bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reverse halo sign on chest imaging in a renal transplant recipient
Authors: Stewart J.I. , D'Alonzo G.E. , Ciccolella D.E. , Patel N.B. , Durra H. , Clauss H.E.
Published: December 2013

Without proper treatment, the mortality of pulmonary mucormycosis is nearly 100%. Although the diagnosis is often made histologically, it can be suspected when patients have a reverse halo sign on computed tomography (CT) of the chest, along with the right clinical findings. We describe the case of a woman 7 months post renal transplant who presented with fevers, malaise, and chest pain. Her chest CT revealed a round, focal area of ground‐glass attenuation surrounded by a complete rim of consolidation in the left upper lobe, consistent with the reverse halo sign. Pulmonary mucormycosis was diagnosed by transbronchial lung biopsy. She was successfully treated with combined medical and surgical therapies. In the context of this case, we provide a brief review of the diagnosis of pulmonary mucormycosis, with a focus on radiographic and pathologic findings.
Yucasin is a potent inhibitor of YUCCA, a key enzyme in auxin biosynthesis
Authors: Nishimura Takeshi , Hayashi Ken‐ichiro , Suzuki Hiromi , Gyohda Atsuko , Takaoka Chihiro , Sakaguchi Yusuke , Matsumoto Sachiko , Kasahara Hiroyuki , Sakai Tatsuya , Kato Jun‐ichi , Kamiya Yuji , Koshiba Tomokazu
Published: December 2013

Indole‐3–acetic acid (IAA), an auxin plant hormone, is biosynthesized from tryptophan. The indole‐3–pyruvic acid (IPyA) pathway, involving the tryptophan aminotransferase TAA1 and YUCCA (YUC) enzymes, was recently found to be a major IAA biosynthetic pathway in Arabidopsis. TAA1 catalyzes the conversion of tryptophan to IPyA, and YUC produces IAA from IPyA. Using a chemical biology approach with maize coleoptiles, we identified 5–(4–chlorophenyl)‐4H‐1,2,4–triazole‐3–thiol (yucasin) as a potent inhibitor of IAA biosynthesis in YUC‐expressing coleoptile tips. Enzymatic analysis of recombinant AtYUC1‐His suggested that yucasin strongly inhibited YUC1‐His activity against the substrate IPyA in a competitive manner. Phenotypic analysis of Arabidopsis YUC1 over‐expression lines (35S::YUC1) demonstrated that yucasin acts in IAA biosynthesis catalyzed by YUC. In addition, 35S::YUC1 seedlings showed resistance to yucasin in terms of root growth. A loss‐of‐function mutant of TAA1, sav3–2, was hypersensitive to yucasin in terms of root growth and hypocotyl elongation of etiolated seedlings. Yucasin combined with the TAA1 inhibitor l–kynurenine acted additively in Arabidopsis seedlings, producing a phenotype similar to yucasin‐treated sav3–2 seedlings, indicating the importance of IAA biosynthesis via the IPyA pathway in root growth and leaf vascular development. The present study showed that yucasin is a potent inhibitor of YUC enzymes that offers an effective tool for analyzing the contribution of IAA biosynthesis via the IPyA pathway to plant development and physiological processes.
A randomized controlled trial of larval therapy for the debridement of leg ulcers: Results of a multicenter, randomized, controlled, open, observer blind, parallel group study
Authors: Mudge Elizabeth , Price Patricia , Neal Walkley , Harding Keith G.
Published: December 2013

It has been known for centuries that the application of larvae is useful to heal certain wounds by facilitating debridement of necrotic tissue,1 yet the efficacy of larval therapy continues to be debatable. This study compared the clinical effectiveness of a larval therapy dressing (BioFOAM) with a standard debridement technique (Purilon gel; hydrogel) in terms of time to debridement of venous (VLU) or mixed arterial/venous (MLU) leg ulcers. Data analyses were conducted on 88 subjects. Sixty‐four subjects completed the full study. Of these, 31 of the 32 (96.9%) patients who completed treatment in the larvae arm debrided fully, compared with 11 of the 32 (34.4%) patients who completed the hydrogel arm. In addition, 42 (48%) ulcers fully debrided within the 21‐day intervention phase, 31 (67.4%) from the larvae arm (n = 46), and 11 (26.2%) from the hydrogel arm (n = 42), which was statistically significant (p = 0.001) in support of larvae. A statistically significant difference was also observed between treatment arms with regard to numbers of dressing changes during the intervention phase of the study (p < 0.001) in that subjects in the larvae arm required significantly fewer dressing changes(mean = 2.83) than those in the hydrogel arm (mean = 5.40). There were no statistically significant differences in the clinical condition of the wound bed and surrounding skin by intervention. Subjects in the larvae arm experienced more ulcer‐related pain or discomfort than subjects in the hydrogel arm (p < 0.001). This study provided good evidence to show that larval therapy, in the form of a BioFOAM dressing, debrided VLU and MLU considerably more quickly than a hydrogel, although the possibility of resloughing should be closely monitored.
The Chern–Ricci flow on complex surfaces
Authors: Tosatti Valentino , Weinkove Ben
Published: December 2013

