bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Size and Location of a Mental Foramen in the Polish Population Using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography
Authors: Zmyslowska-Polakowska Ewa , Radwanski Mateusz , Ledzion Slawomir , Leski Michal , Zmyslowska Agnieszka , Lukomska-Szymanska Monika
Published: January 2019

Introduction. The mental foramen (MF) is a bilateral opening localized on an anterior surface of the mandible. A precise location as well as well-defined shape, size, and number of the MF is crucial for different clinical dental procedures. The aim of this study was to determine a size and location of the MF in relation to the lower teeth using the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) study. Material and Methods. In a group of 201 patients (106 males and 95 females) the CBCT images were performed using the GX CB-500 device (Gendex, USA). Results. No significant differences in values of the horizontal (H) and vertical (V) diameters as well as the H:V ratio on both sides in relation to the age of participants were found. In males both average values of a horizontal diameter (p=0.031) and vertical diameter (p=0.001) were significantly higher on the right side than in the female subgroup, whereas on the left side only an average value of a vertical diameter was significantly higher in men (p=0.006) in comparison to women. Moreover, the H:V ratio was significantly lower in males on the left side (p=0.032). There were no significant relationships between age and gender of the patients (p>0.05) and the type of mental foramen on the right and left sides. Conclusions. The application of the CBCT study enabled a precise determination of the shape, size, and position of the mental foramen in relation to the neighboring anatomical structures on a representative group of the Polish patients. The results obtained may contribute to guidelines for dental procedures including anesthesia of the mental nerve and endodontic, implantology, and dental surgery with regard to the location of mental foramen depending on the sex and age of patients.
Liver and Spleen Stiffness Measurements for Assessment of Portal Hypertension Severity in Patients with Budd Chiari Syndrome
Authors: Dajti Elton , Ravaioli Federico , Colecchia Antonio , Marasco Giovanni , Vestito Amanda , Festi Davide
Published: January 2019

Aims. Budd-Chiari Syndrome (BCS) is a rare vascular disease of the liver caused by the obstruction of the hepatic venous outflow located from the small hepatic venules up to the entrance of the inferior vena cava (IVC) into the right atrium. Current prognostic indexes are suboptimal for an individual prognostic assessment and subsequent management of patients with BCS. Liver (LSM) and spleen (SSM) stiffness measurements are widely validated prognostic tools in hepatology, but the evidence in patients with BCS is limited. This paper describes LSM and SSM in patients with BCS and their correlation with clinical, biochemical, and ultrasound findings from the same patients. Methods. We investigated a case series of seven patients with BCS diagnosis and available LSM and SSM evaluated by transient elastography (TE). Biochemical, imaging, and endoscopic findings nearest to the TE evaluation were recorded. Clinical outcomes and BCS evolution were described for each patient. When available, repeated TE assessments were also recorded. Results. Patients with acute nonfulminant manifestation of BCS presented near-the-upper-limit values (75 kPa) of LSM and SSM, which often persist until the placement of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). On the other hand, TE values were markedly lower in patients with compensated BCS. In some patients with repeated TE measurement years after TIPS placement, LSM had decreased to values of <10 kPa years. SSM changes in these patients were, however, less evident. Conclusions. Extremely elevated values of LSM and SSM are suggestive of BCS. The evaluation of both LSM and SSM by TE could help clinicians in the initial evaluation, risk stratification, and therapy response monitoring of patients with BCS.
Data‐Driven Robust Credit Portfolio Optimization for Investment Decisions in P2P Lending
Authors: Chi Guotai , Ding Shijie , Peng Xiankun
Published: January 2019

Peer‐to‐Peer (P2P) lending has attracted increasing attention recently. As an emerging micro‐finance platform, P2P lending plays roles in removing intermediaries, reducing transaction costs, and increasing the benefits of both borrowers and lenders. However, for the P2P lending investment, there are two major challenges, the deficiency of loans’ historical observations about the certain borrower and the ambiguity problem of estimated loans’ distribution. In order to solve the difficulties, this paper proposes a data‐driven robust model of portfolio optimization with relative entropy constraints based on an “instance‐based” credit risk assessment framework. The model exploits a nonparametric kernel approach to estimate P2P loans’ expected return and risk under the condition that the historical data of the same borrower is unavailable. Furthermore, we construct a robust mean–variance optimization problem based on relative entropy method for P2P loan investment decision. Using the real‐world dataset from a notable P2P lending platform, Prosper, we validate the proposed model. Empirical results reveal that our model provides better investment performances than the existing model.
CH4/N2 Adsorptive Separation on Zeolite X/AC Composites
Authors: Xue Cai Long , Cheng Wen Ping , Hao Wen Ming , Ma Jing Hong , Li Rui Feng
Published: January 2019

A series of zeolite X/activated carbon (AC) composites were prepared from the same starting materials at various activation time. The corresponding modified samples were obtained by being treated with diluted NH4Cl solution. The relationship between porosity development, surface properties, and CH4/N2 adsorption performance was investigated. The increase of micropore volume is beneficial to the improvement of CH4 and N2 adsorption capacity, but more sensitive for CH4. In addition, the polar functional groups of zeolite X/AC composites may enhance CH4 adsorption capacity. More importantly, both developing micropore structure and surface modification contributed to enhance the adsorption selectivity αCH4/N2. As the optimum sample of these studies, HZAC(24) showed CH4 adsorption capacity of 17.3 cm3/g and the highest adsorption selectivity αCH4/N2 of 3.4. The CH4 and N2 adsorption isotherms of all samples can be well fitted by the Langmuir–Freundlich model. HZAC(24) showed an excellent cyclability of adsorption/desorption of CH4 with a neglectable capacity loss after subsequent cycles. Moreover, HZAC(24) displayed relatively rapid adsorption kinetics. These properties of zeolite X/AC composites are essential for the adsorptive separation of CH4 from N2 in the pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process.
Adhesion Ileus after Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Long-Standing Radiation Colitis
Authors: Harsch Igor Alexander , Konturek Peter Christopher
Published: January 2019

