bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technology‐assisted self‐testing and management of oral anticoagulation therapy: a qualitative patient‐focused study
Authors: Kuljis Jasna , Money Arthur G. , Perry Mark , Barnett Julie , Young Terry
Published: August 2016

Background

Oral anticoagulation therapy requires regular blood testing to ensure therapeutic levels are maintained and excessive bleeding/clotting is avoided. Technology‐assisted self‐testing and management is seen as one of the key areas in which quality of care can be improved whilst reducing costs. Nevertheless, levels of patient engagement in self‐testing and management remain low. To date, little research emphasis has been placed on understanding the patients' perspectives for low engagement. The typical approach adopted by healthcare providers is to provide patient education programmes, with the expectation that individual patients will change their behaviour and adopt new self‐care strategies. However, if levels of patient engagement are to be increased, healthcare providers must also develop a better understanding of how their clinical service provision is perceived by patients and make adaptations.

Objective

To explore patient views, needs and expectations of an anticoagulation service and the self‐testing and management services provided.

Methods

Interviews were conducted with 17 patients who currently engage in international normalised ratio (INR) self‐testing and management. Thematic coding and analysis were carried out on the interview transcripts.

Results

Four high‐level themes emerged from interviews: (i) role of clinic, (ii) motivations for self‐testing, (iii) managing INR and (iv) trust. The clinic was seen as adding value in terms of specifying testing frequency, dosage profiles and calibrating equipment. Prompt communication from clinic to patient was also valued, although more personalised/real‐time communication would help avoid feelings of isolation. Patients felt more in control as self‐tester/managers and often took decisions about treatment adjustments themselves. However, some also manipulated their own test results to avoid ‘unnecessary’ interventions.

Conclusions and recommendations

More personalised/real‐time communication, pragmatic and collaborative patient–clinician partnerships and recognition of expert patient knowledge and expertise are needed if increased levels of engagement with self‐testing and management service provision is to be realised.
Right Node Raising and Nongrammaticality
Authors: Larson Brooke
Published: August 2016

Right node raising sentences (RNR) have proved to be difficult for modern syntactic theory to account in an explanatory fashion. In this paper I argue that the reason for this difficulty is thatRNRcannot be fully analyzed as a construction independent of online parsing. I argue against current and possible grammatical analyses of the construction and posit that the interpretation of the shared material in the first conjunct is effectively illusory. That is, the interpretive relation between the shared material inRNRand the gap position in the first conjunct is not encoded in the offline representation of the construction, but rather is only captured via a transitory online parsing operation. This analysis has consequences for the relation between the grammar and the parser as well the limits of grammatical relations.
Discovery of a novel HLA‐DRB1*09 variant, HLA‐DRB1*09:28, in a Taiwanese individual
Authors: Yang K. L. , Hung J. H. , Lin P. Y.
Published: August 2016

One nucleotide substitution at residue 332 of HLA‐DRB1*09:01:02 results in a novel allele, HLA‐DRB1*09:28
Post‐prophylaxis Toxoplasma chorioretinitis following donor–recipient mismatched liver transplantation
Authors: Webb G.J. , Shah H. , David M.D. , Tiew S. , Beare N. , Hirschfield G.M.
Published: August 2016

Toxoplasmosis may be transferred by organ transplantation. The most common clinical presentation is with multisystem disease, although isolated ocular toxoplasmosis has been described. Many centers have suggested that universal use of co‐trimoxazole prophylaxis obviates the need for specific Toxoplasma testing. We report a case of donor‐acquired ocular toxoplasmosis after liver transplantation despite co‐trimoxazole prophylaxis. The diagnosis was confirmed by Toxoplasma polymerase chain reaction assay in conjunction with seroconversion. The fact that the infection was donor acquired was confirmed by serological mismatch and the absence of sporozoite‐specific antigen antibody in the recipient.
Effect of auriculopalpebral nerve block on Schirmer tear test I values in normal horses
Authors: Visser Hannah E. , Diehl Kathryn A. , Whitley R. David , Myrna Kathern E.
Published: August 2016

Objective

To compare Schirmer tear test I (STTI) values collected in normal horses with and without an auriculopalpebral nerve block.

Procedure

Schirmer tear test I values were measured in 20 clinically normal horses (38 eyes) with a median age of 12 years. The order of eyes tested was randomized. Within 24–48 h, at the same time of day, tear measurements were collected again after administration of an auriculopalpebral nerve block. Each block was performed a minimum of 5 min prior to each STT I. A repeated‐measures model was used to analyze differences between STT I values in eyes with and without nerve blocks incorporating within horse correlation between eyes. The mixed‐model included fixed factors of treatment and eye and a random intercept for each horse. An unstructured covariance structure was used.

Results

On average, STT I values measured in eyes after auriculopalpebral nerve blocks were 0.55 mm/min greater than those without nerve blocks. This difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.5268).

Conclusions

There was no effect of auriculopalpebral nerve block on STT I values in normal horses.
Convergence of visual and whisker responses in the primary somatosensory thalamus (ventral posterior medial region) of the mouse
Authors: Allen Annette E , Procyk Christopher A. , Brown Timothy M. , Lucas Robert J.
Published: August 2016

Key points

Using in vivo electrophysiology, we find that a subset of whisker‐responsive neurons in the ventral posterior medial region (VPM) respond to visual stimuli.

