bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of CAG Repeat Polymorphism on the Targets of Testosterone Action
Authors: Tirabassi Giacomo , Cignarelli Angelo , Perrini Sebastio , delli Muti Nicola , Furlani Giorgio , Gallo Mariagrazia , Pallotti Francesco , Paoli Donatella , Giorgino Francesco , Lombardo Francesco , Gandini Loredana , Lenzi Andrea , Balercia Giancarlo
Published: September 2015

In the last decade, ample evidence has demonstrated the growing importance of androgen receptor (AR) CAG repeat polymorphism in andrology. This genetic parameter is able to condition the peripheral effects of testosterone and therefore to influence male sexual function and fertility, cardiovascular risk, body composition, bone metabolism, the risk of prostate and testicular cancer, the psychiatric status, and the onset of neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we extensively discuss the literature data and identify a role for AR CAG repeat polymorphism in conditioning the systemic testosterone effects. In particular, our main purpose was to provide an updated text able to shed light on the many and often contradictory findings reporting an influence of CAG repeat polymorphism on the targets of testosterone action.
Ginkgolide C Suppresses Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes via the AMPK Signaling Pathway
Authors: Liou Chian-Jiun , Lai Xuan-Yu , Chen Ya-Ling , Wang Chia-Ling , Wei Ciao-Han , Huang Wen-Chung
Published: August 2015

Ginkgolide C, isolated from Ginkgo biloba leaves, is a flavone reported to have multiple biological functions, from decreased platelet aggregation to ameliorating Alzheimer disease.
The study aim was to evaluate the antiadipogenic effect of ginkgolide C in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Ginkgolide C was used to treat differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. Cell supernatant was collected to assay glycerol release, and cells were lysed to measure protein and gene expression related to adipogenesis and lipolysis by western blot and real-time PCR, respectively. Ginkgolide C significantly suppressed lipid accumulation in differentiated adipocytes. It also decreased adipogenesis-related transcription factor expression, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein. Furthermore, ginkgolide C enhanced adipose triglyceride lipase and hormone-sensitive lipase production for lipolysis and increased phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), resulting in decreased activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase for fatty acid synthesis. In coculture with an AMPK inhibitor (compound C), ginkgolide C also improved activation of sirtuin 1 and phosphorylation of AMPK in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. The results suggest that ginkgolide C is an effective flavone for increasing lipolysis and inhibiting adipogenesis in adipocytes through the activated AMPK pathway.
Epidemiological Scenario of Dengue in Brazil
Authors: Fares Rafaelle C. G. , Souza Katia P. R. , Añez Germán , Rios Maria
Published: August 2015

Dengue is the most important reemerging mosquito-borne viral disease worldwide. It is caused by any of fourDengue virustypes or serotypes (DENV-1 to DENV-4) and is transmitted by mosquitoes from the genusAedes. Ecological changes have favored the geographic expansion of the vector and, since the dengue pandemic in the Asian and Pacific regions, the infection became widely distributed worldwide, reaching Brazil in 1845. The incidence of dengue in Brazil has been frequently high, and the number of cases in the country has at some point in time represented up to 60% of the dengue reported cases worldwide. This review addresses vector distribution, dengue outbreaks, circulating serotypes and genotypes, and prevention approaches being utilized in Brazil.
Feedforward Neural Network for Force Coding of an MRI-Compatible Tactile Sensor Array Based on Fiber Bragg Grating
Authors: Saccomandi Paola , Oddo Calogero Maria , Zollo Loredana , Formica Domenico , Romeo Rocco Antonio , Massaroni Carlo , Caponero Michele Arturo , Vitiello Nicola , Guglielmelli Eugenio , Silvestri Sergio , Schena Emiliano
Published: August 2015

This work shows the development and characterization of a fiber optic tactile sensor based on Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) technology. The sensor is a 3×3 array of FBGs encapsulated in a PDMS compliant polymer. The strain experienced by each FBG is transduced into a Bragg wavelength shift and the inverse characteristics of the sensor were computed by means of a feedforward neural network. A 21 mN RMSE error was achieved in estimating the force over the 8 N experimented load range while including all probing sites in the neural network training procedure, whereas the median force RMSE was 199 mN across the 200 instances of a Monte Carlo randomized selection of experimental sessions to evaluate the calibration under generalized probing conditions. The static metrological properties and the possibility to fabricate sensors with relatively high spatial resolution make the proposed design attractive for the sensorization of robotic hands. Furthermore, the proved MRI-compatibility of the sensor opens other application scenarios, such as the possibility to employ the array for force measurement during functional MRI-measured brain activation.
Stamps Detection and Classification Using Simple Features Ensemble
Authors: Forczmański Paweł , Markiewicz Andrzej
Published: August 2015

