bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modified Slash Lindley Distribution
Authors: Reyes Jimmy , Venegas Osvaldo , Gómez Héctor W.
Published: February 2017

In this paper we introduce a new distribution, called the modified slash Lindley distribution, which can be seen as an extension of the Lindley distribution. We show that this new distribution provides more flexibility in terms of kurtosis and skewness than the Lindley distribution. We derive moments and some basic properties for the new distribution. Moment estimators and maximum likelihood estimators are calculated using numerical procedures. We carry out a simulation study for the maximum likelihood estimators. A fit of the proposed model indicates good performance when compared with other less flexible models.
Impact Assessment of Urethral Meatus Morphology and Penile Biometry in Transurethral Prostate and Bladder Surgery
Authors: Vieiralves Rodrigo Ribeiro , Conte Paulo Henrique Pereira , Felici Eduardo Medina , Rodrigues Nádia Cristina Pinheiro , souza Tomás Accioly de , Sampaio Francisco J. B. , Favorito Luciano Alves
Published: February 2017

Objective. To analyze the penile and urethral meatus biometry and its correlation with meatoplasty during endoscopic resections. We also propose a new classification for urethral meatus morphology.Materials and Methods. We prospectively studied 105 patients who underwent prostate and bladder transurethral resections. We performed standardized measurement of penile and urethral meatus biometry followed by penile photo in the front position. The need to perform meatoplasty or dilatation during resectoscope introduction was registered. Data were analyzed comparing the correlation between two groups: without intervention (Group A) and with intervention (Group B).Results. We observed in Group A and Group B, respectively, the average length of urethral meatus of 1.07 cm versus 0.75 cm (p<0.001) and average width of urethral meatus of 0.59 cm versus 0.38 cm (p<0.001). Considering the morphology of the urethral meatus, we propose a new classification, in the following groups: (a) typical; (b) slit; (c) point-like; (d) horseshoe; and (e) megameatus. The point-like meatus was the one that most needed intervention, followed by the slit and the typical meatus (p<0.001).Conclusions. Point-like and slit-shaped urethral meatus, as well as reduced length and width of the urethral meatus, are the determining factors.
Endocrine Mucin-Producing Sweat Gland Carcinoma, a Histological Challenge
Authors: Brett Mary Anne , Salama Samih , Gohla Gabriella , Alowami Salem
Published: February 2017

Endocrine mucin-producing sweat gland carcinoma (EMPSGC) is a rare adnexal tumor of the skin with low-grade cytological features and neuroendocrine differentiation. It has a predilection for the skin of the eyelid, but has also been reported in the face and rarely extra-facial locations. The tumor is seen more frequently in women and on average affects the elderly. It is histologically and immunohistochemically analogous to solid papillary carcinoma of the breast/endocrine ductal carcinoma in situ with a nodular, solid, papillary, and/or cribriforming architecture, neuroendocrine differentiation, and mucin production. Since it was first described by Flieder et al. in 1997, less than 60 cases have been reported in literature. We describe the morphological and immunohistochemical features of another case with a review of the common histological differential diagnoses and emphasize the salient features that help distinguish this rare neoplasm.
Erythropoietin Modification Enhances the Protection of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Diabetic Rat-Derived Schwann Cells: Implications for Diabetic Neuropathy
Authors: Zhang Shuyun , Shi Baolin
Published: February 2017

Diabetes-triggered apoptosis of Schwann cells (SC) contributes to the degradation of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DNP). In recent years, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) were applied to DPN repair and it was demonstrated that paracrine secretion played a key role in neuroprotection exerted by MSC. Erythropoietin (EPO) is a potent cytokine capable of reducing apoptosis of SC. However, the expression of EPO in MSC is limited. In this study, we hypothesized that overexpression of EPO in MSC (EPO-MSC) may significantly improve their neuroprotective potentials. The EPO overexpression in MSC was achieved by lentivirus transduction. SC derived from the periphery nerve of diabetic rats were cocultured with MSC or EPO-MSC in normal or high glucose culture condition, respectively. In normal glucose culture condition, the overexpression of EPO in MSC promoted the MSC-induced restoration of SC from diabetic rats, including increases in GSH level and cell viability, decrease in TUNEL apoptosis, upregulation of antiapoptotic proteins, p-Akt, and Bcl-2, and downregulation of proapoptotic proteins, cleaved caspase-3, and Bax. The subsequent results in high glucose culture condition showed similar promotions achieved by EPO-MSC. Thus, it could be concluded that EPO-MSC possessed a potent potential in hampering apoptosis of SC, and the suppression was probably attributed to attenuating oxidative stress and regulating apoptosis related protein factors.
The Long Bubbles Penetration through Viscoelastic Fluids with Shear-Thinning Viscosity in a Curved Tube
Authors: Chang Ching-Chuan
Published: February 2017

The purpose of this research is to investigate the behavior of a long bubbles penetrating through viscoelastic fluids in a curved tube. The injection gas flow is controlled by a mass flow controller (MFC). The results of the experiments show that the bubbles width approaches constant value at the location six-diameter upstream from the bubbles front. A difference variable is introduced at the six-diameter location to show the shifting deviation of the bubbles in the curved tube. It is shown that, with the same fluid viscosity and the curved angle, the difference is higher when the gas flow rate is higher. Also, the difference increases proportionally when the capillary number and the Weissenberg number increase.
Insights for Oxidative Stress and mTOR Signaling in Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury under Diabetes
Authors: Zhao Dajun , Yang Jian , Yang Lifang
Published: February 2017

