 13 cm·h−1 in a 100 km2 system. Wave height is also shown to be a promising integrative predictor variable. The modulating influence of system size on wind speed – gas transfer velocity relationships can have a large impact on upscaling exercises of gas exchange at the whole landscape level.
Comprehensive analysis of the homeodomain-leucine zipper IV transcription factor family inCucumis sativus
Authors: Fu Rao , Liu Wei , Li Qiang , Li Jing , Wang Lina , Ren Zhonghai
Published: August 2013

The class IV homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip IV) proteins are plant-specific transcriptional factors known to play crucial roles in plant growth and development. In this study, 11 cucumber (Cucumis sativus) HD-Zip IV genes were identified in the version 2 cucumber genome and found to be distributed unevenly across the chromosomes. The CsHDZIV (Cucumis sativus homeodomain-leucine zipper IV) gene family is smaller than in other studied species (except for rice) because of the absence of gene duplication events. Phylogenetic analysis showed that HD-Zip IV genes from cucumber, Arabidopsis, tomato, cotton, maize, and rice could be classified into five subgroups. All CsHDZIV genes appear to be derived from a basic module containing 11 exons in the coding region. Two conserved motifs of 21 and 19 nucleotides were found in the 3′-untranslated regions of six CsHDZIV genes, suggesting that post-transcriptional regulation may play a role in regulation of CsHDZIV genes. In addition, 6 of 11 CsHDZIV genes were found to undergo alternative splicing events. Reverse transcription PCR analysis showed that all CsHDZIV genes (except one) were expressed and showed preferential expression in reproductive organs.
EVOLVING RBF NEURAL NETWORKS FOR ADAPTIVE SOFT-SENSOR DESIGN
Authors: ALEXANDRIDIS ALEX
Published: August 2013

This work presents an adaptive framework for building soft-sensors based on radial basis function (RBF) neural network models. The adaptive fuzzy means algorithm is utilized in order to evolve an RBF network, which approximates the unknown system based on input–output data from it. The methodology gradually builds the RBF network model, based on two separate levels of adaptation: On the first level, the structure of the hidden layer is modified by adding or deleting RBF centers, while on the second level, the synaptic weights are adjusted with the recursive least squares with exponential forgetting algorithm. The proposed approach is tested on two different systems, namely a simulated nonlinear DC Motor and a real industrial reactor. The results show that the produced soft-sensors can be successfully applied to model the two nonlinear systems. A comparison with two different adaptive modeling techniques, namely a dynamic evolving neural-fuzzy inference system (DENFIS) and neural networks trained with online backpropagation, highlights the advantages of the proposed methodology.
Correction of measured multiplicity distributions by the microcanonical algorithm
Authors: Hafidouni M.
Published: August 2013

Correction of observed multiplicity distributions by a method based on the maximum entropy principle reduces to a combinatorial optimization problem, where one has to determine a combination of parameters which would minimize a given (cost) function. We use a stochastic algorithm, i.e. an annealed version of the microcanonical algorithm to minimize this function. This algorithm yields results which are compatible with those from simulated annealing method.
FIRST-PRINCIPLES CALCULATION OF LEAD-FREE PEROVSKITE SnTiO3
Authors: YE HONGJUN , ZHANG RUIZHI , WANG DAWEI , CUI YU , WEI JIE , WANG CHUNLEI , XU ZHUO , QU SHAOBO , WEI XIAOYONG
Published: August 2013

The phonon spectra, band structure and density of states of cubic perovskite SnTiO 3 were investigated using first-principles density functional theory (DFT) computation. The potential energy curves of cations displacement and the formation energy of Sn substitution to B-site were calculated to estimate the structure stability. The results indicate that perovskite SnTiO 3 is a promising ferroelectric end member for lead-free piezoelectric materials and applications.
ABOUT CROSS-SECTIONS OF YIELD OF EXCITED 6Li*, 7Li*, 9B* AND 10B* NUCLEI AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO FORMATION OF MULTINUCLEON SYSTEMS INVOLVING 4He NUCLEI IN 16Op COLLISIONS AT 3.25A GeV/c
Authors: OLIMOV KHUSNIDDIN K. , OLIMOV KOSIM , GULAMOV KADYR G. , LUTPULLAEV SAGDULLA L. , KURBANOV ANVAR R. , OLIMOV ALISHER K. , PETROV VLADIMIR I. , YULDASHEV ANVAR A. , HASEEB MAHNAZ Q. , IQBAL AKHTAR , TURDALIEV KOMIL T. , GLAGOLEV VIKTOR V.
Published: August 2013