These light‐responsive neurons in the VPM are particularly sensitive to optic flow.

Presentation of optic flow stimuli modulates the amplitude of concurrent whisker responses.

Visual information reaches the VPM via a circuit encompassing the visual cortex.

These data represent a new example of cross‐modal integration in the primary sensory thalamus.

Sensory signals reach the cortex via sense‐specific thalamic nuclei. Here we report that neurons in the primary sensory thalamus of the mouse vibrissal system (the ventral posterior medial region; VPM) can be excited by visual as well as whisker stimuli. Using extracellular electrophysiological recordings from anaesthetized mice we first show that simple light steps can excite a subset of VPM neurons. We then test the ability of the VPM to respond to spatial patterns and show that many units are excited by visual motion in a direction‐selective manner. Coherent movement of multiple objects (an artificial recreation of ‘optic flow’ that would usually occur during head rotations or body movements) best engages this visual motion response. We next show that, when co‐applied with visual stimuli, the magnitude of responses to whisker deflections is highest in the presence of optic flow going in the opposite direction. Importantly, whisker response amplitude is also modulated by presentation of a movie recreating the mouse's visual experience during natural exploratory behaviour. We finally present functional and anatomical data indicating a functional connection (probably multisynaptic) from the primary visual cortex to VPM. These data provide a rare example of multisensory integration occurring at the level of the sensory thalamus, and provide evidence for dynamic regulation of whisker responses according to visual experience.
Cerebral venous thrombosis associated with thyrotoxicosis, the use of desmopressin and elevated factor VIII/von Willebrand factor
Authors: Waheed Waqar , Aljerdi Salman , Decker Barbara , Cushman Mary , Hamill Robert W
Published: August 2016

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is an uncommon disorder associated with diverse processes. We report a patient who, while receiving desmopressin and contraceptive pills (OCP), developed straight sinus thrombosis. Clinical assessment and laboratory investigations revealed untreated hyperthyroidism and a hypercoagulable state, characterised by high levels of von Willebrand factor, factor VIII coagulant activity and IgM cardiolipin antibody. The clinical picture improved with anticoagulation, treatment of hyperthyroidism and discontinuation of OCP and desmopressin. To the best of our knowledge, the association between the use of oral desmopressin and CVT has not been described. The multiple risk factors present in our case were probably additive in increasing the risk of CVT. Although this case represents a rare occurrence, practitioners should be alerted to the possible associations of desmopressin, oral contraceptives and Graves' disease with venous thrombosis.
Bis(diarylethenyl)-thiophenes, -bithiophenes, and -terthiophenes: a new series of electrochromic systems that exhibit a fluorescence response
Authors: Ishigaki Yusuke , Kawai Hidetoshi , Katoono Ryo , Fujiwara Kenshu , Higuchi Hiroki , Kikuchi Hirotsugu , Suzuki Takanori
Published: August 2016

2,5-Bis(diarylethenyl)thiophenes (1) and their bithiophene (2) and terthiophene (3) homologues were designed as a new series of violene/cyanine-hybrid-type electrochromic materials. Alkoxyphenyl and dialkylaminophenyl groups are used as the aryl group in the cyanine parts of 1/2/3O and 1/2/3N, respectively, which emit fluorescence in the neutral state but not in the oxidized state. Voltammetric analyses of 18 newly prepared electron donors show that they all undergo two reversible one-electron oxidations. Redox potentials, UV–vis spectral features, and fluorescence quantum yields are important parameters for characterizing the present electrochromic behavior with a fluorescence response, and can be finely tuned by changing aryl groups in the cyanine part, the number of thiophene rings in the violene part, and the alkyl-chain length of the alkoxyphenyl or diaklylaminophenyl groups (R = CH3, C8H17, C16H33), which makes this a versatile platform for the design of novel electrochromic materials.
Born to be wild: effects of rearing density and environmental enrichment on stress, welfare, and smolt migration in hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon
Authors: Rosengren Malin , Kvingedal Eli , Näslund Joacim , Johnsson Jörgen I. , Sundell Kristina
Published: August 2016

Hatchery-reared salmonids released into the wild generally have poor survivability compared with wild conspecifics. To assess potential hatchery rearing improvements, behavioral and physiological effects of reducing animal density and adding in-tank shelter were investigated. Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr were placed in barren or shelter-enriched tanks at high or low density up until release as smolts. Lowered density rendered positive effects on growth and intestinal barrier function, and both lowered density and shelter decreased conspecific aggression, as inferred by fin damage. Furthermore, while the presence of shelter decreased stress hormone levels following human disturbance, it also decreased growth and smolt migration success, an effect particularly pronounced at high densities. Therefore, we suggest that this type of structural enrichment should be avoided for Atlantic salmon smolts held at high densities and conclude that a lowered animal density with or without shelter has the highest potential in producing a more resilient smolt for stocking.
Explosions throughout the universe
Authors: Gehrels Neil , Cannizzo John K.
Published: August 2016