Diabetes mellitus (DM) displays a high morbidity. The diabetic heart is susceptible to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury. Impaired activation of prosurvival pathways, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, increased basal oxidative state, and decreased antioxidant defense and autophagy may render diabetic hearts more vulnerable to MI/R injury. Oxidative stress and mTOR signaling crucially regulate cardiometabolism, affecting MI/R injury under diabetes. Producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), uncoupling nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and disturbing the mitochondrial quality control may be three major mechanisms of oxidative stress. mTOR signaling presents both cardioprotective and cardiotoxic effects on the diabetic heart, which interplays with oxidative stress directly or indirectly. Antihyperglycemic agent metformin and newly found free radicals scavengers, Sirt1 and CTRP9, may serve as promising pharmacological therapeutic targets. In this review, we will focus on the role of oxidative stress and mTOR signaling in the pathophysiology of MI/R injury in diabetes and discuss potential mechanisms and their interactions in an effort to provide some evidence for cardiometabolic targeted therapies for ischemic heart disease (IHD).
Identification and Quantification of Glucosinolates in Kimchi by Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Kim Ho Jin , Lee Mi Jin , Jeong Min Hee , Kim Jang Eok
Published: February 2017

A novel and simple method for detecting five glucosinolates (glucoalyssin, gluconapin, glucobrassicanapin, glucobrassicin, and 4-methoxyglucobrassicin) in kimchi was developed using liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The chromatographic peaks of the five glucosinolates were successfully identified by comparing their retention times, mass spectra. The mobile phase was composed of A (acetonitrile) and B (water). As for glucosinolate, the relative quantities were found through sinigrin, and five different compounds that have not been previously discovered in kimchi were observed. Monitoring was carried out on the glucosinolate in 20 kimchis distributed in markets, and this study examined the various quality and quantity compositions of the five components. The glucoalyssin content ranged from 0.00 to 7.07 μmol/g of day weight (DW), with an average content of 0.86 μmol/g of DW, whereas the gluconapin content ranged from 0.00 to 5.85 μmol/g of DW, with an average of 1.17 μmol/g of DW. The content of glucobrassicanapin varied between 0.00 and 11.87 μmol/g of DW (average = 3.03 μmol/g of DW), whereas that of glucobrassicin varied between 0.00 and 0.42 μmol/g of DW (average = 0.06 μmol/g of DW). The 4-methoxyglucobrassicin content ranged from 0.12 to 9.36 μmol/g of DW (average = 3.52 μmol/g of DW). A comparison of the contents revealed that, in most cases, the content of 4-methoxyglucobrassicin was the highest.
A Giant Brunneroma Causing Gastrointestinal Bleeding and Severe Anemia Requiring Transfusion and Surgery
Authors: Frenkel Nicola C. , Laclé Miangela M. , Borel Rinkes Inne H. M. , Molenaar Izaak Q. , Hagendoorn Jeroen
Published: February 2017

Brunner’s gland hamartoma, also called hyperplasia, adenoma, and Brunneroma, is an extremely rare benign proliferative lesion of Brunner’s glands in the duodenum. While being mostly small and asymptomatic, they can result in gastrointestinal bleeding and obstruction. We report the case of a 54-year-old man presenting with melena and severe anemia requiring blood transfusion. CT scans showed a large mass of 8 cm in diameter, presumably arising in the duodenum. Endoscopic biopsies were not conclusive. As we were unable to determine the nature of the mass preoperatively and due to the severe symptoms, its size, and the uncertain malignant potential, a classic Whipple procedure was performed. The resected specimen showed extensive proliferation of Brunner’s glands without signs of malignancy.
An Improved Apriori Algorithm Based on an Evolution-Communication Tissue-Like P System with Promoters and Inhibitors
Authors: Liu Xiyu , Zhao Yuzhen , Sun Minghe
Published: February 2017

Apriori algorithm, as a typical frequent itemsets mining method, can help researchers and practitioners discover implicit associations from large amounts of data. In this work, a fast Apriori algorithm, called ECTPPI-Apriori, for processing large datasets, is proposed, which is based on an evolution-communication tissue-like P system with promoters and inhibitors. The structure of the ECTPPI-Apriori algorithm is tissue-like and the evolution rules of the algorithm are object rewriting rules. The time complexity of ECTPPI-Apriori is substantially improved from that of the conventional Apriori algorithms. The results give some hints to improve conventional algorithms by using membrane computing models.
Guaranteed Cost Finite-Time Control for Positive Switched Linear Systems with Time-Varying Delays
Authors: Cao Xiangyang , Liu Leipo , Fu Zhumu , Song Xiaona , Song Shuzhong
Published: February 2017

This paper considers the guaranteed cost finite-time control for positive switched linear systems with time-varying delays. The definition of guaranteed cost finite-time boundedness is firstly given. Then, by using the mode-dependent average dwell time approach, a static output feedback law and a state feedback control law are constructed, respectively, and sufficient conditions are obtained to guarantee that the closed-loop system is guaranteed cost finite-time boundedness. Such conditions can be easily solved by linear programming. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Cellular Preoxygenation Partially Attenuates the Antitumoral Effect of Cisplatin despite Highly Protective Effects on Renal Epithelial Cells
Authors: Rasoulian Bahram , Kaeidi Ayat , Rezaei Maryam , Hajializadeh Zahra
Published: February 2017