New experimental data on cross-sections of yield of excited 6 Li *, 7 Li *, 9 B * and 10 B * nuclei and their contributions to formation of two nucleus (4 He +2 H ), (4 He +3 H ) and (4 Li +2 He ) and three nucleus (4 He +4 H +1 H ) systems in 16 O p collisions at 3.25A GeV /c are presented.
AUTOMOTIVE EXTERIOR NOISE OPTIMIZATION USING GREY RELATIONAL ANALYSIS COUPLED WITH PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS
Authors: CHEN SHUMING , WANG DENGFENG , LIU BO
Published: August 2013

This paper investigates optimization design of the thickness of the sound package performed on a passenger automobile. The major characteristics indexes for performance selected to evaluate the processes are the SPL of the exterior noise and the weight of the sound package, and the corresponding parameters of the sound package are the thickness of the glass wool with aluminum foil for the first layer, the thickness of the glass fiber for the second layer, and the thickness of the PE foam for the third layer. In this paper, the process is fundamentally with multiple performances, thus, the grey relational analysis that utilizes grey relational grade as performance index is especially employed to determine the optimal combination of the thickness of the different layers for the designed sound package. Additionally, in order to evaluate the weighting values corresponding to various performance characteristics, the principal component analysis is used to show their relative importance properly and objectively. The results of the confirmation experiments uncover that grey relational analysis coupled with principal analysis methods can successfully be applied to find the optimal combination of the thickness for each layer of the sound package material. Therefore, the presented method can be an effective tool to improve the vehicle exterior noise and lower the weight of the sound package. In addition, it will also be helpful for other applications in the automotive industry, such as the First Automobile Works in China, Changan Automobile in China, etc.
Modeling the Metrics of Individual, Organisational and Technological Knowledge Sharing Barriers: An Analytical Network Process Approach
Authors: Sharma B. P. , Singh M. D.
Published: August 2013

In today's knowledge-based business, knowledge is the only source of competitive advantage for engineering industries. Knowledge sharing plays an important role in the success of knowledge management (KM). Knowledge sharing barriers (KSBs) become obstacles for KM to achieve the goals of the industries. In this paper, three categories of KSBs have been identified such as individual, organisational and technological. The main purpose of this research is to measure the effectiveness of individual, organisational and technological KSBs which helps the managers for taking decision to enhance the successful knowledge sharing strategy in the engineering industries. In this paper, an analytical network process (ANP) framework has been developed with the help of identified determinants, dimensions and enablers to evaluate the effectiveness of alternatives such as individual, organisational and technological KSBs. As per evaluation, the organisational KSBs have the maximum effect on knowledge sharing followed by technological and individual KSBs.
A Fuzzy DEMATEL Method to Identify Critical Success Factors of Knowledge Management Adoption in Supply Chain
Authors: Patil Sachin K. , Kant R.
Published: August 2013

In globalisation of business, Knowledge Management (KM) plays an important role in Supply Chain (SC) to create, build and maintain competitive advantage through utilisation of knowledge and through collaborative practices. Literature review have suggested the performance of KM adoption in SC may be affected by various influencing factors but it is always difficult for the practitioners to improve all aspects at the same time. The aim of this study is to identify Critical Success Factors (CSFs) of KM adoption in SC. This study presents a favourable method combining fuzzy set theory and the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method to segment the critical factors for successful KM adoption in SC. The empirical case study analysis of an Indian hydraulic valve manufacturing organisation is conducted to illustrate the use of the proposed framework for identifying the CSFs of KM adoption in SC. According to the results of the empirical study, six CSFs of KM adoption in SC are identified out of 25 influencing factors, these are top management support, communication and collaboration techniques, employee involvement, employee training and education, communication among the SC members and trustworthy teamwork to exchange knowledge within SC which will help to improve effectiveness and efficiency of KM adoption in SC. The decision makers can apply a phased implementation of these CSFs to ensure the effective KM adoption in SC under the constraints of available resources. This proposed method provides a more accurate, effective and systematic decision support tool for identifying CSFs of KM adoption in SC.
The Inadequate Information Model of Spanish Universities: The Relevance of Intellectual Capital Disclosure
Authors: Córcoles Yolanda Ramírez
Published: August 2013

