bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Acute Effects of Hold–Relax Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation With Vibration Therapy on Glenohumeral Internal-Rotation Deficit
Authors: Tucker W. Steven , Slone Stephen W.
Published: October 2015

Context:

Clinicians use various stretching techniques to prevent the onset of and treat glenohumeral internal-rotation deficit (GIRD). It is unknown which stretching technique is the most effective.

Objective:

To investigate the acute effects of hold–relax proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) with and without vibration therapy on internal rotation in individuals with GIRD.

Design:

2-within (stretch × time) comparison with repeated measures.

Setting:

Controlled laboratory.

Participants:

11 male current and former overhead athletes (19.8 ± 1.4 y, 184.5 ± 4.5 cm, 91.8 ± 11.6 kg) who presented with GIRD.

Interventions:

At 3 separate sessions, participants performed 1 of 3 randomly assigned stretches: hold–relax PNF (PNF), hold–relax PNF in combination with a whole-body-vibration unit set at 30 Hz (PNF-V), and static stretch (SS). Pretest and posttest maximum passive glenohumeral internal-rotation measurements were taken with a digital protractor.

Main Outcome Measures:

The dependent variables were the mean glenohumeral internal-rotation measurements taken at the pretest and posttest. The influence of stretch (PNF, PNF-V, and SS) and time (pretest and posttest) on mean glenohumeral internal rotation was compared using a 3 × 2 factorial ANOVA with repeated measures on both variables (P ≤ .05).

Results:

There was a stretch-by-time interaction (F2,20 = 34.697, P < .001). Post hoc testing revealed that the PNF posttest (73.0° ± 10.4°) was greater than the PNF pretest (60.0° ± 11.8°), the PNF-V posttest (74.7° ± 10.0°) was greater than the PNF-V pretest (57.4° ± 10.4°), and the SS posttest (67.0° ± 10.7°) was greater than the SS pretest (60.1° ± 9.4°). When comparing the posttest values, the PNF-V posttest was greater than the SS posttest.

Conclusions:

All 3 stretches (PNF, PNF-V, and SS) resulted in acute increases in glenohumeral internal rotation in individuals presenting with GIRD. The PNF-V stretch resulted in the greatest increase and would be the most clinically beneficial for patients with GIRD.
The Diagnostic Accuracy of Screening Tools to Detect Eating Disorders in Female Athletes
Authors: Wagner Alyssa J. , Erickson Casey D. , Tierney Dayna K. , Houston Megan N. , Bacon Cailee E. Welch
Published: October 2015

Clinical Scenario:

Eating disorders in female athletes are a commonly underdiagnosed condition. Better screening tools for eating disorders in athletic females could help increase diagnosis and help athletes get the treatment they need.

Focused Clinical Question:

Should screening tools be used to detect eating disorders in female athletes?

Summary of Key Findings:

The literature was searched for studies that included information regarding the sensitivity and specificity of screening tools for eating disorders in female athletes. The search returned 5 possible articles related to the clinical question; 3 studies met the inclusion criteria (2 cross-sectional studies, 1 cohort study) and were included. All 3 studies reported sensitivity and specificity for the Athletic Milieu Direct Questionnaire version 2, the Brief Eating Disorder in Athletes Questionnaire version 2, and the Physiologic Screening Test to Detect Eating Disorders Among Female Athletes. All 3 studies found that the respective screening tool was able to accurately identify female athletes with eating disorders; however, the screening tools varied in sensitivity and specificity values.

Clinical Bottom Line:

There is strong evidence to support the use of screening tools to detect eating disorders in female athletes. Screening tools with higher sensitivity and specificity have demonstrated a successful outcome of determining athletes with eating disorders or at risk for developing an eating disorder.

Strength of Recommendation:

There is grade A evidence available to demonstrate that screening tools accurately detect female athletes at risk for eating disorders.
Genome-wide inactivation of porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs)
Authors: Yang Luhan , Güell Marc , Niu Dong , George Haydy , Lesha Emal , Grishin Dennis , Aach John , Shrock Ellen , Xu Weihong , Poci Jürgen , Cortazio Rebeca , Wilkinson Robert A. , Fishman Jay A. , Church George
Published: October 2015

Virally cleansing the pig genome

Transplants from pigs could be a solution to a shortage of human organs for transplantation. Unfortunately, porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs) are rife in pigs and can be transmitted to humans, risking disease. L. Yang
et al.
integrated CRISPR-Cas into the pig cell genome, where continuous induction of the Cas9 editing enzyme resulted in the mutation of every single PERV reverse transcriptase gene. This prevented replication of all copies of PERV, viral infection, and transmission to human cells.

