bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Presentation ofMycobacterium abscessusinfection following rhytidectomy to a UK plastic surgery unit
Authors: Bowles Philippe , Miller Mary-Clare , Cartwright Samuel , Jones Martin
Published: May 2014

We report the presentation of a patient to a UK plastic surgery unit withMycobacterium abscessusinfection following a facelift surgery in Southern India. Treatment was protracted requiring surgical debridement and 6 months of antibiotics including a 3-week hospital admission for intravenous antibiotic therapy. We describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of this unusual microorganism with reference to more familiar pyogenic infections.
A 5-year-old boy with miliary and osteoarticular tuberculosis
Authors: Washington Charles Henry , Oberdorfer Peninnah
Published: May 2014

Osteoarticular involvement is one manifestation of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB). We present a 5-year-old Burmese boy with 10 months of right hip pain and decreased range of motion. The patient also had low-grade fever, cough and decreased appetite. The patient was undocumented and had recently moved from Myanmar. He was thin, in moderate distress with bilateral lung rhonchi, mild subcostal retractions, low back pain, right hip tenderness and painful and limited right range of motion. The patient's chest and pelvis radiographs showed a miliary pattern and right acetabulum osteolytic lesions, respectively. He was started on anti-TB medication and cefotaxime. Ofloxacin was added because of the concern of drug-resistant TB. The patient underwent a right hip debridement. His symptoms improved markedly, with improved mobility. TB is a challenging infection to diagnose, which can cause significant delays in management.
Maintaining hydration with a carbohydrate–electrolyte solution improves performance, thermoregulation, and fatigue during an ice hockey scrimmage
Authors: Linseman Mark E. , Palmer Matthew S. , Sprenger Heather M. , Spriet Lawrence L.
Published: May 2014

Research in “stop-and-go” sports has demonstrated that carbohydrate ingestion improves performance and fatigue, and that dehydration of ∼1.5%–2% body mass (BM) loss results in decreased performance, increased fatigue, and increased core temperature. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the physiological, performance, and fatigue-related effects of maintaining hydration with a carbohydrate–electrolyte solution (CES) versus dehydrating by ∼2% BM (no fluid; NF) during a 70-min ice hockey scrimmage. Skilled male hockey players (n = 14; age, 21.3 ± 0.2 years; BM, 80.1 ± 2.5 kg; height, 182.0 ± 1.2 cm) volunteered for the study. Subjects lost 1.94% ± 0.1% BM in NF, and 0.12% ± 0.1% BM in CES. Core temperature (Tc) throughout the scrimmage (10–50 min) and peak Tc (CES: 38.69 ± 0.10 vs. NF: 38.92 ± 0.11 °C; p < 0.05) were significantly reduced in CES compared with NF. Players in CES had increased mean skating speed and time at high effort between 30–50 min of the scrimmage. They also committed fewer puck turnovers and completed a higher percentage of passes in the last 20 min of play compared with NF. Postscrimmage shuttle skating performance was improved in CES versus NF and fatigue was lower following the CES trial. The results indicated that ingesting a CES to maintain BM throughout a 70-min hockey scrimmage resulted in improved hockey performance and thermoregulation, and decreased fatigue as compared with drinking no fluid and dehydrating by ∼2%.
Origins of functional connectivity in a human-modified wetland landscape
Authors: Parkos Joseph J. , Trexler Joel C.
Published: May 2014

Spatial heterogeneity in habitat conditions within a landscape should influence degree of movement of species between natural and artificial environments. For wetland landscapes, this functional connectivity was predicted to emerge from the influence of spatiotemporal patterns of depth on permeability of habitat edges and distance and directedness of cross-habitat dispersal. We quantified how connectivity between canals and marshes of the Florida Everglades varies with species and landscape patterns bordering canals by using radio telemetry to measure movement of a native (Florida largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides floridanus) and a nonnative species (Mayan cichlid, Cichlasoma urophthalmus) common to canals. Both species moved similar distances inside canal networks, but Mayan cichlids dispersed outside of canals more frequently, at shallower conditions, and over greater distances than Florida largemouth bass. As topographic relief increased in marshes bordering canals, dispersal between these habitats decreased in distance and became more directed, with Florida largemouth bass sensitive to depth variability at a smaller spatial scale than Mayan cichlids. The way fish traits interact with submerged landscape structure to influence connectivity can serve as a basis for predicting potential impacts of artificial habitats that arise from dispersal outside their borders.
A note on directional wavelet transform and the propagation of polarization sets for solutions of Maxwell's equations
Authors: Franco Daniel H. T. , Fagundes Fábio N.
Published: May 2014

In this paper we represent the solutions of Maxwell's equations in terms of directional wavelet transform. Then, we make use of the polarization set, which refine the notion of wavefront set for vector-valued distributions as introduced by Dencker [2], in order to analyze the singularities of solutions of the Maxwell's equations.
Canonical transformations for fermions in superanalysis
Authors: Kupsch Joachim
Published: May 2014

