bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Six steps in quality intervention development (6SQuID)
Authors: Wight Daniel , Wimbush Erica , Jepson Ruth , Doi Lawrence
Published: November 2015

Improving the effectiveness of public health interventions relies as much on the attention paid to their design and feasibility as to their evaluation. Yet, compared to the vast literature on how to evaluate interventions, there is little to guide researchers or practitioners on how best to develop such interventions in practical, logical, evidence based ways to maximise likely effectiveness. Existing models for the development of public health interventions tend to have a strong social-psychological, individual behaviour change orientation and some take years to implement. This paper presents a pragmatic guide to six essential Steps for Quality Intervention Development (6SQuID). The focus is on public health interventions but the model should have wider applicability. Once a problem has been identified as needing intervention, the process of designing an intervention can be broken down into six crucial steps: (1) defining and understanding the problem and its causes; (2) identifying which causal or contextual factors are modifiable: which have the greatest scope for change and who would benefit most; (3) deciding on the mechanisms of change; (4) clarifying how these will be delivered; (5) testing and adapting the intervention; and (6) collecting sufficient evidence of effectiveness to proceed to a rigorous evaluation. If each of these steps is carefully addressed, better use will be made of scarce public resources by avoiding the costly evaluation, or implementation, of unpromising interventions.
Exercise mitigates mitochondrial permeability transition pore and quality control mechanisms alterations in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Gonçalves Inês O. , Passos Emanuel , Diogo Cátia V. , Rocha-Rodrigues Sílvia , Santos-Alves Estela , Oliveira Paulo J. , Ascensão António , Magalhães José
Published: November 2015

Mitochondrial quality control and apoptosis have been described as key components in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); exercise is recognized as a nonpharmacological strategy to counteract NASH-associated consequences. We aimed to analyze the effect of voluntary physical activity (VPA) and endurance training (ET) against NASH-induced mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening and mitochondrial and cellular quality control deleterious alterations. Forty-eight male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into standard-diet sedentary (SS, n = 16), standard-diet VPA (n = 8), high-fat diet sedentary (HS, n = 16), and high-fat diet VPA (n = 8). After 9 weeks of diet treatment, half of the SS and HS groups were engaged in an ET program for 8 weeks, 5 days/week, 1 h/day. Liver mPTP susceptibility through osmotic swelling, mPTP-related proteins (cyclophilin D, Sirtuin3, Cofilin-1), markers of mitochondrial biogenesis ((mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator protein (PGC-1α)), dynamics (Mitofusin 1 (Mfn1), Mitofusin 2 (Mfn2), Dynamin related protein 1, and Optic atrophy 1)), auto/mitophagy (Beclin-1, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3, p62, PINK1, and Parkin), and apoptotic signaling (Bax, Bcl-2) and caspases-like activities were assessed. HS animals showed an increased susceptibility to mPTP, compromised expression of Tfam, Mfn1, PINK1, and Parkin and an increase in Bax content (HS vs. SS). ET and VPA improved biogenesis-related proteins (PGC-1α) and autophagy signaling (Beclin-1 and Beclin-1/Bcl-2 ratio) and decreased apoptotic signaling (caspases 8 activity, Bax content, and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio). However, only ET decreased mPTP susceptibility and positively modulated Bcl-2, Tfam, Mfn1, Mfn2, PINK1, and Parkin content. In conclusion, exercise reduces the increased susceptibility to mPTP induced by NASH and promotes the increase of auto/mitophagy and mitochondrial fusion towards a protective phenotype.
Preliminary geotechnical assessment of the potential use of mixtures of soil and acid mine drainage neutralization sludge as materials for the moisture retention layer of covers with capillary barrier effects
Authors: Mbonimpa Mamert , Bouda Médard , Demers Isabelle , Benzaazoua Mostafa , Bois Denis , Gagnon Mario
Published: November 2015

Lime treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) generates sludge that is commonly stored in ponds for dewatering. The use of soil-aged sludge-based mixtures for mine site rehabilitation can allow the emptying of existing basins, thus extending their storage capacity, reducing the volume of the borrow soil pit required for mine site rehabilitation, and consequently reducing the mine footprint. The authors investigated the geotechnical properties of silty soil–sludge mixtures (SSMs) as possible components of covers with capillary barrier effects (CCBEs) to prevent AMD generation from mine waste. SSMs with β values of 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% sludge (β = wet sludge mass / wet soil mass) were studied. Two water contents were considered for each of the mixture components: 175% and 200% for the sludge and 7.5% and 12.5% for the soil. Results indicate that saturated hydraulic conductivity (ksat) values were in the range of 10−5cm/s for the soil and SSMs at void ratios ranging from 0.28 to 0.53, with values decreasing slightly when β was increased from 0% to 25%. The air-entry value (AEV) increased from 20 kPa for the soil alone to 35 kPa for the SSM with β = 25%. These values of ksatand AEV are comparable to those of materials used in the moisture retention layers of existing efficient CCBEs. However, the volumetric shrinkage increased from about 2% for the soil alone to values ranging between 24% and 32% for the SSM with β = 25%, depending on the initial water contents of the components. Tools are provided to estimate to which extent the use of sludge in SSMs can reduce the volume of borrow natural soil required for a moisture retention layer of a CCBE.
The canonical structure of the superstring action
Authors: Chishtie F.A. , McKeon D.G.C.
Published: November 2015

