bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Blood donation in a large urban centre of southeast Brazil: a population‐based study
Authors: Moreno E. C. , Bolina‐Santos E. , Mendes‐Oliveira F. , Miranda C. , Sabino E. C. , Cioffi J. G. M. , Camargos V. , Caiaffa W. , Xavier C. C. , Proietti F. A. , de Freitas Carneiro‐Proietti1 A. B.
Published: February 2016

Objectives

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and characterise potential blood donors and non‐donors in a well‐populated and representative urban area of Southeastern Brazil.

Background

Studies on blood donation usually evaluate individuals who donate. Population‐based studies may contribute to characterise those who never reach the blood centre, trying to increase the range of donors.

Study Design and Methods

This was a secondary analysis of a population‐based survey and a blood donor motivation study [Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation study (REDS II) International]. In a cross‐sectional study 4047 individuals representing a metropolitan area answered the question ‘Have you ever donated blood at least once in your life?’. The profiles (‘Yes/No’) were compared. Non‐donors from this reference population were compared with donors of a local blood center, in a case control analysis.

Results

A total of 69·0% of the population had never donated blood and was composed mostly of women, younger than 30 years old, people not contributing to social security and not subscribing to newspapers. In the case–control study, the likelihood of donating was higher for: men, younger than 50 years old, longer time of education, married, participating in political campaigns and with a good self‐perception of health. The factors associated with no blood donation were: self‐reported mixed or white race/ethnicity, income higher than two minimum wages and belonging to trade union, political, religious/spiritual, or other social group and worse self perception of health.

Conclusions

This population‐based study allowed us to characterise a high proportion of people that never reaches the blood centre. The results may be used to diversify the donor profile, creating strategies to target those least likely to donate blood, as women, white people and those with higher income and purchasing power.
Natural killer cells and reproductive health
Authors: Chong Hsu Phern , Quenby Siobhan M
Published: February 2016

Key content

Uterine and peripheral natural killer cells have distinct functions.

Uterine natural killer cells play an important role in decidualisation and implantation.

There is evidence to suggest that disorders in uterine natural killer cell physiology may lead to reproductive problems, such as recurrent miscarriage, recurrent implantation failure and pre‐eclampsia.

Current evidence does not support routine testing of uterine natural killer cells and more research is needed.

Learning objectives

Distinguish between peripheral and uterine natural killer cells.

Counsel women with recurrent pregnancy loss about natural killer cell testing.

Ethical issues

Investigation and treatment of women with recurrent miscarriage or recurrent implantation failure is complex. The psychological implications of these conditions may result in a myriad of investigations and treatments of questionable benefit.
A novel form of macrothrombocytopenia in Akita dogs
Authors: Hayakawa Sayuri , Spangler Elizabeth A. , Christopherson Pete W. , Boudreaux Mary K.
Published: February 2016

Blood samples from 3 unrelated Akita dogs with a common history of persistent macrothrombocytopenia in the absence of clinical bleeding were sent to the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine (AUCVM) Clinical Pathology Laboratory for evaluation. Due to low platelet counts, one Akita dog had been treated with corticosteroids for presumed immune‐mediated platelet destruction, and one Akita dog was treated with doxycycline for one month for presumed infection by a tick‐borne agent. In spite of treatment, platelet counts remained low in both dogs. Given the absence of abnormal bleeding in all 3 dogs and lack of response to treatment in 2, congenital macrothrombocytopenia was suspected. Interestingly, platelets from all 3 dogs exhibited a consistent elongated platelet morphology. There were no morphologic abnormalities observed in other cell lines. While there have been anecdotal reports of a possible inherited macrothrombocytopenia in Akita dogs, scientific studies have not been done to verify these reports. This manuscript represents the first case report describing what is likely a congenital macrothrombocytopenia in Akita dogs based on persistently low platelet counts in the absence of clinical signs, and characterized by a unique platelet morphology.
Lyme Disease Surveillance Using Sampling Estimation: Evaluation of an Alternative Methodology in New York State
Authors: Lukacik G. , White J. , Noonan‐Toly C. , DiDonato C. , Backenson P. B.
Published: February 2016

In the 14‐year period from 1993 to 2006, New York State (NYS) accounted for over one‐quarter (27.1%) of all confirmed Lyme disease (LD) cases in the United States. During that time period, a nine‐county area in south‐east NYS accounted for 90.6% of the reported LD cases in the state. Based on concerns related to diminishing resources at both the state and local level and the increasing burden of traditional LD surveillance, the NYS Department of Health (DOH) sought to develop an alternative to traditional surveillance that would reduce the investigative workload while maintaining the ability to track LD trends by developing a system to estimate county‐level LD cases based on a 20% random sample of positive laboratory reports. Estimates from this system were compared to observed cases from traditional surveillance for select counties in 2007–2009 and 2011. There were no significant differences between the two methodologies in six of nine evaluations conducted. In addition, in 93 of 98 (94.9%) demographic, symptom and other variable proportion comparisons made between the two methodologies in 2009 and 2011, there were no significant differences found. Overall, using sampling estimates was accurate and efficient in estimating LD cases at the county level. Use of case estimates for LD should be considered as a useful surveillance alternative by health policy makers for states with endemic LD.
A REVIEW OF 3D GESTURE INTERACTION FOR HANDHELD AUGMENTED REALITY
Authors: Yusof Cik Suhaimi , Bai Huidong , Billinghurst Mark , Sunar Mohd Shahrizal
Published: February 2016

