bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“The Mind Is Its Own Place”: Amelioration of Claustrophobia in Semantic Dementia
Authors: Clark Camilla N. , Downey Laura E. , Golden Hannah L. , Fletcher Phillip D. , de Silva Rajith , Cifelli Alberto , Warren Jason D.
Published: March 2014

Phobias are among the few intensely fearful experiences we regularly have in our everyday lives, yet the brain basis of phobic responses remains incompletely understood. Here we describe the case of a 71-year-old patient with a typical clinicoanatomical syndrome of semantic dementia led by selective (predominantly right-sided) temporal lobe atrophy, who showed striking amelioration of previously disabling claustrophobia following onset of her cognitive syndrome. We interpret our patient’s newfound fearlessness as an interaction of damaged limbic and autonomic responsivity with loss of the cognitive meaning of previously threatening situations. This case has implications for our understanding of brain network disintegration in semantic dementia and the neurocognitive basis of phobias more generally.
A Voronoi-Based Sensor Handover Protocol for Target Tracking in Distributed Visual Sensor Networks
Authors: Sung Tien-Wen , Yang Chu-Sing
Published: March 2014

Target tracking is one of the important applications of wireless sensor networks. For a visual sensor network, the visual sensors have particular characteristics such as directional sensing, limited angle of view, and line-of-sight view. Target tracking with visual sensors is different from that with scalar sensors. Moreover, the quality of sensed visual data can be much important in many applications. In this paper, the concept of Voronoi diagram is utilized for target tracking in visual sensor networks. The structure of Voronoi cells is suitable for the design of a distributed/localized algorithm and it exists a property of bisector for dividing a distance line or region. This paper proposed a Voronoi-based distributed sensor handover protocol for visual sensor networks. The simulation result shows the benefits of our proposed approach in terms of target-detected latency, target-tracked ratio, and average target distance, which indicates that the quality of target tracking service can be improved with the proposed approach for visual sensor networks.
Experimental Design-Based Response Surface Methodology Optimization for Synthesis of β-Mercapto Carbonyl Derivatives as Antimycobacterial Drugs Catalyzed by Calcium Pyrophosphate
Authors: Abrouki Younes , Anouzla Abdelkader , Loukili Hayat , Bennazha Jamal , Lotfi Rabiaâ , Rayadh Ahmed , Bahlaoui My Abdellah , Sebti Saïd , Zakarya Driss , Zahouily Mohamed
Published: March 2014

A simple protocol for the efficient preparation of β-mercapto carbonyl derivatives as antimycobacterial drugs has been achieved via Thia-Michael reaction between chalcones derivatives and thiols in the presence of calcium pyrophosphate as a heterogeneous catalyst under mild reaction conditions. The central composite design was used to design an experimental program to provide data to model the effects of various factors on reaction yield (Y). The variables chosen were catalyst weight X1, reaction time X2, and solvent volume X3. The mathematical relationship of reaction yield on the three significant independent variables can be approximated by a nonlinear polynomial model. Predicted values were found to be in good agreement with experimental values. The optimum reaction conditions for reaction model (chalcone and thiophenol) obtained by response surface were applied to other substrates. This procedure provides several advantages such as high yield, clean product formation, and short reaction time.
Nonmotor Symptoms in Early- and Advanced-Stage Parkinson’s Disease Patients on Dopaminergic Therapy: How Do They Correlate with Quality of Life?
Authors: Valkovic Peter , Harsany Jan , Hanakova Marta , Martinkova Jana , Benetin Jan
Published: March 2014

To determine the impact of nonmotor symptoms (NMS) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) we examined 100 Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients on dopaminergic medications. An “early-stage” (ES) and an “advanced-stage” (AS) groups were formed. HRQoL was established by the questionnaire PDQ-8, number of NMS by NMSQuest, and severity and frequency of NMS by the assessment scale NMSS. The total NMS averaged 11.3 (ES=9.6, AS=12.8). The NMSS domain correlation profiles for ES and AS did not fundamentally differ; however, the domains attention/memory and mood/apathy correlated moderately to strongly with HRQoL in ES, while the sleep/fatigue domain correlated moderately with HRQoL in AS. Weakly correlating domains were sleep/fatigue in ES and cardiovascular, attention/memory, and mood/apathy domains in AS. In view of these findings we strongly recommend systematic, active screening and therapy for neuropsychiatric disorders (mood, cognitive and sleep disorders, and fatigue) at the initial diagnosis and throughout the entire course of PD.
A Cooperative Harmony Search Algorithm for Function Optimization
Authors: Li Gang , Wang Qingzhong
Published: March 2014

Harmony search algorithm (HS) is a new metaheuristic algorithm which is inspired by a process involving musical improvisation. HS is a stochastic optimization technique that is similar to genetic algorithms (GAs) and particle swarm optimizers (PSOs). It has been widely applied in order to solve many complex optimization problems, including continuous and discrete problems, such as structure design, and function optimization. A cooperative harmony search algorithm (CHS) is developed in this paper, with cooperative behavior being employed as a significant improvement to the performance of the original algorithm. Standard HS just uses one harmony memory and all the variables of the object function are improvised within the harmony memory, while the proposed algorithm CHS uses multiple harmony memories, so that each harmony memory can optimize different components of the solution vector. The CHS was then applied to function optimization problems. The results of the experiment show that CHS is capable of finding better solutions when compared to HS and a number of other algorithms, especially in high‐dimensional problems.
Combining Ability of Pod Yield and Related Traits of Groundnut (Arachis hypogaeaL.) under Salinity Stress
Authors: Azad Md. Abul Kalam , Shah-E-Alam Md. , Hamid Md. Abdul , Rafii Mohd Y. , Malek M. A.
Published: March 2014

