bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of Vancomycin plus a β-Lactam versus Vancomycin Only for Treatment of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia
Authors: Truong James , Veillette John J. , Forland Steve C.
Published: November 2017

The objective of this retrospective study was to compare the rates of treatment failure, which was a composite of clinical and microbiologic failure, of patients receiving vancomycin and a β-lactam to those receiving vancomycin only for methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) bacteremia. Patients 16 to 89 years of age with MRSA bacteremia admitted to a university-affiliated hospital from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2016 were screened for study inclusion. Patients were eligible if they received >48 h of vancomycin and a β-lactam (combination group) or vancomycin only (standard group) within 48 h after bacteremia onset. A total of 182 patients were screened: 47 were included in the standard group, and 63 were in the combination group. The combination group had a higher baseline body mass index (29.2 ± 8.0 kg/m
2
versus 25.8 ± 7.1 kg/m
2
,
P
= 0.022), acute physiologic assessment and chronic health evaluation-II (APACHE-II) score (median [interquartile range], 21 [15 to 26] versus 16 [10 to 22],
P
= 0.003), and incidence of septic shock (31.8% versus 14.9%,
P
= 0.047). Using multivariate analysis, combination therapy was the only variable that decreased treatment failures (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.337 [0.142 to 0.997]), while vancomycin MIC > 1 mg/liter and male gender increased treatment failures (4.018 [1.297 to 12.444] and 2.971 [1.040 to 8.488], respectively). The 30-day mortality rates (15.0% versus 14.9%,
P
= 1.000) and the incidence of adverse drug events (19.1% versus 23.4%,
P
= 0.816) were not statistically different between the combination and standard groups. Combination therapy of vancomycin with a β-lactam led to significantly fewer treatment failures than vancomycin monotherapy for MRSA bacteremia.
Activity of Simulated Human Dosage Regimens of Meropenem and Vaborbactam against Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in an
In Vitro
Hollow-Fiber Model
Authors: Sabet Mojgan , Tarazi Ziad , Rubio-Aparicio Debora , Nolan Thomas G. , Parkinson Jonathan , Lomovskaya Olga , Dudley Michael N. , Griffith David C.
Published: November 2017

The objective of these studies was to evaluate the exposures of meropenem and vaborbactam that would produce antibacterial activity and prevent resistance development in carbapenem-resistant
Klebsiella pneumoniae
carbapenemase (KPC)-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
strains when tested at an inoculum of 10
8
CFU/ml. Thirteen
K. pneumoniae
isolates, three
Enterobacter cloacae
isolates, and one
Escherichia coli
isolate were examined in an
in vitro
hollow-fiber model over 32 h. Simulated dosage regimens of 1 to 2 g of meropenem with 1 to 2 g of vaborbactam, with meropenem administered every 8 h by a 3-h infusion based on phase 1 or phase 3 patient pharmacokinetic data, were studied in the model. A dosage of 2 g of meropenem in combination with 2 g of vaborbactam was bactericidal against
K. pneumoniae
,
E. cloacae
, and
E. coli
strains, with meropenem-vaborbactam MICs of up to 8 mg/liter. When the vaborbactam exposure was adjusted to the levels observed in patients enrolled in phase 3 trials (24-h free AUC, ∼550 mg · h/liter, versus 320 mg · h/liter in the phase 1 studies), 2 g of meropenem with 2 g of vaborbactam was also bactericidal against strains with meropenem-vaborbactam MICs of 16 mg/liter. In addition, this level of vaborbactam also suppressed the development of resistance observed using phase 1 exposures. In this pharmacodynamic model, exposures similar to 2 g of meropenem in combination with 2 g of vaborbactam administered every 8 h by a 3-h infusion in phase 3 trials produced antibacterial activity and suppressed the development of resistance against carbapenem-resistant KPC-producing strains of
Enterobacteriaceae
.
Analysis of the Human Mucosal Response to Cholera Reveals Sustained Activation of Innate Immune Signaling Pathways
Authors: Bourque Daniel L. , Bhuiyan Taufiqur Rahman , Genereux Diane P. , Rashu Rasheduzzaman , Ellis Crystal N. , Chowdhury Fahima , Khan Ashraful I. , Alam Nur Haq , Paul Anik , Hossain Lazina , Mayo-Smith Leslie M. , Charles Richelle C. , Weil Ana A. , LaRocque Regina C. , Calderwood Stephen B. , Ryan Edward T. , Karlsson Elinor K. , Qadri Firdausi , Harris Jason B.
Published: November 2017