High energy transients make up a diverse and exotic class of objects, from terrestrial lightning to [Formula: see text]-ray bursts at cosmological distances. In this review, we provide a detailed look at some of the more exciting transients observed over the last few years by Swift and other high energy missions.
Tensile Buckling in Shear Deformable Rods
Authors: Genovese Dario
Published: August 2016

In the framework of the Reissner–Simo rod theory and following Haringx’ approach for studying axial buckling in shear deformable rods, we give a mechanical interpretation of tensile instability, together with its mathematical justification, and we perform a linearized eigenvalue buckling analysis for tense planar rods. Buckled shapes and critical loads are calculated for most usual boundary conditions.
Fiberwise convexity of Hill’s lunar problem
Authors: Lee Junyoung
Published: August 2016

In this paper, we prove the fiberwise convexity of the regularized Hill’s lunar problem below the critical energy level. This allows us to see Hill’s lunar problem of any energy level below the critical value as the Legendre transformation of a geodesic problem on [Formula: see text] with a family of Finsler metrics. Therefore the compactified energy hypersurfaces below the critical energy level have the unique tight contact structure on [Formula: see text]. Also one can apply the systolic inequality of Finsler geometry to the regularized Hill’s lunar problem.
Progress of “Future Earth”
Authors: HUANG Lei
Published: August 2016

By combing the international and domestic progress in “Future Earth”, this paper introduces the background of the new international scientific program, elaborates the related work carried out in China, and expounds the significance for meeting the challenges of sustainable development and promoting the construction of ecological civilization.
Private and Scalable Execution of SQL Aggregates on a Secure Decentralized Architecture
Authors: To Quoc-Cuong , Nguyen Benjamin , Pucheral Philippe
Published: August 2016

Current applications, from complex sensor systems (e.g., quantified self) to online e-markets, acquire vast quantities of personal information that usually end up on central servers where they are exposed to prying eyes. Conversely, decentralized architectures that help individuals keep full control of their data complexify global treatments and queries, impeding the development of innovative services. This article aims precisely at reconciling individual's privacy on one side and global benefits for the community and business perspectives on the other. It promotes the idea of pushing the security to secure hardware devices controlling the data at the place of their acquisition. Thanks to these tangible physical elements of trust, secure distributed querying protocols can reestablish the capacity to perform global computations, such as Structured Query Language (SQL) aggregates, without revealing any sensitive information to central servers. This article studies how to secure the execution of such queries in the presence of honest-but-curious and malicious attackers. It also discusses how the resulting querying protocols can be integrated in a concrete decentralized architecture. Cost models and experiments on SQL/Asymmetric Architecture (AA), our distributed prototype running on real tamper-resistant hardware, demonstrate that this approach can scale to nationwide applications.
Interactive High-Quality Green-Screen Keying via Color Unmixing
Authors: Aksoy Yağiz , Aydin Tunç Ozan , Pollefeys Marc , Smolić Aljoša
Published: August 2016

Due to the widespread use of compositing in contemporary feature films, green-screen keying has become an essential part of postproduction workflows. To comply with the ever-increasing quality requirements of the industry, specialized compositing artists spend countless hours using multiple commercial software tools, while eventually having to resort to manual painting because of the many shortcomings of these tools. Due to the sheer amount of manual labor involved in the process, new green-screen keying approaches that produce better keying results with less user interaction are welcome additions to the compositing artist’s arsenal. We found that—contrary to the common belief in the research community—production-quality green-screen keying is still an unresolved problem with its unique challenges. In this article, we propose a novel green-screen keying method utilizing a new energy minimization-based
color unmixing
algorithm. We present comprehensive comparisons with commercial software packages and relevant methods in literature, which show that the quality of our results is superior to any other currently available green-screen keying solution. It is important to note that, using the proposed method, these high-quality results can be generated using only one-tenth of the manual editing time that a professional compositing artist requires to process the same content having all previous state-of-the-art tools at one’s disposal.
Integration with Stochastic Point Processes
Authors: Öztireli A. Cengiz
Published: August 2016

We present a novel comprehensive approach for studying error in integral estimation with point distributions based on point process statistics. We derive exact formulae for bias and variance of integral estimates in terms of the spatial or spectral characteristics of integrands and first- and-second order product density measures of general point patterns. The formulae allow us to study and design sampling schemes adapted to different classes of integrands by analyzing the effect of sampling density, weighting, and correlations among point locations separately. We then focus on non-adaptive correlated stratified sampling patterns and specialize the formulae to derive closed-form and easy-to-analyze expressions of bias and variance for various stratified sampling strategies. Based on these expressions, we perform a theoretical error analysis for integrands involving the discontinuous visibility function. We show that significant reductions in error can be obtained by considering alternative sampling strategies instead of the commonly used random jittering or low discrepancy patterns. Our theoretical results agree with and extend various previous results, provide a unified analytic treatment of point patterns, and lead to novel insights. We validate the results with extensive experiments on benchmark integrands as well as real scenes with soft shadows.
Don’t Let Google Know I’m Lonely
Authors: Aonghusa Pól Mac , Leith Douglas J.
Published: August 2016