A study was performed using6×6F1diallel population without reciprocals to assess the mode of inheritance of pod yield and related traits in groundnut with imposed salinity stress. Heterosis was found for pod number and yield. Data on general and specific combining ability (gca and sca) indicated additive and nonadditive gene actions. The gca: sca ratios were much less than unity suggesting predominant role of nonadditive gene effects. Cultivars “Binachinabadam-2” and “Dacca-1” and mutant M6/25/64-82 had the highest, second highest, and third highest pod number, as well as gca values, respectively. These two cultivars and another mutant M6/15/70-19 also had the highest, second highest, and third highest pod yield, as well as gca values, respectively. Therefore, “Dacca-1”, “Binachinabadam-2”, M6/25/64-82, and M6/15/70-19 could be used as source of salinity tolerance. Cross combinations showing high sca effects arising from parents with high and low gca values for any trait indicate the influence of nonadditive genes on their expression. Parents of these crosses can be used for biparental mating or reciprocal recurrent selection for developing high yielding varieties. Crosses with high sca effects having both parents with good gca effects could be exploited by pedigree breeding to get transgressive segregants.
The Dopaminergic Reward System and Leisure Time Exercise Behavior: A Candidate Allele Study
Authors: Huppertz Charlotte , Bartels Meike , Groen-Blokhuis Maria M. , Dolan Conor V. , de Moor Marleen H. M. , Abdellaoui Abdel , van Beijsterveldt Catharina E. M. , Ehli Erik A. , Hottenga Jouke-Jan , Willemsen Gonneke , Xiao Xiangjun , Scheet Paul , Davies Gareth E. , Boomsma Dorret I. , Hudziak James J. , Geus Eco J. C. de
Published: March 2014

Purpose. Twin studies provide evidence that genetic influences contribute strongly to individual differences in exercise behavior. We hypothesize that part of this heritability is explained by genetic variation in the dopaminergic reward system. Eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in DRD1: rs265981, DRD2: rs6275, rs1800497, DRD3: rs6280, DRD4: rs1800955, DBH: rs1611115, rs2519152, and in COMT: rs4680) and three variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs inDRD4, upstream ofDRD5, and inDAT1) were investigated for an association with regular leisure time exercise behavior.Materials and Methods. Data on exercise activities and at least one SNP/VNTR were available for 8,768 individuals aged 7 to 50 years old that were part of the Netherlands Twin Register. Exercise behavior was quantified as weekly metabolic equivalents of task (MET) spent on exercise activities. Mixed models were fitted in SPSS with genetic relatedness as a random effect.Results. None of the genetic variants were associated with exercise behavior (P>.02), despite sufficient power to detect small effects.Discussion and Conclusions. We did not confirm that allelic variants involved in dopaminergic function play a role in creating individual differences in exercise behavior. A plea is made for large genome-wide association studies to unravel the genetic pathways that affect this health-enhancing behavior.
Homotopic Approximate Solutions for the Perturbed CKdV Equation with Variable Coefficients
Authors: Lu Dianchen , Chen Tingting , Hong Baojian
Published: March 2014

This work concerns how to find the double periodic form of approximate solutions of the perturbed combined KdV (CKdV) equation with variable coefficients by using the homotopic mapping method. The obtained solutions may degenerate into the approximate solutions of hyperbolic function form and the approximate solutions of trigonometric function form in the limit cases. Moreover, the first order approximate solutions and the second order approximate solutions of the variable coefficients CKdV equation in perturbationεunare also induced.
Role of Pentoxifylline and Sparfloxacin in Prophylaxis of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis in Cirrhotic Patients
Authors: Mostafa Tarek Mohammed , Ibrahim Osama Mohamed , Badra Gamal Abd El-Khalek , Abdallah Mahmoud Samy
Published: March 2014

This study was directed to evaluate the role of sparfloxacin and pentoxifylline in the prophylaxis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic patients. Forty cirrhotic patients with ascites were included in the study. Patients were randomized into four groups in a blind fashion; each group consists of ten patients. Group one received ciprofloxacin (control group), group two received sparfloxacin, group three received pentoxifylline, and group four received a combination of sparfloxacin and pentoxifylline. Treatment duration was six months. Serum TNF-α level was the primary inflammatory marker of the study to evaluate the effect of the used medications. In group two, TNF-α level showed a statistically significant decrease in comparison with group one (P=0.001), while in group three, TNF-α level showed nonsignificant difference in comparison with the control group (P>0.05). In addition, group four showed a statistically significant decrease in TNF-α level compared to the other three groups (P<0.05). The finding from our study indicates that sparfloxacin as well as pentoxifylline could be used in prophylaxis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Combination of sparfloxacin and pentoxifylline showed some of synergism which may be useful in decreasing emergence of resistant strains.
Positive Solutions for Multipoint Boundary Value Problems for Singular Fractional Differential Equations
Authors: Jleli Mohamed , Karapinar Erdal , Samet Bessem
Published: March 2014