Our previous in vitro studies demonstrated that oxygen pretreatment significantly protects human embryonic renal tubular cell against acute cisplatin‐ (CP‐) induced cytotoxicity. The present study was designed to investigate whether this protective effect is associated with decreasing therapeutic effects of cisplatin on malignant cells. For this purpose, cultured human embryonic kidney epithelial‐like (AD293), cervical carcinoma epithelial‐like (Hela), and ovarian adenocarcinoma epithelial‐like (OVCAR‐3) cells were subjected to either 2‐hour pretreatment with oxygen (≥90%) or normal air and then to a previously determined 50% lethal dose of cisplatin for 24 hours. Cellular viability was evaluated via MTT and Neutral Red assays. Also, activated caspase‐3 and Bax/Bcl‐2 ratio, as the biochemical markers of cell apoptosis, were determined using immunoblotting. The hyperoxic preexposure protocol significantly protects renal AD293 cells against cisplatin‐induced toxicity. Oxygen pretreatment also partially attenuated the cisplatin‐induced cytotoxic effects on Hela and OVCAR‐3 cells. However, it did not completely protect these cells against the therapeutic cytotoxic effects of cisplatin. In summary, the protective methods for reducing cisplatin nephrotoxic side effects like oxygen pretreatment might be associated with concurrent reduction of the therapeutic cytotoxic effects of cisplatin on malignant cells like cervical carcinoma (Hela) and ovarian adenocarcinoma (OVCAR‐3) cells.
Facial Expression Recognition from Video Sequences Based on Spatial‐Temporal Motion Local Binary Pattern and Gabor Multiorientation Fusion Histogram
Authors: Zhao Lei , Wang Zengcai , Zhang Guoxin
Published: February 2017

This paper proposes novel framework for facial expressions analysis using dynamic and static information in video sequences. First, based on incremental formulation, discriminative deformable face alignment method is adapted to locate facial points to correct in‐plane head rotation and break up facial region from background. Then, spatial‐temporal motion local binary pattern (LBP) feature is extracted and integrated with Gabor multiorientation fusion histogram to give descriptors, which reflect static and dynamic texture information of facial expressions. Finally, a one‐versus‐one strategy based multiclass support vector machine (SVM) classifier is applied to classify facial expressions. Experiments on Cohn‐Kanade (CK) + facial expression dataset illustrate that integrated framework outperforms methods using single descriptors. Compared with other state‐of‐the‐art methods on CK+, MMI, and Oulu‐CASIA VIS datasets, our proposed framework performs better.
Dynamical Analysis and FPGA Implementation of a Novel Hyperchaotic System and Its Synchronization Using Adaptive Sliding Mode Control and Genetically Optimized PID Control
Authors: Rajagopal Karthikeyan , Guessas Laarem , Vaidyanathan Sundarapandian , Karthikeyan Anitha , Srinivasan Ashokkumar
Published: February 2017

We announce a new 4D hyperchaotic system with four parameters. The dynamic properties of the proposed hyperchaotic system are studied in detail; the Lyapunov exponents, Kaplan‐Yorke dimension, bifurcation, and bicoherence contours of the novel hyperchaotic system are derived. Furthermore, control algorithms are designed for the complete synchronization of the identical hyperchaotic systems with unknown parameters using sliding mode controllers and genetically optimized PID controllers. The stabilities of the controllers and parameter update laws are proved using Lyapunov stability theory. Use of the optimized PID controllers ensures less time of convergence and fast synchronization speed. Finally the proposed novel hyperchaotic system is realized in FPGA.
Method for SLAM Based on Omnidirectional Vision: A Delayed-EKF Approach
Authors: Munguía Rodrigo , López-Franco Carlos , Nuño Emmanuel , López-Franco Adriana
Published: February 2017

This work presents a method for implementing a visual-based simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) system using omnidirectional vision data, with application to autonomous mobile robots. In SLAM, a mobile robot operates in an unknown environment using only on-board sensors to simultaneously build a map of its surroundings, which it uses to track its position. The SLAM is perhaps one of the most fundamental problems to solve in robotics to build mobile robots truly autonomous. The visual sensor used in this work is an omnidirectional vision sensor; this sensor provides a wide field of view which is advantageous in a mobile robot in an autonomous navigation task. Since the visual sensor used in this work is monocular, a method to recover the depth of the features is required. To estimate the unknown depth we propose a novel stochastic triangulation technique. The system proposed in this work can be applied to indoor or cluttered environments for performing visual-based navigation when GPS signal is not available. Experiments with synthetic and real data are presented in order to validate the proposal.
A Lifetime Optimization Algorithm Limited by Data Transmission Delay and Hops for Mobile Sink-Based Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Chen Yourong , Lv Xiaowen , Lu Siyi , Ren Tiaojuan
Published: February 2017

