bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oral human papillomavirus infection in England and associated risk factors: a case–control study
Authors: Hearnden Vanessa , Murdoch Craig , D’Apice Katy , Duthie Susan , Hayward Nicholas J , Powers Hilary Jane
Published: August 2018

Objectives

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of and associated risk factors for infection with oral high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) in adult participants within England, and to explore any association with oral mucosal buccal epithelial cell and whole blood folate concentration.

Design

This was an observational study to determine oral HR-HPV prevalence in the study population. A case–control study was performed to explore the association between infection and folate status.

Setting

This study was conducted in Sheffield, UK, between April 2013 and August 2014.

Participants

Seven hundred participants, aged 18–60 years, were recruited from university students (n=179), university and hospital staff (n=163), dental hospital patients (n=13), Sexual Health Sheffield patients (n=122) and the general public (n=223).

Interventions

Participants completed a lifestyle and sexual behaviour questionnaire, provided an oral rinse and gargle sample for the detection of oral HR-HPV and an oral mucosal buccal epithelial cell sample for the measurement of oral mucosal buccal epithelial cell folate. A blood sample was collected for measurement of whole blood folate concentration.

Outcome measures

The prevalence of oral HR-HPV infection in the study population was the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcome measures included associations between risk factors, folate status and infection.

Results

The prevalence of oral HR-HPV infection in this cohort was 2.2% (15/680) with 0.7% (5/680) positive for HPV16 or HPV18. Twenty samples were excluded due to insufficient material for HPV detection. Participants with oral HR-HPV infection were more likely to be a former smoker, and have a greater number of sexual and oral sexual partners. Folate status was not linked to likelihood of HPV infection.

Conclusions

The prevalence of oral infection with HR-HPV in adult men and women in Sheffield in the North of England was low. Smoking and sexual behaviour were associated with HR-HPV positivity.

Trial registration number

ID14106.
Incidence of household transmission of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in a primary care sentinel network (1992–2017): cross-sectional and retrospective cohort study protocol
Authors: de Lusignan Simon , Konstantara Emmanouela , Joy Mark , Sherlock Julian , Hoang Uy , Coyle Rachel , Ferreira Filipa , Jones Simon , O’Brien Sarah J
Published: August 2018

Introduction

Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a highly transmissible condition. Determining characteristics of household transmission will facilitate development of prevention strategies and reduce the burden of this disease.

We are carrying out this study to describe household transmission of medically attended AGE, and explore whether there is an increased incidence in households with young children.

Methods and analysis

This study used the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Research and Surveillance Centre (RSC) primary care sentinel network, comprising data from 1 750 167 registered patients (August 2017 database). We conducted a novel analysis using a ’household key', to identify patients within the same household (n=811 027, mean 2.16 people). A 25-year repeated cross-sectional study will explore the incidence of medically attended AGE overall and then a 5-year retrospective cohort study will describe household transmission of AGE. The cross-sectional study will include clinical data for a 25-year period—1 January 1992 until the 31 December 2017. We will describe the incidence of AGE by age-band and gender, and trends in incidence. The 5-year study will use Poisson and quasi-Poisson regression to identify characteristics of individuals and households to predict medically attended AGE transmitted in the household. This will include whether the household contained a child under 5 years and the age category of the first index case (whether adult or child under 5 years). If there is overdispersion and zero-inflation we will compare results with negative binomial to handle these issues.

Ethics and dissemination

All RCGP RSC data are pseudonymised at the point of data extraction. No personally identifiable data are required for this investigation. The protocol follows STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology guidelines (STROBE). The study results will be published in a peer-review journal, the dataset will be available to other researchers.
Self-management capability in patients with long-term conditions is associated with reduced healthcare utilisation across a whole health economy: cross-sectional analysis of electronic health records
Authors: Barker Isaac , Steventon Adam , Williamson Robert , Deeny Sarah R
Published: August 2018

Objective

To quantify the association between patient self-management capability measured using the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) and healthcare utilisation across a whole health economy.

Results

12 270 PAM questionnaires were returned from 9348 patients. In the adjusted analyses, compared with the least activated group, highly activated patients (level 4) had the lowest rate of contact with a general practitioner (rate ratio: 0.82, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.86), emergency department attendances (rate ratio: 0.68, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.78), emergency hospital admissions (rate ratio: 0.62, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.75) and outpatient attendances (rate ratio: 0.81, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.88). These patients also had the lowest relative rate (compared with the least activated) of ‘did not attends’ at the general practitioner (rate ratio: 0.77, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.87), ‘did not attends’ at hospital outpatient appointments (rate ratio: 0.72, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.86) and self-referred attendance at emergency departments for conditions classified as minor severity (rate ratio: 0.67, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.82), a significantly shorter average length of stay for overnight elective admissions (rate ratio 0.59, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.94),and a lower likelihood of 30- day emergency readmission (rate ratio: 0.68 , 95%  CI 0.39 to 1.17), though this did not reach significance.