From buying books to finding the perfect partner, we share our most intimate wants and needs with our favourite online systems. But how far should we accept promises of privacy in the face of personalized profiling? In particular, we ask how we can improve detection of sensitive topic profiling by online systems. We propose a definition of privacy disclosure that we call ε-indistinguishability, from which we construct scalable, practical tools to assess the learning potential from personalized content. We demonstrate our results using openly available resources, detecting a learning rate in excess of 98% for a range of sensitive topics during our experiments.
Signaling and Polarized Communication Across the T Cell Immunological Synapse
Authors: Dustin Michael L. , Choudhuri Kaushik
Published: August 2016

T cells express a somatically recombined antigen receptor (αβTCR) that is calibrated during development to respond to changes in peptides displayed by major histocompatibility complex proteins (pMHC) on the surface of antigen-presenting cells (APC). A key characteristic of pMHC for adaptive immunity is the ability to sample internal states of cells and tissues to sensitively detect changes associated with infection, cell derangement, or tissue injury. Physical T cell–APC contact sets up an axis for polarization of TCR, adhesion molecules, kinases, cytoskeletal elements, and organelles inherent in this mode of juxtacrine signaling. The discovery of further lateral organization of the TCR and adhesion molecules into radially symmetric compartments, the immunological synapse, revealed an intersecting plane of symmetry and potential for regulated symmetry breaking to control duration of T cell–APC interactions. In addition to organizing signaling machinery, the immunological synapse directs the polarized transport and secretion of cytokines and cytolytic agents across the synaptic cleft and is a site for the generation and exocytic release of bioactive microvesicles that can functionally affect recipient APC and other cells in the environment. This machinery is coopted by retroviruses, and human immune deficiency virus-1 may even use antigen-specific synapses for infection of healthy T cells. Here, we discuss recent advances in the molecular and cell biological mechanisms of immunological synapse assembly and signaling and its role in intercellular communication across the synaptic cleft.
An Evolutionary Genetic Perspective on Cancer Biology
Authors: Shpak Max , Lu Jie
Published: August 2016

Cancer biology can be better understood by drawing upon methods and concepts from evolutionary genetics. Cancer progression proceeds through somatic evolution, being driven by selection on clonal lineages via the differential survival and proliferation of cell lines. This within-patient evolution can be modeled and analyzed using population genetic and phylogenetic tools to identify mutations and genotypes that are under directional selection during tumor growth, spatial differentiation, and metastasis. Evolutionary genetics can also explain the persistence of cancer within populations. A minority of cancers are associated with inherited risk alleles, which are maintained in populations through genetic drift or antagonistic pleiotropy. Finally, cancer biology can be understood from a macroevolutionary perspective as a case study of evolutionary cooperation and conflict between different levels of biological organization.
Polyomavirus Persistence
Authors: Imperiale Michael J. , Jiang Mengxi
Published: August 2016

Mammalian polyomaviruses are characterized by establishing persistent infections in healthy hosts and generally causing clinical disease only in hosts whose immune systems are compromised. Despite the fact that these viruses were discovered decades ago, our knowledge of the mechanisms that govern viral persistence and reactivation is limited. Whereas mouse polyomavirus has been studied in a fair amount of detail, our understanding of the human viruses in particular is mostly inferred from experiments aimed at addressing other questions. In this review, we summarize the state of our current knowledge, draw conclusions when possible, and suggest areas that are in need of further study.
Properties and Functions of the Dengue Virus Capsid Protein
Authors: Byk Laura A. , Gamarnik Andrea V.
Published: August 2016

Dengue virus affects hundreds of millions of people each year around the world, causing a tremendous social and economic impact on affected countries. The aim of this review is to summarize our current knowledge of the functions, structure, and interactions of the viral capsid protein. The primary role of capsid is to package the viral genome. There are two processes linked to this function: the recruitment of the viral RNA during assembly and the release of the genome during infection. Although particle assembly takes place on endoplasmic reticulum membranes, capsid localizes in nucleoli and lipid droplets. Why capsid accumulates in these locations during infection remains unknown. In this review, we describe available data and discuss new ideas on dengue virus capsid functions and interactions. We believe that a deeper understanding of how the capsid protein works during infection will create opportunities for novel antiviral strategies, which are urgently needed to control dengue virus infections.
Survey on Recent Ulam Stability Results Concerning Derivations
Authors: Brzdęk Janusz , Cădariu Liviu , Ciepliński Krzysztof , Fošner Ajda , Leśniak Zbigniew
Published: August 2016

This is a survey presenting the most significant results concerning approximate (generalized) derivations, motivated by the notions of Ulam and Hyers-Ulam stability. Moreover, the hyperstability and superstability issues connected with derivations are discussed. In the section before the last one we highlight some recent outcomes on stability of conditions defining (generalized) Lie derivations.
On Some Inequalities Involving Three or More Means
Authors: Raïssouli Mustapha , Chergui Mohamed
Published: August 2016