The Chern–Ricci flow is an evolution equation of Hermitian metrics by their Chern–Ricci form, first introduced by Gill. Building on our previous work, we investigate this flow on complex surfaces. We establish new estimates in the case of finite time non-collapsing, analogous to some known results for the Kähler–Ricci flow. This provides evidence that the Chern–Ricci flow carries out blow-downs of exceptional curves on non-minimal surfaces. We also describe explicit solutions to the Chern–Ricci flow for various non-Kähler surfaces. On Hopf surfaces and Inoue surfaces these solutions, appropriately normalized, collapse to a circle in the sense of Gromov–Hausdorff. For non-Kähler properly elliptic surfaces, our explicit solutions collapse to a Riemann surface. Finally, we define a Mabuchi energy functional for complex surfaces with vanishing first Bott–Chern class and show that it decreases along the Chern–Ricci flow.
Salmonella Pathogenicity and Host Adaptation in Chicken-Associated Serovars
Authors: Foley Steven L. , Johnson Timothy J. , Ricke Steven C. , Nayak Rajesh , Danzeisen Jessica
Published: December 2013

Enteric pathogens such as
Salmonella enterica
cause significant morbidity and mortality.
S. enterica
serovars are a diverse group of pathogens that have evolved to survive in a wide range of environments and across multiple hosts.
S. enterica
serovars such as
S
. Typhi,
S
. Dublin, and
S
. Gallinarum have a restricted host range, in which they are typically associated with one or a few host species, while
S
. Enteritidis and
S
. Typhimurium have broad host ranges. This review examines how
S. enterica
has evolved through adaptation to different host environments, especially as related to the chicken host, and continues to be an important human pathogen. Several factors impact host range, and these include the acquisition of genes via horizontal gene transfer with plasmids, transposons, and phages, which can potentially expand host range, and the loss of genes or their function, which would reduce the range of hosts that the organism can infect.
S
. Gallinarum, with a limited host range, has a large number of pseudogenes in its genome compared to broader-host-range serovars.
S. enterica
serovars such as
S
. Kentucky and
S
. Heidelberg also often have plasmids that may help them colonize poultry more efficiently. The ability to colonize different hosts also involves interactions with the host's immune system and commensal organisms that are present. Thus, the factors that impact the ability of
Salmonella
to colonize a particular host species, such as chickens, are complex and multifactorial, involving the host, the pathogen, and extrinsic pressures. It is the interplay of these factors which leads to the differences in host ranges that we observe today.
Host-Directed Therapeutics for Tuberculosis: Can We Harness the Host?
Authors: Hawn Thomas R. , Matheson Alastair I. , Maley Stephen N. , Vandal Omar
Published: December 2013

Treatment of tuberculosis (TB) remains challenging, with lengthy treatment durations and complex drug regimens that are toxic and difficult to administer. Similar to the vast majority of antibiotics, drugs for
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
are directed against microbial targets. Although more effective drugs that target the bacterium may lead to faster cure of patients, it is possible that a biological limit will be reached that can be overcome only by adopting a fundamentally new treatment approach. TB regimens might be improved by including agents that target host pathways. Recent work on host-pathogen interactions, host immunity, and host-directed interventions suggests that supplementing anti-TB therapy with host modulators may lead to shorter treatment times, a reduction in lung damage caused by the disease, and a lower risk of relapse or reinfection. We undertook this review to identify molecular pathways of the host that may be amenable to modulation by small molecules for the treatment of TB. Although several approaches to augmenting standard TB treatment have been proposed, only a few have been explored in detail or advanced to preclinical and clinical studies. Our review focuses on molecular targets and inhibitory small molecules that function within the macrophage or other myeloid cells, on host inflammatory pathways, or at the level of TB-induced lung pathology.
Ophthalmoplegic migraine with isolated third cranial nerve palsy in a known case of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
Authors: Shetty Aakash , Khardenavis Supriya , Deshpande Anirudda
Published: December 2013

Among the various forms of migraine headaches, ophthalmoplegic migraine is an uncommon and rare form, the incidence of which is approximately 0.7 per million. It presents predominantly with headache and ophthalmoplegia. One of more cranial nerves can be affected, however the third cranial nerve is most often affected. As a result, symptoms wise, mydriasis and ptosis are commonly seen. Patients generally recover completely within a few days or weeks, however residual deficits are known to occur in a minority of patients. One of the common generalised epilepsy syndromes is the juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), its prevalence being roughly up to 10% of all patients with epilepsy. It usually begins in the second decade of life. Generalised tonic–clonic seizures myoclonic jerks absences constitute the main seizure types in JME. Studies indicate a definite association of epilepsy with migraine headaches and a significant number of migraneurs are found to be epileptic. Conversely, patients with epilepsy are two times more likely to have migraine, as compared to their first degree relatives without migraine. We report a known case of a female patient of JME having a history of classical migraine with aura presenting to us with headache and ophthalmoplegia. She was extensively evaluated to rule out other causes of isolated third cranial nerve palsy, with all the investigations being negative for any obvious cause. She was treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the acute attack and was subsequently put on antimigraine medication, propranolol during her hospital stay, with which her ptosis recovered completely after 2 weeks. The patient was later started on tablet divalproex sodium, which the patient continues to take on a long-term basis, especially because of its efficacy as an antimigraine prophylaxis agent and a potent drug against JME.
Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma urinary bladder coexisting with tuberculosis in pelvic lymph nodes
Authors: Karthikeyan Vilvapathy Senguttuvan , Manikandan Ramanitharan , Jacob Sajini Elizabeth , Murugan P Puvai
Published: December 2013

