bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of ropinirole controlled‐ and immediate‐release in Japanese patients with advanced Parkinson's disease
Authors: Hattori Nobutaka , Nishioka Hiroshi , Hasegawa Kazuko ,   the SWAN Study Investigators
Published: October 2014

Background

In Japan, ropinirole controlled‐release tabletsrecently became available for Parkinson's disease.

Aim

We compared the efficacy and safety of ropinirole controlled‐release with ropinirole immediate‐release.

Methods

We carried out a phase III clinical trial (randomized, double‐blind, double‐dummy), in which controlled‐release (n = 156) or immediate‐release (n = 146) was given to Japanese patients with advanced Parkinson's disease under L‐dopa treatment. First, we assessed the non‐inferiority of ropinirole controlled‐release to immediate‐release at week 24 by measuring change from week 0 in total score of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III. Then, during weeks 26–32, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of patients’ switching from ropinirole immediate‐release to controlled‐release, and a subset of patients continued on ropinirole controlled‐release though week 54.

Results

The change in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III total score at week 24 was −10.8 for the controlled‐release group and −11.1 for the immediate‐release group (adjusted mean difference: 0.34, two‐sided 95% confidence interval −1.41 to 2.09), and the upper limit of the confidence interval was less than the predefined margin of 2.5, showing the non‐inferiority of ropinirole controlled‐release to immediate‐release. The efficacy did not change after overnight switching from ropinirole immediate‐release to controlled‐release, and lasted until week 54. Adverse events were comparable between the two groups during the whole study period.

Conclusions

As adjunctive therapy to L‐dopa, ropinirole controlled‐release improved motor symptoms in Japanese patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. The overnight switch from immediate‐release to controlled‐release did not result in any unexpected adverse event.
Sjögren's syndrome with paresis of the internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve
Authors: Nihei Yoshihiro , Ito Daisuke , Uno Kosuke , Saito Koichiro , Kameyama Kaori , Ando Makiko , Ishikawa Aiko , Takahashi Shinichi , Nogawa Shigeru , Koto Atsuo , Suzuki Norihiro
Published: October 2014

A 46‐year‐old woman developed painful dysesthesia in her extremities and ataxic gait. She was diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome, and her condition was diagnosed as sensory ataxic and painful neuropathy. Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy alleviated the ataxia and severe pain in her extremities. When she was 61‐years‐old, she developed dysphagia and dyspnea. Laryngoscopy showed tactile anesthesia on the epiglottis, indicating paresis of the superior laryngeal nerve. We considered that the primary cause of dysphagia was paresis of the internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve, and carried out tracheostomy and high‐dose intravenous methylprednisolone therapy (1 g/day × 3 days). Her dysphagia and aspiration gradually improved without following oral steroid therapy. Our case is the first report of the internal branch of superior laryngeal nerve paresis as a possible cause of dysphagia and aspiration in a patient with Sjögren's syndrome. Additional cases of Sjögren's syndrome with dysphagia should be investigated to confirm our findings.
The desire of parents to be involved and present
Authors: Engström Åsa , Dicksson Eric , Contreras Pernilla
Published: October 2014

Background

Intensive care of children means not only caring for a child; it means care for the whole family.

Aim

The aim of the study was to describe parents' experiences of having a critically ill child in an intensive care unit (ICU).

Participants

A purposive sample of seven parents who had their child treated in an ICU during 2012 in Sweden.

Design

The design uses an inductive, qualitative approach with data collected by means of qualitative interviews.

Methods

The interviews were transcribed verbatim and subjected to qualitative content analysis.

Results

The analysis resulted in one theme: the desire of parents to be involved and present, with four categories such as wanting to understand and know what is happening, feeling frustration about their child's care and treatment, a health care environment that arouses emotions, and needs for support and processing.

Conclusion

It is of great importance to parents to be informed continuously about their child's condition and the care and treatment that are planned. This may increase parents' sense of ownership, control and security.

Relevance to clinical practice

Providing answers to those questions that can be answered and being available to parents when they have questions about their critically ill child, the meaning of it all, and what the future will hold are suggested in clinical practice.
How to achieve adherence to a ventilation algorithm for critically ill children?
Authors: Duyndam Anita , Houmes Robert Jan , van Dijk Monique , Tibboel Dick , Ista Erwin
Published: October 2014

Aims and objectives

To evaluate to what extent physicians on a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) adhered to a newly implemented ventilation algorithm.

Background

PICUs worldwide use different ventilators with a wide variety of ventilation modes. We developed an algorithm, as part of a larger protocol, for choice of ventilation mode at time of admission.

Design

This study was performed in a level III PICU of a university children's hospital and had an uncontrolled, pre‐post test design with a period before implementation (T0) and two periods after implementation (T1 and T2).

Methods

An invasive ventilation algorithm targeted at two patient groups was implemented in October 2008. The algorithm distinguished between lung disease, in which pressure control was considered as the preferred mode, and no lung disease, in which pressure‐regulated volume control was preferred. Nurses and physicians were instructed in the use of the algorithm before implementation.

