bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Genetics and the Genomics of Primary Congenital Glaucoma
Authors: Cascella Raffaella , Strafella Claudia , Germani Chiara , Novelli Giuseppe , Ricci Federico , Zampatti Stefania , Giardina Emiliano
Published: September 2015

The sight is one of the five senses allowing an autonomous and high-quality life, so that alterations of any ocular component may result in several clinical phenotypes (from conjunctivitis to severe vision loss and irreversible blindness). Most parts of clinical phenotypes have been significantly associated with mutations in genes regulating the normal formation and maturation of the anterior segments of the eye. Among the eye anterior segment disorders, special attention is given to Glaucoma as it represents one of the major causes of bilateral blindness in the world, with an onset due to Mendelian or multifactorial genetic-causative traits. This review will point out the attention on the Primary Congenital Glaucoma (PCG), which is usually transmitted according to an autosomal-recessive inheritance pattern. Taking into consideration the genetic component of the PCG, it is possible to observe a strong heterogeneity concerning the disease-associated loci (GLC3), penetrance defects, and expressivity of the disease. Given the strong PGC heterogeneity, pre- and posttest genetic counseling plays an essential role in the achievement of an appropriate management of PCG, in terms of medical, social, and psychological impact of the disease.
First Autochthonous Coinfected Anthrax in an Immunocompetent Patient
Authors: Afshar Parvaneh , Hedayati Mohammad Taghi , Aslani Narges , Khodavaisy Sadegh , Babamahmoodi Farhang , Mahdavi Mohammad Reza , Dolatabadi Somayeh , Badali Hamid
Published: September 2015

Cutaneous anthrax has a mortality rate of 20% if no antibacterial treatment is applied. The clinical manifestations of cutaneous anthrax are obviously striking, but coinfection may produce atypical lesions and mask the clinical manifestations and proper laboratory diagnosis. Anthrax is known to be more common in the Middle East and Iran is one of the countries in which the zoonotic form of anthrax may still be encountered. We report a case of a 19-years-old male who used to apply Venetian ceruse on his skin. Venetian ceruse (also known as Spirits of Saturn) is an old cosmetic product used for skin whitening traditionally made from sheep’s spinal cord. The patient referred to the Referral Laboratory, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran, with atypical dermatosis, pronounced pain, and oedema of the affected tissue. It was confirmed by both conventional and molecular analysis that culture was a mixture ofBacillus anthracisandTrichophyton interdigitale. The patient was initially treated with ceftriaxone (1000 mg/day for two weeks), gentamicin (1.5–2 mg/kg/day), terbinafine (200 mg/week for one month), and 1% clotrimazole cream (5 weeks) two times per day which resulted in gradual improvement. No relapse could be detected after one-year follow-up. Anthrax infection might present a broader spectrum of symptoms than expected by clinicians. These unfamiliar characteristics may lead to delayed diagnosis, inadequate treatment, and higher mortality rate. Clinicians need to be aware of this issue in order to have successful management over this infection.
Stabilization of Networked Distributed Systems with Partial and Event-Based Couplings
Authors: Zhang Sufang , Wang Wei , Huang Chi
Published: September 2015

The stabilization problem of networked distributed systems with partial and event-based couplings is investigated. The channels, which are used to transmit different levels of information of agents, are considered. The channel matrix is introduced to indicate the work state of the channels. An event condition is designed for each channel to govern the sampling instants of the channel. Since the event conditions are separately given for different channels, the sampling instants of channels are mutually independent. To stabilize the system, the state feedback controllers are implemented in the system. The control signals also suffer from the two communication constraints. The sufficient conditions in terms of linear matrix equalities are proposed to ensure the stabilization of the controlled system. Finally, a numerical example is given to demonstrate the advantage of our results.
Anti-Inflammatory Activity and Changes in Antioxidant Properties of Leaf and Stem Extracts fromVitex mollisKunth duringIn VitroDigestion
Authors: Morales-Del-Rio Juan Alfredo , Gutiérrez-Lomelí Melesio , Robles-García Miguel Angel , Aguilar Jose Antonio , Lugo-Cervantes Eugenia , Guerrero-Medina Pedro Javier , Ruiz-Cruz Saul , Cinco-Moroyoqui Francisco J. , Wong-Corral Francisco J. , Del-Toro-Sánchez Carmen Lizette
Published: September 2015

Vitex mollisis used in traditional Mexican medicine for the treatment of some ailments. However, there are no studies on what happens to the anti-inflammatory activity or antioxidant properties and total phenolic content of leaves and stem extracts ofVitex mollisduring the digestion process; hence, this is the aim of this work. Methanolic, acetonic, and hexanic extracts were obtained from both parts of the plant. Extract yields and anti-inflammatory activity (elastase inhibition) were measured. Additionally, changes in antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS) and total phenols content of plant extracts before and afterin vitrodigestion were determined. The highest elastase inhibition to prevent inflammation was presented by hexanic extracts (leaf = 94.63% and stem = 98.30%). On the other hand, the major extract yield (16.14%), antioxidant properties (ABTS = 98.51% and DPPH = 94.47% of inhibition), and total phenols (33.70 mg GAE/g of dried sample) were showed by leaf methanolic extract. Finally, leaf and stem methanolic extracts presented an antioxidant activity increase of 35.25% and 27.22%, respectively, in comparison to their initial values afterin vitrodigestion process. All samples showed a decrease in total phenols at the end of the digestion. These results could be the basis to search for new therapeutic agents fromVitex mollis.
Pediatric Glaucoma: A Literature’s Review and Analysis of Surgical Results
Authors: Scuderi Gianluca , Iacovello Daniela , Pranno Federica , Plateroti Pasquale , Scuderi Luca
Published: September 2015

