bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a Measure to Assess Healthcare Providers’ Implementation of Patient‐Centered Care
Authors: Sidani Souraya , Collins Laura , Harbman Patti , MacMillan Kathleen , Reeves Scott , Hurlock‐Chorostecki Christina , Donald Faith , Staples Patti , van Soeren Mary
Published: July 2014

Background

Patient‐centered care (PCC) is a vaguely defined element of high‐quality care, which precludes its consistent and precise operationalization. A conceptualization of PCC was derived from the literature and guided the development of an instrument to assess implementation of PCC by healthcare providers. The items of the instrument capture specific activities that reflect three components of PCC: holistic, collaborative, and responsive care. This paper reports on the measure's content and construct validity and reliability.

Methods

Content validity was evaluated in a sample of 11 nurse practitioners who rated the relevance of each items’ content in reflecting the respective component of PCC. The content validity index (CVI) was estimated. Construct validity and internal consistency reliability were examined in a survey of 149 nurse practitioners employed in acute care institutions, using factor analysis and the KR‐20 coefficient, respectively.

Results

The CVIs were 100% for the three subscales assessing the holistic, collaborative, and responsive care components of PCC. The items in each subscale loaded on one factor. The KR‐20 coefficients were .66, .70, and .42, respectively. Overall, the majority (>70%) of respondents indicated performance of the activities comprising the three components of PCC.

Linking Evidence to Action

The PCC measure demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties. The low variance in responses, which is anticipated for instruments assessing fidelity of intervention implementation, accounts for the low reliability coefficients. Additional testing of the measure's psychometric properties in different groups of healthcare providers is warranted. The measure can be used to monitor healthcare providers’ implementation of PCC in their usual practice.
Effects of Pressure and a Microporous Coating on HFC-245fa Pool Boiling Heat Transfer
Authors: Moreno Gilberto , Jeffers Jana R. , Narumanchi Sreekant
Published: July 2014

A study was conducted to experimentally characterize the pool boiling performance of hydrofluorocarbon HFC-245fa at pressures ranging from 0.15 MPa to 1.1 MPa (reduced pressure range: 0.04–0.31). Pool boiling experiments were conducted using horizontally oriented 1-cm2 heated surfaces to quantify the effects of pressure and a microporous-enhanced coating on heat transfer coefficients and critical heat flux (CHF) values. Results showed that the coating enhanced heat transfer coefficients and CHF by 430% and 50%, respectively. The boiling heat transfer performance of HFC-245fa was then compared with the boiling performance of HFC-134a and hydrofluoroolefin HFO-1234yf.
Rapidly rendering cells phagocytic through a cell surface display technique and concurrent Rac activation
Authors: Onuma Hiroki , Komatsu Toru , Arita Makoto , Hanaoka Kenjiro , Ueno Tasuku , Terai Takuya , Nagano Tetsuo , Inoue Takanari
Published: July 2014

A method to enforce the cell surface display of molecules of interest can change cellular function.
HO-1 Promotes Unhealthy Obesity
Authors: Berndt Jason D.
Published: July 2014

Heme oxygenase-1 promotes inflammation and insulin resistance in obesity.
MgrB Inactivation Is a Common Mechanism of Colistin Resistance in KPC-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae of Clinical Origin
Authors: Cannatelli Antonio , Giani Tommaso , D'Andrea Marco Maria , Di Pilato Vincenzo , Arena Fabio , Conte Viola , Tryfinopoulou Kyriaki , Vatopoulos Alkiviadis , Rossolini Gian Maria
Published: July 2014

Klebsiella pneumoniae
strains producing KPC-type carbapenemases (KPC-KP) are challenging multidrug-resistant pathogens due to their extensively drug-resistant phenotypes and potential for epidemic dissemination in health care settings. Colistin is a key component of the combination antimicrobial regimens used for treatment of severe KPC-KP infections. We previously reported that insertional inactivation of the
mgrB
gene, encoding a negative-feedback regulator of the PhoQ-PhoP signaling system, can be responsible for colistin resistance in KPC-KP, due to the resulting upregulation of the Pmr lipopolysaccharide modification system. In this work we investigated the status of the
mgrB
gene in a collection of 66 colistin-resistant nonreplicate clinical strains of KPC-KP isolated from different hospitals in Italy and Greece. Overall, 35 strains (53%) exhibited alterations of the
mgrB
gene, including insertions of different types of mobile elements (IS
5
-like, IS
1F
-like, or IS
Kpn14
), nonsilent point mutations, and small intragenic deletions. Four additional strains had a larger deletion of the
mgrB
locus, while the remaining 27 strains (41%) did not show
mgrB
alterations. Transcriptional upregulation of the
phoQ
and
pmrK
genes (part of the
phoPQ
and
pmrHFIJKLM
operon, respectively) was observed in all strains with
mgrB
alterations. Complementation experiments with a wild-type
mgrB
gene restored colistin susceptibility and basal expression levels of
phoQ
and
pmrK
genes in strains carrying different types of
mgrB
alterations. The present results suggest that
mgrB
alteration can be a common mechanism of colistin resistance among KPC-KP in the clinical setting.
Use of Transgenic Parasites and Host Reporters To Dissect Events That Promote Interleukin-12 Production during Toxoplasmosis
Authors: Christian David A. , Koshy Anita A. , Reuter Morgan A. , Betts Michael R. , Boothroyd John C. , Hunter Christopher A.
Published: July 2014