To improve the lifetime of mobile sink-based wireless sensor networks and considering that data transmission delay and hops are limited in actual system, a lifetime optimization algorithm limited by data transmission delay and hops (LOA_DH) for mobile sink-based wireless sensor networks is proposed. In LOA_DH, some constraints are analyzed, and an optimization model is proposed. Maximum capacity path routing algorithm is used to calculate the energy consumption of communication. Improved genetic algorithm which modifies individuals to meet all constraints is used to solve the optimization model. The optimal solution of sink node’s sojourn grid centers and sojourn times which maximizes network lifetime is obtained. Simulation results show that, in three node distribution scenes, LOA_DH can find the movement solution of sink node which covers all sensor nodes. Compared with MCP_RAND, MCP_GMRE, and EASR, the solution improves network lifetime and reduces average amount of node discarded data and average energy consumption of nodes.
Chronic Osteoporotic Pain in Mice: Cutaneous and Deep Musculoskeletal Pain Are Partially Independent of Bone Resorption and Differentially Sensitive to Pharmacological Interventions
Authors: Suzuki Miyako , Millecamps Magali , Naso Lina , Ohtori Seiji , Mori Chisato , Stone Laura S.
Published: February 2017

Although the pathological changes in osteoporotic bones are well established, the characterization of the osteoporotic pain and its appropriate treatment are not fully elucidated. We investigated the behavioral signs of cutaneous and deep musculoskeletal pain and physical function; time-dependent changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and the emergence of the behavioral phenotype; and the effects of pharmacological interventions having different mechanisms of action (chronic intraperitoneal administration of pamidronate [0.25 mg/kg, 5x/week for 5 weeks] versus acute treatment with intraperitoneal morphine [10 mg/kg] and pregabalin [100 mg/kg]) in a mouse model of ovariectomized or sham-operated mice 6 months following surgery. We observed reduced BMD associated with weight gain, referred cutaneous hypersensitivity, and deep musculoskeletal pain that persisted for 6 months. Chronic bisphosphonate treatment, 6 months after ovariectomy, reversed bone loss and hypersensitivity to cold, but other behavioral indices of osteoporotic pain were unchanged. While the efficacy of acute morphine on cutaneous pain was weak, pregabalin was highly effective; deep musculoskeletal pain was intractable. In conclusion, the reversal of bone loss alone is insufficient to manage pain in chronic osteoporosis. Additional treatments, both pharmacological and nonpharmacological, should be implemented to improve quality of life for osteoporosis patients.
Soft-Sensor Modeling of PVC Polymerizing Process Based on F-GMDH-Type Neural Network Algorithm
Authors: Sun Wei-zhen , Wang Jie-sheng , Gao Shu-zhi
Published: February 2017

For predicting the conversion velocity of the vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) in the polymerization process of polyvinylchloride (PVC), an improved Group Method of Data Handling- (GMDH-) type neural network soft-sensor model is proposed. After analyzing the technique of PVC manufacturing process, the auxiliary variables for setting up the soft-sensor model are selected and the experimental data are normalized. Because the internal standard of the original GMDH-type neural cannot solve the problem of multiple-collinearity problem and the useful variables tend to be prematurely eliminated in the modeling process, a hybrid method combining the regression analysis method and the least squares method is proposed to solve the multiple-collinearity problem. On the same time, by adopting some optimization experiences in genetic algorithm (GA), the generational crossover combination variables method is proposed to solve the shortcoming of useful variable being eliminated prematurely. The simulation results show that the proposed soft-sensor model can significantly improve the prediction accuracy of economic and technical indicators in the PVC polymerization process and can meet the real time control requirements of polymerization reactor production process.
Effect of High-Flow Nasal Cannula versus Conventional Oxygen Therapy for Patients with Thoracoscopic Lobectomy after Extubation
Authors: Yu Yuetian , Qian Xiaozhe , Liu Chunyan , Zhu Cheng
Published: February 2017

Objective. To investigate whether high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy is superior to conventional oxygen therapy for reducing hypoxemia and postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC) in patients with thoracoscopic lobectomy after extubation.Methods. Patients with intermediate to high risk for PPC were enrolled in this study. Subjects were randomly assigned to HFNC group (HFNCG) or conventional oxygen group (COG) following extubation. Arterial blood samples were collected after extubation at 1, 2, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h. Patients with postoperative hypoxemia and PPC were recorded. Adverse events were also documented.Results. Totally 110 patients were randomly assigned to HFNCG (n=56) and COG (n=54). The occurrence rate of hypoxemia in COG was twice more than that in HFNCG (29.62% versus 12.51%,P<0.05) and PaO2, PaO2/FiO2, and SaO2/FiO2were significantly improved in HFNCG (P<0.05) in the first 72 h following extubation. Respiratory rate and incidence of reintubation as well as needing noninvasive ventilation were also decreased in HFNCG (P<0.05), whereas the incidence of pneumonia and atelectasis were similar (P>0.05). Adverse effects as throat and nasal pain occurred more frequently in COG.Conclusions. HFNC application improves oxygenation and reduces the risk of reintubation following thoracoscopic lobectomy but cannot decrease the incidence of PPC.
X-Ray Crystallographic Analysis, EPR Studies, and Computational Calculations of a Cu(II) Tetramic Acid Complex
Authors: Matiadis Dimitrios , Tsironis Dimitrios , Stefanou Valentina , Igglessi–Markopoulou Olga , McKee Vickie , Sanakis Yiannis , Lazarou Katerina N. , Chrissanthopoulos Athanassios , Yannopoulos Spyros N. , Markopoulos John M.
Published: February 2017