Conclusions

Self-management capability is associated with lower healthcare utilisation and less wasteful use across primary and secondary care.
Hepatitis B in a vaccinated soldier: a case report
Authors: McLean Keri , Elmer T B , Freshwater D A , Lamb L , Woolley S D
Published: August 2018

Assessing for an adequate immunological response to a pre-exposure course of hepatitis B vaccine is not routinely recommended in all vaccinated individuals. Current UK guidelines advise checking hepatitis B surface antibody titres only in those considered at high occupational risk such as healthcare and laboratory workers. We present a case of an infantry soldier who developed acute hepatitis B despite having a complete course of hepatitis B vaccinations. This case emphasises that hepatitis B is still an important differential diagnosis for all returning military personnel who present with compatible symptoms despite being vaccinated.
Physiological and growth responses of potato cultivars to heat stress
Authors: Tang Ruimin , Niu Suyan , Zhang Guodong , Chen Guanshui , Haroon Muhammad , Yang Qing , Rajora Om P. , Li Xiu-Qing
Published: August 2018

Climate warming is subjecting plants to heat stress, which can affect their physiological processes thereby impacting their growth, development, and productivity. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a staple food worldwide, but potato crops are very sensitive to heat stress. We have studied the effects of heat stress on the leaf chlorophyll content, plant growth, and tuber yield of 55 commercial potato cultivars in clonal tests under heat-stress conditions [HS; 35 °C (day), 28 °C (night)] and control (non-stress) conditions [CK; 22 °C (day), 18 °C (night)]. The potato cultivars varied in their response to heat stress. Overall, heat stress reduced leaf size, increased the SPAD index values for leaf chlorophyll by up to 65%, and increased plant height by 64%, but severely reduced (by 93%) the mass of the largest tuber. The HS:CK SPAD ratios positively correlated with the HS:CK plant height ratio, mass of the largest tuber under heat stress, and the HS:CK ratio for mass of the largest tuber. Potato cultivars displayed a correlated response to heat stress for their leaf chlorophyll content, plant height, and tuber mass. We have identified the most heat-tolerant and heat-susceptible cultivars for these traits. Under heat-stress conditions, potato cultivars tend not to show as much reduction in tuber mass if the plants have greater increases in leaf chlorophyll content and plant height.
Genetic control of transition from juvenile to mature wood with respect to microfibril angle in Norway spruce (Picea abies) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta)
Authors: Hayatgheibi Haleh , Forsberg Nils Erik Gustaf , Lundqvist Sven-Olof , Mörling Tommy , Mellerowicz Ewa J. , Karlsson Bo , Wu Harry X. , García-Gil M. Rosario
Published: August 2018

Genetic control of microfibril angle (MFA) transition from juvenile wood to mature wood was evaluated in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon). Increment cores were collected at breast height (1.3 m) from 5664 trees in two 21-year-old Norway spruce progeny trials in southern Sweden and from 823 trees in two lodgepole pine progeny trials, aged 34–35 years, in northern Sweden. Radial variations in MFA from pith to bark were measured for each core using SilviScan. To estimate MFA transition from juvenile wood to mature wood, a threshold level of MFA 20° was considered, and six different regression functions were fitted to the MFA profile of each tree after exclusion of outliers, following three steps. The narrow-sense heritability estimates (h2) obtained for MFA transition were highest based on the slope function, ranging from 0.21 to 0.23 for Norway spruce and from 0.34 to 0.53 for lodgepole pine, while h2 were mostly non-significant based on the logistic function, under all exclusion methods. Results of this study indicate that it is possible to select for an earlier MFA transition from juvenile wood to mature wood in Norway spruce and lodgepole pine selective breeding programs, as the genetic gains (ΔG) obtained in direct selection of this trait were very high in both species.
Responses and mechanisms of soil greenhouse gas fluxes to changes in precipitation intensity and duration: a meta-analysis for a global perspective
Authors: Yan Guoyong , Mu Changcheng , Xing Yajuan , Wang Qinggui
Published: August 2018

Although extensive manipulative experiments have been conducted to study the effects of altered precipitation intensity and duration on soil greenhouse gas (GHG; carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O)) fluxes, the general patterns of GHGs to altered precipitation have not been globally described across biomes. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis of 84 published studies to examine the general responses of CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes to altered precipitation. Our results indicated that increased precipitation significantly increased N2O emissions (+154.0%) and CO2fluxes (+112.2%) and significantly decreased CH4uptake (−41.4%); decreased precipitation significantly decreased N2O emissions (−64.7%) and CO2fluxes (−8.6%) and significantly increased CH4uptake (+32.4%). Moreover, increased precipitation significantly increased litter biomass and microbial biomass and decreased root biomass and the root:shoot ratio. However, decreased precipitation significantly decreased litter biomass and root biomass and significantly increased root:shoot ratio. These results suggest that precipitation changes could alter the carbon distribution patterns in plants. In addition, the CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes exhibited diverse responses to different ecosystems, durations of precipitation changes, and changes in precipitation intensity. These results demonstrate that there are many factors that regulate the responses of GHG to precipitation changes.
A review of preferential water flow in soil science
Authors: Zhang Yinghu , Zhang Zhenming , Ma Ziwen , Chen Jingxiao , Akbar Jalaluddin , Zhang Shuyan , Che Chunguang , Zhang Mingxiang , Cerdà Artemi
Published: August 2018

