bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on Solving Systems of Nonlinear Equations Based on Improved PSO
Authors: Li Yugui , Wei Yanxu , Chu Yantao
Published: August 2015

Solving systems of nonlinear equations is perhaps one of the most difficult problems in all of numerical computations, especially in a diverse range of engineering applications. The convergence and performance characteristics can be highly sensitive to the initial guess of the solution for most numerical methods such as Newton’s method. However, it is very difficult to select reasonable initial guess of the solution for most systems of nonlinear equations. Besides, the computational efficiency is not high enough. Aiming at these problems, an improved particle swarm optimization algorithm (imPSO) is proposed, which can overcome the problem of selecting reasonable initial guess of the solution and improve the computational efficiency. The convergence and performance characteristics of this method are demonstrated through some standard systems. The results show that the improved PSO for solving systems of nonlinear equations has reliable convergence probability, high convergence rate, and solution precision and is a successful approach in solving systems of nonlinear equations.
Antinociceptive and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Total Alkaloid Extract fromFumaria capreolata
Authors: Bribi Noureddine , Algieri Francesca , Rodriguez-Nogales Alba , Garrido-Mesa Jose , Vezza Teresa , Maiza Fadila , Utrilla Maria Pilar , Rodriguez-Cabezas Maria Elena , Galvez Julio
Published: August 2015

Fumaria capreolatais used in traditional medicine in North Africa for its gastrointestinal and anti-inflammatory activities. The present study investigates the effects of total alkaloids extracted from the aerial parts ofFumaria capreolata(AFC) on LPS-induced production of proinflammatory mediators (IL-6, IL-1β, iNOS, TNF-α, COX-2, and MIP-2) in RAW264.7 cells. AFC significantly reduced the inflammatory response inhibiting the production of nitric oxide (NO) and IL-6 in a dose-dependent manner, without affecting the viability of cells, and downregulated mRNA expression of proinflammatory key players: IL-6, IL-1β, iNOS, TNF-α, and COX-2. AFC antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties were also evaluated on the acetic acid- and formalin-induced pain models in mice. AFC oral administration significantly inhibited acetic acid-induced writhes and reduced formalin-induced paw licking time. Therefore, AFC may be a potential candidate for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, such as colitis and arthritis.
Hearing Assessment after Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma with CRT and IMRT Techniques
Authors: Hwang Chung-Feng , Fang Fu-Min , Zhuo Ming-Ying , Yang Chao-Hui , Yang Li-Na , Hsieh Hui-Shan
Published: August 2015

Objectives. This study analyzed the long-term hearing loss after treatment of primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma to elucidate its causal factors.Methods. Ninety-two nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients were treated with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. Pure tone audiometry was performed before the therapy and annually up to 9 years after completing treatment. The hearing thresholds were corrected for age-related deterioration and compared to the results without adjusting for age.Results. The mean air and bone conduction threshold with and without correction for age-related deterioration differed significantly 2–9 years after completing radiotherapyp<0.05. The audiometry results with age correction showed a flattened configuration compared to the results without age correction. The total radiation dose and radiation modality showed a causal relationship with a greater incidence of hearing loss after therapyp<0.05. There was more deterioration in the air and bone hearing thresholds with conformal radiotherapy than intensity-modulated radiotherapyp<0.001. A radiation dose >72 cGy resulted in more severe hearing loss than <72 cGyp<0.05.Conclusion. Hearing loss after completing therapy should be corrected for age-related hearing deterioration to reveal the true extent to which the loss is a therapeutic complication. Both the radiation modality used and the dose were significantly associated with hearing loss.
A Novel Decentralized Scheme for Cooperative Compressed Spectrum Sensing in Distributed Networks
Authors: Jijun Huang , Song Zha
Published: August 2015

Compressed sensing (CS) recently turns out to be an effective approach to alleviate the sampling bottleneck in wideband spectrum sensing. However, the computation overhead incurred by compressed reconstruction is nontrivial, especially in a power-constrained cognitive radio (CR). Moreover, additional information, which is generally unavailable in practice, is needed in conventional CS-based wideband spectrum sensing schemes to improve the reconstruction quality as well as the detection performance. To address these issues, this paper proposes a novel decentralized scheme for cooperative compressed spectrum sensing in distributed CR networks. Our key observation is that the sparse signals are unnecessary to be reconstructed since the task of spectrum sensing is only interested in the spectrum occupancy status. The major novelty of the proposed scheme relates to the use of Karcher mean as a statistic indicating the spectrum occupancy status, thereby eliminating the compressed reconstruction stage and significantly reducing the computational complexity. Considering limited communication resources per CR, a decentralized implementation based on alternating direction method of multipliers is presented to calculate the Karcher mean via one-hop communications only. The superior performance of the proposed scheme is demonstrated by comparing with several existing decentralized schemes in terms of detection performance, communication overhead, and computational complexity.
Effect of TurboSwirl on Inclusions during Ingot Casting of Steels
Authors: Tan Zhe , Ersson Mikael , Jönsson Pär G.
Published: August 2015