Interaction for Handheld Augmented Reality (HAR) is a challenging research topic because of the small screen display and limited input options. Although 2D touch screen input is widely used, 3D gesture interaction is a suggested alternative input method. Recent 3D gesture interaction research mainly focuses on using RGB-Depth cameras to detect the spatial position and pose of fingers, using this data for virtual object manipulations in the AR scene. In this paper we review previous 3D gesture research on handheld interaction metaphors for HAR. We present their novelties as well as limitations, and discuss future research directions of 3D gesture interaction for HAR. Our results indicate that 3D gesture input on HAR is a potential interaction method for assisting a user in many tasks such as in education, urban simulation and 3D games.
MECHANISM OF BIJUNCTION SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE DAMAGE INDUCED BY HEAVY PARTICLES
Authors: Salleh Saafie , Pien Chee Fuei , F. Abdul Amir Haider
Published: February 2016

The physical phenomena associated with the stopping of energetic ions in semiconductor materials have always been a subject which receives great theoretical and experimental interest. Consequently, bombardment of high energy particles and high energy gamma (γ) rays causes potential hazards to these electronic systems. These effects range from degradation of performance to functional failure that can affect the system operations. Such upsets becoming increasingly likely as electronic components are getting more sophisticated while decreasing in size and moves to larger integration. In this paper, the penetration of gamma rays, utilizing Cobalt-60 (Co-60)) into bipolar junction transistor (BJT) is being simulated using the program simulation SRIM. From the findings, it is observed that the penetration of Co-60 ions into the simulated BJT leads to production of lattice defects in the form of vacancies, defect clusters and dislocations. These can alter the material parameters and hence the functional properties of the devices.
Zeroes of partial sums of the zeta-function
Authors: Platt David J. , Trudgian Timothy S.
Published: February 2016

This article considers the positive integers $N$ for which ${\it\zeta}_{N}(s)=\sum _{n=1}^{N}n^{-s}$ has zeroes in the half-plane $\Re (s)>1$. Building on earlier results, we show that there are no zeroes for $1\leqslant N\leqslant 18$ and for $N=20,21,28$. For all other $N$ there are infinitely many such zeroes.
Numerical Analysis on Heat-Transfer Deterioration of Supercritical Fluid in the Vertical Upward Tubes
Authors: Lei Xianliang , Li Huixiong , Zhang Weiqiang
Published: February 2016

Heat-transfer characteristics are especially significant among all issues for the supercritical water-cooled reactors (SCWRs). The two-peak wall-temperature phenomenon that could be verified by Shitsman and Jackson’s experiments occurred in the regions of tb<tpc0.6  kJ/kg for water). However, so far the special two-peak result has not been paid much attention due to the difficulty of the experiments. Hence, in this study, numerical analysis was carried out to investigate the characteristics of heat-transfer deterioration (HTD) two-peak phenomenon of supercritical pressure water/carbon dioxide in the conditions of high q/G. The results showed that the higher the heat fluxes were, the more temperature peaks might appear and more unstable flow might be presented. Finally, the mechanism of two-peak HTD was studied through quantitatively analyzing the distribution of flow parameters and thermophysical properties in the near-wall region.
Computational Fluid Dynamic Simulation of the Moderator Flow in CANDU-6 Nuclear Reactors
Authors: Mehdi Zadeh Foad , Etienne Stéphane , Teyssedou Alberto
Published: February 2016

For CANada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) nuclear reactors, the characterization of the moderator thermal-hydraulic behavior under both normal and abnormal operating conditions constitutes an important safety issue. For normal operating conditions, the flow temperature distribution may produce changes on the heavy-water mass density, which in turn may affect the neutron moderation rate. Consequently, these variations influence the thermal neutron flux distribution in the reactor core. Therefore, it is fundamental to know all possible moderator flow configurations as well as the corresponding temperature distributions. In particular, any possibility of a dryout at the external wall of the Calandria tubes and consequently excessive temperature excursions must be prevented. Within this framework, this paper presents detailed two-dimensional (2D) numerical steady-state simulations for a wide range of flow conditions. Both the accuracy of the numerical approximations and the validity of some physical models used in computational fluid dynamic (CFD) codes are assessed. The numerical results are then used to construct a cartographical representation of moderator flows in CANDU-6 reactors. To support the existence of coherent flow asymmetries and eventually flow-structure oscillations, the present numerical results are also compared with the previous ones obtained using a porous medium-modeling approach.
High intensity focused ultrasound induced in vivo large volume hyperthermia under 3D MRI temperature control
Authors: Tillander Matti , Hokland Steffen , Koskela Julius , Dam Høgni , Andersen Niels Peter , Pedersen Michael , Tanderup Kari , Ylihautala Mika , Köhler Max
Published: February 2016

Purpose:

Mild hyperthermia can be used as an adjuvant therapy to enhance radiation therapy or chemotherapy of cancer. However, administering mild hyperthermia is technically challenging due to the high accuracy required of the temperature control. MR guided high‐intensity focused ultrasound (MR‐HIFU) is a technology that can address this challenge. In this work, accurate and spatially uniform mild hyperthermia is demonstrated for deep‐seated clinically relevant heating volumes using a HIFU system under MR guidance.