A better understanding of preferential water flow is important because water-related crises, i.e., water scarcity and security, are strongly associated with water retention rates in different landscapes. This review aims to evaluate significant advances in the main themes of preferential water flow to establish the inconsistent roles of preferential water flow in eco-hydrology and suggest promising areas for future work. Results showed that preferential water flow studies have made significant advances in our understanding of certain parameters functioning at multiple scales but that most studies focus on preferential water flow in the vadose zone, whereas few studies on the soil surface. Preferential water flow can have a positive effect on averting water crises, such as when it affects surface runoff soil erosion, soil formation as ecosystem services, nutrient cycling in root zone, and overall water regulation of the water cycle. Conversely, preferential water flow can have a negative effect on eco-hydrological issues via slope stability, gully erosion, geological disaster, waste treatment, water supply in root zone, and food production. Our review concludes that more information is required on preferential water flow before we can assess its role in mitigating water-related crisis events.
Structure and dielectric properties of NBT-xBT-ST lead-free ceramics for energy storage
Authors: Luo Wen-Qin , Shen Zong-Yang , Yu Yuan-Ying , Song Fu-Sheng , Wang Zhu-Mei , Li Yue-Ming
Published: August 2018

([Formula: see text])(Na[Formula: see text]Bi[Formula: see text])TiO3-[Formula: see text]BaTiO3-0.26SrTiO3 ([Formula: see text]) (abbreviated as NBT-[Formula: see text]BT-ST) lead-free ceramics were fabricated by a solid-state reaction method. The effect of Ba doping amount [Formula: see text] on the structure and energy storage properties of NBT-[Formula: see text]BT-ST ceramics were investigated. All the NBT-[Formula: see text]BT-ST ceramics showed single perovskite structure with a pseudocubic phase. Ba doping effectively suppressed grain growth, in favor of forming small and uniform grains. The ceramics with a composition of [Formula: see text], an optimized energy storage density ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]J/cm3) and efficiency ([Formula: see text]%), under an applied electric field of 50[Formula: see text]kV/cm, should be a candidate for solid-state compact pulsed power capacitor materials.
A domain-specific architecture for deep neural networks
Authors: Jouppi Norman P. , Young Cliff , Patil Nishant , Patterson David
Published: August 2018

Tensor processing units improve performance per watt of neural networks in Google datacenters by roughly 50x.
Championing environmental and social justice
Authors: Bates Oliver , Thomas Vanessa , Remy Christian , Friday Adrian , Nathan Lisa , Hazas Mike , Mann Samuel
Published: August 2018

In this forum we highlight innovative thought, design, and research in the area of interaction design and sustainability, illustrating the diversity of approaches across HCI communities.
--- Roy Bendor, Editor
Overtrust in the robotic age
Authors: Wagner Alan R. , Borenstein Jason , Howard Ayanna
Published: August 2018

A contemporary ethical challenge.
Inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress by 4-phenylbutyric acid prevents vital organ injury in rat acute pancreatitis
Authors: Hong Yu-pu , Deng Wen-hong , Guo Wen-yi , Shi Qiao , Zhao Liang , You Yun-dong , Mei Fang-chao , Zhou Yu , Wang Chen-yang , Chen Chen , Yu Jia , Wang Wei-xing
Published: August 2018

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA) on vital organ injury following sodium taurocholate-induced acute pancreatitis (AP) in rats and the pertinent mechanism. The serum biochemical indicators and key inflammatory cytokines, histopathological damage and apoptosis of vital organs in rat AP, were evaluated in the presence or absence of 4-PBA. Moreover, mRNA and protein levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) markers were assessed. 4-PBA significantly attenuated the structural and functional damage of vital organs, including serum pancreatic enzymes, hepatic enzymes, creatinine, and urea. The morphological changes and infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages were reduced as well. These effects were accompanied by decreased serum levels of proinflammatory TNF-α and IL-1β. Furthermore, 4-PBA diminished the expression of ERS markers (glucose-regulated protein 78, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein, protein kinase R-like ER kinase, activated transcription factor 6, and type-1 inositol requiring enzyme) in vital organs of AP rats. 4-PBA also reduced AP-induced apoptosis in lung, liver, and kidney tissues as shown by TUNEL assay. The present study demonstrated that 4-PBA protected pancreas, lung, liver, and kidney from injury in rat AP by regulating ERS and mitigating inflammatory response to restrain cell death and further suggested that 4-PBA may have potential therapeutic implications in the disease.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY In this study, we suggest that endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) is an important player in the development of acute pancreatitis-induced multiorgan injury, providing additional evidence for the proinflammatory role of ERS. Because 4-phenylbutyric acid has been suggested to inhibit ERS in many pathological conditions, it is possible that this effect can be involved in alleviating inflammatory response and cell death to ameliorate vital organ damage following acute pancreatitis induced by sodium taurocholate in rats.
Potentiation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator Cl−channel by ivacaftor is temperature independent
Authors: Wang Yiting , Cai Zhiwei , Gosling Martin , Sheppard David N.
Published: August 2018