The purpose of this paper is to review the surgical options available for the management of pediatric glaucoma, to evaluate their advantages and disadvantages together with their long-term efficacy, all with the intent to give guidelines to physicians on which elements are to be considered when taking a surgical decision. Currently there is a range of surgical procedures that are being used for the management of pediatric glaucoma. Within these, some are completely new approaches, while others are improvements of the more traditional procedures. Throughout this vast range of surgical options, angle surgery remains the first choice in mild cases and both goniotomy and trabeculotomy have good success rates. Trabeculectomy with or without mitomycin C (MMC) is preferred in refractory cases, in aphakic eyes, and in older children. GDIs have a good success rate in aphakic eyes. Nonpenetrating deep sclerectomy is still rarely used; nevertheless the results of ongoing studies are encouraging. The different clinical situations should always be weighed against the risks associated with the procedures for the individual patients. Glaucomatous progression can occur many years after its stabilization and at any time during the follow-up period; for this reason life-long assessment is necessary.
Optical Absorption and Electron Injection of 4-(Cyanomethyl)benzoic Acid Based Dyes: A DFT Study
Authors: Zhang Yuehua , Ren Penghui , Li Yuanzuo , Su Runzhou , Zhao Meiyu
Published: September 2015

Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations were carried out to study the ground state geometries, electronic structures, and absorption spectra of 4-(cyanomethyl)benzoic acid based dyes (AG1 and AG2) used for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The excited states properties and the thermodynamical parameters of electron injection were studied. The results showed that (a) two dyes have uncoplanar structures along the donor unit and conjugated bridge space, (b) two sensitizers exhibited intense absorption in the UV-Vis region, and (c) the excited state oxidation potential was higher than the conduction band edge of TiO2photoanode. As a result, a solar cell based on the 4-(cyanomethyl)benzoic acid based dyes exhibited well photovoltaic performance. Furthermore, nine dyes were designed on the basis of AG1 and AG2 to improve optical response and electron injection.
A Replication-Based Mechanism for Fault Tolerance in MapReduce Framework
Authors: Liu Yang , Wei Wei
Published: September 2015

MapReduce is a programming model and an associated implementation for processing and generating large data sets with a parallel, distributed algorithm on a cluster. In cloud environment, node and task failure are no longer accidental but a common feature of large-scale systems. Current rescheduling-based fault tolerance method in MapReduce framework failed to fully consider the location of distributed data and the computation and storage overhead of rescheduling failure tasks. Thus, a single node failure will increase the completion time dramatically. In this paper, a replication-based mechanism is proposed, which takes both task and node failure into consideration. Experimental results show that, compared with default mechanism in Hadoop, our mechanism can significantly improve the performance at failure time, with more than 30% decreasing in execution time.
Smart Mesoporous Silica Nanocapsules as Environmentally Friendly Anticorrosive Pigments
Authors: Zea C. , Barranco-García R. , Chico B. , Díaz I. , Morcillo M. , de la Fuente D.
Published: September 2015

Nowadays there is a special interest to study and develop new smart anticorrosive pigments in order to increase the protection life time of organic coatings and, simultaneously, to find alternatives to conventional toxic and carcinogenic hexavalent chromium compounds. In this respect, the great development of nanotechnologies in recent years has opened up a range of possibilities in the field of anticorrosive paints through the integration of encapsulated nanoscale containers loaded with active components into coatings. By means of a suitable design of the capsule, the release of the encapsulated corrosion inhibitor can be triggered by different external or internal factors (pH change, mechanical damage, etc.) thus preventing spontaneous leakage of the active component and achieving more efficient and economical use of the inhibitor, which is only released upon demand in the affected area. In the present work, the improved anticorrosive behaviour achieved by encapsulated mesoporous silica nanocontainers filled with an environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitor has been evaluated. It has been proven that a change in the pH allows the rupture of the capsules, the release of the inhibitor, and the successful protection of the carbon steel substrate.
Clinical Outcomes of Surgical Treatments for Primary Malignant Bone Tumors Arising in the Acetabulum
Authors: Fujiwara Tomohiro , Ogura Koichi , Kobayashi Eisuke , Tanzawa Yoshikazu , Nakatani Fumihiko , Chuman Hirokazu , Kawai Akira
Published: September 2015

