bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Access to Community Living Infrastructure and Its Impact on the Establishment of Community-Based Day Care Centres for Seniors in Rural China
Authors: Li Man , Zhong Renyao , Zhu Shanwen , Ramsay Lauren C. , Li Fen , Coyte Peter C.
Published: June 2018

Community-based day care centres play an important role in service delivery for Chinese seniors. Little research has examined how community living infrastructure has influenced the establishment of these day care centres in rural communities. The purposes of this study were: (1) explore regional differences in community living infrastructure; and (2) to examine the impact of such infrastructure on the establishment of day care centres for Chinese seniors in rural communities. The data were derived from “The Fourth Sample Survey on the Living Conditions of Elderly People in Urban and Rural China (2015)”. The establishment of at least one day care centre was the outcome of interest, which was dichotomized at the community level into the establishment of at least one day care centre or the absence of any day care centres. Logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the impact of various community living infrastructural characteristics on the establishment of day care centres. The results showed that of the 4522 rural communities surveyed in 2015, only 10.1% had established at least one day care centre. Community living infrastructural characteristics that were significantly associated with the establishment of day care centres were the availability of cement/asphalt roads, natural gas, tap drinking water, sewage systems, and centralized garbage disposal. Our findings suggest that the significant association between community-level characteristics, especially community living infrastructure, and the establishment of rural day care centre for seniors may inform policy decision making.
Antecedents of Corporate Environmental Commitments: The Role of Customers
Authors: Afshar Jahanshahi Asghar , Brem Alexander
Published: June 2018

The management of natural environments has become a fundamental issue for companies in recent years. A firm’s environmental commitment affects all levels of its operation. In this study, we investigated whether having an effective and constant relationship with customers over time (customer capital) makes a difference to firms with a high environmental commitment compared with less environmentally committed firms. We found support for our idea by using original survey data from 149 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Iran (2016–2017). Furthermore, we found that customer capital enhances environmental collaboration with customers which, in turn, has a positive impact on the firm’s environmental commitments. These findings provide empirical evidence for the important role of “getting closer to customers” as a way of enhancing corporate environmental responsibility in developing countries with weak institutional environments.
Morphological Complexity as a Floral Signal: From Perception by Insect Pollinators to Co-Evolutionary Implications
Authors: Krishna Shivani , Keasar Tamar
Published: June 2018

Morphologically complex flowers are characterized by bilateral symmetry, tube-like shapes, deep corolla tubes, fused petals, and/or poricidal anthers, all of which constrain the access of insect visitors to floral nectar and pollen rewards. Only a subset of potential pollinators, mainly large bees, learn to successfully forage on such flowers. Thus, complexity may comprise a morphological filter that restricts the range of visitors and thereby increases food intake for successful foragers. Such pollinator specialization, in turn, promotes flower constancy and reduces cross-species pollen transfer, providing fitness benefits to plants with complex flowers. Since visual signals associated with floral morphological complexity are generally honest (i.e., indicate food rewards), pollinators need to perceive and process them. Physiological studies show that bees detect distant flowers through long-wavelength sensitive photoreceptors. Bees effectively perceive complex shapes and learn the positions of contours based on their spatial frequencies. Complex flowers require long handling times by naive visitors, and become highly profitable only for experienced foragers. To explore possible pathways towards the evolution of floral complexity, we discuss cognitive mechanisms that potentially allow insects to persist on complex flowers despite low initial foraging gains, suggest experiments to test these mechanisms, and speculate on their adaptive value.
Molecular and Pathological Features of Gastric Cancer in Lynch Syndrome and Familial Adenomatous Polyposis
Authors: Fornasarig Mara , Magris Raffaella , De Re Valli , Bidoli Ettore , Canzonieri Vincenzo , Maiero Stefania , Viel Alessandra , Cannizzaro Renato
Published: June 2018

Lynch syndrome (LS) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) are autosomal dominant hereditary diseases caused by germline mutations leading to the development of colorectal cancer. Moreover, these mutations result in the development of a spectrum of different tumors, including gastric cancers (GCs). Since the clinical characteristics of GCs associated with LS and FAP are not well known, we investigated clinical and molecular features of GCs occurring in patients with LS and FAP attending our Institution. The Hereditary Tumor Registry was established in 1994 at the Department of Oncologic Gastroenterology, CRO Aviano National Cancer Institute, Italy. It includes 139 patients with LS and 86 patients with FAP. Patients were recruited locally for prospective surveillance. Out of 139 LS patients, 4 developed GC—3 in the presence of helicobacter pylori infection and 1 on the background of autoimmune diseases. All GCs displayed a high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) and loss of related mismatch repair (MMR) protein. One of the FAP patients developed a flat adenoma, displaying low-grade dysplasia at the gastric body, and another poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with signet ring cells like Krukenberg without HP infection. LS carriers displayed a risk of GC. The recognition of HP infection and autoimmune diseases would indicate those at higher risk for an endoscopic surveillance. Regarding FAP, the data suggested the need of suitable endoscopic surveillance in long survivals with diffuse fundic gland polyps.
Radioprotective Effects of Dermatan Sulfate in a Preclinical Model of Oral Mucositis—Targeting Inflammation, Hypoxia and Junction Proteins without Stimulating Proliferation
Authors: Gruber Sylvia , Arnold Marlene , Cini Nilsu , Gernedl Victoria , Hetzendorfer Sabine , Kowald Lisa-Marie , Kuess Peter , Mayer Julia , Morava Susanne , Pfaffinger Stephanie , Rohorzka Andreas , Dörr Wolfgang
Published: June 2018

