bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Väter im Familienalltag – Determinanten einer aktiven Vaterschaft
Authors: Zerle-Elsäßer Claudia , Li Xuan
Published: April 2017

“New” or “active” fatherhood is increasingly discussed in the family research literature, yet it is unclear what these terms entail, and which factors associate with the practice of such “active fatherhood”. With the “AID:A II” survey (Growing Up in Germany: Everyday Life, Wave 2) the present paper uses the most up-to-date data that chart fathers’ everyday activities for and with their children. A composite indicator for “active fatherhood” was built and the key determinants of father involvement were then explored. The results suggest that the employment of both parents play an important role: The more hours the father has to work beyond full-time working hours, the less likely the father is to be actively involved in childcare. Longer maternal working hours and greater proportional contribution of the mother to the family income, instead, make an active fatherhood more likely. In addition, the satisfaction with couple relationship as well as the gender concept of both parents are significant predictors of father involvement.

Zusammenfassung

Von den ‚neuen‘ oder auch ‚aktiven Vätern‘ wird heute viel gesprochen, wenngleich oft unklar bleibt, was diese kennzeichnet und von welchen Determinanten die Ausübung einer solchen aktiven Vaterschaft abhängt. Mit dem DJI-Survey AID:A II liegen nun aktuelle Daten vor, anhand derer für den vorliegenden Beitrag Alltagsaktivitäten von Vätern für und mit ihren Kindern in den Blick genommen und daraus ein Index ‚aktiver Vaterschaft‘ erstellt werden konnten. Anschließend konnten so die wichtigsten Determinanten einer aktiven Vaterschaft untersucht werden. Wie die Befunde zeigen, spielt dabei die Erwerbstätigkeit beider Partner eine bedeutende Rolle: Je mehr Überstunden die Väter über ihre normale Vollzeitwoche hinaus leisten müssen, desto geringer sind die Chancen, sich aktiv in Betreuung und Erziehung der Kinder einbringen zu können. Ein höherer Erwerbsumfang der Mütter sowie ein größerer Anteil am erwirtschafteten Haushaltseinkommen hingegen fördern eine ‚aktive Vaterschaft‘. Deutlich wird darüber hinaus die große Bedeutung der Partnerschaftsqualität sowie der Genderkonzepte beider Partner.
Post-application Quality Analysis of MCQs of Preclinical Examination Using Item Analysis
Authors: Habib Md Ahsan , Talukder Humayun Kabir , Rahman Md Mahbubur , Ferdousi Shahnila
Published: April 2017

Multiple choice questions (MCQs) have considerable role in the preclinical medical assessment, both formative as well as summative. This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted to observe the quality of MC items (completion type) of anatomy, biochemistry and physiology used in preclinical undergraduate medical examinations of 2012 and 2013 of a public university of Bangladesh. Each MC item had a stem and 5 options, and 1200 options were analyzed for difficulty and discrimination indices. Total 556 options were false statements (distracters) and were analyzed to observe their effectiveness as distracter. The study revealed that 18.67% of options were with appropriate difficulty (0.660.80). Highest frequency (43.5%) of difficulty indices was in easy class interval (0.911). Over all frequencies of items of three subjects in the ascending order were difficult, appropriate, marginal and easy as per their difficulty indices. Satisfactory or better discrimination indices (=0.20) were observed in 29.33% options. The mean difficulty and discrimination indices observed were respectively 0.82±0.18 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.81 to 0.83) and 0.13±0.14 (95% CI 0.122 to 0.138). Out of the options, 6.75% had negative discrimination indices. Items with difficulty index around 0.60 had maximum discriminatory power (up to 0.68) and more difficult as well as easy items had less discriminatory ability. Out of the distracters 83.45% were observed effective and the mean effectiveness was 22.3±18.7% (95% CI 20.75% to 23.85%). The study recommended using the method and findings to improve the quality of the items leading to development of a standard Question Bank.Bangladesh Journal of Medical Education Vol.7(1) 2016: 2-7
Students' Perception on Teaching Performances of Trained Teachers focusing undergraduate lecture classes in Bangladesh
Authors: Parvin Shamima , Habib Md Ahsan , Talukder Md Humayun Kabir , Ahmed Rukshana
Published: April 2017

Background: Teachers' training is a kind of education that helps the teachers to understand the basic theories of teachinglearning for escalating their knowledge, skills and abilities according to the learner's need.Objectives: The present study was undertaken to identify the students' perception about the teaching performances of the teachers who had gone through the training on teaching methodology at Centre for Medical Education (CME) in Bangladesh.Methods: This descriptive type of cross sectional study was conducted in thirteen public and private medical colleges of Bangladesh. A structured questionnaire based on 5-point Likert scale was used to collect the students' perceptions which included 13 separate positive statements regarding classroom performances. Statements having mean score of 4 or more are considered as positive aspect of performance. Statements with mean score 3 or less indicate the problem area of performance. Statement with a mean score in-between 3 and 4 might be emphasized for further improvement.Results: According to students' aggregated view, 38% of the teaching performances were excellent, 43% were good, 16% were satisfactory and 3% were unsatisfactory.Conclusion: To ensure excellence in all aspects of teaching performances a well-designed, updated and contextual training programme needs to be adopted for further improvement of teaching-learning.Bangladesh Journal of Medical Education Vol.7(1) 2016: 14-19
Editorial Vol.7(2)
Authors: Talukder Md Humayun Kabir , Lasker Shamima Parvin
Published: April 2017