The use of TurboSwirl to obtain an improved steel cleanliness during filling of an ingot was numerically studied by VOF and DPM models. It was found that a radius-reduced TurboSwirl or a proper tapered mold entrance nozzle with an adequate developed region for steel flow can reduce the risk of mold flux entrapment in a mold. The ingot casting process can create highly turbulent conditions inside the mold during the initial stages of casting. Since the TurboSwirl generates much calmer filling conditions it can promote separation of large nonmetallic inclusions. The TurboSwirl also collects large inclusions (200 μm) towards the axis of rotation, which should promote agglomeration. In addition, the residence time for inclusions of small sizes can be prolonged, increasing chance of agglomeration, which indirectly promotes their separation from steel. Moreover, the average turbulent dissipation rate in an ingot casting swirl setup is about 40 % higher than that in a no swirl setup. This further facilitates the agglomeration of inclusions before they enter the mold. The removal of nonmetallic inclusions is thus enhanced because of an increasing inclusion collision rate due to both Stokes collisions and turbulent collisions, while maintaining a calm flow inside the mold.
Inguinal Hernia Containing Uterus, Fallopian Tube, and Ovary in a Premature Newborn
Authors: Karadeniz Cerit Kıvılcım , Ergelen Rabia , Colak Emel , Dagli Tolga E.
Published: August 2015

A female infant weighing 2,200 g was delivered at 34 weeks of gestation by vaginal delivery. She presented with an irreducible mass in the left inguinal region at 32 days of age. An ultrasonography (US) was performed and an incarcerated hernia containing uterus, fallopian tube, and ovary was diagnosed preoperatively. Surgery was performed through an inguinal approach; the uterus, fallopian tube, and ovary were found in the hernia sac. High ligation and an additional repair of the internal inguinal ring were performed. Patent processus vaginalis was found during contralateral exploration and also closed. The postoperative course was uneventful. After one year of follow-up, there have been no signs of recurrence.
A Low-Power Microcontroller with Accuracy-Controlled Event-Driven Signal Processing Unit for Rare-Event Activity-Sensing IoT Devices
Authors: Park Daejin , Youn Jonghee M. , Cho Jeonghun
Published: August 2015

A specially designed microcontroller with event-driven sensor data processing unit (EPU) is proposed to provide energy-efficient sensor data acquisition for Internet of Things (IoT) devices in rare-event human activity sensing applications. Rare-event sensing applications using a remotely installed IoT sensor device have a property of very long event-to-event distance, so that the inaccurate sensor data processing in a certain range of accuracy error is enough to extract appropriate events from the collected sensing data. The proposed signal-to-event converter (S2E) as a preprocessor of the conventional sensor interface extracts a set of atomic events with the specific features of interest and performs an early evaluation for the featured points of the incoming sensor signal. The conventional sensor data processing such as DSPs or software-driven algorithm to classify the meaningful event from the collected sensor data could be accomplished by the proposed event processing unit (EPU). The proposed microcontroller architecture enables an energy efficient signal processing for rare-event sensing applications. The implemented system-on-chip (SoC) including the proposed building blocks is fabricated with additional 7500 NAND gates and 1-KB SRAM tracer in 0.18 um CMOS process, consuming only 20% compared to the conventional sensor data processing method for human hand-gesture detection.
Progression of an Invasive ACTH Pituitary Macroadenoma with Cushing’s Disease to Pituitary Carcinoma
Authors: Borba Clarissa Groberio , Batista Rafael Loch , Musolino Nina Rosa de Castro , Machado Vanielle Carvalho , Alcantara Ana Elisa Evangelista , Silva Gilberto Ochman da , Sperling Cescato Valter Angelo , Cunha Neto Malebranche Berardo Carneiro da
Published: August 2015

Pituitary carcinomas are very rare tumors that in most cases produce prolactin and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). It is a challenge to diagnosis of a pituitary carcinoma before disclosed symptomatic metastasis. We report the case of a female patient with Cushing’s disease who underwent three transsphenoidal surgeries, with pathological findings of common ACTH pituitary adenoma including Ki-67 expression <3%. She achieved hypocortisolism after the 3rd surgery although ACTH levels remained slightly elevated. The patient returned some time later with fast worsening of hypercortisolism. Magnetic resonance imaging showed clivus invasion, which led to a fourth surgery and radiation. This time, immunohistochemistry revealed strong Ki-67 (10% to 15%) and p53 expression. Liver and lumbar spine metastases were found on workup. The patient died after few months due to lung infection. Pituitary carcinomas are rare, and the transformation of an ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma into a carcinoma is exceptional. The difficulty of defining markers for the diagnosis of carcinoma, before metastasis diagnosis, in order to change the management of the disease, is a challenge.
Binding Quantum Dots to Silk Biomaterials for Optical Sensing
Authors: Lu Disi , Zheng Zhaozhu , Guo Shaozhe , Wang Cheng , Kaplan David L. , Wang Xiaoqin
Published: August 2015

