bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changing Trends in the Management of Epistaxis
Authors: Traboulsi Henri , Alam Elie , Hadi Usamah
Published: August 2015

Epistaxis is a very common complaint seen by many types of physicians including otolaryngologists, family physicians, and others. Management of epistaxis is often challenging and requires many types of intervention. The following review describes the different types of past and current treatment modalities including cautery, nasal packing, maxillary artery ligation, anterior artery ligation, and sphenopalatine artery ligation. The paper also proposes an algorithm for managing such cases.
Collaborative Routing Protocol Based on Hydrodynamics for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Wei Zhao , Xiaoyong Yan , Fei Shao , Xianghong Tian , Binghua Cheng
Published: August 2015

Collaborative routing protocol design is hard work for wireless sensor networks (WSNs), especially for the large scale WSNs. The complexity and collaboration associated with the routing protocol design must be taken into account. A collaborative hydrodynamics routing (HR) protocol based on hydrodynamic theory is proposed in this paper, which aims at prolonging the network lifetime and adapting to the variety of network scales. Packets for forwarding in sensor networks can be analogous to fluid elements moving in a fluid field. Sink nodes are similar to the sink flows and source nodes are similar to the source flows; and packets would flow from sources to sinks under potential flow. Simulation results show that our approach has a great advantage as it offers a significant improvement in the aspects of decreasing complexity and prolonging network lifetime and demonstrates high performance for the improvement in collaboration of routing protocol. Comparing with conventional AODV protocol, HR achieves higher successful delivery rate and longer network lifetime by 50% and 40%, respectively.
Localizing Wireless Sensors with Diverse Granularities in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Yin Xiaoyan , Zhang Qi , Zheng Xin , Wang Liang , Zhao Hui , Nie Weike
Published: August 2015

To obtain accurate location information of individual sensor nodes is of vital importance in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), especially for objective tracking applications. However, it is challenging to acquire fine-grained localization accuracy because of resource constraints of sensor nodes, unreliable wireless communication, and cost. Moreover, heterogeneous characteristics of both sensor nodes and applications make this problem even harder to solve. In this paper, we propose NLMR, a novel on-demand node localization technology based on multiresolution model. NLMR comprises three phases: (1) subregion classification, which categorizes regions into subregions with either uniform node deployment or nonuniform node deployment; (2) multiresolution model construction, which creates a multiresolution model that caters for diverse localization granularity; (3) node localization, which allows the control center to estimate the locations of sensor nodes in a centralized manner. Our analysis and simulation results demonstrate the performance of NLMR and verify that our scheme can provide diverse localization granularity with high probability.
Cooperative Sensor Selection Optimization and Power-Efficient Gathering for Multihop Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Hu Yong , Wu Shaohua , Shen Dong
Published: August 2015

Since a single sensor may be in a fading dip, cooperative sensing among multiple sensors which experience uncorrelated fading is required to guarantee reliable sensing performance. This paper proposes a cooperative sensor selection and power-efficient gathering (CSSPEG) strategy in multihop wireless sensor networks to avoid the “hot spot” problem. Intracluster communication radiuses have different sizes, in which the clusters closer to the base station have smaller size. Furthermore, intracluster member allocation scheme uses cooperative sensor selection and power-efficient gathering strategy. Simulation results show that the proposed CSSPEG can efficiently balance the energy consumption of cluster heads and prolong the lifetime of the network.
A Task Allocation Algorithm Based on Score Incentive Mechanism for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Wang Feng , Han Guangjie , Jiang Jinfang , Li Wei , Shu Lei
Published: August 2015

A wireless sensor network (WSN) consists of many resource constraint sensor nodes, which are always deployed in unattended environment. Therefore, the sensor nodes are vulnerable to failure and malicious attacks. The failed nodes have a heavily negative impact on WSNs’ real-time services. Therefore, we propose a task allocation algorithm based on score incentive mechanism (TASIM) for WSNs. In TASIM, the score is proposed to reward or punish sensor nodes’ task execution in cluster-based WSNs, where cluster heads are responsible for task allocation and scores’ calculation. Based on the task scores, cluster members can collaborate with each other to complete complex tasks. In addition, the uncompleted tasks on failed nodes can be timely migrated to other cluster members for further execution. Furthermore, the uncompleted tasks on death nodes can be reallocated by cluster heads. Simulation results demonstrate that TASIM is quite suitable for real-time task allocation. In addition, the performance of the TASIM is clearly better than that of conventional task allocation algorithms in terms of both network load balance and energy consumption.
Electrodes Modification Based on Metal-Free Phthalocyanine: Example of Electrochemical Sensors for the Detection of Acetic Acid
Authors: Ndiaye Amadou L. , Pauly Alain , Delile Sebastien , Brunet Jérôme , Varenne Christelle , Kumar Abhishek
Published: August 2015