Oral mucositis is the most frequently occurring early side effect of head-and-neck cancer radiotherapy. Systemic dermatan sulfate (DS) treatment revealed a significant radioprotective potential in a preclinical model of oral mucositis. This study was initiated to elucidate the mechanistic effects of DS in the same model. Irradiation comprised daily fractionated irradiation (5 × 3 Gy/week) over two weeks, either alone (IR) or in combination with daily dermatan sulfate treatment of 4 mg/kg (IR + DS). Groups of mice (n = 5) were sacrificed every second day over the course of 14 days in both experimental arms, their tongues excised and evaluated. The response to irradiation with and without DS was analyzed on a morphological (cell numbers, epithelial thickness) as well as on a functional (proliferation and expression of inflammation, hypoxia and epithelial junction markers) level. The mucoprotective activity of DS can be attributed to a combination of various effects, comprising increased expression of epithelial junctions, reduced inflammation and reduced hypoxia. No DS-mediated effect on proliferation was observed. DS demonstrated a significant mucositis-ameliorating activity and could provide a promising strategy for mucositis treatment, based on targeting specific, radiation-induced, mucositis-associated signaling without stimulating proliferation.
A WD40 Repeat Protein from Camellia sinensis Regulates Anthocyanin and Proanthocyanidin Accumulation through the Formation of MYB–bHLH–WD40 Ternary Complexes
Authors: Liu Yajun , Hou Hua , Jiang Xiaolan , Wang Peiqiang , Dai Xinlong , Chen Wei , Gao Liping , Xia Tao
Published: June 2018

Flavan-3-ols and oligomeric proanthocyanidins (PAs) are the main nutritional polyphenols in green tea (Camellia sinensis), which provide numerous benefits to human health. To date, the regulatory mechanism of flavan-3-ol biosynthesis in green tea remains open to study. Herein, we report the characterization of a C. sinensis tryptophan-aspartic acid repeat protein (CsWD40) that interacts with myeloblastosis (MYB) and basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) to regulate the biosynthesis of flavan-3-ols. Full length CsWD40 cDNA was cloned from leaves and was deduced to encode 342 amino acids. An in vitro yeast two-hybrid assay demonstrated that CsWD40 interacted with two bHLH TFs (CsGL3 and CsTT8) and two MYB TFs (CsAN2 and CsMYB5e). The overexpression of CsWD40 in Arabidopsis thaliana transparent testa glabra 1 (ttg1) restored normal trichome and seed coat development. Ectopic expression of CsWD40 alone in tobacco resulted in a significant increase in the anthocyanins of transgenic petals. CsWD40 was then coexpressed with CsMYB5e in tobacco plants to increase levels of both anthocyanins and PAs. Furthermore, gene expression analysis revealed that CsWD40 expression in tea plants could be induced by several abiotic stresses. Taken together, these data provide solid evidence that CsWD40 partners with bHLH and MYB TFs to form ternary WBM complexes to regulate anthocyanin, PA biosynthesis, and trichome development.
Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis and Toll-Like Receptors in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Caputi Valentina , Giron Maria Cecilia
Published: June 2018

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressively debilitating neurodegenerative disease characterized by α-synucleinopathy, which involves all districts of the brain-gut axis, including the central, autonomic and enteric nervous systems. The highly bidirectional communication between the brain and the gut is markedly influenced by the microbiome through integrated immunological, neuroendocrine and neurological processes. The gut microbiota and its relevant metabolites interact with the host via a series of biochemical and functional inputs, thereby affecting host homeostasis and health. Indeed, a dysregulated microbiota-gut-brain axis in PD might lie at the basis of gastrointestinal dysfunctions which predominantly emerge many years prior to the diagnosis, corroborating the theory that the pathological process is spread from the gut to the brain. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a crucial role in innate immunity by recognizing conserved motifs primarily found in microorganisms and a dysregulation in their signaling may be implicated in α-synucleinopathy, such as PD. An overstimulation of the innate immune system due to gut dysbiosis and/or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, together with higher intestinal barrier permeability, may provoke local and systemic inflammation as well as enteric neuroglial activation, ultimately triggering the development of alpha-synuclein pathology. In this review, we provide the current knowledge regarding the relationship between the microbiota-gut–brain axis and TLRs in PD. A better understanding of the dialogue sustained by the microbiota-gut-brain axis and innate immunity via TLR signaling should bring interesting insights in the pathophysiology of PD and provide novel dietary and/or therapeutic measures aimed at shaping the gut microbiota composition, improving the intestinal epithelial barrier function and balancing the innate immune response in PD patients, in order to influence the early phases of the following neurodegenerative cascade.
Pharmacological Targeting of Cell Cycle, Apoptotic and Cell Adhesion Signaling Pathways Implicated in Chemoresistance of Cancer Cells
Authors: Alimbetov Dauren , Askarova Sholpan , Umbayev Bauyrzhan , Davis Terence , Kipling David
Published: June 2018