Results

During three test periods, a total of 507 children with a median age of 5 months [interquartile range (IQR) 0–50] on conventional invasive mechanical ventilation were included. In patients with lung disease, pre‐implementation adherence rate was 79% (67/85). At T1 it was 71% (51/72); at T2 84% (46/55). The slight improvement from T1 to T2 was statistically not significant (p = 0·092). In patients with no lung disease, the adherence rate rose statistically significantly from 66% at T0 (62/93) to 78% (79/101) at T1, and 84% at T2 (85/101) (p = 0·015).

Conclusion

Implementation of a new ventilation algorithm increased physicians' adherence to this ventilation algorithm and the effect was sustained over time. This was achieved by education, reminders and organizational changes such as admission of postcardiac surgery patients with protocolized nursing care including preset ventilator settings.

Relevance to clinical practice

Interdisciplinary collaboration, effective communication, leadership support and organizational aspects may be effective strategies to improve adherence to protocols.
Variant parameter values—as defined by the Chicago Criteria—produced by ManoScan and a new system with Unisensor catheter
Authors: Kuribayashi S. , Iwakiri K. , Kawada A. , Kawami N. , Hoshino S. , Takenouchi N. , Hosaka H. , Shimoyama Y. , Kawamura O. , Yamada M. , Kusano M.
Published: October 2014

Background

Recently reported normal values for esophageal motility obtained by high‐resolution manometry (HRM) using a system with a Unisensor catheter were significantly different from those obtained by the ManoScan®, which could result in a wrong diagnosis. To clarify whether these differences were due to system or subject differences, we compared the manometric parameter values between ManoScan and a new system with a Unisensor catheter (Starlet) in the same subjects.

Methods

A total of 103 volunteers without any symptoms related to esophageal motility disorders were recruited. Esophageal HRM was performed using both the ManoScan and the Starlet in all subjects. Data from the ManoScan were analyzed using ManoView, and data from the Starlet were analyzed by a program with e‐sleeve function. Integrated relaxation pressure, distal contractile integral, contractile front velocity (CFV), intrabolus pressure, and distal latency were calculated by both analyzing programs, and the values of these parameters were compared between the two systems by a signed rank test.

Key Results

Data from a total of 97 participants were analyzed. The values of all parameters, except CFV, measured by the Starlet were significantly higher than those obtained by the ManoScan (p < 0.01).

Conclusions & Inferences

Both systems can measure esophageal motility appropriately; nevertheless, we confirmed that the two systems showed different values of the parameters defined by the Chicago criteria. These differences should be recognized to evaluate esophageal motility precisely.
Abnormal accumulation of intestinal fluid following ingestion of an unabsorbable carbohydrate in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: an MRI study
Authors: Undseth R. , Berstad A. , Kløw N.‐E. , Arnljot K. , Moi K. S. , Valeur J.
Published: October 2014

Background

Postprandial discomfort following intake of poorly absorbable, but fermentable carbohydrates is a common complaint in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We used lactulose as a model substance for this group of symptom triggering carbohydrates, aiming to visualize the intestinal response in IBS patients compared to healthy controls.

Methods

Patients with IBS according to Rome III criteria (n = 52) and healthy controls (n = 16) underwent a lactulose challenge test. By using magnetic resonance imaging, we measured small bowel water content (SBWC), and distension (diameter) of the distal ileum and the colon, both in fasting state and 1 h after ingestion of 10 g lactulose. We recorded symptoms after lactulose ingestion.

Key Results

Lactulose provoked significantly more symptoms in IBS patients than in healthy controls (p < 0.0001). SBWC increased more in the patient group compared to the control group (p = 0.0005). The postprandial diameter of the terminal ileum was larger in patients with IBS and the postprandial diameter of the ascending colon was smaller in patients with diarrhea‐predominant phenotype (IBS‐D). Symptoms were not correlated with change in SBWC (r = 0.05; p = 0.11), nor to the diameters of the terminal ileum or the colon.

Conclusions & Inferences

Compared to healthy controls, IBS patients developed more symptoms and had an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the small bowel in response to ingestion of the unabsorbable carbohydrate lactulose. This may be due to impaired motor activity of the small intestine or impaired function of the ileocecal segment.
Providing Care for Patients with Chronic Migraine: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Management
Authors: Dougherty Carrie , Silberstein Stephen D.
Published: October 2014

Chronic migraine, a subtype of migraine defined as ≥ 15 headache days per month for ≥ 3 months, in which ≥ 8 days per month meet criteria for migraine with or without aura or respond to migraine‐specific treatment, is a disabling, underdiagnosed, and undertreated disorder associated with significant disability, poor health‐related quality of life, and high economic burden. The keys to caring for chronic migraine patients include: (1) making a proper diagnosis; (2) identifying and eliminating exacerbating factors; (3) assessing for medication overuse (patients with chronic headache often overuse acute medications); and (4) continued management. Communication between patient and physician about treatment goals is important. The patient management guidelines presented in this article should help physicians improve treatment success and proactively address common comorbidities among their patients with chronic migraine.
Pericarp anatomy and hormone profiles of cypselas in dormant and non‐dormant inbred sunflower lines
Authors: Andrade A. , Riera N. , Lindstrom L. , Alemano S. , Alvarez D. , Abdala G. , Vigliocco A.
Published: October 2014