Electroanalytical properties of tetra-tert-butyl phthalocyanine (PcH2-tBu) modified electrodes are studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The modified electrodes are obtained by CV deposition techniques on gold (Au) and glassy carbon (C) screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) and used for the electrochemical detection of acetic acid (AA). Based on the CV experiments, the electrodeposition mechanism is detailed. The modified PcH2-tBu electrodes reveal one oxidation and one reduction peak within the potential window of the working electrodes. In the presence of the analyte (acetic acid), the modified electrodes show sensitivity in the range of 10 mM to 400 mM. For the PcH2-tBu modified Au electrode, a limit of detection (LOD) of 5.89 mM (based on the +0.06 V peak) was obtained while for the PcH2-tBu modified C electrode a LOD of 17.76 mM (based on the +0.07 V peak) was achieved. A signal decay of 17%, based on 20 experiments, is obtained when gold is used as working electrode. If carbon is used as working electrode a value of 7% is attained. A signal decay is observed after more than 50 cycles of experiments and is more pronounced when higher concentrations of acetic acid are used. A mechanism of sensing is proposed at the end.
Qat Chewing and Periodontal Pathogens in Health and Disease: Further Evidence for a Prebiotic-Like Effect
Authors: Al-Alimi Abdulrahman , Taiyeb-Ali Tara , Jaafar Nasruddin , Noor Al-hebshi Nezar
Published: August 2015

Aim. Qat chewing has been reported to induce subgingival microbial shifts suggestive of prebiotic-like properties. The objective here was to assess the effect of qat chewing on a panel of classical and new putative periopathogens in health and periodontitis.Materials and Methods. 40 qat chewers and 40 nonchewers, equally stratified by periodontal health status, were recruited. Taqman, real-time PCR was used to quantify total bacteria,Porphyromonas gingivalis,Tannerella forsythia,Treponema denticola,Parvimonas micra,Filifactor alocis, Synergistetes, and TM7s in pooled subgingival biofilm samples. Differences in microbial parameters between the study groups were analysed using ordinal regression.Results. In health, the qat chewers harboured significantly lower relative counts ofP. gingivalis,T. forsythia, Synergistetes, and TM7s after adjustment for multiple comparisons (P≤0.007). At nominal significance level, they also carried lower counts of TM7s andP. micra(P≤0.05). In periodontitis, the chewers had lower counts of all taxa; however, onlyT. denticolawithstood correction for multiple comparisons (P≤0.0063).Conclusions. Qat chewing is associated with lower proportions of periopathogens, particularly in subjects with healthy periodontium, which supports previous reports of its prebiotic-like properties. This potentially beneficial biological effect can be exploited by attempting to isolate the active fraction.
Pheochromocytoma Presenting as Partial HELLP Syndrome
Authors: Daaboul Yazan , Korjian Serge , Khalil Lamis , Nemr Rita
Published: August 2015

Diagnosis of pheochromocytoma in partial HELLP syndrome is extremely rare. We report a case of a 25-year-old multigravida woman at 30 weeks of gestation who presented with clinical features consistent with partial HELLP syndrome. Her symptoms were not controlled by pharmacologic therapy, and the patient underwent urgent cesarean section. The patient gave birth to a viable baby, but she sustained an episode of ventricular fibrillation intraoperatively that did not result in any long-term sequelae. The patient’s symptoms persisted postoperatively and work-up for secondary etiologies of hypertension demonstrated a right adrenal pheochromocytoma. Following resection, the patient’s signs and symptoms resolved, and her lab tests normalized.
Effects of Mitochondrial Uncoupling Protein 2 Inhibition by Genipin in Human Cumulus Cells
Authors: Ge Hongshan , Zhang Fan , Shan Dan , Chen Hua , Wang Xiaona , Ling Chao , Xi HaiTao , Huang Jianying , Zhu ChunFang , Lv Jeiqiang
Published: August 2015

UCP2 plays a physiological role by regulating mitochondrial biogenesis, maintaining energy balance, ROS elimination, and regulating cellular autophagy in numerous tissues. But the exact roles of UCP2 in cumulus cells are still not clear. Genipin, a special UCP2 inhibitor, was added into the cultural medium to explore the roles of UCP2 in human cumulus cells. There were no significant differences in ATP and mitochondrial membrane potential levels in cumulus cells from UCP2 inhibiting groups as compared with the control. The levels of ROS and Mn-SOD were markedly elevated after UCP2 inhibited Genipin. However, the ratio of reduced GSH to GSSG significantly declined after treatment with Genipin. UCP2 inhibition by Genipin also resulted in obvious increase in the active caspase-3, which accompanied the decline of caspase-3 mRNA. The level of progesterone in culture medium declined obviously after Genipin treatment. But there was no significant difference in estradiol concentrations. This study indicated that UCP2 is expressed in human cumulus cells and plays important roles on mediate ROS production, apoptotic process, and steroidogenesis, suggesting UCP2 may be involved in regulation of follicle development and oocyte maturation and quality.
The Effect of Young Age in Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer
Authors: Lee Minna K. , Varzi Leo A. , Chung Debra U. , Cao Minh-an , Gornbein Jeffrey , Apple Sophia K. , Chang Helena R.
Published: August 2015