The paper addresses a problem of detection and classification of rubber stamp instances in scanned documents. A variety of methods from the field of image processing, pattern recognition, and some heuristic are utilized. Presented method works on typical stamps of different colors and shapes. For color images, color space transformation is applied in order to find potential color stamps. Monochrome stamps are detected through shape specific algorithms. Following feature extraction stage, identified candidates are subjected to classification task using a set of shape descriptors. Selected elementary properties form an ensemble of features which is rotation, scale, and translation invariant; hence this approach is document size and orientation independent. We perform two-tier classification in order to discriminate between stamps and no-stamps and then classify stamps in terms of their shape. The experiments carried out on a considerable set of real documents gathered from the Internet showed high potential of the proposed method.
A Multimodel Based Range Query Processing Algorithm for Information Collection in CPS
Authors: Li Guilin , Gao Xing , Guo Longjiang , Lin JunCong , Gao Ying , Liao Minghong
Published: August 2015

A multimodel based range query processing algorithm is proposed to solve the information collection task for the CPSs, which utilizes multiple probability models to depict the data distribution of a sensor node. The execution of the multimodel based algorithm consists of two phases, which are the preprocessing phase and the query processing phase. During the preprocessing phase, multiple models are constructed for each node according to their historical data. During the query processing phase, a suitable model is selected from the multiple models with the help of a sampling based algorithm, which is used to process the query. As the multimodel based algorithm needs to sample data from the network, it can waste energy more than that of the single model based algorithm in some cases, which does not sample data from the network. The cost of the multimodel based and single model based algorithm is analyzed. A cost model based algorithm is proposed to select a better algorithm to process a query from the two algorithms. Experimental results show that the cost model based algorithm can save 13.3% energy consumption more than that of the single model based algorithm.
A New Exact Solution of Burgers’ Equation with Linearized Solution
Authors: Kuo Chun-Ku , Lee Sen-Yung
Published: August 2015

This paper considers a general Burgers’ equation with the nonlinear term coefficient being an arbitrary constant. Two identical solutions of the general Burgers’ equation are separately derived by a direct integration method and the simplest equation method with the Bernoulli equation being the simplest equation. The proposed exact solutions overcome the long existing problem of discontinuity and can be successfully reduced to linearity, while the nonlinear term coefficient approaches zero. In addition, a general Cole-Hopf transform is introduced. Finally, the proposed derived solution is compared with the perturbation solution and other existing exact solutions. A new phenomenon, which we named “kink sliding,” is observed.
Data Mining for the Internet of Things: Literature Review and Challenges
Authors: Chen Feng , Deng Pan , Wan Jiafu , Zhang Daqiang , Vasilakos Athanasios V. , Rong Xiaohui
Published: August 2015

The massive data generated by the Internet of Things (IoT) are considered of high business value, and data mining algorithms can be applied to IoT to extract hidden information from data. In this paper, we give a systematic way to review data mining in knowledge view, technique view, and application view, including classification, clustering, association analysis, time series analysis and outlier analysis. And the latest application cases are also surveyed. As more and more devices connected to IoT, large volume of data should be analyzed, the latest algorithms should be modified to apply to big data. We reviewed these algorithms and discussed challenges and open research issues. At last a suggested big data mining system is proposed.
Smooth Muscle Cell Alignment and Phenotype Control by Melt Spun Polycaprolactone Fibers for Seeding of Tissue Engineered Blood Vessels
Authors: Agrawal Animesh , Lee Bae Hoon , Irvine Scott A. , An Jia , Bhuthalingam Ramya , Singh Vaishali , Low Kok Yao , Chua Chee Kai , Venkatraman Subbu S.
Published: August 2015

A method has been developed to induce and retain a contractile phenotype for vascular smooth muscle cells, as the first step towards the development of a biomimetic blood vessel construct with minimal compliance mismatch. Melt spun PCL fibers were deposited on a mandrel to form aligned fibers of 10 μm in diameter. The fibers were bonded into aligned arrangement through dip coating in chitosan solution. This formed a surface of parallel grooves, 10 μm deep by 10 μm across, presenting a surface layer of chitosan to promote cell surface interactions. The aligned fiber surface was used to culture cells present in the vascular wall, in particular fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. This topography induced “surface guidance” over the orientation of the cells, which adopted an elongated spindle-like morphology, whereas cells on the unpatterned control surface did not show such orientation, assuming more rhomboid shapes. The preservation of VSMC contractile phenotype on the aligned scaffold was demonstrated by the retention ofα-SMA expression after several days of culture. The effect was assessed on a prototype vascular graft prosthesis fabricated from polylactide caprolactone; VSMCs aligned longitudinally along a fiberless tube, whereas, for the aligned fiber coated tubes, the VSMCs aligned in the required circumferential orientation.
Factors Influencing Women’s Preferences for Places to Give Birth in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Tebekaw Yibeltal , James Mashalla Yohana , Thupayagale-Tshweneagae Gloria
Published: August 2015

The main aim of this study was to examine factors determining women’s preference for places to give birth in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A quantitative and cross-sectional community based study design was employed. Data was collected using structured questionnaire administered to 901 women aged 15–49 years through a stratified two-stage cluster sampling technique. Multinomial logistic regression model was employed to identify predictors of delivery care. More than three-fourth of slum women gave birth at public healthcare facilities compared to slightly more than half of the nonslum residents. Education, wealth quintile, the age of respondent, number of children, pregnancy intention, and cohabitation showed net effect on women’s preference for places to give birth. Despite the high number of ANC attendances, still many pregnant women especially among slum residents chose to deliver at home. Most respondents delivered in public healthcare institutions despite the general doubts about the quality of services in these institutions. Future studies should examine motivating factors for continued deliveries at home and whether there is real significant difference between the quality of maternal care service offered at public and private health facilities.
Online Optimization of Collaborative Web Service QoS Prediction Based on Approximate Dynamic Programming
Authors: Luo Xiong , Luo Hao , Chang Xiaohui
Published: August 2015