The pericarp anatomy and the effects of storage after harvest, storage temperature and early cypsela imbibition on phytohormone profiles were studied in inbred sunflower lines B123 and B91. On day 0, germination of B123 cypselas was near 0%, indicating dormancy, whereas that of B91 cypselas was near 100%, indicating non‐dormancy. The germination of B123 and B91 on day 33 at room temperature (25 °C) storage was similar. Cell wall thickness and sclerification of the pericarp were higher in B123 than B91, suggesting that structural characteristics may contribute to physical dormancy in B123. Jasmonates (JAs), salicylic acid (SA) and abscisic acid (ABA) were measured in dry and imbibed pericarps. SA content of dry pericarp was higher on day 33 than day 0. SA content during imbibition on day 33 was similar for room and low (−20 °C) storage temperatures. ABA content after 12 h imbibition was similar on days 0 and 33 at low temperature, but it increased on day 33 at room temperature for B123. 12‐Oxo‐phytodienoic acid (OPDA) was maximal on day 0 for B123, but peaked at day 33 at low temperature for B91. JA was higher on days 0 and 33 at room temperature as compared with low temperature. Our findings indicate that pericarp hormone profiles are affected in the two lines with different dormancy degree depending on storage conditions and imbibition processes.
Change of Polarity for Periodic Waves in the Variable‐Coefficient Korteweg‐de Vries Equation
Authors: Grimshaw Roger
Published: October 2014

We examine the variable‐coefficient Kortweg‐de Vries equation for the situation when the coefficient of the quadratic nonlinear term changes sign at a certain critical point. This case has been widely studied for a solitary wave, which is extinguished at the critical point and replaced by a train of solitary waves of the opposite polarity to the incident wave, riding on a pedestal of the original polarity. Here, we examine the same case but for a modulated periodic wave train. Using an asymptotic analysis, we show that in contrast a periodic wave is preserved with a finite amplitude as it passes through the critical point, but a phase change is generated causing the wave to reverse its polarity.
Developing Middle School Students' Interests in STEM via Summer Learning Experiences: See Blue STEM Camp
Authors: Mohr‐Schroeder Margaret J. , Jackson Christa , Miller Maranda , Walcott Bruce , Little David L. , Speler Lydia , Schooler William , Schroeder D. Craig
Published: October 2014

It is a well‐known fact that, in general, many students have a lack of interest and proficiency in mathematics and science. Therefore, it is imperative that we prepare and inspire all students, specifically students of underrepresented populations, to learn science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content. Now in its fourth year, See Blue STEM Camp was created in order to expose middle‐level students to a variety of STEM fields and STEM professionals through hands‐on project‐based learning experiences in order to increase their interest in STEM. This paper describes the structure and the activities of the camp. In this innovative project, we utilized an embedded mixed methods study design to investigate the extent middle level students' attitudes, perceptions, and interest in and toward STEM fields and careers changed after participating in an informal learning environment of a five‐day day camp held on the campus of a major university in the mid‐south. The results revealed an increase in their motivation and interest in STEM fields; in fact, there was 3% increase from pre to post in interest in STEM careers. The data also revealed that a majority of the participating middle school students found the STEM content sessions “fun” and engaging, specifically citing the hands‐on experiences they received.
Donor‐transmitted malaria after heart transplant managed successfully with artesunate
Authors: Sabé N. , González‐Costello J. , Oriol I. , Sánchez‐Salado J.C. , Ortega S. , Oliver E. , Manito N. , Carratalà J.
Published: October 2014

Donor‐transmitted malaria is a rare complication in solid organ transplantation, which causes high mortality. Data concerning the use of artesunate in solid organ transplant recipients are lacking. We report a heart transplant patient who developed donor‐derived severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria, successfully treated with artesunate. Transmission of malaria to 2 of the other transplant recipients from the same donor was also documented.
On the Use of Site Data to Define Extreme Turbulence Conditions for Wind Turbine Design
Authors: Sang Moon Jae , Sahasakkul Watsamon , Soni Mohit , Manuel Lance
Published: October 2014

In wind turbine design, external conditions to be considered depend on the intended site for the planned installation. Wind turbine classes, defined in terms of wind speed and turbulence parameters, cover most sites and applications. In the International Electrotechnical Commission's (IEC's) 61400-1 standard, there is a design load case that requires consideration for ultimate loading resulting from extreme turbulence conditions. Since site-specific wind conditions should not compromise the structural integrity of turbine installations, at some sites where class-based design may not apply, there is sometimes a need to establish extreme turbulence (50-year) levels as part of site assessment by making use of measurements. This should be done in a manner consistent with class-based design where the extreme turbulence model (ETM) provides 50-year turbulence standard deviation (σ) value as a function of the ten minute average hub-height wind speed, V. For one site in Germany and three contrasting terrain sites in Japan, wind velocity data are used to establish 50-year ETM levels. The inverse first-order reliability method (IFORM) is applied with 10 min data for this purpose. Sometimes, as in assessing wind farm wake effects, analysis of turbulence levels by direction sector is important because normal and extreme turbulence levels can vary by sector. We compare ETM levels by sector for the Hamburg, Germany site. The influence of terrain complexity on ETM levels is also of interest; the three sites in Japan have contrasting terrain characteristics—referred to as flat, hilly, and mountainous. ETM levels are compared for these three terrain types. An important overall finding of this study is that site-specific ETM levels can greatly exceed levels specified in the standard for class-based design.
Additive Manufacturing: Current State, Future Potential, Gaps and Needs, and Recommendations
Authors: Huang Yong , Leu Ming C. , Mazumder Jyoti , Donmez Alkan
Published: October 2014