Background. Studies have shown that young breast cancer patients have more advanced disease and worse survival compared to older patients. Our objective was to study disease characteristics and survival in the subset of young women with hormone receptor positive (HR+) and HER2 negative (HER2−) cancer.Methods. We retrospectively analyzed HR+/HER2− breast cancer patients who underwent surgery at our institution between 2002 and 2010. We compared clinical characteristics, pathology, treatment, and recurrence-free survival between younger (≤40 years) and older (>40 years) patients.Results. Of 669 HR+/HER2− breast cancer cases, 54 (8.1%) patients were 40 years or younger. Younger patients had more luminal B subtype, high grade, poor differentiation, and increased lymphovascular invasion. Younger women were treated more often with mastectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy. Although the unadjusted recurrence-free survival at median 55-month follow-up was lower in younger women, adjusting for stage, there was no significant difference (90.7% versus 89.3%,p=0.74) between groups.Conclusion. Younger patients with HR+/HER2− breast cancer had more advanced disease and more aggressive treatment than older patients. The unfavorable pathologic features suggest a biologically different tumor in young women. After adjusting for these factors, younger patients have a recurrence-free survival similar to older patients.
Gabapentin-Induced Urinary Incontinence: A Rare Side Effect in Patients with Neuropathic Pain
Authors: Kibar Sibel , Demir Sibel , Sezer Nebahat , Köseoğlu Belma Füsun , Dalyan Aras Meltem , Kesikburun Bilge
Published: August 2015

Gabapentin is a first-line agent for neuropathic pain management and has a favorable safety profile. The literature includes a few cases of gabapentin-induced incontinence, and most of them involved patients with epilepsy who were between the ages of 12 and 43 years. Herein, we present three patients with neuropathic pain due to different diagnoses, and, to our knowledge, these are the oldest reported cases of urinary incontinence caused by gabapentin therapy. A 56-year-old female patient who underwent hip arthroplasty developed a sciatic nerve injury and neuropathic pain postoperatively. Ten days after she began taking gabapentin to relieve her pain, she experienced daily urinary incontinence. In another instance, a 63-year-old female patient was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome, and seven days after the initiation of gabapentin therapy, urinary incontinence developed. In addition, a 66-year-old male patient with neuropathic pain due to cervical disc pathology complained of urinary incontinence after the onset of gabapentin therapy. After discontinuing this drug, the incontinence symptoms resolved in these patients on the seventh, the first, and the second days, respectively. Physicians who administer gabapentin should inform their patients about the potential risk of gabapentin-induced incontinence and its negative impact on quality of life.
A Study on High Secure and Efficient MANET Routing Scheme
Authors: Wu Wei-Chen , Liaw Horng-Twu
Published: August 2015

In mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), the more applications we use, the more security is required. In this paper, we propose a high secure and efficient routing scheme that not only satisfies the properties of anonymity, security, authentication, nonrepudiation, and unforgeability that the previous paper achieved for ad hoc networks, but also satisfies other necessary properties such as confidentiality, traceability, and flexibility for multipaths in order to make the ad hoc environment more secure and practicable.
Mobile Intracardiac Mass after Inguinal Hernia Repair: An Unresolved Treatment Dilemma
Authors: Almehmadi Fahad , Davis Mark , Singh Sheldon M.
Published: August 2015

Right heart thrombi (RHT) are rare but well-described entity in literature. Their isolation has been considered as confirmatory for the diagnosis of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Even though their isolation aids the diagnosis, physicians are faced with a difficult management dilemma giving the paucity of data to support any treatment decision. We present a case of RHT in an 81-year-old man who presented to hospital with a large mobile right heart thrombus in transit seen on transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE). He was successfully treated with anticoagulation alone. This case highlights the importance of TTE in establishing the diagnosis and describes the interplay of factors influencing treatment decision.
Does Papillary Carcinoma of Thyroglossal Duct Cyst Develop De Novo?
Authors: Baglam Tekin , Binnetoglu Adem , Yumusakhuylu Ali Cemal , Demir Berat , Askan Gokce , Sari Murat
Published: August 2015

Backround. Thyroglossal duct cyst (TDC) is a developmental abnormality of the thyroid gland. Due to embryological remnants of thyroid tissue located in the TDC, the same malignant tumors that develop in the thyroid gland can also develop in the TDC.Methods. We present the unique case of a 39-year-old female with simultaneous de novo papillary carcinoma in a TDC and the thyroid gland.Results. With the suspicion of simultaneous papillary carcinoma in the TDC and the thyroid gland, Sistrunk procedure with total thyroidectomy and central neck exploration was performed.Conclusion. The clinician should have a high index of suspicion upon encountering papillary carcinoma of the TDC to differentiate de novo papillary carcinoma in the TDC from those originating from the thyroid gland, because papillary carcinoma in TDC may originate from an occult thyroid papillary carcinoma.
Childbearing May Increase the Risk of Nondiabetic Cataract in Chinese Women’s Old Age
Authors: Yuan Manqiong , Han Yaofeng , Fang Ya , Chu Cheng-I
Published: August 2015

Backgrounds. Ocular changes may arise during pregnancy and after childbirth, but very few studies have reported the association between childbearing and cataract among older adults.Methods. 14,292 individuals aged 60+ years were recruited in Xiamen, China, in 2013. Physician-diagnosed cataract and diabetes status were assessed by a self-reported questionnaire. Childbearing status was measured by number of children (NOC). Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was conducted to examine the relationships among NOC, diabetes, and cataract. Gender-specific logistic models regressing nondiabetic cataract on NOC were performed by adjusting some covariates.Results. 14,119 participants had complete data, of whom 5.01% suffered from cataract, with higher prevalence in women than men (6.41% versus 3.51%). Estimates of SEM models for women suggested that both NOC and diabetes were risk factors for cataract and that no correlation existed between NOC and diabetes. Women who had one or more children faced roughly 2–4 times higher risk of nondiabetic cataract than their childless counterparts (OR [95% CI] = 3.88 [1.24, 17.71], 3.21 [1.04, 14.52], 4.32 [1.42, 19.44], 4.41 [1.46, 19.74], and 3.98 [1.28, 18.10] for having 1, 2, 3, 4-5, and 6 or more children, resp.).Conclusions. Childbearing may increase the risk of nondiabetic cataract in Chinese women’s older age.
Radiofrequency for the Treatment of Lumbar Radicular Pain: Impact on Surgical Indications
Authors: Trinidad José Manuel , Carnota Ana Isabel , Failde Inmaculada , Torres Luis Miguel
Published: August 2015