Quantum dots (QDs), have great potential for fabricating optical sensing devices and imaging biomaterial degradationin vivo. In the present study, 2-mercaptoethylamine- (MEA-) and mercaptopropionic acid- (MPA-) capped CdTe-QDs were physically incorporated in silk films that contained a high content (>30%) of crystalline beta-sheet structure. The beta-sheets were induced by the addition of glycerol, water annealing, glycerol/annealing, or treatment with methanol. Incorporation of QDs did not influence the formation of beta-sheets. When the films were extracted with water, most QDs remained associated with the silk, based on the retention of photoluminescence in the silk films and negligible photoluminescence in the extracts. Compared to the solution state, photoluminescence intensity significantly decreased for MEA-QDs but not for MPA-QDs in the silk films, while the emission maximum blue shifted (≈4 nm) slightly for both. Further film digestion using protease XIV, alpha-chymotrypsin, and the combination of the two proteases suggested that QDs may be bound to the silk beta-sheet regions but not the amorphous regions. QDs photoluminescence in silk films was quenched when the concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was above 0.2-0.3 mM, indicating the QDs-incorporated silk films can be used to report oxidation potential in solution.
Autonomic Obstacle Detection and Avoidance in MANETs Driven by Cartography Enhanced OLSR
Authors: Belghith Abdelfettah , Belhassen Mohamed , Dhraief Amine , Dougui Nour Elhouda , Mathkour Hassan
Published: August 2015

The presence of obstructing obstacles severely degrades the efficiency of routing protocols in MANETs. To mitigate the effect of these obstructing obstacles, routing in MANETs is usually based on thea prioriknowledge of the obstacle map. In this paper, we investigate rather the dynamic and autonomic detection of obstacles that might stand within the network. This is accomplished using the enhanced cartography optimized link state routing CE-OLSR with no extra signaling overhead. The evaluation of the performance of our proposed detection scheme is accomplished through extensive simulations using OMNET++. Results clearly show the ability of our proposed scheme to accurately delimit the obstacle area with high coverage and efficient precision ratios. Furthermore, we integrated the proposed scheme into CE-OLSR to make it capable of autonomously detecting and avoiding obstacles. Simulation results show the effectiveness of such an integrated protocol that provides the same route validity as that of CE-OLSR-OA which is based on thea prioriknowledge of the obstructing obstacle map.
A Multiparameter Damage Constitutive Model for Rock Based on Separation of Tension and Shear
Authors: Yuan YanHui , Xiao Ming
Published: August 2015

By analysis of the microscopic damage mechanism of rock, a multiparameter elastoplastic damage constitutive model which considers damage mechanism of tension and shear is established. A revised general form of elastoplastic damage model containing damage internal variable of tensor form is derived by considering the hypothesis that damage strain is induced by the degeneration of elastic modulus. With decomposition of plastic strain introduced, the forms of tension damage variable and shear damage variable are derived, based on which effects of tension and shear damage on material’s stiffness and strength are considered simultaneously. Through the utilizing of Zienkiewicz-Pande criterion with tension limit, the specific form of the multiparameter damage model is derived. Numerical experiments show that the established model can simulate damage behavior of rock effectively.
Mobile Device Based Dynamic Key Management Protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Chen Chin-Ling , Chen Chih-Cheng , Li De-Kui
Published: August 2015

In recent years, wireless sensor network (WSN) applications have tended to transmit data hop by hop, from sensor nodes through cluster nodes to the base station. As a result, users must collect data from the base station. This study considers two different applications: hop by hop transmission of data from cluster nodes to the base station and the direct access to cluster nodes data by mobile users via mobile devices. Due to the hardware limitations of WSNs, some low-cost operations such as symmetric cryptographic algorithms and hash functions are used to implement a dynamic key management. The session key can be updated to prevent threats of attack from each communication. With these methods, the data gathered in wireless sensor networks can be more securely communicated. Moreover, the proposed scheme is analyzed and compared with related schemes. In addition, an NS2 simulation is developed in which the experimental results show that the designed communication protocol is workable.
Cooccurrence of Multiple Sclerosis and Idiopathic Basal Ganglia Calcification
Authors: Abedini M. , Karimi N. , Tabrizi N.
Published: August 2015

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease of central nervous system that affects both white and gray matter. Idiopathic calcification of the basal ganglia is a rare neurodegenerative disorder of unknown cause that is characterized by sporadic or familial brain calcification. Concurrence of multiple sclerosis (MS) and idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (Fahr’s disease) is very rare event. In this study, we describe a cooccurrence of idiopathic basal ganglia calcification with multiple sclerosis. The association between this disease and MS is unclear and also maybe probably coincidental.
Understanding Fibroblasts in Order to Comprehend the Osteopathic Treatment of the Fascia
Authors: Bordoni Bruno , Zanier Emiliano
Published: August 2015