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a novel strategy for the therapy of dysbiosis-associated disorders via modulation of the gut microbiota. Intestinal dysbiosis is associated not only with digestive disorders, but also with a variety of extra-digestive disorders. A worldwide increasing number of FMT can be expected in the future as well as an increase in adverse events. We describe the case of a patient with chronic radiation colitis that developed adhesion ileus 2 days after FMT. Since these problems never occured before and the short time interval favours a causality, we speculate about FMT-induced alterations in gut motility causing a “trapping” of the small intestine in an adhesion and other mechanisms beyond “pure” coincidence.
Modeling and Mathematical Analysis of Labor Force Evolution
Authors: ElFadily Sanaa , Kaddar Abdelilah
Published: January 2019

In this paper, we propose a delayed differential system to model labor force (occupied labor force and unemployed) evolution. The mathematical analysis of our model focuses on the local behavior of the labor force around a positive equilibrium position; the existence of a branch of periodic solutions bifurcated from the positive equilibrium is then analyzed according to the Hopf bifurcation theorem. Finally, we performed numerical simulations to illustrate our theoretical results.
Development of Multidecomposition Hybrid Model for Hydrological Time Series Analysis
Authors: Nazir Hafiza Mamona , Hussain Ijaz , Faisal Muhammad , Shoukry Alaa Mohamd , Gani Showkat , Ahmad Ishfaq
Published: January 2019

Accurate prediction of hydrological processes is key for optimal allocation of water resources. In this study, two novel hybrid models are developed to improve the prediction precision of hydrological time series data based on the principal of three stages as denoising, decomposition, and decomposed component prediction and summation. The proposed architecture is applied on daily rivers inflow time series data of Indus Basin System. The performances of the proposed models are compared with traditional single‐stage model (without denoised and decomposed), the hybrid two‐stage model (with denoised), and existing three‐stage hybrid model (with denoised and decomposition). Three evaluation measures are used to assess the prediction accuracy of all models such as Mean Relative Error (MRE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and Mean Square Error (MSE). The proposed, three‐stage hybrid models have shown improvement in prediction accuracy with minimum MRE, MAE, and MSE for all case studies as compared to other existing one‐stage and two‐stage models. In summary, the accuracy of prediction is improved by reducing the complexity of hydrological time series data by incorporating the denoising and decomposition.
Stability Analysis of Underground Multicavities in Bench Blasting Vibration
Authors: Gan Deqing , Yang Xi , Zhang Yunpeng , Wei Xinyu
Published: January 2019

Underground cavities formed by underground mining activities are a potential threat to open‐pit mining activities. Longtan Village Iron Mine is located in Chengde city, Hebei province, China. The open‐pit mining and underground mining of Longtan Village Iron Mine are simultaneously performed. Cavities will remain after underground mining. When mining is performed on the top of the underground cavities in the open pit, concerns arise regarding the closest distance to prevent the collapse of the cavities. (The closest distance is the safe distance between the explosive and the cavities. If the distance between the explosive and the cavities is less than the closest distance, the stability of the cavities will be affected.) The collapse will endanger the safety of the workers and equipment in the open pit. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate the stability of the underground cavities near the bench blasting. In this paper, a series of bench blast tests was performed, and the site‐specific attenuation relations of the PPV (Peak particle velocity) and principal frequency of Longtan Village Iron Mine were obtained. Then, an ANASYS three‐dimensional numerical model was created, and the propagation of the blast wave and the response of the multicavities were calculated by LS‐DYNA. The accuracy of the simulation was verified. However, the bench blast tests do not affect the stability of the cavities. The formula to calculate the closest distance was obtained, which can be used as an approximate guide when designing the bench explosion of Longtan Village Iron Mine. Workers can mine in a safe area of the open pit, and the stability of the cavities will not be affected.
Endothelium-Dependent Effects of Echinodorus grandiflorus (Cham. & Schltdl.) Micheli Mediated by M3-Muscarinic and B2-Bradykininergic Receptors on Peripheral Vascular Resistance and Its Modulatory Effects on K+ Channels in Mesenteric Vascular Beds
Authors: de Carvalho Enaile Salviano , Tirloni Cleide Adriane Signor , Palozi Rhanany Alan Calloi , Schaedler Maysa Isernhagen , Guarnier Lucas Pires , Silva Aniely Oliveira , Mota Jonas da Silva , Cardoso Claudia Andréa Lima , Barros Márcio Eduardo de , Gasparotto Junior Arquimedes
Published: January 2019