Canonical transformations (Bogoliubov transformations) for fermions with an infinite number of degrees of freedom are studied within a calculus of superanalysis. A continuous representation of the orthogonal group is constructed on a Grassmann module extension of the Fock space. The pull-back of these operators to the Fock space yields a unitary ray representation of the group that implements the Bogoliubov transformations.
Klein's paradox and quantum Hamiltonian dynamics in complex spacetime
Authors: Payandeh Farrin
Published: May 2014

In this paper, along with previous investigation in Payandeh et al., Chin. Phys. C 37, 113103 (2013), we will use the full set of free Dirac's solutions to remove the Klein's paradox. However, we choose a different approach, namely the relativistic quantum Hamilton–Jacobi equations and the resultant quantum states. We show that this full set of solutions can also be retained as a single wave function, and also possess the potential of removing Klein's paradox.
On Periodic Perturbations of Asymmetric Duffing–Van-der-Pol Equation
Authors: Morozov Albert D. , Kostromina Olga S.
Published: May 2014

Time-periodic perturbations of an asymmetric Duffing–Van-der-Pol equation close to an integrable equation with a homoclinic "figure-eight" of a saddle are considered. The behavior of solutions outside the neighborhood of "figure-eight" is studied analytically. The problem of limit cycles for an autonomous equation is solved and resonance zones for a nonautonomous equation are analyzed. The behavior of the separatrices of a fixed saddle point of the Poincaré map in the small neighborhood of the unperturbed "figure-eight" is ascertained. The results obtained are illustrated by numerical computations.
A Modified 0-1 Test for Chaos Detection in Oversampled Time Series Observations
Authors: Armand Eyebe Fouda J. S. , Bodo Bertrand , Sabat Samrat L. , Effa J. Yves
Published: May 2014

The use of binary 0-1 test for chaos detection is limited to detect chaos in oversampled time series observations. In this paper we propose a modified 0-1 test in which, binary 0-1 test is applied to the discrete map of local maxima and minima of the original observable in contrast to the direct observable. The proposed approach successfully detects chaos in oversampled time series data. This is verified by simulating different numerical simulations of Lorenz and Duffing systems. The simulation results show the efficiency and computational gain of the proposed test for chaos detection in the continuous time dynamical systems.
Nonlinear Dynamics of Trajectories Generated by Fully-Stretching Piecewise Linear Maps
Authors: Papamarkou T. , Lawrance A. J.
Published: May 2014

This paper focuses on the nonlinear dynamical properties of chaotic orbits iteratively generated by maps composed of linear branches which expand across the whole map range. The nonlinear dynamics of such orbits involve both their statistical and chaotic properties. More specifically, analytical expressions are provided for the mean-adjusted quadratic autocorrelation function (ACF) and for the Lyapunov exponent of trajectories produced by the considered collection of piecewise linear maps.
Intelligent Health Monitoring Based on Pervasive Technologies and Cloud Computing
Authors: Maglogiannis Ilias , Doukas Charalampos
Published: May 2014

The proper management of patient data and their accessibility are still remaining issues that prevent the full deployment and usage of pervasive healthcare applications. This paper presents an integrated health monitoring system based on mobile pervasive technologies. The system utilizes Cloud Computing for providing robust and scalable resources for sensor data acquisition, management and communication with external applications like health information systems. A prototype has been developed using both mobile and wearable sensors for demonstrating the usability of the proposed platform. Initial results regarding the performance of the system, the efficiency in data management and user acceptability have been quite promising.
Decision Fusion of Multiple Classifiers for Coronary Plaque Characterization from IVUS Images
Authors: Giannoglou V. G. , Theocharis J. B.
Published: May 2014

Vascular tissue characterization is of great importance concerning the possibility of an Acute Cardiac Syndrome (ACS). Gray-scale intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a powerful tomographic modality providing a thorough visualization of coronary arteries. Among the existing methods, virtual histology (VH) is the most popular and clinically available technique for plaque component analysis, it suffers however from a poor longitudinal resolution. In order to surmount this demerit, a new image-based methodology for plaque assessment is suggested here that differentiates tissue components into four classes: calcium, necrotic core, fibrous and fibro-lipid. A rich set of five textural feature families are extracted from IVUS images, computed at different scales. The main contribution of this paper is that tissue classification is accomplished using the principles of multiple classifiers combination approach. At the first stage, an ensemble of base SVM classifiers is constructed from each feature family, separately. The fuzzy outputs of the individual classifiers are then aggregated to provide the final fused results. We investigate four efficient decision fusion schemes of the literature and the SVM fuser. Extensive experimentation is carried out to highlight the merits of the suggested schemes against single SVM classifiers that use reduced feature subsets obtained after feature selection or the entire feature space. The analysis demonstrates that the decision fusion techniques offer improved classification accuracies, compared to single SVM classifiers and existing methods in IVUS imaging. In addition, the method provides accurate assessments of plaque composition in IVUS images.
HEp-2 Cell Classification Using Descriptors Fused into the Dissimilarity Space into the Dissimilarity Space
Authors: Theodorakopoulos Ilias , Kastaniotis Dimitris , Economou George , Fotopoulos Spiros
Published: May 2014