Additive manufacturing (AM), the process of joining materials to make objects from three-dimensional (3D) model data, usually layer by layer, is distinctly a different form and has many advantages over traditional manufacturing processes. Commonly known as “3D printing,” AM provides a cost-effective and time-efficient way to produce low-volume, customized products with complicated geometries and advanced material properties and functionality. As a result of the 2013 National Science Foundation (NSF) Workshop on Frontiers of Additive Manufacturing Research and Education, this paper summarizes AM's current state, future potential, gaps and needs, as well as recommendations for technology and research, university–industry collaboration and technology transfer, and education and training.
A Visualization Approach for Analyzing and Synthesizing Serial Flexure Elements
Authors: Hopkins Jonathan B.
Published: October 2014

In this paper, we extend the principles of the freedom and constraint topologies (FACT) synthesis approach such that designers can analyze and synthesize serial flexure elements—not to be confused with serial flexure systems. Unlike serial systems, serial elements do not possess intermediate rigid bodies within their geometry and thus avoid the negative effects of unnecessary mass and underconstrained bodies that generate uncontrolled vibrations. Furthermore, in comparison with other common parallel flexure elements such as wire, blade, and living hinge flexures, serial elements can be used within flexure systems to achieve (i) a larger variety of kinematics, (ii) more dynamic and elastomechanic versatility, and (iii) greater ranges of motion. Here, we utilize the principles of FACT to intuitively guide designers in visualizing a multiplicity of serial flexure element geometries that can achieve any desired set of degrees of freedom (DOFs). Using this approach, designers can rapidly generate a host of new serial flexure elements for synthesizing advanced flexure systems. Thirty seven serial flexure elements are provided as examples, and three flexure systems that consist of some of these elements are synthesized as case studies.
Longitudinal dose distribution and energy absorption in PMMA and water cylinders undergoing CT scans
Authors: Li Xinhua , Zhang Da , Liu Bob
Published: October 2014

Purpose:

The knowledge of longitudinal dose distribution provides the most direct view of the accumulated dose in computed tomography (CT) scanning. The purpose of this work was to perform a comprehensive study of dose distribution width and energy absorption with a wide range of subject sizes and beam irradiated lengths.

Methods:

Cumulative dose distribution along the z‐axis was calculated based on the previously published CT dose equilibration data by Li, Zhang, and Liu [Med. Phys. 40, 031903 (10pp.) (2013)] and a mechanism for computing dose on axial lines by Li, Zhang, and Liu [Med. Phys. 39, 5347–5352 (2012)]. Full width at half maximum (FWHM), full width at tenth maximum (FWTM), the total energy (E) absorbed in a small cylinder of unit mass per centimeter square about the central or peripheral axis, and the energy (Ein) absorbed inside irradiated length (L) were subsequently extracted from the dose distribution.

Results:

Extensive results of FWHM, FWTM, and Ein/E were presented on the central and peripheral axes of infinitely long PMMA (diameters 6–50 cm) and water (diameters 6–55 cm) cylinders with L < 100 cm. FWHM was greater than the primary beam width only on the central axes of large phantoms and also with L ranging from a few centimeter to about 33 cm. FWTM generally increased with phantom diameter, and could be up to 32 cm longer than irradiated length, depending on L, phantom diameter and axis, but was insensitive to phantom material (PMMA or water). Ein/E increased with L and asymptotically approached unity for large L. As phantom diameter increased, Ein/E generally decreased, but asymptotically approached constant levels on the peripheral axes of large phantoms. A heuristic explanation of dose distribution width results was presented.

Conclusions:

This study enables the reader to gain a comprehensive view of dose distribution width and energy absorption and provides useful data for estimating doses to organs inside or beyond the irradiated region. The dose length product (DLP) presented by CT scanners is equal to neither E nor Ein. Both E and Ein can be evaluated using the equations and results presented in this paper and are robust with both constant and variable tube current scanning techniques.
Variation of kQclin,Qmsrfclin,fmsr for the small‐field dosimetric parameters percentage depth dose, tissue‐maximum ratio, and off‐axis ratio
Authors: Francescon Paolo , Beddar Sam , Satariano Ninfa , Das Indra J.
Published: October 2014

Purpose:

Evaluate the ability of different dosimeters to correctly measure the dosimetric parameters percentage depth dose (PDD), tissue‐maximum ratio (TMR), and off‐axis ratio (OAR) in water for small fields.

Methods:

Monte Carlo (MC) simulations were used to estimate the variation of for several types of microdetectors as a function of depth and distance from the central axis for PDD, TMR, and OAR measurements. The variation of enables one to evaluate the ability of a detector to reproduce the PDD, TMR, and OAR in water and consequently determine whether it is necessary to apply correction factors. The correctness of the simulations was verified by assessing the ratios between the PDDs and OARs of 5‐ and 25‐mm circular collimators used with a linear accelerator measured with two different types of dosimeters (the PTW 60012 diode and PTW PinPoint 31014 microchamber) and the PDDs and the OARs measured with the Exradin W1 plastic scintillator detector (PSD) and comparing those ratios with the corresponding ratios predicted by the MC simulations.