This work provides the first demonstration that ethanolic extract (EEEG) obtained from Echinodorus grandiflorus leaves (EEEG) and its butanolic fraction (ButFr) has important vasodilatory effects on isolated mesenteric vascular beds (MVBs). First, the EEEG was obtained and a liquid-liquid fractionation was performed. EEEG and its resulting fractions were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Then, the vasodilatory effects of EEEG and their respective fractions were evaluated. Finally, the molecular mechanisms involved in the vasodilator responses of the EEEG and ButFr were also investigated. EEEG vasodilator response was estimated at ~11 and 18 mm Hg at doses of 0.1 and 0.3 mg, respectively. Moreover, it was found that ButFr was able to induce an expressive dose-dependent vasodilator response in MVBs. The PP reduction values for doses of 0.1 and 0.3 mg were ~10 and 28 mm Hg, respectively. Endothelium removal or inhibition of nitric oxide and prostaglandin synthase (by L-NAME plus indomethacin) inhibited the vasodilatory effects induced by ButFr or EEEG. The peak effect of ButFr and EEEG doses (0.1 and 0.3 mg) was decreased by ~100% (p < 0.001). The association of atropine plus HOE-140 fully inhibited EEEG and ButFr-induced vasodilation (p < 0.001). Moreover, perfusion with nutritive solution containing 40 mM KCl or previous treatment with tetraethylammonium completely blocked vasodilation induced by ButFr (p < 0.001). This study showed that EEEG and its ButFr have important vasodilatory effects by endothelial M3-muscarinic and B2-bradykininergic receptors inducing nitric oxide and prostacyclin release followed by K+ channels activation in the vascular smooth muscle.
Fuzzy Adaptive DSC Design for an Extended Class of MIMO Pure‐Feedback Non‐Affine Nonlinear Systems in the Presence of Input Constraints
Authors: Wang Ning , Wang Ying , Lv Maolong
Published: January 2019

A novel adaptive fuzzy dynamic surface control (DSC) scheme is for the first time constructed for a larger class of (multi‐input multi‐output) MIMO non‐affine pure‐feedback systems in the presence of input saturation nonlinearity. First of all, the restrictive differentiability assumption on non‐affine functions has been canceled after using the piecewise functions to reconstruct the model for non‐affine nonlinear functions. Then, a novel auxiliary system with bounded compensation term is firstly introduced to deal with input saturation, and the dynamic system employed in this work designs a bounded compensation term of tangent function. Thus, we successfully relax the strictly bounded assumption of the dynamic system. Additionally, the fuzzy logic systems (FLSs) are used to approximate unknown continuous systems functions, and the minimal learning parameter (MLP) technique is exploited to simplify control design and reduce the number of adaptive parameters. Finally, two simulation examples with input saturation are given to validate the effectiveness of the developed method.
Simultaneous Recognition of Species, Quality Grades, and Multivariate Calibration of Antioxidant Activities for 12 Famous Green Teas Using Mid- and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Coupled with Chemometrics
Authors: Fu Haiyan , Hu Ou , Xu Lu , Fan Yao , Shi Qiong , Guo Xiaoming , Lan Wei , Yang Tianming , Xie Shunping , She Yuanbin
Published: January 2019

In this paper, mid- and near-infrared spectroscopy fingerprints were combined to simultaneously discriminate 12 famous green teas and quantitatively characterize their antioxidant activities using chemometrics. A supervised pattern recognition method based on partial least square discriminant analysis (PLSDA) was adopted to classify the 12 famous green teas with different species and quality grades, and then optimized sample-weighted least-squares support vector machine (OSWLS-SVM) based on particle swarm optimization was employed to investigate the quantitative relationship between their antioxidant activities and the spectral fingerprints. As a result, 12 famous green teas can be discriminated with a recognition rate of 100% by MIR or NIR data. However, compared with individual instrumental data, data fusion was more adequate for modeling the antioxidant activities of samples with RMSEP of 0.0065. Finally, the performance of the proposed method was evaluated and validated by some statistical parameters and the elliptical joint confidence region (EJCR) test. The results indicate that fusion of mid- and near-infrared spectroscopy suggests a new avenue to discriminate the species and grades of green teas. Moreover, the proposed method also implies other promising applications with more accurate multivariate calibration of antioxidant activities.
An Efficient and Robust Iris Segmentation Algorithm Using Deep Learning
Authors: Li Yung-Hui , Huang Po-Jen , Juan Yun
Published: January 2019

Iris segmentation is a critical step in the entire iris recognition procedure. Most of the state-of-the-art iris segmentation algorithms are based on edge information. However, a large number of noisy edge points detected by a normal edge-based detector in an image with specular reflection or other obstacles will mislead the pupillary boundary and limbus boundary localization. In this paper, we present a combination method of learning-based and edge-based algorithms for iris segmentation. A well-designed Faster R-CNN with only six layers is built to locate and classify the eye. With the bounding box found by Faster R-CNN, the pupillary region is located using a Gaussian mixture model. Then, the circular boundary of the pupillary region is fit according to five key boundary points. A boundary point selection algorithm is used to find the boundary points of the limbus, and the circular boundary of the limbus is constructed using these boundary points. Experimental results showed that the proposed iris segmentation method achieved 95.49% accuracy on the challenging CASIA-Iris-Thousand database.
The Integration of Wind‐Solar‐Hydropower Generation in Enabling Economic Robust Dispatch
Authors: Wei Peng , Liu Yang
Published: January 2019