A class of nonlinear multipoint boundary value problems for singular fractional differential equations is considered. By means of a coupled fixed point theorem on ordered sets, some results on the existence and uniqueness of positive solutions are obtained.
A Review on Forest Fire Detection Techniques
Authors: Alkhatib Ahmad A. A.
Published: March 2014

Context. Apart from causing tragic loss of lives and valuable natural and individual properties including thousands of hectares of forest and hundreds of houses, forest fires are a great menace to ecologically healthy grown forests and protection of the environment. Every year, thousands of forest fires across the globe cause disasters beyond measure and description. This issue has been the research interest for many years; there are a huge amount of very well studied solutions available out there for testing or even ready for use to resolve this problem. Aim. This work will summarise all the technologies that have been used for forest fire detection with exhaustive surveys of their techniques/methods used in this application. Methods. A lot of methods and systems are available in the market and for research. The paper reviews all the methods and discusses examples of research experiment results and some market product methods for better understanding. Result. Each technique has its own advantages and disadvantages. A full discussions provided after each type. Conclusion. A full table is provided at the end to summarise a comparison between the four methods.
Acute Kidney Injury in Neonates: From Urine Output to New Biomarkers
Authors: Libório Alexandre Braga , Branco Klébia Magalhães Pereira Castello , Torres de Melo Bezerra Candice
Published: March 2014

In the past 10 years, great effort has been made to define and classify a common syndrome previously known as acute renal failure and now renamed “acute kidney injury (AKI).” Initially suggested and validated in adult populations, AKI classification was adapted to the pediatric population and recently has been modified for the neonatal population. Several studies have been performed in adults and older children using this consensus definition, leading to improvement in the knowledge of AKI incidence and epidemiology. In spite of these advances, the peculiar renal pathophysiology of critically ill newborn patients makes it difficult to interpret urine output (UO) and serum creatinine (SCr) levels in these patients to diagnose AKI. Also, new urine biomarkers have emerged as a possible alternative to diagnose early AKI in the neonatal population. In this review, we describe recent advances in neonatal AKI epidemiology, discuss difficulties in diagnosing AKI in newborns, and show recent advances in new AKI biomarkers and possible long-term consequences after AKI episode.
A Lightweight Neighbor-Info-Based Routing Protocol for No-Base-Station Taxi-Call System
Authors: Zhu Xudong , Wang Jinhang , Chen Yunchao
Published: March 2014

Since the quick topology change and short connection duration, the VANET has had unstable routing and wireless signal quality. This paper proposes a kind of lightweight routing protocol-LNIB for call system without base station, which is applicable to the urban taxis. LNIB maintains and predicts neighbor information dynamically, thus finding the reliable path between the source and the target. This paper describes the protocol in detail and evaluates the performance of this protocol by simulating under different nodes density and speed. The result of evaluation shows that the performance of LNIB is better than AODV which is a classic protocol in taxi-call scene.
Acupuncture Enhances Effective Connectivity between Cerebellum and Primary Sensorimotor Cortex in Patients with Stable Recovery Stroke
Authors: Xie Zijing , Cui Fangyuan , Zou Yihuai , Bai Lijun
Published: March 2014

Recent neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that stimulation of acupuncture at motor‐implicated acupoints modulates activities of brain areas relevant to the processing of motor functions. This study aims to investigate acupuncture‐induced changes in effective connectivity among motor areas in hemiparetic stroke patients by using the multivariate Granger causal analysis. A total of 9 stable recovery stroke patients and 8 healthy controls were recruited and underwent three runs of fMRI scan: passive finger movements and resting state before and after manual acupuncture stimuli. Stroke patients showed significantly attenuated effective connectivity between cortical and subcortical areas during passive motor task, which indicates inefficient information transmissions between cortical and subcortical motor‐related regions. Acupuncture at motor‐implicated acupoints showed specific modulations of motor‐related network in stroke patients relative to healthy control subjects. This specific modulation enhanced bidirectionally effective connectivity between the cerebellum and primary sensorimotor cortex in stroke patients, which may compensate for the attenuated effective connectivity between cortical and subcortical areas during passive motor task and, consequently, contribute to improvement of movement coordination and motor learning in subacute stroke patients. Our results suggested that further efficacy studies of acupuncture in motor recovery can focus on the improvement of movement coordination and motor learning during motor rehabilitation.
Incoherency Problems in a Combination of Description Logics and Rules
Authors: Huang Shasha , Hao Jing , Luo Dang
Published: March 2014

A paraconsistent semantics has been presented for hybrid MKNF knowledge bases—a combination method for description logics and rules. However, it is invalid when incoherency occurs in the knowledge base. In this paper, we introduce a semi-S5semantics for hybrid MKNF knowledge bases on the basis of nine-valued lattice, such that it is paraconsistent for incoherent knowledge base. It is shown that a semi-S5model can be computed via a fixpoint operator and is in fact a paraconsistent MKNF model when the knowledge base is incoherent. Moreover, we apply six-valued lattice to hybrid MKNF knowledge bases and present a suspicious semantics to distinguish different trust level information. At last, we investigate the relationship between suspicious semantics and paraconsistent semantics.
Overexpression of DcR3 and Its Significance on Tumor Cell Differentiation and Proliferation in Glioma
Authors: Huang Suning , Chen Gang , Dang Yiwu , Chen Long-Hua
Published: March 2014