Methods:

Mild hyperthermia heating was evaluated for temperature accuracy and spatial uniformity in 11 in vivo porcine leg experiments. Hyperthermia was induced with a commercial Philips Sonalleve MR‐HIFU system embedded in a 1.5T Ingenia MR scanner. The operating software was modified to allow extended duration mild hyperthermia. Heating time varied from 10 min up to 60 min and the assigned target temperature was 42.5 °C. Electronic focal point steering, mechanical transducer movement, and dynamic transducer element switch‐off were exploited to enlarge the heated volume and obtain uniform heating throughout the acoustic beam path. Multiple temperature mapping images were used to control and monitor the heating. The magnetic field drift and transducer susceptibility artifacts were compensated to enable accurate volumetric MR thermometry.

Results:

The obtained mean temperature for the target area (the cross sectional area of the heated volume at focal depth primarily used to control the heating) was on average 42.0 ± 0.6 °C. Temperature uniformity in the target area was evaluated using T10 and T90, which were 43.1 ± 0.6 and 40.9 ± 0.6 °C, respectively. For the near field, the corresponding temperatures were 39.3 ± 0.8 °C (average), 40.6 ± 1.0 °C (T10), and 38.0 ± 0.9 °C (T90). The sonications resulted in a concise heating volume, typically in the shape of a truncated cone. The average depth reached from the skin was 86.9 mm. The results show that the heating algorithm was able to induce deep heating while keeping the near‐field temperature uniform and at a safe level.

Conclusions:

The capability of MR‐HIFU to induce accurate, spatially uniform, and robust mild hyperthermia in large deep‐seated volumes was successfully demonstrated through a series of in vivo animal experiments.
Perforation of the gastric remnant in a patient post-Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
Authors: Ovaere Sander , Tse Win Hou W , Schipper Ellis E , Spanjersberg Willem Richard
Published: February 2016

With the dramatic increase in obesity surgery and the subsequent increase in ageing post-gastric bypass patients, early recognition of possible and serious complications is of the utmost importance. We present a case of a 33-year-old woman who presented to the emergency room, with progressive epigastric pain. The patient had undergone laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery 14 months earlier. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed and showed a prepyloric perforation of the gastric remnant. The defect was closed and omentoplasty was performed. The patient was put on lifelong proton pump inhibitors.
Nitrogen source and placement effects on stand density, pasmo severity, seed yield, and quality of no-till flax
Authors: Grant C.A. , McLaren D. , Irvine R.B. , Duguid S.D.
Published: February 2016

Field studies were conducted at two locations in western Manitoba over three years to evaluate the impact of rate, source, and placement of nitrogen (N) fertilizer on seedling emergence, disease severity, crop yield, and seed quality of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.). Urea, urea ammonium nitrate (UAN), and ammonium nitrate (AN) fertilizers were applied at 0, 30, 60, and 90 g N ha−1, pre-plant banded or side-banded 2.5 m to the side and 2.5 m below the seed-row, using a hoe-type opener with 20 m row spacing. Differences in stand emergence occurred from year to year, depending on the moisture conditions after seeding. Nitrogen fertilizer occasionally decreased stand density when side-banded, with effects being greatest with urea and UAN. The magnitude of stand decrease was generally low, although it may have restricted seed yield with high rates of urea fertilization in some years. Nitrogen applications frequently increased leaf and stem pasmo, but the effects of fertilizer source and placement were variable. Seed yield increased with N application except at a single site where soil N levels were high. Where differences existed among sources, yield was generally lower with urea than with the other sources, possibly related to seedling damage from the urea at higher rates of application, or to physiological effects of high ammonia:nitrate ratio nutrition during early growth. Seed quality for oil production tended to decline with increasing N applications due to lower oil concentration, lower iodine number, and a decrease in the concentration of high-quality linolenic and linoleic fatty acids. However, seed protein concentration increased with increasing N concentration. While risk of seedling damage and pasmo may increase with increasing levels of N fertilizer, either side-banded or pre-plant banded N applications still resulted in increased flaxseed yield. However, increasing N rate slightly decreased quality for oil production.
Efficacy of washing treatments in the reduction of post-harvest decay of chestnuts (Castanea crenata ‘Tsukuba’) during storage
Authors: Lee Uk , Joo Sukhyun , Klopfenstein Ned B. , Kim Mee-Sook
Published: February 2016

This research evaluated the influence of different washing treatments (i.e., tap water, ozone, microbubbles, and ozone combined with microbubbles) on post-harvest decay of chestnuts (Castanea crenata ‘Tsukuba’) during storage. Overall, treatments with ozone and microbubbles significantly reduced the decay frequency and the associated microbial populations (aerobic bacteria, mold/filamentous fungi, and yeasts) during post-harvest storage compared with the traditional practice (tap water washing). Enhancing the efficacy of chestnut washing treatments will contribute to the improved storage of high-quality chestnuts.
Interconnection of defect entropies and enthalpies in BaF2revisited
Authors: Skordas Efthimios S.
Published: February 2016