We investigate some results about mean-inequalities involving a large number of bivariate means. As application, we derive a lot of inequalities between four or more means among the standard means known in the literature.
Evaluation of Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Fuchs’ Uveitis Syndrome
Authors: Balci Ozlem , Ozsutcu Mustafa
Published: August 2016

Purpose.We aimed to investigate retinal and choroidal thickness in the eyes of patients with Fuchs’ uveitis syndrome (FUS).Methods.Fifteen patients with unilateral FUS and 20 healthy control subjects were enrolled. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (Spectralis HRA+OCT, 870 nm; Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) was used to obtain retinal and choroidal thickness measurements. The retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, macular thickness, and choroidal thickness of the eyes with FUS were compared with the unaffected eye and the eyes of healthy control subjects.Results.The mean choroidal thickness at fovea and at each point within the horizontal nasal and temporal quadrants at 500 μm intervals to a distance of 1500 µm from the foveal center was significantly thinner in the affected eye of FUS patients compared with the unaffected eye of FUS patients or the eyes of healthy control subjects. However, there were no significant differences in RNFL or macular thickness between groups.Conclusions.Affected eyes in patients with FUS tend to have thinner choroids as compared to eyes of unaffected fellow eyes and healthy individuals, which might be a result of the chronic inflammation associated with the disease.
A Population Classification Evolution Algorithm for the Parameter Extraction of Solar Cell Models
Authors: Zhang Yiqun , Lin Peijie , Chen Zhicong , Cheng Shuying
Published: August 2016

To quickly and precisely extract the parameters for solar cell models, inspired by simplified bird mating optimizer (SBMO), a new optimization technology referred to as population classification evolution (PCE) is proposed. PCE divides the population into two groups, elite and ordinary, to reach a better compromise between exploitation and exploration. For the evolution of elite individuals, we adopt the idea of parthenogenesis in nature to afford a fast exploitation. For the evolution of ordinary individuals, we adopt an effective differential evolution strategy and a random movement of small probability is added to strengthen the ability to jump out of a local optimum, which affords a fast exploration. The proposed PCE is first estimated on 13 classic benchmark functions. The experimental results demonstrate that PCE yields the best results on 11 functions by comparing it with six evolutional algorithms. Then, PCE is applied to extract the parameters for solar cell models, that is, the single diode and the double diode. The experimental analyses demonstrate that the proposed PCE is superior when comparing it with other optimization algorithms for parameter identification. Moreover, PCE is tested using three different sources of data with good accuracy.
Urethral Solitary Fibrous Tumor: A Rare Pathologic Diagnosis of a Periurethral Mass
Authors: Moawad Gaby N. , Abi Khalil Elias D. , Silverbrook Cheryl , Barak Stephanie , Semerjian Alice , Phillips Michael
Published: August 2016

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) may occur at any site in the body. SFTs can only be conclusively diagnosed based on histopathologic and immunohistochemical characteristics of the tumor. The presence of SFTs in the abdomen and pelvis is extremely rare. To our knowledge no cases of urethral solitary fibrous tumor in the literature have been reported so far. We present a case of a solitary fibrous tumor arising from the urethra in a twenty-three-year-old female presenting with vaginal mass.
Neural Modulation in Aversive Emotion Processing: An Independent Component Analysis Study
Authors: Romero-Rebollar César , Jiménez-Ángeles Luis , Dragustinovis-Ruiz Eduardo Antonio , Medina-Bañuelos Verónica
Published: August 2016

Emotional processing has an important role in social interaction. We report the findings about the Independent Component Analysis carried out on a fMRI set obtained with a paradigm of face emotional processing. The results showed that an independent component, mainly cerebellar-medial-frontal, had a positive modulation associated with fear processing. Also, another independent component, mainly parahippocampal-prefrontal, showed a negative modulation that could be associated with implicit reappraisal of emotional stimuli. Independent Component Analysis could serve as a method to understand complex cognitive processes and their underlying neural dynamics.
Time-Shift Correlation Algorithm for P300 Event Related Potential Brain-Computer Interface Implementation
Authors: Liu Ju-Chi , Chou Hung-Chyun , Chen Chien-Hsiu , Lin Yi-Tseng , Kuo Chung-Hsien
Published: August 2016

A high efficient time-shift correlation algorithm was proposed to deal with the peak time uncertainty of P300 evoked potential for a P300-based brain-computer interface (BCI). The time-shift correlation series data were collected as the input nodes of an artificial neural network (ANN), and the classification of four LED visual stimuli was selected as the output node. Two operating modes, including fast-recognition mode (FM) and accuracy-recognition mode (AM), were realized. The proposed BCI system was implemented on an embedded system for commanding an adult-size humanoid robot to evaluate the performance from investigating the ground truth trajectories of the humanoid robot. When the humanoid robot walked in a spacious area, the FM was used to control the robot with a higher information transfer rate (ITR). When the robot walked in a crowded area, the AM was used for high accuracy of recognition to reduce the risk of collision. The experimental results showed that, in 100 trials, the accuracy rate of FM was 87.8% and the average ITR was 52.73 bits/min. In addition, the accuracy rate was improved to 92% for the AM, and the average ITR decreased to 31.27 bits/min. due to strict recognition constraints.
Study of Transition Region of p-Type SiOx:H as Window Layer in a-Si:H/a-Si1-yGey:H Multijunction Solar Cells
Authors: Chen Pei-Ling , Chen Po-Wei , Tsai Chuang-Chuang
Published: August 2016