We consider the canonical structure of the Green–Schwarz superstring in 9 + 1 dimensions using the Dirac constraint formalism; it is shown that its structure is similar to that of the superparticle in 2 + 1 and 3 + 1 dimensions. A key feature of this structure is that the primary fermionic constraints can be divided into two groups using field-independent projection operators; if one of these groups is eliminated through use of a Dirac bracket then the second group of primary fermionic constraints becomes first class. (This is what also happens with the superparticle action.) These primary fermionic first-class constraints can be used to find the generator of a local fermionic gauge symmetry of the action. We also consider the superstring action in other dimensions of space–time to see if the fermionic gauge symmetry can be made simpler than it is in 2 + 1, 3 + 1, and 9 + 1 dimensions. With a 3 + 3 dimensional target space, we find that such a simplification occurs. We finally show how in five dimensions there is no first-class fermionic constraint.
Study of structural, electrical, and optical properties of nickel-doped tin selenide crystals
Authors: Solanki G.K. , Chauhan I.L. , Patel K.D.
Published: November 2015

Nickel-doped tin selenide crystals can be grown using the direct vapour transport technique. This paper includes structural, electrical, and optical characterizations of SnSeNi0.2 crystals done by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX), surface microstructure topography, Hall effect measurement carried out to determine type of material, Seebeck coefficient and calculation of power factor has been carried out from the data of thermoelectric power measurements and the ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopic technique, respectively. The optical absorption spectrum was obtained in an UV-Vis–near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer in the range of 200–2500 nm. The UV-Vis spectroscopic technique has been used to calculate band gap, and the value of the band gap was found to be 0.84 eV in the visible region. Calculation of various optical parameters has been carried out.
Unruh effect as foundation of universal gravitation within the cosmological scenario
Authors: Nassif Cláudio , de Faria A.C. Amaro
Published: November 2015

We aim to build a simple model of a gas with temperature (T) in thermal equilibrium with a black body that plays the role of the adiabatically expanding universe, so that each particle of such a gas mimics a kind of “particle” (quantum) of dark energy, which is inside a very small area of space so-called Planck area ([Formula: see text]), that is the minimum area of the whole space–time represented by a huge spherical surface with area [Formula: see text], ru being the Hubble radius. So we should realize that such a spherical surface is the surface of the black body for representing the universe, whose temperature (T) is related to an acceleration (a) of a proof particle that experiences its own black body radiation according to the Unruh effect. Thus, by using this model, we derive the law of universal gravitation, which leads us to understand the antigravity in the cosmological scenario and also estimate the tiny order of magnitude of the cosmological constant in agreement with the observational data.
Exotic leptons: Collider and muon magnetic moment constraints
Authors: Cogollo D.
Published: November 2015

In light of the ongoing effort on reducing the theoretical uncertainties and an upcoming experiment concerning muon magnetic moment, we perform a detailed study of an 3-4-1 electroweak gauge extension of the standard model that contains exotic charged leptons in its spectrum. We discuss flavor changing neutral current, collider and electroweak bounds on the model and derive [Formula: see text] limits using current and projected limits on the muon magnetic moment. In summary, we exclude the masses of new gauge bosons that couple to muons and heavy charged leptons up to 700 GeV. Moreover, we find a projected lower bound on the scale of symmetry breaking to be 2 TeV.
Incommensurate charge density wave modulated by period of Hubbard superlattices
Authors: Zhang Liang-Liang , Huang Jin , Duan Cheng-Bo , Wang Wei-Zhong
Published: November 2015

The charge structure factor of the half-filled Hubbard superlattices with one on-site repulsive site and [Formula: see text] free sites per unit cell is investigated numerically. The behaviors of charge structure reveal a kind of even–odd [Formula: see text] disparity. For even [Formula: see text], we always observe a commensurate charge density wave (CDW). For odd [Formula: see text], we observe a commensurate–incommensurate CDW transition at a critical on-site repulsion around the particle–hole symmetric point. This transition results from the competition between the local charge correlations with odd distance and even distance.
Hybrid routing for interconnected BA scale-free networks
Authors: Zhang Xue-Jun , Zhu Yan-Bo , Guan Xiang-Min
Published: November 2015

Interconnections between networks make the traffic condition in interconnected networks more complicated than that in an isolated network. They make the load and capacity of nodes mismatch and restrict the traffic performance accordingly. To improve the performance, in this paper, we propose a hybrid routing strategy, which distinguishes the traffic within each individual network and the traffic across multiple networks and uses different routing rules for these two types of traffic. Simulation results show that this routing strategy can achieve better traffic performance than traditional strategies when networks are coupled by a small number of interconnected links, which is the case in most of real-world interconnected networks. Therefore, the proposed hybrid routing strategy can find applications in the planning and optimization of practical interconnected networks.
Empirical Study of Trust in Chinese Organizations: Joint Venture versus State-Owned Enterprise
Authors: He Tingting , Jackson Paul R.
Published: November 2015