The intracellular parasiteToxoplasma gondiihas multiple strategies to alter host cell function, including the injection of rhoptry proteins into the cytosol of host cells as well as bystander populations, but the consequence of these events is unclear. Here, a reporter system using fluorescent parasite strains that inject Cre recombinase with their rhoptry proteins (Toxoplasma-Cre) was combined with Ai6 Cre reporter mice to identify cells that have been productively infected, that have been rhoptry injected but lack the parasite, or that have phagocytosedT. gondii. The ability to distinguish these host-parasite interactions was then utilized to dissect the events that lead to the production of interleukin-12 p40 (IL-12p40), which is required for resistance toT. gondii.In vivo, the use of invasion-competent or invasion-inhibited (phagocytosed) parasites with IL-12p40 (YET40) reporter mice revealed that dendritic cell (DC) and macrophage populations that phagocytose the parasite or are infected can express IL-12p40 but are not the major source, as larger numbers of uninfected cells secrete this cytokine. Similarly, the use ofToxoplasma-Cre parasite strains indicated that dendritic cells and inflammatory monocytes untouched by the parasite and not cells injected by the parasite are the primary source of IL-12p40. These results imply that a soluble host or parasite factor is responsible for the bulk of IL-12p40 productionin vivo, rather than cellular interactions withT. gondiithat result in infection, infection and clearance, injection of rhoptry proteins, or phagocytosis of the parasite.
Pathogenic Bacterial Species Associated with Endodontic Infection Evade Innate Immune Control by Disabling Neutrophils
Authors: Matsui Aritsune , Jin Jun-O , Johnston Christopher D. , Yamazaki Hajime , Houri-Haddad Yael , Rittling Susan R.
Published: July 2014

Endodontic infections, in which oral bacteria access the tooth pulp chamber, are common and do not resolve once established. To investigate the effects of these infections on the innate immune response, we established a mouse subcutaneous chamber model, where a mixture of four oral pathogens commonly associated with these infections (endodontic pathogens [EP]), i.e.,
Fusobacterium nucleatum
,
Streptococcus intermedius
,
Parvimonas micra
, and
Prevotella intermedia
, was inoculated into subcutaneously implanted titanium chambers. Cells that infiltrated the chamber after these infections were primarily neutrophils; however, these neutrophils were unable to control the infection. Infection with a nonpathogenic oral bacterial species,
Streptococcus mitis
, resulted in well-controlled infection, with bacterial numbers reduced by 4 to 5 log units after 7 days. Propidium iodide (PI) staining of the chamber neutrophils identified three distinct populations: neutrophils from EP-infected chambers were intermediate in PI staining, while cells in chambers from mice infected with
S. mitis
were PI positive (apoptotic) or negative (live). Strikingly, neutrophils from EP-infected chambers were severely impaired in their ability to phagocytose and to generate reactive oxygen species
in vitro
after removal from the chamber compared to cells from
S. mitis
-infected chambers. The mechanism of neutrophil impairment was necrotic cell death as determined by morphological analyses.
P. intermedia
alone could induce a similar neutrophil phenotype. We conclude that the endodontic pathogens, particularly
P. intermedia
, can efficiently disable and kill infiltrating neutrophils, allowing these infections to become established. These results can help explain the persistence of endodontic infections and demonstrate a new virulence mechanism associated with
P. intermedia
.
Coregulated Genes Link Sulfide:Quinone Oxidoreductase and Arsenic Metabolism in Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC6803
Authors: Nagy Csaba I. , Vass Imre , Rákhely Gábor , Vass István Zoltán , Tóth András , Duzs Ágnes , Peca Loredana , Kruk Jerzy , Kós Péter B.
Published: July 2014

Although the biogeochemistry of the two environmentally hazardous compounds arsenic and sulfide has been extensively investigated, the biological interference of these two toxic but potentially energy-rich compounds has only been hypothesized and indirectly proven. Here we provide direct evidence for the first time that in the photosynthetic model organism
Synechocystis
sp. strain PCC6803 the two metabolic pathways are linked by coregulated genes that are involved in arsenic transport, sulfide oxidation, and probably in sulfide-based alternative photosynthesis. Although
Synechocystis
sp. strain PCC6803 is an obligate photoautotrophic cyanobacterium that grows via oxygenic photosynthesis, we discovered that specific genes are activated in the presence of sulfide or arsenite to exploit the energy potentials of these chemicals. These genes form an operon that we termed
suoRSCT
, located on a transposable element of type IS
4
on the plasmid pSYSM of the cyanobacterium.
suoS
(sll5036) encodes a light-dependent, type I sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase. The
suoR
(sll5035) gene downstream of
suoS
encodes a regulatory protein that belongs to the ArsR-type repressors that are normally involved in arsenic resistance. We found that this repressor has dual specificity, resulting in 200-fold induction of the operon upon either arsenite or sulfide exposure. The
suoT
gene encodes a transmembrane protein similar to chromate transporters but in fact functioning as an arsenite importer at permissive concentrations. We propose that the proteins encoded by the
suoRSCT
operon might have played an important role under anaerobic, reducing conditions on primordial Earth and that the operon was acquired by the cyanobacterium via horizontal gene transfer.
Future Care Planning for patients approaching end-of-life with advanced heart disease: an interview study with patients, carers and healthcare professionals exploring the content, rationale and design of a randomised clinical trial
Authors: Denvir Martin A , Highet Gill , Robertson Shirley , Cudmore Sarah , Reid Janet , Ness Andrea , Hogg Karen , Weir Christopher , Murray Scott , Boyd Kirsty
Published: July 2014

Objective

To explore the optimal content and design of a clinical trial of an end-of-life intervention for advanced heart disease with patients, carers and healthcare professionals.