The main aim of this study is to demonstrate how important it is for Spanish public universities to provide information on their intellectual capital in order to satisfy their users' information needs. To this end, we analysed the opinion held by the members of the Social Councils regarding the need for Spanish public universities to publish information on their intellectual capital when presenting economic, financial and budgetary information. The results of this research show extensive criticism of the current accounting information model used by public universities in Spain. They also demonstrate a widespread interest in universities including information on their intellectual capital with a view to increasing the relevance of the current university financial statements.
Information Searching: The Impact of User Knowledge on User Search Behavior
Authors: Yamin Fadhilah Mat , Ramayah T. , Ishak Wan Hussain Wan
Published: August 2013

The utilisation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and networked information infrastructure in a wide range of businesses and activities has increased the need for fast and reliable information. The information is vital for innovation, competition, and decision making. To date information gathering is no longer absolute from the library, nonetheless the information can be retrieved from all around the world through Internet technology. However, information searching is a tedious process. Knowledge has been identified in this paper as the important factor that affects the searching behaviour. User knowledge is measured by topic and search system understanding while searching behaviour is measured by the breadth and depth of the search query. Both knowledge reflects the true understanding of what and how to search. The breadth and depth of search query show the users' effort in completing the search. In this paper, the impact of user knowledge on search behaviour is accessed on the education domain. Final year undergraduate students were identified as the population that "grown with the web" as they are actively using the Internet to fulfil their study requirement. The findings show that user knowledge does have an impact on the search behaviour.
Mining Closed Sequential Patterns in Progressive Databases
Authors: Subramanyam R. B. V. , Suresh Rao A. , Karnati Ramesh , Suvvari Somaraju , Somayajulu D. V. L. N.
Published: August 2013

Previous studies of Mining Closed Sequential Patterns suggested several heuristics and proposed some computationally effective techniques. Like, Bidirectional Extension with closure checking schemas, Back scan search space pruning, and scan skip optimization used in BIDE (BI-Directional Extension) algorithm. Many researchers were inspired with the efficiency of BIDE, have tried to apply the technique implied by BIDE to various kinds of databases; we toofelt that it can be applied over progressive databases. Without tailoring BIDE, it cannot be applied to dynamic databases. The concept of progressive databases explores the nature of incremental databases by defining the parameters like, Period of Interest (POI), user defined minimum support. An algorithm PISA (Progressive mIning Sequential pAttern mining) was proposed by Huang et al. for finding all sequential patterns over progressive databases. The structure of PISA helps in space utilization by limiting the height of the tree, to the length of POI and this issue is also a motivation for further improvement in this work. In this paper, a tree structure LCT (Label, Customer-id, and Time stamp) is proposed, and an approach formining closed sequential patterns using closure checking schemas across the progressive databases concept. The significance of LCT structure is, confining its height to a maximum of two levels. The algorithmic approach describes that the window size can be increased by one unit of time. The complexity of the proposed algorithmic approach is also analysed. The approach is validated using synthetic data sets available in Internet and shows a better performance in comparison to the existing methods.
Enabling Knowledge Mobilisation Through Mobile Technologies: A Value-Based-Method
Authors: Benmoussa Chihab
Published: August 2013

Recently it has been observed a proliferation of knowledge management (KM) projects in many organisations. This phenomenon was driven by the increasing popularity of the knowledge-based view of the firm; which regards knowledge as a key competitive resource. However studies showed that a large proportion of KM initiatives fail. As a result a number of actors in both academia and the practitioner world are calling for a new approach of KM. One promising approach is knowledge mobilisation (KMob). This paper suggested a new method for building a KMob capability using mobile information and communication technologies (M-ICT). The proposed method is grounded on the Work System Approach and the so-called Braudel Rule for new technologies innovation.
Timbuktu, the African Medieval Knowledge City: The Role of Knowledge Development Actors
Authors: Benna Umar G.
Published: August 2013