Background.Overexpression of decoy receptor 3 (DcR3) have been reported in various classes of malignancies. However, its expression and clinicopathological contribution in gliomas has not been fully elucidated.Objective.To explore the expression and clinical significance of DcR3 protein in relation to tumor cell differentiation and proliferation in glioma cell lines and tissues.Methods.One hundred and twenty-five samples of glioma patients and 18 cases of normal brain tissues were recruited. The expression of DcR3 protein was detected using immunohistochemistry. Tumor differentiation was assessed by histologic characters and the status of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Tumor cell labeling indexes (LIs) of Ki-67 and PCNA were also obtained. The relationship between the DcR3 level and clinicopathological features was investigated, including tumor differentiation, LIs, and survival. Meanwhile, the expression of DcR3 protein was also measured in the supernatants of 8 glioma cell lines and glioma cells freshly prepared from 8 human glioblastoma specimens by using western blot.Results.The level of DcR3 protein in gliomas was significantly higher than that in normal brain tissues (P<0.01). DcR3 expression showed positive correlations with tumor pathological grade(r=0.621,P<0.01)and negative with GFAP expression (r=-0.489,P<0.01). Furthermore, there were positive correlations between DcR3 expression and Ki-67, PCNA LIs (r=0.529,P<0.01;r=0.556,P<0.01). The survival in the DcR3 negative group was 50 ± 1.79 months, longer than that of the DcR3 positive group (48.36 ± 2.90), however, without significance(P=0.149). Different levels of DcR3 could also be detected in the culturing supernatants of all the 8 glioma cell lines and glioma cells freshly obtained from 8 human glioblastoma specimens.Conclusions.The overexpression of DcR3 might play a crucial role in the tumorigenesis, differentiation, and proliferation of glioma.
Resistivity, ESR, and Radiation Shielding Properties of the Volcanic Rock Materials
Authors: Nuhoğlu Çiğdem , Tapan Mucip , Okutan Mustafa , Aydın Süreyya , Yalçın Zeynel , İçelli Orhan , Kavanoz H. Birtan , Orak Salim
Published: March 2014

Pumices have been used in cement, concrete, brick, and ceramic industries as an additive and aggregate material. It will be important to study pumice types by using a different tool as EPR which is a new technique for related material to be used for industrial aims. Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra of the pumice types were taken by EMX-type spectrometer. Also, the current-voltage (I-V) and surface resistivity probe stand of the thin films was studied using a four-point probe measurements. The relationship between radiation shielding properties of the pumice samples and their surface resistivity, chemical, and electrokinetic properties was evaluated using simple regression analysis. Simple regression analysis indicated a strong correlation between surface resistivity and density and SiO2, Fe2O3, CaO, MgO, and TiO2content of pumice samples in this study. It is found that a correlation between determinedg-factor by EPR spectroscopy and radiation shielding is established for pumice samples.
Comparison of ARIMA and Artificial Neural Networks Models for Stock Price Prediction
Authors: Adebiyi Ayodele Ariyo , Adewumi Aderemi Oluyinka , Ayo Charles Korede
Published: March 2014

This paper examines the forecasting performance of ARIMA and artificial neural networks model with published stock data obtained from New York Stock Exchange. The empirical results obtained reveal the superiority of neural networks model over ARIMA model. The findings further resolve and clarify contradictory opinions reported in literature over the superiority of neural networks and ARIMA model and vice versa.
A Numerical Study on Electrical Percolation of Polymer‐Matrix Composites with Hybrid Fillers of Carbon Nanotubes and Carbon Black
Authors: Chen Yuli , Wang Shengtao , Pan Fei , Zhang Jianyu
Published: March 2014

The electrical percolation of polymer‐matrix composites (PMCs) containing hybrid fillers of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon black (CB) is estimated by studying the connection possibility of the fillers using Monte Carlo simulation. The 3D simulation model of CB‐CNT hybrid filler is established, in which CNTs are modeled by slender capped cylinders and CB groups are modeled by hypothetical spheres with interspaces because CB particles are always agglomerated. The observation on the effects of CB and CNT volume fractions and dimensions on the electrical percolation threshold of hybrid filled composites is then carried out. It is found that the composite electrical percolation threshold can be reduced by increasing CNT aspect ratio, as well as increasing the diameter ratio of CB groups to CNTs. And adding CB into CNT composites can decrease the CNT volume needed to convert the composite conductivity, especially when the CNT volume fraction is close to the threshold of PMCs with only CNT filler. Different from previous linear assumption, the nonlinear relation between CB and CNT volume fractions at composite percolation threshold is revealed, which is consistent with the synergistic effect observed in experiments. Based on the nonlinear relation, the estimating equation for the electrical percolation threshold of the PMCs containing CB‐CNT hybrid fillers is established.
Novel Method for Floating Synthesizing Heavy Metal Particles as Flowing Anode of Zinc-Air Fuel Cell
Authors: Wu Chen Yang , Huang Kuohsiu David , Tang Horng Yi
Published: March 2014