The functional and oncologic results of eighteen patients with primary malignant periacetabular tumors were reviewed to determine the impact of surgical treatment. The reconstruction procedures were endoprosthesis (11), hip transposition (4), iliofemoral arthrodesis (2), and frozen bone autograft (1). After a mean follow-up of 62 months, 13 patients were alive and 5 had died of their disease; the 5-year overall survival rate was 67.2%. The corresponding mean MSTS scores of patients with endoprosthesis (11) and other reconstructions (7) were 42% and 55% (49%, 68%, and 50%), respectively. Overall, postoperative complications including deep infection or dislocation markedly worsened the functional outcome. Iliofemoral arthrodesis provided better function than the other procedures, whereas endoprosthetic reconstruction demonstrated poor functional outcome except for patients who were reconstructed with the adequate soft tissue coverage. Avoiding postoperative complications is highly important for achieving better function, suggesting that surgical procedures with adequate soft tissue coverage or without the massive use of nonbiological materials are preferable. Appropriate selection of the reconstructive procedures for individual patients, considering the amount of remaining bone and soft tissues, would lead to better clinical outcomes.
Potentiated Osteoinductivity via Cotransfection with BMP-2 and VEGF Genes in Microencapsulated C2C12 Cells
Authors: Shen Yang , Qiao Han , Fan Qiming , Zhang Shuhong , Tang Tingting
Published: September 2015

Microcapsules with entrapped cells hold great promise for repairing bone defects. Unfortunately, the osteoinductivity of microcapsules has been restricted by many factors, among which the deficiency of functional proteins is a significant priority. We potentiated the osteoinductivity of microencapsulated cells via cotransfection with BMP-2 and VEGF genes. Various tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells and cell lines were compared for BMP-2 and VEGF cotransfection. Ethidium bromide (EB)/Calcein AM staining revealed that all of the cell categories could survive for 4 weeks after microencapsulation. An ELISA assay indicated that all microencapsulated BMP-2 or VEGF transfected cells could secrete gene products constitutively for 1 month. Particularly, the recombinant microencapsulated C2C12 cells released the most desirable level of BMP-2 and VEGF. Further experiments demonstrated that microencapsulated BMP-2 and VEGF cotransfected C2C12 cells generated both BMP-2 and VEGF for 4 weeks. Additionally, the cotransfection of BMP-2 and VEGF in microencapsulated C2C12 cells showed a stronger osteogenic induction against BMSCs than individual BMP-2-transfected microencapsulated C2C12 cells. These results demonstrated that the cotransfection of BMP-2 and VEGF into microencapsulated C2C12 cells is of potent utility for the potentiation of bone regeneration, which would provide a promising clinical strategy for cellular therapy in bone defects.
Actinic Keratosis Clinical Practice Guidelines: An Appraisal of Quality
Authors: Kirby Joslyn S. , Scharnitz Thomas , Seiverling Elizabeth V. , Ahrns Hadjh , Ferguson Sara
Published: September 2015

Actinic keratosis (AK) is a common precancerous skin lesion and many AK management guidelines exist, but there has been limited investigation into the quality of these documents. The objective of this study was to assess the strengths and weaknesses of guidelines that address AK management. A systematic search for guidelines with recommendations for AK was performed. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) was used to appraise the quality of guidelines. Multiple raters independently reviewed each of the guidelines and applied the AGREE II tool and scores were calculated. Overall, 2,307 citations were identified and 7 fulfilled the study criteria. The Cancer Council of Australia/Australian Cancer Network guideline had the highest mean scores and was the only guideline to include a systematic review, include an evidence rating for recommendations, and report conflicts of interest and funding sources. High-quality, effective guidelines are evidence-based with recommendations that are concise and organized, so practical application is facilitated. Features such as concise tables, pictorial diagrams, and explicit links to evidence are helpful. However, the rigor and validity of some guidelines were weak. So, it is important for providers to be aware of the features that contribute to a high-quality, practical document.
Solutions to BSDEs Driven by Multidimensional Fractional Brownian Motions
Authors: Miao Jie , Yang Xu
Published: September 2015

We study more general backward stochastic differential equations driven by multidimensional fractional Brownian motions. Introducing the concept of the multidimensional fractional (or quasi-) conditional expectation, we study some of its properties. Using the quasi-conditional expectation and multidimensional fractional Itô formula, we obtain the existence and uniqueness of the solutions to BSDEs driven by multidimensional fractional Brownian motions, where a fixed point principle is employed. Finally, solutions to linear fractional backward stochastic differential equations are investigated.
Novel Interior Point Algorithms for Solving Nonlinear Convex Optimization Problems
Authors: Tahmasebzadeh Sakineh , Navidi Hamidreza , Malek Alaeddin
Published: September 2015

This paper proposes three numerical algorithms based on Karmarkar’s interior point technique for solving nonlinear convex programming problems subject to linear constraints. The first algorithm uses the Karmarkar idea and linearization of the objective function. The second and third algorithms are modification of the first algorithm using the Schrijver and Malek-Naseri approaches, respectively. These three novel schemes are tested against the algorithm of Kebiche-Keraghel-Yassine (KKY). It is shown that these three novel algorithms are more efficient and converge to the correct optimal solution, while the KKY algorithm fails in some cases. Numerical results are given to illustrate the performance of the proposed algorithms.
The Study of a Mathematical Model in Information Acquisition and Disclosure
Authors: Huang Ce
Published: September 2015

A mathematical model involving a decision maker and an expert is investigated. Through analyzing the model, we obtain several results on the expert’s information acquisition and disclosure strategy. When withholding information is costly to the expert, in equilibrium, an expert with a higher withholding cost acquires less information but discloses more acquired information. We also examine which expert is optimal to the decision maker among a group of experts with different costs of withholding information.
Reliability Analysis of High Rockfill Dam Stability
Authors: Yi Ping , Liu Jun , Xu Chunlei
Published: September 2015