Abstract not AvailableBangladesh Journal of Medical Education Vol.7(2) 2016: 1
Blood-Injection-Injury (B-I-I) Specific Phobia Affects the Outcome of Hypoxic Challenge Testing
Authors: Spurling Kristofer J. , McGoldrick Veronica P.
Published: April 2017

BACKGROUND: Blood-injection-injury (B-I-I) phobia is capable of producing inaccurate hypoxic challenge testing results due to anxiety-induced hyperventilation.CASE REPORT: A 69-yr-old woman with a history of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, restrictive spirometry, exercise
desaturation requiring supplementary oxygen on mobilizing, reduced DLco, and B-I-I phobia was referred for hypoxic challenge testing (HCT) to assess in-flight oxygen requirements. HCT was performed by breathing a 15% FIo2 gas mixture, simulating the available oxygen in
ambient air onboard aircraft pressurized to an equivalent altitude of 8000 ft. Spo2 fell to a nadir value of 81% during HCT, although it rapidly increased to 89% during the first of two attempts at blood gas sampling. A resultant blood gas sample showed an acceptable
Po2 outside the criteria for recommending in-flight oxygen and a reduced Pco2. Entering the nadir Spo2 value into the Severinghaus equation gives an estimated arterial Po2 of 6 kPa (45 mmHg), which was felt to be more representative of
resting values during HCT, and in-flight oxygen was recommended.DISCUSSION: While hyperventilation is an expected response to hypoxia, transient rises in Spo2 coinciding with threat of injury are likely to be attributable to emotional stress-induced hyperventilation,
characteristic of B-I-I specific phobia and expected during the anticipation of exteroceptive threat, even in normal subjects. In summary, should excessive hyperventilation be detected during HCT and coincide with transient increases in Spo2, HCT should be repeated using
Spo2 only as a guide to the level of hypoxemia, and Spo2 maintained using supplementary oxygen in accordance with alternative methods described in guidelines.Spurling KJ, McGoldrick VP. Blood-injection-injury (B-I-I) specific phobia affects the outcome of hypoxic challenge testing. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(5):503–506.
Mortality Due to Cardiovascular Disease Among Apollo Lunar Astronauts
Authors: Reynolds Robert J. , Day Steven M.
Published: April 2017

INTRODUCTION: Recent research has postulated increased cardiovascular mortality for astronauts who participated in the Apollo lunar missions. The conclusions, however, are based on small numbers of astronauts, are derived from methods with known weaknesses, and are not consistent
with prior research.METHODS: Records for NASA astronauts and U.S. Air Force astronauts were analyzed to produce standardized mortality ratios. Lunar astronauts were compared to astronauts who have never flown in space (nonflight astronauts), those who have only flown missions in
low Earth orbit (LEO astronauts), and the U.S. general population.RESULTS: Lunar astronauts were significantly older at cohort entry than other astronaut group and lunar astronauts alive as of the end of 2015 were significantly older than nonflight astronauts and LEO astronauts.
No significant differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality rates between astronaut groups was observed, though lunar astronauts were noted to be at significantly lower risk of death by CVD than are members of the U.S. general population (SMR = 13, 95% CI = 3–39).DISCUSSION:
The differences in age structure between lunar and nonlunar astronauts and the deaths of LEO astronauts from external causes at young ages lead to confounding in proportional mortality studies of astronauts. When age and follow-up time are properly taken into account using cohort-based methods,
no significant difference in CVD mortality rates is observed. Care should be taken to select the correct study design, outcome definition, exposure classification, and analysis when answering questions involving rare occupational exposures.Reynolds RJ, Day SM. Mortality due to cardiovascular disease among Apollo lunar astronauts. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(5):492–496.
Jugular and Portal Vein Volume, Middle Cerebral Vein Velocity, and Intracranial Pressure in Dry Immersion
Authors: Arbeille Philippe , Avan Paul , Treffel Loïc , Zuj Kathryn , Normand Herve , Denise Pierre
Published: April 2017