In this study, centrally hollow microspheres of zinc were synthesized. The microspheres were then mixed with KOH electrolyte to form zinc sol, which was coagulated and precipitated. Afterward, we employed a novel technique to enable the permanent floating of zinc particles, which involved stirring zinc sol with air using a magnetic stirrer. This resulted in the formation of foam in which the zinc particles permanently floated. We then added 65 wt% of the electrolyte (KOH) to prepare 35 wt% of zinc sol. We tested the cell and found the values of current density, specific energy, and electric capacity to be 7.41 mA/cm2, 840.14 Wh/kg, and 3023 mAh, respectively.
Granulomatous Pancreatitis in a Patient with Acute Manifested Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Mandys Václav , Kheck Michal , Anděl Michal
Published: March 2014

Isolated granulomatous noncaseating pancreatitis is a rare condition exceptionally described in human population. We demonstrate a case of the a 71-years-old female patient suffering from recent diabetes mellitus, generalized atherosclerosis and hypertension who died due to pulmonary embolism and terminal bronchopneumonia. Lipomatosis of pancreatic tissue was observed during the postmortem examination. Histological examination of pancreatic tissue discovered multiple small noncaseating epithelioid cell and giant cell granulomas, partly replacing the islets of Langerhans. To our knowledge, our case represents the first description of noninfectious granulomatous pancreatitis associated with acute manifested insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
Role of MicroRNAs in Islet Beta-Cell Compensation and Failure during Diabetes
Authors: Plaisance Valérie , Waeber Gérard , Regazzi Romano , Abderrahmani Amar
Published: March 2014

Pancreatic beta-cell function and mass are markedly adaptive to compensate for the changes in insulin requirement observed during several situations such as pregnancy, obesity, glucocorticoids excess, or administration. This requires a beta-cell compensation which is achieved through a gain of beta-cell mass and function. Elucidating the physiological mechanisms that promote functional beta-cell mass expansion and that protect cells against death, is a key therapeutic target for diabetes. In this respect, several recent studies have emphasized the instrumental role of microRNAs in the control of beta-cell function. MicroRNAs are negative regulators of gene expression, and are pivotal for the control of beta-cell proliferation, function, and survival. On the one hand, changes in specific microRNA levels have been associated with beta-cell compensation and are triggered by hormones or bioactive peptides that promote beta-cell survival and function. Conversely, modifications in the expression of other specific microRNAs contribute to beta-cell dysfunction and death elicited by diabetogenic factors including, cytokines, chronic hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and oxidized LDL. This review underlines the importance of targeting the microRNA network for future innovative therapies aiming at preventing the beta-cell decline in diabetes.
Rock Load Estimation in Development Galleries and Junctions for Underground Coal Mines: A CMRI-ISM Rock Mass Rating Approach
Authors: Paul Avinash , Murthy V. M. S. R. , Singh Ajoy Kumar
Published: March 2014

Rock mass rating (RMR) plays important role in design and selection of support system (Ghosh, 2000). For stability assessment of rock mass it is very important to know the amount of rock load mobilized around the development gallery which is estimated using RMR (Singh et al., 2003, Barton et al., 1974, Bieniawski, 1984, and Ghosh et al., 1992). In Indian coal mines, Central Mining Research Institute-Indian School of Mines rock mass rating (herein after referred to as CMRI-ISM RMR) is mostly used for formulating design guidelines for supports. In this paper an attempt has been made to correlate CMRI-ISM RMR values and rock load of galleries and junctions for different gallery widths, ranging from 3.6 m to 4.8 m, at different densities of roof rocks. The proposed empirical expression can help in quick design of support system for underground coal mines working in the same regime.
Output Tracking via Adaptive Backstepping Higher Order Integral Sliding Mode for Uncertain Nonlinear Systems
Authors: Pervaiz M. , Khan Q. , Bhatti A. I. , Malik S. A.
Published: March 2014

The authors propose a new tracking control design strategy for uncertain non-linear systems which are convertible to Semi-Strict Feedback Form (SSFF). The system in SSFF is first converted into new variables via existing adaptive backstepping control techniques. The control law is obtained by combining adaptive backstepping procedure and higher order integral sliding mode. The component of control law designed via backstepping is continuous which shows robustness against parametric uncertainties where as the discontinuous control component provides robustness against unmodeled dynamics and external disturbances. Since, this strategy relies on an integral manifold of the adaptively developed variables, therefore, the reaching phase is eliminated in this approach, which is an advantage in term of robustness. Furthermore, the parameters update law correctly provides the estimation of parameters which is again results in enhanced robustness of the strategy. The stability of proposed method is analysed theoretically and validated through a numerical example.
Efficient Electrochemical N-Alkylation of N-Boc-Protected 4-Aminopyridines: Towards New Biologically Active Compounds
Authors: Feroci Marta , Chiarotto Isabella , Forte Gianpiero , Simonetti Giovanna , D'Auria Felicia Diodata , Maes Louis , De Vita Daniela , Scipione Luigi , Friggeri Laura , Di Santo Roberto , Tortorella Silvano
Published: March 2014