A program 3DSTAB combining slope stability analysis and reliability analysis is developed and validated. In this program, the limit equilibrium method is utilized to calculate safety factors of critical slip surfaces. The first-order reliability method is used to compute reliability indexes corresponding to critical probabilistic surfaces. When derivatives of the performance function are calculated by finite difference method, the previous iteration’s critical slip surface is saved and used. This sequential approximation strategy notably improves efficiency. Using this program, the stability reliability analyses of concrete faced rockfill dams and earth core rockfill dams with different heights and different slope ratios are performed. The results show that both safety factors and reliability indexes decrease as the dam’s slope increases at a constant height and as the dam’s height increases at a constant slope. They decrease dramatically as the dam height increases from 100 m to 200 m while they decrease slowly once the dam height exceeds 250 m, which deserves attention. Additionally, both safety factors and reliability indexes of the upstream slope of earth core rockfill dams are higher than that of the downstream slope. Thus, the downstream slope stability is the key failure mode for earth core rockfill dams.
Climatic Droplet Keratopathy in Argentina: Involvement of Environmental Agents in Its Genesis Which Would Open the Prospect for New Therapeutic Interventions
Authors: Suárez María Fernanda , Correa Leandro , Crim Nicolás , Espósito Evangelina , Monti Rodolfo , Urrets-Zavalía Julio Alberto , Serra Horacio Marcelo
Published: September 2015

Climatic droplet keratopathy (CDK) is a degenerative corneal disease of unknown etiology. We described CDK for the first time in Latin America in the Argentinean Patagonia (El Cuy). A deeper knowledge of CDK pathogenic mechanisms will provide new therapeutic strategies. For that reason we investigated the prevalence of CDK in El Cuy and its existence in other 3 provinces with similar climate. Patients eyes were examined, habits throughout lives were inquired about, and serum ascorbate (sAA) was determined. All individuals work outdoors for most of the day. All regions had normal O3levels. Individuals from regions 1, 2, and 3 had very low consumption of vegetables/fruits and low sAA levels. Conversely, region 4 individuals had balanced diet and higher sAA concentrations. CDK was only found in region 3 where individuals had partial deficiency of sAA and did not use eye protection. No CDK was found in regions 1 and 2 where individuals had similar work activities and dietary habits to those in region 3 but wear eye protection. No disease was found in region 4 where individuals work outdoors, have balanced diet, and use eye protection. To summarize, the CDK existence was related not only to climate but also to the dietary habits and lack of protection from sunlight.
K-Nearest Neighbor Intervals Based AP Clustering Algorithm for Large Incomplete Data
Authors: Lu Cheng , Song Shiji , Wu Cheng
Published: September 2015

The Affinity Propagation (AP) algorithm is an effective algorithm for clustering analysis, but it can not be directly applicable to the case of incomplete data. In view of the prevalence of missing data and the uncertainty of missing attributes, we put forward a modified AP clustering algorithm based onK-nearest neighbor intervals (KNNI) for incomplete data. Based on an Improved Partial Data Strategy, the proposed algorithm estimates the KNNI representation of missing attributes by using the attribute distribution information of the available data. The similarity function can be changed by dealing with the interval data. Then the improved AP algorithm can be applicable to the case of incomplete data. Experiments on several UCI datasets show that the proposed algorithm achieves impressive clustering results.
Exact Solitary Wave and Periodic Wave Solutions of a Class of Higher-Order Nonlinear Wave Equations
Authors: Zhang Lijun , Khalique Chaudry Masood
Published: September 2015

We study the exact traveling wave solutions of a general fifth-order nonlinear wave equation and a generalized sixth-order KdV equation. We find the solvable lower-order subequations of a general related fourth-order ordinary differential equation involving only even order derivatives and polynomial functions of the dependent variable. It is shown that the exact solitary wave and periodic wave solutions of some high-order nonlinear wave equations can be obtained easily by using this algorithm. As examples, we derive some solitary wave and periodic wave solutions of the Lax equation, the Ito equation, and a general sixth-order KdV equation.
Secure Communication Based on a Hyperchaotic System with Disturbances
Authors: Wang Bo , Dong Xiucheng
Published: September 2015

This paper studies the problem on chaotic secure communication, and a new hyperchaotic system is included for the scheme design. Based on Lyapunov method andH∞techniques, two kinds of chaotic secure communication schemes in the case that system disturbances exist are presented for the possible application in real engineering; corresponding theoretical derivations are also provided. In the end, some typical numerical simulations are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed schemes.
Finite-Time Sliding Mode Control Design for Unknown Nonaffine Pure-Feedback Systems
Authors: Zhou Jun , Li Xianqiang
Published: September 2015

A class of unknown nonaffine pure-feedback nonlinear systems is investigated and a novel output feedback control scheme with low complexity is proposed, based on the sliding mode control theory. The scheme is capable of guaranteeing output tracking error with finite-time convergence and bounded closed loop signals. In this scheme, a novel transformation method is included, which can easily transform the state-feedback control of nonaffine systems into output feedback control of strict-feedback affine systems. Based on the transformed affine systems, a novel finite-time sliding mode control is designed, which is continuous and nonsingular. The control scheme proposed in this work is simple and easy to implement, in which the ‘‘explosion of complexity’’ caused by backstepping-like scheme is completely avoided. And the finite-time convergence is successfully achieved. In addition, the scheme is designed based on output feedback control. And the dynamics of the nonaffine nonlinear systems is unknown in the design process. Thus, the system knowledge needed is reduced.
Resection of Cesarean Scar Pregnancy at Six Weeks of Gestation with Laminaria Cervical Dilatation under Sonographic and Hysteroscopic Guidance
Authors: Hoshino Tatsuji , Miyamoto Taito , Yoshioka Shinya
Published: September 2015