Study Design. Quasiexperimental study. Objective. To investigate whether radiofrequency treatment can preclude the need for spinal surgery in both the short term and long term. Background. Radiofrequency is commonly used to treat lumbosacral radicular pain. Only few studies have evaluated its effects on surgical indications. Methods. We conducted a quasiexperimental study of 43 patients who had been scheduled for spinal surgery. Radiofrequency was indicated for 25 patients. The primary endpoint was the decision of the patient to reject spinal surgery 1 month and 1 year after treatment (pulsed radiofrequency of dorsal root ganglion, 76%; conventional radiofrequency of the medial branch, 12%; combined technique, 12%). The primary endpoint was the decision of the patient to reject spinal surgery 1 month and 1 year after treatment. In addition, we also evaluated adverse effects, ODI, NRS. Results. We observed after treatment with radiofrequency 80% of patients rejected spinal surgery in the short term and 76% in the long term. We conclude that radiofrequency is a useful treatment strategy that can achieve very similar outcomes to spinal surgery. Patients also reported a very high level of satisfaction (84% satisfied/very satisfied). We also found that optimization of the electrical parameters of the radiofrequency improved the outcome of this technique.
Nasopharyngeal Bacterial Carriage in the Conjugate Vaccine Era with a Focus on Pneumococci
Authors: Devine V. T. , Jefferies J. M. , Clarke S. C. , Faust S. N.
Published: August 2015

Seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) was included in the UK national immunisation program in 2006, and this was replaced by thirteen-valent PCV in 2010. During this time, the carriage of vaccine-typeStreptococcus pneumoniaedecreased but pneumococcal carriage remained stable due to increases in non-vaccine-typeS. pneumoniae. Carriage studies have been undertaken in various countries to monitor vaccine-type replacement and to help predict the serotypes, which may cause invasive disease. There has been less focus on how conjugate vaccines indirectly affect colonization of other nasopharyngeal bacteria. If the nasopharynx is treated as a niche, then bacterial dynamics are accepted to occur. Alterations in these dynamics have been shown due to seasonal changes, antibiotic use, and sibling/day care interaction. It has been shown that, following PCV7 introduction, an eradication of pneumococcal vaccine types has resulted in increases in the abundance of other respiratory pathogens includingHaemophilus influenzaeandStaphylococcus aureus. These changes are difficult to attribute to PCV7 introduction alone and these studies do not account for further changes due to PCV13 implementation. This review aims to describe nasopharyngeal cocarriage of respiratory pathogens in the PCV era.
Antioxidant and Anticholinesterase Potential of SixThymusSpecies
Authors: Kindl Marija , Blažeković Biljana , Bucar Franz , Vladimir-Knežević Sanda
Published: August 2015

The present study aimed to evaluate antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities of the ethanolic extracts of six selectedThymusspecies growing in Croatia (T. longicaulis,T. praecoxsubsp.polytrichus,T. pulegioides,T. serpyllumsubsp.serpyllum,T. striatus, andT. vulgaris). Antioxidant effectiveness was assessed using six different assays, in comparison with rosmarinic acid, luteolin, and reference antioxidants. All testedThymusextracts possessed DPPH (IC50= 3–6 μg/mL) and nitric oxide (IC50= 70–177 μg/mL) free radical scavenging activities, strong reducing properties (IC50= 11–15 μg/mL), ferrous ion chelating activity (IC50= 126–389 μg/mL), ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation (IC50= 34–80 μg/mL), and high total antioxidant capacities (238–294 mg AAE/g). AChE inhibitory activity was examined using Ellman's colorimetric method and all tested extracts showed anti-AChE activity in a dose dependent manner. The values of 10–28%, 23–39%, and 64–86% were obtained for tested concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, and 1 mg/mL, respectively. Additionally, the contents of total hydroxycinnamic derivatives, flavonoids, and tannins in dried plant samples were determined spectrophotometrically. Our results highlightedThymusspecies as a rich source of natural antioxidants and AChE inhibitors that could be useful in preventing and treating Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Intestinal Amyloidosis in Common Variable Immunodeficiency and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Meira T. , Sousa R. , Cordeiro A. , Ilgenfritz R. , Borralho P.
Published: August 2015