To better understand the innate immune response to
Vibrio cholerae
infection, we tracked gene expression in the duodenal mucosa of 11 Bangladeshi adults with cholera, using biopsy specimens obtained immediately after rehydration and 30 and 180 days later. We identified differentially expressed genes and performed an analysis to predict differentially regulated pathways and upstream regulators. During acute cholera, there was a broad increase in the expression of genes associated with innate immunity, including activation of the NF-κB, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated signaling pathways, which, unexpectedly, persisted even 30 days after infection. Focusing on early differences in gene expression, we identified 37 genes that were differentially expressed on days 2 and 30 across the 11 participants. These genes included the endosomal Toll-like receptor gene
TLR8
, which was expressed in lamina propria cells. Underscoring a potential role for endosomal TLR-mediated signaling
in vivo
, our pathway analysis found that interferon regulatory factor 7 and beta 1 and alpha 2 interferons were among the top upstream regulators activated during cholera. Among the innate immune effectors, we found that the gene for DUOX2, an NADPH oxidase involved in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis, was upregulated in intestinal epithelial cells during cholera. Notably, the observed increases in
DUOX2
and
TLR8
expression were also modeled
in vitro
when Caco-2 or THP-1 cells, respectively, were stimulated with live
V. cholerae
but not with heat-killed organisms or cholera toxin alone. These previously unidentified features of the innate immune response to
V. cholerae
extend our understanding of the mucosal immune signaling pathways and effectors activated
in vivo
following cholera.
Tubular sigmoid duplication in an adult man: an interesting incidental finding
Authors: Asour Amani , Kim Hyun-Kyung , Arya Shobhit , Hepworth Clive
Published: November 2017

A 61-year-old man attended an outpatient colorectal clinic for a chronic, non-specific abdominal pain, associated with rectal bleeding. He underwent a number of investigations including a CT pneumocolon, which revealed an incidental finding of 20 cm of additional sigmoid colon. This case is interesting because tubular sigmoid duplication is an extremely unusual condition, rarely diagnosed in adults; only a few cases have been reported of this condition in the adult population. Our team chose to treat this patient conservatively, in order to avoid putting the patient at risk of an unnecessary surgery.
Can physical assessment techniques aid diagnosis in people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis? A diagnostic accuracy study
Authors: Hives Lucy , Bradley Alice , Richards Jim , Sutton Chris , Selfe James , Basu Bhaskar , Maguire Kerry , Sumner Gail , Gaber Tarek , Mukherjee Annice , Perrin Raymond N
Published: November 2017

Objective

To assess five physical signs to see whether they can assist in the screening of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and potentially lead to quicker treatment.

Methods

This was a diagnostic accuracy study with inter-rater agreement assessment. Participants recruited from two National Health Service hospitals, local CFS/ME support groups and the community were examined by three practitioners on the same day in a randomised order. Two allied health professionals (AHPs) performed independent examinations of physical signs including: postural/mechanical disturbances of the thoracic spine, breast varicosities, tender Perrin’s point, tender coeliac plexus and dampened cranial flow. A physician conducted a standard clinical neurological and rheumatological assessment while looking for patterns of illness behaviour. Each examination lasted approximately 20 min.

Results

Ninety-four participants were assessed, 52 patients with CFS/ME and 42 non-CFS/ME controls, aged 18–60. Cohen’s kappa revealed that agreement between the AHPs was substantial for presence of the tender coeliac plexus (κ=0.65, p<0.001) and moderate for postural/mechanical disturbance of the thoracic spine (κ=0.57, p<0.001) and Perrin’s point (κ=0.56, p<0.001). A McNemar’s test found no statistically significant bias in the diagnosis by the experienced AHP relative to actual diagnosis (p=1.0) and a marginally non-significant bias by the newly trained AHP (p=0.052). There was, however, a significant bias in the diagnosis made by the physician relative to actual diagnosis (p<0.001), indicating poor diagnostic utility of the clinical neurological and rheumatological assessment.

Conclusions

Using the physical signs appears to improve the accuracy of identifying people with CFS/ME and shows agreement with current diagnostic techniques. However, the present study concludes that only two of these may be needed. Examining for physical signs is both quick and simple for the AHP and may be used as an efficient screening tool for CFS/ME. This is a small single-centre study, and therefore, further validation in other centres and larger populations is needed.
Effects of falls prevention interventions on falls outcomes for hospitalised adults: protocol for a systematic review with meta-analysis
Authors: Slade Susan C , Carey David L , Hill Anne-Marie , Morris Meg E
Published: November 2017

Introduction

Falls are a major global public health problem and leading cause of accidental or unintentional injury and hospitalisation. Falls in hospital are associated with longer length of stay, readmissions and poor outcomes. Falls prevention is informed by knowledge of reversible falls risk factors and accurate risk identification. The extent to which hospital falls are prevented by evidence-based practice, patient self-management initiatives, environmental modifications and optimisation of falls prevention systems awaits confirmation. Published reviews have mainly evaluated community settings and residential care facilities. A better understanding of hospital falls and the most effective strategies to prevent them is vital to keeping people safe.

Objectives

To evaluate the effectiveness of falls prevention interventions on reducing falls in hospitalised adults (acute and subacute wards, rehabilitation, mental health, operating theatre and emergency departments). We also summarise components of effective falls prevention interventions.