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the urinary bladder is usually associated withSchistosoma haematobiumand chronic bladder irritation. We report a case of coexistent metastatic SCC and tuberculosis in obturator lymph nodes in radical cystoprostatectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy specimens. Though tubercular iliac lymphadenitis and metastatic transitional carcinoma following intravesical BCG has been reported, the concurrent presence of non-transitional cell cancer and primary lymph nodal tuberculosis in regional lymph nodes is rare. This case is reported to highlight the paucity of management guidelines available presently in the treatment of such patients who require systemic chemotherapy and antitubercular therapy.
Deformations and ground temperatures at a road embankment in northern Canada
Authors: Batenipour Hamid , Alfaro Marolo , Kurz David , Graham Jim
Published: December 2013

The paper examines the behaviour of a highway embankment in an area of discontinuous permafrost about 18 km northwest of Thompson, Manitoba. Frequent maintenance has been required. Research involved site investigation, laboratory testing, installing instruments, data collection, and numerical modeling. The paper reports data from almost 3 years of observation. Measurements of ground temperatures suggest that formerly ice-rich foundation soil has thawed under the toe and side-slope. Approximate values of segregation potential have been back-calculated from observations of settlements and temperatures. Results provide insight into the nature and cause of deformations of the embankment.
f(T) GRAVITY FROM HOLOGRAPHIC RICCI DARK ENERGY MODEL WITH NEW BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
Authors: HUANG PENG , HUANG YONG-CHANG , YUAN FANG-FANG
Published: December 2013

Commonly used boundary conditions in reconstructing f(T) gravity from holographic Ricci dark energy (RDE) model are found to cause some problem, we therefore propose new boundary conditions in this paper. By reconstructing f(T) gravity from the RDE with these new boundary conditions, we show that the new ones are better than the present commonly used ones since they can give the physically expected information, which is lost when the commonly used ones are taken in the reconstruction, of the resulting f(T) theory. Thus, the new boundary conditions proposed here are more suitable for the reconstruction of f(T) gravity.
BRST QUANTIZATION OF A SIXTH-ORDER DERIVATIVE SCALAR FIELD THEORY
Authors: KIM YONG-WAN , MYUNG YUN SOO , PARK YOUNG-JAI
Published: December 2013

We study a sixth-order derivative scalar field model in Minkowski spacetime as a toy model of higher-derivative critical gravity theories. This model is consistently quantized when using the Becchi–Rouet–Stora–Tyutin (BRST) quantization scheme even though it does not show gauge symmetry manifestly. Imposing a BRST quartet generated by two scalars and ghosts, there remains a nontrivial subspace with positive norm. This might be interpreted as a Minkowskian dual version of the unitary truncation in the logarithmic conformal field theory.
A 12-BIT 400-MS/s CURRENT-STEERING DAC WITH DEGLITCHING TECHNIQUE
Authors: XUE XIAOBO , ZHU XIAOLEI , SHI QIFENG , HE LENIAN
Published: December 2013

In this paper, a 12-bit current-steering digital-to-analog converter (DAC) employing a deglitching technique is proposed. The deglitching technique is realized by lowering the voltage swing of the control signal as well as by using a method of glitch counteraction (GC). A new switch–driver structure is designed to enable the effectiveness of the GC and provide sufficient driving capability under a low supply voltage. Moreover, the control signal's rise/fall asymmetry which increases the glitch error can be suppressed by using the proposed switch–driver structure. The 12-bit DAC is implemented in 180 nm CMOS technology. The measurement results show that the spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) at low signal frequency is 78.8 dB, and it is higher than 70 dB up to 60 MHz signal frequency at 400 MS/s. The measured INL and DNL are both less than ±0.6 LSB.
The ELECTRE I Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Method Based on Hesitant Fuzzy Sets
Authors: Chen Na , Xu Zeshui , Xia Meimei
Published: December 2013

Hesitant fuzzy set (HFS), which allows the membership degree of an element to a set represented by several possible values, is considered as a powerful tool to express uncertain information in the process of multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problems. In this paper, we develop a hesitant fuzzy ELECTRE I (HF-ELECTRE I) method and apply it to solve the MCDM problem under hesitant fuzzy environments. The new method is formulated using the concepts of hesitant fuzzy concordance and hesitant fuzzy discordance which are based on the given score function and deviation function, and employed to determine the preferable alternative. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the application of the proposed method, and the influence of different numbers of alternatives on outranking relations is analyzed based on a derived sensitive parameter interval in which a change in the parameters has no effects on the set of the nonoutranked alternatives. The randomly generated numerical cases are also investigated in the framework of the HF-ELECTRE I method. Furthermore, the outranking relations obtained in the HF-ELECTRE I method with those derived from the aggregation operator-based approach and the ELECTRE III and ELECTRE IV methods are discussed.
A New Method for Extracting the Hierarchical Organization of Networks
Authors: Zhan Weihua , Guan Jihong , Zhang Zhongzhi
Published: December 2013