More recently, with the increasing demand of web services on the World Wide Web used in the Internet of Things (IoTs), there has been a growing interest in the study of efficient web service quality evaluation approaches based on prediction strategies to obtain accurate quality-of-service (QoS) values. However, it is obvious that the web service quality changes significantly under the unpredictable network environment. Such changes impose very challenging obstacles to web service QoS prediction. Most of the traditional web service QoS prediction approaches are implemented only using a set of static model parameters with the help of designer's a priori knowledge. Unlike the traditional QoS prediction approaches, our algorithm in this paper is realized by incorporating approximate dynamic programming- (ADP-) based online parameter tuning strategy into the QoS prediction approach. Through online learning and optimization, the proposed approach provides the QoS prediction with automatic parameter tuning capability, and prior knowledge or identification of the prediction model is not required. Therefore, the near-optimal performance of QoS prediction can be achieved. Experimental studies are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed ADP-based prediction approach.
Comment on “Transmission Model of Hepatitis B Virus with the Migration Effect”
Authors: Lashari Abid Ali
Published: August 2015

Some consequences of erroneous results concerning eigenvalues in the recent literature of mathematical biology are highlighted. Furthermore, an improved stability criterion and the true value of the basic reproduction number is presented.
Experimental Study on the Measurement of Water Bottom Vibration Induced by Underwater Drilling Blasting
Authors: Wenbin Gu , Jianghai Chen , Zhenxiong Wang , Zhihua Wang , Jianqing Liu , Ming Lu
Published: September 2015

Due to the lack of proper instrumentations and the difficulties in underwater measurements, the studies about water bottom vibration induced by underwater drilling blasting are seldom reported. In order to investigate the propagation and attenuation laws of blasting induced water bottom vibration, a water bottom vibration monitor was developed with consideration of the difficulties in underwater measurements. By means of this equipment, the actual water bottom vibration induced by underwater drilling blasting was measured in a field experiment. It shows that the water bottom vibration monitor could collect vibration signals quite effectively in underwater environments. The followed signal analysis shows that the characteristics of water bottom vibration and land ground vibration induced by the same underwater drilling blasting are quite different due to the different geological environments. The amplitude and frequency band of water bottom vibration both exceed those of land ground vibration. Water bottom vibration is mainly in low-frequency band that induced by blasting impact directly acts on rock. Besides the low-frequency component, land vibration contains another higher frequency band component that induced by followed water hammer wave acts on bank slope.
Sulcus Fixation of Foldable Intraocular Lenses Guided by Ultrasound Biomicroscopy
Authors: Gao Shasha , Qin Tingyu , Wang Shengnan , Lu Yong
Published: August 2015

Background. To evaluate the clinical efficacy of suture fixation of foldable intraocular lens (IOL) in ciliary sulcus guided by ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM).Methods. Thirty-five eyes of 32 cases needing suture fixation of foldable IOL in ciliary sulcus in our hospital were collected and divided into two groups: group A and group B. In group A, UBM was performed on 19 eyes of 17 cases before surgery to locate the projection position of ciliary sulcus in iris surface. In group B, the traditional sulcus fixation of IOL was performed on 16 eyes of 15 cases. The inserting position of needles, the haptics position of IOL and the IOL tilt, and decentration were observed by UBM examination 3 months after the surgery. Meanwhile, the vision and contrast sensitivity were analysed.Results. The differences in inserting position of the needle, the IOL tilt and decentration, the ratio of IOL haptics in sulcus, and uncorrected visual acuity were statistically significant (P<0.05). The differences in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and contrast sensitivity were not statistically significant (P>0.05).Conclusions.Sulcus fixation of foldable IOL aided by UBM can increase the accuracy of IOL haptics implanted into ciliary sulcus and reduce the IOL tilt and decentration.
Two-Dimensional Code Based Spatiotemporal Modeling and Its Application in Object Tracing
Authors: Gao Yanghua , Zhang Zhihua , Wang Huanwen , Lu Hailiang
Published: August 2015

Space-time consistency is of great importance for mapping things from physical world to cyber world, which could be one of the fundamental issues in constructing cyber-physical system (CPS). A two-dimensional code spatiotemporal modeling method is proposed in this paper. We apply the two-dimensional code as an information carrier to store object's characteristics (object's ID, attributes, instructions, spatiotemporal data, etc.), the smartphone as a mobile device to obtain the object's real-time spatiotemporal data with its system time and GPS module; then the object's spatiotemporal information can be transmitted and stored in a backend server with a database. Meanwhile, the object's spatiotemporal information can also be inquired by smartphone users and other web users. A use case that applied this proposed method to trace object's smartphone information is described later, and the result shows that tracing objects with two-dimensional code has many advantages, such as fast reading and transmitting, low cost, and robust, confidential, and strong readability; furthermore, the proposed modeling method keeps the consistency of object's time and space in CPS.
Enzymatic Digestion and Mass Spectroscopies of N-Linked Glycans in Lacquer Stellacyanin fromRhus vernicifera
Authors: Tumurbaatar Oyunjargal , Yoshida Takashi
Published: August 2015