Here, we investigate the following key prediction of a thermodynamical model that interrelates the defect parameters with the bulk elastic and expansivity data: for various defect processes in a given matrix material, a proportionality exists between defect entropies and enthalpies. The investigation is focused on BaF2for which ab initio calculations within density functional theory and the generalized-gradient approximation have been recently made as far as the formation and migration of intrinsic defects are concerned, as well as for the elastic constants. Four defect processes have been studied in BaF2: anion Frenkel formation, fluorine vacancy migration, fluorine interstitial motion and electrical relaxation associated with a single tetravalent uranium. For these processes, the entropies and enthalpies vary by almost two orders of magnitude and reveal a proportionality between them. We find that this proportionality is solely governed by the bulk elasticity and expansivity data, which conforms to the aforementioned thermodynamical model.
High-speed electro-optic switch using buried electrode structure in polymer Mach–Zehnder waveguide
Authors: Sun Jingwen , Sun Jian , Yi Yunji , Qv Lucheng , Sun Shiqi , Wang Fei , Wang Xibin , Zhang Daming
Published: February 2016

A low-cost and high-speed electro-optic (EO) switch using the guest–host EO material Disperse Red 1/Polymethyl Methacrylate (DR1/PMMA) was designed and fabricated. The DR1/PMMA material presented a low processing cost, an excellent photostability and a large EO coefficient of 13.1 pm/V. To improve the performance of the switch, the in-plane buried electrode structure was introduced in the polymer Mach–Zehnder waveguide to improve the poling and modulating efficiency. The characteristic parameters of the waveguide and the electrodes were carefully designed and the fabrication process was strictly controlled. Under 1550 nm, the insertion loss of the device was 12.7 dB. The measured switching rise time and fall time of the switch were 50.00 ns and 54.29 ns, respectively.
AN OPTIMAL CONTROL MODEL FOR EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE
Authors: DJIOMBA NJANKOU SYLVIE DIANE , NYABADZA FARAI
Published: February 2016

The most deadly Ebola outbreak in the history, which started in December [Formula: see text], is currently under control. The high case fatality rate of the Ebola outbreak inspired local and international control strategies. In this paper, the dynamics of Ebola virus disease is modeled in the presence of three control strategies. The model describes the evolution of the disease in the population when educational campaigns, active case-finding and pharmaceutical interventions are implemented as control strategies against the disease. We prove the existence of an optimal control set and analyze the necessary and sufficient conditions, optimality and transversality conditions. We conclude through numerical simulations that containing an Ebola outbreak needs early and long-term implementation of joint control strategies.
A SYNERGETIC GAIT TRANSITION MODEL FOR HYSTERETIC GAIT TRANSITIONS FROM WALKING TO RUNNING
Authors: FRANK T. D.
Published: February 2016

A model for gait transitions from walking to running is proposed. The model is based on the theory of pattern formation and synergetics. Walking and running are considered as spatiotemporal patterns, while walk-to-run and run-to-walk transitions are regarded as bifurcations. Consequently, the model is cast in the form of coupled amplitude equations as known in the literature on pattern formation. It is shown that the model can reproduce hysteretic gait transitions that have been observed in experimental studies with humans walking on treadmills when locomotion speed is gradually increased and decreased. The control parameter is an appropriately rescaled velocity measure, the so-called Froude number, which is a body-scaled parameter that takes leg length into account. It is shown that the model can reproduce observed gait transitions for individuals and populations. In particular, probabilistic functions describing gait transitions on the population level can be defined that resemble the experimentally determined probabilistic function.
Detecting Network Attacks Based on Behavioral Commonalities
Authors: Najafabadi Maryam M. , Khoshgoftaar Taghi M. , Napolitano Amri
Published: February 2016

Due to the great increase in the amount of attacks that occur in computer networks, there is an increasing dependence on network intrusion detection systems which monitor and analyze the network data to detect attacks. In recent years, machine learning methods have been used to build predictive models for network intrusion detection. These methods are able to automatically extract patterns from the network data to build detection models. Defining proper features, which help models to better discriminate between normal and attack data, is a critical task. While network attacks vary widely, they share some commonalities. Many attacks, by their nature, are repetitive and exhibit behaviors different from normal traffic. Among these commonalities are self-similarity between attack packets, periodicity and repetition characteristics seen in the attack traffic. In this paper, we study the common behaviors between two different attack types, called RUDY and DNS Amplification attacks, in order to propose new features for building predictive models by using machine learning algorithms. We collected Netflow traffic from an operational ISP network. We introduce a concept called “session” derived from Netflow which incorporates both sides of a network communication to define a network instance. Features are extracted for each session. To demonstrate how the newly defined features work for the task of intrusion detection, we use these features to build intrusion detection models for the detection of RUDY attack, DNS Amplification attack and the combination of these two attacks. To build predictive models we apply four machine learning classification algorithms: two versions of a decision tree algorithm, Naïve Bayes and 5-Nearest Neighbor (5-NN) algorithm. Our results show that the proposed features based on the attack commonalities provide very good prediction results for the detection of two studied attacks on real network traffic.
Consensus of Multi-Agent Systems with Control-Affine Nonlinear Dynamics
Authors: Hu Haiyun , Yoon Se Young , Lin Zongli
Published: February 2016