Autoimmune diseases are strictly connected with the presence of autoantibodies in patient serum. Detection of Antinucleolar Antibodies (ANAs) in patient serum is performed using a laboratory technique named Indirect Immunofluorescence (IIF) followed by manual evaluation on the acquired slides from specialized personnel. In this procedure, several limitations appear and several automatic techniques have been proposed for the task of ANA detection. In this work we present a method achieving state-of-the-art performance on a publicly available dataset. More precisely, two powerful and rotation invariant descriptors are incorporated into a two stage classification scheme where the feature vectors are represented and fused in the dissimilarity space. Then, in a second level dissimilarity vectors are classified using a linear SVM classifier. Evaluation on the HEp-2 cell contest dataset yields a 70.16% performance on cell-level classification. Furthermore we provide results in Image Level Classification where a 78.57% classification rate was achieved.
Genome-Wide Prediction of Coaxial Helical Stacking Using Random Forests and Covariance Models
Authors: Byron Kevin , Wang Jason T. L. , Wen Dongrong
Published: May 2014

Developing effective artificial intelligence tools to find motifs in DNA, RNA and proteins poses a challenging yet important problem in life science research. In this paper, we present a computational approach for finding RNA tertiary motifs in genomic sequences. Specifically, we predict genomic coordinate locations for coaxial helical stackings in 3-way RNA junctions. These predictions are provided by our tertiary motif search package, named CSminer, which utilizes two versatile methodologies: random forests and covariance models. A coaxial helical stacking tertiary motif occurs in a 3-way RNA junction where two separate helical elements form a pseudocontiguous helix and provide thermodynamic stability to the RNA molecule as a whole. Our CSminer tool first uses a genome-wide search method based on covariance models to find a genomic region that may potentially contain a coaxial helical stacking tertiary motif. CSminer then uses a random forests classifier to predict whether the genomic region indeed contains the tertiary motif. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
THE EFFECT OF THE GAS OUTLET ON THE GAS VELOCITY FIELD IN MASS-PRODUCTION OF HFCVD DIAMOND-COATED DRILLS
Authors: SHEN BIN , CHENG LEI , SUN FANGHONG
Published: May 2014

In the present study, the finite volume method (FVM) is adopted to investigate the effect of gas outlet on the fluid field generated by a hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) setup that is designed for the mass-production of diamond coated drills. The temperature field is calculated simultaneously such that its effect on the gas flow can be included in the resulted gas velocity field. First, the effect of outlet radius (R out ) is investigated using a 2-outlets arrangement. The results show that the gas field obtained with R out = 10 mm is superior to R out = 5 mm or 15 mm, which not only can produce higher gas velocity, but also a more uniform gas field in filament plane. To further refine the uniformity of gas field outside the filament area, four 4-outlets arrangements with different combinations of the distance between gas outlets and worktable and gas inlets coverage are proposed and a comparative study on their effect on the gas field is conducted. The simulation results show that allocating two additional outlets near the worktable is beneficial for enhancing the uniformity of gas velocity field outside the filaments but slightly worsen it near the filaments. Finally, actual deposition experiments are conducted to justify the simulation results and the results suggest that the gas velocity in the drill region plays critical role on the growth rate of diamond film and the 4-outlets arrangement could provide more uniform growth environment than the 2-outlets arrangement.
PEOPLE WATCH
Authors: Lim Rachel
Published: May 2014

Science Needs Women.
Two-Stage Damage Identification Based on Modal Strain Energy and Revised Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Ma Sheng-Lan , Jiang Shao-Fei , Weng Liu-Qing
Published: May 2014

This paper presents a novel two-stage damage detection method by integrating modal strain energy and revised particle swarm optimization (RPSO). In the first stage, the modal strain energy change ratio (MSECR) is used to roughly identify the locations of damaged elements via an appropriate MSECR threshold which is determined through parameter estimation. In the second stage, RPSO that integrates evolutionary theory with general PSO is used to precisely locate and quantify the damage with the gravity position of the selected excellent particles in the current entire population taken into consideration. Two numerical simulations and a seven-story steel frame experiment in laboratory conditions are performed to validate the proposed method, and a comparison is made between the proposed approach and existing methods. The results show that: (1) the proposed method can not only effectively locate damage, but also accurately evaluate the extent of damage. Meanwhile, it also enjoys good noise-tolerance and adaptability; (2) the damage threshold of the MSECR presented in this paper can be determined by the parameter estimation and reliability index, and then used to reduce the number of elements to be analyzed and to improve the computation efficiency in the second stage; and (3) compared with general PSO algorithm, RPSO is more efficient and robust for damage detection with a better noise-tolerance. This study shows that the proposed method can provide a reliable and fast tool to accurately identify, locate and quantify single- and multi-damage of complex engineering structures.
Structural Damage Detection Using Auto/Cross-Correlation Functions Under Multiple Unknown Excitations
Authors: Ni Pinghe , Xia Yong , Law Siu-Seong , Zhu Songye
Published: May 2014