In this work we present a structural and spectroscopic analysis of a copper(II) N-acetyl-5-arylidene tetramic acid by using both experimental and computational techniques. The crystal structure of the Cu(II) complex was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction and shows that the copper ion lies on a centre of symmetry, with each ligand ion coordinated to two copper ions, forming a 2D sheet. Moreover, the EPR spectroscopic properties of the Cu(II) tetramic acid complex were also explored and discussed. Finally, a computational approach was performed in order to obtain a detailed and precise insight of product structures and properties. It is hoped that this study can enrich the field of functional supramolecular systems, giving place to the formation of coordination-driven self-assembly architectures.
Feature Extraction and Classification of EHG between Pregnancy and Labour Group Using Hilbert-Huang Transform and Extreme Learning Machine
Authors: Chen Lili , Hao Yaru
Published: February 2017

Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of perinatal mortality and long-term morbidity, which results in significant health and economic problems. The early detection of PTB has great significance for its prevention. The electrohysterogram (EHG) related to uterine contraction is a noninvasive, real-time, and automatic novel technology which can be used to detect, diagnose, or predict PTB. This paper presents a method for feature extraction and classification of EHG between pregnancy and labour group, based on Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) and extreme learning machine (ELM). For each sample, each channel was decomposed into a set of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) using empirical mode decomposition (EMD). Then, the Hilbert transform was applied to IMF to obtain analytic function. The maximum amplitude of analytic function was extracted as feature. The identification model was constructed based on ELM. Experimental results reveal that the best classification performance of the proposed method can reach an accuracy of 88.00%, a sensitivity of 91.30%, and a specificity of 85.19%. The area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is 0.88. Finally, experimental results indicate that the method developed in this work could be effective in the classification of EHG between pregnancy and labour group.
Effect of Graded Facetectomy on Lumbar Biomechanics
Authors: Zeng Zhi-li , Zhu Rui , Wu Yang-chun , Zuo Wei , Yu Yan , Wang Jian-jie , Cheng Li-ming
Published: February 2017

Facetectomy is an important intervention for spinal stenosis but may lead to spinal instability. Biomechanical knowledge for facetectomy can be beneficial when deciding whether fusion is necessary. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the biomechanical effect of different grades of facetectomy. A three-dimensional nonlinear finite element model of L3–L5 was constructed. The mobility of the model and the intradiscal pressure (IDP) of L4-L5 for standing were inside the data from the literature. The effect of graded facetectomy on intervertebral rotation, IDP, facet joint forces, and maximum von Mises equivalent stresses in the annuli was analyzed under flexion, extension, left/right lateral bending, and left/right axial rotation. Compared with the intact model, under extension, unilateral facetectomy increased the range of intervertebral rotation (IVR) by 11.7% and IDP by 10.7%, while the bilateral facetectomy increased IVR by 40.7% and IDP by 23.6%. Under axial rotation, the unilateral facetectomy and the bilateral facetectomy increased the IVR by 101.3% and 354.3%, respectively, when turned to the right and by 1.1% and 265.3%, respectively, when turned to the left. The results conclude that, after unilateral and bilateral facetectomy, care must be taken when placing the spine into extension and axial rotation posture from the biomechanical point of view.
Moxibustion in Early Chinese Medicine and Its Relation to the Origin of Meridians: A Study on the Unearthed Literatures
Authors: Huang Chang , Liang Jiankang , Han Li , Liu Juntian , Yu Mengyun , Zhao Baixiao
Published: February 2017

Moxibustion is an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It achieved higher level of recognition and had more general application in ancient times than in contemporary life. As the vital historical sources, the records of unearthed literatures offered precious insights to Chinese social life pattern and medical practice in Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC–220 AD). There was no surprise that the bamboo and silk documents excavated from Mawangdui (马王堆) tomb, Hantanpo (旱滩坡) tomb, and other relics had a large amount of texts relevant to moxibustion. This research sorted moxibustion recordings from seven unearthed literatures and discovered that moxibustion had been developed into different modalities and utilized to treat many diseases at that time. In addition, the indications, contraindications of moxibustion, and the method of postmoxibustion care were also discussed. On this basis, some hints were provided to support the hypothesis that the practice of moxibustion led to the discovery of meridians. All our preliminary results in the research have drawn attention for this old therapy and given a new source for its application in clinic and scientific research.
A Combined Random Forests and Active Contour Model Approach for Fully Automatic Segmentation of the Left Atrium in Volumetric MRI
Authors: Ma Chao , Luo Gongning , Wang Kuanquan
Published: February 2017

Segmentation of the left atrium (LA) from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) datasets is of great importance for image guided atrial fibrillation ablation, LA fibrosis quantification, and cardiac biophysical modelling. However, automated LA segmentation from cardiac MRI is challenging due to limited image resolution, considerable variability in anatomical structures across subjects, and dynamic motion of the heart. In this work, we propose a combined random forests (RFs) and active contour model (ACM) approach for fully automatic segmentation of the LA from cardiac volumetric MRI. Specifically, we employ the RFs within an autocontext scheme to effectively integrate contextual and appearance information from multisource images together for LA shape inferring. The inferred shape is then incorporated into a volume-scalable ACM for further improving the segmentation accuracy. We validated the proposed method on the cardiac volumetric MRI datasets from the STACOM 2013 and HVSMR 2016 databases and showed that it outperforms other latest automated LA segmentation methods. Validation metrics, average Dice coefficient (DC) and average surface-to-surface distance (S2S), were computed as0.9227±0.0598and1.14±1.205 mm, versus those of 0.6222–0.878 and 1.34–8.72 mm, obtained by other methods, respectively.
An Alternative Treatment Strategy for Complicated Chronic Wounds: Negative Pressure Therapy over Mesh Skin Graft
Authors: Maruccia Michele , Onesti Maria G. , Sorvillo Valentina , Albano Antonio , Dessy Luca A. , Carlesimo Bruno , Tarallo Mauro , Marcasciano Marco , Giudice Giuseppe , Cigna Emanuele , Ribuffo Diego
Published: February 2017