Science
, this issue p.
1101
Diary of a (new) parliamentary intern
Authors: Ridge Anthony
Published: October 2015

Anthony Ridge is the new parliamentary intern to Lord Trees. Here, he reflects on his new job and discovering his place in the veterinary profession. Anthony will be sharing his experiences with Vet Record Careers.
Balancing ballistic protection against physiological strain: evidence from laboratory and field trials
Authors: Taylor Nigel A.S. , Burdon Catriona A. , van den Heuvel Anne M.J. , Fogarty Alison L. , Notley Sean R. , Hunt Andrew P. , Billing Daniel C. , Drain Jace R. , Silk Aaron J. , Patterson Mark J. , Peoples Gregory E.
Published: October 2015

This project was based on the premise that decisions concerning the ballistic protection provided to defence personnel should derive from an evaluation of the balance between protection level and its impact on physiological function, mobility, and operational capability. Civilians and soldiers participated in laboratory- and field-based studies in which ensembles providing five levels of ballistic protection were evaluated, each with progressive increases in protection, mass (3.4–11.0 kg), and surface-area coverage (0.25–0.52 m2). Physiological trials were conducted on volunteers (N = 8) in a laboratory, under hot-dry conditions simulating an urban patrol: walking at 4 km·h−1(90 min) and 6 km·h−1(30 min or to fatigue). Field-based trials were used to evaluate tactical battlefield movements (mobility) of soldiers (N = 31) under tropical conditions, and across functional tests of power, speed, agility, endurance, and balance. Finally, trials were conducted at a jungle training centre, with soldiers (N = 32) patrolling under tropical conditions (averaging 5 h). In the laboratory, work tolerance was reduced as protection increased, with deep-body temperature climbing relentlessly. However, the protective ensembles could be grouped into two equally stressful categories, each providing a different level of ballistic protection. This outcome was supported during the mobility trials, with the greatest performance decrement evident during fire and movement simulations, as the ensemble mass was increased (–2.12%·kg−1). The jungle patrol trials similarly supported this outcome. Therefore, although ballistic protection does increase physiological strain, this research has provided a basis on which to determine how that strain can be balanced against the mission-specific level of required personal protection.
On braids and groups Gnk
Authors: Manturov Vassily Olegovich , Nikonov Igor Mikhailovich
Published: October 2015

In [Non-reidemeister knot theory and its applications in dynamical systems, geometry, and topology, preprint (2015), arXiv:1501.05208.] the first author gave the definition of [Formula: see text]-free braid groups [Formula: see text]. Here we establish connections between free braid groups, classical braid groups and free groups: we describe explicitly the homomorphism from (pure) braid group to [Formula: see text]-free braid groups for important cases [Formula: see text]. On the other hand, we construct a homomorphism from (a subgroup of) free braid groups to free groups. The relations established would allow one to construct new invariants of braids and to define new powerful and easily calculated complexities for classical braid groups.
The group Gn2 and invariants of free links valued in free groups
Authors: Manturov V. O. , Kim S.
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we define an invariant of free links valued in a free product of some copies of [Formula: see text]. In [Non-Reidemeister knot theory and its applications in dynamical systems, geometry, and topology, preprint (2015), arXiv:1501.05208v1] the second author constructed a connection between classical braid group and group presentation generated by elements corresponding to horizontal trisecants. This approach does not apply to links nor tangles because it requires that when counting trisecants, we have the same number of points at each level. For general tangles, trisecants passing through one component twice may occur. Free links can be obtained from tangles by attaching two end points of each component. We shall construct an invariant of free links and free tangles valued in groups as follows: we associate elements in the groups with 4-valent vertices of free tangles (or free links). For a free link with enumerated component, we “read” all the intersections when traversing a given component and write them as a group element. The problem of “pure crossings” of a component with itself by using the following statement: if two diagrams with no pure crossings are equivalent then they are equivalent by a sequence of moves where no intermediate diagram has a pure crossing. This statement is a result of a sort that an equivalence relation within a subset coincides with the equivalence relation induced from a larger set and it is interesting by itself.
Every timelike geodesic in Anti-de Sitter spacetime is a circle of the same radius
Authors: Sokołowski Leszek M. , Golda Zdzisław A.
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we refine and analytically prove an old proposition due to Calabi and Markus on the shape of timelike geodesics of anti-de Sitter space in the ambient flat space. We prove that each timelike geodesic forms in the ambient space a circle of the radius determined by [Formula: see text], lying on a Euclidean two-plane. Then, we outline an alternative proof for [Formula: see text]. We also make a comment on the shape of timelike geodesics in de Sitter space.
EFFECT OF SURFACTANT ON THE MORPHOLOGY OF ZnO/Al:ZnO NANOSTRUCTURES AND THEIR ETHANOL SENSING APPLICATIONS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
Authors: CHITRA M. , UTHAYARANI K. , RAJASEKARAN N. , NEELAKANDESWARI N. , GIRIJA E. K. , PADIYAN D. PATHINETTAM
Published: October 2015

Zinc oxide (ZnO) and aluminum (Al) doped ZnO nanostructures with and without surfactant have been successfully prepared via sol-gel route. The effect of the surfactant glyoxalic acid and various concentration of Al on the structural property of ZnO was analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The morphology of the samples was recorded using field emission scanning electron microscopy. The uniform distribution of ZnO nanostructures with hexagonal facets is facilitated by the surfactant and the grain growth is further inhibited by the increase in concentration of Al. The ethanol (0–300[Formula: see text]ppm) sensing characteristics of the as-prepared samples were systematically investigated at room temperature. Surfactant-assisted ZnO/Al:ZnO nanostructures show higher sensitivity of 94% at room temperature than ZnO/Al:ZnO nanostructures without surfactant. Faster response at 68[Formula: see text]s and recovery at 50[Formula: see text]s is also achieved by the samples. The surfactant-assisted ZnO nanostructures exhibit sharp selective detection towards ethanol when compared to the samples without surfactant. The enhanced ethanol sensing property may be ascribed to the larger surface area which is due to uniform and smaller crystallite size of the surfactant-assisted sample.
Collapsing the cardinals of HOD
Authors: Cummings James , Friedman Sy David , Golshani Mohammad
Published: October 2015