Methods and analysis

This protocol has been registered. The systematic review will be informed by Cochrane guidelines and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis statement. Inclusion criteria: randomised controlled trials, quasi-randomised trials or controlled clinical trials that evaluate falls prevention interventions for use by hospitalised adults or employees. Electronic databases will be searched using key terms including falls, accidental falls, prevention, hospital, rehabilitation, emergency, mental health, acute and subacute. Pairs of independent reviewers will conduct all review steps. Included studies will be evaluated for risk of bias. Data for variables such as age, participant characteristics, settings and interventions will be extracted and analysed with descriptive statistics and meta-analysis where possible. The results will be presented textually, with flow charts, summary tables, statistical analysis (and meta-analysis where possible) and narrative summaries.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not required. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated electronically, in print and at conferences. Updates will guide healthcare translation into practice.

Trail registration number

PROSPERO 2017: CRD 42017058887. Available fromhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero
Risks for comorbidity in children with atopic disorders: an observational study in Dutch general practices
Authors: Pols David H J , Bohnen Arthur M , Nielen Mark M J , Korevaar Joke C , Bindels Patrick J E
Published: November 2017

Objective

This study aimed to investigate both atopic and non-atopic comorbid symptoms and diseases in children with physician-diagnosed atopic disorders (atopic eczema, asthma and allergic rhinitis).

Methods

All children aged 0–18 years listed in a nationwide primary care database (the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research-Primary Care Database) with routinely collected healthcare data in 2014 were selected. Children with atopic disorders were matched on age and gender with non-atopic controls within the same general practice. A total of 404 International Classification of Primary Care codes were examined. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the associations between the presence of atopic disorders and (non-)atopic symptoms and diseases by calculating ORs.

Results

Having one of the atopic disorders significantly increased the risk of having other atopic-related symptoms, even if the child was not registered as having the related atopic disorder. Regarding non-atopic comorbidity, children with atopic eczema (n=15 530) were at significantly increased risk for (infectious) skin diseases (OR: 1.2–3.4). Airway symptoms or (infectious) diseases (OR: 2.1–10.3) were observed significantly more frequently in children with asthma (n=7887). Children with allergic rhinitis (n=6835) had a significantly distinctive risk of ear-nose-throat-related symptoms and diseases (OR: 1.5–3.9). Neither age nor gender explained these increased risks.

Conclusion

General practitioners are not always fully aware of relevant atopic and non-atopic comorbidity. In children known to have at least one atopic disorder, specific attention is required to avoid possible insufficient treatment and unnecessary loss of quality of life.
Involvement of people with dementia in making decisions about their lives: a qualitative study that appraises shared decision-making concerning daycare
Authors: Groen-van de Ven Leontine , Smits Carolien , de Graaff Fuusje , Span Marijke , Eefsting Jan , Jukema Jan , Vernooij-Dassen Myrra
Published: November 2017

Objective

To explore how people with dementia, their informal caregivers and their professionals participate in decision making about daycare and to develop a typology of participation trajectories.

Design

A qualitative study with a prospective, multiperspective design, based on 244 semistructured interviews, conducted during three interview rounds over the course of a year. Analysis was by means of content analysis and typology construction.

Setting

Community settings and nursing homes in the Netherlands.

Participants

19 people with dementia, 36 of their informal caregivers and 38 of their professionals (including nurses, daycare employees and case managers).

Results

The participants’ responses related to three critical points in the decision-making trajectory about daycare: (1) the initial positive or negative expectations of daycare; (2) negotiation about trying out daycare by promoting, resisting or attuning to others; and (3) trying daycare, which resulted in positive or negative reactions from people with dementia and led to a decision. The ways in which care networks proceeded through these three critical points resulted in a typology of participation trajectories, including (1) working together positively toward daycare, (2) bringing conflicting perspectives together toward trying daycare and (3) not reaching commitment to try daycare.

Conclusion

Shared decision making with people with dementia is possible and requires and adapted process of decision making. Our results show that initial preferences based on information alone may change when people with dementia experience daycare. It is important to have a try-out period so that people with dementia can experience daycare without having to decide whether to continue it. Whereas shared decision making in general aims at moving from initial preferences to informed preferences, professionals should focus more on moving from initial preferences to experienced preferences for people with dementia. Professionals can play a crucial role in facilitating the possibilities for a try-out period.
Multi-band terahertz metasurface absorber
Authors: Wang Xuying , Wang Qingmin , Dong Guoyan , Hao Yanan , Lei Ming , Bi Ke
Published: November 2017

A terahertz metasurface perfect absorber with multi-band performance is demonstrated. The absorber is composed of a ground plane and four split-ring resonators (SRRs) with different dimensions, separated by a dielectric spacer. The numerical simulation results illustrate that the proposed absorber has four distinct absorption peaks at resonance frequencies of 4.24, 5.66, 7.22, and 8.97 THz, with absorption rates of 96.8%, 99.3%, 97.3%, and 99.9%, respectively. Moreover, the corresponding full width at half-maximum (FWHM) values are about 0.27, 0.35, 0.32, and 0.42 THz, respectively, which are much broader than those of previously reported absorbers. Besides, the calculated magnetic field distributions allow us to understand the absorption mechanism in detail. The effects of incident angle and azimuthal angle on the absorber are also investigated. The results show that the proposed absorber is partially sensitive to the incident angle, which makes this design promising for practical applications in terahertz imagers and detectors.
New Leakage Reduction Techniques for FinFET Technology with Its Application
Authors: Dadoria Ajay Kumar , Khare Kavita , Gupta Tarun Kumar , Singh R. P.
Published: November 2017