This paper studies the consensus problem for a class of multi-agent systems, where each agent is a nonlinear system affine in control. Distributed control laws are proposed for multi-agent systems with and without communication delays, respectively. It is shown that under undirected and connected communication network our control laws ensure the state consensus of multi-agent systems in both cases. The effectiveness of the proposed control laws is demonstrated by numerical simulation.
A Survey on Logical Control Systems
Authors: Cheng Daizhan , Liu Ting
Published: February 2016

This paper gives a comprehensive introduction to logical control systems (LCSs), including its history, the logical background, the expression, the fundamental mathematical tool, and the analyzing method. Particularly, it is emphasized on the major achievements on logical dynamic systems (LDSs) and their control theory in last few years, consisting of (i) the topological structure of LDSs; (ii) controllability, observability, stability and stabilization, disturbance decoupling, optimal control, identification of logical (control) systems; (iii) the extension of the results about Boolean systems to k-valued and mix-valued logical (control) systems. These results form the foundation of logical control system theory (LCST). In addition, the concepts, notations, and the fundamental method/tool have been formally normalized. Some current developments of LCST and its applications or potential applications are discussed in detail. Some open problems and possible research directions are introduced.
Two-stage nanoparticle delivery of piperlongumine and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) anti-cancer therapy
Authors: Sharkey Charles C. , Li Jiahe , Roy Sweta , Wu Qianhui , King Michael R.
Published: February 2016

This study outlines a drug delivery mechanism that utilizes two independent vehicles, allowing for delivery of chemically and physically distinct agents. The mechanism was utilized to deliver a new anti-cancer combination therapy consisting of piperlongumine (PL) and TRAIL to treat PC3 prostate cancer and HCT116 colon cancer cells. PL, a small-molecule hydrophobic drug, was encapsulated in poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles. TRAIL was chemically conjugated to the surface of liposomes. PL was first administered to sensitize cancer cells to the effects of TRAIL. PC3 and HCT116 cells had lower survival rates in vitro after receiving the dual nanoparticle therapy compared to each agent individually. In vivo testing involved a subcutaneous mouse xenograft model using NOD-SCID gamma mice and HCT116 cells. Two treatment cycles were administered over 48 hours. Higher apoptotic rates were observed for HCT116 tumor cells that received the dual nanoparticle therapy compared to individual stages of the nanoparticle therapy alone.
Measuring and Understanding Team Development by Capturing Self-assessed Enthusiasm and Skill Levels
Authors: Largent David L.
Published: February 2016

To prepare graduates for today's work environment, they must be immersed in positive (and perhaps negative) small group experiences in their courses, which will in turn provide a basic understanding of how teams form and develop over time. In the fall of 2009, we started exploring how software development teams form and interact in a computer science college capstone course setting. Our initial findings were presented at ICER 2010 in Aarhus, Denmark. The focus of our research was on the experiences of computer science college course teams as compared and contrasted to the theory of Bruce Tuckman's stages of small group development model, which he characterized as
forming
,
storming
,
norming
,
performing
, and
adjourning
.

We continued data collection with the computer science capstone course in the fall of 2010 and added an information systems capstone course as well. At the conclusion of the spring 2014 semester, we have collected and analyzed data for a total of 5 academic years from nine cohorts of students taught by five instructors involving 215 students on 51 teams. Each year, participants repeatedly self-assessed their enthusiasm and skill levels over time using a questionnaire by agreeing or disagreeing to statements. The data shows patterns similar to that of Tuckman's model. Since most people find Tuckman's model easy to understand, it may provide an effective tool to teach teamwork and monitor team development.

In addition to briefly presenting our empirical findings in this article, we provide a simple conceptualization of Tuckman's model that can be captured in two data points: enthusiasm and skill level. By comparing changes in these two dimensions over time, team development can be tracked through the various Tuckman stages of small group development. We also provide a minicurriculum which can be used to introduce students to Tuckman's model and provide them insight into what leadership style works best in each of the development stages.
A Real-Time FPGA-Based Accelerator for ECG Analysis and Diagnosis Using Association-Rule Mining
Authors: Gu Xiaoqi , Zhu Yongxin , Zhou Shengyan , Wang Chaojun , Qiu Meikang , Wang Guoxing
Published: February 2016

Telemedicine provides health care services at a distance using information and communication technologies, which intends to be a solution to the challenges faced by current health care systems with growing numbers of population, increased demands from patients, and shortages in human resources. Recent advances in telemedicine, especially in wearable electrocardiogram (ECG) monitors, call for more intelligent and efficient automatic ECG analysis and diagnostic systems. We present a streaming architecture implemented on Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) to accelerate real-time ECG signal analysis and diagnosis in a pipelining and parallel way. Association-rule mining is employed to generate early diagnostic results by matching features of ECG with generated association rules. To improve performance of the processing, we propose a hardware-oriented data-mining algorithm named
Bit_Q_Apriori
. The corresponding hardware implementation indicates a good scalability and outperforms other hardware designs in terms of performance, throughput, and hardware cost.
The Effect of a Multichannel Customer Service System on Customer Service and Financial Performance
Authors: Lui Tsz-Wai , Piccoli Gabriele
Published: February 2016