Culture offers an important setting for entrepreneurship to grow, and trust is critical for entrepreneurship to thrive. In recent years, there has been debate whether Chinese culture facilitates or hinders entrepreneurship; there has also been a call for empirical investigation of trust in entrepreneurship research. Our paper investigates the relationship between Chinese cultural values and two kinds of trust, in two different enterprises as two subcultures in China. The two kinds of trust are dispositional trust and interpersonal trust; and the two enterprises are a joint venture and a state-owned enterprise. We composed questionnaire from established work about trust and cultural values, ran survey research on 226 employees in the two organizations in China, and analyzed the survey data by descriptive statistics, factor analysis, correlations, and MANOVA. We found that dispositional trust and interpersonal trust are different at individual level; Chinese cultural values correlate significantly with both dispositional trust and interpersonal trust, and positively correlate to both kinds of trust. Employees in the state-owned enterprise held higher level of Chinese cultural values but had lower level of interpersonal trust, which suggests potential problems in its management. Our study is one of the recent studies that separately measure dispositional trust and interpersonal trust, and our findings across two different types of organizations have practical implications for entrepreneurship research in China. Our study is also one of the recent studies that find Chinese cultural values may benefit trust in enterprises, although some earlier studies suggested the opposite.
IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF KINESIOLOGY TAPING IN TREATING UNDISPLACED RIB FRACTURE PAIN
Authors: Sareen Aarti , Jain Piyush , Pagare Venus
Published: November 2015

Purpose: To determine the immediate effect of kinesiology taping in treating undisplaced rib fracture pain. Method: The study is a retrospective in which 10 Patients (5 females and 5 males) with 1 or 2 undisplaced middle rib fractured (5th, 6th, 7th) were included. The age group of the patients was 27–57 years. The diagnosis was made by the orthopedic surgeon and referred to Institute of Kinesiology Taping. Numeric pain rating scale readings were obtained and documented before and after the taping session. Results: A significant decrease in pain before and after the kinesiology taping was found both while deep breathing ([Formula: see text]0.001) and during coughing ([Formula: see text]0.001). The Mean[Formula: see text] S.D of NPRS reading in case of pre and post taping for deep breathing was 5.7[Formula: see text]0.95 and 4.4[Formula: see text]0.84, respectively and that for coughing was 7.2[Formula: see text]0.63 and 4.7[Formula: see text]1.16, respectively. Conclusion: Kinesiology taping has immediate effect in treating undisplaced middle rib fracture pain.
Rare Skeletal Complications in the Setting of Primary Hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Sabanis Nikos , Gavriilaki Eleni , Paschou Eleni , Kalaitzoglou Asterios , Papanikolaou Dimitrios , Ioannidou Pinelopi , Vasileiou Sotirios
Published: November 2015

Parathyroid carcinoma represents an extremely rare neoplasm with diverse clinical manifestations which vary from asymptomatic patients to severe complications of hypercalcemia or parathyrotoxicosis while skeletal involvement is rather common. Herein we aimed at presenting a unique case of a young patient with rare aggressive skeletal complications of parathyroid cancer that initially were misdiagnosed. Ossification of the cervical ligamentum flavum and skull tumor illustrates erosive bonny lesions of hyperparathyroidism that in association with previous medical history of recurrent nephrolithiasis and biochemical findings guide the diagnosis. We suggest that increased awareness and holistic approach are needed in order to recognize and further investigate signs and symptoms of hyperparathyroidism.
On Feature Selection and Rule Extraction for High Dimensional Data: A Case of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphomas Microarrays Classification
Authors: Eiamkanitchat Narissara , Theera-Umpon Nipon , Auephanwiriyakul Sansanee
Published: November 2015

Neurofuzzy methods capable of selecting a handful of useful features are very useful in analysis of high dimensional datasets. A neurofuzzy classification scheme that can create proper linguistic features and simultaneously select informative features for a high dimensional dataset is presented and applied to the diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) microarray classification problem. The classification scheme is the combination of embedded linguistic feature creation and tuning algorithm, feature selection, and rule-based classification in one neural network framework. The adjustable linguistic features are embedded in the network structure via fuzzy membership functions. The network performs the classification task on the high dimensional DLBCL microarray dataset either by the direct calculation or by the rule-based approach. The 10-fold cross validation is applied to ensure the validity of the results. Very good results from both direct calculation and logical rules are achieved. The results show that the network can select a small set of informative features in this high dimensional dataset. By a comparison to other previously proposed methods, our method yields better classification performance.
Reliability Assessment of CNC Machining Center Based on Weibull Neural Network
Authors: Yang Zhaojun , Chen Chao , Wang Jili , Li Guofa
Published: November 2015