The osteopathic treatment of the fascia involves several techniques, each aimed at allowing the various layers of the connective system to slide over each other, improving the responses of the afferents in case of dysfunction. However, before becoming acquainted with a method, one must be aware of the structure and function of the tissue that needs treating, in order to not only better understand the manual approach, but also make a more conscious choice of the therapeutic technique to employ, in order to adjust the treatment to the specific needs of the patient. This paper examines the current literature regarding the function and structure of the fascial system and its foundation, that is, the fibroblasts. These connective cells have many properties, including the ability to contract and to communicate with one another. They play a key role in the transmission of the tension produced by the muscles and in the management of the interstitial fluids. They are a source of nociceptive and proprioceptive information as well, which is useful for proper functioning of the body system. Therefore, the fibroblasts are an invaluable instrument, essential to the understanding of the therapeutic effects of osteopathic treatment. Scientific research should make greater efforts to better understand their functioning and relationships.
Applying Partial Power-Gating to Direction-Sliced Network-on-Chip
Authors: Wang Feng , Tang Xiantuo , Xing Zuocheng
Published: August 2015

Network-on-Chip (NoC) is one of critical communication architectures for future many-core systems. As technology is continually scaling down, on-chip network meets the increasing leakage power crisis. As a leakage power mitigation technique, power-gating can be utilized in on-chip network to solve the crisis. However, the network performance is severely affected by the disconnection in the conventional power-gated NoC. In this paper, we propose a novel partial power-gating approach to improve the performance in the power-gated NoC. The approach mainly involves a direction-slicing scheme, an improved routing algorithm, and a deadlock recovery mechanism. In the synthetic traffic simulation, the proposed design shows favorable power-efficiency at low-load range and achieves better performance than the conventional power-gated one. For the application trace simulation, the design in the mesh/torus network consumes 15.2%/18.9% more power on average, whereas it can averagely obtain 45.0%/28.7% performance improvement compared with the conventional power-gated design. On balance, the proposed design with partial power-gating has a better tradeoff between performance and power-efficiency.
Dielectric and AC Conductivity Studies in PPy-Ag Nanocomposites
Authors: Praveenkumar K. , Sankarappa T. , Ashwajeet J. S. , Ramanna R.
Published: August 2015

Polypyrrole and silver nanoparticles have been synthesized at 277 K by chemical route. Nanoparticles of polypyrrole-silver (PPy-Ag) composites were prepared by mixing polypyrrole and silver nanoparticles in different weight percentages. Dielectric properties as a function of temperature in the range from 300 K to 550 K and frequency in the range from 50 Hz to 1 MHz have been measured. Dielectric constant decreased with increase in frequency and temperature. Dielectric loss decreased with increase in frequency and increased with increase in temperature. Using dielectric data AC conductivity has been determined. Conductivity was found to be in the order of 10−3 (Ω−1 m−1) and it increased with increase in temperature. Temperature variation of conductivity data has been analyzed in the light of Mott’s polaron hopping model. Activation energy for conduction has been determined. Activation energy was determined to be in the order of meV and it has increased with increase in frequency and Ag nanoparticles content. This is the first time that PPy-Ag nanocomposites have been investigated for dielectric properties and AC conductivity and data analyzed thoroughly.
Characterization of Visual Symptomatology Associated with Refractive, Accommodative, and Binocular Anomalies
Authors: Cacho-Martínez Pilar , Cantó-Cerdán Mario , Carbonell-Bonete Stela , García-Muñoz Ángel
Published: August 2015

Purpose. To characterize the symptomatology of refractive, accommodative, and nonstrabismic binocular dysfunctions and to assess the association between dysfunctions and symptoms.Methods. 175 randomised university students were examined. Subjects were given a subjective visual examination with accommodative and binocular tests, evaluating their symptomatology. Accommodative and binocular dysfunctions (AD, BD) were diagnosed according to the number of existing clinical signs: suspect AD or BD (one fundamental clinical sign), high suspect (one fundamental + 1 complementary clinical sign), and definite (one fundamental + 2 or more complementary clinical signs). A logistic regression was conducted in order to determine whether there was an association between dysfunctions and symptoms.Results. 78 subjects (44.6%) reported any kind of symptoms which were grouped into 18 categories, with “visual fatigue” being the most frequent (20% of the overall complaints). Logistic regression adjusted by the presence of an uncorrected refractive error showed no association between any grade of AD and symptoms. Subjects with BD had more likelihood of having symptoms than without dysfunction group (OR = 3.35), being greater when only definite BD were considered (OR = 8.79).Conclusions. An uncorrected refractive error is a confusion factor when considering AD symptomatology. For BD, the more the number of clinical signs used the greater the likelihood suffering symptoms.
Interleukin-6 May Contribute to Mortality in Parkinson’s Disease Patients: A 4-Year Prospective Study
Authors: Dufek Michal , Rektorova Irena , Thon Vojtech , Lokaj Jindrich , Rektor Ivan
Published: August 2015