The use of electrogenerated acetonitrile anion allows the alkylation of N-Boc-4-aminopyridine in very high yields, under mild conditions and without by-products. The high reactivity of this base is due to its large tetraethylammonium counterion, which leaves the acetonitrile anion “naked.” The deprotection of the obtained compounds led to high yields in N-alkylated 4-aminopyridines. Nonsymmetrically dialkylated 4-aminopyridines were obtained by subsequent reaction of monoalkylated ones with t-BuOK and alkyl halides, while symmetrically dialkylated 4-aminopyridines were obtained by direct reaction of 4-aminopyridine with an excess of t-BuOK and alkyl halides. Some mono- and dialkyl-4-aminopyridines were selected to evaluate antifungal and antiprotozoal activity; the dialkylated 4-aminopyridines 3ac, 3ae and 3ff showed antifungal towards Cryptococcus neoformans; whereas 3cc, 3ee and 3ff showed antiprotozoal activity towards Leishmania infantum and Plasmodium falciparum.
Nsambya Community Home-Based Care Complements National HIV and TB Management Efforts and Contributes to Health Systems Strengthening in Uganda: An Observational Study
Authors: Massavon William , Mugenyi Levi , Nsubuga Martin , Lundin Rebecca , Penazzato Martina , Nannyonga Maria , Namisi Charles , Ingabire Resty , Kalibbala Daniel , Kironde Susan , Costenaro Paola , Bilardi Davide , Mazza Antonio , Criel Bart , Tumwine James K. , Seeley Janet , Giaquinto Carlo
Published: March 2014

Community Home-Based Care (CHBC) has evolved in resource-limited settings to fill the unmet needs of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA). We compare HIV and tuberculosis (TB) outcomes from the Nsambya CHBC with national averages in Kampala, Uganda. This retrospective observational study compared HIV and TB outcomes from adults and children in the Nsambya CHBC to national averages from 2007 to 2011. Outcomes included numbers of HIV and TB patients enrolled into care, retention, loss to follow-up (LTFU), and mortality among patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) at 12 months from initiation; new smear-positive TB cure and defaulter rates; and proportion of TB patients tested for HIV. Chi-square test and trends analyses were used to compare outcomes from Nsambya CHBC with national averages. By 2011, approximately 14,000 PLHA had been enrolled in the Nsambya CHBC, and about 4,000 new cases of TB were detected and managed over the study period. Overall, retention and LTFU of ART patients 12 months after initiation, proportion of TB patients tested for HIV, and cure rates for new smear-positive TB scored higher in the Nsambya CHBC compared to national averages. The findings show that Nsambya CHBC complements national HIV and TB management and results in more positive outcomes.
Stability and Hopf Bifurcation of Delayed Predator-Prey System Incorporating Harvesting
Authors: Wei Fengying , Wu Lanqi , Fang Yuzhi
Published: March 2014

A kind of delayed predator-prey system with harvesting is considered in this paper. The influence of harvesting and delay is investigated. Our results show that Hopf bifurcations occur as the delayτpasses through critical values. By using of normal form theory and center manifold theorem, the direction of Hopf bifurcation and the stability of the bifurcating periodic solutions are obtained. Finally, numerical simulations are given to support our theoretical predictions.
Neuronal Activity Stimulated by Liquid Substrates Injection at Zusanli (ST36) Acupoint: The Possible Mechanism of Aquapuncture
Authors: Chen Chun-Yen , Lin Chao-Nan , Chern Rey-Shyong , Tsai Yu-Chuan , Chang Yung-Hsien , Chien Chi-Hsien
Published: March 2014

Aquapuncture is a modified acupuncture technique and it is generally accepted that it has a greater therapeutic effect than acupuncture
because of the combination of the acupoint stimulation and the pharmacological effect of the drugs. However, to date, the mechanisms underlying the effects of
aquapuncture remain unclear. We hypothesized that both the change in the local spatial configuration and the substrate stimulation of aquapuncture
would activate neuronal signaling. Thus, bee venom, normal saline, and vitamins B1 and B12 were injected into a Zusanli (ST36) acupoint as substrate of aquapuncture,
whereas a dry needle was inserted into ST36 as a control. After aquapuncture, activated neurons expressing Fos protein were mainly observed in the dorsal horn of
the spinal cord in lumbar segments L3–5, with the distribution nearly identical among all groups. However, the bee venom injection induced significantly more Fos‐expressing neurons than the other substrates. Based on these data, we suggest that changes in the spatial configuration of the acupoint activate neuronal signaling and that bee venom may further strengthen this neuronal activity. In conclusion, the mechanisms for the effects of aquapuncture appear to be the spatial configuration changes occurring within the acupoint and the ability of injected substrates to stimulate neuronal activity.
The Facial Affective Scale as a Predictor for Pain Unpleasantness When Children Undergo Immunizations
Authors: Nilsson Stefan , Finnström Berit , Mörelius Evalotte , Forsner Maria
Published: March 2014