This paper describes three novel techniques such as drain gating PMOS transistor (DGPT), drain gating NMOS transistor (DGNT) and drain gating NMOS–PMOS transistor (DGNPT) for mitigation of leakage power, which are proposed to be used for low-power (LP) applications. The proposed techniques have leakage controlling sleep transistor inserted with sleep signal between pull-up and pull-down networks for reducing the leakage power. Simulation results are derived by HSPICE tool with PTM model for FinFET process fabrication at 32[Formula: see text]nm technology node at 25[Formula: see text]C and 110[Formula: see text]C temperatures. The proposed techniques are applied on standard and benchmark circuits, then these circuits are implemented on FinFET technology in short-gate (SG) and LP modes at 10[Formula: see text]MHz frequency. Simulation results show that the maximum reduction in leakage power by the proposed technique DGPT for two-input NAND gate is 99.34% in SG mode and in LP mode it is 99.83% at 25[Formula: see text]C. DGNT technique gives the maximum saving in leakage power consumption of 97.17% in SG mode and in LP mode a maximum saving of 95.10% at 25[Formula: see text]C is achieved. Similarly, DGNPT saves 99.34% in SG mode and in LP mode it saves 99.90% leakage power at 25[Formula: see text]C with respect to conventional gates. The proposed techniques are also applied on different benchmark circuits and the results are validated. As an application of the proposed techniques, NAND gate is modified accordingly and it is used in 1-bit and 2-bit full-adder circuits.
Sequential Stochastic Response Surface Method Using Moving Least Squares-Based Sparse Grid Scheme for Efficient Reliability Analysis
Authors: Rathi Amit Kumar , Sharma P. V. Sudhi , Chakraborty Arunasis
Published: November 2017

The present work demonstrates an efficient method for reliability analysis using sequential development of the stochastic response surface. Here, orthogonal Hermite polynomials are used whose unknown coefficients are evaluated using moving least square technique. To do so, collocation points in the conventional stochastic response surface method (SRSM) are replaced by the sparse grid scheme so as to reduce the number of function evaluations. Moreover, the domain is populated sequentially by the sparse grid based on the outcome of the optimization to find out the most probable failure point. Hence, the support points are generated based on a coupled effect of the optimization for failure region and the sub-grids hierarchy. Continuous and differentiable penalty function is imposed to determine multiple failure points, if any, by repeating the optimization. Once the response surface is developed, reliability analysis is carried out using importance sampling. Five different benchmark examples are presented in this study to validate the performance of the proposed modeling. As the accuracy of the method is established, two reliability-based design examples involving nonlinear finite element (FE) analysis of plates are demonstrated. Numerical study shows the efficiency of the proposed sequential SRSM in terms of accuracy and number of time-exhaustive evaluation of the original performance function, as compared to other methods available in the literature. Based on these results, it may be concluded that the proposed method works satisfactorily for a large class of reliability-based design problems.
Experimental Study on the Seismic Response of Subway Station in Soft Ground
Authors: Xianfeng Ma , Guobo Wang , Jun Wu , Qianqian Ji
Published: November 2017

Shaking table tests were conducted on typical models of subway structures subjected to several seismic shaking time histories to study seismic response of subway structures in soft ground as well as to provide data for validation of seismic design methods for underground structure. Three types of tests were presented herein, namely green field test, subway station test, and test for joint structure between subway station and tunnel. The similitude and modeling aspects of the 1g shaking table test are discussed. The seismic response of Shanghai clay in different depths was examined under different input waves to understand the acceleration amplification feature in both green field and in the presence of underground structure. Damage situation was checked on internal sections of both subway station and tunnels by halving the model structure. Structure deformation was investigated in terms of element strain under different earthquake loadings. The findings from this study provides useful pointers for future shaking table tests on underground structures/facilities, and the seismic response characteristic of underground structure derived from the shaking table test could be helpful for validating seismic design method for subway station.
Quantum Order-by-Disorder in Strongly Correlated Metals
Authors: Green Andrew G. , Conduit Gareth , Krüger Frank
Published: November 2017

Entropic forces in classical many-body systems, e.g., colloidal suspensions, can lead to the formation of new phases. Quantum fluctuations can have similar effects: spin fluctuations drive the superfluidity of helium-3, and a similar mechanism operating in metals can give rise to superconductivity. It is conventional to discuss the latter in terms of the forces induced by the quantum fluctuations. However, focusing directly upon the free energy provides a useful alternative perspective in the classical case and can also be applied to study quantum fluctuations. Villain first developed this approach for insulating magnets and coined the term order-by-disorder to describe the observed effect. We discuss the application of this idea to metallic systems, recent progress made in doing so, and the broader prospects for the future.
Diversity and Inequality in Management Teams: A Review and Integration of Research on Vertical and Horizontal Member Differences
Authors: Bunderson J. Stuart , Van der Vegt Gerben S.
Published: November 2017