We present a case of reactive amyloidosis that developed secondary to common variable immunodeficiency and rheumatoid arthritis. A 66-year-old woman, with prior history of common variable immunodeficiency and rheumatoid arthritis, was referred to our clinic for chronic diarrhea investigation. The patient was submitted to colonoscopy with ileoscopy, which did not show relevant endoscopic alterations. However, undertaken biopsies revealed amyloid deposition. Since amyloidosis with GI involvement is a rare cause of chronic diarrhea, this pathology should be considered in etiologic investigation, especially when associated with chronic inflammatory diseases.
Metachronous Bilateral Testicular Leydig-Like Tumors Leading to the Diagnosis of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (Adrenogenital Syndrome)
Authors: Vukina Josip , Chism David D. , Sharpless Julie L. , Raynor Mathew C. , Milowsky Matthew I. , Funkhouser William K.
Published: August 2015

A 33-year-old male with a history of left testis Leydig cell tumor (LCT), 3-month status after left radical orchiectomy, presented with a rapidly enlarging (0.6 cm to 3.7 cm) right testicular mass. He underwent a right radical orchiectomy, sections interpreted as showing a similar Leydig cell-like oncocytic proliferation, with a differential diagnosis including metachronous bilateral LCT and metachronous bilateral testicular tumors associated with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (a.k.a. “testicular adrenal rest tumors” (TARTs) and “testicular tumors of the adrenogenital syndrome” (TTAGS)). Additional workup demonstrated a markedly elevated serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and elevated adrenal precursor steroid levels. He was diagnosed with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency (3BHSD) type, and started on treatment. Metachronous bilateral testicular masses in adults should prompt consideration of adult presentation of CAH. Since all untreated CAH patients are expected to have elevated serum ACTH, formal exclusion of CAH prior to surgical resection of a testicular Leydig-like proliferation could be accomplished by screening for elevated serum ACTH.
Energy Aware Optimal Resource Allocation in Backhaul Constraint Wireless Networks: A Two Base Stations Scenario
Authors: Gao Yuan , Xue Peng , Li Yi , Yu Hongyi , Wang Xianfeng , Gao Shihai
Published: August 2015

In future wireless communication systems, the capacity constrained backhaul gradually becomes bottleneck both in spectrum efficiency and energy efficiency, especially in joint processing of LTE-Advanced. This paper addresses the issue of energy aware resource allocation with limited backhaul capacity in uplink cooperative reception, where two base stations (BSs) equipped with single-antenna each serving multiple users with single-antenna via multicarrier are considered. We propose a novel energy efficient cooperative scheme based on compress-and-forward and user pairing to solve the problem in two base stations scenario. In order to maximize system throughput and increase energy efficiency under the limited backhaul capacity constraint, we formulate the joint optimization problem of user pairing, subcarrier mapping, and backhaul capacity sharing between different pairs (subcarriers). An energy efficient algorithm based on alternating optimization strategy and perfect mapping is proposed to solve this mixed integer programming problem. Simulations show that this allocation algorithm can improve the system capacity and energy efficiency significantly compared with the blind alternatives.
Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy-Related Inflammation: Report of a Case with Very Difficult Therapeutic Management
Authors: Crosta Francesca , Orlandi Berardino , De Santis Federica , Passalacqua Gianni , DiFrancesco Jacopo C. , Piazza Fabrizio , Catalucci Alessia , Desideri Giovambattista , Marini Carmine
Published: August 2015

Background. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation (CAA-ri) results from autoimmune response to beta-amyloid deposits in cerebral vessels. Its clinical course and complications have seldom been described in literature.Case Report. In a patient presenting with delirium and left hemiparesis the diagnosis of CAA-ri was supported by the finding of elevated anti-amyloid autoantibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Steroid therapy produced significant improvements in clinical and investigational assessments, but after two months, it caused Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. After steroid therapy discontinuation the patient presented a rapidly progressive dementia, Guillain-Barré syndrome, new cerebral ischemic lesions, and thrombosis of the right cephalic and subclavian veins that were treated with subcutaneous heparin. After a week the patient died because of brain hemorrhage.Conclusion. This case suggests caution in steroid therapy discontinuation and antithrombotic therapy administration in patients with CAA-ri. The CSF search of anti-amyloid autoantibodies could be helpful to support the diagnosis.
Modeling the Dynamic Evolution of the Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks under the City Scenario
Authors: Zhang Lili , Li Yueheng , Tan Guoping , Zhu Rongbo , Chen Hao
Published: August 2015

Nowadays, vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) has attracted more and more attention due to its various applications to improve the road traffic safety and efficiency. So there were plenty of exploration work and merit on the intervehicle communication, routing, and data forwarding, but it is not easy to design the efficient routing and data forwarding algorithm, because it is hard to understand the dynamic evolution of its network topology due to the fast movement of the vehicles in the network. While the network evolution structure is the key to design the optimal data forwarding strategy, hence, in this paper, we will analyze the dynamic evolution of topology characteristics based on the real data collected by the GPS devices installed on vehicles and then model the network evolution by the dynamic topology characteristics. In the end, we analyze and verify the efficiency of our model by theoretical deductions and simulations, and our model will be helpful to find more efficient routing algorithm and build the more trustable simulator of VANET.
Efficient Mobility Management Signalling in Network Mobility Supported PMIPV6
Authors: Jebaseeli Samuelraj Ananthi , Jayapal Sundararajan
Published: August 2015