The overwhelming majority of researches on knowledge cities have focused on the prevailing initiatives and perspectives in the developed Western countries. There seems to be little documentation of the experiences and ideas of other cultures in different places at different times in history. This paper seeks to draw attention to this gap by highlighting the experiences of knowledge city development actors of medieval Timbuktu, the mysterious city of scholars in the heart of Africa, the so-called Dark Continent, which was least associated with development of high level scholarship. The paper first reviews the current literature on knowledge cities from different perspectives, and explains the research methodology used in this study. Using the Human Activity Systems Model (Chapin and Brail, 1969), it analyzes the main findings on the key knowledge development actors: Their motivating values, their urban development activities and their roles in knowledge development in Timbuktu and its region of influence. Next the discussion of the findings follows; indicating the limitations and contributions, as well as their theoretical and practical implications. This is followed by a short conclusion.
DENATURATION OF HUMAN SERUM ALBUMIN BY CERIUM (III) CHLORIDE
Authors: BEHBAHANI G. REZAEI , SHALBAFAN M. , GHEIBI N. , BARZEGAR L. , BEHBAHANI H. REZAEI , YAGHDAVAEI N. , BEHBAHANI Z. REZAEI
Published: August 2013

Cerium (III) Chloride-induced conformational changes of human serum albumin, HSA, in phosphate buffer, 10 mM at pH 7.4 was investigated, using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), UV and fluorescence emission spectroscopic methods. The results indicate that CeCl3, Ce3+, induces irreversible denaturation of the HSA structure. The UV absorption intensity of HSA + Ce3+ shows a slight blueshift in the absorbance wavelength with increasing Ce3+ concentration. The fluorescence intensity was increased regularly and a slight redshift was observed in the emission wavelength. The HSA + Ce3+ complex quenches the fluorescence of HSA and changes the microenvironment of tryptophan residue. The emission intensity increases suggesting the loss of the tertiary structure of HSA. The results obtained from the ITC data are in agreement with the spectroscopic methods. The strong negative cooperativity of Ce3+ binding with HSA (Table 1) recovered from the extended solvation model, indicates that HSA has been denatured as a result of its interaction with Ce3+ ions.
HIGHLY ACCELERATED LIFETIME TEST METHOD STUDY FOR THE DIAPHRAGM GAS METER RELIABILITY ENHANCEMENT
Authors: BYUN JU-SUK , RYU DONG-HUN
Published: August 2013

The present study has been conducted to verify and enhance the MTBF of the diaphragm gas meter. The goals of this study were the development of acceleration test method for the diaphragm gas meter and the guarantee of B10 lifetime of 3000 h in normal operation condition. To develop the acceleration test method, the flow rate and the operation temperature were chosen as acceleration factors and experiments of 1000 h in four conditions are conducted. The results showed that the log-normal life distribution conforms to the diaphragm gas meter life distribution and the combination of the temperature and the flow rate can have the acceleration factor of up to 3.48. The uncertainty of the flow rate accuracy verification is 0.20% and the log-normal life distribution is used.
Intracystic Papillary Carcinoma in the Male Breast: A Rare Endpoint of a Wide Spectrum
Authors: Vagholkar Ketan , Dastoor Khojasteh , Gopinathan Indumati
Published: August 2013

Introduction. Fibrocystic disease of the male breast is uncommon. The presence of a spectrum of changes ranging from fibrocystic disease to duct papilloma to papillary carcinoma in the same patient renders the case a rarity and therefore reportable.Case Report. A case of intracystic papillary carcinoma of the male breast is presented.Discussion. The pathological, clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic options are discussed after reviewing the literature.Conclusion. Modified radical mastectomy with axillary clearance is the safest option for established cases.
Fish Larvae Response to Biophysical Changes in the Gulf of California, Mexico (Winter-Summer)
Authors: Avendaño-Ibarra Raymundo , Godínez-Domínguez Enrique , Aceves-Medina Gerardo , González-Rodríguez Eduardo , Trasviña Armando
Published: August 2013