Extensive skin defect represents a real problem and major challenge in plastic and reconstructive surgery. On one hand, skin grafts offer a practical method to deal with skin defects despite their unsuitability for several complicated wounds. On the other hand, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), applied before skin grafting, promotes granulation tissue growth. The aim of the study is to evaluate the improvement in wound healing given by the merger of these two different approaches. We treated 23 patients for large wounds of multiple factors. Of these, 15 were treated with the application of V.A.C.® Therapy (KCI Medical S.r.l., Milan, Italy), in combination with skin grafts after a prior unsuccessful treatment of 4 weeks with mesh skin grafts and dressings. Another 8 were treated with only mesh skin graft. Pain reduction and wound area reduction were found statistically significant (p<0.0009,p<0.0001). Infection was resolved in almost all patients. According to our study, the use of the negative pressure wound therapy over mesh skin grafts is significantly effective especially in wounds resistant to conventional therapies, thereby improving the rate of skin graft take.
Phragmites australis+Typha latifoliaCommunity Enhanced the Enrichment of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in the Soil of Qin Lake Wetland
Authors: Ge Zhiwei , An Ran , Fang Shuiyuan , Lin Pengpeng , Li Chuan , Xue Jianhui , Yu Shuiqiang
Published: February 2017

Aquatic plants play an essential role and are effective in mitigating lake eutrophication by forming complex plant-soil system and retaining total nitrogen (TN) and phosphorus (TP) in soils to ultimately reduce their quantities in aquatic systems. Two main vegetation types (Phragmites australiscommunity andP. australis+Typha latifoliacommunity) of Qin Lake wetland were sampled in this study for the analysis of TN and TP contents and reserves in the wetland soils. The results showed that (1) the consumption effect of Qin Lake wetland on soluble N was much more significant than on soluble P. (2) The efficiency of TN enrichment in wetland soil was enhanced by vegetation covering ofP. australisandT. latifolia. (3) Wetland soil P was consumed byP. australiscommunity and this pattern was relieved with the introduction ofT. latifolia. (4) According to the grey relativity analysis, the most intensive interaction between plants and soil occurred in summer. In addition, the exchange of N in soil-vegetation system primarily occurred in the 0–15 cm soil layer. Our results indicated that vegetation covering was essential to the enrichment of TN and TP, referring to the biology-related fixation in the wetland soil.
Power and Execution Time Optimization through Hardware Software Partitioning Algorithm for Core Based Embedded System
Authors: Ben Haj Hassine Siwar , Jemai Mehdi , Ouni Bouraoui
Published: February 2017

Shortening the marketing cycle of the product and accelerating its development efficiency have become a vital concern in the field of embedded system design. Therefore, hardware/software partitioning has become one of the mainstream technologies of embedded system development since it affects the overall system performance. Given today’s largest requirement for great efficiency necessarily accompanied by high speed, our new algorithm presents the best version that can meet such unpreceded levels. In fact, we describe in this paper an algorithm that is based on HW/SW partitioning which aims to find the best tradeoff between power and latency of a system taking into consideration the dark silicon problem. Moreover, it has been tested and has shown its efficiency compared to other existing heuristic well-known algorithms which are Simulated Annealing, Tabu search, and Genetic algorithms.
Sensorimotor Cortical Neuroplasticity in the Early Stage of Bell’s Palsy
Authors: Song Wenwen , Dai Minhui , Xuan Lihua , Cao Zhijian , Zhou Sisi , Lang Courtney , Lv Kun , Xu Maosheng , Kong Jian
Published: February 2017

Neuroplasticity is a common phenomenon in the human brain following nerve injury. It is defined as the brain’s ability to reorganize by creating new neural pathways in order to adapt to change. Here, we use task-related and resting-state fMRI to investigate neuroplasticity in the primary sensory (S1) and motor cortex (M1) in patients with acute Bell’s palsy (BP). We found that the period directly following the onset of BP (less than 14 days) is associated with significant decreases in regional homogeneity (ReHo), fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (fALFF), and intrinsic connectivity contrast (ICC) values in the contralateral S1/M1 and in ReHo and ICC values in the ipsilateral S1/M1, compared to healthy controls. The regions with decreased ReHo, fALFF, and ICC values were in both the face and hand region of S1/M1 as indicated by resting-state fMRI but not task-related fMRI. Our results suggest that the early stages of BP are associated with functional neuroplasticity in both the face and hand regions of S1/M1 and that resting-state functional fMRI may be a sensitive tool to detect these early stages of plasticity in patient populations.
Epistaxis as a Common Presenting Symptom of Glanzmann’s Thrombasthenia, a Rare Qualitative Platelet Disorder: Illustrative Case Examples
Authors: Recht Michael , Chitlur Meera , Lam Derek , Sarnaik Syana , Rajpurkar Madhvi , Cooper David L. , Gunawardena Sriya
Published: February 2017

