bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmental Urbanization Assessment Using GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis: A Case Study for Denizli (Turkey) Municipal Area
Authors: Akyol Erdal , Alkan Mutlu , Kaya Ali , Tasdelen Suat , Aydin Ali
Published: April 2018

In recent years, life quality of the urban areas is a growing interest of civil engineering. Environmental quality is essential to display the position of sustainable development and asserts the corresponding countermeasures to the protection of environment. Urban environmental quality involves multidisciplinary parameters and difficulties to be analyzed. The problem is not only complex but also involves many uncertainties, and decision‐making on these issues is a challenging problem which contains many parameters and alternatives inherently. Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) is a very prepotent technique to solve that sort of problems, and it guides the users confidence by synthesizing that information. Environmental concerns frequently contain spatial information. Spatial multicriteria decision analysis (SMCDA) that includes Geographic Information System (GIS) is efficient to tackle that type of problems. This study has employed some geographic and urbanization parameters to assess the environmental urbanization quality used by those methods. The study area has been described in five categories: very favorable, favorable, moderate, unfavorable, and very unfavorable. The results are momentous to see the current situation, and they could help to mitigate the related concerns. The study proves that the SMCDA descriptions match the environmental quality perception in the city.
Salivary Gland Pathology in IgG4-Related Disease: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Puxeddu Ilaria , Capecchi Riccardo , Carta Filippo , Tavoni Antonio Gaetano , Migliorini Paola , Puxeddu Roberto
Published: April 2018

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a rare fibroinflammatory condition that can affect almost any organ, characterized by swollen lesions and often by eosinophilia and elevated serum IgG4 concentrations. The diagnosis of IgG4-RD is a challenging task: in fact, single or multiple organs can be affected and clinical, serological, and histological findings can be heterogeneous. In IgG4-RD, the involvement of salivary glands is observed in 27% to 53% of patients. Several organ-specific conditions, now recognized as different manifestations of IgG4-related sialadenitis (IgG4-RS), were viewed in the past as individual disease entities. The study of salivary glands may sometimes be complex, because of the number of pathological conditions that may affect them, often with overlapping clinical pictures. Integration of different imaging techniques is often required in the case of swelling of salivary glands, even though biopsy remains the gold standard for a definite diagnosis of IgG4-RS. Thus, in this review, we discuss new insights in the pathogenesis of IgG4-RD, focusing on its clinical aspects and the tools that are currently available for a correct differential diagnosis when the salivary glands are involved.
Effects of Particle Size on Fault Gouge Frictional Characteristics and Associated Acoustic Emission
Authors: Liu Yang , Lu Cai-Ping , Zhao Tong-bin , Zhang Heng
Published: April 2018

Our experimental work was designed to explore the particle size effect of simulated fault gouge on slip characteristics by the conventional double‐direct shear friction configuration combined with acoustic emission (AE). The following conclusions were drawn: (1) smaller particles allow for an initially higher compaction rate at a higher speed and longer duration for force chain formation and destruction. The larger the particle size is, the higher the slipping displacement rate is; (2) the smaller the particle size is, the larger the friction coefficient is, and thus the higher the fault strength is. In addition, the larger the shear velocity is, the higher the fault strength is; (3) the smaller the particle size is, the higher the shear stress drop generated by the stick‐slip is, and the stronger the dynamic slip intensity for a stick‐slip period is; and (4) surface defects of forcing blocks possibly help to embed foregoing “stability” and “stable sliding” into the normal stick‐slip stage. Especially, the “stable sliding” is possibly related to formation of stubborn force chains. These findings may shed some insights into further clarification of slipping characteristics and discrimination of precursory signs of fault dynamic instability with different‐sized gouge particles.
Digi-Bags on the Go: Childminders’ Expectations and Experiences of a Tablet-Based Mobile Learning Environment in Family Day Care
Authors: Pihlainen Kaisa , Suero Montero Calkin , Kärnä Eija
Published: April 2018

The use of mobile technologies is playing an increasingly important role in early childhood education (ECE) settings. However, although technologies are often integrated in ECE provided in day care centres, technology use in other ECE settings, such as in family day care, is rare. In this paper, we describe the Digi-bag, a tablet-based mobile learning environment deployed at several family day care homes, and present the expectations and first experiences of family day care personnel regarding the pedagogical use of Digi-bags together with 1- to 5-year-old children as well as their experiences of training to use the digital technology. The results of the pilot study indicate that the deployment of Digi-bags facilitates the pedagogical, creative, and regular use of digital technology with small children. The study also underlines the importance of providing opportunities to family day care personnel for peer support and peer learning in natural settings besides professional training in the use of digital technologies.
Simultaneous Resource Accumulation and Payoff Allocation: A Cooperative Fuzzy Game Approach
Authors: Borkotokey Surajit , Neog Rupok , Zhang Qiang
Published: April 2018