We have studied the p-type hydrogenated silicon oxide (SiOx:H) films prepared in the amorphous-to-microcrystalline transition region as a window layer in a-Si:H/a-Si1-yGey:H multijunction solar cells. By increasing theH2-to-SiH4flow ratio (RH2) from 10 to 167, theSiOx:H(p) films remained amorphous and exhibited an increased hydrogen content from 10.2% to 12.2%. Compared to the amorphousSiOx:H(p) film prepared at lowRH2, theSiOx:H(p) film deposited atRH2of 167 exhibited a higher bandgap of 2.04 eV and a higher conductivity of 1.15 × 10−5 S/cm. With the employment ofSiOx:H(p) films prepared by increasingRH2from 10 to 167 in a-Si:H single-junction cell, the FF improved from 65% to 70% and the efficiency increased from 7.4% to 8.7%, owing to the enhanced optoelectrical properties ofSiOx:H(p) and the improved p/i interface. However, the cell that employedSiOx:H(p) film withRH2over 175 degraded the p/i interface and degraded the cell performance, which were arising from the onset of crystallization in the window layer. Compared to the cell using standard a-SiCx:H(p), the a-Si:H/a-Si1-yGey:H tandem cells employingSiOx:H(p) deposited withRH2of 167 showed an improved efficiency from 9.3% to 10.3%, withVOCof 1.60 V,JSCof 9.3 mA/cm2, and FF of 68.9%.
Coronary Plaque Characteristics Assessed by 256-Slice Coronary CT Angiography and Association with High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein in Symptomatic Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Zhang Jinling , Lv Zhehao , Zhao Deli , Liu Lili , Wan Yong , Fan Tingting , Li Huimin , Guan Ying , Liu Bailu , Yang Qi
Published: August 2016

Little is known regarding plaque distribution, composition, and the association with inflammation in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). This study aimed to assess the relationship between coronary plaque subtypes and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels. Coronary CTA were performed in 98 symptomatic DM2 patients and 107 non-DM2 patients using a 256-slice CT. The extent and types of plaque as well as luminal narrowing were evaluated. Patients with DM2 were more likely to have significant stenosis (>50%) with calcified plaques in at least one coronary segment (p<0.01); the prevalence rates of diffuse calcified plaques in the DM2 and non-DM2 groups were 31.6% and 4.7%, respectively (p<0.01). Plasma hs-CRP levels in DM2 with calcified plaques were higher compared with values obtained for the non-DM2 group (p<0.01). In conclusion, combination of coronary CTA and hs-CRP might improve risk stratification in symptomatic DM2 patients.
Evaluation of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Adolescents and Young Adults with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Prabhu Prashanth
Published: August 2016

The aim of the present study was to determine the severity of stress, anxiety, and depression using Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) in adolescents and young adults with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD). DASS was administered to 20 individuals with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder. The effect of gender on severity of anxiety, stress, and depression on DASS scores was determined. It was attempted to determine the correlation of severity of anxiety, stress, and depression with the reported onset of the problem, degree of hearing loss, and speech identification scores. The results of the study showed that individuals with ANSD had a moderate degree of depression and anxiety. The results also showed that the symptoms were more seen in females than in males. Correlation analysis revealed that DASS scores correlated with the reported onset of condition and speech identification scores (SIS) and the degree of hearing loss showed no correlation. The study concludes that individuals with ANSD experience depression and anxiety and this could be because of the inadequate management options available for individuals with ANSD. Thus, there is a need to develop appropriate management strategies for individuals with ANSD and provide appropriate referral for management of psychological issues.
Essential Oil Composition ofPinus peuceGriseb. Needles and Twigs from Two National Parks of Kosovo
Authors: Hajdari Avni , Mustafa Behxhet , Nebija Dashnor , Selimi Hyrmete , Veselaj Zeqir , Breznica Pranvera , Quave Cassandra Leah , Novak Johannes
Published: August 2016

The principal aim of this study was to analyze the chemical composition and qualitative and quantitative variability of essential oils obtained from seven naturally grown populations of thePinus peuceGrisebach, Pinaceae in Kosovo. Plant materials were collected from three populations in the Sharri National Park and from four other populations in the Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park, in Kosovo. Essential oils were obtained by steam distillation and analyzed by GC-FID (Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection) and GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry). The results showed that the yield of essential oils (v/wdry weight) varied depending on the origin of population and the plant organs and ranged from 0.7 to 3.3%. In total, 51 compounds were identified. The main compounds wereα-pinene (needles: 21.6–34.9%; twigs: 11.0–24%),β-phellandrene (needles: 4.1–27.7; twigs: 29.0–49.8%), andβ-pinene (needles: 10.0–16.1; twigs: 6.9–20.7%). HCA (Hierarchical Cluster Analysis) and PCA (Principal Component Analyses) were used to assess geographical variations in essential oil composition. Statistical analysis showed that the analyzed populations are grouped in three main clusters which seem to reflect microclimatic conditions on the chemical composition of the essential oils.
Relationships between Imperfections and Shear Buckling Resistance in Web Plate with Sectional Damage Caused by Corrosion
Authors: Ahn Jin-Hee , Kainuma Shigenobu , Lee Won-Hong , Jeong Youn-Ju , Kim In-Tae
Published: August 2016