Currently the renewable energies including wind power and photovoltaic power have been increasingly deployed in power system to achieve contamination free and environmental‐friendly power production. However, due to the natural characteristics of wind and solar, both wind power and photovoltaic power contain uncertainty and randomness which may significantly impact the stability, security, and economic efficiency of the conventional power system mainly consisted by hydropower and thermal power. To deal with the issue, this paper presents a two‐stage robust model which is able to achieve the optimal day‐ahead dispatch strategy in the worst‐case scenario of wind and photovoltaic outputs. Because of the strong interactions between the two stages, the original optimization has been decomposed into the day‐ahead dispatch master problem and the additional adjustment subproblem considering the uncertainty and randomness of the wind and the photovoltaic outputs. Also, the piecewise linearization technique is employed to convert the original problem into a MILP problem. Afterward, the dualization of the additional adjustment subproblem can be obtained by using linear programming strong duality theory. Additionally, the Big‐M method enables the linearization of the dual model. The interacted‐iterations between the master problem and the subproblem are successfully implemented which can ultimately figure out the optimal day‐ahead dispatch strategy of the power system with conventional and renewable energies.
Associations between Histogram Analysis Parameters Derived from DCE-MRI and Histopathological Features including Expression of EGFR, p16, VEGF, Hif1-alpha, and p53 in HNSCC
Authors: Meyer Hans Jonas , Leifels Leonard , Hamerla Gordian , Höhn Anne Kathrin , Surov Alexey
Published: January 2019

Background. Our purpose was to elucidate possible correlations between histogram parameters derived from dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) with several histopathological features in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC).Methods. Thirty patients with primary HNSCC were prospectively acquired. Histogram analysis was derived from the DCE-MRI parameters:Ktrans,Kep, andVe. Additionally, in all cases, expression of human papilloma virus (p16) hypoxia-inducible factor-1-alpha (Hif1-alpha), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and tumor suppressor protein p53 were estimated.Results.Kepkurtosis was significantly higher in p16 tumors, andVemin was significantly lower in p16 tumors compared to the p16 negative tumors. In the overall sample,Kepentropy correlated well with EGFR expression (p=0.38,P=0.04). In p16 positive carcinomas,Ktransmax correlated with VEGF expression (p=0.46,P=0.04),Ktranskurtosis correlated with Hif1-alpha expression (p=0.46,P=0.04), andKtransentropy correlated with EGFR expression (p=0.50,P=0.03). RegardingKepparameters, mode correlated with VEGF expression (p=0.51,P=0.02), and entropy correlated with Hif1-alpha expression (p=0.47,P=0.04). In p16 negative carcinomas,Kepmode correlated with Her2 expression (p=−0.72,P=0.03),Vemax correlated with p53 expression (p=−0.80,P=0.009), andVep10 correlated with EGFR expression (p=0.68,P=0.04).Conclusion. DCE-MRI can reflect several histopathological features in HNSCC. Associations between DCE-MRI and histopathology in HNSCC depend on p16 status.Kepkurtosis andVemin can differentiate p16 positive and p16 negative carcinomas.
Alteration in Inflammatory Responses and Cytochrome P450 Expression of Porcine Jejunal Cells by Drinking Water Supplements
Authors: Palócz Orsolya , Szita Géza , Csikó György
Published: January 2019

The intestinal epithelium is the first determining barrier to the drugs administered per os. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes are substantial in the initial step of xenobiotic metabolism; therefore, intestinal CYP enzyme activities could be an important influencing factor of the oral utilization of xenobiotic substances. In this study, the effect of four drinking water supplements on CYP mRNA levels of porcine intestinal epithelial cells was examined. Further goal of the study is to describe the effect of these feed additives on the proinflammatory response of the LPS-treated enterocytes. The nontransformed porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) were grown on six-well polyester membrane inserts. Cell cultures were treated with LPS (10 μg/ml), β-glucan (5 and 50 μg/ml), sanguinarine-containing additive (5 and 50 μg/ml), drinking water acidifier (0.1 and 1 μl/ml), and fulvic acid (25 and 250 μg/ml) for 1 hour. Cells were washed with culture medium and incubated for additional 1 h before total RNA isolation. IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, HSP70, CYP1A1, CYP1A2, and CYP3A29 mRNA levels were measured. The LPS treatment upregulated the gene expression of IL-8 and TNF-α. The relative gene expression of IL-6 remained unchanged and TNF-α and HSP70 were downregulated after the treatment with each feed additive. CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 expressions increased after sanguinarine-containing solution, fulvic acid, and drinking water acidifier treatment. None of the treatments changed the gene expression of CYP3A29, responsible for the metabolism of the majority of drug substances used in swine industry. The feed additive substances inhibited the expression of proinflammatory mediators HSP70 and TNF-α; however, β-glucan and fulvic acid elevated the production of the chemokine IL-8 mRNA in endotoxin-treated enterocytes. All acidic supplements increased the expression of CYP1A1 gene; their constituents may serve as a ligand of CYP1A1 nuclear receptors.
Household Willingness-to-Pay for Improved Solid Waste Management Services in Four Major Metropolitan Cities in Ghana
Authors: Boateng Kofi Sekyere , Agyei-Baffour Peter , Boateng Daniel , Rockson George Nana Kwasi , Mensah Kofi Akohene , Edusei Anthony Kwaku
Published: January 2019