Traditional structural system identification and damage detection methods use vibration responses under single excitation. This paper presents an auto/cross-correlation function-based method using acceleration responses under multiple ambient white noise or impact excitations. The auto/cross-correlation functions are divided into two parts. One is associated with the structural parameters and the other with the energy of the excitation. These two parts are updated sequentially using a two-stage method. Numerical and experimental studies are conducted to demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of the proposed method. The effects of measurement noise and number of measurement points on the identification results are also studied.
Structural Multi-Damage Identification Based on Modal Strain Energy Equivalence Index Method
Authors: Guo Hui Yong , Li Zheng Liang
Published: May 2014

In order to solve structural multi-damage identification problems, a damage detection method based on modal strain energy equivalence index (MSEEI) is presented. First, an accurate expression of modal strain energy (MSE) before and after damage occurs is given. Then, according to the energy equivalence theory that the change in MSE caused by the damage should be equivalent to the energy dissipation caused by the same damage, an energy equivalence equation is deduced. Finally, four roots of the energy equivalence equation are found and a MSEEI is obtained from the four roots. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed MSEEI method can identify structural damage locations and extent with good accuracy. Identification precision of the proposed method is clearly better than that of the modal strain energy dissipation ratio index (MSEDRI) method.
Weyl compatible tensors
Authors: Mantica Carlo Alberto , Molinari Luca Guido
Published: May 2014

We introduce the new algebraic property of Weyl compatibility for symmetric tensors and vectors. It is strictly related to Riemann compatibility, which generalizes the Codazzi condition while preserving much of its geometric implications. In particular, it is shown that the existence of a Weyl compatible vector implies that the Weyl tensor is algebraically special, and it is a necessary and sufficient condition for the magnetic part to vanish. Some theorems (Derdziński and Shen [11], Hall [15]) are extended to the broader hypothesis of Weyl or Riemann compatibility. Weyl compatibility includes conditions that were investigated in the literature of general relativity (as in McIntosh et al. [16, 17]). A simple example of Weyl compatible tensor is the Ricci tensor of an hypersurface in a manifold with constant curvature.
USER MOTIVATION AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING IN IDEA CROWDSOURCING
Authors: KOSONEN MIIA , GAN CHUNMEI , VANHALA MIKA , BLOMQVIST KIRSIMARJA
Published: May 2014

We investigate how the propensity to trust, intrinsic motivation, and extrinsic motivation drive the intentions of individuals to share knowledge in idea crowdsourcing. Building on motivation theories and Uses & Gratifications (U&G) approach, we conducted a web-based survey within IdeasProject, an open innovation and brainstorming community dedicated to harvesting ideas. Based on a sample of 244 users, our research shows that the key driver of knowledge-sharing intentions is made up of two intrinsic motivations — social benefits and learning benefits. We also found that recognition from the host company affects intention to share knowledge. From the management point of view, the relative importance of social integrative benefits calls for better facilities available for users to be able to help each other in formulating and developing their ideas. Learning and creativity could be inspired by feedback from professionals and experts, while providing insight into technological advances and features dealing with the current tasks.
INNOVATION HIT RATE, PRODUCT ADVANTAGE, INNOVATIVENESS, AND FIRM PERFORMANCE
Authors: GREEN KIMBERLY , RAMAN ROOPA
Published: May 2014

This study investigates the average levels of product advantage and innovativeness across the products in the firm's new product development (NPD) portfolio. Launch rate is defined as the percentage of products with a "launch" versus a "discontinued" outcome. A dataset of drug development activity for 73 pharmaceutical companies for the period 1995–2006 supports a positive relationship between average advantage and launch rate and between average innovativeness and launch rate. The interaction of high advantage and high innovativeness reduces launch rate. The distribution of activity across knowledge categories in the development portfolio strengthens the positive relationship between advantage and firm profitability.
Local multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis for tea breeds identification
Authors: Wang Fang , Zou Rui-Biao , Liao Gui-Ping , Li Jin-Wei , Liu Zi-Qiang
Published: May 2014

In recent years, the popular multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) is extended to two-dimensional (2D) version, which has been applied in some field of image processing. In this paper, based on the 2D MF-DFA, a novel multifractal estimation method for images, which we called the local multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (LMF-DFA), is proposed to recognize and distinguish 20 types of tea breeds. A set of new multifractal descriptors, namely the local multifractal fluctuation exponents is defined to portray the local scaling properties of a surface. After collecting 10 tea leaves for each breed and photographing them to standard images, the LMF-DFA method is used to extract characteristic parameters for the images. Our analysis finds that there are significant differences among the different tea breeds' characteristic parameters by analysis of variance. Both the proposed LMF-DFA exponents and another classic parameter, namely the exponent based on capacity measure method have been used as features to distinguish the 20 tea breeds. The comparison results illustrate that the LMF-DFA estimation can differentiate the tea breeds more effectively and provide more satisfactory accuracy.
Advantages of the Green Solid State FSW over the Conventional GMAW Process
Authors: Dawood Hasan I. , Mohammed Kahtan S. , Rajab Mumtaz Y.
Published: May 2014