BACKGROUND: The objective was to determine if short term exposure to dry immersion (DI) results in a cephalic fluid shift similar to what has been observed with spaceflight.METHODS: Data were collected from 10 individuals at rest and during the first 2 h of dry immersion.
Jugular vein (JV), portal vein (PV), and thyroid volume were measured using 3D echography. Middle cerebral vein velocity (MCVv) was determined using transcranial Doppler ultrasound. The cochlear response to audio stimulation was used to derive an estimate of intracranial pressure (dICP).RESULTS:
After 2 h of DI, there was a significant increase (mean ± SD) in JV (2.21 ± 1.10 mL), PV (1.05 ± 0.48 mL), and thyroid (0.428 ± 0.313 mL) volume. MCVv was also significantly increased with DI (3.90 ± 5.03 cm · s−1). There was no change
in dICP with DI in part due to large individual variability. The range of dICP changes appeared to be related to MCVv, with participants with the largest increase in MCVv also showing increased dICP.DISCUSSION: The results suggest that DI induces a significant cephalic fluid shift
similar to what is observed with spaceflight. The increased thyroid volume suggests that cerebral tissue may also be subjected to similar fluid filtration, with implications for changes in intracranial pressure. However, despite all participants having an increase in JV and thyroid volume,
only half showed an increase in dICP, suggesting that increased venous pooling alone is not sufficient to cause increased intracranial pressure.Arbeille P, Avan P, Treffel L, Zuj K, Normand H, Denise P. Jugular and portal vein volume, middle cerebral vein velocity, and intracranial pressure in dry immersion. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(5):457–462.
Development and Validation of a Questionnaire to Assess Knowledge, Threat and Coping Appraisal, and Intention to Practice Healthy Behaviors Related to Non-Communicable Diseases in the Thai Population
Authors: Chamroonsawasdi Kanittha , Chottanapund Suthat , Tunyasitthisundhorn Pravich , Phokaewsuksa Nawaphan , Ruksujarit Tassanee , Phasuksathaporn Pawarat
Published: April 2017

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are important issues in Thailand and health sectors are now focusing on modifiable risks that include cognitive, affective and behavioral factors. This study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire to assess knowledge about NCDs, threat appraisal, coping appraisal and intention to practice based on protection motivation theory. Content validity was determined by the mean of the item content validity index (I-CVI) from five experts. The questionnaire was pilot tested for difficulty of knowledge items and reliability test using the Kuder-Richardson (KR)-20 and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient among 30 Thai adult subjects in the health office for two sub-districts. The mean I-CVI ranged from 0.90–1.00 and difficulty of knowledge ranged from 0.3–0.9. The reliability test of knowledge by KR-20 ranged from 0.648–0.799, while Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of threat and coping appraisal and intention to practice ranged from 0.70–0.843. We compared sociodemographic data, knowledge about NCDs, threat appraisal, coping appraisal and intention to practice between 50 diabetic type 2 cases and 50 controls. T2DM cases had higher age, knowledge scores on diabetes and hypertension, threat appraisal scores on hypertension and cardiovascular disease when compared with control (p < 0.05). The questionnaire was valid and sufficiently reliable to use for data collection.
A Framework for Real-Time Optimal Power Flow under Wind Energy Penetration
Authors: Mohagheghi Erfan , Gabash Aouss , Li Pu
Published: April 2017

Developing a suitable framework for real-time optimal power flow (RT-OPF) is of utmost importance for ensuring both optimality and feasibility in the operation of energy distribution networks (DNs) under intermittent wind energy penetration. The most challenging issue thereby is that a large-scale complex optimization problem has to be solved in real-time. Online simultaneous optimization of the wind power curtailments of wind stations and the discrete reference values of the slack bus voltage which leads to a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem, in addition to considering variable reverse power flow, make the optimization problem even much more complicated. To address these difficulties, a two-phase solution approach to RT-OPF is proposed in this paper. In the prediction phase, a number of MINLP OPF problems corresponding to the most probable scenarios of the wind energy penetration in the prediction horizon, by taking its forecasted value and stochastic distribution into account, are solved in parallel. The solution provides a lookup table for optional control strategies for the current prediction horizon which is further divided into a certain number of short time intervals. In the realization phase, one of the control strategies is selected from the lookup table based on the actual wind power and realized to the grid in the current time interval, which will proceed from one interval to the next, till the end of the current prediction horizon. Then, the prediction phase for the next prediction horizon will be activated. A 41-bus medium-voltage DN is taken as a case study to demonstrate the proposed RT-OPF approach.
Load Signature Formulation for Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring Based on Current Measurements
Authors: Bouhouras Aggelos , Gkaidatzis Paschalis , Chatzisavvas Konstantinos , Panagiotou Evangelos , Poulakis Nikolaos , Christoforidis Georgios
Published: April 2017

In this paper we present a new methodology for the formulation of efficient load signatures towards the implementation of a near-real time Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) approach. The purpose of this work relies on defining representative current values regarding the 1st, 3rd and 5th harmonic orders to be utilized in the load signatures formulation. A measurement setup has been developed and steady-state measurements have been performed in a Low Voltage residence. A data processing methodology is proposed aiming to depict representative current values for each harmonic order in order to keep the load signature short and simple. In addition, a simple disaggregation scheme is proposed under linear equations for the disaggregation mode in order to examine the near-real time application of the methodology. The analysis indicates that the developed load signatures could be efficient for a per second application rate of the NILM algorithm. The results show that the higher harmonic currents facilitate the identification performance. Finally, the analysis concludes that for combinations that include appliances with intense harmonic content, the phase angle of the higher for harmonic currents should also be considered to the load signatures formulation.
Construct Validity of an Obesity Risk Screening Tool in Two Age Groups
Authors: Peyer Karissa , Welk Greg
Published: April 2017