The promise and perils of heterogeneity in team member characteristics has been and continues to be one of the central questions in research on management teams. We review the literature on member heterogeneity within management teams, with a focus on summarizing and integrating research on both horizontal member differences (i.e., diversity) and vertical member differences (i.e., inequality)—two streams of research that have been largely separate in past research. We find that the overwhelming majority of research on management team heterogeneity has focused on horizontal differences, though there are few clear and consistent themes in empirical findings within either stream. We also find that horizontal and vertical differences are inter-related, such that the effects of diversity can depend critically on the degree of inequality within a team, and vice versa. Moreover, we find that our ability to clearly account for the effects of vertical and horizontal differences in management teams has been limited by a confusion of definitions and conceptualizations that hamper our ability to compare theoretical arguments and empirical findings across studies. We organize various conceptualizations of heterogeneity into six types based on whether a given conceptualization is concerned with horizontal or vertical differences (diversity or inequality) and whether it is focused on the differentiation, dispersion, or concentration of member differences. The result is a framework with three types of diversity (separation, variety, and skew) and three types of inequality (stratification, steepness, and centralization). Finally, we summarize different approaches to operationalizing each of these types. The conclusions and recommendations of this review can help to bring clarity and focus to research on member heterogeneity within management teams, or groups and teams of any sort.
Emotional Dynamics in Conflict and Negotiation: Individual, Dyadic, and Group Processes
Authors: van Kleef Gerben A. , Côté Stéphane
Published: November 2017

Conflict is an emotional enterprise. We provide an integrative synthesis of theory and research on emotional dynamics in conflict and negotiation at three levels of analysis: the individual, the dyad, and the group. At the individual level, experienced moods and emotions shape negotiators' cognition and behavior. At the dyadic level, emotional expressions influence counterparts' cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses. At the group level, patterns of emotional experience and/or expression can instigate cooperation, coordination, and conformity, or competition, conflict, and deviance. Intrapersonal (individual-level) effects of diffuse moods can be explained by affect priming and affect-as-information models, whereas effects of discrete emotions are better explained by the appraisal-tendency framework. Interpersonal (dyadic- and group-level) effects of emotions are mediated by affective (e.g., emotional contagion) and inferential (e.g., reverse appraisal) responses, whose relative predictive power can be understood through the lens of emotions as social information (EASI) theory. We offer a critical assessment of the current literature, discuss practical implications for negotiation and conflict management, and sketch an agenda for future research.
Titin Gene and Protein Functions in Passive and Active Muscle
Authors: Linke Wolfgang A.
Published: November 2017

The thin and thick filaments of muscle sarcomeres are interconnected by the giant protein titin, which is a scaffolding filament, signaling platform, and provider of passive tension and elasticity in myocytes. This review summarizes recent insight into the mechanisms behind how titin gene mutations cause hereditary cardiomyopathy and how titin protein is mechanically active in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. A main theme is the evolving role of titin as a modulator of contraction. Topics include strain-sensing via titin in the sarcomeric A-band as the basis for length-dependent activation, titin elastic recoil and refolding of titin domains as an energy source, and Ca2+-dependent stiffening of titin stretched during eccentric muscle contractions. Findings suggest that titin stiffness is a principal regulator of the contractile behavior of striated muscle. Physiological or pathological changes to titin stiffness therefore affect contractility. Taken together, titin emerges as a linker element between passive and active myocyte properties.
Study on Progressive Collapse Behavior of SRC Column-Steel Beam Hybrid Frame Based on Pushdown Analysis
Authors: Chu Liusheng , Li Gaoju , Li Danda , Zhao Jun
Published: November 2017

To investigate the progressive collapse behavior of Steel Reinforced Concrete (SRC) column-steel beam hybrid frame after the failure of key structural elements, a PQ-Fiber model for an 8-storey structure is established in ABAQUS program. Nonlinear dynamic and static pushdown analysis are carried out after the failure and removal of the bottom-middle and bottom-corner columns. Numerical results of both methods agree well with each other. Results show that SRC column-steel frame has good resistance to progressive collapse under dynamic instantaneous load. After sudden removal of a bottom middle column, the development of structural collapse exhibits two mechanisms, the beam mechanism and the catenary mechanism. When the structure is within small deformation range, the collapse resistance of the residual frame is provided by the beam bending moment capacity, which is beam mechanism. For large deformation situation, the collapse resistance is mainly provided by the beam tensile strength, which is catenary mechanism. However, with the removal of a bottom corner column, the residual structure only undergoes the beam mechanism even for large deformations. For future practical applications, the influence of the steel ratio, steel section size, and the vertical position of the removed key components are investigated through a detailed parametric study.
Optimized Skip-Stop Metro Line Operation Using Smart Card Data
Authors: Zhang Peitong , Sun Zhanbo , Liu Xiaobo
Published: November 2017