Results:

MC simulations reproduced results with acceptable accuracy compared to the experimental results; therefore, MC simulations can be used to successfully predict the behavior of different dosimeters in small fields. The Exradin W1 PSD was the only dosimeter that reproduced the PDDs, TMRs, and OARs in water with high accuracy. With the exception of the EDGE diode, the stereotactic diodes reproduced the PDDs and the TMRs in water with a systematic error of less than 2% at depths of up to 25 cm; however, they produced OAR values that were significantly different from those in water, especially in the tail region (lower than 20% in some cases). The microchambers could be used for PDD measurements for fields greater than those produced using a 10‐mm collimator. However, with the detector stem parallel to the beam axis, the microchambers could be used for TMR measurements for all field sizes. The microchambers could not be used for OAR measurements for small fields.

Conclusions:

Compared with MC simulation, the Exradin W1 PSD can reproduce the PDDs, TMRs, and OARs in water with a high degree of accuracy; thus, the correction used for converting dose is very close to unity. The stereotactic diode is a viable alternative because it shows an acceptable systematic error in the measurement of PDDs and TMRs and a significant underestimation in only the tail region of the OAR measurements, where the dose is low and differences in dose may not be therapeutically meaningful.
A circulating antibody panel for pretransplant prediction of FSGS recurrence after kidney transplantation
Authors: Delville Marianne , Sigdel Tara K. , Wei Changli , Li Jing , Hsieh Szu-Chuan , Fornoni Alessia , Burke George W. , Bruneval Patrick , Naesens Maarten , Jackson Annette , Alachkar Nada , Canaud Guillaume , Legendre Christophe , Anglicheau Dany , Reiser Jochen , Sarwal Minnie M.
Published: October 2014

Pretransplant antibodies, particularly anti-CD40, correlate with risk of recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis after kidney transplant.
Acute hyperglycemia impairs functional improvement after spinal cord injury in mice and humans
Authors: Kobayakawa Kazu , Kumamaru Hiromi , Saiwai Hirokazu , Kubota Kensuke , Ohkawa Yasuyuki , Kishimoto Junji , Yokota Kazuya , Ideta Ryosuke , Shiba Keiichiro , Tozaki-Saitoh Hidetoshi , Inoue Kazuhide , Iwamoto Yukihide , Okada Seiji
Published: October 2014

Acute hyperglycemia exacerbates poor functional outcomes after spinal cord injury through overactivation of microglia in mice and in a human cohort.
IL-25: The Missing Link Between Allergy, Viral Infection, and Asthma?
Authors: Andreakos Evangelos , Papadopoulos Nikolaos G.
Published: October 2014

Interleukin 25 boosts proinflammatory and proasthmatic responses in the allergic lung and emerges as a key determinant of virally induced asthma exacerbations and as a therapeutic target for asthma (Beale
et al
., this issue).
Draft Genome Sequence of Geotrichum candidum Strain 3C
Authors: Polev Dmitrii E. , Bobrov Kirill S. , Eneyskaya Elena V. , Kulminskaya Anna A.
Published: October 2014

We report here the draft genome sequence of
Geotrichum candidum
strain 3C, which is a filamentous yeast-like fungus that holds great promise for biotechnology. The genome was sequenced using Ion Torrent and 454 platforms. The estimated genome size was 41.4 Mb, and 14,579 protein-coding genes were predicted
ab initio.
Must every child with long QT syndrome take a beta blocker?
Authors: Waddell-Smith Kathryn E , Earle Nikki , Skinner Jonathan R
Published: October 2014

Long QT syndrome is the most commonly recognised cause of sudden cardiac death in children. With a prevalence of 1 in 2000, family screening is identifying large numbers of hitherto asymptomatic gene carriers in the community, about a third of whom have a normal QT interval. The mainstay of treatment is long term uninterrupted beta blocker therapy, a treatment with many potential side effects. This article reviews the evidence and suggests a cohort who may, after assessment in a specialised cardiac-genetic clinic, be spared this treatment because of very low baseline risk. These are asymptomatic boys and prepubertal girls with a heart rate corrected QT interval persistently less than 470 ms who do not indulge in high risk activities (especially swimming) and do not have a missense mutation in the c-loop region of the KCNQ1 (long QT 1) gene.
Enlarged pulmonary artery is predicted by vascular injury biomarkers and is associated with WTC-Lung Injury in exposed fire fighters: a case–control study
Authors: Schenck Edward J , Echevarria Ghislaine C , Girvin Francis G , Kwon Sophia , Comfort Ashley L , Rom William N , Prezant David J , Weiden Michael D , Nolan Anna
Published: October 2014

Objectives

We hypothesise that there is an association between an elevated pulmonary artery/aorta (PA/A) and World Trade Center-Lung Injury (WTC-LI). We assessed if serum vascular disease biomarkers were predictive of an elevated PA/A.

Design

Retrospective case-cohort analysis of thoracic CT scans of WTC-exposed firefighters who were symptomatic between 9/12/2001 and 3/10/2008. Quantification of vascular-associated biomarkers from serum collected within 200 days of exposure.

Setting

Urban tertiary care centre and occupational healthcare centre.