Ivacaftor is the first drug to target directly defects in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), which causes cystic fibrosis (CF). To understand better how ivacaftor potentiates CFTR channel gating, here we investigated the effects of temperature on its action. As a control, we studied the benzimidazolone UCCF-853, which potentiates CFTR by a different mechanism. Using the patch-clamp technique and cells expressing recombinant CFTR, we studied the single-channel behavior of wild-type and F508del-CFTR, the most common CF mutation. Raising the temperature of the intracellular solution from 23 to 37°C increased the frequency but reduced the duration of wild-type and F508del-CFTR channel openings. Although the open probability ( Po) of wild-type CFTR increased progressively as temperature was elevated, the relationship between Poand temperature for F508del-CFTR was bell-shaped with a maximum Poat ~30°C. For wild-type CFTR and to a greatly reduced extent F508del-CFTR, the temperature dependence of channel gating was asymmetric with the opening rate demonstrating greater temperature sensitivity than the closing rate. At all temperatures tested, ivacaftor and UCCF-853 potentiated wild-type and F508del-CFTR. Strikingly, ivacaftor but not UCCF-853 abolished the asymmetric temperature dependence of CFTR channel gating. At all temperatures tested, Povalues of wild-type CFTR in the presence of ivacaftor were approximately double those of F508del-CFTR, which were equivalent to or greater than those of wild-type CFTR at 37°C in the absence of the drug. We conclude that the principal effect of ivacaftor is to promote channel opening to abolish the temperature dependence of CFTR channel gating.
A Probability Distribution for Quantum Tunneling Times
Authors: Lunardi José T. , Manzoni Luiz A.
Published: August 2018

We propose a general expression for the probability distribution of real-valued tunneling times of a localized particle, as measured by the Salecker-Wigner-Peres quantum clock. This general expression is used to obtain the distribution of times for the scattering of a particle through a static rectangular barrier and for the tunneling decay of an initially bound state after the sudden deformation of the potential, the latter case being relevant to understand tunneling times in recent attosecond experiments involving strong field ionization.
Profound Trunnion Wear Resulting in Femoral Head-Neck Dissociation in Total Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: Shamshoon Saif , Thornley Patrick , de Beer Justin
Published: August 2018

We describe a case of aseptic failure with profound femoral stem trunnion wear and femoral head dissociation nine years after initial primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) with the Stryker Accolade total hip arthroplasty system. Current guidelines for postoperative care and follow-up after THAs as potential intervention points for early detection of prosthetic joint failure are also reviewed.
Study and Verification of a Physical Simulation System for Formation Pressure Testing while Drilling
Authors: Ma Tianshou , Peng Nian , Chen Ping , Yang Chunhe , Wang Xingming , Han Xiong
Published: August 2018

Based on a brief overview on the determination methods of formation pressure and their features, the major principle of formation pressure testing while drilling (FPTWD) and existing physical simulation systems was introduced, and the deficiency of the existing physical simulation systems was also discussed. A laboratory high-precision physical simulation system was therefore developed to simulate the downhole testing environment and testing process of FPTWD. The present experimental system was designed to endure pressures up to 20,000 psi, and the relative control accuracy of pressure is approximately 0.02% FS. Two kinds of man-made specimens with the permeability of 10–110 mD were used to test the pressure response and to verify the present physical simulation system. The debugging results indicated that the variation amplitude under the stable condition is approximately 0.07 psi, 0.08 psi, 0.11 psi, and 0.11 kN for the annular pressure, pore pressure, confining pressure, and thrust force, respectively. Thus, the high control accuracy is approximately ±1.0 psi under the stable conditions. The experimental results indicated that the pressure drawdown declines rapidly in the stage of withdrawing formation fluids and then recovers slowly. The pressure drop amplitude also decreases with permeability, while the pressure buildup amplitude increases with permeability. The tendency of pressure change is nearly the same for both the present and the previous systems, and the pressure curve of the present system is much smoother and better than that of the previous system. The relative error of explaining formation pressure is less than 1% and 4% for the present and the previous systems, respectively. In addition, this physical simulation system has important applications to verify the interpretation model, to analyze pressure response recorded by FPTWD tools, to test the capability and design of FPTWD tools, and to calibrate the formation pressure, formation parameters, and instrument factors.
Biofilm Formation by Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Food Contact Surfaces in the Dairy Industry of Jalisco, Mexico
Authors: Avila-Novoa María-Guadalupe , Iñíguez-Moreno Maricarmen , Solís-Velázquez Oscar-Alberto , González-Gómez Jean-Pierre , Guerrero-Medina Pedro-Javier , Gutiérrez-Lomelí Melesio
Published: August 2018