CNC machining centers, as the key device in modern manufacturing industry, are complicated electrohydraulic products. The reliability is the most important index of CNC machining centers. However, simple life distributions hardly reflect the true law of complex system reliability with many kinds of failure mechanisms. Due to Weibull model’s versatility and relative simplicity and artificial neural networks’ (ANNs) high capability of approximating, they are widely used in reliability engineering and elsewhere. Considering the advantages of these two models, this paper defined a novel model: Weibull neural network (WNN). WNN inherits the hierarchical structure from ANNs which include three layers, namely, input layer, hidden layer, and output layer. Based on more than 3000 h field test data of CNC machining centers, WNN has been successfully applied in comprehensive operation data analysis. The results show that WNN has good approximation ability and generalization performance in reliability assessment of CNC machining centers.
Damage Detection Technique for Cold-Formed Steel Beam Structure Based on NSGA-II
Authors: Oh Byung Kwan , Choi Se Woon , Park Hyo Seon
Published: November 2015

Cold-formed steel is uniform in quality, suitable for mass production, and light in weight. It is widely used for both structural and nonstructural members in buildings. When it is used in a bending structural member, damage such as local buckling is considered to be more important than general steel members in terms of failure mode. However, preceding studies on damage detection did not consider the failure characteristics of cold-formed beam members. Hence, this paper proposes a damage detection technique that considers the failure mode of local buckling for a cold-formed beam member. The differences between the dynamic characteristics from vibration-based measurements and those from finite element model are set to error functions. The error functions are minimized by the optimization technique NSGA-II. In the damage detection, the location of local damage and the severity of damage are considered variables. The proposed technique was validated through a simulation of damage detection for a cold-formed steel beam structure example.
Patient Satisfaction and Quality of Life in DIEAP Flap versus Implant Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Sgarzani Rossella , Negosanti Luca , Morselli Paolo Giovanni , Vietti Michelina Veronica , Lapalorcia Luigi Maria , Cipriani Riccardo
Published: November 2015

The psychological impact of breast reconstruction has widely been described, and multiple studies show that reconstruction improves the well-being and quality of life of patients. In breast reconstruction, the goal is not only the morphological result, but mainly the patient’s perception of it. The objective of our study is to compare the physical and psychosocial well-being and satisfaction concerning the body image of patients who had reconstruction with breast implants to those of patients who had reconstruction with deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flaps. Our results demonstrated a similar quality of life between the two groups, but the satisfaction level was significantly higher in patients who had reconstruction with autologous tissue. Feedback from patients who have already received breast reconstruction may be useful in the decision-making process for future patients and plastic surgeons, enabling both to choose the reconstructive technique with the best long-term satisfaction.
Carcinosarcoma of the Rectum: Report of a Rare Colorectal Malignancy and Review of the Literature
Authors: Sudlow Alexis , Liu Ming Ho , Waters Geoffrey , Velchuru Vamsi R.
Published: November 2015

Carcinosarcoma (CS) is a rare mixed mesodermal malignancy most commonly affecting the female reproductive organs, respiratory tract, head, and neck. Though infrequent, it may affect the gastrointestinal tract, most often the oesophagus and only very rarely the rectum. Histologically, it is composed of two distinct elements of epithelial and mesenchymal origin. Clinically, it is a very aggressive tumour with many patients presenting with metastatic lymph nodes or distant metastases at the time of diagnosis. Prognosis is poor despite intervention with the majority of patients dying within six months. Due to the rarity of this condition, there are no specific treatment guidelines presently available. We describe the case of an 80-year-old patient with carcinosarcoma of the rectum with discussion of the immunohistochemistry and review the available literature pertaining to this rare presentation.
Assessing Swaziland’s Fiscal Sustainability and Policy Options
Authors: Mafusire Albert
Published: November 2015

In 2011, Swaziland’s fiscal policy was extensively scrutinized following its worst fiscal crisis in decades. The impacts of fiscal adjustment on Swaziland’s growth, inflation, and sectoral allocations of resources were some of the issues analyzed. The fall in the Southern African Customs Union revenue receipts to levels below the trend line, for two consecutive years, and the fiscal challenges that followed were the main motivation behind this interest. This paper attempts to establish whether fiscal sustainability was threatened, and if so what were the policy options? Based on the results from econometric estimations, using a sample for the 1986 to 2012 period, I show that the country’s fiscal sustainability was not threatened. However, calculations of the tax gap and the primary gap covering the period 2000 to 2016 reveal that fiscal sustainability was threatened. Subject to the major drivers of government expenditure and revenue handles, it is concluded that, in the short run, the two needed to be realigned while also allocating more resources to support growth.
A Gradient-Assisted Energy-Efficient Backpressure Scheduling Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Jiao Zhenzhen , Tian Rui , Zhang Baoxian , Li Cheng
Published: November 2015

Backpressure based scheduling has revealed remarkable performance in wireless multihop networks as reported in a lot of previous work. However, its lack of consideration on energy use efficiency is still an obstacle for backpressure based algorithms to be deployed in resource-constrained wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In this paper, we focus on studying the design of energy efficient backpressure based algorithm. For this purpose, we propose a gradient-assisted energy-efficient backpressure scheduling algorithm (GRAPE) for WSNs. GRAPE introduces a new link-weight calculation method, based on which gradient information and nodal residual energy are taken into account when making decisions on backpressure based transmission scheduling. According to the decisions made by this new method, packets are encouraged to be forwarded to nodes with more residual energy. We theoretically prove the throughput-optimality of GRAPE. Simulation results demonstrate that GRAPE can achieve significant performance improvements in terms of energy use efficiency, network throughput, and packet delivery ratio as compared with existing work.
Barriers to Research Utilization among Registered Nurses in Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Survey in China
Authors: Zhou Fen , Maier Manfred , Hao Yufang , Tang Ling , Guo Hong , Liu Hongxia , Liu Yu
Published: November 2015