We develop a simultaneous resource accumulation and payoff allocation algorithm under the framework of a cooperative fuzzy game that builds on our earlier work on the role of satisfaction in resource accumulation and payoff allocation. The difference between the two models lies in the fact that while focus was more on getting an exact solution in our previous model, the negotiation process in the current model accounts more for the role of the intermediate stages. Moreover we characterize our solution using two properties: asymptotic fairness and efficiency. Our model includes a suitable penalty function to refrain players from unreasonable demands. We focus on real life situations where possibly one or more players compromise on their shares to ensure a binding agreement with the others.
STEMI in a Young Male after Use of Synephrine-Containing Dietary Supplement
Authors: Unnikrishnan Dileep , Annam Radhika , Jacob Aasems , Thyagarajan Braghadheeswar , Farrugia Peter
Published: April 2018

A twenty-two-year-old male with no significant past medical history who presented with chest pain was found to have ST-segment elevation in leads II, III, aVF, and V4–V6. On subsequent EKGs, patient had new ST-segment elevations in anterolateral leads with dynamic changes. Cardiac catheterization showed acute dissection with thrombosis of the distal left main coronary artery leading into the ostial left anterior descending artery. The patient had no cardiac risk factors including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, or family history of early cardiac disease. On further inquiry, the patient was found to be on two separate performance-enhancing supplements which contained synephrine, a sympathomimetic chemical which was later attributed as the cause of his acute coronary syndrome. Synephrine acts on alpha-1 adrenergic receptors causing peripheral and coronary vasoconstriction, hypertension, and hyperglycemia. Increased hemodynamic stress on the coronary arteries can lead to fatal dissections. Ours is an atypical case of synephrine-induced nonatherosclerotic spontaneous coronary artery dissection which helps caution the physicians about the importance of dietary supplement use in the history and possible side effects of such performance-enhancing additives.
Optimum Design and Performance of Porous Concrete for Heavy‐Load Traffic Pavement in Cold and Heavy Rainfall Region of NE China
Authors: Yao Ailing , Ding Hao , Zhang Xiaochen , Hu Zhao , Hao Runshu , Yang Tao
Published: April 2018

The aim of the study was to solve the problem of drainage stability of pavement base in cold and Cloudburst area. With porous concrete as the research object, an optimum design of porous concrete was determined using a step filling and orthogonal test method, and the relationship between the porosity and the connected porosity of the porous concrete was analyzed. Furthermore, drainage performance and frost resistance of the pavement, compressive strength of the porous concrete, bending strength, and compressive elastic modulus were studied. The results show that the effects of water‐cement ratio on the strength of porous concrete based on the step filling method are the most significant. In addition, the connected porosity and goal porosity have a good linear relationship; that is, the drainage performance increases with the increase in connected porosity, whereas the frost resistance, compressive strength, flexural tensile strength, and compressive elastic modulus decrease with the increase in connected porosity. Based on an engineering project in Inner Mongolia (in China), it was shown that porous concrete with a goal porosity of 15% used as a pavement base could meet the requirements of cold weather, showers, and heavy traffic.
ROUNDS Studies: Relation of OUtcomes with Nutrition Despite Severity—Round One: Ultrasound Muscle Measurements in Critically Ill Adult Patients
Authors: Galindo Martín Carlos Alfredo , Ubeda Zelaya Reyna del Carmen , Monares Zepeda Enrique , Lescas Méndez Octavio Augusto
Published: April 2018

Malnutrition (undernutrition) encompasses low intake or uptake, loss of fat mass, and muscle wasting and is associated with worse outcomes. Ultrasound has been introduced in the intensive care unit as a tool to assess muscle mass. The aim of the present study is to explore the relation between initial muscle mass and mortality in adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Methods. Rectus femoris and vastus intermedius thicknesses were measured by B-mode ultrasound in adult patients at admission, along with demographic characteristics, illness severity, comorbidities, biochemical variables, treatments, and in-hospital mortality as main outcomes. Analysis was made comparing survivors versus nonsurvivors and finally using binary logistic regression with mortality as dependent variable. Results. 59 patients were included in the analysis, severity measured by sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score was greater in nonsurvivors (17 (7) versus 24 (10) and 3 (1–5) versus 7 (3–10), resp.). Also, muscle thickness was lower in the latter group (1.44 (0.59) cm versus 0.98 (0.3) cm). Logistic regression showed severity by SOFA score as a risk factor and muscle thickness as a protective factor for mortality. Conclusion. Muscle mass showed to be a protective factor despite severity of illness; there is much more work to do regarding interventions and monitoring in order to prevent or overcome low muscle mass at admission to the intensive care unit.
Diabetes Mellitus with Poor Glycemic Control as a Consequence of Inappropriate Injection Technique
Authors: Poudel Ramesh Sharma , Shrestha Shakti , Bhandari Sushma , Piryani Rano Mal , Adhikari Shital
Published: April 2018