Proxy Mobile IPV6 (PMIPV6) is a network based mobility management protocol which supports node’s mobility without the contribution from the respective mobile node. PMIPV6 is initially designed to support individual node mobility and it should be enhanced to support mobile network movement. NEMO‐BSP is an existing protocol to support network mobility (NEMO) in PMIPV6 network. Due to the underlying differences in basic protocols, NEMO‐BSP cannot be directly applied to PMIPV6 network. Mobility management signaling and data structures used for individual node’s mobility should be modified to support group nodes’ mobility management efficiently. Though a lot of research work is in progress to implement mobile network movement in PMIPV6, it is not yet standardized and each suffers with different shortcomings. This research work proposes modifications in NEMO‐BSP and PMIPV6 to achieve NEMO support in PMIPV6. It mainly concentrates on optimizing the number and size of mobility signaling exchanged while mobile network or mobile network node changes its access point.
Rare Case of Rapidly Worsening REM Sleep Induced Bradycardia
Authors: Duba Ayyappa S. , Jasty Suneetha , Mahajan Ankit , Kodadhala Vijay , Khan Raza , Rai Prithviraj , Ghazvini Mohammad
Published: August 2015

Sinoatrial arrest also known as sinus pause occurs when sinoatrial node of the heart transiently ceases to generate the electrical impulse necessary for the myocardium to contract. It may last from 2.0 seconds to several minutes. Etiologies of sinoatrial arrest can be complex and heterogeneous. During rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, sinus arrests unrelated to apnea or hypopnea are very rare and only a few cases have been reported. Here we report a case of 36-year-old male with no significant past medical history who presented to our hospital after a syncopal episode at night. Physical examination showed no cardiac or neurological abnormalities and initial EKG and neuroimaging were normal. Overnight telemonitor recorded several episodes of bradyarrhythmia with sinus arrest that progressively lengthened over time. Sleep study was done which confirmed that sinus arrests occurred more during REM sleep and are unrelated to apnea or hypopnea. Electrophysiology studies showed sinus nodal dysfunction with no junctional escape, subsequently a dual chamber pacemaker placed for rapidly worsening case of REM sleep induced bradycardia.
The Metastability and Nucleation Thresholds of Ibuprofen in Ethanol and Water-Ethanol Mixtures
Authors: Rashid Abdur , White Edward T. , Howes Tony , Litster James D. , Marziano Ivan
Published: August 2015

To investigate the crystallization of ibuprofen [((RS)-2-(4-(2-methylpropyl) phenyl) propanoic acid)] from ethanol and water-ethanol mixtures it is necessary to know the nucleation limits of its solutions. In the absence of crystals, nucleation will seldom occur below the PNT (primary nucleation threshold). If crystals are present, nucleation will seldom occur until below the lower SNT (secondary nucleation threshold). Below the SNT, crystals will still grow with negligible nucleation. PNT and SNT values (expressed as relative supersaturationσ) have been measured at 10, 25, and 40°C for ibuprofen in ethanol and in a range of mixtures of different ethanol (E)/water (W) ratios. The induction times were determined from observing the times to nucleate for a range of different supersaturated solutions at a given temperature andE/Wratio. As expected, lowering the supersaturation leads to longer induction times. In ethanol, the SNT values are small and thus the secondary metastable zone width (MSZW) is relatively narrow with a 1 h SNT relative supersaturation typically aboutσ~ 0.05. The 1 h PNT values are much larger with values forσaround 0.3. In aqueous ethanolic mixtures at 25°C, both the PNT and SNT decrease as the water content increases.
Sustained Release Formulation of Primaquine for Prevention of Relapse of Plasmodium vivax Malaria: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Comparative, Multicentric Study
Authors: Pareek Anil , Chandurkar Nitin , Gogtay Nithya , Deshpande Alaka , Kakrani Arjun , Kaneria Mala , Karmakar Partha , Jain Arvind , Kochar Dhanpat , Chogle Arun , Ray Arnab
Published: August 2015

Background. Primaquine is used to eradicate latent Plasmodium vivax parasite from liver, with administration of standard dose daily up to 14 days. We studied efficacy, safety, and tolerability of sustained release (SR) formulation of primaquine in comparison with conventional primaquine in preventing relapse of P. vivax malaria. Methods. Microscopically confirmed cases of P. vivax malaria received chloroquine therapy for three days. Aparasitemic and asymptomatic patients were then randomized to receive either conventional primaquine 15 mg for 14 days or primaquine SR 15 mg for 14 days, or primaquine SR 30 mg for seven days. Results. Of the 360 patients, who received chloroquine therapy, 358 patients were randomized. Two-hundred eighty-eight patients completed six-month follow-up and four patients (three: conventional primaquine 15 mg (2.86%), one: primaquine SR 30 mg (0.93%)) showed relapse confirmed by PCR genotyping. Drug compliance was significantly better in primaquine SR 30 mg group (95.57%, p=0.039) without any serious adverse events. Conclusion. Primaquine SR 15 mg and primaquine SR 30 mg could be an effective alternative to conventional primaquine 15 mg due to their comparable cure rates and safety profile. Shorter treatment duration with primaquine SR 30 mg may increase patient compliance and may further reduce relapse rates. Clinical Trial Registration. This trial is registered with CTRI/2010/091/000245.
Sublingual Immunotherapy with a Five-Grass Pollen Tablet in Adult Patients with Allergic Rhinitis: An Open, Prospective, Noninterventional, Multicenter Study
Authors: Pfaar Oliver , Richter Heinz-Gerd , Klimek Ludger , Sieber Jochen , Hadler Meike , Karagiannis Efstrathios
Published: August 2015