Introduction. Waste management is an important developmental issue globally, especially in developing countries like Ghana. A key challenge of waste management in developing countries is sustainable financing. This study assesses the willingness-to-pay, an integral attribute of sustainable financing mechanism for improved solid waste management (SWM) services in Ghana. Methods. A cross-sectional multicenter study was conducted in Ghana from January to August 2017 among 1560 households in four regional capitals in Ghana; Accra, Takoradi, Kumasi, and Tamale. Data were collected by using a structured interview questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to determine the predictors of willingness-to-pay for SWM services in Ghana. Results. Overall, 53.7% of the households were willing to make additional payment for improved services, with difference across study sites: 54.5%, 53.1%, 61.7%, and 46.6% in Takoradi, Tamale, Accra, and Kumasi, respectively. Willingness-to-pay for improved SWM was predicted by educational level, marital status, type of employment, and region of residence. Compared to women who had no formal education, those having senior high school (aOR (adjusted odds ratio): 2.53; 95% CI: 1.48, 4.30), postsecondary (aOR: 1.97; 95% CI: 1.08, 3.60), and tertiary education (aOR: 3.30; 95% CI: 1.91, 5.69) were associated with higher odds of willingness-to-pay for improved SWM services. Conclusion. This study provides important evidence on important attribute of financing mechanism, willingness-to-pay for improved SWM services. Findings would contribute to efforts at finding sustainable financing mechanism for waste management services in Ghana.
Intravesicular Onabotulinumtoxin A Hemorrhage on Rivaroxaban
Authors: Eubanks Allison , Dengler Katherine , Gruber Daniel
Published: January 2019

Overactive bladder (OAB) is urgency, with or without urgency incontinence. For OAB, an injection of onabotulinumtoxin A (BOTOX®) can be a low-risk outpatient procedure. We present a patient on a novel anticoagulant that experienced excessive bleeding after this procedure. This 80-year-old G2P2002 Caucasian female had a history of urge urinary incontinence. She presented for intravesicular onabotulinumtoxin A injection (150 units) after recent initiation of rivaroxaban (Xarelto®) for her atrial fibrillation. Several hours after an uncomplicated procedure, she presented with anuria and pain after gross hematuria earlier in the day. Her pain was immediately alleviated with bladder irrigation. She was discharged home and remained asymptomatic. With the popularity of the novel anticoagulants, new guidance on management of these medications during procedures is limited. When managing a patient on a novel anticoagulant before any procedure, even a low risk procedure, several factors should be considered to determine if the medication should be held, bridged, or continued. In sum, each patient on anticoagulation undergoing any procedure should be assessed individually for thrombotic risk, bleeding risk, and the procedural risk to best avoid postprocedural hemorrhage.
The Diagnostic Challenge of an Infrequent Spectrum of Cryptococcus Infection
Authors: Barbosa De Araujo Neto Francisco , Corona De Godoy Bueno Camila , Tambelini Gomes Liege , Alejandra Ortiz Navas Daniela , Wanderley Mark , Gallotti Borges Carneiro Stefanie , Karine Veras Gomes De Mello Rita , Mendes Coura Laura , Sayuri Missumi Larissa , Durante Henrique , Cintra Zagatti Ricardo Francisco , Sawamura Márcio Valente Yamada
Published: January 2019

Cryptococcal infection results from inhalation of fungal spores and usually is confined to the lungs, but may disseminate systemically. Radiologically, cryptococcal infection has multiple forms of presentation. The diagnosis is usually based on fungal isolation from cultured clinical specimens. Long term antifungal therapy is recommended, but surgical procedures may eventually be necessary when large thoracic symptomatic masses are present. We report a case of a 41-year-old male, immunocompetent, investigating a palpable mass in the left supraclavicular region associated with unintentional weight loss over the last three months. He also reported chest pain in this period. Chest X-ray, ultrasonography, and computed tomography were performed, which diagnosed a mediastinal and left supraclavicular mass, interpreted as lymph node conglomerates of unknown etiology. He also underwent a biopsy of the left supraclavicular mass for etiological determination by histopathology, which confirmed cryptococcosis infection. Although very infrequent, mediastinal cryptococcal infection (simulating masses) is a challenging but important differential diagnosis of benign and malignant lesions, since its treatment is usually clinical.
PI3K Inhibitors of Novel Hydrazide Analogues Linked 2-Pyridinyl Quinazolone Scaffold as Anticancer Agents
Authors: Zeid Ibrahim F. , Mohamed Neama A. , Khalifa Nagy M. , Kassem Emad M. , Nossier Eman S. , Salman Ahmed A. , Mahmoud Khaled , Al-Omar Mohamed A.
Published: January 2019

A series of novel 2-(pyridin-4-yl)quinazolin-4(3H)-ones bearing different heterocycle cores as potential PI3K inhibitors have been synthesized and evaluated via the MTT assay for their antiproliferative properties against selected HePG-2, MCF-7, and HCT116 cancer cell lines. Among them, compound 9 displayed significant activity against HePG-2 (IC50 = 60.29 ± 1.06 μM) comparable to doxorubicin as a reference anticancer drug (IC50 = 69.60 ± 1.50 μM). Kinase inhibitory assessment of target products against PI3K and docking studies revealed the promising binding affinities which match with the binding mode of the ligand, SW13 towards the active site of PI3K. Therefore, this work represents a promising matrix for developing novel potential anticancer candidates.
Reliability and Validity of Fall Efficacy Scale-International in People with Parkinson’s Disease during On- and Off-Drug Phases
Authors: Mehdizadeh Maryam , Martinez-Martin Pablo , Habibi Seyed-Amirhasan , Fereshtehnejad Seyed-Mohammad , Abasi Amirabas , Niazi Khatoon Javad , Saneii Seyed Hassan , Taghizadeh Ghorban
Published: January 2019