Design

Qualitative interview and focus group study.

Setting

Community and hospital-based focus groups and interviews.

Participants

Stable community-dwelling patients, informal carers (PC, n=15) and primary and secondary care based healthcare professionals (HCP, n=11).

Results

PC highlighted fragmentation of services and difficulty in accessing specialist care as key barriers to good care. They felt that time for discussion with HCP was inadequate within current National Health Service (NHS) healthcare systems. HCP highlighted uncertainty of prognosis, explaining mortality risk to patients and switching from curative to palliative approaches as key challenges. Patient selection, nature of the intervention and relevance of trial outcomes were identified by HCP as key challenges in the design of a clinical trial.

Conclusions

PC and HCP expressed a number of concerns relevant to the nature and content of an end-of-life intervention for patients with advanced heart disease. The findings of this study are being used to support a phase II randomised clinical trial of Future Care Planning in advanced heart disease.
Lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in urban Africans presenting with communicable versus non-communicable forms of heart disease: the ‘Heart of Soweto’ hospital registry study
Authors: Lyons Jasmine G , Sliwa Karen , Carrington Melinda J , Raal Frederick , Pretorius Sandra , Thienemann Friedrich , Stewart Simon
Published: July 2014

Objectives

To investigate if urban Africans displayed lower levels of atheroprotective high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) when presenting with communicable versus non-communicable forms of heart disease (HD) as both acute infection and chronic inflammation reduce HDLC levels.

Design

Hospital registry of 5328 de novo cases of HD over a 3-year period.

Setting

Cardiology Unit, Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, South Africa.

Participants

A total of 1199 patients of African descent (59% women; 57.0±13.4 years) had fasting blood lipid levels (total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, HDLC and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC)) documented on admission. Serum inflammatory marker C reactive protein (CRP) was measured in a subset of 367 patients (31% of cases).

Main outcome measures

Lipid profiles were compared according to prespecified classification of non-communicable (eg, hypertensive HD) versus communicable (eg, rheumatic HD) HD. Low HDLC was defined as <1.0 mmol/L for men and <1.2 mmol/L for women, according to applicable South African Clinical Guidelines.

Results

Overall 694 (58%) of those presenting with HD had low HDLC levels; 344 of 678 (51%) and 350 of 521 (67%) for non-communicable and communicable, respectively (p<0.001). Comparatively, overall prevalence of high TC was 32% and high LDLC was 37%. On an adjusted basis, those with non-communicable HD were more likely to record a low HDLC relative to non-communicable presentations (odds ratio (OR) 1.91, 95% CI 1.42 to 2.57; p<0.001). There was a strong relationship between low HDLC and higher levels of CRP, but only in women.

Conclusions

Despite largely favourable lipid profiles, there are clear differences according to aetiology of underlying HD in urban Africans, with younger patients with communicable HD having particularly low levels of HDLC. Appropriate prospective evidence is needed to determine if persistent low levels of HDLC expose patients to increased, long-term risk of atherosclerotic forms of HD. The women-only inverse association between HDLC and CRP warrants further investigation.
Decreased facial expression variability in patients with serious cardiopulmonary disease in the emergency care setting
Authors: Kline Jeffrey A , Neumann Dawn , Haug Melissa A , Kammer David J , Krabill Virginia A
Published: July 2014

Background and objective

The hypothesis of the present work derives from clinical experience that suggests that patients who are more ill have less facial expression variability in response to emotional cues.

Methods

Prospective study of diagnostic accuracy from a convenience sample of adult patients with dyspnoea and chest pain in an emergency department. Patients viewed three stimulus slides on a laptop computer that were intended to evoke a change in facial affect. The computer simultaneously video recorded patients’ facial expressions. Videos were examined by two independent blinded observers who analysed patients’ facial expressions using the Facial Action Coding System (FACS). Patients were followed for predefined serious cardiopulmonary diagnosis (Disease+) within 14 days (acute coronary syndrome, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, aortic or oesophageal disasters or new cancer). The main analysis compared total FACS scores, and action units of smile, surprise and frown between Disease+ and Disease−.

Results

Of 50 patients, 8 (16%) were Disease+. The two observers had 92% exact agreement on the FACS score from the first stimulus slide. During stimulus slide 1, the median of all FACS values from Disease+ patients was 3.4 (1st–3rd quartiles 1–6), significantly less than the median of 7 (3–14) from D−patients (p=0.019, Mann–Whitney U). Expression of surprise had the largest difference between Disease+ and Disease−(area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.75, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.87).