Background.As there might be relevant differences with regard to research utilization in the general hospitals, we aimed to study research utilization among registered nurses working in traditional Chinese medicine hospitals.Methods.A total of 648 registered nurses from 4 tertiary-level hospitals in China were recruited for participation. A modified BARRIERS Scale and self-designed questionnaires were used for data collection. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics,t-tests, and one-way ANOVAs and Spearman correlation analysis.Results.Overall, items which belong to the subscale “Research” were identified as the most important barriers. Among the individual items, the lack of time on the job was ranked as the top barrier, followed by the lack of knowledgeable colleagues and by overwhelming research publications. Clinical experience, working pressure, job satisfaction, and research experience could be identified as associated factors for barriers to research utilization.Conclusions.Registered nurses in traditional Chinese medicine hospitals felt high barriers to research utilization. Reducing registered nurses’ working pressure, promoting their positive attitude to nursing, and improving research training might be helpful for increasing research utilization. Close cooperation between clinical and nursing schools or academic research centres might facilitate the necessary change in nursing education and routine.
Effects of Concentrical Partial (Local) Compression on the Structural Behavior of Concrete Filled Steel Tubular Column
Authors: Jayaganesh S. , Raja Murugadoss J. , Ganesh Prabhu G. , Jegan J.
Published: November 2015

The objective of this present paper is to investigate the structural behavior of square and circular Concrete Filled Steel Tubular (CFST) stub columns subjected to axial partial/local compression. The experimental parameters were local compression area and section type. Among the twelve specimens, six specimens were tested under full compression and the remaining six specimens were tested under local compression. The experimental observation indicated that the failure pattern of the CFST column with partial compression is fairly different from the CFST column subjected to full compression. The confinement provided by the circular section is quite different than the confinement provided by the square section, when the CFST column is subjected to axially local compression. It was found that the elastic modulus (stiffness) and the ultimate bearing capacity of the CFST column decreased with the increase in local compression ratio. The circular and square CFST columns subjected to partial/local compression achieved an ultimate strength of 4.45% and 14.15%, respectively, less than that of the columns subjected to full compression. From the above observation, it can be inferred that the structural performance of the CFST column is significantly influenced by the local area compression ratio and this effect should be taken into account in design models.
Sphingolipids in High Fat Diet and Obesity‐Related Diseases
Authors: Choi Songhwa , Snider Ashley J.
Published: November 2015

Nutrient oversupply associated with a high fat diet (HFD) significantly alters cellular metabolism, and specifically including sphingolipid metabolism. Sphingolipids are emerging as bioactive lipids that play key roles in regulating functions, in addition to their traditional roles as membrane structure. HFD enhances de novo sphingolipid synthesis and turnover of sphingolipids via the salvage pathway, resulting in the generation of ceramide, and more specifically long chain ceramide species. Additionally, HFD elevates sphingomyelin and sphingosine‐1 phosphate (S1P) levels in several tissues including liver, skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and cardiovascular tissues. HFD‐stimulated sphingolipid generation contributes to systemic insulin resistance, dysregulated lipid accumulation, and cytokine expression and secretion from skeletal muscle and adipose tissues, exacerbating obesity‐related conditions. Furthermore, altered sphingolipid levels, particularly ceramide and sphingomyelin, are involved in obesity‐induced endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. In this review, HFD‐mediated sphingolipid metabolism and its impact on HFD‐induced biology and pathobiology will be discussed.
Maximally Localized States and Quantum Corrections of Black Hole Thermodynamics in the Framework of a New Generalized Uncertainty Principle
Authors: Miao Yan-Gang , Zhao Ying-Jie , Zhang Shao-Jun
Published: November 2015

As a generalized uncertainty principle (GUP) leads to the effects of the minimal length of the order of the Planck scale and UV/IR mixing, some significant physical concepts and quantities are modified or corrected correspondingly. On the one hand, we derive the maximally localized states—the physical states displaying the minimal length uncertainty associated with a new GUP proposed in our previous work. On the other hand, in the framework of this new GUP we calculate quantum corrections to the thermodynamic quantities of the Schwardzschild black hole, such as the Hawking temperature, the entropy, and the heat capacity, and give a remnant mass of the black hole at the end of the evaporation process. Moreover, we compare our results with that obtained in the frameworks of several other GUPs. In particular, we observe a significant difference between the situations with and without the consideration of the UV/IR mixing effect in the quantum corrections to the evaporation rate and the decay time. That is, the decay time can greatly be prolonged in the former case, which implies that the quantum correction from the UV/IR mixing effect may give rise to a radical rather than a tiny influence to the Hawking radiation.
Theoretical and Experimental Optical Evaluation and Comparison of Symmetric 2D CPC and V-Trough Collector for Photovoltaic Applications
Authors: Paul Damasen Ikwaba
Published: November 2015