In cases of fetal heartbeat- (FHB-) positive cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP), the embryo and placenta grow rapidly week by week. We experienced an FHB-positive CSP case at 6 weeks of gestation and assessed the CSP in detail with transvaginal ultrasound and transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS), preoperatively. We performed Laminaria cervical dilatation under TAUS guidance and performed hysteroscopic resection of the pregnancy conceptus and curettage under hysteroscopic and TAUS guidance. We identified the gestational sac attached to the cesarean scar pouch with small plane, decidua basalis, and chorionic villi and present the clinical history and other findings. We also reviewed the related literature and found 76 previous studies, with six cases of FHB-positive CSP that contained hysteroscopic color images of the CSP. We present a review of selected cases. The implantation site was the anterior wall in almost all cases. Cervical dilatation was mainly performed using a Hegar dilator; ours was the only case using Laminaria dilatation. Transcervical resections were performed mainly under ultrasound guidance, with only one case undergoing laparoscopy. Electrocoagulation was performed in three of the six cases.
Left Main Compression by a Giant Aneurysm of the Left Sinus of Valsalva: An Extremely Rare Reason for Myocardial Infarction and Cardiogenic Shock
Authors: Faillace Bruno L. R. , Galon Micheli Z. , Oliveira Marcos Danillo P. , Prado Guy F. A. , Truffa Adriano A. M. , Ribeiro Expedito E. , Lemos Pedro A.
Published: September 2015

Aneurysms of the sinus of Valsalva are very rare and mostly located in the right coronary sinus. They might course with dyspnea, fatigue, and acute coronary syndromes. We present herein an extremely rare case report of a 61-year-old woman diagnosed with external left main coronary compression by a giant aneurysm of the left sinus of Valsalva, which was successfully managed with percutaneous coronary intervention.
Improved Delay-Dependent Stability Analysis for Neural Networks with Interval Time-Varying Delays
Authors: Tian Jun-kang , Liu Yan-min
Published: September 2015

The problem of delay-dependent asymptotic stability analysis for neural networks with interval time-varying delays is considered based on the delay-partitioning method. Some less conservative stability criteria are established in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) by constructing a new Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional (LKF) in each subinterval and combining with reciprocally convex approach. Moreover, our criteria depend on both the upper and lower bounds on time-varying delay and its derivative, which is different from some existing ones. Finally, a numerical example is given to show the improved stability region of the proposed results.
Diagnosis and Management of Iridocorneal Endothelial Syndrome
Authors: Sacchetti Marta , Mantelli Flavio , Marenco Marco , Macchi Ilaria , Ambrosio Oriella , Rama Paolo
Published: September 2015

The iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome is a rare ocular disorder that includes a group of conditions characterized by structural and proliferative abnormalities of the corneal endothelium, the anterior chamber angle, and the iris. Common clinical features include corneal edema, secondary glaucoma, iris atrophy, and pupillary anomalies, ranging from distortion to polycoria. The main subtypes of this syndrome are the progressive iris atrophy, the Cogan-Reese syndrome, and the Chandler syndrome. ICE syndrome is usually diagnosed in women in the adult age. Clinical history and complete eye examination including tonometry and gonioscopy are necessary to reach a diagnosis. Imaging techniques, such as in vivo confocal microscopy and ultrasound biomicroscopy, are used to confirm the diagnosis by revealing the presence of “ICE-cells” on the corneal endothelium and the structural changes of the anterior chamber angle. An early diagnosis is helpful to better manage the most challenging complications such as secondary glaucoma and corneal edema. Treatment of ICE-related glaucoma often requires glaucoma filtering surgery with antifibrotic agents and the use of glaucoma drainage implants should be considered early in the management of these patients. Visual impairment and pain associated with corneal edema can be successfully managed with endothelial keratoplasty.
Fault-Tolerant Control for Networked Control Systems with Limited Information in Case of Actuator Fault
Authors: Yan-feng Wang , Pei-liang Wang , Zu-xin Li , Hui-ying Chen
Published: September 2015

This paper is concerned with the problem of designing a fault-tolerant controller for uncertain discrete-time networked control systems against actuator possible fault. The step difference between the running stepkand the time stamp of the used plant state is modeled as a finite state Markov chain of which the transition probabilities matrix information is limited. By introducing actuator fault indicator matrix, the closed-loop system model is obtained by means of state augmentation technique. The sufficient conditions on the stochastic stability of the closed-loop system are given and the fault-tolerant controller is designed by solving a linear matrix inequality. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
An Efficient MapReduce-Based Parallel Clustering Algorithm for Distributed Traffic Subarea Division
Authors: Xia Dawen , Wang Binfeng , Li Yantao , Rong Zhuobo , Zhang Zili
Published: September 2015