Conclusions

With a single visual stimulus, patients with serious cardiopulmonary diseases lacked facial expression variability and surprise affect. Our preliminary findings suggest that stimulus-evoked facial expressions from emergency department patients with cardiopulmonary symptoms might be a useful component of gestalt pretest probability assessment.
Physical and numerical study of lateral diversion by three-layer inclined capillary barrier covers under humid climatic conditions
Authors: Zhan Tony L.T. , Li He , Jia G.W. , Chen Y.M. , Fredlund D.G.
Published: July 2014

Southern China has a humid climate and often receives rainfalls that are of high intensity and (or) long duration. This paper investigates the performance of an inclined three-layer cover with capillary barrier effect (CCBE) comprising silt, sand, and gravel, for usage under humid climatic conditions. Physical modeling tests were carried out to observe the response of the three-layer CCBE system to a continuous heavy rainfall of about 70 mm/h. The layered cover model, housed in a 2 m long and 1 m wide instrumented box, is made up of 0.2 m thick silt, 0.1 m thick sand, and 0.1 m thick gravel, and the inclination of the model is 1V:3H. The movement of wetting front, changes in soil suction, and the primary components of water balance were measured during the operation of the physical models. The experimental data was used to calibrate the hydraulic parameters of the numerical model using the unsaturated flow software, SVFlux. Numerical modeling was subsequently carried out on a 60 m long inclined CCBE system to investigate the effective length of lateral diversion under prolonged rainfall. The main findings of the experimental and numerical studies are as follows: (i) the physical model tests showed that the response of the three-layer CCBE system to a heavy rainfall of 70 mm/h was different from the previous observations on experiments where the rainfall was less than 1.6 mm/h; (ii) correlation between the physical modeling and the numerical modeling indicated anisotropic behavior with respect to the hydraulic conductivity in the unsaturated sand layer; (iii) the long inclined, three-layer CCBE system (i.e., 0.6 m thick silt, 0.2 m thick sand, and 0.2 m thick gravel) had an effective length of lateral diversion over 10 m for 30 days of prolonged rainfall (i.e., 1080 mm in total).
Mechanical properties of a weak pyroclastic rock and their relationship with microstructure
Authors: Tommasi Paolo , Verrucci Luca , Rotonda Tatiana
Published: July 2014

The geotechnical behaviour of very weak pyroclastic rocks controls both the failure mechanisms at the margins of rock mesas, where historic hill towns are often sited, as well as the stability of old underground cavities in urban areas of Central Italy. The study focuses on the mechanical behaviour of one of the pyroclastic materials forming the Orvieto mesa (pozzolana), not unlike other pozzolanas in Central and Southern Italy and other pyroclastites from volcanic districts worldwide. The mechanical properties under static conditions of this weakly cemented rock are reported. A petrographic and physical characterization of the material was preliminary conducted, followed by a wide range of mechanical tests: oedometer, uniaxial, and isotropic compression tests and indirect tensile tests. The stress–strain and strength behaviours of the pozzolana are highlighted and compared with those of the rock materials of the pyroclastic formation (tuff). The mechanical behaviour of the pozzolana is related to its physical and textural characters, with special reference to continuity of the groundmass and porosity. Finally, the role of the material behaviour at the field scale is discussed.
Single Machine Scheduling with an Availability Constraint and Rejection
Authors: Zhao Chuanli , Tang Hengyong
Published: July 2014

This paper considers single machine scheduling with an availability constraint and rejection. It is assumed that the machine is not available for processing during a given time interval. A job is either rejected, in which case a rejection penalty has to be paid, or accepted and processed on the machine. The objective is to minimize the sum of the weighted total completion time of the accepted jobs and the total rejection penalty of the rejected jobs. For this NP-hard problem, we present a pseudo-polynomial dynamic programming algorithm and a fully polynomial-time approximation scheme (FPTAS).
Symmetry-enriched phases obtained via pseudo anyon condensation
Authors: Hung Ling-Yan , Wan Yidun
Published: July 2014

We propose a framework to describe topological phases with global internal symmetries. This involves embedding the phase of interest into an intrinsic topological-order. Such an embedding is related to the physics of anyon condensation, although no physical condensation actually occurs here. Crucial physical properties of the symmetric phase, such as edge states and global charges of anyons are easily recovered from the embedding. The framework naturally reproduces all phases that are currently known in 2+1 d, and potentially provides a complete classification of symmetric topological phases in 2+1 d. We illustrate our idea with simple examples.
Quantum transport: A unified approach via a multivariate hypergeometric generating function
Authors: Macedo-Junior A. F. , Macêdo A. M. S.
Published: July 2014

We introduce a characteristic function method to describe charge-counting statistics (CCS) in phase coherent systems that directly connects the three most successful approaches to quantum transport: random-matrix theory (RMT), the nonlinear σ-model and the trajectory-based semiclassical method. The central idea is the construction of a generating function based on a multivariate hypergeometric function, which can be naturally represented in terms of quantities that are well-defined in each approach. We illustrate the power of our scheme by obtaining exact analytical results for the first four cumulants of CCS in a chaotic quantum dot coupled ideally to electron reservoirs via perfectly conducting leads with arbitrary number of open scattering channels.
A new theory about single-walled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Tsai Yao Yang , Fang Shih Chung
Published: July 2014