Assuming that GCH holds and [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]-supercompact, we construct a generic extension [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] in which [Formula: see text] remains strongly inaccessible and [Formula: see text] for every infinite cardinal [Formula: see text]. In particular the rank-initial segment [Formula: see text] is a model of ZFC in which [Formula: see text] for every infinite cardinal [Formula: see text].
The variety of three-dimensional real Jordan algebras
Authors: Kashuba Iryna , Martin María Eugenia
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we study the variety [Formula: see text] of three-dimensional Jordan algebras over the field of real numbers. We establish the list of [Formula: see text] non-isomorphic Jordan algebras and describe the irreducible components of [Formula: see text] proving that it is the union of Zariski closures of the orbits of eight rigid algebras.
The solvability comes from a given set of character degrees
Authors: Shafiei Farideh , Iranmanesh Ali
Published: October 2015

Let [Formula: see text] be a finite group and the irreducible character degree set of [Formula: see text] is contained in [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] are distinct integers. We show that one of the following statements holds: [Formula: see text] is solvable; [Formula: see text]; or [Formula: see text] for some prime power [Formula: see text].
Comparison of the selectivity of [M(12-Crown-4)]+ (M=Li+, Na+, K+) complexes for halide anions and some neutral molecules; a computational study
Authors: Dastineh Faranak , Salehzadeh Sadegh , Bayat Mehdi , Maghsoud Yazdan
Published: October 2015

A theoretical study on the selectivity of a series of [M(12C4)][Formula: see text] (M = Li[Formula: see text], Na[Formula: see text], K[Formula: see text], 12C4 = 12-crown-4) complexes for F[Formula: see text], Cl[Formula: see text] and Br[Formula: see text] anions and a number of neutral molecules (CH3CN, CH3OH, NH3, H2O, py, and 12C4) is reported. At first, it was shown that in the gas phase among all studied halide anions and neutral molecules, halides have much more bonding interaction with all [M(12C4)][Formula: see text] cations. Calculated interaction energies of above anions and [M(12C4)][Formula: see text] cations decrease from F[Formula: see text] to Br[Formula: see text]. Also the interaction energy of halide anions with [M(12C4)][Formula: see text] complexes, decreases from [Li(12C4)][Formula: see text] to [K(12C4)][Formula: see text]. The electron decomposition analysis showed that the bond between [M(12C4)][Formula: see text] complexes and both the neutral and anion guests is mainly electrostatic in nature. Then the selectivity of [M(12C4)][Formula: see text] complexes for studied anions and neutral molecules are compared in methanol, acetone, acetonitrile, and nitromethane solutions. It was shown that both the desolvation process of reactants and the strength of host–guest interactions have significant effect on the selectivities. Thus the selectivity of [Li(12C4)][Formula: see text] cation for NH3and H2O neutral molecules in solution, in contrast to the gas phase, is higher than that for bromide anion. The results of calculations showed that all [M(12C4)][Formula: see text] complexes, specially [Li(12C4)][Formula: see text], have high selectivity for F[Formula: see text] over other halide anions and neutral molecules.
Estimation of self-similar Gaussian fields using wavelet transform
Authors: Wu Liang , Ding Yiming
Published: October 2015

We propose an estimator [Formula: see text] for the Hurst parameters [Formula: see text] of fractional Brownian sheet (FBS), which plays an important role in modeling anisotropic self-similar Gaussian fields. The proposed estimator is based on the stationarity and scale invariance of hyperbolic wavelet coefficients of FBS and the weighted least squares. We use simulated fields to validate the proposed estimator. The estimator performs well in both the standard deviation and the root mean square error.
Three-dimensional wavelet analysis on turbulent structure of dune wake flow
Authors: Zheng Yan , Rinoshika Akira , Fujimoto Shun
Published: October 2015

The three-dimensional (3D) turbulent structure was simulated by large eddy simulation (LES), and then the numerical result was validated by PIV experiment. In order to give a detailed description of dune wake flow, the instantaneous velocity, vorticity, and pressure were decomposed into the large-, intermediate- and relatively small-scale components by 3D wavelet multi-resolution technique. To get a further understanding of coherent structure, the decomposed wavelet components were employed to calculate Q-criterion. It was found that the rollers and horse-shoe structures in the separation bubble were mainly contributed from large-scale structures and it made the most significance to the vorticity concentration. The observations of intermediate-scale horse-shoe structures indicated that the coherent structure was the combined effect of large- and intermediate-scale structures. Besides, from the visualization of 3D streamlines and pressure iso-surfaces, the separation bubble and pressure distribution are found to be dominated by large-scale structure.
Stochastic modeling for dynamics of HIV-1 infection using cellular automata: A review
Authors: Precharattana Monamorn
Published: October 2015