Participants

Male never-smoking firefighters with accurate pre-9/11 forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) ≥75%, serum sampled ≤200 days of exposure was the baseline cohort (n=801). A subcohort (n=97) with available CT scans and serum biomarkers was identified. WTC-LI was defined as FEV1≤77% at the subspecialty pulmonary evaluation (n=34) and compared with controls (n=63) to determine the associated PA/A ratio. The subcohort was restratified based on PA/A≥0.92 (n=38) and PA/A<0.92(n=59) to determine serum vascular biomarkers that were predictive of this vasculopathy.

Outcome measures

The primary outcome of this study was to identify a PA/A ratio in a cohort of individuals exposed to WTC dust that was associated with WTC-LI. The secondary outcome was to identify serum biomarkers predictive of the PA/A ratio using logistic regression.

Results

PA/A≥0.92 was associated with WTC-LI, OR of 4.02 (95% CI 1.21 to 13.41; p=0.023) when adjusted for exposure, body mass index and age at CT. Elevated macrophage derived chemokine and soluble endothelial selectin were predictive of PA/A≥0.92, (OR, 95% CI 2.08, 1.05 to 4.11, p=0.036; 1.33, 1.06 to 1.68, p=0.016, respectively), while the increased total plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 was predictive of not having PA/A≥0.92 (OR 0.88, 0.79 to 0.98; p=0.024).

Conclusions

Elevated PA/A was associated with WTC-LI. Development of an elevated PA/A was predicted by biomarkers of vascular disease found in serum drawn within 6 months of WTC exposure. Increased PA/A is a potentially useful non-invasive biomarker of WTC-LI and warrants further study.
Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 overexpression is predictive of poor prognosis in rectal cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Li Chien-Feng , He Hong-Lin , Wang Jaw-Yuan , Huang Hsuan-Ying , Wu Ting-Fe , Hsing Chung-Hsi , Lee Sung-Wei , Lee Hao-Hsien , Fang Jui-Lung , Huang Wen-Tsung , Chen Shang-Hung
Published: October 2014

Aims

Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) followed by surgery is an increasingly used therapeutic strategy for advanced rectal cancer, but risk stratification and final outcomes remain suboptimal. Recently, the oncogenic role of the fibroblast growth factor/fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) signalling pathway has been recognised; however, its clinical significance in rectal cancer has not been elucidated. In this study, we identify and validate targetable drivers associated with the FGFR signalling pathway in rectal cancer patients treated with CCRT.

Methods

Using a published transcriptome of rectal cancers, we foundFGFR2gene significantly predicted response to CCRT. The expression levels of FGFR2, using immunohistochemistry assays, were further evaluated in 172 rectal cancer specimens that had not received any treatment. Expression levels of FGFR2 were statistically correlated with major clinicopathological features and clinical survival in this valid cohort.

Results

High expression of FGFR2 was significantly related to advanced pretreatment tumour (p=0.022) and nodal status (p=0.026), post-treatment tumour (p<0.001) and nodal status (p=0.004), and inferior tumour regression grade (p<0.001). In survival analyses, high expression of FGFR2 was significantly associated with shorter local recurrence-free survival (p=0.0001), metastasis-free survival (MeFS; p=0.0003) and disease-specific survival (DSS; p<0.0001). Notably, high expression of FGFR2 was independently predictive of worse outcomes for MeFS (p=0.002, HR=5.387) and DSS (p=0.004, HR=4.997).

Conclusions

High expression of FGFR2 is correlated with advanced tumour stage, poor therapeutic response and worse survival in rectal cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant CCRT. These findings indicate that FGFR2 is a prognostic factor for treating rectal cancer.
Comparison of S-nitrosoglutathione- and staurosporine-induced apoptosis in human neural cells
Authors: Sodja Caroline , Ribecco-Lutkiewicz Maria , Haukenfrers Julie , Merchant Fahar , Costain Willard J. , Bani-Yaghoub Mahmud
Published: October 2014

S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) is an endogenously produced S-nitrosylating compound that controls the function of various proteins. While a number of rodent cell lines have been used to study GSNO-induced apoptosis, the mechanisms of action remain to be evaluated in human cells and in parallel with other common apoptosis-inducing agents. In this study, we compared the pro-apoptotic effects of GSNO and staurosporine (STS) on human neural progenitors (NT2, hNP1) and neuroblasts (SH-SY5Y). We show that these cells exhibit comparable levels of susceptibility to GSNO- and STS-induced apoptotic cell death, as demonstrated by condensed nuclei and CASP3 activation. Mechanistic differences in apoptotic responses were observed as differential patterns of DNA fragmentation and levels of BAX, BCL-XL, CASP8, and p-ERK in response to GSNO and STS treatment. Mitochondrial membrane potential analysis revealed that NT2 and hNP1 cells, but not SH-SY5Y cells, undergo mitochondrial hyperpolarization in response to short-term exposure to STS prior to undergoing subsequent depolarization. This is the first study to report differences in apoptotic responses to GSNO and STS in 3 complementary human neural cell lines. Furthermore, these cells represent useful tools in cell pharmacological paradigms in which susceptibility to apoptosis-inducing agents needs to be assessed at different stages of neural cell fate commitment and differentiation.
On homological rigidity and flexibility of exact Lagrangian endocobordisms
Authors: Dimitroglou Rizell Georgios , Golovko Roman
Published: October 2014