Since carbon nanotubes were discovered, till now no definitive formulation for computing the shear modulus of them was presented. To develop a theoretically rigorous and mathematically elegant expression for the shear modulus, thus, we initially propound a new small-strain theory in which merely small strain will arise when small-diameter carbon nanotubes are formed and thereby conclude the total potential energy including bond elongation and bond angle variation will suffice and the utilization of Quantum Mechanics and certain far complicated potential functions is unnecessary. Then based on it, a closed-form expression derived entirely from the "definition" of shear modulus, which was never published in all other literature, will be evolved. It should be noted that previously there was only one formula by which the shear moduli for all carbon nanotubes with diverse diameters and configurations could be predicted. By comparing the values calculated by the expression in this paper with those reckoned from the article mentioned above, it is obvious that both classes of quantities are similar to each other. It should also be noted that because the expression in this paper is the first (really having no precedent in related study fields) to be derived entirely according to the definition of shear modulus, perhaps this paper can be used as a useful theoretical tool for further study.
An index definition of parity mappings of a virtual link diagram and Vassiliev invariants of degree one
Authors: Lee Kyeonghui , Im Young Ho , Lee Sunho
Published: July 2014

H. Dye defined the parity mapping for a virtual knot diagram, which is a map from the set of real crossings of the diagram to ℤ. The notion generalizes the parity which is studied extensively by V. Manturov. The mapping induces the ith writhe (i ∈ ℤ\{0}) which is an invariant of the representing virtual knot. She applied the parity mapping to introduce a grade to the Henrich S-invariant for a virtual knot, and showed that the invariants are Vassiliev invariants of degree one. Following it, we define the parity mappings for a virtual link diagram, and define the similar invariants as above for a virtual link by using the parity mappings. We show that some of the invariants are Vassiliev invariants of degree one. We also checked necessary conditions for invertibility and amphicheirality via the invariants.
Multi switching behavior of hydrogen passivated silicene as molecular junction: A DFT-NEGF approach
Authors: Sardroodi Jaber Jahanbin , Afshari Sadegh , Ebrahimzadeh Alireza Rastkar , Ghavami Badie , Notash Mina Yaghoobi
Published: July 2014

Electron transport properties of pristine silicon-substituted analogue of pyrene, Si 16 H 8, and its carbon-doped analogue, Si 14 C 2 H 8, between two semi-infinite aluminum nanochain electrodes were investigated by means of density functional theory plus nonequilibrium green's function method. Here, the current-bias (I–Vb) characteristics were studied in the bias potential range of 0.0 up to 2.0 V in 0.1 V steps by imposing three gate voltages including -3.0, 0.0 and +3.0 V. The considerable result of the present study was the observation of multiple negative differential resistance (NDR) regions, suggesting that the studied systems could be used as nano-multi-switch. The I–Vb behavior of the studied systems along with the observation of the NDR's in each considered gate voltage was interpreted by means of transmission spectrum. These interpretations were carried on by the integration of the transmission spectrum in the corresponding bias window. The observed NDR characteristics including the bias range and current amplitude could be changed by the variations in the applied gate voltage. Controlling NDR characteristics of these devices using the variations of the gate voltage is a major advantage for practical purposes.
A Solution to the Ramification Problem Expressed in Temporal Description Logics
Authors: Papadakis Nikos , Petrakis Polydoros , Plexousakis Dimitris , Manifavas Charalampos
Published: July 2014

The ramification problem in Artificial Intelligence is concerned with the indirect effects of an action. It has been shown in previous work that the ramification problem can be solved with the use of integrity constraints and actions representation. In this paper we begin with a quick review of the existing Description Logic Languages, and then we describe a Temporal Extension of Description Logics, able to represent integrity constraints, temporalized actions and non persistent effects. We describe a thorough solution to the ramification problem in Temporal Settings expressed in Temporal Description Logics. The solution also deals with the hard case, in which the effects of an action change the belief about the past.
Questions and remarks on discrete and dense subgroups of Diff(I)
Authors: Akhmedov Azer
Published: July 2014

In recent decades, many remarkable papers have appeared which are devoted to the study of finitely generated subgroups of Diff+([0, 1]) (see [8, 15, 16, 19–23, 29, 30, 39, 40] only for some of the most recent developments). In contrast, discrete subgroups of the group Diff+([0, 1]) are much less studied. Very little is known in this area especially in comparison with the very rich theory of discrete subgroups of Lie groups which has started in the works of F. Klein and H. Poincaré in the 19th century, and has experienced enormous growth in the works of A. Selberg, A. Borel, G. Mostow, G. Margulis and many others in the 20th century. Many questions which are either very easy or have been studied a long time ago for (discrete) subgroups of Lie groups remain open in the context of the infinite-dimensional group Diff+([0, 1]) and its relatives.
Bird Diversity and Distribution in relation to Urban Landscape Types in Northern Rwanda
Authors: Gatesire T. , Nsabimana D. , Nyiramana A. , Seburanga J. L. , Mirville M. O.
Published: July 2014