Lacquer stellacyanin was isolated and purified from lacquer acetone powder by continuous Sephadex column chromatographies using Sephadex C-50, DEAE A-50, and C-50 gels. The purified lacquer stellacyanin had a blue color with one major and three minor bands around 26 k Dain SDS PAGE. Trypsin- and chymotrypsin-treated lacquer stellacyanins were examined by LC/MS/MS to determine three N-glycosylation sites (N28, N60, and N102) and were further analyzed by MALDI TOF MS, indicating that the N-linked glycans were attached to the three asparagine (Asn) sites, respectively. In addition, after trypsin digestion and PNGase A and PNGase F treatments to cleave N-linked glycans from the Asn sites, it was found that lacquer stellacyanin had a xylose containing a biantennary N-linked glycan with core fucosylation consisting of 13 sugar residues (a complex type N-linked glycan) by MALDI TOF MS analysis. This is the first report on the structure of an N-linked glycan in lacquer stellacyanin.
Ultrasound Guided Intravenous Access by Nursing versus Resident Staff in a Community Based Teaching Hospital: A “Noninferiority” Trial
Authors: Carter Thomas , Conrad Chris , Wilson J. Link , Dogbey Godwin
Published: August 2015

Objectives. Ultrasound (US) guidance is a safe and effective method for peripheral intravenous (IV) catheter placement. However, no studies have directly compared the success rate of emergency medicine (EM) residents and nurses at using this technique especially in community hospital settings. This prospective “noninferiority” study sought to demonstrate that nursing staff are at least as successful as EM residents at placing US guided IVs.Methods. A group of 5 EM residents and 11 nurse volunteers with at least two years’ experience underwent training sessions in hands-on practice and didactic instruction with prospective follow-up. Two failed attempts on a patient using standard approach by an emergency department (ED) nurse were deemed to be “difficult sticks” and randomly assigned to either a nurse or resident, based on the day they presented.Results. A total of 90 attempts, consisting of trials on 90 patients, were recorded with a success rate of 85% and 86% for residents and nurses, respectively. With apvalue of .305, there was no statistically significant difference in the success rate between the residents and nurses.Conclusion. Properly trained nursing staff can be as equally successful as EM residents in placing US guided intravenous lines.
Effect of Bone Cement Implantation on Haemodynamics in Elderly Patients and Preventive Measure in Cemented Hemiarthroplasty
Authors: Qi Xiangbei , Zhang Yingze , Pan Jinshe , Ma Lijie , Wang Lin , Wang Jianzhao
Published: August 2015

This study was to investigate the influence of bone cement implantation on haemodynamics and the preventive effect of epinephrine hydrochloride on pulmonary embolism in elderly patients with cemented semihip replacement. 128 patients were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were treated with (group A, 64 cases) or without (group B, 64 cases) epinephrine hydrochloride saline. The monitoring indicators included systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and pulse oxygen saturation (SPO2). The indicators of the two groups were compared before and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 minutes after bone cement implantation. Analysis of variance and SNK-q test were used for the statistical analysis. Blood pressure and SPO2of group B decreased with statistical difference (P<0.05) and HR increased without statistical significance, comparing with those of group A. In group A, SBP, DBP, MAP, HR, and SPO2after bone cement implantation did not change significantly at each time point comparing with before implantation (P>0.05). Bone cement implantation has significant influence on hemodynamics in elderly patients with hemiarthroplasty. Flushing the bone marrow cavity with saline epinephrine hydrochloride is an effective measure to reduce the incidence of bone cement pulmonary embolism.
Robust Topology Optimization Based on Stochastic Collocation Methods under Loading Uncertainties
Authors: Zhao Qinghai , Chen Xiaokai , Ma Zheng-Dong , Lin Yi
Published: August 2015

A robust topology optimization (RTO) approach with consideration of loading uncertainties is developed in this paper. The stochastic collocation method combined with full tensor product grid and Smolyak sparse grid transforms the robust formulation into a weighted multiple loading deterministic problem at the collocation points. The proposed approach is amenable to implementation in existing commercial topology optimization software package and thus feasible to practical engineering problems. Numerical examples of two- and three-dimensional topology optimization problems are provided to demonstrate the proposed RTO approach and its applications. The optimal topologies obtained from deterministic and robust topology optimization designs under tensor product grid and sparse grid with different levels are compared with one another to investigate the pros and cons of optimization algorithm on final topologies, and an extensive Monte Carlo simulation is also performed to verify the proposed approach.
Room Temperature Imprint Using Crack‐Free Monolithic SiO2‐PVA Nanocomposite for Fabricating Microhole Array on Silica Glass
Authors: Fujino Shigeru , Ikeda Hiroshi
Published: August 2015