Staphylococcus aureus is an important food-borne pathogen able to form biofilms. This pathogen is responsible for outbreaks of food-borne illnesses associated with the consumption of milk and dairy products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biofilm-forming ability of S. aureus isolates, recovered from food contact surfaces in the dairy industry of Jalisco, Mexico. A total of 84 S. aureus strains were evaluated. The isolates were characterized phenotypically by culture on Congo red agar plates. The ability of the strains to form biofilms was investigated in 96-well flat-bottomed microtiter polystyrene plates. Stainless-steel coupons were used as an experimental surface. Biofilm formation was observed, using epifluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Detection of the icaADBC genes in S. aureus was performed by the PCR technique. A total of 52.3% (44/84) of the S. aureus strains contained the icaADBC gene that synthesizes polysaccharide intercellular adhesion (PIA) molecules. On Congo red agar, 75% (63/84) of the S. aureus isolates were biofilm producers, 16.6% (14/84) were non-biofilm formers, and 8.3% (7/84) showed a noncharacteristic phenotype. The biofilm production of the S. aureus strains SA-4E, SA-9, SA-13, and SA-19 on stainless-steel coupons was investigated at 25°C for 8 days, and the detected cell population density was approximately 7.15–7.82 log CFU cm−2. In addition to the ability of biofilm production, it is important to highlight that these strains are potential enterotoxin producers as se genes have been previously detected in their genomes. A part of the ability of biofilm production and the determination of the presence of virulence determinants in the genome of S. aureus can contribute to the pathogenicity of strains. Therefore, vigilant food safety practices need to be implemented in the dairy industries regarding FCS to prevent food-borne infections and intoxications due to S. aureus contamination.
Absorption ofCodonopsis pilosulaSaponins by Coexisting Polysaccharides Alleviates Gut Microbial Dysbiosis with Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis in Model Mice
Authors: Jing Yaping , Li Anping , Liu Zhirong , Yang Pingrong , Wei Junshu , Chen Xinjun , Zhao Tang , Bai Yanrui , Zha Lajia , Zhang Chunjiang
Published: August 2018

Objectives.Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is an autoimmune disease, and the gut microbiota has become a new therapeutic target. Herbal medicine (HM) has shown good efficacy in the clinical treatment of IBD; however, the synergistic actions of the dominant chemicals in HM decoctions are unclear.Methods.In this study, we explored whether the complicated interconnections between HM and the gut microbiota could allow crosstalk between HM ingredients. Saponins and polysaccharides, i.e., the dominant chemicals in theCodonopsis pilosulaNannf (CPN) decoction, were investigated in a dextran sulfate sodium- (DSS-) induced mouse model. Bacterial 16S rRNA sequencing analyzed the change of gut microbiota structure and diversity. Gas chromatography (GC) determined the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in feces. ELISA detected the expression of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines associated with TH17/Treg balance. UPLC-QTOF-MS technology combined with PKsolver software analyzed the absorption of the highest exposure for monomeric compounds of CPN saponins in serum. The results indicated that CPN polysaccharides showed prebiotic-like effects in mice with DSS-induced colitis by simultaneously stimulating the growth of three important probiotics, i.e.,Bifidobacteriumspp.,Lactobacillusspp., andAkkermansiaspp., and inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria, includingDesulfovibriospp.,Alistipesspp., andHelicobacterspp. Moreover, CPN polysaccharides improved intestinal metabolism, enhanced the production of short-chain fatty acids, upregulated the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines and downregulated the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines correlated with Th17/Treg balance, promoted the absorption of certain CPN saponins in the serum, and stimulated recovery of the holistic gut microbiota.Conclusion.CPN polysaccharides have the good prebiotic properties and shown good application prospects in the prevention and treatment of acute colitis. These findings provide insights into the specific bacteria responsible for active, inactive biotransformation of HM ingredients and those that are altered by HM administration.
Spontaneous Macular Hole Closure after Valsalva Retinopathy and Nd:YAG Laser Treatment
Authors: Suren Elcin , Akidan Melih , Erol Muhammet Kazim , Toslak Devrim
Published: August 2018

Purpose. The purpose of this report is to present a case who had spontaneous macular hole closure after Nd:YAG laser membranotomy applied to premacular haemorrhage associated with Valsalva retinopathy. Methods. Case report. Results. A 19-year-old young male patient presented to our clinic with sudden vision loss in his right eye, which had occurred 2 weeks before, following push-up and sit-up exercise. The patient was found to have premacular haemorrhage associated with Valsalva retinopathy. Nd:YAG laser membranotomy was performed. During his follow-up at week 1, full-thickness MH was observed and he was put under observation. At month 6, his vision acuity improved, laser coagulation sites in the fundus disappeared, and macular hole closed spontaneously. Conclusion. Macular hole that develops after Nd:YAG laser treatment of Valsalva retinopathy may spontaneously be closed like in our case. However, there is a need for further research to understand the mechanism of closure.
Digital Ischemia as an Unusual Manifestation of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Authors: Villano Fiorella , Peixoto Adriana , Riva Eloísa , Di Matteo Carina , Díaz Lilián
Published: August 2018