Recently, the description of immune response by discrete models has emerged to play an important role to study the problems in the area of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, leading to AIDS. As infection of target immune cells by HIV-1 mainly takes place in the lymphoid tissue, cellular automata (CA) models thus represent a significant step in understanding when the infected population is dispersed. Motivated by these, the studies of the dynamics of HIV-1 infection using CA in memory have been presented to recognize how CA have been developed for HIV-1 dynamics, which issues have been studied already and which issues still are objectives in future studies.
Discovery of synergistic genetic network: A minimum spanning tree-based approach
Authors: Chatterjee Prantik , Pal Nikhil Ranjan
Published: October 2015

Identification of gene interactions is one of the very well-known and important problems in the field of genetics. However, discovering synergistic gene interactions is a relatively new problem which has been proven to be as significant as the former in genetics. Several approaches have been proposed in this regard and most of them depend upon information theoretic measures. These approaches quantize the gene expression levels, explicitly or implicitly and therefore, may lose information. Here, we have proposed a novel approach for identifying synergistic gene interactions directly from the continuous expression levels, using a minimum spanning tree (MST)-based algorithm. We have used this approach to find pairs of synergistically interacting genes in prostate cancer. The advantages of our method are that it does not need any discretization and it can be extended straightway to find synergistically interacting sets of genes having three or more elements as per the requirement of the situation. We have demonstrated the relevance of the synergistic genes in cancer biology using KEGG pathway analysis and otherwise.
A Comparable Study on the Microwave Absorption Properties of Al/Fe/Co Doped OMC/Paraffin Wax Composites
Authors: Ren Yanyan , Li Hongfeng , Wu Guanglei , Yang Le , Zheng Chenhui , Wang Liuding , Ren Fang , Xing Hui , Wu Hongjing
Published: October 2015

Al/Fe/Co doped ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) composites have been synthesized by a facile method, and the influence of dopant on the electromagnetic (EM) and microwave absorption properties was investigated in the frequency range of 2–18[Formula: see text]GHz. Compared with Fe/Co–OMC composites, the Al–OMC nanocomposite played a great role in adjusting values and frequency dependence of complex permittivity, which gives rise to significant improved microwave absorption and reduced thickness of the corresponding paraffin wax composites. Reflection loss (RL) values less than [Formula: see text]5[Formula: see text]dB and [Formula: see text]10[Formula: see text]dB were obtained in the frequency range of 9.2–18[Formula: see text]GHz and 10.7–14.7[Formula: see text]GHz with a single thickness of 2.00[Formula: see text]mm, respectively. Such enhanced EM wave absorption property of the Al–OMC/paraffin wax composite was ascribed to its superior impedance matching characteristic. Thin thickness, broadband absorption microwave absorbers with Al doped OMC nanocomposites were obtained.
AlN with Strong Blue Emission Synthesized Through a Solventless Route
Authors: Wang Wei , Zhang Peng , Wang Xiaobai , Lei Xiang , Chen Xiaodong , Ding Hong , Yang Hua
Published: October 2015

Aluminum nitride (AlN) with strong blue emission at 450[Formula: see text]nm has been synthesized from hexahydrate aluminum chloride and urea above [Formula: see text]C via a solventless route. Several aluminum and nitrogen sources are selected and well investigated to determine the effect of AlN synthesis. Moreover, the structure, component, morphology, photoluminescence properties and possible synthesis mechanism are also discussed carefully.
Climate Change, Soil Salinity and Road Maintenance Costs in Coastal Bangladesh
Authors: Dasgupta Susmita , Hossain Md. Moqbul , Huq Mainul , Wheeler David
Published: October 2015

The potentially-adverse impact of salinity on paved roads is well-established in the engineering literature. The problem seems destined to grow, as climate-related changes in sea level and riverine flows drive future increases in soil salinity. However, data scarcity has prevented systematic analysis for poor countries. This paper assesses the impact of soil salinity on road maintenance expenditures in the coastal region of Bangladesh. The assessment draws on new panel measures of salinity from 41 stations in coastal Bangladesh, and road maintenance expenditures, income, road network length and road surfaces from 20 coastal municipalities. In a model relating to maintenance expenditure for paved roads to soil salinity, municipal income and road network length, large and significant effects are found for salinity. The regression model is used to predict the effect of within-sample salinity variation on road maintenance expenditure share, holding municipal income and road length constant at sample mean values. Increasing salinity from its sample minimum to its sample maximum increases the predicted road maintenance expenditure share by 252%. The implied welfare impact may also be substantial, particularly for poor households, if diversion of expenditures to road maintenance reduces support for community sanitation, health and other infrastructure-related programs.
Lifetime Analysis of Rubber Gasket Composed of Methyl Vinyl Silicone Rubber with Low-Temperature Resistance
Authors: Kwon Young-Doo , Jun Seong-Hwa , Song Ji-Min
Published: October 2015