Objectives. The association between abnormal serum immunomarkers and mortality in 53 consecutive Parkinson’s disease patients was studied.Materials and Methods. The plasma level of specific inflammatory cytokines was investigated: mannan-binding lectin (MBL), interleukin- (IL-) 6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). The baseline serum immunomarkers obtained from patients who died (n=16) during a four-year follow-up period were compared with the data of patients who survived (n=37).Results. The baseline level of IL-6 was significantly higher in the deceased patients than in the survivors. Elevated IL-6 levels and age were major independent contributors to disease mortality. Differences between other plasma cytokine level abnormalities were not significant.Conclusion. This study showed that IL-6 elevation may be a marker of increased mortality risk in Parkinson’s disease patients. The inflammation may act in association with other factors and comorbidities in progressive neurodegenerative pathology.
Energy Efficient Cooperative Sleep Control Using Small Cell for Wireless Networks
Authors: Gao Yuan , Li Yi , Yu Hongyi , Wang Xianfeng , Gao Shihai , Xue Peng
Published: August 2015

The demand for higher throughput and more reliable quality of service (QoS) explosive increases the number of base stations in future wireless networks, which causes severe energy waste problems in wireless networks, especially when base stations are in low traffic load status. This paper has two main contributions: first of all, we propose a semistatic energy efficient method to find out the optimal on-off pattern considering the interference from adjacent base stations using integer convex optimization, from which the optimal on-off proportion of base stations could be obtained; then we propose a novel energy efficient cooperative heuristic algorithm in dynamic scenario, by separating the waiting time into two independent Markov processes using the new method; the total power consumption could be reduced significantly by adopting the novel method. Compared with reference method, simulation results indicate that in semistatic scenario, the total system power consumption could be reduced up to 26%, and, in dynamic scenario, the system power consumption could be reduced up to 40%.
G-Doob-Meyer Decomposition and Its Applications in Bid-Ask Pricing for Derivatives under Knightian Uncertainty
Authors: Chen Wei
Published: August 2015

The target of this paper is to establish the bid-ask pricing framework for the American contingent claims against risky assets with G-asset price systems on the financial market under Knightian uncertainty. First, we prove G-Dooby-Meyer decomposition for G-supermartingale. Furthermore, we consider bid-ask pricing American contingent claims under Knightian uncertainty, by using G-Dooby-Meyer decomposition; we construct dynamic superhedge strategies for the optimal stopping problem and prove that the value functions of the optimal stopping problems are the bid and ask prices of the American contingent claims under Knightian uncertainty. Finally, we consider a free boundary problem, prove the strong solution existence of the free boundary problem, and derive that the value function of the optimal stopping problem is equivalent to the strong solution to the free boundary problem.
Determining Sensor Locations in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Li Zimao , Xiao Wenying
Published: August 2015

Network lifetime plays an important role in the design of wireless sensor networks. This paper studies the problem of prolonging the wireless sensor network's lifetime, through introducing additional sensors at proper locations to achieve the goal of minimizing the length of the longest edge in the network. The problem is in fact the bottleneck Steiner tree problem, trying to find a Steiner tree minimizing the length of the longest edges for the given n terminals in the Euclidean plane by introducing at most k Steiner points. A restricted bottleneck Steiner tree problem is studied in this paper, which requires that only degree ≥3 Steiner points are not allowed to be adjacent in the optimal solution. We show that the restricted problem is MAX-SNP hard and cannot be approximated within performance ratio [Formula: see text] in polynomial time unless P = NP; we first propose a polynomial time [Formula: see text]-approximation algorithm and then improve the ratio to [Formula: see text] for any given [Formula: see text], by presenting a polynomial time randomized approximation algorithm, which is almost optimal to the restricted problem.
Chemical Composition andIn VitroAntibacterial Activity ofMentha spicataEssential Oil against Common Food-Borne Pathogenic Bacteria
Authors: Shahbazi Yasser
Published: August 2015

The aim of the present study was to investigate chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oil from the leaf ofMentha spicataplant against common food-borne pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, andEscherichia coliO157:H7). Chemical composition of the essential oil was identified by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometer detector (GC-MS). The antibacterial activity of the essential oil was evaluated by broth microdilution method and agar disk diffusion assay. According to the result of GC-MS analysis, 18 components were identified, accounting for 99.89% of the whole essential oil. The main components were carvone (78.76%), limonene (11.50%),β-bourbonene (11.23%),cis-dihydrocarveol (1.43%),trans-caryophyllene (1.04%), menthone (1.01%), menthol (1%), and terpinen-4-ol (0.99). The essential oil exhibited moderate level of antibacterial activity against all test microorganisms. In general, Gram-positive bacteria were more susceptible toM. spicataessential oil than Gram-negative bacteria.L. monocytogeneswas the most sensitive of the microorganisms to the antibacterial activity ofM. spicataessential oil (inhibition zone = 22 mm and MIC and MBC = 2.5 µL/mL). Based on our results, the essential oil ofM. spicataplant collected from Kermanshah province, west of Iran, has a potential to be applied as antibacterial agent.
Update on Edoxaban for the Prevention and Treatment of Thromboembolism: Clinical Applications Based on Current Evidence
Authors: Zalpour Ali , Oo Thein Hlaing
Published: August 2015