Extracting the hierarchical organization of networks is currently a pressing task for understanding complex networked systems. The hierarchy of a network is essentially defined by the heterogeneity of link densities of communities at different scales. Here, we define a top-level partition (TLP) as a bipartition of the network (or a sub-network) such that no top-level community (TLC) runs across the two parts. It has been found that a TLP generally has a higher modularity than a non-top-level (TLP) partition when their TLCs have similar sizes and when the link densities of neighboring levels are well separated from each other. A spectral TLP procedure is proposed here to search for TLPs of a network (or sub-network). To extract the hierarchical organization of large complex networks, an algorithm called TLPA has been developed based on the TLP. Experiments have shown that the method developed in this research extract hierarchy accurately from network data.
TEXT DETECTION IN MOVING BUSINESS CARDS FOR HELPING VISUALLY IMPAIRED PERSONS USING A WEARABLE CAMERA
Authors: TSAI CHUN-MING
Published: December 2013

In this paper, text detection in moving business cards for helping visually impaired persons using a wearable camera is presented. The current methods to help visually impaired persons to read the natural scene text, menus and book covers have three problems. First, they assumed that the blind persons are standing still and the captured scene is not moving. Second, the blind persons do not know that the menu or the book cover is captured by the camera. Third, these methods cannot "see" business cards to help the blind persons. The proposed method includes moving detection, thumb detection motion blur detection and text detection methods. Experimental results show that the proposed method can reduce the time complexity. The reduced rates for training and testing sets are 83.18% and 77.08%, respectively. The text detection rates for training and testing sets are 93.44% and 94.58%, respectively. The fps is 53 for 320 × 240 video frames. The program size is 102KB and can be run on mobile devices.
BELOWGROUND ECOSYSTEMS: THE FOUNDATION FOR FOREST HEALTH, RESTORATION AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
Authors: STOHR WHITNEY G.
Published: December 2013

Forests cover approximately one-third of the global landscape and provide many ecosystem services. Both aboveground and belowground ecosystems together comprise a complete forest. Despite the fact that belowground ecosystems play an essential role in forest functioning, belowground systems are far less well studied and understood. Increasing knowledge of belowground ecosystems provides a more complete understanding of forest environments and advances ecosystem restoration efforts. There are many ways to redirect focus belowground; this paper proposes three examples: first, increase focus within the scientific community; second, incorporate belowground conservation in forest management policies; and third, recognize the sequestration capacity of belowground ecosystems as a climate change mitigation tool.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT RELATED MASTER LEVEL DEGREE PROGRAMMES IN THE EU: BASELINE, TRENDS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Authors: Fischer Thomas B. , Jha-Thakur Urmila
Published: December 2013

Environmental assessment and management (EAM) is an inherently interdisciplinary subject, drawing on science (e.g. ecology, biology, physical geography), social science (e.g. decision making theory, political sciences, planning) and economics. Due to the absence of a clear disciplinary home, understanding of EAM related higher education degree programmes has remained poor. Furthermore, teaching of EAM is influenced by how it is practiced and therefore differs from country to country. The aim of this paper is to shed light on this still under researched area by establishing a comprehensive overview of EAM related master level degree programmes across the EU. In this context, current baseline and emerging trends as well as challenges and opportunities are presented and discussed. The paper is aimed specifically at those interested in EAM higher education, e.g. researchers, university teachers and (prospective) students.
FINITE ELEMENT SIMULATION OF MICROPOLAR FLUID FLOW IN THE LID-DRIVEN SQUARE CAVITY
Authors: ASADI H. , JAVAHERDEH K. , RAMEZANI S.
Published: December 2013

The micropolar fluid theory augments the laws of classical continuum mechanics by incorporating the effects of fluid molecules on the continuum. So, the micropolar theory has been able to explain many phenomena at micro and nano scales. In this paper, a finite element formulation for the numerical analysis of micropolar laminar fluid flow is developed. In order to validate the results of the FE formulation, analytical solution of the Poiseuille flow of micropolar fluid in a microchannel is presented, and an excellent agreement between the results of the analytical solution and those of the FE formulation is observed. It is shown that the micropolar viscosity and the length scale parameter have significant roles on changing the flow characteristics. Then, the behavior of an incompressible viscous fluid flow in a lid-driven square cavity is investigated. The obtained results are compared to the results reported in the literature, and an excellent agreement is observed.
Eu2+-doped CsBr photostimulable X-ray storage phosphors — analysis of defect structure by high-frequency EPR
Authors: Jakes Peter , Zimmermann Jörg , Von Seggern Heinz , Ozarowski Andrew , Van Tol Johan , Eichel Rüdiger-A.
Published: December 2013

Eu 2+-doped CsBr in form of needle image plates is a promising alternative to the granular Eu 2+: BaFBr X-ray storage phosphor with respect to photo-stimulated luminescence, yield and spatial resolution. However, in order to understand the corresponding mechanisms on an atomic scale, the defect structure of Eu 2+-doped CsBr photostimulable X-ray storage phosphors has to be analyzed. By means of high-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, three types of defects have been observed — an electrically neutral dimeric [Formula: see text] defect complex and a neutral trimeric [Formula: see text] defect complex (FZ-center), as well as acceptor-type F-centers [Formula: see text] that are generated by the trapping of electrons at initially neutral bromine vacancies.
The cladid crinoid
Cupressocrinites
Goldfuss in the Devonian of SW England
Authors: Donovan Stephen K.
Published: December 2013