We show that an exact Lagrangian cobordism L ⊂ ℝ × P × ℝ from a Legendrian submanifold Λ ⊂ P × ℝ to itself satisfies Hi(L; 𝔽) = Hi(Λ; 𝔽) for any field 𝔽, given that Λ admits a spin exact Lagrangian filling and that the concatenation of any spin exact Lagrangian filling of Λ and L is also spin. The main tool used is Seidel's isomorphism in wrapped Floer homology. In contrast to that, for loose Legendrian submanifolds of ℂn × ℝ, we construct examples of such cobordisms whose homology groups have arbitrarily high ranks. In addition, we prove that the front Sm-spinning construction preserves looseness, which implies certain forgetfulness properties of it.
Optimal Inventory Control and Allocation for Sequential Internet Auctions
Authors: Liu Shuren , Zhu Yimin , Hu Qiying
Published: October 2014

We study an optimal inventory control and allocation for a seller who uses sequential Internet auctions to sell replenishment products. This problem is faced not only by retailers/distributors in the retail industry but also by manufacturers who use sequential Internet auctions to sell products that can be replenished. We consider the total expected discounted profit criterion in a finite horizon and both the discounted and average profit criteria over an infinite horizon, and show the optimality of the so-called base-stock-allocate-all (BSAA) policies. Then, we simplify the problem of computing the optimal policies and profits for either the discounted or average profit criterion in an infinite horizon to an optimization problem with only one integer decision variable. We show these results for the list price case, and also for the case where the reserve price is a decision variable. Finally, numerical results are given, where the effects of several model parameters on the optimal policies and profits are numerically analyzed.
Chiral symmetry breaking as a geometrical process
Authors: Bittencourt E. , Faci S. , Novello M.
Published: October 2014

This paper is an extension for spinor fields the recently developed Dynamical Bridge formalism which relates a linear dynamics in a curved space to a nonlinear dynamics in Minkowski space. This leads to a new geometrical mechanism to generate a chiral symmetry breaking without mass, providing an alternative explanation for the absence of right-handed neutrinos. We analyze a spinor field obeying the Dirac equation in a curved space which is constructed by its own current. This way, both chiralities of the spinor field satisfy the same dynamics in the curved space. Afterward, the dynamical equation is re-expressed in terms of the flat Minkowski space and then each chiral component behaves differently. The left-handed part of the spinor field satisfies the Dirac equation while the right-handed part is trapped by a Nambu–Jona-Lasinio type potential.
Smooth hybrid inflation on brane constrained by Planck data
Authors: Ferricha-Alami M. , Chakir H. , Inchaouh J. , Bennai M.
Published: October 2014

It is shown that, in the supersymmetric smooth hybrid inflation model with the minimal Kähler potential, the spectral index ns is larger than 0.97 in the standard inflation. In this context, we study the smooth hybrid inflationary model in the framework of the Randall–Sundrum type-II braneworld model. We derive all known inflationary spectrum parameters which are widely consistent with Planck data for a particular choice of brane tension values λ especially for number of e-folds N = 50. We reproduce the central value of the scalar spectral index ns = 0.96 whereas the ratio r~(10-4-10-3). However, the running of the scalar spectral index [Formula: see text] is not excluded from the range given by the latest observational measurements.
EFFECTIVE AND SIMPLE VWAP OPTIONS PRICING MODEL
Authors: BURYAK ALEXANDER , GUO IVAN
Published: October 2014

Volume weighted average price (VWAP) options are a popular security type in many countries, but despite their popularity very few pricing models have been developed so far for VWAP options. This can be explained by the fact that the VWAP pricing problem is set in an incomplete market since there is no underlying with which to hedge the volume risk, and hence there is no uniquely defined price. Any price, which is obtained will include a market price of volume risk which must be determined from the corresponding volume statistics. Our analysis strongly supports the hypothesis that the empirical volume statistics of ASX equities can be described reasonably well by fitted gamma distributions. Based on this observation we suggest a simple gamma process-based model that allows for the exact analytic pricing of VWAP options in a rather straightforward way.
User Vulnerability and Its Reduction on a Social Networking Site
Authors: Gundecha Pritam , Barbier Geoffrey , Tang Jiliang , Liu Huan
Published: October 2014

Privacy and security are major concerns for many users of social media. When users share information (e.g., data and photos) with friends, they can make their friends vulnerable to security and privacy breaches with dire consequences. With the continuous expansion of a user’s social network, privacy settings alone are often inadequate to protect a user’s profile. In this research, we aim to address some critical issues related to privacy protection: (1) How can we measure and assess individual users’ vulnerability? (2) With the diversity of one’s social network friends, how can one figure out an effective approach to maintaining balance between vulnerability and social utility? In this work, first we present a novel way to define vulnerable friends from an individual user’s perspective. User vulnerability is dependent on whether or not the user’s friends’ privacy settings protect the friend and the individual’s network of friends (which includes the user). We show that it is feasible to measure and assess user vulnerability and reduce one’s vulnerability without changing the structure of a social networking site. The approach is to unfriend one’s most vulnerable friends. However, when such a vulnerable friend is also socially important, unfriending him or her would significantly reduce one’s own social status. We formulate this novel problem as vulnerability minimization with social utility constraints. We formally define the optimization problem and provide an approximation algorithm with a proven bound. Finally, we conduct a large-scale evaluation of a new framework using a Facebook dataset. We resort to experiments and observe how much vulnerability an individual user can be decreased by unfriending a vulnerable friend. We compare performance of different unfriending strategies and discuss the security risk of new friend requests. Additionally, by employing different forms of social utility, we confirm that the balance between user vulnerability and social utility can be practically achieved.
Designing Vibrotactile Codes to Communicate Verb Phrases
Authors: Prasad Manoj , Russell Murat , Hammond Tracy A.
Published: October 2014