Most machines and instruments constantly require elastomeric materials like rubber for the purposes of shock absorption, noise attenuation, and sealing. The material properties and accurate lifetime prediction of rubber are closely related to the quality of machines, especially their durability and reliability. The properties of rubber-like elastomers are influenced by ambient conditions, such as temperature, environment, and mechanical load. Moreover, the initial properties of rubber gaskets must be sustained under working conditions to satisfy their required function. Because of its technical merits, as well as its low cost, the highly accelerated life test (HALT) is used by many researchers to predict the long-term lifetime of rubber materials. Methyl vinyl silicone rubber (VMQ) has recently been adopted to improve the lifetime of automobile radiator gaskets. A four-parameter method of determining the recovery ability of the gaskets was recently published, and two revised methods of obtaining the recovery were proposed for polyacrylate (ACM) rubber. The recovery rate curves for VMQ were acquired using the successive zooming genetic algorithm (SZGA). The gasket lifetime for the target recovery (60%) of a compressed gasket was computed somewhat differently depending on the selected regression model.
Interdisciplinary Medication Adherence Program: The Example of a University Community Pharmacy in Switzerland
Authors: Lelubre Mélanie , Kamal Susan , Genre Noëllie , Celio Jennifer , Gorgerat Séverine , Hugentobler Hampai Denise , Bourdin Aline , Berger Jerôme , Bugnon Olivier , Schneider Marie
Published: October 2015

The Community Pharmacy of the Department of Ambulatory Care and Community Medicine (Policlinique Médicale Universitaire, PMU), University of Lausanne, developed and implemented an interdisciplinary medication adherence program. The program aims to support and reinforce medication adherence through a multifactorial and interdisciplinary intervention. Motivational interviewing is combined with medication adherence electronic monitors (MEMS, Aardex MWV) and a report to patient, physician, nurse, and other pharmacists. This program has become a routine activity and was extended for use with all chronic diseases. From 2004 to 2014, there were 819 patient inclusions, and 268 patients were in follow-up in 2014. This paper aims to present the organization and program’s context, statistical data, published research, and future perspectives.
Controllability of Multiagent Systems with a Directed Tree
Authors: Wang Li , Han Xiao
Published: October 2015

This paper addresses the controllability problem of multiagent systems with a directed tree based on the classic agreement protocol, in which the information communication topologies being a directed tree and containing a directed tree are both investigated. Different from the literatures, a new method, the star transform, is proposed to study the controllability of multiagent systems with directed topology. Some sufficient and necessary conditions are given for the controllability of such multiagent system. Numerical examples and simulations are proposed to illustrate the theoretical results.
Optimal Limited Stop-Loss Reinsurance under VaR, TVaR, and CTE Risk Measures
Authors: Zhou Xianhua , Zhang Huadong , Fan Qingquan
Published: October 2015

This paper aims to provide a practical optimal reinsurance scheme under particular conditions, with the goal of minimizing total insurer risk. Excess of loss reinsurance is an essential part of the reinsurance market, but the concept of stop-loss reinsurance tends to be unpopular. We study the purchase arrangement of optimal reinsurance, under which the liability of reinsurers is limited by the excess of loss ratio, in order to generate a reinsurance scheme that is closer to reality. We explore the optimization of limited stop-loss reinsurance under three risk measures: value at risk (VaR), tail value at risk (TVaR), and conditional tail expectation (CTE). We analyze the topic from the following aspects: (1) finding the optimal franchise point with limited stop-loss coverage, (2) finding the optimal limited stop-loss coverage within a certain franchise point, and (3) finding the optimal franchise point with limited stop-loss coverage. We provide several numerical examples. Our results show the existence of optimal values and locations under the various constraint conditions.
Sampling and Homogenization Strategies Significantly Influence the Detection of Foodborne Pathogens in Meat
Authors: Rohde Alexander , Hammerl Jens Andre , Appel Bernd , Dieckmann Ralf , Al Dahouk Sascha
Published: October 2015

Efficient preparation of food samples, comprising sampling and homogenization, for microbiological testing is an essential, yet largely neglected, component of foodstuff control.Salmonella entericaspiked chicken breasts were used as a surface contamination model whereas salami and meat paste acted as models of inner-matrix contamination. A systematic comparison of different homogenization approaches, namely, stomaching, sonication, and milling by FastPrep-24 or SpeedMill, revealed that for surface contamination a broad range of sample pretreatment steps is applicable and loss of culturability due to the homogenization procedure is marginal. In contrast, for inner-matrix contamination long treatments up to 8 min are required and only FastPrep-24 as a large-volume milling device produced consistently good recovery rates. In addition, sampling of different regions of the spiked sausages showed that pathogens are not necessarily homogenously distributed throughout the entire matrix. Instead, in meat paste the core region contained considerably more pathogens compared to the rim, whereas in the salamis the distribution was more even with an increased concentration within the intermediate region of the sausages. Our results indicate that sampling and homogenization as integral parts of food microbiology and monitoring deserve more attention to further improve food safety.
Effects of Adherence to Statin Therapy on Health Care Outcomes and Utilizations in Taiwan: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Li Ying-Chun , Huang Wei-Ling
Published: October 2015