This paper aims to fabricate microhole arrays onto a silica glass via a room temperature imprint and subsequent sintering by using a monolithic SiO2‐poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposite as the silica glass precursor. The SiO2‐PVA suspension was prepared from fumed silica particles and PVA, followed by drying to obtain tailored SiO2‐PVA nanocomposites. The dependence of particle size of the fumed silica particles on pore size of the nanocomposite was examined. Nanocomposites prepared from 7 nm silica particles possessed suitable mesopores, whereas the corresponding nanocomposites prepared from 30 nm silica particles hardly possessed mesopores. The pore size of the nanocomposites increased as a function of decreasing pH of the SiO2‐PVA suspension. As a consequence, the crack‐free monolithic SiO2‐PVA nanocomposite was obtained using 7 nm silica particles via the suspension at pH 3. Micropatterns were imprinted on the monolithic SiO2‐PVA nanocomposite at room temperature. The imprinted nanocomposite was sintered to a transparent silica glass at 1200°C in air. The fabricated sintered glass possessed the microhole array on their surface with aspect ratios identical to the mold.
Context-Aware Recommendation via Graph-Based Contextual Modeling and Postfiltering
Authors: Wu Hao , Yue Kun , Liu Xiaoxin , Pei Yijian , Li Bo
Published: August 2015

Context-aware recommender systems generate more relevant recommendations by adapting them to the specific contextual situation of the user and have become one of the most active research areas in the recommender systems. However, there remains a key issue as how contextual information can be used to create intelligent and useful recommender systems. To assist the development and use of context-aware recommendation capabilities, we propose a graph-based framework to model and incorporate contextual information into the recommendation process in an advantageous way. A contextual graph-based relevance measure (CGR) is specifically designed to assess the potential relevance between the target user and the items further used to make an item recommendation. We also propose a probabilistic-based postfiltering strategy to refine the recommendation results as contextual conditions are explicitly given in a query. Depending on the experimental results on the two datasets, the CGR-based method is much superior to the traditional collaborative filtering methods, and the proposed postfiltering method is much effective in context-aware recommendation scenario.
Vertical Raindrop Size Distribution in Central Spain: A Case Study
Authors: Fraile Roberto , Castro Amaya , González-Colino Miguel , Alonso-Blanco Elisabeth , Fernández-Raga María , Palencia Covadonga , Calvo Ana I.
Published: August 2015

A precipitation event that took place on 12 October 2008 in Madrid, Spain, is analyzed in detail. Three different devices were used to characterize the precipitation: a disdrometer, a rain gauge, and a Micro Rain Radar (MRR). These instruments determine precipitation intensity indirectly, based on measuring different parameters in different sampling points in the atmosphere. A comparative study was carried out based on the data provided by each of these devices, revealing that the disdrometer and the rain gauge measure similar precipitation intensity values, whereas the MRR measures different rain fall volumes. The distributions of drop sizes show that the mean diameter of the particles varied considerably depending on the altitude considered. The level at which saturation occurs in the atmosphere is decisive in the distribution of drop sizes between 2,700 m and 3,000 m. As time passes, the maximum precipitation intensities are registered at a lower height and are less intense. The maximum precipitation intensities occurred at altitudes above 1,000 m, while the maximum fall speeds are typically found at altitudes below 700 m.
Volumetric MR-Guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound with Direct Skin Cooling for the Treatment of Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids: Proof-of-Concept Study
Authors: Ikink Marlijne E. , van Breugel Johanna M. M. , Schubert Gerald , Nijenhuis Robbert J. , Bartels Lambertus W. , Moonen Chrit T. W. , van den Bosch Maurice A. A. J.
Published: August 2015

Objective.To prospectively assess the safety and technical feasibility of volumetric magnetic resonance-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MR-HIFU) ablation with direct skin cooling (DISC) during treatment of uterine fibroids.Methods.In this proof-of-concept study, eight patients were consecutively selected for clinical MR-HIFU ablation of uterine fibroids with the use of an additional DISC device to maintain a constant temperature (T≈20°C) at the interface between the HIFU table top and the skin. Technical feasibility was verified by successful completion of MR-HIFU ablation. Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MRI was used to measure the treatment effect (nonperfused volume (NPV) ratio). Safety was evaluated by recording of adverse events (AEs) within 30 days’ follow-up.Results.All MR-HIFU treatments were successfully completed in an outpatient setting. The median NPV ratio was 0.56 (IQR [0.27–0.72]). Immediately after treatment, two patients experienced coldness related discomfort which resolved at the same day. No serious (device-related) AEs were reported. Specifically, no skin burns, cold injuries, or subcutaneous edema were observed.Conclusion.This study showed that it is safe and technically feasible to complete a volumetric MR-HIFU ablation with DISC. This technique may reduce the risk of thermal injury to the abdominal wall during MR-HIFU ablation of uterine fibroids. This trial is registered withNTR4189.
Proteins of Bartonella bacilliformis: Candidates for Vaccine Development
Authors: Henriquez-Camacho Cesar , Ventosilla Palmira , Minnick Michael F. , Ruiz Joaquim , Maguiña Ciro
Published: August 2015