The present work is an experimental comparison between the friction stir welding (FSW) and the conventional gas metal arc welding (GMAW) in joining of Al alloys. Two sets of 3 mm thick aluminum strip pairs were friction stir welded in a regular butting joint configuration. Two rotational speeds of 1750 rpm and 2720 rpm were utilized to perform the FSW process. The axial force and the transverse speed were kept constant at 6.5 KN and 45 mm/min, respectively. Cylindrical tool shoulder and pin geometry were selected. Strip pairs of other similar sets were butt jointed using the conventional GMAW. The welding quality, power input, and macrostructure and microstructure of the butted joints were examined. The types of the fumes and the amount of the released gases were measured and compared. The results showed that the solid state FSW is green, environment-friendly, and of superior welding properties compared to the conventional GMAW.
Jacobsen Catalyst as a Cytochrome P450 Biomimetic Model for the Metabolism of Monensin A
Authors: Rocha Bruno Alves , de Oliveira Anderson Rodrigo Moraes , Pazin Murilo , Dorta Daniel Junqueira , Rodrigues Andresa Piacezzi Nascimento , Berretta Andresa Aparecida , Peti Ana Paula Ferranti , de Moraes Luiz Alberto Beraldo , Lopes Norberto Peporine , Pospíšil Stanislav , Gates Paul Jonathan , Assis Marilda das Dores
Published: May 2014

Monensin A is a commercially important natural product isolated fromStreptomyces cinnamonensinsthat is primarily employed to treat coccidiosis. Monensin A selectively complexes and transports sodium cations across lipid membranes and displays a variety of biological properties. In this study, we evaluated the Jacobsen catalyst as a cytochrome P450 biomimetic model to investigate the oxidation of monensin A. Mass spectrometry analysis of the products from these model systems revealed the formation of two products: 3-O-demethyl monensin A and 12-hydroxy monensin A, which are the same ones found inin vivomodels. Monensin A and products obtained in biomimetic model were tested in a mitochondrial toxicity model assessment and an antimicrobial bioassay againstStaphylococcus aureus, S. aureusmethicillin-resistant,Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,andEscherichia coli.Our results demonstrated the toxicological effects of monensin A in isolated rat liver mitochondria but not its products, showing that the metabolism of monensin A is a detoxification metabolism. In addition, the antimicrobial bioassay showed that monensin A and its products possessed activity against Gram-positive microorganisms but not for Gram-negative microorganisms. The results revealed the potential of application of this biomimetic chemical model in the synthesis of drug metabolites, providing metabolites for biological tests and other purposes.
A Study on Occupancy and Compressive Strength of Concrete with Produced Injection Method
Authors: Ekinci Cevdet Emin , Kelesoglu Omer
Published: May 2014

Concrete is a composite construction material made primarily of aggregate, cement, and water. Fresh concrete must have certain features. These are shown in durability, workability, compressive strength, flexural strength, shrinkage, impact resistance, wear, and so forth. In this study, compressive strength, erosion, and attrition behavior of concrete with silica fume additive produced by injection method were researched. Concrete with high occupancy is produced with injection. Use of more than 10% silica fume increases the fresh concrete’s need for mixed water significantly. It was observed that as the ratio of silica fume additive increases, concrete becomes stronger against compression, erosion, and attrition.
Fermented Fruits and Vegetables of Asia: A Potential Source of Probiotics
Authors: Swain Manas Ranjan , Anandharaj Marimuthu , Ray Ramesh Chandra , Parveen Rani Rizwana
Published: May 2014

As world population increases, lactic acid fermentation is expected to become an important role in preserving fresh vegetables, fruits, and other food items for feeding humanity in developing countries. However, several fermented fruits and vegetables products (Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Gundruk, Khalpi, Sinki, etc.) have a long history in human nutrition from ancient ages and are associated with the several social aspects of different communities. Among the food items, fruits and vegetables are easily perishable commodities due to their high water activity and nutritive values. These conditions are more critical in tropical and subtropical countries which favour the growth of spoilage causing microorganisms. Lactic acid fermentation increases shelf life of fruits and vegetables and also enhances several beneficial properties, including nutritive value and flavours, and reduces toxicity. Fermented fruits and vegetables can be used as a potential source of probiotics as they harbour several lactic acid bacteria such asLactobacillus plantarum,L. pentosus,L. brevis,L. acidophilus,L. fermentum,Leuconostoc fallax, andL. mesenteroides. As a whole, the traditionally fermented fruits and vegetables not only serve as food supplements but also attribute towards health benefits. This review aims to describe some important Asian fermented fruits and vegetables and their significance as a potential source of probiotics.
Diagnosis of Latent Tuberculosis in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: T.SPOT.TBversusTuberculin Skin Test
Authors: Arenas Miras Maria Del Mar , Hidalgo-Tenorio Carmen , Jimenez-Gamiz Pilar , Jiménez-Alonso Juan
Published: May 2014