Needle fear is a common problem in children undergoing immunization. To ensure that the individual child’s needs are met during a painful procedure it would be beneficial to be able to predict whether there is a need for extra support. The self-reporting instrument facial affective scale (FAS) could have potential for this purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the FAS can predict pain unpleasantness in girls undergoing immunization. Girls, aged 11-12 years, reported their expected pain unpleasantness on the FAS at least two weeks before and then experienced pain unpleasantness immediately before each vaccination. The experienced pain unpleasantness during the vaccination was also reported immediately after each immunization. The level of anxiety was similarly assessed during each vaccination and supplemented with stress measures in relation to the procedure in order to assess and evaluate concurrent validity. The results show that the FAS is valid to predict pain unpleasantness in 11-12-year-old girls who undergo immunizations and that it has the potential to be a feasible instrument to identify children who are in need of extra support to cope with immunization. In conclusion, the FAS measurement can facilitate caring interventions.
Minimizing Technical Failure of Percutaneous Balloon Compression for Trigeminal Neuralgia Using Neuronavigation
Authors: Georgiopoulos Miltiadis , Ellul John , Chroni Elisabeth , Constantoyannis Constantine
Published: March 2014

Objective. Percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) is an effective and safe management for medically refractory trigeminal neuralgia; however, technical failure to cannulate the foramen ovale (FO) using only fluoroscopy is a significant problem in some cases. In this paper, we suggest the use of intraoperative navigation, in cases of reoperation due to prior technical failure to cannulate the FO under fluoroscopy. Methods. A total of 174 patients underwent PBC for TN since 2003. In 9 cases the penetration of the FO was not accomplished. Five of those patients were reoperated on for PBC using navigation from March 2012 to September 2012. Surgical technique: preoperatively, a head Computed Tomography (CT) scan is performed and the acquired images are imported into the navigation system. Intraoperatively, a small reference frame is strapped firmly to the patient’s forehead, the CT images are registered, and cannulation is performed under the guidance of the navigation system. Results. In all patients, the operation overall was completed successfully. Moreover, all patients reported complete pain relief immediately postoperatively and no complications were recorded overall. Conclusions. We suggest the use of neuronavigation in cases of technical failure of PBC. That technique involves technology with significant advantages helping the successful cannulation of the FO and seems more efficient and safer.
Does Intraoperative Ulinastatin Improve Postoperative Clinical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: He Qiu-Lan , Zhong Fei , Ye Fang , Wei Ming , Liu Wei-Feng , Li Mei-Na , Li Qiao-Bo , Huang Wen-Qi , Sun Lai-Bao , Shu Hai-Hua
Published: March 2014

Introduction. The systematic meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluated the effects of intraoperative ulinastatin on early-postoperative recovery in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.Methods.RCTs comparing intraoperative ulinastatin with placebo in cardiac surgery were searched through PubMed, Cochrane databases, Medline, SinoMed, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (1966 to May 20th, 2013). The primary endpoints included hospital mortality, postoperative complication rate, length of stay in intensive care unit, and extubation time. The physiological and biochemical parameters illustrating postoperative cardiac and pulmonary function as well as inflammation response were considered as secondary endpoints.Results.Fifteen RCTs (509 patients) met the inclusion criteria. Ulinastatin did not affect hospital mortality, postoperative complication rate, or ICU length of stay but reduced extubation time. Ulinastatin also increased the oxygenation index on postoperative day 1 and reduced the plasma level of cardiac troponin-I. Additionally, ulinastatin inhibited the increased level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, polymorphonuclear neutrophil elastase, interleukin-6, and interleukin-8 associated with cardiac surgery.Conclusion.Ulinastatin may be of value for the inhibition of postoperative increased inflammatory agents and most likely provided pulmonary protective effects in cardiac surgery. However, larger adequately powered RCTs are required to define the clinical effect of ulinastatin on postoperative outcomes in cardiac surgery.
Image Encryption Using the Chaotic Josephus Matrix
Authors: Yang Gelan , Jin Huixia , Bai Na
Published: March 2014

This paper presents a new image encryption solution using the chaotic Josephus matrix. It extends the conventional Josephus traversing to a matrix form and proposes a treatment to improve the randomness of this matrix by mixing chaotic maps. It also derives the corresponding encryption primitives controlled by the chaotic Josephus matrix. In this way, it builds up an image encryption system with very high sensitivities in both encryption key and input image. Our simulation results demonstrate that an encrypted image of using this method is very random‐like, that is, a uniform‐like pixel histogram and very low correlations in adjacent pixels. The design idea of this method is also applicable to data encryption of other types, like audio and video.
Effect ofα-Lipoic Acid on Oxidative Stress in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients Receiving Intravenous Iron
Authors: Showkat Arif , Bastnagel William R. , Hudson Joanna Q.
Published: March 2014