Traffic subarea division is vital for traffic system management and traffic network analysis in intelligent transportation systems (ITSs). Since existing methods may not be suitable for big traffic data processing, this paper presents a MapReduce-based Parallel Three-PhaseK-Means (Par3PKM) algorithm for solving traffic subarea division problem on a widely adopted Hadoop distributed computing platform. Specifically, we first modify the distance metric and initialization strategy ofK-Means and then employ a MapReduce paradigm to redesign the optimizedK-Means algorithm for parallel clustering of large-scale taxi trajectories. Moreover, we propose a boundary identifying method to connect the borders of clustering results for each cluster. Finally, we divide traffic subarea of Beijing based on real-world trajectory data sets generated by 12,000 taxis in a period of one month using the proposed approach. Experimental evaluation results indicate that when compared withK-Means, Par2PK-Means, and ParCLARA, Par3PKM achieves higher efficiency, more accuracy, and better scalability and can effectively divide traffic subarea with big taxi trajectory data.
Panax ginsengImproves Functional Recovery after Contusive Spinal Cord Injury by Regulating the Inflammatory Response in Rats: AnIn VivoStudy
Authors: Kim Young Ock , Kim Youngkyung , Lee Koeun , Na Sae Won , Hong Seon Pyo , Valan Arasu Mariadhas , Yoon Young Wook , Kim Junesun
Published: September 2015

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in permanent loss of motor function below the injured site. Neuroinflammatory reaction following SCI can aggravate neural injury and functional impairment. Ginseng is well known to possess anti-inflammatory effects. The present study investigated the neuroprotective effects ofPanax ginsengC.A. Mayer (P. ginseng) after SCI. A spinal contusion was made at the T11-12 spinal cord in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=47) using the NYU impactor. Motor function was assessed using the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) score inP. ginseng(0.1, 0.5, 1, 3, and 5 mg/kg) or vehicle (saline) treated after SCI. We also assessed the protein expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) at the lesion site by western blot and then measured the cavity area using luxol fast blue/cresyl violet staining.P. ginsengtreated group in SCI showed a significant improvement in locomotor function after the injury. The protein expression of COX-2 and iNOS at the lesion site and the cavity area were decreased following SCI byP. ginsengtreatment. These results suggest thatP. ginsengmay improve the recovery of motor function after SCI which provides neuroprotection by alleviating posttraumatic inflammatory responses.
Optimal Location, Sizing, and Appropriate Technology Selection of Distributed Generators for Minimizing Power Loss Using Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Ayodele T. R. , Ogunjuyigbe A. S. O. , Akinola O. O.
Published: September 2015

Genetic algorithm (GA) is utilized to select most suitable Distributed Generator (DG) technology for optimal operation of power system as well as determine the optimal location and size of the DG to minimize power loss on the network. Three classes of DG technologies, synchronous generators, asynchronous generators, and induction generators, are considered and included as part of the variables for the optimization problem. IEEE 14-bus network is used to test the applicability of the algorithm. The result reveals that the developed algorithm is able to successfully select the most suitable DG technology and optimally size and place the DGs to minimize power loss in the network. Furthermore, optimum multiple placement of DG is considered to see the possible impact on power loss in the network. The result reveals that multiple placements can further reduce the power loss in the network.
Relationship between Stereoscopic Vision, Visual Perception, and Microstructure Changes of Corpus Callosum and Occipital White Matter in the 4-Year-Old Very Low Birth Weight Children
Authors: Kwinta Przemko , Herman-Sucharska Izabela , Leśniak Anna , Klimek Małgorzata , Karcz Paulina , Durlak Wojciech , Nitecka Magdalena , Dutkowska Grażyna , Kubatko-Zielińska Anna , Romanowska-Dixon Bożena , Pietrzyk Jacek Józef
Published: September 2015

Aim.To assess the relationship between stereoscopic vision, visual perception, and microstructure of the corpus callosum (CC) and occipital white matter, 61 children born with a mean birth weight of 1024 g (SD 270 g) were subjected to detailed ophthalmologic evaluation, Developmental Test of Visual Perception (DTVP-3), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) at the age of 4.Results. Abnormal stereoscopic vision was detected in 16 children. Children with abnormal stereoscopic vision had smaller CC (CC length:53±6 mm versus61±4 mm;p<0.01; estimated CC area:314±106 mm2versus446±79 mm2;p<0.01) and lower fractional anisotropy (FA) values in CC (FA value of rostrum/genu:0.7±0.09versus0.79±0.07;p<0.01; FA value of CC body:0.74±0.13versus0.82±0.09;p=0.03). We found a significant correlation between DTVP-3 scores, CC size, and FA values in rostrum and body. This correlation was unrelated to retinopathy of prematurity.Conclusions. Visual perceptive dysfunction in ex-preterm children without major sequelae of prematurity depends on more subtle changes in the brain microstructure, including CC. Role of interhemispheric connections in visual perception might be more complex than previously anticipated.
High-Dose versus Low-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation and Arterial Stiffness among Individuals with Prehypertension and Vitamin D Deficiency
Authors: Zaleski Amanda , Panza Gregory , Swales Heather , Arora Pankaj , Newton-Cheh Christopher , Wang Thomas , Thompson Paul D. , Taylor Beth
Published: September 2015