Early studies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) reported increased incidence of tuberculosis. The tuberculin skin test (TST) is the technique of choice to detect latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) but has several limitations.Objectives. We compared TST and the newer T.SPOT.TB test to diagnose LTBI in SLE patients.Methods. In this observational cohort study conducted between August 2009 and February 2012, we recruited 92 patients from those attending the SLE clinic of our university hospital. Data recorded were epidemiological and sociodemographic characteristics. Laboratory analyses included TST and T.SPOT.TB tests.Results. Of the patients studied, 92% were women with an average age of 42.7 years. Overall, the degree of correlation between the two tests was low (Kappa index = 0.324) but was better in patients not receiving corticosteroids (CTC)/immunosuppressive (IS) therapy (Kappa = 0.436) and in those receiving hydroxychloroquine (Kappa = 0.473). While TST results were adversely affected by those receiving CTC and/or IS drugs (P=0.021), the T.SPOT.TB results were not.Conclusion. Although the TST test remains a useful tool for diagnosing LTBI in SLE patients, the T.SPOT.TB test is perhaps better employed when the patient is receiving CTC and/or IS drugs.
Faults Detection in a Photovoltaic Generator by Using Matlab Simulink and the chipKIT Max32 Board
Authors: Khenfer Riadh , Mostefai Mohamed , Benahdouga Seddik , Maddad Mounir
Published: May 2014

This paper presents a laboratory with equipment and an algorithm for teaching graduate students the monitoring and the diagnosis of PV arrays. The contribution is the presentation of an algorithm to detect and localize the fault, in photovoltaic generator when a limited number of voltage sensors are used. AnI-Vcurve tracer using a capacitive load is exploited to measure theI-Vcharacteristics of PV arrays. Such measurement allows characterization of PV arrays on-site, under real operating conditions, and provides also information for the detection of potential array anomalies. ThisI-Vcurve tracer is based on a microcontroller board family called chipKIT Max32 which is a popular platform for physical computing. A user program can be developed visually on a PC side via the graphical user interface (GUI) in Matlab Simulink, where the chipKIT Max32 of Digilent which is a low-cost board is designed for use with the Arduinompid software. The obtained results from the partial shade default showed the effectiveness of the proposed diagnosis method and the good functioning of this board with the Matlab/Simulink environment.
Effect of Algae and Plant Lectins on Planktonic Growth and Biofilm Formation in Clinically Relevant Bacteria and Yeasts
Authors: Vasconcelos Mayron Alves , Arruda Francisco Vassiliepe Sousa , Carneiro Victor Alves , Silva Helton Colares , Nascimento Kyria Santiago , Sampaio Alexandre Holanda , Cavada Benildo , Teixeira Edson Holanda , Henriques Mariana , Pereira Maria Olivia
Published: May 2014

This study aimed to evaluate the abilities of plant and algae lectins to inhibit planktonic growth and biofilm formation in bacteria and yeasts. Initially, ten lectins were tested onStaphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella oxytoca, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, andC. tropicalisat concentrations of 31.25 to 250 μg/mL. The lectins fromCratylia floribunda(CFL),Vatairea macrocarpa(VML),Bauhinia bauhinioides(BBL),Bryothamnion seaforthii(BSL), andHypnea musciformis(HML) showed activities against at least one microorganism. Biofilm formation in the presence of the lectins was also evaluated; after 24 h of incubation with the lectins, the biofilms were analyzed by quantifying the biomass (by crystal violet staining) and by enumerating the viable cells (colony-forming units). The lectins reduced the biofilm biomass and/or the number of viable cells to differing degrees depending on the microorganism tested, demonstrating the different characteristics of the lectins. These findings indicate that the lectins tested in this study may be natural alternative antimicrobial agents; however, further studies are required to better elucidate the functional use of these proteins.
Total Return Swap Valuation with Counterparty Risk and Interest Rate Risk
Authors: Wang Anjiao , Ye Zhongxing
Published: May 2014

We study the pricing of total return swap (TRS) under the contagion models with counterparty risk and the interest rate risk. We assume that interest rate follows Heath-Jarrow-Morton (HJM) forward interest rate model and obtain the Libor market interest rate. The cases where default is related to the interest rate and independent of interest rate are considered. Using the methods of change of measure and the “total hazard construction,” the joint default probabilities are obtained. Furthermore, we obtain the closed-form formulas of TRS under different contagion models, respectively.
An Integrative Behavioral Model of Information Security Policy Compliance
Authors: Kim Sang Hoon , Yang Kyung Hoon , Park Sunyoung
Published: May 2014

The authors found the behavioral factors that influence the organization members’ compliance with the information security policy in organizations on the basis of neutralization theory, Theory of planned behavior, and protection motivation theory. Depending on the theory of planned behavior, members’ attitudes towards compliance, as well as normative belief and self-efficacy, were believed to determine the intention to comply with the information security policy. Neutralization theory, a prominent theory in criminology, could be expected to provide the explanation for information system security policy violations. Based on the protection motivation theory, it was inferred that the expected efficacy could have an impact on intentions of compliance. By the above logical reasoning, the integrative behavioral model and eight hypotheses could be derived. Data were collected by conducting a survey; 194 out of 207 questionnaires were available. The test of the causal model was conducted by PLS. The reliability, validity, and model fit were found to be statistically significant. The results of the hypotheses tests showed that seven of the eight hypotheses were acceptable. The theoretical implications of this study are as follows: (1) the study is expected to play a role of the baseline for future research about organization members’ compliance with the information security policy, (2) the study attempted an interdisciplinary approach by combining psychology and information system security research, and (3) the study suggested concrete operational definitions of influencing factors for information security policy compliance through a comprehensive theoretical review. Also, the study has some practical implications. First, it can provide the guideline to support the successful execution of the strategic establishment for the implement of information system security policies in organizations. Second, it proves that the need of education and training programs suppressing members’ neutralization intention to violate information security policy should be emphasized.
Electronic Structure and Optical Properties ofGaAs1-xBixAlloy
Authors: You Xindong , Zhou Renjie
Published: May 2014