Chemotherapeutic drugs target a physiological differentiating feature of cancer cells as they tend to actively proliferate more than normal cells. They have well-known side-effects resulting from the death of highly proliferative normal cells in the gut and immune system. Cancer treatment has changed dramatically over the years owing to rapid advances in oncology research. Developments in cancer therapies, namely surgery, radiotherapy, cytotoxic chemotherapy and selective treatment methods due to better understanding of tumor characteristics, have significantly increased cancer survival. However, many chemotherapeutic regimes still fail, with 90% of the drug failures in metastatic cancer treatment due to chemoresistance, as cancer cells eventually develop resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. Chemoresistance is caused through genetic mutations in various proteins involved in cellular mechanisms such as cell cycle, apoptosis and cell adhesion, and targeting those mechanisms could improve outcomes of cancer therapy. Recent developments in cancer treatment are focused on combination therapy, whereby cells are sensitized to chemotherapeutic agents using inhibitors of target pathways inducing chemoresistance thus, hopefully, overcoming the problems of drug resistance. In this review, we discuss the role of cell cycle, apoptosis and cell adhesion in cancer chemoresistance mechanisms, possible drugs to target these pathways and, thus, novel therapeutic approaches for cancer treatment.
Designing a Thermal Radiation Oven for Smart Phone Panels
Authors: Gu Min-Jhong , Yang Shuai , Wu Yen-Cheng , Chiu Chien-Jui , Chen Yu-Bin
Published: June 2018

Thermal radiation is the only heat transfer mechanism with vacuum compatibility, and it carries energy at light speed. These advantages are taken in this work to design an oven for smart phone panels. The temperature of panels is acquired from a numerical method based on finite-difference method. The space configuration of the heating lamps as well as the relative distance between lamps and the panel are control factors for optimization. Full-factorial experiments are employed to identify the main effects from each factor. A fitness function Q considering both temperature uniformity of the panel and the heating capability of the ovens is proposed. The best oven among 27 candidates is able to raise panel temperature significantly with high uniformity.
Single-Shot X-ray Phase Retrieval through Hierarchical Data Analysis and a Multi-Aperture Analyser
Authors: Endrizzi Marco , Vittoria Fabio , Olivo Alessandro
Published: June 2018

A multi-aperture analyser set-up was recently developed for X-ray phase contrast imaging and tomography, simultaneously attaining a high sensitivity and wide dynamic range. We present a single-shot image retrieval algorithm in which differential phase and dark-field images are extracted from a single intensity projection. Scanning of the object is required to build a two-dimensional image, because only one pre-sample aperture is used in the experiment reported here. A pure-phase object approximation and a hierarchical approach to the data analysis are used in order to overcome numerical instabilities. The single-shot capability reduces the exposure times by a factor of five with respect to the standard implementation and significantly simplifies the acquisition procedure by only requiring sample scanning during data collection.
Seiching Induced by Bichromatic and Monochromatic Wave Conditions: Experimental and Numerical Analysis in a Large Wave Flume
Authors: Riefolo Luigia , Contestabile Pasquale , Vicinanza Diego
Published: June 2018

This paper describes a set of spectral and eigen analysis in order to identify seiche generation from a large-scale laboratory dataset. The experiments were performed in the large-scale “Canal d’Investigació i Experimentació Marítima” wave flume at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Spain. Erosive and accretive wave regimes have been analyzed, including monochromatic waves and bichromatic wave groups with different bandwidths. Each test started with approximately the same underlying beach conditions. Video runup measurements are also used to better understand the role of the bandwidth in the generation of swash oscillation. Some evidence of the influence of low frequency waves on runup and sediment transport pattern is found. Good agreements between eigenmode families for volume flux and sediment volume variations are also shown.
Forest Cover Changes and Trajectories in a Typical Middle Mountain Watershed of Western Nepal
Authors: Baral Pradeep , Wen Yali , Urriola Nadia Nora
Published: June 2018

There have been drastic changes in resource use practices and land-use patterns in the middle mountains of Nepal as a result of human transformation processes of the environment. This study aimed at assessing land-use and land-cover changes, especially those related to forest cover changes, in Phewa Lake watershed—a typical middle mountain watershed of western Nepal—using multi-temporal Landsat images from 1995, 2005 and 2017. Landsat images of each year were classified individually using object-based image classification into four land-use and land-cover types: agriculture and built-up, forest, waterbodies and other. Post-classification comparison was employed to quantify the extent and rate of changes, which was further extended to quantify the level of persistence, gains, losses, and swaps of forests. Furthermore, temporal trajectories of land-cover associated with forest cover changes were established, and their spatial pattern analyzed. The results show that, between 1995 and 2017, forest cover increased by 6.8% with a corresponding decrease in the extent of all other land-cover types. Dynamic transitions and internal trading among forest and agriculture and built-up category were observed, revealing more complex patterns than the commonly assumed linear and irreversible forest cover transformations in the mountains of Nepal. Our approach to assess major signals of forest cover transitions and change trajectories will help link patterns to the process of change including deforestation and forest regeneration. This would, in turn, form the basis for formulating practical conservation and management strategies for Phewa Lake watershed and other mountain watersheds of Nepal.
Homochirality through Photon-Induced Denaturing of RNA/DNA at the Origin of Life
Authors: Michaelian Karo
Published: June 2018