Children often present to emergency departments (EDs) with uncontrollable nose bleeding. Although usually due to benign etiologies, epistaxis may be the presenting symptom of an inherited bleeding disorder. Whereas most bleeding disorders are detected through standard hematologic assessments, diagnosing rare platelet function disorders may be challenging. Here we present two case reports and review diagnostic and management challenges of platelet function disorders with a focus on Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia (GT). Patient 1 was a 4-year-old boy with uncontrolled epistaxis. His medical history included frequent and easy bruising. Previous laboratory evaluation revealed only mild microcytic anemia. An otolaryngologist stopped the bleeding, and referral to a pediatric hematologist led to the definitive diagnosis of GT. Patient 2 was a 2.5-year-old girl with severe epistaxis and a history of milder recurrent epistaxis. She had a bruise on her abdomen with a palpable hematoma and many scattered petechiae. Previous assessments revealed no demonstrable hemostatic anomalies. Platelet aggregation studies were performed following referral to a pediatric hematologist, leading to the diagnosis of GT. As evidenced by these cases, the ED physician may often be the first to evaluate severe or recurrent epistaxis and should recognize indications for coagulation testing and hematology consultation/referral for advanced hematologic assessments.
LTE Network Enhancement for Vehicular Safety Communication
Authors: Kim Wooseong , Lee Eun-Kyu
Published: February 2017

Direct vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications have been popularly considered for safe driving of manned or unmanned vehicles. The V2I communication is better than the V2V communication for propagating safety messages at critical regions like intersections where the safety messages must be delivered to surround vehicles with low latency and loss, since transmitters as infrastructure can have line of sight to the receiver vehicles and control wireless medium access in a centralized manner unlike V2V. Long-Term Evolution (LTE) cellular networks are rapidly deployed in the world with explosively increasing mobile traffic. As many automobile manufacturers choose LTE on-board devices for telematics, the LTE system can be utilized also for safety purposes instead of 802.11p/WAVE based roadside units (RSUs). Previous literatures have studied mostly current LTE system analysis in aspect of theoretical network capacity and end-to-end delay to investigate feasibility of V2I communication. In this paper, we propose new enhancement of a current LTE system specified by 3rd-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) LTE standards while addressing major delay challenges. From simulation, we confirm that our three key solutions can reduce end-to-end delay effectively in the LTE system to satisfy requirements of safety message delivery.
Hematological Parameters and Hemozoin-Containing Leukocytes and Their Association with Disease Severity among Malaria Infected Children: A Cross-Sectional Study at Pawe General Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Birhanu Muluken , Asres Yaregal , Adissu Wondimagegn , Yemane Tilahun , Zemene Endalew , Gedefaw Lealem
Published: February 2017

Hematological parameter changes are the most common complications in malaria. We aimed to determine the hematological parameters and hemozoin-containing leukocytes and their association with disease severity in malaria infected children aged between 1 and 15 years. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Pawe General Hospital from July 31 to December 30, 2014. Demographic and clinical data were collected using structured questionnaire. Blood specimen was collected from each study participant for hematological investigations. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. The overall prevalence of anemia was 40.3%, most of which were mildly anemic. Leukocytosis was found in 15.4% of study participants. More than a fourth (27%) of the children had severe malaria. Hemozoin-containing monocytes and neutrophils were found in 80.1% and 58.9% of the study participants, respectively. Under-five years of age (AOR = 3.01, 95% CI: 1.83–7.39,P<0.001), leukocytosis (AOR = 3.20, 95% CI: 1.65–6.24,P=0.001), mean hemozoin-containing monocytes >5% (AOR = 6.26, 95% CI: 2.14–14.29,P<0.001), mean hemozoin-containing neutrophils >5% (AOR = 7.93, 95% CI: 3.09–16.86,P<0.001), and high density parasitemia (AOR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.13–3.18,P=0.015) were associated with severe malaria. Hemozoin-containing leukocytes, leukocytosis, and other identified associated factors should be considered for proper management of children with severe malaria.
Reconstruction of Chest Wall by Cryopreserved Sternal Allograft after Resection of Aneurysmal Bone Cyst of Sternum
Authors: Sheikhy Kambiz , Abbasi Dezfouli Azizollah , Sadegh Beigee Farahnaz
Published: February 2017

A 20-year-old female was referred to our hospital due to deformity and bulging in anterior aspect of chest wall in sternal area. Chest X-ray and CT scan confirmed a large mass with destruction of sternum. Pathologic diagnosis after incisional biopsy was compatible with aneurysmal bone cyst. We resected sternum completely and reconstructed large anterior defect by a cryopreserved sternal allograft. In follow-up of patient there was no unstability of chest wall with good cosmetic result.
Radiographic Enlargement of Mandibular Canal as an Extranodal Primary Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Early Sign in an Asymptomatic Patient
Authors: Munhoz Luciana , Marsan Felipe Pereira Marcos , Arita Emiko Saito
Published: February 2017