A first-principles study has been performed to investigate the structural and electronic properties of theGaAs1-xBixsystem. The simulations are based upon the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) within the framework of density functional theory (DFT). Calculations are performed to different Bi concentrations. The lattice constant ofGaAs1-xBixincreases with Bi concentration while the alloy remains in the zinc-blende structure. The band gap ofGaAs1-xBixclearly shrinks with the Bi concentration. The optical transition of Bi dopant in GaAs exhibits a red shift. Besides, other important optical constants, such as the dielectric function, reflectivity, refractive index, and loss function also change significantly.
Closed-Form Formula of the Transverse Dynamic Stiffness of a Shallowly Inclined Taut Cable
Authors: Dan Dan-hui , Chen Zu-he , Yan Xing-fei
Published: May 2014

The segmented vibration-governed equations and their general solutions for cables acted upon by intermediate transverse forces are derived by applying Hamilton’s principle. Including the effects of sagging, flexible stiffness, clamped boundary conditions, and inclination angle of the cable, the element-wise dynamic stiffness for each cable segment, split into segments having unique transverse forces, is derived. By using methods from the global stiffness assembly process of FEM, the global level of the cables’ dynamic equilibrium equation is obtained, and, as a result, the final closed-form formula of transverse dynamic stiffness is derived. Additionally, the corresponding analytic form, without considering sagging effects, is also obtained. Case studies are conducted on the aspects of accuracy, rationality of the distribution on the spatial field, and frequency domains of dynamic stiffness calculations. By comparison with the Guyan-based static FEM reduction method, it is shown that the result obtained from the proposed closed-form solution, which includes sagging effects, is exact and rational, thus creating a powerful tool in transverse vibration analysis.
Roles of Renal Proximal Tubule Transport in Acid/Base Balance and Blood Pressure Regulation
Authors: Nakamura Motonobu , Shirai Ayumi , Yamazaki Osamu , Satoh Nobuhiko , Suzuki Masashi , Horita Shoko , Yamada Hideomi , Seki George
Published: May 2014

Sodium-coupled bicarbonate absorption from renal proximal tubules (PTs) plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of systemic acid/base balance. Indeed, mutations in the Na+-HCO3-cotransporter NBCe1, which mediates a majority of bicarbonate exit from PTs, cause severe proximal renal tubular acidosis associated with ocular and other extrarenal abnormalities. Sodium transport in PTs also plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure. For example, PT transport stimulation by insulin may be involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension associated with insulin resistance. Type 1 angiotensin (Ang) II receptors in PT are critical for blood pressure homeostasis. Paradoxically, the effects of Ang II on PT transport are known to be biphasic. Unlike in other species, however, Ang II is recently shown to dose-dependently stimulate human PT transport via nitric oxide/cGMP/ERK pathway, which may represent a novel therapeutic target in human hypertension. In this paper, we will review the physiological and pathophysiological roles of PT transport.
The Carbon-Nitrogen Balance of the Nodule and Its Regulation under Elevated Carbon Dioxide Concentration
Authors: Libault Marc
Published: May 2014

Legumes have developed a unique way to interact with bacteria: in addition to preventing infection from pathogenic bacteria like any other plant, legumes also developed a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with one gender of soil bacteria: rhizobium. This interaction leads to the development of a new root organ, the nodule, where the differentiated bacteria fix for the plant the atmospheric dinitrogen (atmN2). In exchange, the symbiont will benefit from a permanent source of carbon compounds, products of the photosynthesis. The substantial amounts of fixed carbon dioxide dedicated to the symbiont imposed to the plant a tight regulation of the nodulation process to balance carbon and nitrogen incomes and outcomes. Climate change including the increase of the concentration of the atmospheric carbon dioxide is going to modify the rates of plant photosynthesis, the balance between nitrogen and carbon, and, as a consequence, the regulatory mechanisms of the nodulation process. This review focuses on the regulatory mechanisms controlling carbon/nitrogen balances in the context of legume nodulation and discusses how the change in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration could affect nodulation efficiency.
Whitelists Based Multiple Filtering Techniques in SCADA Sensor Networks
Authors: Kang DongHo , Kim ByoungKoo , Na JungChan , Jhang KyoungSon
Published: May 2014

Internet of Things (IoT) consists of several tiny devices connected together to form a collaborative computing environment. Recently IoT technologies begin to merge with supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) sensor networks to more efficiently gather and analyze real-time data from sensors in industrial environments. But SCADA sensor networks are becoming more and more vulnerable to cyber-attacks due to increased connectivity. To safely adopt IoT technologies in the SCADA environments, it is important to improve the security of SCADA sensor networks. In this paper we propose a multiple filtering technique based on whitelists to detect illegitimate packets. Our proposed system detects the traffic of network and application protocol attacks with a set of whitelists collected from normal traffic.
Quantitative Analysis of Diffusion Weighted MR Images of Brain Tumor Using Signal Intensity Gradient Technique
Authors: Shanbhag S. S. , Udupi G. R. , Patil K. M. , Ranganath K.
Published: May 2014