Using the point count method, linear mixed models, Shannon’s diversity index, and Bray-Curtis cluster analysis, we conducted a study of the effect of urban fabric layout on bird diversity and distribution in northern Rwanda. The results showed a significant effect of city landscapes on bird richness and relative abundance; residential neighborhoods, institutional grounds, and informal settlements had the highest species diversity in comparison to other microlandscape types. Riversides were characterized by specialized bird species, commonly known to be restricted to wetland environments. Built-up areas and open field landscapes had comparable results. One Albertine Rift endemic bird species, the Ruwenzori Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris stuhlmanni), was recorded. Three migratory birds were found in Musanze city for the first time: the Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), the Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata), and the Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus). Two bird species have not been previously reported in Rwanda: the Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin) and the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina). The implications of this study are particularly relevant to urban decision makers who should consider the existence of a great diversity of avian fauna when developing and implementing master plans, especially when villages and cities are in proximity of protected areas or natural reserves.
Modeling the Propagation of Mobile Phone Virus under Complex Network
Authors: Yang Wei , Wei Xi-liang , Guo Hao , An Gang , Guo Lei , Yao Yu
Published: July 2014

Mobile phone virus is a rogue program written to propagate from one phone to another, which can take control of a mobile device by exploiting its vulnerabilities. In this paper the propagation model of mobile phone virus is tackled to understand how particular factors can affect its propagation and design effective containment strategies to suppress mobile phone virus. Two different propagation models of mobile phone viruses under the complex network are proposed in this paper. One is intended to describe the propagation of user-tricking virus, and the other is to describe the propagation of the vulnerability-exploiting virus. Based on the traditional epidemic models, the characteristics of mobile phone viruses and the network topology structure are incorporated into our models. A detailed analysis is conducted to analyze the propagation models. Through analysis, the stable infection-free equilibrium point and the stability condition are derived. Finally, considering the network topology, the numerical and simulation experiments are carried out. Results indicate that both models are correct and suitable for describing the spread of two different mobile phone viruses, respectively.
Detoxification of Corncob Acid Hydrolysate with SAA Pretreatment and Xylitol Production by ImmobilizedCandida tropicalis
Authors: Deng Li-Hong , Tang Yong , Liu Yun
Published: July 2014

Xylitol fermentation production from corncob acid hydrolysate has become an attractive and promising process. However, corncob acid hydrolysate cannot be directly used as fermentation substrate owing to various inhibitors. In this work, soaking in aqueous ammonia (SAA) pretreatment was employed to reduce the inhibitors in acid hydrolysate. After detoxification, the corncob acid hydrolysate was fermented by immobilizedCandida tropicaliscell to produce xylitol. Results revealed that SAA pretreatment showed high delignification and efficient removal of acetyl group compounds without effect on cellulose and xylan content. Acetic acid was completely removed, and the content of phenolic compounds was reduced by 80%. Furthermore, kinetic behaviors of xylitol production by immobilizedC. tropicaliscell were elucidated from corncob acid hydrolysate detoxified with SAA pretreatment and two-step adsorption method, respectively. The immobilizedC. tropicaliscell showed higher productivity efficiency using the corncob acid hydrolysate as fermentation substrate after detoxification with SAA pretreatment than by two-step adsorption method in the five successive batch fermentation rounds. After the fifth round fermentation, about 60 g xylitol/L fermentation substrate was obtained for SAA pretreatment detoxification, while about 30 g xylitol/L fermentation substrate was obtained for two-step adsorption detoxification.
Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy for Adrenal Tumors
Authors: Chuan-yu Sun , Yat-faat Ho , Wei-hong Ding , Yuan-cheng Gou , Qing-feng Hu , Ke Xu , Bin Gu , Guo-wei Xia
Published: July 2014

Objective. To evaluate the indication and the clinical value of laparoscopic adrenalectomy of different types of adrenal tumor.Methods. From 2009 to 2014, a total of 110 patients were diagnosed with adrenal benign tumor by CT scan and we performed laparoscopic adrenalectomy. The laparoscopic approach has been the procedure of choice for surgery of benign adrenal tumors, and the upper limit of tumor size was thought to be 6 cm.Results. 109 of 110 cases were successful; only one was converted to open surgery due to bleeding. The average operating time and intraoperative blood loss of pheochromocytoma were significantly more than the benign tumors (P<0.05). After 3 months of follow-up, the preoperative symptoms were relieved and there was no recurrence.Conclusions. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy has the advantages of minimal invasion, less blood loss, fewer complications, quicker recovery, and shorter hospital stay. The full preparation before operation can decrease the average operating time and intraoperative blood loss of pheochromocytomas. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy should be considered as the first choice treatment for the resection of adrenal benign tumor.
Endovascular Embolisation of Visceral Artery Pseudoaneurysms
Authors: Khattak Yasir Jamil , Alam Tariq , Hamid Shoaib Rana , Sayani Raza , Haq Tanveer-ul , Awais Muhammad
Published: July 2014

Objective. To evaluate the technical success, safety, and outcome of endovascular embolization procedure in management of visceral artery pseudoaneurysms.Materials and Methods. 46 patients were treated for 53 visceral pseudoaneurysms at our institution. Preliminary diagnostic workup in all cases was performed by contrast enhanced abdominal CT scan and/or duplex ultrasound. In all patients, embolization was performed as per the standard departmental protocol. For data collection, medical records and radiology reports of all patients were retrospectively reviewed. Technical success, safety, and outcome of the procedure were analyzed.Results. Out of 46 patients, 13 were females and 33 were males. Mean patient age was44.79±13.9years and mean pseudoaneurysm size was35±19.5 mm. Technical success rate for endovascular visceral pseudoaneurysm coiling was 93.47%(n=43). Complication rate was 6.52%(n=3). Followup was done for a mean duration of21±1.6months (0.5–69 months). Complete resolution of symptoms or improvement in clinical condition was seen in 36 patients (80%) out of those 45 in whom procedure was technically successful.Conclusion. Results of embolization of visceral artery pseudoaneurysms with coils at our center showed high success rate and good short term outcome.
Nerve Regenerative Effects of GABA-B Ligands in a Model of Neuropathic Pain
Authors: Magnaghi Valerio , Castelnovo Luca Franco , Faroni Alessandro , Cavalli Erica , Caffino Lucia , Colciago Alessandra , Procacci Patrizia , Pajardi Giorgio
Published: July 2014