The cladid crinoid
Cupressocrinites
Goldfuss is a distinctive member of the Middle Devonian biota of SW England. These distinctive crinoids are easily identified to genus from incomplete specimens. They have characteristic columnals with tetragonal symmetry and peripheral canals; arm facets that extend the width of the radial plates; and uniserial, unbranched, triangular arms that are closely abutting. Although specimens from Devon are invariably incomplete, at least two species are recognizable from cups and arms. The specimens described by John Edward Lee (1808–1887) are redescribed with other material from the Natural History Museum, London. The four-fold symmetry of the column is unlikely to have persisted from a Late Ordovician ancestor.
Endolithic biota of belemnites from the Early Cretaceous Speeton Clay Formation of North Yorkshire, UK
Authors: Taylor Paul D. , Barnbrook Jane A. , Sendino Consuelo
Published: December 2013

The Berriasian–Albian Speeton Clay Formation is renowned for its rich and diverse belemnite fauna. Borings occur in a considerable proportion of the belemnite guards that can be found in the type locality south of Filey, but have never been described. This preliminary survey of the endolithic biota colonizing Speeton belemnites reveals the presence of at least 15 ichnotaxa, including traces made by grazing echinoids (
Gnathichnus pentax
), brachiopod pedicles (
Podichnus centrifugalis
), and a variety of macro- and microendoliths. The commonest macroendolith borings belong to two ichnospecies of
Trypanites
and were probably excavated by polychaete worms. Examples of borings made by other suspension feeding animals, including bivalves (
Gastrochaenolites lapidicus
), acrothoracican barnacles (
Rogerella mathieui
) and sponges (
Entobia
), are less abundant. Among the microendoliths,
Orthogonum
ispp. and
Saccomorpha clava
, both of which are very common, were probably made by fungi, whereas
Semidendrina pulchra
is thought to be the trace of a boring foraminifer. The tentative identification of the microboring
Rhopalia catenata
, which is made by autotrophic chlorophyte algae, suggests that at least some of the Speeton Clay Formation was deposited within the photic zone. Endoliths in the Speeton belemnite guards have future potential for developing a better understanding of the changing environments on the seabed during the long period of deposition of the Speeton Clay.
Fluid Selection of Organic Rankine Cycle Using Decision Making Approach
Authors: Chauhan Aditya , Vaish Rahul
Published: December 2013

An attempt has been made to rank and classify potential fluids for power production through organic rankine cycle (ORC) using technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method. In order to calculate subjective weights for the attributes under study, the modified digital logic (MDL) method has been used. It has been observed under two different case studies that R601 (pentane) shows promising results. These fluids are further classified using dendrogram, a hierarchical clustering technique. Finally Pearson's correlation coefficient is calculated for the attributes to find out the nature and degree of correlation between different attributes under study.
Evaluating Energy Sector Investments: Calculating Volatility
Authors: Pamplona Edson de Oliveira , Brandão Marina Carvalho , Montevechi José Arnaldo Barra , de Pinho Alexandre Ferreira , Albuquerque Valério Oscar , Rotela Junior Paulo
Published: December 2013

A major task in assessing risks of investment projects is defining the approach to calculating the project’s volatility. Looking at assorted estimation techniques, this paper calculates their volatilities. The techniques originate from authors in the area and involve project-specific variables of uncertainty. These techniques are applied to a case of electricity distribution through real options. Results are then compared. The difference between the calculated volatilities was low, leaving, in the case of the project evaluated here, the decision unchanged. The paper’s contribution consists of providing a detailed presentation of calculating volatility by the methods cited and by comparing the results obtained by its application.
Numerical Laser Energy Deposition on Supersonic Cavity Flow and Sensor Placement Strategies to Control the Flow
Authors: Yilmaz Ibrahim , Aradag Selin
Published: December 2013

In this study, the impact of laser energy deposition on pressure oscillations and relative sound pressure levels (SPL) in an open supersonic cavity flow is investigated. Laser energy with a magnitude of 100 mJ is deposited on the flow just above the cavity leading edge and up to 7 dB of reduction is obtained in the SPL values along the cavity back wall. Additionally, proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) method is applied to the x‐velocity data obtained as a result of computational fluid dynamics simulations of the flow with laser energy deposition. Laser is numerically modeled using a spherically symmetric temperature distribution. By using the POD results, the effects of laser energy on the flow mechanism are presented. A one‐dimensional POD methodology is applied to the surface pressure data to obtain critical locations for the placement of sensors for real time flow control applications.
A Smart Service Model Based on Ubiquitous Sensor Networks Using Vertical Farm Ontology
Authors: Sivamani Saraswathi , Bae Namjin , Cho Yongyun
Published: December 2013