Home environment influences child health, but the impact varies as children move into adolescence. The Family Nutrition and Physical Activity (FNPA) screening tool has been used to evaluate home environments, but studies have not compared the utility of the tool in different age groups. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of the FNPA tool in first and tenth grade samples. Parents of first grade (n = 250) and tenth grade (n = 99) students completed the FNPA and results were linked to body mass index (BMI) data. FNPA scores were examined by gender, income, race, and school-level socioeconomic status (SES). Correlations examined associations between FNPA scores and several BMI indicators. Logistic and linear regression analyses evaluated the construct validity of the FNPA in both groups. Mean FNPA score differed by age group, by SES in both age groups, and by race in the first grade sample only. Correlations between FNPA score and BMI indicators were higher in the first grade sample, but SES was significantly associated with BMI only in tenth graders. The FNPA has stronger utility in younger children, while school SES is a stronger predictor of adolescent weight status.
A Cross-Sectional Study on Selected Correlates of High risk Sexual Behavior in Polish Migrants Resident in the United Kingdom
Authors: Ganczak Maria , Czubińska Grażyna , Korzeń Marcin , Szych Zbigniew
Published: April 2017

Objective: To assess the correlates of the high risk sexual behaviors of Polish migrants in the United Kingdom (UK) after 2004, and to compare such behaviors before/after immigration. Methods: In 2013, a cross-sectional study was conducted through the use of a Computer-assisted web interviewing surveying technique with the use of a self-administered questionnaire. Results: Among 408 respondents (56.9% women), with a median age of 32 years, significantly more admitted to having unprotected sexual contact with a casual partner while in the UK (p < 0.0001) than while in Poland; more were engaged in sex after the use of recreational drugs and alcohol (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.001 respectively). Being a male was associated with greater odds of unprotected sex, sex after the use of alcohol, and having multiple partners. Being single and having only been a resident for a short time in the UK, presenting a lower self-esteem, were predictors of unprotected sex. A total of 19.6% of the respondents admitted to having been tested while in Poland, a lower (p < 0.0001) frequency than while in the UK (49.5%); this referred to both genders; 1.2% (95% CI: 0.79–2.83%) reported that they were HIV positive. Conclusions: Migration can create a vulnerability to STIs, especially for single male migrants with low self-esteem, staying in the UK for less than two years. The results point to strengthening strategies which help reduce high risk sexual behavior among Polish migrants, and to introduce interventions to promote an awareness of HIV sero-status.
The Effects of PM2.5 from Asian Dust Storms on Emergency Room Visits for Cardiovascular and Respiratory Diseases
Authors: Liu Ssu-Ting , Liao Chu-Yung , Kuo Cheng-Yu , Kuo Hsien-Wen
Published: April 2017

A case-crossover study examined how PM2.5 from Asian Dust Storms (ADS) affects the number of emergency room (ER) admissions for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and respiratory diseases (RDs). Our data indicated that PM2.5 concentration from ADS was highly correlated with ER visits for CVDs and RDs. The odds ratios (OR) increased by 2.92 (95% CI: 1.22–5.08) and 1.86 (95% CI: 1.30–2.91) per 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 levels, for CVDs and RDs, respectively. A 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 from ADSs was significantly associated with an increase in ER visits for CVDs among those 65 years of age and older (an increase of 2.77 in OR) and for females (an increase of 3.09 in OR). In contrast, PM2.5 levels had a significant impact on RD ER visits among those under 65 years of age (OR = 1.77). The risk of ER visits for CVDs increased on the day when the ADS occurred in Taiwan and the day after (lag 0 and lag 1); the corresponding risk increase for RDs only increased on the fifth day after the ADS (lag 5). In Taiwan’s late winter and spring, the severity of ER visits for CVDs and RDs increases. Environmental protection agencies should employ an early warning system for ADS to reduce high-risk groups’ exposure to PM2.5.
Skeletal Muscle Nucleo-Mitochondrial Crosstalk in Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Devarshi Prasad , McNabney Sean , Henagan Tara
Published: April 2017

Skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction, evidenced by incomplete beta oxidation and accumulation of fatty acid intermediates in the form of long and medium chain acylcarnitines, may contribute to ectopic lipid deposition and insulin resistance during high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. The present review discusses the roles of anterograde and retrograde communication in nucleo-mitochondrial crosstalk that determines skeletal muscle mitochondrial adaptations, specifically alterations in mitochondrial number and function in relation to obesity and insulin resistance. Special emphasis is placed on the effects of high fat diet (HFD) feeding on expression of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes (NEMGs) nuclear receptor factor 1 (NRF-1) and 2 (NRF-2) and peroxisome proliferator receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α) in the onset and progression of insulin resistance during obesity and how HFD-induced alterations in NEMG expression affect skeletal muscle mitochondrial adaptations in relation to beta oxidation of fatty acids. Finally, the potential ability of acylcarnitines or fatty acid intermediates resulting from mitochondrial beta oxidation to act as retrograde signals in nucleo-mitochondrial crosstalk is reviewed and discussed.
Retinoids Regulate Adipogenesis Involving the TGFβ/SMAD and Wnt/β-Catenin Pathways in Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Cao Jun , Ma Yuhong , Yao Weiqi , Zhang Xiaoye , Wu Dongcheng
Published: April 2017