Neuropathic pain arises as a direct consequence of a lesion or disease affecting the peripheral somatosensory system. It may be associated with allodynia and increased pain sensitivity. Few studies correlated neuropathic pain with nerve morphology and myelin proteins expression. Our aim was to test if neuropathic pain is related to nerve degeneration, speculating whether the modulation of peripheral GABA-B receptors may promote nerve regeneration and decrease neuropathic pain. We used the partial sciatic ligation- (PSL-) induced neuropathic model. The biochemical, morphological, and behavioural outcomes of sciatic nerve were analysed following GABA-B ligands treatments. Simultaneous 7-days coadministration of baclofen (10 mg/kg) and CGP56433 (3 mg/kg) alters tactile hypersensitivity. Concomitantly, specific changes of peripheral nerve morphology, nerve structure, and myelin proteins (P0 and PMP22) expression were observed. Nerve macrophage recruitment decreased and step coordination was improved. The PSL-induced changes in nociception correlate with altered nerve morphology and myelin protein expression. Peripheral synergic effects, via GABA-B receptor activation, promote nerve regeneration and likely ameliorate neuropathic pain.
A Memristive Hyperchaotic System without Equilibrium
Authors: Pham Viet-Thanh , Volos Christos , Gambuzza Lucia Valentina
Published: July 2014

A new memristive system is presented in this paper. The peculiarity of the model is that it does not display any equilibria and exhibits periodic, chaotic, and also hyperchaotic dynamics in a particular range of the parameters space. The behavior of the proposed system is investigated through numerical simulations, such as phase portraits, Lyapunov exponents, and Poincaré sections, and circuital implementation confirmed the hyperchaotic dynamic.
Neural Networks and Fault Probability Evaluation for Diagnosis Issues
Authors: Kourd Yahia , Lefebvre Dimitri , Guersi Noureddine
Published: July 2014

This paper presents a new FDI technique for fault detection and isolation in unknown nonlinear systems. The objective of the research is to construct and analyze residuals by means of artificial intelligence and probabilistic methods. Artificial neural networks are first used for modeling issues. Neural networks models are designed for learning the fault-free and the faulty behaviors of the considered systems. Once the residuals generated, an evaluation using probabilistic criteria is applied to them to determine what is the most likely fault among a set of candidate faults. The study also includes a comparison between the contributions of these tools and their limitations, particularly through the establishment of quantitative indicators to assess their performance. According to the computation of a confidence factor, the proposed method is suitable to evaluate the reliability of the FDI decision. The approach is applied to detect and isolate 19 fault candidates in the DAMADICS benchmark. The results obtained with the proposed scheme are compared with the results obtained according to a usual thresholding method.
Digital Vasculitis in a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis Responded Well to Adalimumab
Authors: Kobak Senol , Yilmaz Hatice , Yalcin Murat , Karaarslan Ahmet
Published: July 2014

42-year-old old female patient, followed up with diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis for 15 years, was admitted with necrotising ulcer of left hand 1st and 2nd fingertips and pain, swelling, limitation of movement, and morning stiffness at bilateral wrist, and metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints. Laboratory tests revealed elevated acute phase reactants. Radial and ulnar arteries were clear in upper extremity Doppler ultrasound. The patient was diagnosed as RA activation and digital ulcer and administered iloprost infusion for five days and 1 mg/kg corticosteroid and 20 mg/week methotrexate (MTX). After one month, a partial regression of clinical and laboratory findings was observed. However, 6 months later, due to relapsed and increased complaints and findings, adalimumab 40 mg was administered. Two months later, clinical and laboratory findings apparently decreased.
Study on the Method for Collecting Vibration Signals from Mill Shell Based on Measuring the Fill Level of Ball Mill
Authors: Huang Peng , Jia Minping , Zhong Binglin
Published: July 2014

At present the method for measuring the fill level which used the vibration signal of mill shell shows its advantage compared with other methods. However, this method is developed late, and the technique for collecting the vibration signal from mill shell is immature. In this paper, a novel method for collecting the vibration data from mill shell is proposed. Firstly, the layout scheme of vibration sensors on mill shell is given by analyzing the axial and circumferential movement of coal powder in roller. And a special data acquisition system is developed, which can acquire vibration data from different axial and circumferential positions on mill shell. Then the sampling frequency is obtained based on impact model and hierarchical model of steel balls. At the same time, the impact region on mill shell caused by steel balls is considered as the collecting region of vibration signals. Experimental result shows that vibration signals collected by the method proposed in this paper present a high sensitivity to the changes on fill level compared with vibration data of mill bearing, which provides a reliable basis for accurate measurement of the fill level.
Comparison of Different Blood Collection, Sample Matrix, and Immunoassay Methods in a Prenatal Screening Setting
Authors: Pennings Jeroen L. A. , Siljee Jacqueline E. , Imholz Sandra , Kuc Sylwia , de Vries Annemieke , Schielen Peter C. J. I. , Rodenburg Wendy
Published: July 2014