Customer service is an important competitive lever for the modern firm. At the same time, the continuous evolution and performance improvements in information technology (IT) capabilities have enabled the utilization of multichannel service delivery strategies. Our research focuses on IT-enabled customer service systems (CSS) and their effect on firm performance. Previous studies have failed to find a consensus on the effect of a new self-service channel on the firm's performance. We argue that the embedded assumptions underpinning the previous research are responsible for these mixed findings. Consequently, using archival data from 169 hotels affiliated with a hotel chain, we designed a longitudinal multichannel study to resolve some of these inconsistencies. Our results illustrate that when firms implement an IT-enabled self-service channel to complement their existing customer service infrastructure, they experience an early negative effect on financial performance due to the disruption of the service processes. Thus, the multichannel CSS generates a positive effect only when the new process becomes a stable part of the organizational procedures. Our findings suggest that researchers evaluate the effect of a technological initiative after the new business process has been stabilized and consider that an additional IT-enabled self-service channel rarely operates in isolation.
Stochastic Resonance in a Multistable System Driven by Gaussian Noise
Authors: Shi Peiming , Li Pei , An Shujun , Han Dongying
Published: February 2016

Stochastic resonance (SR) is investigated in a multistable system driven by Gaussian white noise. Using adiabatic elimination theory and three-state theory, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is derived. We find the effects of the noise intensity and the resonance system parametersb,c, anddon the SNR; the results show that SNR is a nonmonotonic function of the noise intensity; therefore, a multistable SR is found in this system, and the value of the peak changes with changing the system parameters.
Gingival Enlargement Induced by Felodipine Resolves with a Conventional Periodontal Treatment and Drug Modification
Authors: Khzam Nabil , Bailey David , Yie Helen S. , Bakr Mahmoud M.
Published: February 2016

We present a case of a 47-year-old male who suffered from GE around his lower anterior teeth as soon as he started treatment with Felodipine 400 mg. We show that oral hygiene measures, antibiotics, and conventional periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing SRP) were all not sufficient to resolve the drug induced GE, which will persist and/or recur provided that systemic effect of the offending medication is still present. The condition immediately resolved after switching to a different medication. The mechanism of GE is complex and not fully understood yet. It is mainly due to overexpression of a number of growth factors due to high concentrations of calcium ions (Ca2+). This affects fibroblasts proliferation and DNA synthesis and leads to a heavy chronic inflammatory cell infiltrate. Our case was managed according to the suggested protocols in previous case studies. The unique features in our case were the immediate onset of the adverse effect after starting the medication and the absence of any underlying medical condition apart from high blood pressure. Improving the oral hygiene together with SRP and cessation of the medication resolves drug induced GE.
Airway Management with Cervical Spine Immobilisation: A Comparison between the Macintosh Laryngoscope, Truview Evo2, and Totaltrack VLM Used by Novices—A Manikin Study
Authors: Aleksandrowicz Dawid , Gaszyński Tomasz
Published: February 2016

Airway management in patients with suspected cervical spine injury plays an important role in the pathway of care of trauma patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate three different airway devices during intubation of a patient with reduced cervical spine mobility. Forty students of the third year of emergency medicine studies participated in the study (F=26,M=14). The time required to obtain a view of the entry to the larynx and successful ventilation time were recorded. Cormack-Lehane laryngoscopic view and damage to the incisors were also assessed. All three airway devices were used by each student (a novice) and they were randomly chosen. The mean time required to obtain the entry-to-the-larynx view was the shortest for the Macintosh laryngoscope 13.4 s (±2.14). Truview Evo2 had the shortest successful ventilation time 35.7 s (±9.27). The best view of the entry to the larynx was obtained by the Totaltrack VLM device. The Truview Evo2 and Totaltrack VLM may be an alternative to the classic Macintosh laryngoscope for intubation of trauma patients with suspected injury to the cervical spine. The use of new devices enables achieving better laryngoscopic view as well as minimising incisor damage during intubation.
Usability Pitfalls of Diabetes mHealth Apps for the Elderly
Authors: Isaković Maša , Sedlar Urban , Volk Mojca , Bešter Janez
Published: February 2016

Diabetes mellitus has high prevalence in the ageing population and is often accompanied by other comorbidities, such as Alzheimer’s disease, and general disabilities, such as poor eyesight. These comorbidities have redefined ways in which patients use mHealth apps, including diabetes apps. The latter have proven benefits for monitoring blood glucose levels and insulin tracking in the general population. In this paper, we analyse a diabetes monitoring app DeStress Assistant (DeSA), which was developed as a part of an EU project and tested in a hospital setting. Due to the increasing number of older adults, we wanted to ensure the app was suitable for that demographic. Based on a number of supervised tests, we show that the app, which was developed with the help of workshops and feedback from tech-savvy patients and clinicians, is difficult to use by elderly users. We demonstrate that with a small number of changes it is possible to raise the usability of the app in a number of categories. We summarise the lessons learned in the discussion. Our findings demonstrate that special care needs to be taken when developing mHealth apps for the elderly population.
An Automatic Multidocument Text Summarization Approach Based on Naïve Bayesian Classifier Using Timestamp Strategy
Authors: Ramanujam Nedunchelian , Kaliappan Manivannan
Published: February 2016