Soldiers, to guard themselves from enemy assault, have to maintain visual and auditory awareness of their environment. Their visual and auditory senses are thus saturated. This makes these channels less usable for communication. The tactile medium of communication with users is appropriate for displaying information in such situations. Research in interpersonal communication among soldiers shows that the most common form of communication between soldiers involves the use of verb phrases. In this article, we have developed a three-by-three tactile display and proposed a method for mapping the components of a verb phrase to two dimensions of tactile codes—shape and waveform. Perception of tactile codes by users depends on the ability of users to distinguish shape and waveform of the code. We have proposed a measure to rate the distinguish-ability of any two shapes and created a graph-based user-centric model using this measure to select distinguishable shapes from a set of all presentable shapes.

We conducted two user studies to evaluate the ability of users to perceive tactile information. The results from our first study showed users' ability to perceive tactile shapes, tactile waveforms, and form verb phrases from tactile codes. The recognition accuracy and time taken to distinguish were better when the shapes were selected from the graph model than when shapes were chosen based on intuition. The second user study was conducted to test the performance of users while performing a primary visual task simultaneously with a secondary audio or haptic task. Users were more familiar with perceiving information from an auditory medium than from a haptic medium, which was reflected in their performance. Thus the performance of users in the primary visual task was better while using an audio medium of communication than while using a haptic medium of communication.
Selecting the Right Correlation Measure for Binary Data
Authors: Duan Lian , Street W. Nick , Liu Yanchi , Xu Songhua , Wu Brook
Published: October 2014

Finding the most interesting correlations among items is essential for problems in many commercial, medical, and scientific domains. Although there are numerous measures available for evaluating correlations, different correlation measures provide drastically different results. Piatetsky-Shapiro provided three mandatory properties for any reasonable correlation measure, and Tan et al. proposed several properties to categorize correlation measures; however, it is still hard for users to choose the desirable correlation measures according to their needs. In order to solve this problem, we explore the effectiveness problem in three ways. First, we propose two desirable properties and two optional properties for correlation measure selection and study the property satisfaction for different correlation measures. Second, we study different techniques to adjust correlation measures and propose two new correlation measures: the Simplified χ2with Continuity Correction and the Simplified χ2with Support. Third, we analyze the upper and lower bounds of different measures and categorize them by the bound differences. Combining these three directions, we provide guidelines for users to choose the proper measure according to their needs.
Structured Streaming Skeleton -- A New Feature for Online Human Gesture Recognition
Authors: Zhao Xin , Li Xue , Pang Chaoyi , Sheng Quan Z. , Wang Sen , Ye Mao
Published: October 2014

Online human gesture recognition has a wide range of applications in computer vision, especially in human-computer interaction applications. The recent introduction of cost-effective depth cameras brings a new trend of research on body-movement gesture recognition. However, there are two major challenges: (i) how to continuously detect gestures from unsegmented streams, and (ii) how to differentiate different styles of the same gesture from other types of gestures. In this article, we solve these two problems with a new effective and efficient feature extraction method—Structured Streaming Skeleton (SSS)—which uses a dynamic matching approach to construct a feature vector for each frame. Our comprehensive experiments on MSRC-12 Kinect Gesture, Huawei/3DLife-2013, and MSR-Action3D datasets have demonstrated superior performances than the state-of-the-art approaches. We also demonstrate model selection based on the proposed SSS feature, where the classifier of squared loss regression with
l
2,1
norm regularization is a recommended classifier for best performance.
Museums go high-tech with digital forensics
Authors: Subbaraman Nidhi
Published: October 2014

Scientists are using cutting-edge scanning and visualization techniques to wow visitors and find new stories in ancient artifacts.
Vendor
Authors: Armour Phillip G.
Published: October 2014

Some hidden costs of outsourcing.
Ginseng
Authors: Agmon Ben-Yehuda Orna , Posener Eyal , Ben-Yehuda Muli , Schuster Assaf , Mu'alem Ahuva
Published: October 2014

Physical memory is the scarcest resource in today's cloud computing platforms. Cloud providers would like to maximize their clients' satisfaction by renting precious physical memory to those clients who value it the most. But real-world cloud clients are selfish: they will only tell their providers the truth about how much they value memory when it is in their own best interest to do so. How can real-world cloud providers allocate memory efficiently to those (selfish) clients who value it the most?

We present Ginseng, the first market-driven cloud system that allocates memory efficiently to selfish cloud clients. Ginseng incentivizes selfish clients to bid their true value for the memory they need when they need it. Ginseng continuously collects client bids, finds an efficient memory allocation, and re-allocates physical memory to the clients that value it the most. Ginseng achieves a 6.2×--15.8x improvement (83%--100% of the optimum) in aggregate client satisfaction when compared with state-of-the-art approaches for cloud memory allocation.