Since a racemic mixture of chiral nucleotides frustrates the enzymeless extension of RNA and DNA, the origin of homochirality must be intimately connected with the origin of life. Homochirality theories have elected to presume abiotic mechanisms for prebiotic enantiomer enrichment and post amplification, but none, so far, has been generally accepted. Here I present a novel hypothesis for the procurement of homochirality from an asymmetry in right- over left-circularly polarized photon-induced denaturing of RNA and DNA at the Archean ocean surface as temperatures descended below that of RNA and DNA melting. This asymmetry is attributed to the small excess of right-handed circularly polarized submarine light during the afternoon, when surface water temperatures were highest and thus most conducive to photon-induced denaturing, and to a negative circular dichroism band extending from 230 to 270 nm for small oligos of RNA and DNA. Because D-nucleic acids have greater affinity for L-tryptophan due to stereochemistry, and because D-RNA/DNA+L-tryptophan complexes have an increased negative circular dichroism band between 230 and 270 nm, the homochirality of tryptophan can also be explained by this hypothesis. A numerical model is presented, demonstrating the efficacy of such a mechanism in procuring homochirality of RNA or DNA from an original racemic solution in as little as 270 Archean years.
Conjectured the Behaviour of a Recycled Metal Matrix Composite (MMC–AlR) Developed through Hot Press Forging by Means of 3D FEM Simulation
Authors: Ahmad Azlan , Lajis Mohd Amri , Shamsudin Shazarel , Yusuf Nur Kamilah
Published: June 2018

Melting aluminium waste to produce a secondary bulk material is such an energy-intensive recycling technique that it also indirectly threatens the environment. Hot press forging is introduced as an alternative. Mixing the waste with another substance is a proven practice that enhances the material integrity. To cope with the technology revolution, a finite element is utilised to predict the behaviour without a practical trial. Utilising commercial software, DEFORM 3D, the conjectures were demonstrated scientifically. The flow stress of the material was modified to suit the material used in the actual experiment. It is acknowledged that the stress–strain had gradually increased in each step. Due to the confined forming space, the temperature decreased by ~0.5% because the heat could not simply vacate the area. A reduction of ~10% of the flesh observed in the simulation is roughly the same as in the actual experiment. Above all, the simulation abides by the standards and follows what has been done previously. Through the finite element utilisation, this study forecasted the performance of the recycled composite. The results presented may facilitate improvement of the recycling issue and conserve the environment for a better future.
Investigation of Groove Shape Variation during Steel Sheave Spinning
Authors: Zhu Chengcheng , Meng Dean , Zhao Shengdun , Li Shuaipeng
Published: June 2018

Large sheaves, such as crosshead sheaves, are foundation parts in the heavy industry. Counter-roller spinning steel sheaves are utilized to replace traditional casting iron parts. Few studies exist on the groove shape of these spinning sheaves. Consequently, it is significant to explore the spinning groove shape variation rule and confirm the appropriate spinning parameters. Both experimental and numerical methods were utilized to study the groove shape variation of Q235 steel sheaves and their results were well matched. Spring-back phenomena were considered in this study. The groove depth was lower than the spinning depth and the last formed groove was the deepest. The former groove depth would be affected by the adjacent following spinning process. The single groove spinning result was linearly dependent on the multiple spinning groove depth. Certain equations were used to calculate the groove depth. The bottom–middle–top spinning sequence, which was better than other spinning sequences, should be used in the sheave spinning method. A sheave spinning process could be designed based on the study to obtain a fine groove shape.
Effect of Acetic Acid Concentration on Pore Structure for Mesoporous Bioactive Glass during Spray Pyrolysis
Authors: Hong Bo-Jiang , Hsiao Chih-Wei , Bakare Fufa Fetene , Sun Jung-Ting , Shih Shao-Ju
Published: June 2018

Mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) is considered as one of the most important materials in the field of bone implants and drug carriers, owing to its superior bioactivity. In previous studies, tri-block surfactants (e.g., F127 and P123) were commonly used as pore-forming agents. However, the use of surfactants may cause serious problems such as micelle aggregation and carbon contamination and thus decrease bioactivity. Therefore, in this study, we demonstrated the synthesis of MBG using acetic acid (HAc) as a pore-forming agent to overcome the disadvantages caused by surfactants. Both untreated and HAc-treated BG powders were synthesized using spray pyrolysis and various characterizations were carried out. The results show that a mesoporous structure was successfully formed and the highest specific surface area of ~230 m2/g with improved bioactivity was reported.
Mažos molekulinės masės heparinų ir kintančios pneumokompresijos kojinių hipokoaguliacinis efektas laparoskopinių fundoplikacijų metu
Authors: Kiudelis Mindaugas , Gerbutavičius Rolandas , Gerbutavičienė Rima , Griniūtė Rasa , Mickevičius Antanas , Endzinas Žilvinas , Pundzius Juozas
Published: June 2018