Nowadays, automatic multidocument text summarization systems can successfully retrieve the summary sentences from the input documents. But, it has many limitations such as inaccurate extraction to essential sentences, low coverage, poor coherence among the sentences, and redundancy. This paper introduces a new concept of timestamp approach with Naïve Bayesian Classification approach for multidocument text summarization. The timestamp provides the summary an ordered look, which achieves the coherent looking summary. It extracts the more relevant information from the multiple documents. Here, scoring strategy is also used to calculate the score for the words to obtain the word frequency. The higher linguistic quality is estimated in terms of readability and comprehensibility. In order to show the efficiency of the proposed method, this paper presents the comparison between the proposed methods with the existing MEAD algorithm. The timestamp procedure is also applied on the MEAD algorithm and the results are examined with the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method results in lesser time than the existing MEAD algorithm to execute the summarization process. Moreover, the proposed method results in better precision, recall, andF-score than the existing clustering with lexical chaining approach.
The Response of Macrophages and Neutrophils to Hypoxia in the Context of Cancer and Other Inflammatory Diseases
Authors: Egners Antje , Erdem Merve , Cramer Thorsten
Published: February 2016

Lack of oxygen (hypoxia) is a hallmark of a multitude of acute and chronic diseases and can be either beneficial or detrimental for organ restitution and recovery. In the context of inflammation, hypoxia is particularly important and can significantly influence the course of inflammatory diseases. Macrophages and neutrophils, the chief cellular components of innate immunity, display distinct properties when exposed to hypoxic conditions. Virtually every aspect of macrophage and neutrophil function is affected by hypoxia, amongst others, morphology, migration, chemotaxis, adherence to endothelial cells, bacterial killing, differentiation/polarization, and protumorigenic activity. Prominent arenas of macrophage and neutrophil function, for example, acute/chronic inflammation and the microenvironment of solid tumors, are characterized by low oxygen levels, demonstrating the paramount importance of the hypoxic response for proper function of these cells. Members of the hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF) family emerged as pivotal molecular regulators of macrophages and neutrophils. In this review, we will summarize the molecular responses of macrophages and neutrophils to hypoxia in the context of cancer and other chronic inflammatory diseases and discuss the potential avenues for therapeutic intervention that arise from this knowledge.
Histomorphological and Immunohistochemical Reappraisal of Cutaneous Adnexal Tumours: A Hospital Based Study
Authors: Shukla Prakriti , Fatima Uroos , Malaviya Anil K.
Published: February 2016

Background. Diagnosing adnexal tumours of the skin is a challenge due to their wide variety, infrequent occurrence in practice, and confusing morphological picture.Aims and Objectives. The present study aims to observe the spectrum of adnexal tumours at our institute and to evaluate them based on histomorphological, histochemical, and immunohistochemical methods either alone or in combination for proper identification and classification.Materials and Methods. A partly retrospective and partly prospective study was conducted on adnexal skin tumours over a period of 6 years. Relevant clinical profile was recorded. Histopathological examination was carried out and special stains were applied as and when required. Immunohistochemistry was performed where diagnosis with routine stains was not possible.Results. A total of 150 skin tumour biopsies were received. There were 87 keratotic tumours, 39 adnexal tumours, and 24 melanocytic tumours. Amongst the adnexal tumours, 51.3% eccrine, 30.8% follicular, and 17.9% sebaceous tumours were seen. In five cases, histological diagnosis was troublesome where immunohistochemistry helped in making final diagnosis.Limitations. The sample size is small.Conclusion. Histomorphology is confirmatory in majority of the adnexal tumours but few rare lesions that mimic internal malignancy require a panel of immunomarkers to rule out other possible differentials.
Klotho Contributes to Pravastatin Effect on Suppressing IL-6 Production in Endothelial Cells
Authors: Xia Weiwei , Zhang Aihua , Jia Zhanjun , Gu Jun , Chen Hongbing
Published: February 2016

Both statins and klotho have been shown to be beneficial in vascular diseases. Interleukin- (IL-) 6 is evidenced as an indicator reflecting the stability of atherosclerotic plaque and involved in the pathogenesis of artery atherosclerosis. However, the relationship between statin, klotho, and IL-6 under an inflammatory environment is unknown. Using primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), pravastatin dose-dependently induced klotho expression in contrast to remarkable suppression to IL-6 expressions determined by qRT-PCR. Moreover, TNF-α-induced IL-6 was partly but significantly blunted by pravastatin detected by ELISA. To further study the role of klotho in modulating IL-6 expression, endothelial cells with klotho overexpression were treated with TNF-α. Importantly, TNF-α-induced IL-6 production was markedly attenuated in klotho-overexpressed cells. In agreement with in vitro data, a marked reduction of klotho mRNA expression was found in isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with atherosclerosis. Together, these data suggested that pravastatin could suppress IL-6 production via promoting klotho expression in endothelial cells under inflammatory stimuli.
Circularly Polarized Microstrip Yagi Array Antenna with Wide Beamwidth and High Front-to-Back Ratio
Authors: Hao Yun , Tong Haomeng , Ye Xihong
Published: February 2016