Aim. Good medication adherence may decrease the probability of worse outcomes and reduce unnecessary medical care costs. This study aims to evaluate medication adherence for people on statin therapy.Methods. National health insurance databases were analyzed from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2007. Study samples were patients of 45 years and older adults who took statin for the first time during the study period. Medication possession ratio (MPR) was measured until the patients had hospitalization or reached the three-year follow-up period. We identified a good (MPR ≥ 80%) and a poor (MPR < 80%) medication adherence group to conduct statistical analyses.Results.40.8% of patients were of good medication adherence and 59.2% were of poor medication adherence. Multivariate logistic regression model indicated that the MPR ≥ 80% group had significantly less probability of hospitalization (P<0.001). Being men, increasing age, higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores, seeking care mostly in the medical center or teaching hospitals, and living in the suburban or rural areas had higher probability of hospitalization (P<0.05orP<0.001). The MPR ≥ 80% group spent less hospitalization expenditures (P<0.001).Conclusion.Effective interventions may be applied to the poor medication adherence group in order to improve their health care outcomes.
An Investigation of the Design Potential of Thermochromic Home Textiles Used with Electric Heating Techniques
Authors: Chen Hung-Jen , Huang Lan-Hui
Published: October 2015

Thermochromic colorants have been developed since before the 1900s. There are a large number of patents in different applications of thermochromic textiles, but many innovations leave the field of aesthetic and functional textile design unexplored in the area of smart materials. This study aims to develop thermochromic home textiles that change colors and patterns by integrating thermochromic pigments and electric conductive yarns into textile structures. Stainless steel conductive yarns were sewed on textile substrates to enable heat generation to increase fabric temperature. The heat generation and temperature rise could be controlled by monitoring the voltage applied. The experiments of this study focused on analyzing electric resistance and heating properties of the conductive yarns and observing color changing time and color changing effects of the thermochromic textiles. By using the technique in this research, an image of “tai chi” was designed and implemented in a backlighting thermochromic fabric. It illustrates a range of opportunities for thermochromic textiles in new design research directions of Chinese calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting.
Panax notoginsengSaponins Attenuate Phenotype Switching of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Induced by Notch3 Silencing
Authors: Liu Nan , Shan Dazhi , Li Ying , Chen Hui , Gao Yonghong , Huang Yonghua
Published: October 2015

Panax notoginsengsaponins (PNS) could maintain vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in stable phenotypes so as to keep blood vessel elasticity as well as prevent failing in endovascular treatment with stent. Downregulation of Notch3 expression in VSMCs could influence the phenotype of VSMCs under pathologic status. However, whether PNS is able to attenuate the Notch3 silencing induced phenotype switching of VSMCs remains poorly understood. Primary human VSMCs were transfected with a plasmid containing a small interfering RNA (siRNA) against Notch3 and then exposed to different doses of PNS. The control groups included cells not receiving any treatment and cells transfected with a control siRNA. Phenotypic switching was evaluated by observing cell morphology with confocal microscopy, as well as examiningα-SM-actin, SM22α, and OPN using Western blot. Downregulated Notch3 with a siRNA induced apparent phenotype switching, as reflected by morphologic changes, decreased expression ofα-SM-actin and SM22αand increased expression of OPN. These changes were inhibited by PNS in a dose-dependent manner. The phenotype switching of VSMCs induced by Notch3 knockdown could be inhibited by PNS in a dose-dependent manner. Our study provided new evidence for searching effective drug for amending stability of atherosclerotic disease.
Toxoplasma gondiiInfection in Pregnant Women: A Seroprevalence and Case-Control Study in Eastern China
Authors: Cong Wei , Dong Xiao-Yan , Meng Qing-Feng , Zhou Na , Wang Xiang-Yang , Huang Si-Yang , Zhu Xing-Quan , Qian Ai-Dong
Published: October 2015

Very limited information is available concerning the epidemiology ofT. gondiiinfection in pregnant women in eastern China. Therefore, a case-control study was conducted to estimate the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in this population group and to identify risk factors and possible routes of contamination. Serum samples were collected from 965 pregnant women and 965 age-matched nonpregnant control subjects in Qingdao and Weihai between October 2011 and July 2013. These were screened with enzyme linked immunoassays for the presence of anti-ToxoplasmaIgG and anti-ToxoplasmaIgM antibodies. 147 (15.2%) pregnant women and 167 (17.3%) control subjects were positive for anti-T. gondiiIgG antibodies, while 28 (2.9%) pregnant women and 37 (3.8%) controls were positive for anti-T. gondiiIgM antibodies (P=0.256). There was no significant difference between pregnant women and nonpregnant controls with regard to the seroprevalence of either anti-T. gondiiIgG or IgM antibodies. Multivariate analysis showed thatT. gondiiinfection was associated with location, cats in home, contact with cats and dogs, and exposure to soil. The results indicated that the seroprevalence ofT. gondiiinfection in pregnant women is high compared to most other regions of China and other East Asian countries with similar climatic conditions.
Serum Caveolin-1 as a Novel Biomarker in Idiopathic Pulmonary Artery Hypertension
Authors: Wang Kuo-Yang , Lee Mey-Fann , Ho Hung-Chin , Liang Kae-Woei , Liu Chia-Chi , Tsai Wan-Jane , Lin Wei-Wen
Published: October 2015