We analyzed the response of fish larvae assemblages to environmental variables and to physical macro- and mesoscale processes in the Gulf of California, during four oceanographic cruises (winter and summer 2005 and 2007). Physical data of the water column obtained through CTD casts, sea surface temperature, and chlorophyllasatellite imagery were used to detect mesoscale structures. Zooplankton samples were collected with standard Bongo net tows. Fish larvae assemblages responded to latitudinal and coastal-ocean gradients, related to inflow of water to the gulf, and to biological production. The 19°C and 21°C isotherms during winter, and 29°C and 31°C during summer, limited the distribution of fish larvae at the macroscale. Between types of eddy, the cyclonic (January) registered high abundance, species richness, and zooplankton volume compared to the other anticyclonic (March) and cyclonic (September). Thermal fronts (Big Islands) of January and July affected the species distribution establishing strong differences between sides. At the mesoscale, eddy and fronts coincided with the isotherms mentioned previously, playing an important role in emphasizing the differences among species assemblages. The multivariate analysis indicated that larvae abundance was highly correlated with temperature and salinity and with chlorophyllaand zooplankton volume during winter and summer, respectively.
Anthraquinone Content in Noni (Morinda citrifoliaL.)
Authors: Bussmann Rainer W. , Hennig Lothar , Giannis Athanassios , Ortwein Jutta , Kutchan Toni M. , Feng Xi
Published: August 2013

Noni has been used in traditional medicine and as food for thousands of years. While the fruits serve as food and internal medicine, leaves were traditionally used only topically. In recent years, concern regarding the possible content of anthraquinones in noni has led to scrutiny by the European Food Safety Authority. Little research existed on the content of anthraquinones in different noni preparations, with no information about the potential effect of harvest and preparation methods. Our research focused on lucidin, alizarin, and rubiadin, the most important anthraquinones from a health perspective. We found that the production process (fermentation/juice production versus drying/lyophilization) has no effect on the anthraquinone content. The source product, however, does have implications: noni fruit puree from which seeds had been removed as well as consumer products produced from such puree had no detectable amounts of any anthraquinones. Products that did contain seed or leaf material in all cases did contain partly significant amounts of anthraquinones. To alleviate safety concerns, we suggest that noni products, whether fermented or unfermented juice or powder, should be derived only from fully ripe noni fruits, and that any seed material needs to be removed during the production process.
Decreased PERP Expression on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis Negatively Correlates with Disease Activity
Authors: Du Yanchun , Deng Lin , Li Yan , Gan Lu , Wang Yantang , Shi Guixiu
Published: August 2013

Background. PERP, p53 apoptosis effector related to PMP-22, is a p53-dependent apoptosis in diverse cell types and has cell type-specific roles in p53-mediated apoptosis. However, its role in PBMCs of RA patients has remained largely unclear.Objectives. The aim of this study was to detect the expression levels of PERP on PBMCs of RA patients and healthy controls and analyze the role of PERP in the pathogenesis of RA.Methods. The mRNA expression levels of PERP and IL-17 were detected by real-time PCR in PBMCs from patients with RA (n=40) and healthy controls (n=40). The correlations of PERP expression levels to IL-17 transcripts and disease activity parameters were analyzed.Results. The PERP and IL-17 expression levels in the PBMCs were significantly decreased and increased in comparison of which in healthy controls. The mRNA expression levels of PERP in PBMCs from patients with RA were negatively correlated with IL-17 and disease activity parameters DAS28, RF, CRP, and ESR rather than Anti-CCP and ANA.Conclusions. These results demonstrated that PERP might be involved in the pathogenesis and a potential therapeutic target of RA by regulating the expression of IL-17.
Utility of Stellate Ganglion Block in Atypical Facial Pain: A Case Report and Consideration of Its Possible Mechanisms
Authors: Shanthanna Harsha
Published: August 2013

We present this report of a young patient with chronic severe atypical facial pain who was successfully controlled with stellate ganglion block under ultrasound guidance. The patient had a history of severe disabling, unilateral, facial neuropathic pain with minimal response to analgesic medications. Upon assessment the patient had features suggestive of trigeminal neuralgia, although postherpetic neuralgia could not be ruled out. As a diagnostic test intervention, stellate ganglion block was tried under ultrasound guidance. The patient showed significant improvement in pain control and functional disability lasting beyond 10 weeks. Subsequent blocks reinforced the analgesia. Atypical facial pain has several differential diagnoses. The involvement of sympathetic system in its causation or sustenance is uncertain. Stellate ganglion block achieves sympathetic block of cervicofacial structures, and its blockade has been shown to affect chronic pain conditions. Although its mechanism is not clear, one has to consider its possible role in conditions of stress apart from directly controlling the sympathetic activity. There is certainly a role in exploring the potential benefits of stellate ganglion block in such clinical conditions. The technique of stellate block under ultrasound is also described, as it influences the safety and precision of the block.
Illicit Drug Use and Problem Gambling
Authors: Ferentzy Peter , Wayne Skinner W. J. , Matheson Flora I.
Published: August 2013