Įvadas. Kojų giliųjų venų trombozė yra sveikatos apsaugos ir socialinė problema. Giliųjų venų trombozė pasireiškia 20–30 proc. ligonių po atvirų pilvo chirurgijos operacijų bei 5–6 proc. ligonių po laparoskopinių pilvo ertmės operacijų. Šio tyrimo tikslas – įvertinti ir palyginti mažos molekulinės masės heparinų (MMMH) ir kintamos pneumokompresijos kojinių galimą hipokoaguliacinį poveikį laparoskopinių fundoplikacijų metu. Tirtųjų kontingentas ir tyrimo metodai. Atlikta atsitiktinių imčių klinikinė studija. Tiriamieji suskirstyti į dvi grupes: pirmos grupės ligoniams laparoskopinės fundoplikacijos metu buvo naudojamos kintamos pneumokompresijos kojinės; antros grupės ligoniams – kintamos pneumokompresijos kojinės operacijos metu plius MMMH, kuris sušvirkštas į poodį 1 val. prieš operaciją. Plazmos protrombino fragmentas F1+2 (F1+2), trombino-antitrombino kompleksas (TAT) – trombogenezės žymenys bei laisvas plazmos audinių kelio faktoriaus inhibitorius (fTFPI) – hipokoaguliacijos žymuo buvo tiriami 1 val. prieš operaciją, operacijos metu ir baigus operaciją. Tyrimo rezultatai. Pirmoje grupėje F1+2 ir TAT koncentracija kraujo plazmoje statistiškai reikšmingai padidėjo operacijos metu bei ją baigus. Antroje grupėje F1+2 ir TAT koncentracija operacijos metu nekito. fTFPI koncentracija kraujo plazmoje statistiškai reikšmingai padidėjo operacijos metu antroje grupėje, o pirmoje grupėje ji nekito. Išvada. MMMH ir kintamos pneumokompresijos kojinės derinys, vartojamas laparoskopinių fundoplikacijų metu, sukėlė hipokoaguliacinį poveikį, kurio nepastebėta naudojant tik kintamas pneumokompresines kojines.
Sarcoidosis – moving to the new standard of diagnosis?
Authors: Miliauskas Skaidrius , Žemaitis Marius , Sakalauskas Raimundas
Published: June 2018

In this article, the most recent literature data regarding the diagnosis of sarcoidosis have been reviewed. The diagnosis of sarcoidosis can be reliably established when there is a compatible clinical/radiological picture together with pathologic evidence of noncaseating epithelioid cell granulomas. Pathologic specimens can be obtained by conventional bronchoscopy with endobronchial, transbronchial lung biopsy, bronchoalveolar lavage, and recently introduced endoscopic ultrasound techniques (endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration, EUS-FNA, and endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration, EBUS-TBNA) or surgical procedures such as thoracotomy, thoracoscopy, and mediastinoscopy. The place and value of EBUS-TBNA or EUS-FNA in diagnosis of sarcoidosis are discussed.
Incidence and risk factors for early postoperative cognitive decline after coronary artery bypass grafting
Authors: Norkienė Ieva , Samalavičius Robertas , Misiūrienė Irina , Paulauskienė Kotryna , Budrys Valmantas , Ivaškevičius Juozas
Published: June 2018

Background. The aim of our study was to evaluate the incidence of early postoperative cognitive decline (POCD) and determine perioperative risk factors as well as the impact of asymptomatic cerebral vascular lesion on the development of neurocognitive complications. Materials and methods. A total of 127 consecutive adult patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting were studied. Neuropsychological testing was performed the day before surgery and 7–9 days after operation. Stepwise logistic regression analysis determined independent predictors of POCD. Results. The incidence of postoperative cognitive decline was 46% (n=59). Patients in the POCD group were older (P=0.04) and had an increased prevalence of asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (P=0.0001). POCD was associated with longer time in surgery (P=0.018), inotropic support intraoperativelly (P=0.02) and during postoperative period (P=0.008). Patients in the POCD group had an increased incidence of postoperative bleeding (P=0.037), delirium (P=0.016) and stayed in hospital for a longer period (P=0.007). Age of more than 65 years (OR, 2.7), asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis of more than 50% (OR, 26.89), duration of surgery of more than 4 hours (OR, 4.08), postoperative mechanical ventilation of more than 6 hours (OR, 3.33), and stay in an intensive care unit for more than 3 days (OR, 3.38) were significant independent predictors of cognitive decline. Conclusions. Increased age, preoperative prevalence of craniocervical atherosclerotic lesions, longer time in surgery, longer stay in an intensive care unit and mechanical ventilation time were found to be the risk factors for developing postoperative cognitive decline.
The association between health-related quality of life and mortality among hemodialysis patients
Authors: Kušleikaitė Neda , Bumblytė Inga , Kuzminskis Vytautas , Vaičiūnienė Rūta
Published: June 2018