Bartonella bacilliformis is the etiologic agent of Carrión’s disease or Oroya fever. B. bacilliformis infection represents an interesting model of human host specificity. The notable differences in clinical presentations of Carrión’s disease suggest complex adaptations by the bacterium to the human host, with the overall objectives of persistence, maintenance of a reservoir state for vectorial transmission, and immune evasion. These events include a multitude of biochemical and genetic mechanisms involving both bacterial and host proteins. This review focuses on proteins involved in interactions between B. bacilliformis and the human host. Some of them (e.g., flagellin, Brps, IalB, FtsZ, Hbp/Pap31, and other outer membrane proteins) are potential protein antigen candidates for a synthetic vaccine.
On the Nonlinear Behavior of the Piezoelectric Coupling on Vibration-Based Energy Harvesters
Authors: Silva Luciana L. , Savi Marcelo A. , Monteiro Paulo C. C. , Netto Theodoro A.
Published: August 2015

Vibration-based energy harvesting with piezoelectric elements has an increasing importance nowadays being related to numerous potential applications. A wide range of nonlinear effects is observed in energy harvesting devices and the analysis of the power generated suggests that they have considerable influence on the results. Linear constitutive models for piezoelectric materials can provide inconsistencies on the prediction of the power output of the energy harvester, mainly close to resonant conditions. This paper investigates the effect of the nonlinear behavior of the piezoelectric coupling. A one-degree of freedom mechanical system is coupled to an electrical circuit by a piezoelectric element and different coupling models are investigated. Experimental tests available in the literature are employed as a reference establishing the best matches of the models. Subsequently, numerical simulations are carried out showing different responses of the system indicating that nonlinear piezoelectric couplings can strongly modify the system dynamics.
Limitations on the Detection Rate of High-Risk HPV by Hybrid Capture 2 Methodology in High Grade Intraepithelial (HSIL) or Atypical Squamous Cells-Cannot Exclude HSIL (ASC-H) Cytological Lesions with Proved CIN2+
Authors: Noël Jean-Christophe , Simon Philippe
Published: September 2015

Recent literature data suggest that the high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs) testing with several molecular techniques could be an alternative to cytology in the detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasias of grade 2 or worse (CIN2+). However, any molecular techniques have its own limits and may give false negative results which must be clearly known before undertaking a primary HPV screening. This study aims to evaluate the performance of the high-risk HPV hybrid capture II detection kit (HCII) which is considered as a “gold standard technique” in a series of 100 women having proved both cytological lesions of atypical squamous cells-cannot exclude an HSIL (ASC-H) or high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and histological lesions of CIN2+. The clinical sensitivity of HCII in women with a cytological diagnosis of ASC-H/HSIL and a diagnosis of CIN2+ is high but not absolute and estimated at 96% (95,6% and 100% of women with a diagnosis of CIN2/3 or invasive squamous cell carcinoma, resp.). These data although they are infrequent must be clearly referred before to start an HPV primary screening of CIN2+ especially with HCII methodology.
The Association between Endometriomas and Ovarian Cancer: Preventive Effect of Inhibiting Ovulation and Menstruation during Reproductive Life
Authors: Grandi Giovanni , Toss Angela , Cortesi Laura , Botticelli Laura , Volpe Annibale , Cagnacci Angelo
Published: August 2015

Although endometriosis frequently involves multiple sites in the pelvis, malignancies associated with this disease are mostly confined to the ovaries, evolving from an endometrioma. Endometriomas present a 2-3-fold increased risk of transformation in clear-cell, endometrioid, and possibly low-grade serous ovarian cancers, but not in mucinous ovarian cancers. These last cancers are, in some aspects, different from the other epithelial ovarian cancers, as they do not appear to be decreased by the inhibition of ovulation and menstruation. The step by step process of transformation from typical endometrioma, through atypical endometrioma, finally to ovarian cancer seems mainly related to oxidative stress, inflammation, hyperestrogenism, and specific molecular alterations. Particularly, activation of oncogenic KRAS and PI3K pathways and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes PTEN and ARID1A are suggested as major pathogenic mechanisms for endometriosis associated clear-cell and endometrioid ovarian cancer. Both the risk for endometriomas and their associated ovarian cancers seems to be highly and similarly decreased by the inhibition of ovulation and retrograde menstruation, suggesting a common pathogenetic mechanism and common possible preventive strategies during reproductive life.
Application in Feature Extraction of AE Signal for Rolling Bearing in EEMD and Cloud Similarity Measurement
Authors: Han Long , Li Chengwei , Shen Liqun
Published: August 2015

Due to the powerful ability of EEMD algorithm in noising, it is usually applied to feature extraction of fault signal of rolling bearing. But the selective correctness of sensitive IMF after decomposition can directly influence the correctness of feature extraction of fault signal. In order to solve the problem, the paper firstly proposes a new method on selecting sensitive IMF based on Cloud Similarity Measurement. By comparing this method in simulation experiment with the traditional mutual information method, it is obvious that the proposed method has overcome the misjudgment in the traditional method and it has higher accuracy, by factually collecting the normal, damage, and fracture fault AE signal of the inner ring of rolling bearing as samples, which will be decomposed by EEMD algorithm in the experiments. It uses Cloud Similarity Measurement to select sensitive IMF which can reflect the fault features. Finally, it sets the Multivariate Multiscale Entropy (MME) of sensitive IMF as the eigenvalue of original signal; then it is classified by the SVM to determine the fault types exactly. The results of the experiments show that the selected sensitive IMF based on Cloud Similarity Measurement is effective; it can help to improve the accuracy of the fault diagnosis and feature extraction.
The Study on Media Access Control Protocol for Wireless Network in Library
Authors: Zeng Wen , Zhang Junsheng , Li Ying , Qu Peng
Published: August 2015