Majority of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), who are on insulin therapy, use insulin pen for convenience, accuracy, and comfort. Some patients may require two different types of insulin preparations for better glycemic control. We have reported a case of poor glycemic control as a consequence of inappropriate insulin injection technique. A 57-year-old man with type 2 DM had been using premix insulin 30 : 70 for his glycemic control for the last 12 years. On follow-up visit, his blood sugar level (BSL) had increased; therefore the treating physician increased the dose of premix insulin and added basal insulin with the aim of controlling his blood sugar level. Despite these changes, his BSL was significantly higher than his previous level. On investigation, the cause of his poor glycemic control was found to be due to inadequate delivery of insulin (primarily premix) as a consequence of lack of priming and incompatibility of single insulin pen for two cartridges. His basal insulin was discontinued and the patient along with his grandson was instructed to administer insulin correctly. After correction of the errors, the patient had a better glycemic control.
Graph Drawing and Analysis Library and Its Domain-Specific Language for Graphs’ Layout Specifications
Authors: Vaderna Renata , Vuković Željko , Dejanović Igor , Milosavljević Gordana
Published: April 2018

This paper presents a graph drawing and analysis library written in Java called GRAD and its domain-specific language for simplifying the process of laying out graphs. One of GRAD’s main goals is to provide completely automated ways of selecting and configuring a drawing algorithm, based either on the properties of a graph or on a user’s input conforming to the domain-specific language. In order to verify the quality of GRAD’s main features a user study was conducted. The participants were asked to grade diagrams visualized and laid out using different modeling tools, including one relying on GRAD, which received the best overall scores.
A Gigantic Anal Mass: Buschke–Löwenstein Tumor in a Patient with Controlled HIV Infection with Fatal Outcome
Authors: Bastola Sanjog , Halalau Alexandra , Kc Ojbindra , Adhikari Anju
Published: April 2018

Buschke–Löwenstein tumor of anorectal and perianal area is a rare but highly aggressive tumor, frequently associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6 and 11. It often grows over years in immunocompetent patients and can be highly destructive to local tissue. We present a case of a 61-year-old male with HIV infection who presented with worsening pain and swelling in the anorectal area for one-year duration. Exam revealed a 15 × 10 cm mass in the anorectal area with multiple sinuses and fistulas. MRI revealed extension of the mass through pelvic structures. Biopsy showed squamous epithelium with koilocytes and histochemistry positive for P16, suggestive of HPV infection. Biopsy was negative for malignant transformation. He was not a candidate for surgery or radiation due to extensive infiltration of deeper structures and multiple fistulas. He refused interferon therapy, and diverting colostomy was placed for palliation. He presented two months later with overwhelming sepsis and died despite maximal medical therapy.
Bosworth Dislocation without Associated Fracture
Authors: Williams Austin D. , Blue Matthew , Douthit Christian , Caroom Cyrus
Published: April 2018

One of the rarest ankle injuries is the Bosworth fracture-dislocation, whereby the distal fibula fractures and is lodged behind the tibia and is often unable to be reduced in a closed fashion. Even more rarely, a Bosworth dislocation without any accompanying fractures may occur. In this case, a 19-year-old male presented with a Bosworth dislocation, with the ipsilateral tibia having previously undergone intramedullary nailing. After closed reduction was attempted, open reduction and fixation was performed, directly reducing the fibula and fixing the unstable syndesmosis with 2 quadricortical screws. Bosworth injuries are rare, yet severe, and should be treated in a timely manner. We were able to provide good reduction and fixation without requiring removal of the intramedullary nail, and we support the use of 2 quadricortical screws as a valid treatment option for the fixation of Bosworth dislocations.
Point-of-Care Diagnostic Device for Traumatic Pneumothorax: Low Sensitivity of the Unblinded PneumoScan™
Authors: Rehfeldt M. , Slagman A. , Leidel B. A. , Möckel M. , Lindner T.
Published: April 2018