This paper presents theoretical and experimental optical evaluation and comparison of symmetric Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) and V-trough collector. For direct optical properties comparison, both concentrators were deliberately designed to have the same geometrical concentration ratio (1.96), aperture area, absorber area, and maximum concentrator length. The theoretical optical evaluation of the CPC and V-trough collector was carried out using a ray-trace technique while the experimental optical efficiency and solar energy flux distributions were analysed using an isolated cell PV module method. Results by simulation analysis showed that for the CPC, the highest optical efficiency was 95% achieved in the interval range of 0° to ±20° whereas the highest outdoor experimental optical efficiency was 94% in the interval range of 0° to ±20°. For the V-tough collector, the highest optical efficiency for simulation and outdoor experiments was about 96% and 93%, respectively, both in the interval range of 0° to ±5°. Simulation results also showed that the CPC and V-trough exhibit higher variation in non-illumination intensity distributions over the PV module surface for larger incidence angles than lower incidence angles. On the other hand, the maximum power output for the cells with concentrators varied depending on the location of the cell in the PV module.
Interface Dependent Plasmon Induced Enhancement in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells Using Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Costa de Oliveira Matheus , Silveira Fraga André Luis , Thesing Anderson , Lopes de Andrade Rocelito , Ferreira Leite Santos Jacqueline , José Leite Santos Marcos
Published: November 2015

We report a study on plasmon‐induced photoelectrochemistry from gold nanoparticles incorporated in dye‐sensitized solar cells, assembled in two different configurations: TiO2/Aunanop/Dye and TiO2/Dye/Aunanop. Although the presence of the plasmonic material resulted in enhanced photocurrent and energy conversion efficiency, a decrease of fill factor was observed. Electrical modeling of the solar cells was performed and revealed a simultaneous decrease of parallel resistance and increase of series resistance, related to the presence of gold nanoparticles. The enhancement in photocurrent was related to a combination of strong plasmon‐induced electric fields and light scattering, which overcome the loss in electrical properties. In addition, the overall increase in efficiency was found dependent on the interface where the plasmonic material is placed. The highest efficiency obtained from TiO2/Aunanop/Dye was attributed to a larger density of photoexcited electrons allowed to be transferred towards conduction band of TiO2.
Hypoglycemia Secondary to Sulfonylurea Ingestion in a Patient with End Stage Renal Disease: Results from a 72-Hour Fast
Authors: Abraham Alice , Rubin Mishaela , Accili Domenico , Bilezikian John P. , Pajvani Utpal B.
Published: November 2015

Insulin, proinsulin, and C-peptide levels increase with sulfonylurea exposure but the acuity of increase has not been described in dialysis patients. We present a case of a dialysis patient who presented with hypoglycemia and was found to have accidental sulfonylurea ingestion. This is a 73-year-old man with ESRD on peritoneal dialysis, without history of diabetes, who presented with hypoglycemia. Past medical history includes multiple myeloma, congestive heart failure, and hypertension. At initial presentation, his blood glucose was 47 mg/dL, with concomitant elevations in the following: C-peptide 30.5 (nl: 0.8–3.5 ng/mL), insulin 76 (nl: 3–19 μIU/mL), and proinsulin 83.3 (nl: ≤8.0 pmol/L). During the 72-hour fast, which he completed without hypoglycemia, insulin declined to be within normal limits (to 12 μIU/mL); proinsulin (to 12.1 pmol/L) and C-peptide (to 7.2 ng/mL) levels decreased but remained elevated. The sulfonylurea screen ultimately returned positive for glipizide, clinching the diagnosis. This is the first reported case which characterizes the chronic elevation of proinsulin in a patient with ESRD, as well as its dramatic increase after a presumed solitary exposure to sulfonylurea. The 72-hour fast conducted gives insight into the clearance of insulin, proinsulin, and C-peptide after sulfonylurea ingestion in ESRD.
The Value of Tranexamic Acid in Reducing Blood Loss following Hip Reconstruction in Children with Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Majid I. , Alshryda S. , Somanchi B. , Morakis E. , Foster A.
Published: November 2015

This is a retrospective study of 51 consecutive hip reconstructions in children with cerebral palsy performed between 2011 and 2013. Tranexamic acid (TXA) was used in 14 hip reconstructions only. Transfusion rate was higher, postoperative Hb was lower, and patients stayed longer in the TXA group. This did not reach a statistical significance (P= 0.75, 0.5, and 0.71, resp.). More than half of the patients who had TXA underwent bilateral hip reconstructions in comparison with 27% only in the non-TXA group. Bilateral hip reconstructions mean more surgery, more blood loss, and more blood transfusion. The patients who had TXA were significantly more disabled as evident by the higher proportions of patient with worse GMFCS levels. Although we have not been able to demonstrate the value of TXA in reducing blood loss and transfusion rate in children with CP who underwent hip reconstruction, it is hoped that an interest in exploring the value of TXA in paediatric orthopaedic surgery is generated. Ideally this should be explored further in an adequately powered, randomised controlled trial where risk of bias is minimized.
Effect of Electrical Injection of Corrosion Inhibitor on the Corrosion of Steel Rebar in Chloride-Contaminated Repair Mortar
Authors: Nguyen The Huyen , Nguyen Tuan Anh , Nguyen Thien Vuong , Le Van Khu , Dinh Thi Mai Thanh , Thai Hoang , Shi Xianming
Published: November 2015