Skip-stop operation is a low cost approach to improving the efficiency of metro operation and passenger travel experience. This paper proposes a novel method to optimize the skip-stop scheme for bidirectional metro lines so that the average passenger travel time can be minimized. Different from the conventional “A/B” scheme, the proposed Flexible Skip-Stop Scheme (FSSS) can better accommodate spatially and temporally varied passenger demand. A genetic algorithm (GA) based approach is then developed to efficiently search for the optimal solution. A case study is conducted based on a real world bidirectional metro line in Shenzhen, China, using the time-dependent passenger demand extracted from smart card data. It is found that the optimized skip-stop operation is able to reduce the average passenger travel time and transit agencies may benefit from this scheme due to energy and operational cost savings. Analyses are made to evaluate the effects of that fact that certain number of passengers fail to board the right train (due to skip operation). Results show that FSSS always outperforms the all-stop scheme even when most passengers of the skipped OD pairs are confused and cannot get on the right train.
A General 2D Meshless Interpolating Boundary Node Method Based on the Parameter Space
Authors: Yang Hongyin , Lu Hailin , Chen Xuyong
Published: November 2017

The presented study proposed an improved interpolating boundary node method (IIBNM) for 2D potential problems. The improved interpolating moving least‐square (IIMLS) method was applied to construct the shape functions, of which the delta function properties and boundary conditions were directly implemented. In addition, any weight function used in the moving least‐square (MLS) method was also applicable in the IIMLS method. Boundary cells were required in the computation of the boundary integrals, and additional discretization error was not avoided if traditional cells were used to approximate the geometry. The present study applied the parametric cells created in the parameter space to preserve the exact geometry, and the geometry was maintained due to the number of cells. Only the number of nodes on the boundary was required as additional information for boundary node construction. Most importantly, the IIMLS method can be applied in the parameter space to construct shape functions without the requirement of additional computations for the curve length.
Stability Analysis of Delayed Genetic Regulatory Networks via a Relaxed Double Integral Inequality
Authors: Li Fu-Dong , Zhu Qi , Xu Hao-Tian , Jiang Lin
Published: November 2017

Time delay arising in a genetic regulatory network may cause the instability. This paper is concerned with the stability analysis of genetic regulatory networks with interval time‐varying delays. Firstly, a relaxed double integral inequality, named as Wirtinger‐type double integral inequality (WTDII), is established to estimate the double integral term appearing in the derivative of Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional with a triple integral term. And it is proved theoretically that the proposed WTDII is tighter than the widely used Jensen‐based double inequality and the recently developed Wiringter‐based double inequality. Then, by applying the WTDII to the stability analysis of a delayed genetic regulatory network, together with the usage of useful information of regulatory functions, several delay‐range‐ and delay‐rate‐dependent (or delay‐rate‐independent) criteria are derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Finally, an example is carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method and also to show the advantages of the established stability criteria through the comparison with some literature.
A Consensus Framework for Reliability and Mitigation of Zero-Day Attacks in IoT
Authors: Sharma Vishal , Lee Kyungroul , Kwon Soonhyun , Kim Jiyoon , Park Hyungjoon , Yim Kangbin , Lee Sun-Young
Published: November 2017

“Internet of Things” (IoT) bridges the communication barrier between the computing entities by forming a network between them. With a common solution for control and management of IoT devices, these networks are prone to all types of computing threats. Such networks may experience threats which are launched by exploitation of vulnerabilities that are left unhandled during the testing phases. These are often termed as “zero-day” vulnerabilities, and their conversion into a network attack is named as “zero-day” attack. These attacks can affect the IoT devices by exploiting the defense perimeter of the network. The existing solutions are capable of detecting such attacks but do not facilitate communication, which affects the performance of the network. In this paper, a consensus framework is proposed for mitigation of zero-day attacks in IoT networks. The proposed approach uses context behavior of IoT devices as a detection mechanism followed by alert message protocol and critical data sharing protocol for reliable communication during attack mitigation. The numerical analysis suggests that the proposed approach can serve the purpose of detection and elimination of zero-day attacks in IoT network without compromising its performance.
A Multidomain Survivable Virtual Network Mapping Algorithm
Authors: Xiao Xiancui , Zheng Xiangwei , Zhang Yuang
Published: November 2017