Wireless technology will be widely used in libraries with the development of the mobile network in the near future. This paper focuses on MAC protocol for wireless network based on ultra-wideband band (UWB) to solve the problems of real-time and reliability in the wireless transmitting. According to the particular signal characteristics such as low energy consumption and excellent location, we propose a multichannel MAC protocol (UWBIMAC) based on status-adaptive to choose the channel mechanism. Simulation results show that the protocol had the ability of stronger antijamming, improved network throughput, and provided better average delay performance than IEEE802.15.4 MAC, IEEE802.11 MAC, and other UWBIMAC protocols. This method could be used in the process of wireless transmission service in the library or other similar scenarios. To a certain extent, it solves the problem of real-time and reliable performance in the process of wireless communication.
The Covariance Adjustment Approaches for Combining Incomparable Cox Regressions Caused by Unbalanced Covariates Adjustment: A Multivariate Meta-Analysis Study
Authors: Dehesh Tania , Zare Najaf , Ayatollahi Seyyed Mohammad Taghi
Published: August 2015

Background. Univariate meta-analysis (UM) procedure, as a technique that provides a single overall result, has become increasingly popular. Neglecting the existence of other concomitant covariates in the models leads to loss of treatment efficiency. Our aim was proposing four new approximation approaches for the covariance matrix of the coefficients, which is not readily available for the multivariate generalized least square (MGLS) method as a multivariate meta-analysis approach.Methods. We evaluated the efficiency of four new approaches including zero correlation (ZC), common correlation (CC), estimated correlation (EC), and multivariate multilevel correlation (MMC) on the estimation bias, mean square error (MSE), and 95% probability coverage of the confidence interval (CI) in the synthesis of Cox proportional hazard models coefficients in a simulation study.Result. Comparing the results of the simulation study on the MSE, bias, and CI of the estimated coefficients indicated that MMC approach was the most accurate procedure compared to EC, CC, and ZC procedures. The precision ranking of the four approaches according to all above settings was MMC ≥ EC ≥ CC ≥ ZC.Conclusion. This study highlights advantages of MGLS meta-analysis on UM approach. The results suggested the use of MMC procedure to overcome the lack of information for having a complete covariance matrix of the coefficients.
A Phoenix++ Based New Genetic Algorithm Involving Mechanism of Simulated Annealing
Authors: Hu Luokai , Liu Jin , Liang Chao , Ni Fuchuan , Chen Hang
Published: August 2015

Genetic algorithm is easy to fall into local optimal solution. Simulated annealing algorithm may accept nonoptimal solution at a certain probability to jump out of local optimal solution. On the other hand, lack of communication among genes in MapReduce platform based genetic algorithm, the high-performance distributed computing technologies or platforms can further increase the execution efficiency of these traditional genetic algorithms. To this end, we propose a novel Phoenix++ based new genetic algorithm involving mechanism of simulated annealing. Simulated annealing genetic algorithm has two distinctive characteristics. First, it is the synthesis of the conventional genetic algorithm and the simulated annealing algorithm. This characteristic guarantees our proposed algorithm has a higher probability of getting the global optimal solution than traditional genetic algorithms. The other is that our algorithm is a parallel algorithm running on the high-performance parallel platform Phoenix++ instead of a conventional serial genetic algorithm. Phoenix++ implements the MapReduce programming model that processes and generates large data sets with our parallel, distributed algorithm on a cluster. The experiments indicate that the convergence speed of GA algorithm is significantly faster after adding the simulated annealing algorithm on Phoenix++ platform.
Effective Remediation of Lead Ions from Aqueous Solution by Chemically Carbonized Rubber Wood Sawdust: Equilibrium, Kinetics, and Thermodynamic Study
Authors: Biswas Swarup , Mishra Umesh
Published: August 2015

Rubber wood sawdust was carbonized into charcoal by chemical treatment which was used for removal of lead ion from aqueous solution. The work involves batch experiments to investigate the pH effect, initial concentration of adsorbate, contact time, and adsorbent dose. Experimental data confirmed that the adsorption capacities increased with increasing inlet concentration and bed height and decreased with increasing flow rate. Adsorption results showed a maximum adsorption capacity of 37 mg/g at 308 K. Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin model adsorption isotherm models were applied to analyze the process where Temkin was found as a best fitted model for present study. Simultaneously kinetics of adsorption like pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intraparticle diffusion models were investigated. Thermodynamic parameters were used to analyze the adsorption experiment. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the batch adsorption of lead ion onto chemically carbonized rubber wood sawdust.
A Novel Dynamic Weight Neural Network Ensemble Model
Authors: Li Kewen , Liu Wenying , Zhao Kang , Shao Mingwen , Liu Lu
Published: August 2015