Background. Although the safety and efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) with a five-grass pollen tablet have been demonstrated in randomized clinical trials (RCTs), these outcomes must always be evaluated in real-life medical practice.Methods. In a prospective, open-label, noninterventional, “real-life” study in Germany, we evaluated the safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of SLIT with a five-grass pollen tablet in adults with grass-pollen-induced allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.Results. 808 adults were enrolled between September 2008 and December 2009. 35.3% of the participants experienced at least one adverse drug reaction (ADR), the most common of which were mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders. Serious ADRs considered causally related to SLIT treatment occurred in four patients. Overall, the five-grass pollen tablet was considered to have good or very good tolerability by most investigators and patients. Treatment was associated with the relief of nasal, ocular, and bronchial symptoms and decreased symptomatic medication use. However, interpretation of clinical improvements was limited by lower atmospheric grass pollen levels during the study season (relative to the preceding season).Conclusions. In a large population of patients treated in real-life medical practice, SLIT with a five-grass pollen tablet was safe and well tolerated. The patient-reported symptom relief suggests that SLIT was associated with clinical benefits.
Isolation, Culture, and Characterization of Chicken Cartilage Stem/Progenitor Cells
Authors: Li Lu , Ma Yuehui , Li Xianglong , Li Xiangchen , Bai Chunyu , Ji Meng , Zhang Shuang , Guan Weijun , Li Junjie
Published: August 2015

A chondrocyte progenitor population isolated from the surface zone of articular cartilage has become a promising cell source for cell-based cartilage repair. The cartilage-derived stem/progenitor cells are multipotent stem cells, which can differentiate into three cell types in vitro including adipocytes, osteoblasts, and chondrocytes. Much work has been done on cartilage stem/progenitor cells (CSPCs) from people, horses, and cattle, but the relatively little literature has been published about these cells in chickens. In our work, CSPCs were isolated from chicken embryos in incubated eggs for 20 days. In order to inquire into the biological characteristics of chicken CSPCs, immunofluorescence, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and flow cytometry were adopted to detect the characteristic surface markers of CSPCs. Primary CSPCs were subcultured to passage 22 and, for purpose of knowing the change of cell numbers, we drew the growth curves. Isolated CSPCs were induced to adipocytes, osteoblasts, and chondrocytes. Our results suggest that we have identified and characterised a novel cartilage progenitor population resident in chicken articular cartilage and CSPCs isolated from chickens possess similar biological characteristics to those from other species, which will greatly benefit future cell-based cartilage repair therapies.
Isolation, Expression, and Promoter Analysis ofGbWRKY2: A Novel Transcription Factor Gene fromGinkgo biloba
Authors: Liao Yong-Ling , Shen Yong-Bao , Chang Jie , Zhang Wei-Wei , Cheng Shui-Yuan , Xu Feng
Published: August 2015

WRKY transcription factor is involved in multiple life activities including plant growth and development as well as biotic and abiotic responses. We identified 28WRKYgenes from transcriptome data ofGinkgo bilobaaccording to conserved WRKY domains and zinc finger structure and selected three WRKY genes, which areGbWRKY2, GbWRKY16, andGbWRKY21, for expression pattern analysis.GbWRKY2was preferentially expressed in flowers and strongly induced by methyl jasmonate. Here, we cloned the full-length cDNA and genomic DNA ofGbWRKY2. The full-length cDNA ofGbWRKY2was 1,713 bp containing a 1,014 bp open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 337 amino acids. TheGbWRKY2genomic DNA had one intron and two exons. The deducedGbWRKY2contained one WRKY domain and one zinc finger motif.GbWRKY2was classified into Group II WRKYs. Southern blot analysis revealed thatGbWRKY2was a single copy gene inG. biloba. Manycis-acting elements related to hormone and stress responses were identified in the 1,363 bp-length 5′-flanking sequence ofGbWRKY2, including W-box, ABRE-motif, MYBCOREs, and PYRIMIDINE-boxes, revealing the molecular mechanism of upregulated expression ofGbWRKY2by hormone and stress treatments. Further functional characterizations in transiently transformed tobacco leaves allowed us to identify the region that can be considered as the minimal promoter.
Positive Solutions of Two-Point Boundary Value Problems for Monge-Ampère Equations
Authors: Yan Baoqiang , Zhang Meng
Published: August 2015

This paper considers the following boundary value problem:((-u'(t))n)'=ntn-1f(u(t)),  0<t<1,  u'(0)=0,  u(1)=0, wheren>1is odd. We establish the method of lower and upper solutions for some boundary value problems which generalizes the above equations and using this method we present a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of positive solutions to the above boundary value problem and some sufficient conditions for the existence of positive solutions.
Position Prediction Based Frequency Control of Beacons in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Liu Jizhao , Wang Quan
Published: August 2015