Although the existing networks are more often deployed in the multidomain environment, most of existing researches focus on single-domain networks and there are no appropriate solutions for the multidomain virtual network mapping problem. In fact, most studies assume that the underlying network can operate without any interruption. However, physical networks cannot ensure the normal provision of network services for external reasons and traditional single-domain networks have difficulties to meet user needs, especially for the high security requirements of the network transmission. In order to solve the above problems, this paper proposes a survivable virtual network mapping algorithm (IntD-GRC-SVNE) that implements multidomain mapping in network virtualization. IntD-GRC-SVNE maps the virtual communication networks onto different domain networks and provides backup resources for virtual links which improve the survivability of the special networks. Simulation results show that IntD-GRC-SVNE can not only improve the survivability of multidomain communications network but also render the network load more balanced and greatly improve the network acceptance rate due to employment of GRC (global resource capacity).
Antioxidant, Antiglycation, and Hypoglycaemic Effect of Seriphium plumosum Crude Plant Extracts
Authors: Beseni Brian K. , Bagla Victor P. , Njanje Idris , Matsebatlela Thabe M. , Mampuru Leseilane , Mokgotho Matlou P.
Published: November 2017

Diabetes is a severely debilitating metabolic disorder characterised by chronic hyperglycaemia. Traditional medicinal plants provide an important avenue for the development of novel antidiabetic agents. The antidiabetic potential of the methanol, acetone, and hexane extracts of S. plumosum was assessed using different parameters. These included secondary metabolite quantification, hypoglycaemic, cytotoxic effects, and GLUT4 translocation augmentation on C2C12 cells. The methanol extract contained the highest amount of total phenolic and flavonoid compounds and showed enhanced antioxidant activity. The methanol extracts had the best DPPH scavenging (EC50 = 0.72 mg/ml) and ferric reducing powers (EC50 = 2.31 mg/ml). The hexane extract resulted in the highest glucose uptake activity of 35, 77% with respect to all other treatments after a 6‐hour exposure period. Immunocytochemistry technique further revealed that the increased glucose utilisation may be due to increased membrane fused GLUT4 molecules in C2C12 cells. The hexane extract was also shown to upregulate the phosphorylation of p70 S6 kinase and Akt1/2. The study highlights a probable insulin‐mimetic activity of the hexane extract via the augmentation of Akt1/2 phosphorylation which is involved in the GLUT4 translocation pathway. Furthermore, the study represents the first report on the cytotoxic effect, GLUT4 translocation, and glucose uptake potential of S. plumosum.
Feasibility of Marine Microalgae Immobilization in Alginate Bead for Marine Water Treatment: Bead Stability, Cell Growth, and Ammonia Removal
Authors: Soo Chen-Lin , Chen Cheng-Ann , Bojo Othman , Hii Yii-Siang
Published: November 2017

Sodium alginate is the most commonly used polymer matrix in microalgae immobilization for water treatment. However, the susceptibility of alginate matrixes to cation chelating agents and antigelling cation limits the use of alginates in estuarine and marine systems. Hence, the present study aims to investigate the stability of alginate bead in marine water and the feasibility of microalgae to grow when immobilized in alginate bead for marine water treatment. Different concentrations of alginate and hardening cation calcium were used to formulate beads. The beads were incubated in Guillard’s f/2 medium and shaken vigorously by using orbital shaker for 15 days. The results indicated that bead stability was enhanced by increasing alginate and CaCl2 concentrations. Subsequently, the marine microalga, Nannochloropsis sp., was immobilized in calcium alginate bead. The growth and ammoniacal-nitrogen (NH4+-N) uptake by immobilized cell were compared with free cell culture in f/2 medium. Specific growth rate of immobilized cell (0.063 hr−1) was significantly higher than free cell (0.027 hr−1). There was no significant difference on specific uptake rate of free cell and immobilized cell; but immobilized cell removed significantly more NH4+-N (82.2%) than free cell (47.3%) culture at the end of the experiment. The present study demonstrated the potential use of alginate immobilization technique in marine microalgae culture and water treatment simultaneously.
Antibacterial Activity of Free Fatty Acids from Hydrolyzed Virgin Coconut Oil Using Lipase from Candida rugosa
Authors: Nguyen Van Thi Ai , Le Truong Dang , Phan Hoa Ngoc , Tran Lam Bich
Published: November 2017

Free fatty acids (FFAs) were obtained from hydrolyzed virgin coconut oil (VCO) by Candida rugosa lipase (CRL). Four factors’ influence on hydrolysis degree (HD) was examined. The best hydrolysis conditions in order to get the highest HD value were determined at VCO to buffer ratio 1 : 5 (w/w), CRL concentration 1.5% (w/w oil), pH 7, and temperature 40°C. After 16 hours’ reaction, the HD value achieved 79.64%. FFAs and residual hydrolyzed virgin coconut oil (HVCO) were isolated from the hydrolysis products. They were tested for their antibacterial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, which can be found in contaminated food and cause food poisoning. FFAs showed their inhibition against Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 11774), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Salmonella enteritidis (ATCC 13076), and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) at minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 50%, 60%, 20%, and 40%, respectively. However, VCO and HVCO did not show their antibacterial activity against these tested bacteria.
Automatic Test Pattern Generator for Fuzzing Based on Finite State Machine
Authors: Wang Ming-Hung , Wang Han-Chi , Chen You-Ru , Lei Chin-Laung
Published: November 2017