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of diffusion weighted-magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) in the examination and classification of brain tumors, namely, glioma and meningioma. Our hypothesis was that as signal intensity variations on diffusion weighted (DW) images depend on histology and cellularity of the tumor, analysing the signal intensity characteristics on DW images may allow differentiating between the tumor types. Towards this end the signal intensity variations on DW images of the entire tumor volume data of 20 subjects with glioma and 12 subjects with meningioma were investigated and quantified using signal intensity gradient (SIG) parameter. The relative increase in the SIG values (RSIG) for the subjects with glioma and meningioma was in the range of 10.08–28.36 times and 5.60–9.86 times, respectively, compared to their corresponding SIG values on the contralateral hemisphere. The RSIG values were significantly different between the subjects with glioma and meningioma (P<0.01), with no overlap between RSIG values across the two tumors. The results indicate that the quantitative changes in the RSIG values could be applied in the differential diagnosis of glioma and meningioma, and their adoption in clinical diagnosis and treatment could be helpful and informative.
Sharp Turning and Corner Turning: Comparison of Energy Expenditure, Gait Parameters, and Level of Fatigue among Community-Dwelling Elderly
Authors: Justine Maria , Manaf Haidzir , Sulaiman Affeenddie , Razi Shahir , Alias Hani Asilah
Published: May 2014

This study compares energy expenditure (EE), gait parameters (GP), and level of fatigue (LOF) between 5-minute walking with sharp turning (ST) and corner turning (CT). Data were obtained from 29 community-dwelling elderly (mean age, 62.7 ± 3.54 years). For 5 minutes, in ST task, participants walked on a 3-meter pathway with 2 cones placed at each end (180° turning), while in CT task, participants walked on a 6-meter pathway with 4 cones placed at 4 corners (90° turning). The physiological cost index, pedometer, and 10-point Modified Borg Dyspnoea Scale were used to measure EE (beats/min), GP (no of steps), and LOF, respectively. Data were analyzed by using independentt-tests. EE during ST (0.62 ± 0.21 beats/min) was significantly higher than CT (0.48 ± 0.17 beats/min) (P<0.05). GP (434 ± 92.93 steps) and LOF (1.40 ± 1.11) in ST were found to be lower compared to GP (463 ± 92.18 steps) and LOF (1.54 ± 1.34) in CT (All,P>0.05). Higher EE in ST could be due to the difficulty in changing to a 180° direction, which may involve agility and different turning strategies (step-turn or pivot-turn) to adjust the posture carefully. In CT, participants could choose a step-turn strategy to change to a 90° direction, which was less challenging to postural control.
6-[18F]Fluoro-L-DOPA: A Well-Established Neurotracer with Expanding Application Spectrum and Strongly Improved Radiosyntheses
Authors: Pretze M. , Wängler C. , Wängler B.
Published: May 2014

For many years, the main application of [18F]F-DOPA has been the PET imaging of neuropsychiatric diseases, movement disorders, and brain malignancies. Recent findings however point to very favorable results of this tracer for the imaging of other malignant diseases such as neuroendocrine tumors, pheochromocytoma, and pancreatic adenocarcinoma expanding its application spectrum. With the application of this tracer in neuroendocrine tumor imaging, improved radiosyntheses have been developed. Among these, the no-carrier-added nucleophilic introduction of fluorine-18, especially, has gained increasing attention as it gives [18F]F-DOPA in higher specific activities and shorter reaction times by less intricate synthesis protocols. The nucleophilic syntheses which were developed recently are able to provide [18F]F-DOPA by automated syntheses in very high specific activities, radiochemical yields, and enantiomeric purities. This review summarizes the developments in the field of [18F]F-DOPA syntheses using electrophilic synthesis pathways as well as recent developments of nucleophilic syntheses of [18F]F-DOPA and compares the different synthesis strategies regarding the accessibility and applicability of the products for humanin vivoPET tumor imaging.
Energy Consumption Optimisation for Duty-Cycled Schemes in Shadowed Environments
Authors: Predojev Tatjana , Alonso-Zarate Jesus , Dohler Mischa , Alonso Luis
Published: May 2014

The focus of this study is the optimal configuration of a wireless low-power duty-cycled network with respect to the minimal energy consumption. Precisely, the energy consumption of a truncated-ARQ scheme in realistic shadowing environments is examined for the reference IEEE 802.15.4e standard protocol and for its cooperative extension that is presented in the paper. We show how to choose between the direct or multihop forwarding and the cooperative version of the two. We determine the optimal forwarding strategy for both loose and strict reliability requirements. Low-power links are parametrised by the interdevice distance and the corresponding outage probability, for the fixed output transmission power. It is shown that significant amounts of energy can be saved when the most adequate scheme of the three is applied. All analytical results are validated in the network simulator ns-3.