Introduction. Mortality rates for patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis remain high. Published data regarding association between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and mortality among hemodialysis patients are inconsistent. Very few data are published on the change in HRQOL over time as a predictor of mortality. The aim of this study was to assess whether HRQOL and change of it over time could be considered an independent predictor of mortality in hemodialysis patients. Material and methods. This prospective observational study enrolled 183 patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. HRQOL was measured annually 2004–2008 using a generic Short Form 36 questionnaire. Physical component summary (PSC) and mental component summary (MSC) scores were calculated. The change of the patient’s HRQOL over time was calculated as a difference between SF-36 scores of the first and the last HRQOL measurements. Results. The median follow-up was 48 months (range, 1–72 months). Cutoff values for HRQOL predicting mortality for PSC score was ≥35 and for MSC score was ≥45. In the model adjusted for age, sex, dialysis months, creatinine, albumin and hemoglobin levels, mortality risk decreased by 0.96 (95% CI, 0.95–0.99) for 1-point increase in the baseline PSC score and decreased by 0.97 (95% CI, 0.95–0.98) for 1-point increase in the baseline MSC score. A 1-point decline in the PSC score (relative risk, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.008–1.221) and MSC score (relative risk, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.002–1.149) over the period of follow-up were associated with a significant additional increase in mortality. Conclusions. Both baseline HRQOL and decline of HRQOL are independent predictors of mortality in hemodialysis patients.
Risk factors for cardiovascular hospitalization in hemodialysis patients
Authors: Vaičiūnienė Rūta , Kuzminskis Vytautas , Žiginskienė Edita , Petrulienė Kristina
Published: June 2018

The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors for cardiovascular hospitalization in hemodialysis patients. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional cohort analysis of risk factors during one census month (November) and one-year follow-up for cardiovascular hospitalization rates during 5 consecutive years (2002–2006) in all end-stage renal disease patients hemodialyzed in Kaunas region was carried out. During the census month, we collected data on patient’s age and sex, disability status, comorbidities, anemia control, malnutrition and inflammation, calciumphosphorus metabolism, and patient’s compliance with prescribed medications. We analyzed 559 patients during 1163 patient-years of observation. Patients were considered as new patients every year (1520 cases). Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis were used to evaluate time to first hospitalization. Results. The mean number of cardiovascular hospitalizations was 0.31 per patient-year at risk, the total days of cardiovascular hospitalizations per patient-year at risk were 3.93, and the mean length of one hospitalization was 13.2±12.9 days. Cardiovascular diseases were the most frequent cause of hospitalization (25% of all hospitalizations). The relative risk of cardiovascular hospitalization increased by 1.03 for every year of age, by 1.7 for worse disability status, by 1.4 for nonadherence to medications, by 1.1 for every additional medication prescribed to the patient. Cardiovascular hospitalization risk was decreased by 0.99 with a 1-g/L rise in hemoglobin level. Conclusions. Older age, worse disability status, patient’s noncompliance with medications, and higher number of medications used were associated with a higher risk for cardiovascular hospitalization. Higher hemoglobin level was associated with a lower risk for cardiovascular hospitalization.
Optimization of Sintering Time and Holding Time for 3D Printing of Fe-Based Metallic Glasses
Authors: Wu Wenzheng , Liu Wei , Du Haidong , Wang Bofan , Li Guiwei , Sun Bin , Zhang Shuo , Zhao Ji
Published: June 2018

Fe-based metallic glasses are amorphous alloys with high strength, high hardness, and excellent corrosion resistance; however, the immaturity of processing methods has prevented their wide application in industrial production. Fe-based metallic glass parts were manufactured employing pneumatic injection additive manufacturing in this study. An evenly dispersed and stable Fe-based metallic glass powder slurry with a solids content of 50% was prepared firstly. Then the Fe-based metallic glass parts were printed. The printed parts were dried, debinded, and sintered for strengthening. The deformations of the printed parts and sintered parts relative to the original model were then analyzed by a 3D scanning reconstruction method. The slightly average bulging and sunken deformation of the printed parts and sintered parts confirmed the good printing accuracy of the pneumatic injection manufacture system. The effects of the sintering temperature and holding time on the properties of the sintered parts were studied. For a sintering temperature of 580 °C and holding time of 1 h, the surface quality of the sintered parts was better. The sintering of 3D-printed Fe-based metallic glass parts was preliminarily realized in this study, and the feasibility of preparing Fe-based metallic glass using pneumatic injection additive manufacture was verified.
Localized In Situ Nanoemulgel Drug Delivery System of Quercetin for Periodontitis: Development and Computational Simulations
Authors: Aithal Gururaj C. , Nayak Usha Yogendra , Mehta Chetan , Narayan Reema , Gopalkrishna Pratibha , Pandiyan Sudharsan , Garg Sanjay
Published: June 2018

This study was aimed at formulating a bioabsorbable, controlled-release, nanoemulgel of Quercetin, a potent antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agent for the treatment of periodontitis that could improve its solubility and bioavailability. Screening of components was carried out based on the solubility studies. Nanoemulsion containing cinnamon oil as the oil phase, tween 80 and Carbitol® as the surfactant-cosurfactant mixture (Smix) and water as the aqueous phase containing 125 µg/200 µL of Quercetin was prepared by using spontaneous emulsification method. Nanoemulgel was prepared using 23% w/v poloxamer 407 as gel base. Comprehensive evaluation of the formulated nanoemulgel was carried out, and the optimized formulation was studied for drug release using Franz vertical diffusion cells. The formulated nanoemulgelexhibited a remarkable release of 92.4% of Quercetin at the end of 6 h, as compared to that of pure Quercetin-loaded gel (<3% release). The viscosity of the prepared nanoemulgel was found to be 30,647 ± 0.32 cPs at 37 °C. Also, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was utilized to understand the gelation process and role of each component in the formulation. The present study revealed that the developed nanoemulgel of Quercetin could be a potential delivery system for clinical testing in periodontitis.
Stomatal Complex Development and F-Actin Organization in Maize Leaf Epidermis Depend on Cellulose Synthesis
Authors: Panteris Emmanuel , Achlati Theonymphi , Daras Gerasimos , Rigas Stamatis
Published: June 2018