Retinoids may regulate cell differentiation as ligands of retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and/or retinoid X receptors (RXRs). We showed that RAR agonists promoted adipogenesis by upregulating the expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ) in the early stages, but blocked adipogenesis at a later stage in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). RXR agonists promoted adipogenesis at all time points in hBMSCs. The effect of RAR agonists was mediated mainly by the RARβ subtype. RAR agonists, in contrast to RXR agonists, significantly promoted the expression of RARβ. Knockdown of the RARβ gene via small hairpin RNA (shRNA) attenuated the inhibition of RAR agonists toward adipogenesis. Furthermore, we found that RAR agonists upregulated the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)/SMAD pathway and Wnt/β-catenin pathway on adipogenesis in hBMSCs, and the stimulating effects were noticeably decreased with the RARβ gene knockdown. Both RAR agonists and RXR agonists inhibited adipogenesis and blocked the promoter activity of C/EBPβ and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) in SW872 cell. These results indicated the RAR agonists perform dual roles in adipogenesis in hBMSCs, and the TGFβ/SMAD pathway and Wnt/β-catenin pathway may involve the inhibitory effect of RAR agonists. RARβ is the main receptor subtype mediating the effect. The roles of RXR agonists in adipogenesis exhibited cell type-specific differences, and may be based on the integration of signals from different RXR dimers.
Melatonin, a Full Service Anti-Cancer Agent: Inhibition of Initiation, Progression and Metastasis
Authors: Reiter Russel , Rosales-Corral Sergio , Tan Dun-Xian , Acuna-Castroviejo Dario , Qin Lilan , Yang Shun-Fa , Xu Kexin
Published: April 2017

There is highly credible evidence that melatonin mitigates cancer at the initiation, progression and metastasis phases. In many cases, the molecular mechanisms underpinning these inhibitory actions have been proposed. What is rather perplexing, however, is the large number of processes by which melatonin reportedly restrains cancer development and growth. These diverse actions suggest that what is being observed are merely epiphenomena of an underlying more fundamental action of melatonin that remains to be disclosed. Some of the arresting actions of melatonin on cancer are clearly membrane receptor-mediated while others are membrane receptor-independent and involve direct intracellular actions of this ubiquitously-distributed molecule. While the emphasis of melatonin/cancer research has been on the role of the indoleamine in restraining breast cancer, this is changing quickly with many cancer types having been shown to be susceptible to inhibition by melatonin. There are several facets of this research which could have immediate applications at the clinical level. Many studies have shown that melatonin’s co-administration improves the sensitivity of cancers to inhibition by conventional drugs. Even more important are the findings that melatonin renders cancers previously totally resistant to treatment sensitive to these same therapies. Melatonin also inhibits molecular processes associated with metastasis by limiting the entrance of cancer cells into the vascular system and preventing them from establishing secondary growths at distant sites. This is of particular importance since cancer metastasis often significantly contributes to death of the patient. Another area that deserves additional consideration is related to the capacity of melatonin in reducing the toxic consequences of anti-cancer drugs while increasing their efficacy. Although this information has been available for more than a decade, it has not been adequately exploited at the clinical level. Even if the only beneficial actions of melatonin in cancer patients are its ability to attenuate acute and long-term drug toxicity, melatonin should be used to improve the physical wellbeing of the patients. The experimental findings, however, suggest that the advantages of using melatonin as a co-treatment with conventional cancer therapies would far exceed improvements in the wellbeing of the patients.
Subtype Diagnosis of Primary Aldosteronism: Is Adrenal Vein Sampling Always Necessary?
Authors: Buffolo Fabrizio , Monticone Silvia , Williams Tracy , Rossato Denis , Burrello Jacopo , Tetti Martina , Veglio Franco , Mulatero Paolo
Published: April 2017

Aldosterone producing adenoma and bilateral adrenal hyperplasia are the two most common subtypes of primary aldosteronism (PA) that require targeted and distinct therapeutic approaches: unilateral adrenalectomy or lifelong medical therapy with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. According to the 2016 Endocrine Society Guideline, adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is the gold standard test to distinguish between unilateral and bilateral aldosterone overproduction and therefore, to safely refer patients with PA to surgery. Despite significant advances in the optimization of the AVS procedure and the interpretation of hormonal data, a standardized protocol across centers is still lacking. Alternative methods are sought to either localize an aldosterone producing adenoma or to predict the presence of unilateral disease and thereby substantially reduce the number of patients with PA who proceed to AVS. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in subtyping PA for the diagnosis of unilateral and bilateral disease. We focus on the developments in the AVS procedure, the interpretation criteria, and comparisons of the performance of AVS with the alternative methods that are currently available.
Vibrational Spectroscopy in Studies of Atmospheric Corrosion
Authors: Hosseinpour Saman , Johnson Magnus
Published: April 2017