Vitamin K antagonists (VKA) and heparins have been utilized for the prevention and treatment of thromboembolism (arterial and venous) for decades. Targeting and inhibiting specific coagulation factors have led to new discoveries in the pharmacotherapy of thromboembolism management. These targeted anticoagulants are known as direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Two pharmacologically distinct classes of targeted agents are dabigatran etexilate (Direct Thrombin Inhibitor (DTI)) and rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban (direct oral factor Xa inhibitors (OFXaIs)). Emerging evidence from the clinical trials has shown that DOACs are noninferior to VKA or low-molecular-weight heparins in the prevention and treatment of thromboembolism. This review examines the role of edoxaban, a recently approved OFXaI, in the prevention and treatment of thromboembolism based on the available published literature. The management of edoxaban in the perioperative setting, reversibility in bleeding cases, its role in cancer patients, the relevance of drug-drug interactions, patient satisfaction, financial impacts, and patient education will be discussed.
Cooperative Transmission for Satellite Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Lin Yuan , He Yuanzhi , Han Han
Published: August 2015

This paper presents the performance analysis of wireless sensor networks- (WSNs-) based satellite collocation system as cooperative transmission is applied. A scenario of satellite cluster is considered, where multiple satellites are collocated with each other. Considering that the performance of satellite systems can be improved as the spot beam is split into virtual beams, the optimized system capacity can be expected by applying the geometrical arrangement of the antennas of transmitters and receivers. In the following simulation experiments, the system capacity is investigated as various system configurations are applied. It is found that the optimal value of system capacity exists as expected, and the simulation observations are illustrated as practical limitations are considered.
A Security Data Forwarding Mechanism for Sparse Social Sensor Networks
Authors: Guan Xin
Published: August 2015

With the development of the Internet of Things (IoTs), various sensor networks were deployed to sense and collect data anytime and anywhere. Traditional sparse social sensor networks (SSSNs) assume that nodes are willing to help others with packet forwarding. However, real application scenarios, such as civilian SSSNs, often observe selfish behaviors. Therefore, the assumption that nodes are cooperative is not realistic in all applications. Currently, most of the existing incentive mechanisms focus on individual selfish behaviors. Little research work has addressed social selfish behavior in SSSNs. In this paper, we propose to incentivize nodes to cooperate with others by using a virtual bank mechanism. This incentive mechanism can effectively avoid individual selfish behaviors. This mechanism, however, renders unfair social distribution. That is, poverty nodes would appear in the networks and become internal threats for social SSSNs. To avoid this, we introduce the Gini coefficient to measure the inequality of the social distribution. Furthermore, by using the taxation strategy, we avoid the internal threats caused by social selfishness. To demonstrate the selfish behavior, we introduce the forwarding protocol which is based on social relations of nodes. We demonstrate the viability of our proposed methods through extensive simulation evaluations.
Acute-on-Chronic Kidney Injury in Thyroid Hormone Withdrawal: A Case with Possible Implications for Radioactive Iodine Planning
Authors: McAninch Elizabeth A. , Lagari Violet S.
Published: August 2015

The association between renal dysfunction and hypothyroidism is of increasing clinical importance as thyroid hormone replacement may attenuate decline in renal function and improve cardiovascular outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although multiple mechanisms for the induction of renal insufficiency in hypothyroidism have been described, the renal impact of short-term, acute hypothyroidism is unknown, which has possible implications for thyroid cancer patients preparing to receive radioactive iodine (RAI). A 56-year-old gentleman with history of unilateral renal agenesis and CKD stage III presented with intermediate-risk papillary thyroid cancer. In preparation for RAI, he underwent thyroid hormone withdrawal (THW) associated with acute kidney injury (AKI), as marked by a decrease in his estimated GFR from 53 to 32 mL/min/1.73 m2. Upon resumption of thyroid hormone, renal function returned to baseline within months. Although AKI in this case was not otherwise associated with adverse outcome and reversed upon resumption of thyroid hormone, it is possible that this phenomenon could result in potential harm, particularly in the patient with baseline renal insufficiency. In CKD patients, preparation for RAI therapy may require special consideration; future studies should address the role of recombinant TSH to mitigate deleterious renal effects of acute hypothyroidism in this setting.
Evaluation of Antileishmanial Activity of Albaha Medicinal Plants againstLeishmania amazonensis
Authors: Al-Sokari Saeed S. , Ali Nasser A. Awadh , Monzote Lianet , Al-Fatimi Mohamed A.
Published: August 2015

Sixteen methanolic extracts obtained from thirteen plant species, selected either from ethnobotanical or chemotaxonomical data, were screened for their antileishmanial activity againstLeishmania amazonensis. The cytotoxic activity against normal peritoneal macrophages from normal BALB/c mice was also determined. Eight extracts had IC50values ranging from <12.5 to 37.8 µg/mL against promastigotes.Achillea biebersteiniiflower,Euphorbia helioscopia,andSolanum incanumleaf extracts showed antileishmanial activities with IC50between <12.5–26.9 µg/mL and acceptable selectivity indices of 8–5. The other leishmanicidal plant extracts, with IC50ranging from 18.0 to 29.5 µg/mL, exhibited low selectivity indices.
Automated Space Classification for Network Robots in Ubiquitous Environments
Authors: Choi Jiwon , Cho Seoungjae , Chu Phuong , Vu Hoang , Um Kyhyun , Cho Kyungeun
Published: August 2015