This study deals with the relationship between imperfections and shear buckling resistance of web plates with sectional damage caused by corrosion. To examine the imperfection effect on the shear buckling resistance of a web plate with sectional damage, a series of nonlinear finite element (FE) analyses were carried out for a web plate with sectional damage, which was assumed as local corrosion damage. For considering imperfections of the web plate in the girder, initial out-of-plane deformation was introduced in the FE analysis model. Using the FE analysis results, the changes in the shear buckling resistance of the web plate with sectional damage were quantitatively examined and summarized according to the aspect ratio, boundary conditions, and height of the damaged section of the web plate. The effects of web imperfections on the shear buckling resistance were evaluated to be little compared to that of the web plate without sectional damage. The shear buckling resistance was shown to significantly change in the high-aspect-ratio web plate. A simple evaluation equation for the shear buckling resistance of a web plate with sectional damage was modified for use in the practical maintenance of a web plate in corrosive environments.
Tumor Regression in HCC Patient with Portal Vein Tumor Thrombosis after Intraportal Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation
Authors: Mizandari Malkhaz , Azrumelashvili Tamta , Paksashvili Natela , Kikodze Nino , Pantsulaia Ia , Janikashvili Nona , Chikovani Tinatin
Published: August 2016

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) is a frequent entity in HCC, which strictly limits the gold standard treatment options such as surgical resection and transarterial chemoembolization. Therefore, the prognosis of patients with PVTT is extremely poor and an emergence of seeking an alternative option for intervention is inevitable. We present a case of a 60-year-old male patient with HCC induced PVTT who was subjected to the intraportal RFA and stenting-VesOpen procedure. No additional medical intervention was performed. The repeated CT performed 5 months after the VesOpen procedure revealed significant decrease of the tumor size, patent right, and main portal vein and a recanalization of the left portal vein, which was not processed. At this time point, liver functional tests, appetite, and general condition of the patient were improved evidently. This report designates the RFA as an instrumental option of therapeutic intervention for HCC patients with PVTT.
Design Concepts of Polycarbonate-Based Intervertebral Lumbar Cages: Finite Element Analysis and Compression Testing
Authors: Figueroa-Cavazos J. Obedt , Flores-Villalba Eduardo , Diaz-Elizondo José A. , Martínez-Romero Oscar , Rodríguez Ciro A. , Siller Héctor R.
Published: August 2016

This work explores the viability of 3D printed intervertebral lumbar cages based on biocompatible polycarbonate (PC-ISO® material). Several design concepts are proposed for the generation of patient-specific intervertebral lumbar cages. The 3D printed material achieved compressive yield strength of 55 MPa under a specific combination of manufacturing parameters. The literature recommends a reference load of 4,000 N for design of intervertebral lumbar cages. Under compression testing conditions, the proposed design concepts withstand between 7,500 and 10,000 N of load before showing yielding. Although some stress concentration regions were found during analysis, the overall viability of the proposed design concepts was validated.
Clinical Risk Factors for Gastroduodenal Ulcer in Romanian Low-Dose Aspirin Consumers
Authors: Negovan Anca , Iancu Mihaela , Moldovan Valeriu , Voidazan Septimiu , Bataga Simona , Pantea Monica , Sarkany Kinga , Tatar Cristina , Mocan Simona , Banescu Claudia
Published: August 2016

Background. Aspirin use for cardiovascular or cancer prevention is limited due to its gastrointestinal side effects.Objective. Our prospective, observational case-control study aims to identify the predictive factors for ulcers in low-dose aspirin consumers (75–325 mg/day).Methods. The study included patients who underwent an upper digestive endoscopy and took low-dose aspirin treatment.Results. We recruited 51 patients with ulcer (ulcer group) and 108 patients with no mucosal lesions (control group). In univariate analysis, factors significantly associated with ulcers were male gender (p=0.001), anticoagulants (p=0.029), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (p=0.013), heart failure (p=0.007), liver (p=0.011) or cerebrovascular disease (p=0.004), diabetes mellitus (p=0.043), ulcer history (p=0.044), and alcohol consumption (p=0.018), but notHelicobacter pyloriinfection (p=0.2). According to our multivariate regression analysis results, history of peptic ulcer (OR 3.07, 95% CI 1.06–8.86), cotreatment with NSAIDs (OR 8, 95% CI 2.09–30.58) or anticoagulants (OR 4.85, 95% CI 1.33–17.68), male gender (OR 5.2, 95% CI 1.77–15.34), and stroke (OR 7.27, 95% CI 1.40–37.74) remained predictors for ulcer on endoscopy.Conclusions. Concomitant use of NSAIDs or anticoagulants, comorbidities (cerebrovascular disease), and male gender are the most important independent risk factors for ulcer on endoscopy in low-dose aspirin consumers, in a population with a high prevalence ofH. pyloriinfection.
Use of the Biphasic13C-Sucrose/Glucose Breath Test to Assess Sucrose Maldigestion in Adults with Functional Bowel Disorders
Authors: Opekun Antone R. , Balesh Albert M. , Shelby Harold T.
Published: August 2016