Vibrational spectroscopy has been successfully used for decades in studies of the atmospheric corrosion processes, mainly to identify the nature of corrosion products but also to quantify their amounts. In this review article, a summary of the main achievements is presented with focus on how the techniques infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy can be used in the field. Several different studies have been discussed where these instruments have been used to assess both the nature of corrosion products as well as the properties of corrosion inhibitors. Some of these techniques offer the valuable possibility to perform in-situ measurements in real time on ongoing corrosion processes, which allows the kinetics of formation of corrosion products to be studied, and also minimizes the risk of changing the surface properties which may occur during ex-situ experiments. Since corrosion processes often occur heterogeneously over a surface, it is of great importance to obtain a deeper knowledge about atmospheric corrosion phenomena on the nano scale, and this review also discusses novel vibrational microscopy techniques allowing spectra to be acquired with a spatial resolution of 20 nm.
Analysis of Deep Drawing Process for Stainless Steel Micro-Channel Array
Authors: Chen Tsung-Chia , Lin Jiang-Cheng , Lee Rong-Mao
Published: April 2017

The stainless steel bipolar plate has received much attention due to the cost of graphite bipolar plates. Since the micro-channel of bipolar plates plays the role of fuel flow field, electric connector and fuel sealing, an investigation of the deep drawing process for stainless steel micro-channel arrays is reported in this work. The updated Lagrangian formulation, degenerated shell finite element analysis, and the r-minimum rule have been employed to study the relationship between punch load and stroke, distributions of stress and strain, thickness variations and depth variations of individual micro-channel sections. A micro-channel array is practically formed, with a width and depth of a single micro-channel of 0.75 mm and 0.5 mm, respectively. Fractures were usually observed in the fillet corner of the micro-channel bottom. According to the experimental results, more attention should be devoted to the fillet dimension design of punch and die. A larger die fillet can lead to better formability and a reduction of the punch load. In addition, the micro-channel thickness and the fillet radius have to be taken into consideration at the same time. Finally, the punch load estimated by the unmodified metal forming equation is higher than that of experiments.
Laucysteinamide A, a Hybrid PKS/NRPS Metabolite from a Saipan Cyanobacterium, cf. Caldora penicillata
Authors: Zhang Chen , Naman C. , Engene Niclas , Gerwick William
Published: April 2017

A bioactivity guided study of a cf. Caldora penicillata species, collected during a 2013 expedition to the Pacific island of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands (a commonwealth of the USA), led to the isolation of a new thiazoline-containing alkaloid, laucysteinamide A (1). Laucysteinamide A is a new monomeric analogue of the marine cyanobacterial metabolite, somocystinamide A (2), a disulfide-bonded dimeric compound that was isolated previously from a Fijian marine cyanobacterium. The structure and absolute configuration of laucysteinamide A (1) was determined by a detailed analysis of its NMR, MS, and CD spectra. In addition, the highly bioactive lipid, curacin D (3), was also found to be present in this cyanobacterial extract. The latter compound was responsible for the potent cytotoxicity of this extract to H-460 human non-small cell lung cancer cells in vitro.
Blockwise PPG Enhancement Based on Time-Variant Zero-Phase Harmonic Notch Filtering
Authors: Park Chanki , Shin Hyunsoon , Lee Boreom
Published: April 2017

So far, many approaches have been developed for motion artifact (MA) reduction from photoplethysmogram (PPG). Specifically, single-input MA reduction methods are useful to apply wearable and mobile healthcare systems because of their low hardware costs and simplicity. However, most of them are insufficiently developed to be used in real-world situations, and they suffer from a phase distortion problem. In this study, we propose a novel single-input MA reduction algorithm based on time-variant forward-backward harmonic notch filtering. To verify the proposed method, we collected real PPG data corrupted by MA and compared it with existing single-input MA reduction methods. In conclusion, the proposed zero-phase line enhancer (ZLE) was found to be superior for MA reduction and exhibited zero phase response.
Electrochemical Genosensing of Circulating Biomarkers
Authors: Campuzano Susana , Yáñez-Sedeño Paloma , Pingarrón José
Published: April 2017

Management and prognosis of diseases requires the measurement in non- or minimally invasively collected samples of specific circulating biomarkers, consisting of any measurable or observable factors in patients that indicate normal or disease-related biological processes or responses to therapy. Therefore, on-site, fast and accurate determination of these low abundance circulating biomarkers in scarcely treated body fluids is of great interest for health monitoring and biological applications. In this field, electrochemical DNA sensors (or genosensors) have demonstrated to be interesting alternatives to more complex conventional strategies. Currently, electrochemical genosensors are considered very promising analytical tools for this purpose due to their fast response, low cost, high sensitivity, compatibility with microfabrication technology and simple operation mode which makes them compatible with point-of-care (POC) testing. In this review, the relevance and current challenges of the determination of circulating biomarkers related to relevant diseases (cancer, bacterial and viral infections and neurodegenerative diseases) are briefly discussed. An overview of the electrochemical nucleic acid–based strategies developed in the last five years for this purpose is given to show to both familiar and non-expert readers the great potential of these methodologies for circulating biomarker determination. After highlighting the main features of the reported electrochemical genosensing strategies through the critical discussion of selected examples, a conclusions section points out the still existing challenges and future directions in this field.
Visual Detection and Tracking System for a Spherical Amphibious Robot
Authors: Guo Shuxiang , Pan Shaowu , Shi Liwei , Guo Ping , He Yanlin , Tang Kun
Published: April 2017