Digital ischemia is associated with atherosclerotic, thromboembolic, or connective tissue diseases. Less often, it can be related to malignancy. Paraneoplastic vascular acrosyndromes (Raynaud’s syndrome, acrocianosis, and acronecrosis) are associated with adenocarcinoma and less frequently with hematological malignancies. We report the case of a 45-year-old male, smoker, with a 10-day history of pain, cyanosis, and progressive digital necrosis in both hands. In the previous four months, he noticed painless mass in the right axillary gap, drenching night sweats, and weight loss. Physical examination at admission highlighted necrotic lesions on the distal phalanges of both hands (except the thumbs), enlarged lymph nodes in right axillary, and right supraclavicular gaps. Arteriography of upper limbs demonstrated a distal stop in all bilateral digital arteries. Digital ischemia was interpreted as a paraneoplastic phenomenon after other common etiologies were ruled out. Amputation of three phalanges was required due to necrosis. Biopsy of axillary nodes demonstrated nodular sclerosis classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL). The patient started conventional ABVD protocol (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine). After 6 cycles, he remained asymptomatic and symptoms of digital ischemia were completely resolved. It was concluded that the presence of acral vascular syndromes should alert the physician about the possibility of underlying malignant disease. Prompt investigation and treatment should be rapidly performed to avoid digital sequelae.
On the Parallelization of Stream Compaction on a Low-Cost SDC Cluster
Authors: Bernabé Gregorio , Acacio Manuel E.
Published: August 2018

Many highly parallel algorithms usually generate large volumes of data containing both valid and invalid elements, and high-performance solutions to the stream compaction problem reveal extremely important in such scenarios. Although parallel stream compaction has been extensively studied in GPU-based platforms, and more recently, in the Intel Xeon Phi platform, no study has considered yet its parallelization using a low-cost computing cluster, even when general-purpose single-board computing devices are gaining popularity among the scientific community due to their high performance per $ and watt. In this work, we consider the case of an extremely low-cost cluster composed by four Odroid C2 single-board computers (SDCs), showing that stream compaction can also benefit—important speedups can be obtained—from this kind of platforms. To do so, we derive two parallel implementations for the stream compaction problem using MPI. Then, we evaluate them considering varying number of processes and/or SDCs, as well as different input sizes. In general, we see that unless the number of elements in the stream is too small, the best results are obtained when eight MPI processes are distributed among the four SDCs that conform the cluster. To add value to the obtained results, we also consider the execution of the two parallel implementations for the stream compaction problem on a very high-performance but power-hungry 18-core Intel Xeon E5-2695 v4 multicore processor, obtaining that the Odroid C2 SDC cluster constitutes a much more efficient alternative when both resulting execution time and required energy are taken into account. Finally, we also implement and evaluate a parallel version of the stream split problem to store also the invalid elements after the valid ones. Our implementation shows good scalability on the Odroid C2 SDC cluster and more compensated computation/communication ratio when compared to the stream compaction problem.
Design of Evaluation Areas Based on Type of Mobile-Based Virtual Reality Training Content
Authors: Jin Mi Kyoung , Yun Hui Jeong , Lee Hye Sun
Published: August 2018

In the field of technology education, virtual reality (VR) training has received significant attention in terms of its efficacy in use. Given its many advantages, there is a specific need to emphasize concrete measures for the implementation of VR training in the field of tech education. VR training based on mobile environments has been touted as a means of not only enhancing presence, flow, and learning authenticity, but also of minimizing spatial and temporal constraints. The present study has developed an evaluation tool for VR training contents, including those based on mobile environments. After categorizing VR training contents in the field of tech education into structure comprehension type, procedure learning type, and equipment experiment type contents, we constructed items for each evaluation area. The considered areas included learning, media, and content quality. By conducting Delphi surveys with a panel of experts, we confirmed that the derived evaluation items differed in number across different types of content. Under the learning area, satisfaction was found to be adequate for all content types. Items such as flow, interactivity, and learning effects were found to be adequate for procedure learning and equipment experiment type contents. The media area indicated marked variability in item adequacy depending on the content type. Usability was found to be adequate only for procedure learning type content. For equipment experiment type content, items such as presence, usability, and manipulability were all found to be adequate. All evaluation items under the content design area were found to be adequate across all content types. Thus, regardless of the type of content, it is necessary to fulfil the basic elements within the content design area in order to establish the efficacy of VR training as educational content in the field of tech education.
Simulations of a Single-Phase Flow in a Compound Parabolic Concentrator Reactor
Authors: Pérez Tzayam , Nava José L.
Published: August 2018