Application of the technology systems is growing in various fields and the agriculture is not an exception. Agriculture is also reaping the benefits of technological innovation which helps in quantitative and qualitative food production. Vertical farm, one of the agricultural practices, is considered to be the future of agriculture with the rate of population migrating into urban areas. Ubiquitous computing in agriculture is emerging remarkably in this fast processing pervasive environment, owing to wireless sensor network (WSN). Building a context aware system for the vertical farm is complex without the semantic interoperability between the Internet of things (IOT). In this paper, we propose a vertical farm ontology (VFO), an OWL based ontology model which helps in more understanding of the relationship between the domain factors. With the proposed model, the information from the Internet of things is recomposed as context information and made understandable for the other systems. For the sake of agriculture, we hope that our proposed model will pave great path for the development of smart and intelligent agricultural services.
A Case of Alport Syndrome with Posttransplant Antiglomerular Basement Membrane Disease despite Negative Antiglomerular Basement Membrane Antibodies by EIA Treated with Plasmapheresis and Intravenous Immunoglobulin
Authors: Armstead Sumiko I. , Hellmark Thomas , Wieslander Jorgen , Zhou Xin J. , Saxena Ramesh , Rajora Nilum
Published: December 2013

Posttransplant antiglomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease occurs in approximately 5% of Alport patients and usually ends in irreversible graft failure. Recent research has focused on characterizing the structure of the anti-GBM alloepitope. Here we present a case of a 22-year-old male with end-stage renal disease secondary to Alport syndrome, with a previously failed renal allograft, who received a second deceased-donor kidney transplant. Six days after transplantation, he developed acute kidney injury. The serum anti-GBM IgG was negative by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). On biopsy, he had crescentic glomerulonephritis with linear GBM fixation of IgG. With further analysis by western blotting, we were able to detect antibodies to an unidentified protein from the basement membrane. This patient was treated with plasmapheresis twice per week and monthly intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for a total of five months. At the end of treatment, these unknown antibodies were no longer detected. His renal function improved, and he has not required dialysis. We conclude that anti-GBM disease in patients with Alport Syndrome may be caused by circulating antibodies to other components of the basement membrane that are undetectable by routine anti-GBM EIA and may respond to treatment with plasmapheresis and IVIG.
Even Four Minutes of Poor Quality of CPR Compromises Outcome in a Porcine Model of Prolonged Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Li Heng , Zhang Lei , Yang Zhengfei , Huang Zitong , Chen Bihua , Li Yongqin , Yu Tao
Published: December 2013

Objective. Untrained bystanders usually delivered suboptimal chest compression to victims who suffered from cardiac arrest in out-of-hospital settings. We therefore investigated the hemodynamics and resuscitation outcome of initial suboptimal quality of chest compressions compared to the optimal ones in a porcine model of cardiac arrest.Methods. Fourteen Yorkshire pigs weighted 30 ± 2 kg were randomized into good and poor cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) groups. Ventricular fibrillation was electrically induced and untreated for 6 mins. In good CPR group, animals received high quality manual chest compressions according to the Guidelines (25% of animal’s anterior-posterior thoracic diameter) during first two minutes of CPR compared with poor (70% of the optimal depth) compressions. After that, a 120-J biphasic shock was delivered. If the animal did not acquire return of spontaneous circulation, another 2 mins of CPR and shock followed. Four minutes later, both groups received optimal CPR until total 10 mins of CPR has been finished.Results. All seven animals in good CPR group were resuscitated compared with only two in poor CPR group (P<0.05). The delayed optimal compressions which followed 4 mins of suboptimal compressions failed to increase the lower coronary perfusion pressure of five non-survival animals in poor CPR group.Conclusions. In a porcine model of prolonged cardiac arrest, even four minutes of initial poor quality of CPR compromises the hemodynamics and survival outcome.
Epidemiology of Human Respiratory Viruses in Children with Acute Respiratory Tract Infections in Jinan, China
Authors: Lu Yanqin , Wang Shifu , Zhang Lehai , Xu Chao , Bian Cuirong , Wang Zhaoxia , Ma Yanhui , Wang Ke , Ma Lixia , Meng Chen , Ni Caiyun , Tong Jiabei , Li Gongchao , Han Jinxiang
Published: December 2013

The viral etiologies of UTRIs and LTRIs in children in Jinan city were investigated between July 2009 and June 2010. Nasal and throat swabs were collected from 397 children with URTIs and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid specimens were collected from 323 children with LRTIs. RT-PCR/PCR was used to examine all samples for IFV, PIV, RSV, RV, hMPV, HBoV, CoV, ADV, RSV, and EV. Viral pathogens were detected in 47.10% of URTI samples and 66.57% samples, and the incidence of viral coinfection was 5.29% and 21.05%, respectively. IFV was the most common virus in URTIs, with a detection rate of 19.40%, followed by PIV (10.83%), RV (10.58%), and EV (6.30%). For LRTIs, PIV and RV were both detected in 27% of samples, followed by RSV (9.91%), HBoV (8.36%), IFV (5.57%), and hMPV (5.57%). RSV and HBoV were more prevalent in the youngest children of no more than six months. Meanwhile, RV, PIV, and RSV were the most frequent viruses combined with bacterial pathogens in LRTIs. In conclusion, the spectrum of respiratory virus infections in URTIs and LRTIs differed in terms of the most common pathogens, seasonal distribution, and coinfection rate.
Fuzzy Sets Method of Reliability Prediction and Its Application to a Turbocharger of Diesel Engines
Authors: Li Yan-Feng , Huang Hong-Zhong , Zhang Hanliang , Xiao Ning-Cong , Liu Yu
Published: December 2013