Background. Traumatic Pneumothorax (PTX) is a potentially life-threatening injury. It requires a fast and accurate diagnosis and treatment, but diagnostic tools are limited. A new point-of-care device (PneumoScan) based on micropower impulse radar (MIR) promises to diagnose a PTX within seconds. In this study, we compare standard diagnostics with PneumoScan during shock-trauma-room management. Patients and Methods. Patients with blunt or penetrating chest trauma were consecutively included in the study. All patients were examined including clinical examination with auscultation (CE) and supine chest radiography (CXR). In addition, PneumoScan-readings and thoracic ultrasound scan (US) were performed. Computed tomography (CT) served as gold standard. Results. CT scan revealed PTX in 11 patients. PneumoScan detected two PTX correctly but missed nine. 15 false-positive results were found by PneumoScan, leading to a sensitivity of 20% and specificity of 80%. Six PTX were detected through CE (sensitivity: 54,5%). CXR detected four (sensitivity: 27,3%) and thoracic US two PTX correctly (sensitivity: 25%). Conclusion. The unblinded PneumoScan prototype did not confirm the promising results of previous studies. The examined standard diagnostics and thoracic US showed rather weak sensitivity as well. Until now, there is no appropriate point-of-care tool to rule out PTX.
Experimental Study on 3D Roughness and Shear Failure Mechanism of Rock Mass Discontinuity
Authors: Wei Jihong , Men Yan , Sun Shaorui , Le Huilin , Zhu Feng
Published: April 2018

A set of systematic experimental methods, including 3D accuracy scanning and identification of discontinuous surface topography, physical model construction, and laboratory direct shear experiment under different directions and normal stresses, was proposed to research the influence of discontinuity roughness on strength and deformation of discontinuity. During physical model construction of discontinuity, three types of discontinuity and rough natural rock joint surface models were constructed and moulded. Meanwhile, many influence factors of discontinuity surface topography, such as asperity inclination angle (AIA), asperity height (AH), normal stress (NS), and shear direction (SD), were considered during the direct shear experiment. On the basis of the experimental results, it can be found that there were two types of failure modes under different loading conditions, which were named “failure by shearing through the asperities” and “failure by sliding over the asperities”. The obvious stress concentration phenomenon, climbing, and cutting effects appeared in the process of the direct shear experiment. In addition, the accurate identification of surface topography of natural rough rock joint surface was carried out using three‐dimensional sensing system (3DSS) and self‐programming software before and after the experiment. The subsamples with the same surface topography as the original samples were moulded using a self‐developed instrument. Then, the mechanical behavior of the original samples and subsamples for the natural rough rock joint surface under different shear directions and normal stresses was studied. The results show that the shear displacement under different shear directions and normal stresses is very large before it reaches the failure state. And the residual strength of the original samples is higher than that of the subsamples. In addition, failure modes of the subsamples are main failure by shearing through the asperities due to the significant difference between peak shear strength and residual strength. The failure modes for parts of the original samples are failure by sliding over the asperities. The change ratio of area for the discontinuity after the experiment depends on surface topography, strength of heave on the surface of discontinuity, and particle size of minerals on the surface of discontinuity.
The Existence, Uniqueness, and Controllability of Neutral Stochastic Delay Partial Differential Equations Driven by Standard Brownian Motion and Fractional Brownian Motion
Authors: Ruan Dehao , Luo Jiaowan
Published: April 2018

We focus on a class of neutral stochastic delay partial differential equations perturbed by a standard Brownian motion and a fractional Brownian motion. Under some suitable assumptions, the existence, uniqueness, and controllability results for these equations are investigated by means of the Banach fixed point method. Moreover, an example is presented to illustrate our main results.
Psychology-Inspired Trust Restoration Framework in Distributed Multiagent Systems
Authors: Binmad Ruchdee , Li Mingchu
Published: April 2018

Trust violation during cooperation of autonomous agents in multiagent systems is usually unavoidable and can arise due to a wide number of reasons. From a psychological point of view, the violation of an agent’s trust is a result of one agent (which is a transgressor) expressing a very low weight on the welfare of another agent (which is a victim) by inflicting a high cost for a very small benefit. In order for the victim to make an effective decision about whether to cooperate or punish for the next interaction, a psychological variable called welfare tradeoff ratio (WTR) can be used to upregulate the transgressor’s disposition so that the number of exploitive behaviors that are likely to happen in the future will be decreased. In this paper, we propose computational models of metrics based on the welfare tradeoff ratio along with the way by which multiple metrics can be integrated to provide the final result. Additionally, a number of experiments based on social network analysis are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed framework and the results show that by implementing WTR the simulated network is able to deal with different levels of trust violation effectively.
Local Void Fractions and Bubble Velocity in Vertical Air-Water Two-Phase Flows Measured by Needle-Contact Capacitance Probe
Authors: Huang Shanfang , Wu Xiangxiang , Zong Benyang , Ma Yugao , Guo Xiaoyu , Wang Dong
Published: April 2018