With the goal of supporting close-range observation tasks of a spherical amphibious robot, such as ecological observations and intelligent surveillance, a moving target detection and tracking system was designed and implemented in this study. Given the restrictions presented by the amphibious environment and the small-sized spherical amphibious robot, an industrial camera and vision algorithms using adaptive appearance models were adopted to construct the proposed system. To handle the problem of light scattering and absorption in the underwater environment, the multi-scale retinex with color restoration algorithm was used for image enhancement. Given the environmental disturbances in practical amphibious scenarios, the Gaussian mixture model was used to detect moving targets entering the field of view of the robot. A fast compressive tracker with a Kalman prediction mechanism was used to track the specified target. Considering the limited load space and the unique mechanical structure of the robot, the proposed vision system was fabricated with a low power system-on-chip using an asymmetric and heterogeneous computing architecture. Experimental results confirmed the validity and high efficiency of the proposed system. The design presented in this paper is able to meet future demands of spherical amphibious robots in biological monitoring and multi-robot cooperation.
Using Dimensionality Reduction Techniques for Refining Passive Indoor Positioning Systems Based on Radio Fingerprinting
Authors: Lopez-de-Teruel Pedro , Canovas Oscar , Garcia Felix J.
Published: April 2017

Indoor positioning methods based on fingerprinting and radio signals rely on the quality of the radio map. For example, for room-level classification purposes, it is required that the signal observations related to each room exhibit significant differences in their RSSI values. However, it is difficult to verify and visualize that separability since radio maps are constituted by multi-dimensional observations whose dimension is directly related to the number of access points or monitors being employed for localization purposes. In this paper, we propose a refinement cycle for passive indoor positioning systems, which is based on dimensionality reduction techniques, to evaluate the quality of a radio map. By means of these techniques and our own data representation, we have defined two different visualization methods to obtain graphical information about the quality of a particular radio map in terms of overlapping areas and outliers. That information will be useful to determine whether new monitors are required or some existing ones should be moved. We have performed an exhaustive experimental analysis based on a variety of different scenarios, some deployed by our own research group and others corresponding to a well-known existing dataset widely analyzed by the community, in order to validate our proposal. As we will show, among the different combinations of data representation methods and dimensionality reduction techniques that we discuss, we have found that there are some specific configurations that are more useful in order to perform the refinement process.
Cross-Spectral Local Descriptors via Quadruplet Network
Authors: Aguilera Cristhian , Sappa Angel , Aguilera Cristhian , Toledo Ricardo
Published: April 2017

This paper presents a novel CNN-based architecture, referred to as Q-Net, to learn local feature descriptors that are useful for matching image patches from two different spectral bands. Given correctly matched and non-matching cross-spectral image pairs, a quadruplet network is trained to map input image patches to a common Euclidean space, regardless of the input spectral band. Our approach is inspired by the recent success of triplet networks in the visible spectrum, but adapted for cross-spectral scenarios, where, for each matching pair, there are always two possible non-matching patches: one for each spectrum. Experimental evaluations on a public cross-spectral VIS-NIR dataset shows that the proposed approach improves the state-of-the-art. Moreover, the proposed technique can also be used in mono-spectral settings, obtaining a similar performance to triplet network descriptors, but requiring less training data.
Out-of-Plane Continuous Electrostatic Micro-Power Generators
Authors: Mahmoud M. , Abdel-Rahman E. , Mansour R. , El-Saadany E.
Published: April 2017

This paper presents an out-of-plane electrostatic micro-power generator (MPG). Electret-based continuous MPGs with different gaps and masses are fabricated to demonstrate the merits of this topology. Experimental results of the MPG demonstrate output power of 1 mW for a base acceleration amplitude and frequency of 0.08 g and 86 Hz. The MPGs also demonstrate a wideband harvesting bandwidth reaching up to 9 Hz. A free-flight and an impact mode model of electrostatic MPGs are also derived and validated by comparison to experimental results.
Probe Sensor Using Nanostructured Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Yarn for Selective and Sensitive Detection of Dopamine
Authors: Al-Graiti Wed , Yue Zhilian , Foroughi Javad , Huang Xu-Feng , Wallace Gordon , Baughman Ray , Chen Jun
Published: April 2017