The electrical rehabilitation treatments of repair mortar were performed with tetrabutylammonium bromide salt (TBAB) at an electrical current density of 5 A/m2, using two electrolytes (0.1 M NaOH and 0.1 M Na3BO3solutions), and for two time periods (1 and 4 weeks), respectively. The average organic cation-based inhibitor’s concentration in cement mortars before and after this treatment was quantified using the UV-Vis spectroscopy. The experimental results reveal that the EICI treatment with 0.1 M Na3BO3was more effective in injecting the inhibitor and in improving the chloride penetration resistance and compressive strength of the mortar, relative to using 0.1 M NaOH as electrolyte. In this case, after the 4-week EICI treatment, [TBA+] contents were 2.3 % and 2.4% by mass of cement mortar for uncontaminated and salt-contaminated mortars, respectively. After the 4-week EICI treatment, the apparent diffusion coefficients of chloride anion in cement mortar were decreased by 40% from 1.52 × 10−10 m2/s. The EICI treatment was able to halt the chloride-induced corrosion of the steel rebar by promoting its passivation. The 2-week EICI treatment using sodium hydroxide and sodium borate solutions decreased the corrosion current density of the rebar by 77.8% and 78.5%, respectively, approximately two months after the treatment.
Modeling and Finite-Time Walking Control of a Biped Robot with Feet
Authors: Machado Juan E. , Becerra Héctor M. , Moreno Rocha Mónica
Published: November 2015

This paper addresses the problem of modeling and controlling a planar biped robot with six degrees of freedom, which are generated by the interaction of seven links including feet. The biped is modeled as a hybrid dynamical system with a fully actuated single-support phase and an instantaneous double-support phase. The mathematical modeling is detailed in the first part of the paper. In the second part, we present the synthesis of a controller based on virtual constraints, which are codified in an output function that allows defining a local diffeomorphism to linearize the robot dynamics. Finite-time convergence of the output to the origin ensures a collision between the swing foot and the ground with an appropriate configuration for the robot to give a step forward. The components of the output track adequate references that encode a walking pattern. Finite-time convergence of the tracking errors is enforced by using second-order sliding mode control. The main contribution of the paper is an evaluation and comparison of discontinuous and continuous sliding mode control in the presence of parametric uncertainty and external disturbances. The robot model and the synthesized controller are evaluated through numerical simulations.
Cushing’s Disease Presented by Reversible Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Aydoğan Berna İmge , Gerede Demet Menekşe , Canpolat Asena Gökçay , Erdoğan Murat Faik
Published: November 2015

Introduction. Dilated cardiomyopathy is rarely reported among CS patients especially without hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy.Materials and Methods. We hereby report a Cushing’s syndrome case presenting with dilated cardiomyopathy.Results. A 48-year-old female patient was admitted to our clinic with severe proximal myopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy without ventricular hypertrophy. Cushing’s disease was diagnosed and magnetic-resonance imaging of the pituitary gland revealed a microadenoma. Under diuretic and ketoconazole treatments, she underwent a successful transnasal/transsphenoidal adenomectomy procedure. Full recovery of symptoms and echocardiographic features was achieved after six months of surgery.Conclusion. Cushing’s syndrome must be kept in mind as a reversible cause of dilated cardiomyopathy. Recovery of cardiomyopathy is achieved with successful surgery.
A Distance Compensated Approach Used in Wireless Passive Pressure Sensor Readout System for High Temperature Application
Authors: Hong Yingping , Liang Ting , Zheng Tingli , Cao Qun , Zhang Wendong , Liu Wenyi , Zhang Huixin , Xiong Jijun
Published: November 2015

This paper proposed a distance compensated measurement system for a wireless passive sensor based on the high temperature cofired ceramics (HTCC) applied to high temperature environment. The sensor model is provided and fabricated. Also, a telemetric measurement system consists of a readout instrumentation and a heat insulation unit is described due to the thickness of heat insulation material between the sensor and readout unit’s inductance coils in high temperature testing environment. Consideration of the leakage inductance and parasitic parameters which depend on the coupling distance is equivalent to the thickness of heat insulation material, and a distance compensated method is presented. The compensation is based on the mathematical feature of the testing results from readout unit which show us information about the relation between the extracted resonant frequencies. This method can be used simply and reliably in the other telemetric mutual inductance coupling readout system as a viable solution to compensate the coupling distance related error when inductive coupling is varied. It has been experimentally tested, and the results are in good agreement with those measured by a reference impedance analysis instrument. Theoretical explanations, experimental results, and discussion are reported.
Mesenchymal Stem Cell Conditioned Medium Promotes Proliferation and Migration of Alveolar Epithelial Cells under Septic Conditions In Vitro via the JNK-P38 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Chen Jie , Li Yanqin , Hao Haojie , Li Chonghui , Du Yu , Hu Ye , Li Jian , Liang Zhixin , Li Chunsun , Liu Jiejie , Chen Liangan
Published: November 2015