Neural network is easy to fall into the minimum and overfitting in the application. The paper proposes a novel dynamic weight neural network ensemble model (DW-NNE). The Bagging algorithm generates certain neural network individuals which then are selected by the K-means clustering algorithm. In order to solve the problem that K-value cannot be selected automatically in the K-means clustering algorithm when conducting the selection of individuals, the K-value optimization algorithm based on distance cost function is put forward to find the optimal K-values. In addition, for the integrated output problems, the paper proposes a dynamic weight model which is based on fuzzy neural network with accordance to the ideas of dynamic weight. The experimental results show that the integrated approach can achieve better prediction accuracy compared to the traditional single model and neural network ensemble model.
Low-Cost Open-Source Voltage and Current Monitor for Gas Metal Arc Weld 3D Printing
Authors: Pinar A. , Wijnen B. , Anzalone G. C. , Havens T. C. , Sanders P. G. , Pearce J. M.
Published: August 2015

Arduino open-source microcontrollers are well known in sensor applications for scientific equipment and for controlling RepRap 3D printers. Recently low-cost open-source gas metal arc weld (GMAW) RepRap 3D printers have been developed. The entry-level welders used have minimal controls and therefore lack any real-time measurement of welder voltage or current. The preliminary work on process optimization of GMAW 3D printers requires a low-cost sensor and data logger system to measure welder current and voltage. This paper reports on the development of a low-cost open-source power measurement sensor system based on Arduino architecture. The sensor system was designed, built, and tested with two entry-level MIG welders. The full bill of materials and open source designs are provided. Voltage and current were measured while making stepwise adjustments to the manual voltage setting on the welder. Three conditions were tested while welding with steel and aluminum wire on steel substrates to assess the role of electrode material, shield gas, and welding velocity. The results showed that the open source sensor circuit performed as designed and could be constructed for <$100 in components representing a significant potential value through lateral scaling and replication in the 3D printing community.
Prognostics of Lithium-Ion Batteries Based on Wavelet Denoising and DE-RVM
Authors: Zhang Chaolong , He Yigang , Yuan Lifeng , Xiang Sheng , Wang Jinping
Published: August 2015

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in many electronic systems. Therefore, it is significantly important to estimate the lithium-ion battery’s remaining useful life (RUL), yet very difficult. One important reason is that the measured battery capacity data are often subject to the different levels of noise pollution. In this paper, a novel battery capacity prognostics approach is presented to estimate the RUL of lithium-ion batteries. Wavelet denoising is performed with different thresholds in order to weaken the strong noise and remove the weak noise. Relevance vector machine (RVM) improved by differential evolution (DE) algorithm is utilized to estimate the battery RUL based on the denoised data. An experiment including battery 5 capacity prognostics case and battery 18 capacity prognostics case is conducted and validated that the proposed approach can predict the trend of battery capacity trajectory closely and estimate the battery RUL accurately.
Modeling the Interaction betweenβ-Amyloid Aggregates and Choline Acetyltransferase Activity and Its Relation with Cholinergic Dysfunction through Two-Enzyme/Two-Compartment Model
Authors: Fgaier Hedia , Mustafa Ibrahim H. I. , Awad Asmaa A. R. , Elkamel Ali
Published: August 2015

The effect ofβ-amyloid aggregates on activity of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) which is responsible for synthesizing acetylcholine (ACh) in human brain is investigated through the two-enzyme/two-compartment (2E2C) model where the presynaptic neuron is considered as compartment 1 while both the synaptic cleft and the postsynaptic neuron are considered as compartment 2 through suggesting three different kinetic mechanisms for the inhibition effect. It is found that the incorporation of ChAT inhibition byβ-amyloid aggregates into the 2E2C model is able to yield dynamic solutions for concentrations of generatedβ-amyloid, ACh, choline, acetate, and pH in addition to the rates of ACh synthesis and ACh hydrolysis in compartments 1 and 2. It is observed that ChAT activity needs a high concentration ofβ-amyloid aggregates production rate. It is found that ChAT activity is reduced significantly when neurons are exposed to high levels ofβ-amyloid aggregates leading to reduction in levels of ACh which is one of the most significant physiological symptoms of AD. Furthermore, the system of ACh neurocycle is dominated by the oscillatory behavior when ChAT enzyme is completely inhibited byβ-amyloid. It is observed that the direct inactivation of ChAT byβ-amyloid aggregates may be a probable mechanism contributing to the development of AD.
On Approximate Controllability of Second-Order Neutral Partial Stochastic Functional Integrodifferential Inclusions with Infinite Delay and Impulsive Effects
Authors: Yan Zuomao
Published: August 2015

We discuss the approximate controllability of second-order impulsive neutral partial stochastic functional integrodifferential inclusions with infinite delay under the assumptions that the corresponding linear system is approximately controllable. Using the fixed point strategy, stochastic analysis, and properties of the cosine family of bounded linear operators combined with approximation techniques, a new set of sufficient conditions for approximate controllability of the second-order impulsive partial stochastic integrodifferential systems are formulated and proved. The results in this paper are generalization and continuation of the recent results on this issue. An example is provided to show the application of our result.