A circularly polarized (CP) Microstrip Yagi array antenna (MSYA) is designed in order to achieve high front-to-back ratioR(F/B)and high gain over wide range in the forward radiation space. A Wilkinson power divider owning two output ways with the same magnitude and different phase is used to feed the antenna. Parametric studies are carried out to investigate the effects of some key geometrical sizes on the antenna’s performance. A prototype of the antenna is fabricated, and good agreement between the measured results and the numerical simulations is observed. The overlap bandwidth of VSWR ≤ 1.5 and AR ≤ 3 dB is about 11%. The steering angle (α) between the peak gain direction and the broadside can achieve 35°,R(F/B)reaches 19 dB, and the gain at the front point (G0) is only 4.3 dB lower than the maximum gain (Gm). The antenna has a wide beamwidth CP radiation pattern over wide spatial range including 0° ≤θ≤ 90° in vertical plane and −35° ≤φ≤ 55° in horizontal plane.
Association of Plasma IL-32 Levels and Gene Polymorphisms with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Chinese Han Population
Authors: Wang Yanyun , Zhou Bin , Zhao Yi , Yu Xiuzhang , Liu Yi , Zhang Lin
Published: February 2016

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystemic autoimmune disease. IL-32, a secreted protein, has been reported to be associated with several autoimmune diseases. Our preliminary experiment showed different plasma IL-32 levels than that mentioned in a published report on the same population. In order to elucidate the correlation between IL-32 and SLE, we determined the plasma level and two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IL-32 in 152 patients with SLE and 310 healthy controls and analyzed the relationship based on the clinical parameters. The results showed that plasma IL-32 levels in patients with SLE were markedly lower than that in the healthy controls. In the SLE group, patients with detectable IL-32 presented low serum C3 concentrations. Further studies indicated that the rs28372698 SNP was associated with the susceptibility to SLE. Taken together, our results suggested that IL-32 could possibly be a candidate marker to monitor SLE disease stability and screening in future.
Dehydroabietic Acid Derivative QC4 Induces Gastric Cancer Cell Death via Oncosis and Apoptosis
Authors: Luo Dongjun , Ni Qing , Ji Anlai , Gu Wen , Wu Junhua , Jiang Chunping
Published: February 2016

Aim. QC4 is the derivative of rosin’s main components dehydroabietic acid (DHA). We investigated the cytotoxic effect of QC4 on gastric cancer cells and revealed the mechanisms beneath the induction of cell death.Methods. The cytotoxic effect of QC4 on gastric cancer cells was evaluated by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. The underlying mechanisms were tested by administration of cell death related inhibitors and detection of apoptotic and oncosis related proteins. Cytomembrane integrity and organelles damage were confirmed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage assay, mitochondrial function test, and cytosolic free Ca2+concentration detection.Results. QC4 inhibited cell proliferation dose- and time-dependently and destroyed cell membrane integrity, activated calpain-1 autolysis, and induced apoptotic protein cleavage in gastric cancer cells. The detection of decreased ATP and mitochondrial membrane potential, ROS accumulation, and cytosolic free Ca2+elevation confirmed organelles damage in QC4-treated gastric cancer cells.Conclusions. DHA derivative QC4 induced the damage of cytomembrane and organelles which finally lead to oncosis and apoptosis in gastric cancer cells. Therefore, as a derivative of plant derived small molecule DHA, QC4 might become a promising agent in gastric cancer therapy.
Aegle marmelosMediated Green Synthesis of Different Nanostructured Metal Hexacyanoferrates: Activity against Photodegradation of Harmful Organic Dyes
Authors: Jassal Vidhisha , Shanker Uma , Kaith B. S.
Published: February 2016

Prussian blue analogue potassium metal hexacyanoferrate (KMHCF) nanoparticles Fe4[Fe(CN)6]3(FeHCF), K2Cu3[Fe(CN)6]2(KCuHCF), K2Ni[Fe(CN)6]·3H2O (KNiHCF), and K2Co[Fe(CN)6] (KCoHCF) have been synthesized using plant based biosurfactantAegle marmelos(Bael) and water as a green solvent. It must be emphasized here that no harmful reagent or solvent was used throughout the study. Plant extracts are easily biodegradable and therefore do not cause any harm to the environment. Hence, the proposed method of synthesis of various KMHCF nanoparticles followed a green path. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). MHCF nanoparticles were used for the photocatalytic degradation of toxic dyes like Malachite Green (MG), Eriochrome Black T (EBT), Methyl Orange (MO), and Methylene Blue (MB). Under optimized reaction conditions, maximum photocatalytic degradation was achieved in case of KCuHCF nanoparticles mediated degradation process (MG: 96.06%, EBT: 83.03%, MB: 94.72%, and MO: 63.71%) followed by KNiHCF (MG: 95%, EBT: 80.32%, MB: 91.35%, and MO: 59.42%), KCoHCF (MG: 91.45%, EBT: 78.84%, MB: 89.28%, and MO: 58.20%).