Diesel engine is a complex electromechanical system which must operate reliably in harsh working environments. Reliability analysis and prediction play an important role during the design and development of diesel engines. However, in the traditional reliability methods, the analytical result obtained from the conventional failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis (FMECA) is not sufficient, which not only increases the workload of designers in charge of reliability, but also prolongs the product delivery time. This paper performs an in-depth reliability analysis with an emphasis on predicting the lifetime of diesel engine's turbocharger, in which the failure mode and the information of criticality provided by FMECA are fully utilized to carry out the reliability predictions. Meanwhile, to ensure the reliability prediction quality, this paper takes into account the expert knowledge and provides a possibility-based prediction model, in which the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation are combined to assess the criticality of the FMECA.
A Fuzzy Logic Enhanced Environmental Protection Education Model for Policies Decision Support in Green Community Development
Authors: Hsueh Sung-Lin
Published: December 2013

This study proposes the promotion of environmental protection education among communities as a solution to the serious problems of high energy consumption and carbon emissions around the world. Environmental protection education has direct and lasting influences on everyone in society; therefore, it is helpful in our fight against many serious problems caused by high energy consumption. In this study, the Delphi method and the fuzzy logic theory are used to develop a quantizing assessment model based on qualitative analysis. This model can be used to assess the results and influences of community residents’ participation in environmental protection education on green community development. In addition, it can be used to provide references for governing authorities in their decision making of green community development policies.
Dynamic Modeling of Reversible Methanolysis of Jatropha curcas Oil to Biodiesel
Authors: Syam Azhari M. , Hamid Hamidah A. , Yunus Robiah , Rashid Umer
Published: December 2013

Many kinetics studies on methanolysis assumed the reactions to be irreversible. The aim of the present work was to study the dynamic modeling of reversible methanolysis of Jatropha curcas oil (JCO) to biodiesel. The experimental data were collected under the optimal reaction conditions: molar ratio of methanol to JCO at 6 : 1, reaction temperature of 60°C, 60 min of reaction time, and 1% w/w of catalyst concentration. The dynamic modeling involved the derivation of differential equations for rates of three stepwise reactions. The simulation study was then performed on the resulting equations using MATLAB. The newly developed reversible models were fitted with various rate constants and compared with the experimental data for fitting purposes. In addition, analysis of variance was done statistically to evaluate the adequacy and quality of model parameters. The kinetics study revealed that the reverse reactions were significantly slower than forward reactions. The activation energies ranged from 6.5 to 44.4 KJ mol−1.
Coercivity Properties for Sequences of Lower Semicontinuous Functions on Metric Spaces
Authors: Motreanu D. , Motreanu V. V.
Published: December 2013

The paper presents various results studying the asymptotic behavior of a sequence of lower semicontinuous functions on a metric space. In particular, different coercivity properties are obtained extending and refining previous results. The specific features and the structure of the terms of the sequence are used to construct appropriate quantities relevant in the verification of Palais-Smale compactness type conditions.
Proteomics Approach to the Study of Cattle Tick Adaptation to White Tailed Deer
Authors: Popara Marina , Villar Margarita , Mateos-Hernández Lourdes , Fernández de Mera Isabel G. , de la Fuente José
Published: December 2013

Cattle ticks,Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, are a serious threat to animal health and production. Some ticks feed on a single host species while others such asR. microplusinfest multiple hosts. White tailed deer (WTD) play a role in the maintenance and expansion of cattle tick populations. However, cattle ticks fed on WTD show lower weight and reproductive performance when compared to ticks fed on cattle, suggesting the existence of host factors that affect tick feeding and reproduction. To elucidate these factors, a proteomics approach was used to characterize tick and host proteins inR. microplusticks fed on cattle and WTD. The results showed thatR. microplusticks fed on cattle have overrepresented tick proteins involved in blood digestion and reproduction when compared to ticks fed on WTD, while host proteins were differentially represented in ticks fed on cattle or WTD. Although a direct connection cannot be made between differentially represented tick and host proteins, these results suggested that differentially represented host proteins together with other host factors could be associated with higherR. microplustick feeding and reproduction observed in ticks fed on cattle.
Effect of pH, Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, and Flow Rate of Overlying Water on Heavy Metals Release from Storm Sewer Sediments
Authors: Li Haiyan , Shi Anbang , Li Mingyi , Zhang Xiaoran
Published: December 2013

The concentrations and the amount of cumulative release of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr, and Pb) in contaminated sediments collected from combined sewer system were investigated in order to provide a complete overview of the key variables affecting the heavy metals release from storm sewer sediments. The heavy metals release rates were affected to a much greater extent in the low pH (4–7) condition than in high pH (8–10) condition. At higher temperature (30–35°C) the release rates of metals were increased more rapidly than at low temperature. The release of Zn, Cu, Cr, and Pb appeared to increase under the aerobic condition during the first 150 min and then the concentration kept stable. Moreover, the adsorption of these metals and the release of Cd occurred in the anaerobic condition. The flow rate significantly affected the release amount of Zn, Pb, and Cr, while it slightly affected the concentration of Cu and Cd. This study reflects that any change of pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and flow rate of overlying water all cause the different variations of the concentrations of heavy metals.
Constructing Novel Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Composites through a Biomimetic Approach: Connecting Glass Fiber with Nanosized Boron Nitride by Polydopamine Coating
Authors: Wen XueMei , Xiao ZaoZao , Jiang Tao , Li Jian , Zhang Wei , Zhang Lei , Shao Huaiqi
Published: December 2013