Problem gambling, substance use disorders, and their cooccurrence are serious public health concerns. We conducted a comprehensive review of the literature to understand the present state of the evidence on these coaddictions. Our main focus was illicit drug use rather than misuse of legal substances. The review covers issues related to gambling as a hidden problem in the illicit drug use community; prevalence, problem gambling, and substance use disorders as kindred afflictions; problem gambling as an addiction similar to illicit drug use; risk factors and problems associated with comorbidity, and gender issues. We end with some suggestions for future research.
Beyond the “I” in the Obesity Epidemic: A Review of Social Relational and Network Interventions on Obesity
Authors: Leroux Janette S. , Moore Spencer , Dubé Laurette
Published: August 2013

Background. Recent research has shown the importance of networks in the spread of obesity. Yet, the translation of research on social networks and obesity into health promotion practice has been slow.Objectives. To review the types of obesity interventions targeting social relational factors.Methods. Six databases were searched in January 2013. A Boolean search was employed with the following sets of terms: (1) social dimensions: social capital, cohesion, collective efficacy, support, social networks, or trust; (2) intervention type: intervention, experiment, program, trial, or policy; and (3) obesity in the title or abstract. Titles and abstracts were reviewed. Articles were included if they described an obesity intervention with the social relational component central. Articles were assessed on the social relational factor(s) addressed, social ecological level(s) targeted, the intervention’s theoretical approach, and the conceptual placement of the social relational component in the intervention.Results. Database searches and final article screening yielded 30 articles. Findings suggested that (1) social support was most often targeted; (2) few interventions were beyond the individual level; (3) most interventions were framed on behaviour change theories; and (4) the social relational component tended to be conceptually ancillary to the intervention.Conclusions. Theoretically and practically, social networks remain marginal to current interventions addressing obesity.
Influence of Pressure Build-Up Time of Compression Chamber on Improving the Operation Frequency of a Single-Piston Hydraulic Free-Piston Engine
Authors: Xie Hai-bo , Ren Hao-ling , Yang Hua-yong , Guo Jian-fei
Published: August 2013

A single-piston hydraulic free-piston engine with a two-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine as its driver is introduced. It takes the free-piston assembly a certain time to move after the pressure in the compression chamber starts to increase. The time difference between the pressure increasing and the piston starting to move is defined as the pressure build-up time. The characteristics of the pressure build-up time and its influence on the performance of the free-piston engine are introduced and analyzed. Based on the basic law of dynamics of the free-piston assembly, the parameters which influence the pressure build-up time are analyzed. And then improvement and optimization are proposed to shorten the pressure build-up time.
Liquefaction-Induced Lateral Deformations Computational Assessment during Tohoku Earthquake
Authors: Forcellini Davide , Della Bartola Fabio , Tarantino Angelo Marcello
Published: August 2013

Liquefaction-induced lateral spreading during Tohoku earthquake resulted in significant damage, and disruption of functionality for structures and life. The paper aims at reproducing this on-site evidence presenting the state of the art about the most credited qualitative approach and comparing these methods with numerical computation. In this regard, finite element (FE) simulations are increasingly providing a versatile environment in order to assess economical and effective damage. In the study, several systematic three-dimensional FE computations have been conducted to numerically evaluate the effects in terms of liquefaction-induced lateral deformations. The analysis is performed in correspondence with Urayasu City, where the registered liquefaction consequences on residential buildings were wide if compared with the ordinary seismic shake. This study can be used both for post-earthquake evaluations and for pre-earthquake vulnerability predictions.
Neonatal Natural Killer Cell Function: Relevance to Antiviral Immune Defense
Authors: Lee Yen-Chang , Lin Syh-Jae
Published: August 2013

Neonates are particularly susceptible to various pathogens compared to adults, which is attributed in part to their immature innate and adaptive immunity. Natural killer cells provide first-line innate immune reactions against virus-infected cells without prior sensitization. This review updates phenotypic and functional deficiencies of neonatal cells compared to their adult counterparts and their clinical implications.
Nosology of Juvenile Muscular Atrophy of Distal Upper Extremity: From Monomelic Amyotrophy to Hirayama Disease—Indian Perspective
Authors: Hassan Kaukab Maqbool , Sahni Hirdesh
Published: August 2013