Cellulose microfibrils reinforce the cell wall for morphogenesis in plants. Herein, we provide evidence on a series of defects regarding stomatal complex development and F-actin organization in Zea mays leaf epidermis, due to inhibition of cellulose synthesis. Formative cell divisions of stomatal complex ontogenesis were delayed or inhibited, resulting in lack of subsidiary cells and frequently in unicellular stomata, with an atypical stomatal pore. Guard cells failed to acquire a dumbbell shape, becoming rounded, while subsidiary cells, whenever present, exhibited aberrant morphogenesis. F-actin organization was also affected, since the stomatal complex-specific arrays were scarcely observed. At late developmental stages, the overall F-actin network was diminished in all epidermal cells, although thick actin bundles persisted. Taken together, stomatal complex development strongly depends on cell wall mechanical properties. Moreover, F-actin organization exhibits a tight relationship with the cell wall.
Decreased Levels of Circulating Carboxylated Osteocalcin in Children with Low Energy Fractures: A Pilot Study
Authors: Popko Janusz , Karpiński Michał , Chojnowska Sylwia , Maresz Katarzyna , Milewski Robert , Badmaev Vladimir , Schurgers Leon J.
Published: June 2018

Objective: In the past decades, an increased interest in the roles of vitamin D and K has become evident, in particular in relation to bone health and prevention of bone fractures. The aim of the current study was to evaluate vitamin D and K status in children with low-energy fractures and in children without fractures. Methods: The study group of 20 children (14 boys, 6 girls) aged 5 to 15 years old, with radiologically confirmed low-energy fractures was compared with the control group of 19 healthy children (9 boys, 10 girls), aged 7 to 17 years old, without fractures. Total vitamin D (25(OH)D3 plus 25(OH)D2), calcium, BALP (bone alkaline phosphatase), NTx (N-terminal telopeptide), and uncarboxylated (ucOC) and carboxylated osteocalcin (cOC) serum concentrations were evaluated. Ratio of serum uncarboxylated osteocalcin to serum carboxylated osteocalcin ucOC:cOC (UCR) was used as an indicator of bone vitamin K status. Logistic regression models were created to establish UCR influence for odds ratio of low-energy fractures in both groups. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the serum calcium, NTx, BALP, or total vitamin D levels between the two groups. There was, however, a statistically significant difference in the UCR ratio. The median UCR in the fracture group was 0.471 compared with the control group value of 0.245 (p < 0.0001). In the logistic regression analysis, odds ratio of low-energy fractures for UCR was calculated, with an increased risk of fractures by some 78.3 times. Conclusions: In this pilot study, better vitamin K status expressed as the ratio of ucOC:cOC-UCR—is positively and statistically significantly correlated with lower rate of low-energy fracture incidence.
Evaluation of TRMM/GPM Blended Daily Products over Brazil
Authors: Rozante José Roberto , Vila Daniel A. , Barboza Chiquetto Júlio , Fernandes Alex de A. , Souza Alvim Débora
Published: June 2018

The precipitation estimates from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (named TMPA and TMPA-RT for the near real-time version) are widely used both in research and in operational forecasting. However, they will be discontinued soon. The products from the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG) and The Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) are analyzed as potential replacements for TMPA products. The objective of this study is to assess whether the IMERG and/or GSMaP products can properly replace TMPA in several regions with different precipitation regimes within Brazil. The validation study was conducted during the period from 1st of April, 2014 to the 28th of February, 2017 (1065 days), using daily accumulated rain gauge stations over Brazil. Six regions were considered for this study: five according to the precipitation regime, plus another one for the entire Brazilian territory. IMERG-Final, TMPA-V7 and GSMaP-Gauges were the selected versions of those algorithms for this validation study, which include a bias adjustment with monthly (IMERG and TMPA) and daily (GSMaP) gauge accumulations, because they are widely used in the user’s community. Results indicate similar behavior for IMERG and TMPA products, showing that they overestimate precipitation, while GSMaP tend to slightly underestimate the amount of rainfall in most of the analyzed regions. The exception is the northeastern coast of Brazil, where all products underestimate the daily rainfall accumulations. For all analyzed regions, GSMaP and IMERG products present a better performance compared to TMPA products; therefore, they could be suitable replacements for the TMPA. This is particularly important for hydrological forecasting in small river basins, since those products present a finer spatial and temporal resolution compared with TMPA.
A User-Adaptive Algorithm for Activity Recognition Based on K-Means Clustering, Local Outlier Factor, and Multivariate Gaussian Distribution
Authors: Zhao Shizhen , Li Wenfeng , Cao Jingjing
Published: June 2018