Background/Aims: Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) based therapies may be useful for treating acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), but the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. We investigated the impact of human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly-derived MSC (hUC-MSC) secreted factors on alveolar epithelial cells under septic conditions and determined the relevant intracellular signaling pathways. Methods: Human alveolar epithelial cells (AEC) and primary human small airway epithelial cells (SAEC) were subjected to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with or without the presence of hUC-MSC-conditioned medium (CM). Proliferation and migration of AEC and SAEC were determined via an MTT assay, a wound healing assay and a transwell migration assay (only for AEC). Protein phosphorylation was determined by western blot and the experiments were repeated in presence of small-molecule inhibitors. The hMSC-secretory proteins were identified by LC-MS/MS mass spectrometry. Results: MSC-CM enhanced proliferation and migration. Activation of JNK and P38, but not ERK, was required for the proliferation and migration of AEC and SAEC. Pretreatment of AEC or SAEC with SP600125, an inhibitor of JNK1 or SB200358, an inhibitor of P38, significantly reduced cell proliferation and migration. An array of proteins including TGF-beta receptor type-1, TGF-beta receptor type-2, Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 and Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 2 which influencing the proliferation and migration of AEC and SAEC were detected in MSC-CM. Conclusion: Our data suggest MSC promote epithelial cell repair through releasing a repertoire of paracrine factors via activation of JNK and P38 MAPK.
Cetuximab Rechallenge and Monotherapy in Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck
Authors: Knutzen Greg , Subbiah Shanmuga
Published: November 2015

Smokers with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) have a particularly poor prognosis when compared with human papillomavirus-positive SCCHN. Here, we present case reports of two smokers with SCCHN treated with cetuximab-based therapy, highlighting the potential benefit of cetuximab before definitive chemoradiotherapy in patients with poor performance status as well as cetuximab rechallenge after progression. We conclude that cetuximab demonstrated notable effectiveness in two patients at high risk for poor prognosis, yielding a durable response in one and retaining activity on rechallenge in the other.
What Is Known and Unknown About Twice-Weekly Hemodialysis
Authors: Obi Yoshitsugu , Eriguchi Rieko , Ou Shuo-Ming , Rhee Connie M. , Kalantar-Zadeh Kamyar
Published: November 2015

Background: The 2006 Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative guidelines suggest twice-weekly or incremental hemodialysis for patients with substantial residual kidney function (RKF). However, in most affluent nations de novo and abrupt transition to thrice-weekly hemodialysis is routinely prescribed for all dialysis-naïve patients regardless of their RKF. We review historical developments in hemodialysis therapy initiation and revisit twice-weekly hemodialysis as an individualized, incremental treatment especially upon first transitioning to hemodialysis therapy. Summary: In the 1960's, hemodialysis treatment was first offered as a life-sustaining treatment in the form of long sessions (≥10 hours) administered every 5 to 7 days. Twice- and then thrice-weekly treatment regimens were subsequently developed to prevent uremic symptoms on a long-term basis. The thrice-weekly regimen has since become the ‘standard of care' despite a lack of comparative studies. Some clinical studies have shown benefits of high hemodialysis dose by more frequent or longer treatment times mainly among patients with limited or no RKF. Conversely, in selected patients with higher levels of RKF and particularly higher urine volume, incremental or twice-weekly hemodialysis may preserve RKF and vascular access longer without compromising clinical outcomes. Proposed criteria for twice-weekly hemodialysis include urine output >500 ml/day, limited interdialytic weight gain, smaller body size relative to RKF, and favorable nutritional status, quality of life, and comorbidity profile. Key Messages: Incremental hemodialysis including twice-weekly regimens may be safe and cost-effective treatment regimens that provide better quality of life for incident dialysis patients who have substantial RKF. These proposed criteria may guide incremental hemodialysis frequency and warrant future randomized controlled trials.
Aplastic Anemia in Two Patients with Sex Chromosome Aneuploidies
Authors: Rush Eric T. , Schaefer G. Bradley , Sanger Warren G. , Coccia Peter F.
Published: November 2015

Sex chromosome aneuploidies range in incidence from rather common to exceedingly rare and have a variable phenotype. We report 2 patients with sex chromosome aneuploidies who developed severe aplastic anemia requiring treatment. The first patient had tetrasomy X (48,XXXX) and presented at 9 years of age, and the second patient had trisomy X (47,XXX) and presented at 5 years of age. Although aplastic anemia has been associated with other chromosomal abnormalities, sex chromosome abnormalities have not been traditionally considered a risk factor for this condition. A review of the literature reveals that at least one other patient with a sex chromosome aneuploidy (45,X) has suffered from aplastic anemia and that other autosomal chromosomal anomalies have been described. Despite the uncommon nature of each condition, it is possible that the apparent association is coincidental. A better understanding of the genetic causes of aplastic anemia remains important.