With the rapid development of the Internet, several emerging technologies are adopted to construct fancy, interactive, and user-friendly websites. Among these technologies, HTML5 is a popular one and is widely used in establishing modern sites. However, the security issues in the new web technologies are also raised and are worthy of investigation. For vulnerability investigation, many previous studies used fuzzing and focused on generation-based approaches to produce test cases for fuzzing; however, these methods require a significant amount of knowledge and mental efforts to develop test patterns for generating test cases. To decrease the entry barrier of conducting fuzzing, in this study, we propose a test pattern generation algorithm based on the concept of finite state machines. We apply graph analysis techniques to extract paths from finite state machines and use these paths to construct test patterns automatically. According to the proposal, fuzzing can be completed through inputting a regular expression corresponding to the test target. To evaluate the performance of our proposal, we conduct an experiment in identifying vulnerabilities of the input attributes in HTML5. According to the results, our approach is not only efficient but also effective for identifying weak validators in HTML5.
Iatrogenic Cushing’s Syndrome with Subsequent Adrenal Insufficiency in a Patient with Psoriasis Vulgaris Using Topical Steroids
Authors: Pektas Suzan Demir , Dogan Gursoy , Cinar Nese
Published: November 2017

Iatrogenic Cushing’s syndrome (ICS) is usually related to prolonged and/or high-dose oral or parenteral steroid use. Psoriasis vulgaris (PV) is chronic inflammatory disease and characterized by periods of attack and remission. Topical steroid (TS) is the first choice of treatment for localized and mild PV. The development of systemic side effects of the steroids is usually not observed after TS application. But the risk of developing ICS still exists. In the literature, there are a few adult cases who developed ICS and subsequent adrenal insufficiency associated with TS. In this article, a male patient with PV developing ICS and secondary adrenal insufficiency after treatment of TS for 12 years is presented.
Drug Repositioning Meets Precision in Glioblastoma
Authors: Wick Wolfgang , Kessler Tobias
Published: November 2017

Glioblastoma has a gigantic unmet medical need. Molecular knowledge has evolved substantially, including data on clonal selection with progression. Past trials for all-comers may have produced false negative results. Molecular precision at progression needs workup of new tissue, and revisiting drugs with a focus on brain tumor penetration may yield surprises. Clin Cancer Res; 24(2); 256–8. ©2017 AACR.

See related article by Byron et al., p. 295
Human Papillomavirus Immunity in Oropharyngeal Cancer: Time to Change the Game?
Authors: Laban Simon , Hoffmann Thomas K.
Published: November 2017

For the first time, human papillomavirus (HPV)–specific immunity has been linked directly to the beneficial prognosis of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Those patients lacking HPV immunity fare much worse. These results harbor crucial implications for future management of HPV-driven OPSCC as well as for its definition. Clin Cancer Res; 24(3); 505–7. ©2017 AACR.

See related article by Welters et al., p. 634
Apathy Profile in Parkinson’s and Huntington’s Disease: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Sousa Mário , Moreira Fradique , Jesus-Ribeiro Joana , Marques Inês , Cunha Flávia , Canário Nádia , Freire António , Januário Cristina
Published: November 2017

Background/Aims: Apathy is one of the most frequent, disabling and difficult-to-treat symptoms that show up in many neurodegenerative disorders. The aim of this study was to assess and compare apathy profile in Parkinson’s and Huntington’s patients using the same comprehensive instruments to measure apathy, cognition and depressive symptoms. Materials and Methods: We consecutively assessed Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Huntington’s disease (HD) patients recruited from a Movement Disorders Unit. In all patients, information related to demographics, clinical data, motor score (Movement Disorders Society-Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale; Unified Huntington Disease Rating Scale), cognition (Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale), depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory II) and apathy (Apathy Evaluation Scale – clinical version) was collected. Patients with dementia or major depression according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revised criteria were excluded from the study. Results: Seventy-five patients were enrolled, 45 with PD and 30 with HD. Apathy was present in 42.5% of PD patients and 51.7% of HD patients. In PD patients, apathy was associated with motor score, shorter duration of disease, lower dose of levodopa equivalent daily dose and depressive symptomatology, whereas in HD patients, apathy was related to disease duration, motor score and cognitive impairment. Conclusions: We found a similar prevalence of apathy in PD and HD patients but with different clinical correlations and different apathy domains involved, and this may warrant the development of different therapeutic approaches.
Care of the Acute Kidney Injury Survivor
Authors: Wald Ron , Kitchlu Abhijat , Harel Ziv , Silver Samuel A.
Published: November 2017

While the short-term implications of acute kidney injury (AKI) have been known for many years, far less attention has been paid to the health of AKI survivors. This was perhaps fueled by a prevailing wisdom that if a patient was fortunate enough to survive the primary illness associated with AKI, the prognosis for future health was auspicious. More recently, this dogma was challenged by data suggesting that after an episode of AKI, patients remain at risk of experiencing multiple adverse health outcomes. Greater recognition and appreciation of the risks faced by AKI survivors have led to the development of quality improvement initiatives that are supposed to enrich this vulnerable population.