Network robots provide services to users in smart spaces while being connected to ubiquitous instruments through wireless networks in ubiquitous environments. For more effective behavior planning of network robots, it is necessary to reduce the state space by recognizing a smart space as a set of spaces. This paper proposes a space classification algorithm based on automatic graph generation and naive Bayes classification. The proposed algorithm first filters spaces in order of priority using automatically generated graphs, thereby minimizing the number of tasks that need to be predefined by a human. The filtered spaces then induce the final space classification result using naive Bayes space classification. The results of experiments conducted using virtual agents in virtual environments indicate that the performance of the proposed algorithm is better than that of conventional naive Bayes space classification.
Qualitative Characteristics of Depression in Parkinson’s Patients and Controls
Authors: Kritzinger Cleo , Vollstedt Eva-Juliane , Hückelheim Katja , Lorwin Anne , Graf Julia , Tunc Sinem , Klein Christine , Kasten Meike
Published: August 2015

Background. Depression is common in Parkinson’s disease (PD); in light of typical PD pathology it may differ phenomenologically from depression in the general population.Objective. To assess depressive symptoms in PD patients and control groups and compare symptom profiles.Methods. After postal screening of 10,000 citizens of Lübeck, 642 participants were examined and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was sufficiently answered by 477 subjects. Based on motor examinations, we distinguished PD patients, Healthy Controls (HC, no motor impairment), and Disease Controls (DC, motor impairment other than PD).Results. The sample comprised 331 men and 311 women, aged 65 ± 8 years. Out of the overall sample, 198 (41.5%) had a BDI score ≥9. BDI results above 9 points occurred in 34.5% of HC, 50.3% of DC, and 42.4% of PD patients. Compared to the control groups (HC, DC) the PD patients endorsed more “dissatisfaction” and “loss of appetite” but less “feelings of guilt,” “self-hate,” and “loss of libido.”Conclusion. Depressive symptoms are more frequent in PD patients compared to HC but not DC. Interestingly, the distribution of individual symptoms of the BDI differs between groups with an emphasis on loss of pleasure/enjoyment in the PD group, a symptom typically considered to be dopaminergically transmitted.
Absolute Effect of Prostate Cancer Screening: Balance of Benefits and Harms by Center within the European Randomized Study of Prostate Cancer Screening
Authors: Auvinen Anssi , Moss Sue M. , Tammela Teuvo L.J. , Taari Kimmo , Roobol Monique J. , Schröder Fritz H. , Bangma Chris H. , Carlsson Sigrid , Aus Gunnar , Zappa Marco , Puliti Donella , Denis Louis J. , Nelen Vera , Kwiatkowski Maciej , Randazzo Marco , Paez Alvaro , Lujan Marcos , Hugosson Jonas
Published: August 2015

Purpose: The balance of benefits and harms in prostate cancer screening has not been sufficiently characterized. We related indicators of mortality reduction and overdetection by center within the European Randomized Study of Prostate Cancer Screening (ERSPC).

Experimental Design: We analyzed the absolute mortality reduction expressed as number needed to invite (NNI = 1/absolute risk reduction; indicating how many men had to be randomized to screening arm to avert a prostate cancer death) for screening and the absolute excess of prostate cancer detection as number needed for overdetection (NNO = 1/absolute excess incidence; indicating the number of men invited per additional prostate cancer case), and compared their relationship across the seven ERSPC centers.

Results: Both absolute mortality reduction (NNI) and absolute overdetection (NNO) varied widely between the centers: NNI, 200–7,000 and NNO, 16–69. Extent of overdiagnosis and mortality reduction was closely associated [correlation coefficient, r = 0.76; weighted linear regression coefficient, β = 33; 95% confidence interval (CI), 5–62; R2 = 0.72]. For an averted prostate cancer death at 13 years of follow-up, 12 to 36 excess cases had to be detected in various centers.

Conclusions: The differences between the ERSPC centers likely reflect variations in prostate cancer incidence and mortality, as well as in screening protocol and performance. The strong interrelation between the benefits and harms suggests that efforts to maximize the mortality effect are bound to increase overdiagnosis and might be improved by focusing on high-risk populations. The optimal balance between screening intensity and risk of overdiagnosis remains unclear. Clin Cancer Res; 22(1); 243–9. ©2015 AACR.
Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Activates PI3k/Akt Signaling to Antagonize Lumbar Disc Degeneration
Authors: Liu Zuoqing , Zhou Kaihua , Fu Wenqin , Zhang Hailong
Published: August 2015