Oxidative stress is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Intravenous (IV) iron has been shown to increase oxidative stress. The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in oxidative stress markers following administration of IV sodium ferric gluconate (SFG) to ESRD patients with and without administration of the antioxidant,α-lipoic acid. This is an open-label, crossover study. 125 mg of IV SFG was administered during control (C) and intervention (I) visits. During the I visit, 600 mg ofα-lipoic acid was given orally prior to IV SFG. Blood samples were collected at defined time periods for F2-isoprostane (FIP), lipid hydroperoxide (LHP), malondialdehyde (MDA), and iron indices. We recruited ten African-American ESRD subjects: 50% male; mean age45±9years; mean hemoglobin13±1 g/dL; ferritin449±145 ng/mL; transferrin saturation27±4%. There were no significant differences in iron indices between the two visits after IV SFG. MDA, FIP, and LHP increased significantly for both C and I visits with a greater increase in the I group. Administration of IV SFG results in an acute rise in oxidative stress in ESRD patients. In contrast to previous studies, administration ofα-lipoic acid was associated with a greater increase in oxidative stress.
Frequency-Tunable and Pattern Diversity Antennas for Cognitive Radio Applications
Authors: Ramadan A. H. , Costantine J. , Tawk Y. , Christodoulou C. G. , Kabalan K. Y.
Published: March 2014

Frequency-tunable microstrip antennas, for cognitive radio applications, are proposed herein. The approach is based on tuning the operating frequency of a bandpass filter that is incorporated into a wideband antenna. The integration of an open loop resonator- (OLR-) based adjustable bandpass filter into a wideband antenna to transform it into a tunable filter-antenna is presented. The same technique is employed to design a cognitive radio pattern diversity tunable filter-antenna. A good agreement between the simulated and measured results for the fabricated prototypes is obtained. The radiation characteristics of each designed tunable filter-antenna are included herein.
Pediatric Sclerosing Rhabdomyosarcomas: A Review
Authors: Kumar Amandeep , Singh Manmohan , Sharma Mehar C. , Bakshi Sameer , Sharma Bhawani S.
Published: March 2014

Sclerosing RMS (SRMS) is a recently described subtype of RMS that has not yet been included in any of the classification systems for RMSs. We did pubmed search using keywords “sclerosing, and rhabdomyosarcomas” and included all pediatric cases (age ≤ 18 years) of SRMSs in this review. We also included our case of an eleven-year-old male child with skull base SRMS and discuss the clinical, histopathological, immunohistochemical, and genetic characteristics of these patients. Till now, only 20 pediatric cases of SRMSs have been described in the literature. Pediatric SRMS more commonly affects males at a mean age of 9 years. Extremeties and head/neck regions were most commonly affected. Follow-up details were available for 16 patients with mean follow-up of 25.3 months. Treatment failure rate was 43.75%. Overall amongst these 16 patients, 10 were alive without disease, 4 were alive with disease, and two died. Thus, overall and disease-free survival amongst these 16 patients were 87.5% and 62.5%, respectively. The literature regarding clinical behaviour and outcome of pediatric patients with SRMSs is patchy. Detailed molecular/genetic analysis and clinicopathological characterization with longer follow-ups of more cases may throw some light on this possibly new subtype of RMS.
Changes in Production Potential in China in Response to Climate Change from 1960 to 2010
Authors: Liu Luo , Chen Xi , Xu Xinliang , Wang Yong , Li Shuang , Fu Ying
Published: March 2014

From the Global Agro-Ecological Zone (GAEZ) model, changes in the three climate factors (temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation) over the past five decades showed different trends and that production potential was impacted significantly by the geographic heterogeneity of climate change. An increase of approximately 1.58 million tons/decade in production potential correlated with climate change. Regions with increased production potential were located mainly in the Northeast China Plain, the northern arid and semiarid region, and the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. Regions with decreased production potential were located mainly in the Middle-lower Yangtze Plain and southern China. The climate factors that impacted production potential varied by region. In the Northeast China Plain, increased temperature was the major cause of the increased production potential. In the northern arid and semiarid region, temperature and precipitation were the major factors affecting production potential, but their effects were in opposition to each other. In southern China, increased temperature and decreased solar radiation caused a decreased production potential. In the Middle-lower Yangtze Plain, a decrease in solar radiation was the major factor resulting in decreased production potential. In the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, changes in temperature and solar radiation had large but opposite effects on production potential.
Effects of Growth Phase and Temperature onσBActivity within aListeria monocytogenesPopulation: Evidence for RsbV-Independent Activation ofσBat Refrigeration Temperatures
Authors: Utratna Marta , Cosgrave Eoin , Baustian Claas , Ceredig Rhodri H. , O’Byrne Conor P.
Published: March 2014

The alternative sigma factorσBofListeria monocytogenesis responsible for regulating the transcription of many of the genes necessary for adaptation to both food-related stresses and to conditions found within the gastrointestinal tract of the host. The present study sought to investigate the influence of growth phase and temperature on the activation ofσBwithin populations ofL.monocytogenesEGD-e wild-type, ΔsigB,and ΔrsbVthroughout growth at both 4°C and 37°C, using a reporter fusion that couples expression of EGFP to the stronglyσB-dependent promoter oflmo2230. A similarσBactivation pattern within the population was observed in wt-egfpat both temperatures, with the highest induction ofσBoccurring in the early exponential phase of growth when the fluorescent population rapidly increased, eventually reaching the maximum in early stationary phase. Interestingly, induction ofσBactivity was heterogeneous, with only a proportion of the cells in the wt-egfppopulation being fluorescent above the background autofluorescence level. Moreover, significant RsbV-independent activation ofσBwas observed during growth at 4°C. This result suggests that an alternative route toσBactivation exists in the absence of RsbV, a finding that is not explained by the current model forσBregulation.