Sucrase insufficiency has been observed in children with of functional bowel disorders (FBD) and symptoms of dietary carbohydrate intolerance may be indistinguishable from those of FBD. A two-phase13C-sucrose/13C-glucose breath test (13C-S/GBT) was used to assess sucrase activity because disaccharidase assays are seldom performed in adults. When13C-sucrose is hydrolyzed to liberate monosaccharides, oxidation to13CO2is a proportional indicator of sucrase activity. Subsequently,13C-glucose oxidation rate was determined after a secondary substrate ingestion (superdose) to adjust for individual habitus effects (Phase II).13CO2enrichment recovery ratio from13C-sucrose and secondary13C-glucose loads reflect the individualized sucrase activity [Coefficient of Glucose Oxidation for Sucrose(CGO-S)]. To determine if sucrase insufficiency could be a factor in FBD,13C-S/GBT was validated using subjects with known sucrase gene mutation status by comparing13CO2-breath enrichment with plasma13C-glucose enrichment.13C-S/GBT was used to assess sucrose digestion in FBD patients and asymptomatic controls.13CO2-breath enrichment correlated with the appearance of13C-sucrose-derived glucose in plasma (r2=0.80). Mean, control group CGO-S-enrichment outcomes were 1.01 at 60′, 0.92 at 75′, and 0.96 at mean 60′–75′ with normal CGO-S defined as >0.85 (95% C.I.). In contrast, FBD patients demonstrated lower CGO-S values of 0.77 at 60′, 0.77 at 75′, and 0.76 at mean 60′–75′ (Chi Square: 6.55;p<0.01), which points to sucrose maldigestion as a cause of FBD.
Expression Pattern and Clinicopathological Relevance of the Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase 1/Tryptophan 2,3-Dioxygenase Protein in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Chen I-Chien , Lee Kuen-Haur , Hsu Ying-Hua , Wang Wei-Ran , Chen Chuan-Mu , Cheng Ya-Wen
Published: August 2016

Aims. Cancer cells use the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) pathway to suppress the host’s immune response in order to facilitate survival, growth, invasion, and metastasis of malignant cells. Higher IDO1 expression was shown to be involved in colorectal cancer (CRC) progression and to be correlated with impaired clinical outcome. However, the potential correlation between the expression of IDO1 in a CRC population with a low mutation rate of theAPCgene remains unknown.Material and Methods. Tissues and blood samples were collected from 192 CRC patients. The expressions of IDO1, tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2), and beta-catenin proteins were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Microsatellite instability (MSI) was determined by PCR amplification of microsatellite loci.Results. The results showed that high IDO1 or TDO2 protein expression was associated with characteristics of more aggressive phenotypes of CRC. For the first time, they also revealed a positive correlation between the abnormal expression of beta-catenin and IDO1 or TDO2 proteins in a CRC population with a low mutation rate ofAPC.Conclusion. We concluded that an IDO1-regulated molecular pathway led to abnormal expression of beta-catenin in the nucleus/cytoplasm of CRC patients with low mutation rate ofAPC, making IDO1 an interesting target for immunotherapy in CRC.
Subcutaneous and Pulmonary Dirofilariasis with Evidence of Splenic Involvement
Authors: Selvachandran Adarsha , Foley Raymond J.
Published: August 2016

Cases of human dirofilariasis have been reported in several countries around the world, including a large number in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast regions of the United States. Most commonly, these cases have subcutaneous or pulmonary involvement; however, there have been few reports of dirofilariasis involving structures such as large vessels, mesentery, the spermatic cord, and liver. We present a case of an unusual presentation of human dirofilariasis presenting as a shoulder abscess and what is presumed to be pulmonary and splenic involvement in a 55-year-old female.
A Novel Image Retrieval Based on a Combination of Local and Global Histograms of Visual Words
Authors: Mehmood Zahid , Anwar Syed Muhammad , Ali Nouman , Habib Hafiz Adnan , Rashid Muhammad
Published: August 2016

Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) provides a sustainable solution to retrieve similar images from an image archive. In the last few years, the Bag-of-Visual-Words (BoVW) model gained attention and significantly improved the performance of image retrieval. In the standard BoVW model, an image is represented as an orderless global histogram of visual words by ignoring the spatial layout. The spatial layout of an image carries significant information that can enhance the performance of CBIR. In this paper, we are presenting a novel image representation that is based on a combination of local and global histograms of visual words. The global histogram of visual words is constructed over the whole image, while the local histogram of visual words is constructed over the local rectangular region of the image. The local histogram contains the spatial information about the salient objects. Extensive experiments and comparisons conducted on Corel-A, Caltech-256, and Ground Truth image datasets demonstrate that the proposed image representation increases the performance of image retrieval.