In VANETs, frequent beacon broadcasting can lead to high bandwidth consumption and channel congestion. In this paper, a position prediction based beacon approach is proposed to reduce beacon frequency and decrease bandwidth consumption. Vehicles track their neighbors using the predicted position instead of using periodic beacon broadcasting. Only when the prediction error is higher than a predefined tolerance will a beacon broadcasting be triggered. For improving the prediction accuracy, we classify the motion of vehicles into two typical patterns: a constant speed pattern and a maneuvering pattern. A maneuver detection module is responsible for recognizing current motion patterns, and a variable dimension filter that can switch dynamically between the two patterns is employed to generate high accurate position prediction. The simulation results show the proposed scheme can reduce significantly the number of beacons than three existing beacon approaches.
Sensors Grouping Hierarchy Structure for Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Hawbani Ammar , Wang Xingfu , Karmoshi Saleem , Wang Lin , Husaini Naji
Published: August 2015

There are many challenges in implementation of wireless sensor network systems: clustering and grouping are two of them. The grouping of sensors is computational process intended to partition the sensors of network into groups. Each group contains a number of sensors and a sensor can be an element of multiple groups. In this paper, we provided a Sensors Grouping Hierarchy Structure (GHS) to split the nodes in wireless sensor network into groups to assist the collaborative, dynamic, distributed computing and communication of the system. Our idea is to partition the nodes according to their geographical maximum covered regions such that each group contains a number of nodes and a number of leaders. To evaluate the performance of our proposed grouping structure, we have implemented a Grouped based routing and Grouped based object tracking. The proposed grouping structure shows a good performance in energy consumption and energy dissipation during data routing and it generates a little redundant data during object tracking.
BRCA1 185delAG Mutation Enhances Interleukin-1βExpression in Ovarian Surface Epithelial Cells
Authors: Woolery Kamisha T. , Mohamed Mai , Linger Rebecca J. , Dobrinski Kimberly P. , Roman Jesse , Kruk Patricia A.
Published: August 2015

Familial history remains the strongest risk factor for developing ovarian cancer (OC) and is associated with germline BRCA1 mutations, such as the 185delAG founder mutation. We sought to determine whether normal human ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells expressing the BRCA1 185delAG mutant, BRAT, could promote an inflammatory phenotype by investigating its impact on expression of the proinflammatory cytokine, Interleukin-1β(IL-1β). Cultured OSE cells with and without BRAT were analyzed for differential target gene expression by real-time PCR, western blot, ELISA, luciferase reporter, and siRNA assays. We found that BRAT cells expressed increased cellular and secreted levels of active IL-1β. BRAT-expressing OSE cells exhibited 3-fold enhanced IL-1βmRNA expression, transcriptionally regulated, in part, through CREB sites within the (−1800) to (−900) region of its promoter. In addition to transcriptional regulation, BRAT-mediated IL-1βexpression appears dualistic through enhanced inflammasome-mediated caspase-1 cleavage and activation of IL-1β. Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the molecular mechanism(s) of BRAT-mediated IL-1βexpression since increased IL-1βexpression may represent an early step contributing to OC.
The Power of a Soccer Ball: A Traumatic Open Finger Dislocation—A Rare Case Presentation
Authors: Dülgeroğlu Turan Cihan , Metineren Hasan , Aydın Ekrem , Dülgeroğlu Ayşegül
Published: August 2015

Proximal interphalangeal joint dislocations are injuries observed frequently and caused by axial loading on the finger in the extension. In this paper we present a traumatic open finger dislocation due to a ball hitting a wrestler. It was successfully treated with reduction and the volar plate and collateral bond fixation were applied with absorbable sutures.
Uncoordinated Cooperative Multihop Forwarding in 2D Highly Dynamic Networks
Authors: Zhang Xuefei , Tao Xiaofeng , Cui Qimei
Published: August 2015

This paper investigates cooperative forwarding in two-dimensional highly dynamic wireless networks. Unlike traditional coordinated cooperative forwarding schemes that require a large amount of neighborhood discovery and coordination information to be exchanged before making the forwarding decision, this paper proposes an uncoordinated cooperative forwarding scheme where each node determines whether or not to forward a received packet independently based on a forwarding probability determined by its own location, the locations of the destination, and the transmitter from which it receives the packet, without the costly or even impractical neighbor discovery and coordination process. Analytical results are derived for the successful transmission probability and the expected number of forwarding nodes involved in the cooperative forwarding process. On that basis, discussions are presented on the optimal forwarding probability design that meets a predesignated successful transmission probability target using minimum number of forwarding nodes. Simulations are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme.
A Chaotic Particle Swarm Optimization-Based Heuristic for Market-Oriented Task-Level Scheduling in Cloud Workflow Systems
Authors: Li Xuejun , Xu Jia , Yang Yun
Published: August 2015

Cloud workflow system is a kind of platform service based on cloud computing. It facilitates the automation of workflow applications. Between cloud workflow system and its counterparts, market-oriented business model is one of the most prominent factors. The optimization of task-level scheduling in cloud workflow system is a hot topic. As the scheduling is a NP problem, Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) have been proposed to optimize the cost. However, they have the characteristic of premature convergence in optimization process and therefore cannot effectively reduce the cost. To solve these problems, Chaotic Particle Swarm Optimization (CPSO) algorithm with chaotic sequence and adaptive inertia weight factor is applied to present the task-level scheduling. Chaotic sequence with high randomness improves the diversity of solutions, and its regularity assures a good global convergence. Adaptive inertia weight factor depends on the estimate value of cost. It makes the scheduling avoid premature convergence by properly balancing between global and local exploration. The experimental simulation shows that the cost obtained by our scheduling is always lower than the other two representative counterparts.