Background/Aims: The pathogenesis of Lumbar disc degeneration (LDD) has been extensively studied in the past. In particular, a role of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) in the disease initiation and progression has been recently reported. However, an involvement of Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I)-stimulated phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3k) / Akt signaling pathway-mediated control of MMP3 in LDD has not been acknowledged. Methods: We examined the serum IGF-1 levels and activation of the receptor for IGF-1 (IGF-1R) in resected discs in patients with LDD, compared to the fractured discs from traumatized, non-LDD subjects as a control. We analyzed the effects of IGF-1 on the activation of IGF-1R, Akt and MMP3 in a human nucleus pulposus SV40 cell line (HNPSV). We transfected HNPSV cells with a constitutive nuclear FoxO1, and analyzed its effect on the activation of IGF-1R, Akt and MMP3. Results: LDD patients had significantly lower levels of serum IGF-1, and LDD discs had significantly lower levels of activated IGF-1R. IGF-1 induced phosphorylation of IGF-1R, and then phosphorylation of its downstream factor Akt in the HNPSV cells, resulting in significantly inhibition of MMP3. Further, FoxO1 nuclear retention completely abolished the inhibitory effects of IGF-1 on MMP3 in HNPSV cells. Conclusion: Together, IGF-1/Akt/FoxO1/MMP3 regulatory machinery may control the development of LDD.
Traumatic Pediatric Posterior Fossa Extradural Hematomas: A Tertiary-Care Trauma Center Experience from India
Authors: Prasad G. Lakshmi , Gupta Deepak Kumar , Sharma Bhawani Shankar , Mahapatra Ashok Kumar
Published: August 2015

Introduction: Traumatic posterior fossa extradural hematomas (PFEDH) are rare lesions constituting <10% of all extradural hematomas. Reliance on clinical findings alone is not recommended as these are nonspecific; for all suspicious cases, it is advisable to conduct a CT scan. Only a handful of pediatric studies have been reported analyzing the outcome of such lesions. The aim of our study was to analyze outcomes for children with PFEDH managed at our apex trauma center. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of pediatric patients (≤18 years) admitted with a diagnosis of traumatic PFEDH from January 2008 to February 2014. Results: Of 22 patients, 16 were managed surgically (group 1) and 6 conservatively (group 2); 1 failed conservative treatment (due to an increased EDH volume). Mean age was 11.7 years (range 2-18 years). Falls were the most common cause of injury. Vomiting and loss of consciousness were the most frequent presenting features. There were 18 mild, 2 moderate and 2 severe head injuries. The mean volume of EDH was 37.1 ml (range 18-100 ml) and 10.3 ml (8-16 ml) in the operative and conservative subgroups, respectively. Occipital bone fracture was seen in 16 cases with supratentorial extension in 11. Four complications were noted in 3 cases. Mean follow-up duration was 25.1 months (range 3-34 months). Except for 1 patient, all had excellent outcomes. There was no mortality. Conclusions: Traumatic pediatric PFEDHs are rare. Both the clinical status of the patient and the volume of the hematoma need to be assessed before deciding on surgery. Most cases have associated occipital bone fractures and around half have supratentorial extension; these need to be carefully assessed preoperatively. Torrential venous bleeding can be a major problem due to rupture of the adjacent sinuses. Timely intervention is crucial for achieving good outcome, keeping in view a low threshold for surgical evacuation. Although not innovative, this second-largest case series provides additional data and contributes to the existing literature on such lesions in pediatric patients.
Impact of Rivastigmine on Cognitive Dysfunction and Falling in Parkinson's Disease Patients
Authors: Li Zhenguang , Yu Zhancai , Zhang Jinbiao , Wang Jing , Sun Chao , Wang Pengfei , Zhang Jiangshan
Published: August 2015

Background: The purpose of this study was to observe the incidence of falls in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with different cognitive levels and to investigate the effect of the cholinesterase inhibitor Rivastigmine on cognitive dysfunction and falling in PD patients. Subjects and Methods: Data from 176 PD patients participating in the collaborative PD study between June 2010 and June 2014 were collected; the Chinese edition of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score was used to evaluate the cognitive function of patients, and falls were recorded. PD patients with cognitive dysfunction were randomly administered either a placebo or Rivastigmine. The cognitive function changes and difference in fall incidence were compared between the 2 groups. Results: The average number of falls per person in PD patients without cognitive impairment dysfunction was significantly lower than that in patients in the PD mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) group and that in the PD dementia (PDD) group (p < 0.01, p < 0.001, respectively), and the incidence of falls was significantly lower than that in patients in the PD-MCI and PDD groups (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, respectively). Compared to the PD-MCI group, the incidence of falls of patients in the PDD group (OR 2.45, 95% CI 0.97-6.20, p < 0.01) and the number of falls per person were significantly increased (p < 0.01). After taking the placebo or Rivastigmine for 12 months, the MoCA scores of patients in the Rivastigmine treatment group were significantly higher than those of the control group (p = 0.002). The number of falls per person and the incidence of falls of patients in Rivastigmine treatment group were significantly lower than those in the placebo group (p < 0.01). Conclusion: This study suggests that the degree of cognitive impairment is closely associated with the incidence of falls, and the cholinesterase inhibitor Rivastigmine can delay the deterioration of cognitive function and lower the incidence of falls in PD patients.