We compared how measurements of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and the free beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (fβ-hCG) in maternal blood are influenced by different methods for blood collection, sample matrix, and immunoassay platform. Serum and dried blood spots (DBS) were obtained by venipuncture and by finger prick of 19 pregnant women. PAPP-A and fβ-hCG from serum and from DBS were measured by conventional indirect immunoassay on an AutoDELFIA platform and by antibody microarray. We compared methods based on the recoveries for both markers as well as marker levels correlations across samples. All method comparisons showed high correlations for both marker concentrations. Recovery levels of PAPP-A from DBS were 30% lower, while those of fβ-hCG from DBS were 50% higher compared to conventional venipuncture serum. The recoveries were not affected by blood collection or immunoassay method. The high correlation coefficients for both markers indicate that DBS from finger prick can be used reliably in a prenatal screening setting, as a less costly and minimally invasive alternative for venipuncture serum, with great logistical advantages. Additionally, the use of antibody arrays will allow for extending the number of first trimester screening markers on maternal and fetal health.
Existence of Solutions for Riemann-Liouville Fractional Boundary Value Problem
Authors: Xie Wenzhe , Xiao Jing , Luo Zhiguo
Published: July 2014

By using the method of upper and lower solutions and fixed point theorems, the existence of solutions for a Riemann-Liouville fractional boundary value problem with the nonlinear term depending on fractional derivative of lower order is obtained under the classical Nagumo conditions. Also, some results concerning Riemann-Liouville fractional derivative at extreme points are established with weaker hypotheses, which improve some works in Al-Refai (2012). As applications, an example is presented to illustrate our main results.
Pharmaceutical Options for Triggering of Final Oocyte Maturation in ART
Authors: Castillo Juan Carlos , Humaidan Peter , Bernabéu Rafael
Published: July 2014

Since the pioneering days ofin vitrofertilization, hCG has been the gold standard to induce final follicular maturation. We herein reviewed different pharmaceutical options for triggering of final oocyte maturation in ART. The new upcoming agent seems to be GnRHa with its potential advantages over hCG trigger. GnRHa triggering elicits a surge of gonadotropins resembling the natural midcycle surge of gonadotropins, without the prolonged action of hCG, resulting in the retrieval of more mature oocytes and a significant reduction in or elimination of OHSS as compared to hCG triggering. The induction of final follicular maturation using GnRHa represents a paradigm shift in the ovulation triggering concept in ART and, thus, a way to develop a safer IVF procedure. Kisspeptins are key central regulators of the neuroendocrine mechanisms of human reproduction, who have been shown to effectively elicit an LH surge and to induce final oocyte maturation in IVF cycles. This new trigger concept may, therefore, offer a completely new, “natural” pharmacological option for ovulation induction. Whether kisspeptins will be the future agent to trigger ovulation remains to be further explored.
Cystic Fibrosis and New Trends by Ophthalmological Evaluation: A Pilot Study
Authors: Nebbioso Marcella , Quattrucci Serena , Leggieri Emanuela , Spadea Leopoldo , Vingolo Enzo Maria
Published: July 2014

Background.Cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized by hypoxia that affects several organic tissues. Retinal ganglion cells may suffer from the hypoxic status, and this may lead to alterations of retinal nerve fiber.Methods.Twenty-two eyes in CF patients were analyzed. A complete ocular evaluation and visual field exams of the 30 central degrees were performed using the frequency doubling technology (FDT). Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1%), forced vital capacity (FVC%), oxyhaemoglobin saturation (SpO2%), and hematocrit (Ht%) have been calculated. FDT analyzed parameters were mean deviation (MD) and pattern standard deviation (PSD). Pearson’s correlation was chosen as statistical analysis.Results.Data showed statistically significant relationship between MD and Ht% (rvalue −0.18;P=0.04), MD and FEV1% (rvalue −0.68;P=0.001), and MD and FVC% (rvalue −0.45;P=0.005). Moreover, there were correlations between PSD and Ht% (rvalue 0.29;P=0.03), PSD and SpO2% (rvalue −0.31;P=0.01), PSD and FEV1% (rvalue 0.71;P=0.0005), and PSD and FVC% (rvalue 0.63;P=0.003).Conclusions.The oxygen supply alterations might determine hypoxia of the ganglion cells causing a decrease of receptive optic nerve fiber activity. This method could be also useful to evaluate indirectly pulmonary activity of the CF disease.
Discontinuous Mixed Covolume Methods for Linear Parabolic Integrodifferential Problems
Authors: Zhu Ailing
Published: July 2014

The semidiscrete and fully discrete discontinuous mixed covolume schemes for the linear parabolic integrodifferential problems on triangular meshes are proposed. The error analysis of the semidiscrete and fully discrete discontinuous mixed covolume scheme is presented and the optimal order error estimate in discontinuousH(div)and first-order error estimate inL2are obtained with the lowest order Raviart-Thomas mixed element space.