This paper deals with the analysis and interpretation of flow visualization and residence time distribution (RTD) in a compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) reactor using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). CFD was calculated under turbulent flow conditions solving the Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equation expressed in terms of turbulent viscosity and the standard k−ε turbulent model in 3D. A 3D diffusion-convection model was implemented in the CPC reactor to determine the RTD. The fluid flow visualization and RTD were validated with experimental results. The CFD showed that the magnitude of the velocity field remains almost uniform in most of the bulk reactor, although near and inside the 90° connectors and the union segments, the velocity presented low- and high-speed zones. Comparisons of theoretical and experimental RTD curves showed that the k−ε model is appropriate to simulate the nonideal flow inside the CPC reactor under turbulent flow conditions.
Optimizing the Borrowing Limit and Interest Rate in P2P System: From Borrowers’ Perspective
Authors: Li Zhihong , Wu Lanteng , Tang Hongting
Published: August 2018

P2P (peer-to-peer) lending is an emerging online service that allows individuals to borrow money from unrelated person without the intervention of traditional financial intermediaries. In these platforms, borrowing limit and interest rate are two of the most notable elements for borrowers, which directly influence their borrowing benefits and costs, respectively. To that end, this paper introduces a BP neural network interval estimation (BPIE) algorithm to predict the borrowers’ borrowing limit and interest rate based on their characteristics and simultaneously develops a new parameter optimization algorithm (GBPO) based on the genetic algorithm and our BP neural network predictive model to optimize them. Using real-world data from http://ppdai.com, the experimental results show that our proposed model achieves a good performance. This research provides a new perspective from borrowers in exploring the P2P lending. The case base and proposed knowledge are the two contributions for FinTech research.
On the Kinematics of Vehicles Relevant to Conflict Detection and Resolution
Authors: Campos Luís Braga , Marques Joaquim Guerreiro
Published: August 2018

The paper presents methods to determine the time, positions, and distance of closest approach for two vehicles following arbitrary trajectories in two or three dimensions. The distance of closest approach of two vehicles following arbitrary curved trajectories is determined by two conditions: (i) the relative velocity must be orthogonal to the relative position in order for the distance to be a nonzero extremum; (ii) the radial acceleration including centripetal terms must have a direction that increases the separation for the extremum to be a minimum. This theorem on the distance of closest approach simplifies in the case of uniform motion along rectilinear trajectories. Three examples are given: (i) the two-dimensional motion of surface vehicles changing the velocity of one of them so as to enforce a given minimum separation distance; (ii) the three-dimensional motion of two aircraft, one flying horizontally and the other climbing, changing the vertical velocity of the latter to ensure a minimum separation distance set “a priori”; (iii) the case of an aircraft flying with constant velocity in a straight line so that its closest approach to another aircraft flying in a circular holding pattern in the same plane occurs at a given time chosen “a priori”.
Liver Retraction Using n-Butyl-2-Cyanoacrylate (NBCA) Glue during Laparoscopic Splenectomy and Azygoportal Disconnection in Cirrhotic Patients
Authors: Kong Du , Wang Wei , Du Gang , Shi Binyao , Jiang Zhengchen , Jin Bin
Published: August 2018

Background. Although liver retraction using n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) glue has been applied to laparoscopic upper abdominal surgery in noncirrhotic patients, there is still no consensus on its safety and feasibility for cirrhotic patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate the safety and effectiveness of liver retraction using NBCA glue during laparoscopic splenectomy and azygoportal disconnection (LSD) for gastroesophageal varices and hypersplenism secondary to liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Methods. Thirty-nine gastroesophageal varices and hypersplenism secondary to liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension patients were included in our study. We performed LSD in the presence of NBCA glue (n = 22, NBCA group) and absence of NBCA glue (n = 17, n-NBCA group), respectively. The operation time, blood loss, postoperative hospitalization, and liver function were compared between the two groups. Results. There was no mortality during the operation. One patient in non-NBCA group received open surgery due to parenchyma hemorrhage. Postoperative pleural effusion occurred in 2 cases of the NBCA group and 1 of the non-NBCA group. One showed left subphrenic abscess in the non-NBCA group. No postoperative bleeding occurred after 9-30 months of follow-up. The time of operation in NBCA group was significantly shorter than those in n-NBCA group (198.86±17.86 versus 217.81±20.25min, P<0.01). Blood loss in NBCA group was significantly lower than non-NBCA group (159.09±56.98 versus 212.50±88.51 ml, P<0.05). The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were increased on day 1 after LSD and decreased to normal level on day 7 after LSD in both groups. There was no significant difference in postoperative hospitalization and liver function between the two groups. Conclusion. Liver retraction using NBCA glue during LSD for gastroesophageal varices and hypersplenism secondary to liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension is safe, effective, and feasible.
Moisture Susceptibility of Sustainable Warm Mix Asphalt
Authors: Albayati Amjad H. , Al-Mosawe Hasan M. , Allawi Abbas A. , Oukaili Nazar
Published: August 2018