Purpose. Since fear of falling may be one of the main problems in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), its assessment with valid tools is necessary in both drug phases. This study was carried out to investigate the psychometric attributes of the Fall Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I) in people with PD, both in On and Off phases. Methods. One hundred twenty-four patients with PD (mean age ± standard deviation, 60.33 ± 12.59 years) were assessed with the FES-I, both in On- and Off-drug phases. Dimensionality, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were, respectively, explored by means of factor analysis, Cronbach’s alpha, and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient. Convergent validity of FES-I was established with Visual Analog Scale-Fear of Falling, Berg Balance Scale, and Functional Reach Test. Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39 and Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale-Activities of Daily Living were also applied. Discriminative validity was tested between patients with and without a history of falling. Results. Factor analysis showed two factors for On- and one factor for Off-drug phase. Internal consistency (α = 0.96, On phase; 0.98, Off phase) and test-retest reliability (0.94; 0.91) were satisfactory in both drug phases. There was a moderate/high correlation (rS = |0.50–0.70|) between FES-I and Visual Analog Scale-Fear of Falling, Berg Balance Scale, and Functional Reach Test. Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39 and Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale-Activities of Daily Living were achieved in both drug phases too. The sensitivity of FES-I to discriminate Parkinson’s disease with and without falls showed moderate effect size in both phases. Conclusion. This study verified that FES-I is unidimensional, reliable, and valid to measure the Fear of Falling during On- and Off-drug phases in people with PD.
Comparison of Transforaminal Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy with and without Foraminoplasty for Lumbar Disc Herniation: A 2-Year Follow-Up
Authors: Wu Binbin , Zhan Gonghao , Tian Xinyi , Fan Linyu , Jiang Chenchen , Deepti Beekoo , Cao Hong , Li Jun , Lian Qingquan , Huang Xixi , Xu Feng
Published: January 2019

Background. Both transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy with foraminoplasty (TF PELF) and transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy without foraminoplasty (TF PELD) were developed for lumbar disc herniation (LDH) patients. However, the safety and effectiveness between the TF PELF and TF PELD have not been investigated. Methods. Of the included 140 LDH patients, 62 patients received TF PELF (PELF group) and 78 patients received TF PELD (PELD group). The operation time, the duration of staying at the hospital, and complication incidences were recorded. All patients were followed up for 2 years, where low back and leg visual analogue scale (VAS) pain ratings and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were compared between the 2 groups before and after surgery. Modified Macnab criterion was estimated for all patients at postoperative 2 years. Results. There were no significant difference of the operation time, number of days staying at the hospital, and the incidence of complications between the 2 groups (P>0.05). Two cases in the PELF group and 1 case in the PELD group received a second surgery due to unrelieved symptoms postoperatively. Low back and leg VAS and ODI scores decreased in both groups after operation (P<0.01), respectively, but were not significant between the 2 groups over time (P>0.05). Six patients in the PELF group and 3 patients in the PELD group did not continue the follow-up; thus, only 131 patients completed Macnab evaluation. The satisfactory rate was reported as 80.4% in the PELF group and 90.7% in the PELD group (P>0.05). Conclusions. This study suggested that the safety and effectiveness of TF PELF are comparable to TF PELD for LDH patients.
Secure Performance of an Untrusted AF Relay System with a Friendly Wireless Powered Jammer
Authors: Li An , Qu Nong
Published: January 2019

We propose a jam-then-harvest protocol for dual-hop cooperative networks with an untrusted relay, where an external friendly jammer helps keep information secret from the untrusted relay by transmitting a priori jamming signal for the destination. In particular, the wireless powered jammer scavenges energy from the received forwarded signal and recovers its initial energy to perform jamming in next time slot. We analytically derive an exact expression of the probability of nonzero secrecy rate (PNSR) for the proposed jam-then-harvest protocol. For performance comparison, cooperative jamming with the constant power supply is provided as a lower bound benchmark. Our results show that the proposed protocol not only can achieve the secure communication but also can harvest the enough energy without a loss of performance in the low jamming power region.
Optimal Stroke Path for Reciprocating Heat Engines
Authors: Huleihil Mahmoud
Published: January 2019

By testing piston motion in reciprocating heat engines as a control variable, one could find piston trajectories, different from the conventional near sinusoidal motion that should increase power production. This results from minimizing frictional losses. The purpose of this study is to determine piston trajectories that are optimal for noncombustion strokes in reciprocating engines, in the sense of minimizing frictional dissipation and hence maximizing efficiency and power. The optimal piston traces for noncombustion strokes are determined by using a combination of optimal control theory and models for the thermodynamic irreversibilities. Hence, the results are germane to external combustion engines and to the noncombustion strokes of internal combustion engines. The optimal piston traces or trajectories obtained here can be viewed as some of the building blocks from which optimal overall cycles can be constructed.
Physical and Chemical Properties of Biodiesel Obtained from Amazon Sailfin Catfish (Pterygoplichthys pardalis) Biomass Oil
Authors: Anguebes-Franseschi F. , Bassam A. , Abatal M. , May Tzuc O. , Aguilar-Ucán C. , Wakida-Kusunoki A. T. , Diaz-Mendez S. E. , San Pedro L. C.
Published: January 2019