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disease but with significant morbidity and high mortality. There is no specific way to diagnose PAH. Thus, an easy used with good sensitivity and specificity biomarker of PAH is highly desirable to aid in the screening, diagnosis, and follow-up. Caveolin-1 (Cav1) is the structural protein of caveolae and is highly expressed in type I pneumocytes. Lungs tissues from idiopathic PAH (IPAH) patients showed decreased expression of Cav1 in vascular endothelial cells. Therefore, we developed a direct sandwich immunoassay for the determination of Cav1 in IAPH patient’s serum. The result disclosed serum Cav1 level was significantly lower in IPAH than control groups. Using serum Cav1, 17.17 pg/mL as a cutoff value, the sensitivity was 0.59 and the specificity was 1.0. There were two major findings in our results. First, serum Cav1 might be a novel biomarker in the diagnosis of IPAH with fare sensitivity and good specificity. Second, Cav1 might be used to make differential diagnosis between COPD-PH and IPAH group.
The Variations of Thermal Contact Resistance and Heat Transfer Rate of the AlN Film Compositing with PCM
Authors: Chou Huann-Ming , Wang Jin-Chi , Chang Yuh-Ping
Published: October 2015

The electrical industries have been fast developing over the past decades. Moreover, the trend of microelements and packed division multiplex is obviously for the electrical industry. Hence, the high heat dissipative and the electrical insulating device have been popular and necessary. The thermal conduct coefficient of aluminum nitride (i.e., AlN) is many times larger than the other materials. Moreover, the green technology of composite with phase change materials (i.e., PCMs) is worked as a constant temperature cooler. Therefore, PCMs have been used frequently for saving energy and the green environment. Based on the above statements, it does show great potential in heat dissipative for the AlN film compositing with PCM. Therefore, this paper is focused on the research of thermal contact resistance and heat transfer between the AlN/PCM pairs. According to the experimental results, the heat transfer decreases and the thermal contact resistance increases under the melting process of PCM. However, the suitable parameters such as contact pressures can be used to improve the above defects.
The Significance of Metastasectomy in Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma in the Era of Targeted Therapy
Authors: Yu Xiaoteng , Wang Bing , Li Xuesong , Lin Gang , Zhang Cuijian , Yang Yang , Fang Dong , Song Yi , He Zhisong , Zhou Liqun
Published: October 2015

Objective. To investigate the efficacy of surgery in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) and to identify prognostic factors. Methods. A single center retrospective study of 96 patients with mRCC from December 2004 to August 2013. Results. The median follow-up time was 45 months. Thirty-one (32.3%) of the patients received complete resection of metastatic sites, 11 (11.5%) of the patients underwent incomplete resection of metastatic sites, and 54 (56.3%) of the patients received no surgery. In the univariate Kaplan-Meier analysis, the median overall survival times of the three groups were 52 months, 16 months, and 22 months, respectively (p<0.001). The difference in the overall survival time was statistically significant between complete resection and no surgery groups (HR = 0.43, p=0.009), while there was no significant difference between the incomplete metastasectomy and no surgery groups (HR = 1.80, p=0.102). According to the multivariate Cox regression analysis, complete metastasectomy (HR = 0.49, p=0.033), T stage > 3 (HR = 1.88, p=0.015), disease free interval <12 months (HR = 2.34, p=0.003), and multiorgan involvement (HR = 2.00, p=0.011) were significant prognostic factors. Conclusion. In the era of targeted therapy, complete metastasectomy can improve overall survival. Complete metastasectomy, T stage > 3, disease free interval <12 months, and multiorgan involvement are independent prognostic factors.
A Multiscale Constraints Method Localization of 3D Facial Feature Points
Authors: Li Hong-an , Zhang Yongxin , Li Zhanli , Li Huilin
Published: October 2015

It is an important task to locate facial feature points due to the widespread application of 3D human face models in medical fields. In this paper, we propose a 3D facial feature point localization method that combines the relative angle histograms with multiscale constraints. Firstly, the relative angle histogram of each vertex in a 3D point distribution model is calculated; then the cluster set of the facial feature points is determined using the cluster algorithm. Finally, the feature points are located precisely according to multiscale integral features. The experimental results show that the feature point localization accuracy of this algorithm is better than that of the localization method using the relative angle histograms.
A Study of Image Classification of Remote Sensing Based on Back-Propagation Neural Network with Extended Delta Bar Delta
Authors: Zhang Shi Liang , Chang Ting Cheng
Published: October 2015

This paper proposes a model to extract feature information quickly and accurately identifying what cannot be achieved through traditional methods of remote sensing image classification. First, process the selected Landsat-8 remote sensing data, including radiometric calibration, geometric correction, optimal band combination, and image cropping. Add the processed remote sensing image to the normalized geographic auxiliary information, digital elevation model (DEM), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), working together to build a neural network that consists of three levels based on the structure of back-propagation neural and extended delta bar delta (BPN-EDBD) algorithm, determining the parameters of the neural network to constitute a good classification model. Then determine classification and standards via field surveys and related geographic information; select training samples BPN-EDBD for algorithm learning and training and, if necessary, revise and improve its parameters using the BPN-EDBD classification algorithm to classify the remote sensing image after pretreatment and DEM data and NDVI as input parameters and output classification results, and run accuracy assessment. Finally, compare with traditional supervised classification algorithms, while adding different auxiliary geographic information to compare classification results to study the advantages and disadvantages of BPN-EDBD classification algorithm.
Nonsingular Terminal Sliding Mode Control of Uncertain Second-Order Nonlinear Systems
Authors: Tran Minh-Duc , Kang Hee-Jun
Published: October 2015