Sustainable pavements are pavements that meet the requirements of present generation without influencing the capability of the future generation to meet their needs. One of the problems of the warm mix asphalt is that it has low resistance to moisture damage; therefore, the aim of this research paper is to study the possibility of producing more durable warm mixes against the moisture damage with the use of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) which has not been studied before. Six replacement rates (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%) for the coarse version aggregate (VA) with RCA were studied. The Marshall mix design method was used to determine the optimum asphalt cement content for each replacement rate. Thereafter, specimens with the optimum asphalt cement content were prepared and tested in the indirect tension test to evaluate their moisture susceptibility. The results revealed that the mixes with higher percentage of RCA possess higher optimum asphalt content. Moreover, an improvement of 13 and 28% in Marshall stability and tensile strength ratio (TSR), respectively, was obtained in case that the VA was entirely replaced by the RCA.
A Study and Development of Workplace Facilities and Working Environment to Increase the Work Efficiency of Persons with Disabilities: A Case Study of Major Retail and Wholesale Companies in Bangkok
Authors: Pruettikomon Soraj , Louhapensang Chaturong
Published: August 2018

This research aims to improve the work effectiveness of people with physical disabilities in department stores, retail and wholesale companies in Bangkok. It focuses on the environment and facilities needed by people with three types of disabilities, visual impairment, hearing impairment, and wheelchair users. A mixed research method was used (questionnaires, interviews, and observations). The results were applied to a design process based on the needs of people with physical disabilities and addressed solving their work problems, increasing their work effectiveness, and bringing the results of the design to a group discussion. The group was made up of 15 experts who were supervisors, representatives of the people with each type of physical disability, instructors, and personnel from the university knowledgeable about universal design for people with disabilities. Architects and designers helped to brainstorm ideas and develop designs that led to production and product testing. Testing was conducted to compare pretest and posttest results using designed products to evaluate the work effectiveness of the people with physical disabilities using statistical analysis (paired t-tests). The results using developed products showed a higher average posttest score than pretest. This indicated a statistically higher work effectiveness (α =0.05) and supports the research hypothesis.
Studying the Topology of Transportation Systems through Complex Networks: Handle with Care
Authors: Zanin Massimiliano , Sun Xiaoqian , Wandelt Sebastian
Published: August 2018

The introduction of complex network concepts in the study of transportation systems has supposed a paradigm shift and has allowed understanding different transport phenomena as the emergent result of the interactions between the elements composing them. In spite of several notable achievements, lurking pitfalls are undermining our understanding of the topological characteristics of transportation systems. In this study, we analyse four of the most common ones, specifically related to the assessment of the scale-freeness of networks, the interpretation and comparison of topological metrics, the definition of a node ranking, and the analysis of the resilience against random failures and targeted attacks. For each topic we present the problem from both a theoretical and operational perspective, for then reviewing how it has been tackled in the literature and finally proposing a set of solutions. We further use six real-world transportation networks as case studies and discuss the implications of these four pitfalls in their analysis. We present some future lines of work that are stemming from these pitfalls and that will allow a deeper understanding of transportation systems from a complex network perspective.
Hydrodynamic Pressure and Velocity Distributions in the Interlayer Crack of Ballastless Track under High-Speed Train Load: A Theoretical Analysis
Authors: Cao Shihao , Zhai Shufang , Dai Feng , Deng Shijie , Wang Hui
Published: August 2018

In the abundant rain or poor drainage areas, there will be serious water damage existing in the interlayer of ballastless track. The essence of water damage of ballastless track is a dynamic development process of damage shape under the combined action of train load, hydrodynamic pressure, and flow velocity. In view of the distribution characteristics of hydrodynamic pressure and flow velocity in the interlayer crack of ballastless track under the high-speed train load, the simplified mechanics model for water and composite slab with interfacial crack is proposed in accordance with the water damage characteristics of ballastless track. Based on the conservation of mass and momentum theorem, the analytical expressions of water pressure and velocity in the saturated water crack were deduced. Similarly, the analytical expressions of water pressure and velocity in the unsaturated water crack were deduced by adding the state equation of ideal air. Considering that the water does not flow back timely, the analytical expressions of water pressure and velocity in another kind of unsaturated water crack were deduced. The results show that the hydrodynamic pressure and flow velocity in the interlayer crack are synthetically determined by multiple influencing factors such as fluid viscosity, load characteristic, crack shape, absolute pressure at the crack mouth, and initial volume of the air in the crack, and there is an intersecting phenomenon between influencing factors. When there is a small amount of air at the crack tip, the pressure and velocity distribution in the crack can be divided into three parts in terms of air-water interface and stagnation point. When the crack is filled with water, the hydrodynamic pressure tends to decrease along the direction of the crack mouth, and the distribution along the whole crack approximates to a cubic polynomial curve. Similarly, the flow velocity increases along the direction of crack mouth, and the distribution along the whole crack approximates to a quadratic polynomial curve.