Amazon sailfin catfish (Pterygoplichthys pardalis) is considered one of the greatest threats to the biodiversity of continental aquatic systems, causing serious economic and environmental problems in the regions. In this work, the production of biodiesel from Amazon sailfin catfish biomass oil is studied. The physical and chemical properties of biofuel produced were evaluated under the specifications of the European standard EN-14214 by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, and atomic absorption spectrometry analyses. The results show that the biodiesel complies with all the specifications of the standard, except the content of polyunsaturated methyl esters. The yields obtained from oil and biodiesel were 9.67 and 90.71% (m/m), respectively. The methyl ester concentrations study identified 17 components where 47.003% m/m corresponded to methyl esters with saturated chains, whereas 34.394% m/m was attributed to monosaturated methyl esters and the remaining (18.624% m/m) to polysaturated methyl esters. Finally, mineral analysis by atomic absorption showed the absence of heavy metals Cd, Ni, and Pb, as well as low concentrations of Ni, Fe, Cu, and Zn, demonstrating that the quality of the fuel is not compromised. The study indicates the feasibility of manufacturing biodiesel using Amazon sailfin catfish biomass oil as a low-cost raw material. It represents an environmental option to mitigate a global problem of atmospheric pollution, and at the same time, it shows a commercial alternative to reduce the ecological impact caused by this fish in the diverse ecosystems to which it has spread. In addition, the great adaptability of this fish provides the possibility of a profitable process to have very high rates of reproduction and growth, allowing the generation of large amounts of biomass for the production of biodiesel.
Spectral Analysis for a Wave/Plate Transmission System
Authors: Wang Chengqiang
Published: January 2019

We are concerned with the transmission system of a 1D damped wave equation and a 1D undamped plate equation. Our result reads as follows: the spectrum of the infinitesimal generator of the semigroup associated with the system in question consists merely of an infinite sequence of eigenvalues which are all located in the open left half of the complex plane; the sequence of eigenvalues has the imaginary axis and another vertical line to the left of the imaginary axis as its asymptote lines; the energy of the system under consideration decreases to zero as time goes to infinity.
A Suspension Footbridge Model under Crowd‐Induced Lateral Excitation
Authors: Ouyang Lijun , Ding Bin , Li Tingting , Zhen Bin
Published: January 2019

In this paper, a plane pendulum model is proposed to investigate the lateral vibration of a suspension bridge under crowd excitation. The plane model consists of two strings and a rigid body, which represent cables and the bridge deck, respectively. The lateral force induced by crowd is expressed as a cosine function with random phase. Comparing with other existing pedestrian‐footbridge interaction models, the proposed model has two features: one is that the structural characteristics of the suspension bridge are taken into account. The other is that the expression of the lateral force induced by crowd has a unified form for different lateral bridge amplitudes. By numerically analyzing the solution stability of the plane model, we exhibit the whole changing process how a suspension bridge increases its lateral amplitude from small to large. It is shown that the worst case occurs when the lateral natural frequency of the bridge is half the lateral step frequency of the pedestrians. Based on the analysis results, the plane pendulum model can be easily used to explain why the central span of the London Millennium Bridge has large lateral oscillations at about 0.48 Hz.
A Fluid-Structure Interaction Model for Dam-Water Systems: Analytical Study and Application to Seismic Behavior
Authors: Faria Ricardo , Oliveira Sérgio , Silvestre Ana L.
Published: January 2019

We consider a dam-water system modeled as a fluid-structure interaction, specifically, a coupled hyperbolic second-order problem, formulated in terms of the displacement of the structure and the fluid pressure. Firstly, we investigate the well posedness of the corresponding variational formulation using Galerkin approximations, energy estimates, and mollification. Then, we apply the finite element method along with the state-space representation of the discrete problem in order to perform a 3D numerical simulation of Cabril arch dam (Zêzere river, Portugal). The numerical model is validated by comparison with available experimental data from a monitoring vibration system installed in Cabril dam.
Pollutant Removal from Wastewater at Different Stages of the Tanning Process by Electrocoagulation
Authors: de la Luz-Pedro Alejandra , Martínez Prior Efraín F. , López-Araiza M. H. , Jaime-Ferrer S. , Estrada-Monje A. , Bañuelos Jennifer A.
Published: January 2019

The removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), turbidity, and chromium content from tannery wastewater at different stages of the process was experimentally investigated using electrocoagulation (EC) with iron and aluminium electrodes. In the EC of the beamhouse wastewater (S1), the effects of initial pH and current density were analyzed and electrical energy consumption was determined. The COD and TOC in the solution were effectively removed, with an initial pH 7.0, using either metallic electrode. With a current density of 28 mA/cm2 for an electrolysis procedure of 60 minutes, the removal efficiency of COD and TOC was 72% and 57% with aluminium electrodes and 69% and 60% with iron electrodes, respectively. The minimum energy consumption for the highest COD and TOC removal was 0.37 and 0.69 kWh/m3 when employing iron or aluminium electrodes, respectively. At the optimal conditions, removal efficiencies close to 100% for turbidity and chromium content for wastewaters S1-beamhouse, S2-tanning, S3-retanning, and S4-a mixture 1 : 1 : 1 (v/v/v) were achieved. Results show that a pseudosecond-order rate equation provides a good correlation for the removal rate of the parameters. Finally, the results indicate that for tannery wastewater, the EC process does not depend noticeably on the electrode material, but that the stage of the tanning process of wastewater sample has the principal effect on treatment efficiency.
Gut Microbiota-Derived Mediators as Potential Markers in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Aragonès Gemma , González-García Sergio , Aguilar Carmen , Richart Cristóbal , Auguet Teresa
Published: January 2019