Introduction. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with the onset and progression of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, mechanisms underlying vitamin D deficiency-mediated increased risk of CVD remain unknown. We sought to examine the differential effect of high-dose versus low-dose vitamin D supplementation on markers of arterial stiffness among ~40 vitamin D deficient adults with prehypertension.Methods. Participants were randomized to high-dose (4000 IU/d) versus low-dose (400 IU/d) oral vitamin D3 for 6 months. 24 hr ambulatory blood pressure (BP), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, and pulse wave analyses were obtained at baseline and after 6 months of vitamin D supplementation.Results. There were no changes in resting BP or pulse wave velocity over 6 mo regardless of vitamin D dose (allp>0.202). High-dose vitamin D decreased augmentation index and pressure by 12.3 ± 5.3% (p=0.047) and 4.0 ± 1.5 mmHg (p=0.02), respectively. However, these decreases in arterial stiffness were not associated with increases in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D over 6 mo (p=0.425).Conclusion. High-dose vitamin D supplementation appears to lower surrogate measures of arterial stiffness but not indices of central pulse wave velocity.Clinical Trial Registration. This trial is registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (Unique Identifier:NCT01240512).
Imported Malaria in the Material of the Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine: A Review of 82 Patients in the Years 2002–2014
Authors: Kuna Anna , Gajewski Michal , Szostakowska Beata , Nahorski Waclaw L. , Myjak Przemyslaw , Stanczak Joanna
Published: September 2015

Malaria is, along with tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, one of the three most dangerous infectious diseases in the world. In the absence of native cases since 1963, malaria has remained in Poland an exclusively imported disease, mainly occurring in people travelling to tropical and subtropical areas for professional reasons. The aim of this study was the epidemiological and clinical analysis of 82 patients admitted to the University Center for Maritime and Tropical Medicine (UCMTM), Gdynia, Poland, with a diagnosis of malaria between 2002 and 2014. The “typical” patient with malaria was male, middle-aged, returned from Africa within the preceding 4 weeks, had not used appropriate chemoprophylaxis, and had not applied nonpharmacological methods of prophylaxis, except for window insect screens.P. falciparumwas the most frequent species. The most common symptoms included fever, shivers and intensive sweating, thrombocytopenia, elevated creatinine, LDH, D-dimers and CRP, hepatomegaly, and splenomegaly. Within the analyzed group, severe malaria according to WHO standards was diagnosed in 20.7% of patients. Our report presents analysis of the largest series of patients treated for imported malaria in Poland.
Activin Receptor-like Kinase 1 Ligand Trap Reduces Microvascular Density and Improves Chemotherapy Efficiency to Various Solid Tumors
Authors: Hawinkels Lukas J.A.C. , de Vinuesa Amaya Garcia , Paauwe Madelon , Kruithof-de Julio Marianna , Wiercinska Eliza , Pardali Evangelia , Mezzanotte Laura , Keereweer Stijn , Braumuller Tanya M. , Heijkants Renier C. , Jonkers Jos , Löwik Clemens W. , Goumans Marie-José , ten Hagen Timo L. , ten Dijke Peter
Published: September 2015

Purpose: Antiangiogenic therapy, mostly targeting VEGF, has been applied in cancer patients for the last decade. However, resistance to anti-VEGF therapy and/or no significant benefit as monotherapeutic agent is often observed. Therefore, new antiangiogenic strategies are needed. In the current study, we investigated the therapeutic effect of interfering with the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)9/activin receptor–like kinase (ALK)1 signaling pathway by using an ALK1-Fc ligand trap.

Experimental Design: We analyzed the potential antiangiogenic and antitumor effects of ALK1-Fc protein as monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy in vivo in mouse models of melanoma, head and neck cancer, and invasive lobular breast carcinomas. ALK1-Fc sequesters BMP9 and 10 and prevents binding of these ligands to endothelial ALK1, which regulates angiogenesis.

Results: Treatment of mice with ALK1-Fc strongly decreased the tumors' microvascular density in the three different mouse cancer models. However, this effect was not accompanied by a reduction in tumor volume. An immunohistochemical analysis of the tumor samples revealed that ALK1-Fc treatment increased the pericyte coverage of the remaining tumor vessels and decreased the hypoxia within the tumor. Next, we observed that combining ALK1-Fc with cisplatin inhibited tumor growth in the breast and head and neck cancer models more efficiently than chemotherapy alone.

Conclusions: The addition of ALK1-Fc to the cisplatin treatment was able to enhance the cytotoxic effect of the chemotherapy. Our results provide strong rationale to explore combined targeting of ALK1 with chemotherapy in a clinical setting, especially in the ongoing phase II clinical trials with ALK1-Fc. Clin Cancer Res; 22(1); 96–106. ©2015 AACR.
Parkinson's Disease Case Ascertainment in the EPIC Cohort: The NeuroEPIC4PD Study
Authors: Gallo Valentina , Brayne Carol , Forsgren Lars , Barker Roger A. , Petersson Jesper , Hansson Oskar , Lindqvist Daniel , Ruffmann Claudio , Ishihara Lianna , Luben Robert , Arriola Larraitz , Bergareche Alberto , Gavrila Diana , Erro Maria Elena , Vanacore Nicola , Sacerdote Carlotta , Bueno-de-Mesquita Bas , Vermeulen Roel , Seelen Meinie , Sieri Sabina , Masala Giovanna , Ramat Silvia , Kyrozis Andreas , Thricopolou Antonia , Panico Salvatore , Mattiello Amalia , Kaaks Rudolf , Teucher Birgit , Katzke Verena , Kloss Manja , Curry Lisa , Calboli Federico , Riboli Elio , Vineis Paolo , Middleton Lefkos
Published: September 2015