This paper presents a high-performance nonsingular terminal sliding mode control method for uncertain second-order nonlinear systems. First, a nonsingular terminal sliding mode surface is introduced to eliminate the singularity problem that exists in conventional terminal sliding mode control. By using this method, the system not only can guarantee that the tracking errors reach the reference value in a finite time with high-precision tracking performance but also can overcome the complex-value and the restrictions of the exponent (the exponent should be fractional number with an odd numerator and an odd denominator) in traditional terminal sliding mode. Then, in order to eliminate the chattering phenomenon, a super-twisting higher-order nonsingular terminal sliding mode control method is proposed. The stability of the closed-loop system is established using the Lyapunov theory. Finally, simulation results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Molecular Epidemiology of Invasive Listeriosis due toListeria monocytogenesin a Spanish Hospital over a Nine-Year Study Period, 2006–2014
Authors: Ariza-Miguel Jaime , Fernández-Natal María Isabel , Soriano Francisco , Hernández Marta , Stessl Beatrix , Rodríguez-Lázaro David
Published: October 2015

We investigated the pathogenicity, invasiveness, and genetic relatedness of 17 clinicalListeria monocytogenesstains isolated over a period of nine years (2006–2014). All isolates were phenotypically characterised and growth patterns were determined. The antimicrobial susceptibility ofL. monocytogenesisolates was determined in E-tests. Invasion assays were performed with epithelial HeLa cells. Finally,L. monocytogenesisolates were subtyped by PFGE and MLST. All isolates had similar phenotypic characteristics (β-haemolysis and lecithinase activity), and three types of growth curve were observed. Bacterial recovery rates after invasion assays ranged from 0.09% to 7.26% (1.62 ± 0.46). MLST identified 11 sequence types (STs), and 14 PFGE profiles were obtained, indicating a high degree of genetic diversity. Genetic studies unequivocally revealed the occurrence of one outbreak of listeriosis in humans that had not previously been reported. This outbreak occurred in October 2009 and affected three patients from neighbouring towns. In conclusion, the molecular epidemiological analysis clearly revealed a cluster (three human cases, all ST1) of not previously reported listeriosis cases in northwestern Spain. Our findings indicate that molecular subtyping, in combination with epidemiological case analysis, is essential and should be implemented in routine diagnosis, to improve the tracing of the sources of outbreaks.
Algorithm for Identifying Minimum Driver Nodes Based on Structural Controllability
Authors: Haghighi Reza , Namazi HamidReza
Published: October 2015

Existing methods on structural controllability of networked systems are based on critical assumptions such as nodal dynamics with infinite time constants and availability of input signals to all nodes. In this paper, we relax these assumptions and examine the structural controllability for practical model of networked systems. We explore the relationship between structural controllability and graph reachability. Consequently, a simple graph-based algorithm is presented to obtain the minimum driver nodes. Finally, simulation results are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed algorithm in dealing with large-scale networked systems.
Ultra-High-Speed Travelling Wave Protection of Transmission Line Using Polarity Comparison Principle Based on Empirical Mode Decomposition
Authors: Wang Dong , Gao Houlei , Luo Sibei , Zou Guibin
Published: October 2015

The traditional polarity comparison based travelling wave protection, using the initial wave information, is affected by initial fault angle, bus structure, and external fault. And the relationship between the magnitude and polarity of travelling wave is ignored. Because of the protection tripping and malfunction, the further application of this protection principle is affected. Therefore, this paper presents an ultra-high-speed travelling wave protection using integral based polarity comparison principle. After empirical mode decomposition of the original travelling wave, the first-order intrinsic mode function is used as protection object. Based on the relationship between the magnitude and polarity of travelling wave, this paper demonstrates the feasibility of using travelling wave magnitude which contains polar information as direction criterion. And the paper integrates the direction criterion in a period after fault to avoid wave head detection failure. Through PSCAD simulation with the typical 500 kV transmission system, the reliability and sensitivity of travelling wave protection were verified under different factors’ affection.
Assessing Computational Steps for CLIP-Seq Data Analysis
Authors: Liu Qi , Zhong Xue , Madison Blair B. , Rustgi Anil K. , Shyr Yu
Published: October 2015

RNA-binding protein (RBP) is a key player in regulating gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. CLIP-Seq, with the ability to provide a genome-wide map of protein-RNA interactions, has been increasingly used to decipher RBP-mediated posttranscriptional regulation. Generating highly reliable binding sites from CLIP-Seq requires not only stringent library preparation but also considerable computational efforts. Here we presented a first systematic evaluation of major computational steps for identifying RBP binding sites from CLIP-Seq data, including preprocessing, the choice of control samples, peak normalization, and motif discovery. We found that avoiding PCR amplification artifacts, normalizing to input RNA or mRNAseq, and defining the background model from control samples can reduce the bias introduced by RNA abundance and improve the quality of detected binding sites. Our findings can serve as a general guideline for CLIP experiments design and the comprehensive analysis of CLIP-Seq data.