Since its original description by Keizo Hirayama in 1959, “juvenile muscular atrophy of the unilateral upper extremity” has been described under many nomenclatures from the east. Hirayama disease (HD), also interchangeably referred to as monomelic amyotrophy, has been more frequently recognised in the west only in the last two decades. HD presents in adolescence and young adulthood with insidious onset unilateral or bilateral asymmetric atrophy of hand and forearm with sparing of brachioradialis giving the characteristic appearance of oblique amyotrophy. Symmetrically bilateral disease has also been recognized. Believed to be a cervical flexion myelopathy, HD differs from motor neuron diseases because of its nonprogressive course and pathologic findings of chronic microcirculatory changes in the lower cervical cord. Electromyography shows features of acute and/or chronic denervation in C7, C8, and T1 myotomes in clinically affected limb and sometimes also in clinically unaffected contralateral limb. Dynamic forward displacement of dura in flexion causes asymmetric flattening of lower cervical cord. While dynamic contrast magnetic resonance imaging is diagnostic, routine study has high predictive value. There is a need to lump all the nomenclatures under the rubric of HD as prognosis in this condition is benign and prompt diagnosis is important to institute early collar therapy.
Corrosion Protection and Surface Treatment of Magnesium Alloys Used for Orthopedic Applications
Authors: Nassif Nabil , Ghayad Ibrahim
Published: August 2013

An overview is reported about the history of prevailing magnesium alloys as orthopedic biodegradable materials. Important features of the effect of alloying additions, along with surface treatments for corrosion protection of magnesium alloys, are described. Hydroxyapatite (HA), the promising coat deposited by different direct and electrochemical methods to tailor corrosion resistance and biocompatibility, is discussed. Surface modifications, such as microarc oxidation or anodization which lead to nanostructures fabricated to provide better adhesion for HA coatings, are presented.
Parapharyngeal Neck Schwannomas with Unusual Vascular Displacement
Authors: Sargar Kiran
Published: August 2013

This case report illustrates two unusual cases of parapharyngeal schwannomas mimicking carotid body tumors in terms of characteristic vascular displacement. Carotid body tumors classically cause splaying of internal and external carotid arteries demonstrating the Lyre sign on imaging. Also interestingly, both of these cases were seen in younger ages and include cervical sympathetic chain schwannoma and vagal schwannoma. However, these schwannomas revealed hypovascularity on imaging studies allowing differentiation from hypervascular carotid body tumors. Preoperative distinction between carotid body tumors and schwannomas is very important.
The Research of Mathematical Method and Position Control of Actuator in Power Switchgear
Authors: Dong Enyuan , Qin Taotao , Chen Yushuo , Su Hang , Zou Jiyan
Published: August 2013

Transient effects such as overvoltage and inrush currents will be caused due to opening and closing the switchgear at random phase. Phase-controlled technology present in recent years, which is restricted by the operation dispersion of actuator, can limit the transient effects. And the dispersion of the switchgear with a permanent magnetic actuator (PMA) is small. Therefore, the research of mathematical method and position control in this paper is based on the PMA. Firstly, the dynamic mathematical method and simulation system established in MATLAB are used to improve the design of the PMA owing same type. Secondly, simulation with the use of improved fuzzy algorithm is carried out. And an optimized self-adaptive fuzzy algorithm is obtained in the simulation process which can be used to trace the given displacement curve. Finally, a large number of tracing experiments have been done on the 35 kV breaker prototype to verify the effectiveness of the algorithm. In the experiments, the closing time of breaker can be stabilized within ±0.5 ms when capacitor voltage and capacitance change. These results prove that the mathematical model and the fuzzy algorithm are effective and practical.
Homoclinic Solutions for a Class of the Second-Order Impulsive Hamiltonian Systems
Authors: Xie Jingli , Luo Zhiguo , Chen Guoping
Published: August 2013

This paper is concerned with the existence of homoclinic solutions for a class of the second order impulsive Hamiltonian systems. By employing the Mountain Pass Theorem, we demonstrate that the limit of a2kT-periodic approximation solution is a homoclinic solution of our problem.