A biomimetic method was developed to construct novel fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) composites. By mimicking mussel adhesive proteins, a monolayer of polydopamine was coated on glass fiber (GF) surface. The polydopamine‐treated GF (D‐GF) adsorbed boron nitride (BN) nanoparticles, while obtaining micronano multiscale hybrid fillers BN‐D‐GF. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the strong interfacial interaction brought by the polydopamine benefits the loading amount as well as dispersion of the nano‐BN on GF’s surface. The BN‐D‐GF was incorporated into epoxy resin to construct “FRP nanocomposites.” The morphology, dynamic mechanical and thermal characteristics of the FRP nanocomposites were analyzed. SEM morphology revealed that BN‐D‐GF heterogeneous dispersed in epoxy matrix. There was good adhesion between the polymer matrix and the BN‐D‐GF filler. The dynamic modulus and mechanical loss were studied using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Compared with neat epoxy and untreated GF reinforced composites, BN‐D‐GF/epoxy and D‐GF/epoxy systems showed improved mechanical properties. The thermal conductivity, Shore D hardness, and insulation properties were also enhanced.
Effect of Hydroxylamine Sulfate on Volumetric Behavior of Glycine, L‐Alanine, and L‐Arginine in Aqueous Solution
Authors: Chen Jie , Fang Sheng , Shi Yu-Gang , Meng Yue-Cheng , Ren Da-Hai
Published: December 2013

The apparent molar volumes of glycine, L‐alanine, and L‐arginine in aqueous hydroxylamine sulfate solutions have been determined at T = 298.15 K and atmospheric pressure. The standard partial molar volumes, , corresponding partial molar volumes of transfer, , and hydration numbers, NH, have been calculated for these α‐amino acids from the experimental data. The values are positive for glycine, L‐alanine, and L‐arginine and are all increased with the increase in the concentration of hydroxylamine ions. These parameters obtained from the volumetric data are interpreted in terms of various mixing effects between amino acids and hydroxylamine sulfate in aqueous solutions.
Antigenotoxic and Apoptotic Activity of Green Tea Polyphenol Extracts on Hexavalent Chromium-Induced DNA Damage in Peripheral Blood of CD-1 Mice: Analysis with Differential Acridine Orange/Ethidium Bromide Staining
Authors: García-Rodríguez María del Carmen , Carvente-Juárez Megumi Monserrat , Altamirano-Lozano Mario Agustín
Published: December 2013

This study was conducted to investigate the modulating effects of green tea polyphenols on genotoxic damage and apoptotic activity induced by hexavalent chromium [Cr (VI)] in CD-1 mice. Animals were divided into the following groups: (i) injected with vehicle; (ii) treated with green tea polyphenols (30 mg/kg) via gavage; (iii) injected with CrO3(20 mg/kg) intraperitoneally; (iv) treated with green tea polyphenols in addition to CrO3. Genotoxic damage was evaluated by examining micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MN-PCEs) obtained from peripheral blood at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h after treatment. Induction of apoptosis and cell viability were assessed by differential acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining. Treatment of green tea polyphenols led to no significant changes in the MN-PCEs. However, CrO3treatment significantly increased MN-PCEs at 24 and 48 h after injection. Green tea polyphenols treatment prior to CrO3injection led to a decrease in MN-PCEs compared to the group treated with CrO3only. The average of apoptotic cells was increased at 48 h after treatment compared to control mice, suggesting that apoptosis could contribute to eliminate the DNA damaged cells induced by Cr (VI). Our findings support the proposed protective effects of green tea polyphenols against the genotoxic damage induced by Cr (VI).
Investigation of Genetic Disturbances in Oxygen Sensing and Erythropoietin Signaling Pathways in Cases of Idiopathic Erythrocytosis
Authors: Dinardo Carla Luana , Santos Paulo Caleb Junior Lima , Schettert Isolmar Tadeu , Soares Renata Alonso Gadi , Krieger Jose Eduardo , Pereira Alexandre Costa
Published: December 2013

Background. Idiopathic erythrocytosis is the term reserved for cases with unexplained origins of abnormally increased hemoglobin after initial investigation. Extensive molecular investigation of genes associated with oxygen sensing and erythropoietin signaling pathways, in those cases, usually involves sequencing all of their exons and it may be time consuming. Aim. To perform a strategy for molecular investigation of patients with idiopathic erythrocytosis regarding oxygen sensing and erythropoietin signaling pathways. Methods. Samples of patients with idiopathic erythrocytosis were evaluated for the EPOR, VHL, PHD2, and HIF-2α genes using bidirectional sequencing of their hotspots. Results. One case was associated with HIF-2α mutation. Sequencing did not identify any pathogenic mutation in 4 of 5 cases studied in any of the studied genes. Three known nonpathogenic polymorphisms were found (VHL p.P25L, rs35460768; HIF-2α p.N636N, rs35606117; HIF-2α p.P579P, rs184760160). Conclusion. Extensive molecular investigation of cases considered as idiopathic erythrocytosis does not frequently change the treatment of the patient. However, we propose a complementary molecular investigation of those cases comprising genes associated with erythrocytosis phenotype to meet both academic and genetic counseling purposes.