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common, multifactorial, and poorly understood liver disease whose incidence is globally rising. During the past decade, several lines of evidence suggest that dysbiosis of intestinal microbiome represents an important factor contributing to NAFLD occurrence and its progression into NASH. The mechanisms that associate dysbiosis with NAFLD include changes in microbiota-derived mediators, deregulation of the gut endothelial barrier, translocation of mediators of dysbiosis, and hepatic inflammation. Changes in short chain fatty acids, bile acids, bacterial components, choline, and ethanol are the result of altered intestinal microbiota. We perform a narrative review of the previously published evidence and discuss the use of gut microbiota-derived mediators as potential markers in NAFLD.
A Comparison of the Effect of Sevoflurane and Propofol on Ventricular Repolarisation after Preoperative Cefuroxime Infusion
Authors: Liu Yanqiu , Gao Hong , Wang Guilong , An Li , Yi Jing , Fu Xiaokui , Wen Chunlei , Wang Zijun
Published: January 2019

The aim of this study is to investigate the changes in QT, QTc, and Tp-e intervals and Tp-e/QT ratio on surface electrocardiogram (ECG) signals during anaesthesia induction using propofol or sevoflurane after preoperative cefuroxime infusion. Some 120 cases of gynaecological patients are randomly divided into propofol (P) and sevoflurane (S) groups (n=60). After cefuroxime (1.5 g) was infused in the two groups of patients, propofol target controlled infusion (TCI) was conducted in the P group for 5 min to realise a plasma concentration of 4 μg/ml while patients in the S group inhaled anaesthesia by infusing 1.3 MAC sevoflurane for 6 min. The 12-lead ECGs were separately collected before infusing cefuroxime (T1), after infusing cefuroxime (T2), and after infusing propofol or sevoflurane (T3) to measure QT and Tp-e intervals, calculate QTc and Tp-e/QT, and record MAP and HR. Finally, we demonstrated that QT, QTc, and Tp-e intervals and Tp-e/QT ratio had no change (P > 0.05) after cefuroxime infusion in the two groups of patients compared with that before infusing antibiotics. Moreover, after conducting preoperative cefuroxime infusion, using propofol and sevoflurane had no influence on Tp-e interval, but sevoflurane can significantly prolong QT and QTc intervals (P < 0.05).
Relación bidireccional entre diabetes mellitus y periodontitis apical.
Authors: Quezada García Maria Andrea , Palma Eyzaguirre Ana Maria
Published: January 2019

Resumen: La Diabetes Mellitus es una enfermedad crónica que ha ido en aumento en las últimas décadas, por lo que cada vez es más probable que los odontólogos veamos pacientes con esta enfermedad. Múltiples estudios han evaluado la relación entre diabetes mellitus y patologías orales, ya que la diabetes produce un estado proinflamatorio permanente que altera la cicatrización y la respuesta del hospedero frente a las bacterias.  Por otro lado, la periodontitis apical, una de las patologías orales de mayor prevalencia en Chile, produce citoquinas que van a llegar al torrente sanguíneo, aumentando la inflamación y empeorando el control metabólico de esta enfermedad. El objetivo de esta revisión narrativa es entender los mecanismos por los que ocurre esta interacción y sus consideraciones terapéuticas.
Eficacia analgésica y complicaciones a corto plazo de catéteres peridurales lumbares y torácicos en pacientes pediátricos: una evaluación retrospectiva
Authors: González Arellano Alejandro , Ibacache Mauricio , De la Fuente René , Rolle Augusto , Vega Eduardo
Published: January 2019

Introducción: la analgesia peridural postoperatoria en niños es efectiva con catéteres insertados al nivel del sitio quirúrgico. Objetivo: comparar la eficacia y las complicaciones de catéteres insertados a nivel lumbar y torácico para analgesia postoperatoria.Método: revisamos la base de datos del Servicio de dolor agudo. Extrajimos información de pacientes de 0-18 años, con analgesia peridural postoperatoria. Los pacientes fueron divididos en grupo lumbar y torácico y, en cada grupo, por edades. Recopilamos información de: variables demográficas, tipo de cirugía, nivel de inserción del catéter peridural, solución de anestésico local administrada, analgésicos sistémicos, coadyuvantes peridurales, dolor postoperatorio y complicaciones. Dividimos las complicaciones según gravedad.Resultados: se analizaron 221 pacientes, 123 con catéter lumbar y 98 con catéter torácico. Catéteres peridurales lumbares y torácicos fueron principalmente insertados en niños de 1-3 años y mayores de 4 años respectivamente. Se utilizó bupivacaína 0,1-0,125%. Las cirugías fueron urológicas, intraabdominales, ortopédicas, torácicas y cardiovasculares. Los niños con catéteres torácicos tuvieron más dolor (mediana (rango): 3 (0-6) vs. 2 (0-4)) y necesitaron sus catéteres por más días (promedio (DE): 2,96 (1,06) vs. 2,53 (1,09) que aquellos con catéter lumbar. Los requerimientos analgésicos fueron similares en ambos grupos. Hubo 60 complicaciones (27,1%), principalmente menores (92%), sin diferencias entre los grupos lumbar y torácica (30% vs 23%) ni entre las diferentes edades.Conclusión: los catéteres peridurales insertados en relación al sitio quirúrgico, a nivel lumbar o torácico, proporcionarían analgesia postoperatoria clínicamente aceptable y comparable, con similar incidencia de complicaciones.