Mobile activity recognition is significant to the development of human-centric pervasive applications including elderly care, personalized recommendations, etc. Nevertheless, the distribution of inertial sensor data can be influenced to a great extent by varying users. This means that the performance of an activity recognition classifier trained by one user’s dataset will degenerate when transferred to others. In this study, we focus on building a personalized classifier to detect four categories of human activities: light intensity activity, moderate intensity activity, vigorous intensity activity, and fall. In order to solve the problem caused by different distributions of inertial sensor signals, a user-adaptive algorithm based on K-Means clustering, local outlier factor (LOF), and multivariate Gaussian distribution (MGD) is proposed. To automatically cluster and annotate a specific user’s activity data, an improved K-Means algorithm with a novel initialization method is designed. By quantifying the samples’ informative degree in a labeled individual dataset, the most profitable samples can be selected for activity recognition model adaption. Through experiments, we conclude that our proposed models can adapt to new users with good recognition performance.
Elastic MCF Rubber with Photovoltaics and Sensing on Hybrid Skin (H-Skin) for Artificial Skin by Utilizing Natural Rubber: Third Report on Electric Charge and Storage under Tension and Compression
Authors: Shimada Kunio
Published: June 2018

In the series of studies on new types of elastic and compressible artificial skins with hybrid sensing functions, photovoltaics, and battery, we have proposed a hybrid skin (H-Skin) by utilizing an electrolytically polymerized magnetic compound fluid (MCF) made of natural rubber latex (NR-latex). By using the experimental results in the first and second reports, we have clarified the feasibility of electric charge at irradiation, and that without illumination under compression and elongation. The former was explained in a wet-type MCF rubber solar cell by developing a tunneling theory together with an equivalent electric circuit model. The latter corresponds to the battery rather than to the solar cell. As for the MCF rubber battery, depending on the selected agent type, we can make the MCF rubber have higher electricity and lighter weight. Therefore, the MCF rubber has an electric charge and storage whether at irradiation or not.
Automatic Detection and Classification of Audio Events for Road Surveillance Applications
Authors: Almaadeed Noor , Asim Muhammad , Al-Maadeed Somaya , Bouridane Ahmed , Beghdadi Azeddine
Published: June 2018

This work investigates the problem of detecting hazardous events on roads by designing an audio surveillance system that automatically detects perilous situations such as car crashes and tire skidding. In recent years, research has shown several visual surveillance systems that have been proposed for road monitoring to detect accidents with an aim to improve safety procedures in emergency cases. However, the visual information alone cannot detect certain events such as car crashes and tire skidding, especially under adverse and visually cluttered weather conditions such as snowfall, rain, and fog. Consequently, the incorporation of microphones and audio event detectors based on audio processing can significantly enhance the detection accuracy of such surveillance systems. This paper proposes to combine time-domain, frequency-domain, and joint time-frequency features extracted from a class of quadratic time-frequency distributions (QTFDs) to detect events on roads through audio analysis and processing. Experiments were carried out using a publicly available dataset. The experimental results conform the effectiveness of the proposed approach for detecting hazardous events on roads as demonstrated by 7% improvement of accuracy rate when compared against methods that use individual temporal and spectral features.
Design of Sparse FIR Decision Feedback Equalizers in MIMO Systems Using Hybrid l1/l2 Norm Minimization and the OMP Algorithm
Authors: Yu Lihong , Zhao Jiaxiang , Xu Wei , Liu Haiyuan
Published: June 2018

In this paper, a novel scheme using hybrid l1/l2 norm minimization and the orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) algorithm is proposed to design the sparse finite impulse response (FIR) decision feedback equalizers (DFE) in multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems. To reduce the number of nonzero taps for the FIR DFE while ensuring its design accuracy, the problem of designing a sparse FIR DFE is transformed into an l0 norm minimization problem, and then the proposed scheme is used to obtain the sparse solution. In the proposed scheme, a sequence of minimum weighted l2 norm problems is solved using the OMP algorithm. The nonzero taps positions can be corrected with the different weights in the diagonal weighting matrix which is computed through the hybrid l1/l2 norm minimization. The simulation results verify that the sparse FIR MIMO DFEs designed by the proposed scheme get a significant reduction in the number of nonzero taps with a small performance loss compared to the non-sparse optimum DFE under the minimum mean square error (MMSE) criterion. In addition, the proposed scheme provides better design accuracy than the OMP algorithm with the same sparsity level.
Is There Anybody Out There? Substrate Availability Controls Microbial Activity outside of Hotspots in Subsoils
Authors: Heitkötter Julian , Marschner Bernd
Published: June 2018

Soil organic carbon (SOC) turnover in subsoils is assumed to be limited to spatially restricted microsites where fresh substrate inputs occur. Vice versa, the growth and activity of microorganisms outside of such hotspots may be limited by easily available substrates. The apparent long-term stability of subsoil organic carbon could thus be a result of microbial inactivity in these vast “cold regions” outside of hotspots. The aim of this study was to obtain realistic data about the in situ distribution of microbial hotspots in deep soil using soil zymography for three extracellular enzymes on undisturbed soil slices sampled from 0 to 161 cm depth. The results showed that most enzyme-driven turnover processes were concentrated to small portions of <1 to 10% of the subsoil volume, while enzymes in the major part of subsoils were barely active. In a second step, soil slices were homogenously sprayed with 14C glucose, incubated for 2 weeks and again analyzed with soil zymography. After glucose application, enzyme activities greatly increased in non-hotspot areas, thus confirming that substrate availability limits microbial activity in most of the subsoil volume. This implies that substrate limitation is a controlling factor for SOC stability in subsoils, suggesting that SOC in non-hotspots is persisting over long time periods until substrate becomes available and increases microbial activity.