The demands for electrochemical sensor materials with high strength and durability in physiological conditions continue to grow and novel approaches are being enabled by the advent of new electromaterials and novel fabrication technologies. Herein, we demonstrate a probe-style electrochemical sensor using highly flexible and conductive multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) yarns. The MWNT yarn-based sensors can be fabricated onto micro Pt-wire with a controlled diameter varying from 100 to 300 µm, and then further modified with Nafion via a dip-coating approach. The fabricated micro-sized sensors were characterized by electron microscopy, Raman, FTIR, electrical, and electrochemical measurements. For the first time, the MWNT/Nafion yarn-based probe sensors have been assembled and assessed for high-performance dopamine sensing, showing a significant improvement in both sensitivity and selectivity in dopamine detection in presence of ascorbic acid and uric acid. It offers the potential to be further developed as implantable probe sensors.
Inclusion complexes of β-cyclodextrin with tricyclic drugs: an X-ray diffraction, NMR and molecular dynamics study
Authors: Castiglione Franca , Ganazzoli Fabio , Malpezzi Luciana , Mele Andrea , Panzeri Walter , Raffaini Giuseppina
Published: April 2017

Tricyclic fused-ring cyclobenzaprine (1) and amitriptyline (2) form 1:1 inclusion complexes with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) in the solid state and in water solution. Rotating frame NOE experiments (ROESY) showed the same geometry of inclusion for both 1/β-CD and 2/β-CD complexes, with the aromatic ring system entering the cavity from the large rim of the cyclodextrin and the alkylammonium chain protruding out of the cavity and facing the secondary OH rim. These features matched those found in the molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in solution and in the solid state from single-crystal X-ray diffraction of 1/β-CD and 2/β-CD complexes. The latter complex was found in a single conformation in the solid state, whilst the MD simulations in explicit water reproduced the conformational transitions observed experimentally for the free molecule.
Membrane properties of hydroxycholesterols related to the brain cholesterol metabolism
Authors: Hilsch Malte , Haralampiev Ivan , Müller Peter , Huster Daniel , Scheidt Holger A
Published: April 2017

Compared to cholesterol, hydroxycholesterols contain an additional hydroxy group in the alkyl chain and are able to efficiently cross the brain–blood barrier. Therefore, they are responsible for the sterol transfer between brain and circulation. The current study compares the membrane properties of several hydroxycholesterols with those of cholesterol using 2H NMR spectroscopy, a membrane permeability assay, and fluorescence microscopy experiments. It is shown that hydroxycholesterols do not exert the unique impact on membrane properties characteristic for cholesterol with regard to the influence on lipid chain order, membrane permeability and formation of lateral domains.
A Decade of Hα Transits for HD 189733 b: Stellar Activity versus Absorption in the Extended Atmosphere
Authors: Cauley P. Wilson , Redfield Seth , Jensen Adam G.
Published: April 2017

HD 189733 b is one of the most well studied exoplanets due to its large transit depth and host star brightness. The focus on this object has produced a number of high-cadence transit observations using high-resolution optical spectrographs. Here we present an analysis of seven full Hα transits of HD 189733 b using HARPS on the 3.6 meter La Silla telescope and HIRES on Keck I, taken over the course of nine years from 2006 to 2015. Hα transmission signals are analyzed as a function of the stellar activity level, as measured using the normalized core flux of the Ca ii H and K lines. We find strong variations in the strength of the Hα transmission spectrum from epoch to epoch. However, there is no clear trend between the Ca ii core emission and the strength of the in-transit Hα signal, although the transit showing the largest absorption value also occurs when the star is the most active. We present simulations of the in-transit contrast effect and find that the planet must consistently transit active latitudes with very strong facular and plage emission regions in order to reproduce the observed line strengths. We also investigate the measured velocity centroids with models of planetary rotation and show that the small line profile velocities could be due to large velocities in the upper atmosphere of the planet. Overall, we find it more likely that the measured Hα signals arise in the extended planetary atmosphere, although a better understanding of active region emission for active stars such as HD 189733 is needed.
Does Explosive Nuclear Burning Occur in Tidal Disruption Events of White Dwarfs by Intermediate-mass Black Holes?
Authors: Tanikawa Ataru , Sato Yushi , Nomoto Ken’ichi , Maeda Keiichi , Nakasato Naohito , Hachisu Izumi
Published: April 2017

We investigate nucleosynthesis in tidal disruption events (TDEs) of white dwarfs (WDs) by intermediate-mass black holes. We consider various types of WDs with different masses and compositions by means of three-dimensional (3D) smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations. We model these WDs with different numbers of SPH particles, N, from a few 104 to a few 107 in order to check mass resolution convergence, where SPH simulations with N > 107 (or a space resolution of several 106 cm) have unprecedentedly high resolution in this kind of simulation. We find that nuclear reactions become less active with increasing N and that these nuclear reactions are excited by spurious heating due to low resolution. Moreover, we find no shock wave generation. In order to investigate the reason for the absence of a shock wave, we additionally perform one-dimensional (1D) SPH and mesh-based simulations with a space resolution ranging from 104 to 107 cm, using a characteristic flow structure extracted from the 3D SPH simulations. We find shock waves in these 1D high-resolution simulations, one of which triggers a detonation wave. However, we must be careful of the fact that, if the shock wave emerged in an outer region, it could not trigger the detonation wave due to low density. Note that the 1D initial conditions lack accuracy to precisely determine where a shock wave emerges. We need to perform 3D simulations with ≲106 cm space resolution in order to conclude that WD TDEs become optical transients powered by radioactive nuclei.