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder, from a subgroup of heterogeneous hematologic malignancies; the term “extranodal” refers to malignant involvement of tissues other than lymph nodes, tonsils, spleen, pharyngeal lymphatic ring, or thymus. Only 0.6% of all NHL are at mandible alone, and it may involve the inferior alveolar canal. We describe a case of bilateral enlargement of the mandibular canal without symptomatology, which was shown in a panoramic radiograph and cone beam computed tomography in a rehabilitation routine exam, as an early sign of primary extranodal NHL.
Temporal and Spatial Changes in Snow Cover and the Corresponding Radiative Forcing Analysis in Siberia from the 1970s to the 2010s
Authors: Yu Lingxue , Liu Tingxiang , Zhang Shuwen
Published: February 2017

In the context of global climate change, the extent of snow cover in Siberia has significantly decreased since the 1970s, especially in spring. The changes of snow cover at middle and high latitudes have significant impacts on the meteorological and hydrological processes because the snow cover can affect the surface energy, water balance, and the development of the atmospheric boundary layer. In this paper, the temporal and spatial changes in snow cover were firstly estimated based on a long time series of remote sensing snow cover data, both showing a decreased trend. Based on this, we estimated the radiative forcing caused by the snow cover changes from the 1970s to the 2010s and compared it with the radiative forcing caused by the vegetation cover changes over the same time period in Siberia, indicating that the snow cover changes in Siberia can accelerate climate warming and the vegetation cover changes here have the opposite effect. Furthermore, the snow cover changes may play a more important role than the vegetation cover changes in regulating the surface radiation balance in Siberia on the regional scale.
An Efficient Framework for EEG Analysis with Application to Hybrid Brain Computer Interfaces Based on Motor Imagery and P300
Authors: Long Jinyi , Wang Jue , Yu Tianyou
Published: February 2017

The hybrid brain computer interface (BCI) based on motor imagery (MI) and P300 has been a preferred strategy aiming to improve the detection performance through combining the features of each. However, current methods used for combining these two modalities optimize them separately, which does not result in optimal performance. Here, we present an efficient framework to optimize them together by concatenating the features of MI and P300 in a block diagonal form. Then a linear classifier under a dual spectral norm regularizer is applied to the combined features. Under this framework, the hybrid features of MI and P300 can be learned, selected, and combined together directly. Experimental results on the data set of hybrid BCI based on MI and P300 are provided to illustrate competitive performance of the proposed method against other conventional methods. This provides an evidence that the method used here contributes to the discrimination performance of the brain state in hybrid BCI.
Cytoplasmic Localization of WT1 and Decrease of miRNA-16-1 in Nephrotic Syndrome
Authors: Zapata-Benavides Pablo , Arellano-Rodríguez Mariela , Bollain-y-Goytia Juan José , Franco-Molina Moisés Armides , Rangel-Ochoa Gloria Azucena , Avalos-Díaz Esperanza , Herrera-Esparza Rafael , Rodríguez-Padilla Cristina
Published: February 2017

Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is a glomerular disease that is defined by the leakage of protein into the urine and is associated with hypoalbuminemia, hyperlipidemia, and edema. Steroid-resistant NS (SRNS) patients do not respond to treatment with corticosteroids and show decreased Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) expression in podocytes. Downregulation of WT1 has been shown to be affected by certain microRNAs (miRNAs). Twenty-one patients with idiopathic NS (68.75% were SSNS and 31.25% SRNS) and 10 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Podocyte number and WT1 location were determined by immunofluorescence, and the serum levels of miR-15a, miR-16-1, and miR-193a were quantified by RT-qPCR. Low expression and delocalization of WT1 protein from the nucleus to the cytoplasm were found in kidney biopsies of patients with SRNS and both nuclear and cytoplasmic localization were found in steroid-sensitive NS (SSNS) patients. In sera from NS patients, low expression levels of miR-15a and miR-16-1 were found compared with healthy controls, but only the miR-16-1 expression levels showed statistically significant decrease (p=0.019). The miR-193a expression levels only slightly increased in NS patients. We concluded that low expression and delocalization from the WT1 protein in NS patients contribute to loss of podocytes while modulation from WT1 protein is not associated with the miRNAs analyzed in sera from the patients.
Efficacy and Safety of Modified Banxia Xiexin Decoction (Pinellia Decoction for Draining the Heart) for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Dai Yunkai , Zhang Yunzhan , Li Danyan , Ye Jintong , Chen Weijing , Hu Ling
Published: February 2017

Modified Banxia Xiexin decoction (MBXD) is a classical Chinese herbal formula in treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) for long time, but the efficacy of it is still controversial. This study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MBXD for the treatment of GERD in adults. The search strategy was carried out for publications in seven electronic databases. RevMan software version 5.3 and the Cochrane Collaboration’s risk of bias tool were performed for this review. Twelve RCTs were included for the analysis. The results of overall clinical efficacy and efficacy under gastroscope demonstrated that MBXD was superior to conventional western medicine. Meanwhile, the results of subgroup analysis showed clinical heterogeneity between the two groups. However, there was no statistically significant difference in acid regurgitation between the two groups. But in the improvement of heartburn and sternalgia, the results showed statistically significant differences for the comparison between two groups. In addition, the adverse reactions of the experiment groups were not different from those of the control groups. This systematic review indicates that MBXD may have potential effects on the treatment of patients with GERD. But because the evidence of methodological quality and sample sizes is weak, further standardized researches are required.