Background/Aims: Large epidemiological prospective studies represent an important opportunity for investigating risk factors for rare diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Here we describe the procedures we used for ascertaining PD cases in the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) study. Methods: The following three-phase procedure was used: (1) elaboration of a NeuroEPIC4PD template for clinical data collection, (2) identification of all potential PD cases via record linkage and (3) validation of the diagnosis through clinical record revision, in a population of 220,494 subjects recruited in 7 European countries. All cases were labelled with the NeuroEPIC4PD diagnoses of ‘definite', ‘very likely', ‘probable', or ‘possible' PD. Results: A total of 881 PD cases were identified, with over 2,741,780 person-years of follow-up (199 definite, 275 very likely, 146 probable, and 261 possible). Of these, 734 were incident cases. The mean age at diagnosis was 67.9 years (SD 9.2) and 458 patients (52.0%) were men. Bradykinesia was the most frequent presenting motor sign (76.5%). Tremor-dominant and akinetic rigid forms of PD were the most common types of PD. A total of 289 patients (32.8%) were dead at the time of the last follow-up. Conclusions: This exercise proved that it is feasible to ascertain PD in large population-based cohort studies and offers a potential framework to be replicated in similar studies.
Idiopathic Chronic Parotitis: Imaging Findings and Sialendoscopic Response
Authors: Heineman Thomas E. , Kacker Ashutosh , Kutler David I.
Published: September 2015

Background/Aims: The purpose of this study was to correlate imaging and sialendoscopic findings to therapeutic response in patients with idiopathic chronic parotitis. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 122 consecutive sialendoscopies performed in an academic medical center by two surgeons between 2008 and 2013. Forty-one (34%) and 54 (44%) patients were excluded on the basis of having parotid or submandibular sialolith, respectively. Nineteen cases were included in the study with idiopathic chronic parotitis. There was a median follow-up of 5 months. Results: Computed tomography (CT) imaging had a sensitivity and specificity of 80.0 and 71.4%, respectively, for predicting abnormal findings on sialendoscopy, while magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) had 100% accuracy in a small set of cases. In glands with noticeable pathology present on preoperative imaging or sialendoscopy, 11 out of 12 glands (92%) treated experienced symptomatic improvement, while 3 out of 7 glands (43%) without pathology on imaging or endoscopy experienced symptomatic improvement (p = 0.038). Conclusions: Sialendoscopy for the treatment of idiopathic chronic parotid disease can improve pain and swelling with a higher frequency of success in patients with abnormalities noted on endoscopy. CT and MRI have a moderate degree of accuracy in predicting which patients will benefit from therapeutic sialendoscopy.
RbAp48 Is Critical for the Proliferation of Hypopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Bai Xiaohui , Wang Dawei , Ji Hongzhi , Zheng Lin , Lu Yi , Tang Wei , Zhang Haiyan , Xu Wei , Li Jianfeng , Fei Zhiqiang , Wang Haibo
Published: September 2015

Background: Emerging evidence has indicated the significance of RbAp48 in tumorigenesis. Although many genetic and epigenetic factors have been found to be involved in the pathogenesis of hypopharyngeal carcinoma, the effect of RbAp48 in hypopharyngeal carcinoma is still unclear. Methods: A stable cell line overexpressing RbAp48 was generated in FaDu cells. Cell proliferation and colony formation were detected using FaDu-RbAp48 cells. Next we utilized nude mouse xenografts to determine the role of RbAp48. Flow cytometry was employed to investigate the effect of RbAp48 in cell cycle distribution and apoptosis. Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of tumor suppressors and apoptosis-related factors. Results: The overexpression of RbAp48 inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, and tumor formation in nude mice. The overexpression of RbAp48 affected cell cycle distribution and induced apoptosis. The expression of p53, Rb, Bax, caspase 3, caspase 8, and caspase 9 was upregulated, whereas the expression of Bcl-2 was downregulated resulting from the overexpression of RbAp48. Conclusion: RbAp48 was identified as critical in the proliferation of hypopharyngeal carcinoma in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. It is conceivable that the regulation of tumor suppressors (Bcl-2 family and caspase enzymes) by RbAp48 contributes, at least in part, to the RbAp48-mediated proliferation in hypopharyngeal carcinoma.
Longevity and Education: A Demographic Perspective
Authors: Jasilionis Domantas , Shkolnikov Vladimir M.
Published: September 2015

In the second half of the 20th century, the advances in human longevity observed have been accompanied by an increase in the disparities between countries and regions. Education is one of the strongest predictors of life expectancy. Studies have shown that both relative and absolute mortality differences by education within countries have been increasing, even in the most developed and egalitarian countries. It is possible to assume that groups of highly educated people who systematically display life expectancy levels which are higher than the observed best practice (record) life expectancy at the national level are vanguards who are leading the way toward a lengthening of life for the remaining population groups. This evidence based on population-level statistics and exploring an important single factor could inspire further discussion about the possibilities for extending human length of life at the national level. However, more comprehensive and reliable data covering a larger number of countries and more covariates are needed for understanding health effects of education and prospects of human longevity.