Multiphase flow measurements have become increasingly important in a wide range of industrial fields. In the present study, a dual needle-contact capacitance probe was newly designed to measure local void fractions and bubble velocity in a vertical channel, which was verified by digital high-speed camera system. The theoretical analyses and experiments show that the needle-contact capacitance probe can reliably measure void fractions with the readings almost independent of temperature and salinity for the experimental conditions. In addition, the trigger-level method was chosen as the signal processing method for the void fraction measurement, with a minimum relative error of −4.59%. The bubble velocity was accurately measured within a relative error of 10%. Meanwhile, dynamic response of the dual needle-contact capacitance probe was analyzed in detail. The probe was then used to obtain raw signals for vertical pipe flow regimes, including plug flow, slug flow, churn flow, and bubbly flow. Further experiments indicate that the time series of the output signals vary as the different flow regimes and are consistent with each flow structure.
Warping Torsional and Distortional Stress of Composited Box Girder with Corrugated Steel Webs
Authors: Qiao Peng , Di Jin , Qin Feng-jiang
Published: April 2018

The torsional behaviors of composite box girders with corrugated steel webs are more obvious than traditional concrete girders due to the lower torsional rigidity. In this paper, the torsion and distortion of this kind of composite girder are studied. The formulas for warping normal stress and shear stress were put forward according to the second theory of Umanskii, considering the accordion effect of corrugated steel webs. Then, the influences of different dimensional parameters on the torsional and distortional stress are investigated. Results show that the effect of parameters on stress is different and implicit in composite box girders with corrugated steel webs. Under eccentric loads, the warping torsional and distortional stress in this kind of girder should not be neglected. Compared with girders under corresponding symmetric loads, the total warping stress may be as big as flexural normal stress, and the total shear stress usually reaches 30 to 50 percentage of flexural shear stress. So the warping stress and additional shear stress due to warping torsion and distortion are suggested to be calculated by the proposed equations in structural analysis, which are usually not taken into account in conventional concrete box girders.
Hydroforming Process for an Ultrasmall Bending Radius Elbow
Authors: Ruan Shangwen , Lang Lihui , Ge Yulong
Published: April 2018

Bent pipes are widely used in automotive, aviation, and aerospace industries for delivering fluids. Parts having small relative bending radiuses are called elbows. However, fabricating a thin‐walled elbow part using the simple bending process poses many challenges. One possible way to manufacture elbows is with the stamping‐welding process. The major drawbacks of this method include the decline in sealing performance and the addition in weight attributed to the lap welding process. Tube hydroforming (THF) is considered as a feasible solution to these problems. However, the forming process could be quite complex, and multistep forming is necessary. This study investigates the effects of preliminary processes on elbow forming such as bending, partition forming, and heat treatment and presents a high‐performance optimized process design to achieve an ultrasmall radius elbow. The effects of multistep forming on the thickness distribution and the heat treatment on the microstructure have been evaluated. The results obtained from simulations show a reasonable agreement with those from the experiments.
Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Severe Peripheral Artery Disease in a 20-Year-Old with Perinatally Acquired Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection
Authors: Sharma Purva , Kabach Mohamad , Sehatbakhsh Samineh , Tharpe Rashida , Isaac Shaun , Chait Robert , De Almeida Kleper
Published: April 2018

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection confers an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Patients with perinatally acquired HIV may be at increased risk due to the viral infection itself and exposure to HAART in utero or as part of treatment. A 20-year-old female with transplacentally acquired HIV infection presented with symptoms of transient aphasia, headache, palpitations, and blurry vision. She was admitted for hypertensive emergency with blood pressure 203/100 mmHg. Within a few hours, she complained of typical chest pain, and ECG showed marked ST depression. Troponin I levels escalated from 0.115 to 10.8. She underwent coronary angiogram showing 95% stenosis of the right coronary artery (RCA) and severe peripheral arterial disease including total occlusion of both common iliacs and 95% infrarenal aortic stenosis with collateral circulation. She underwent successful percutaneous intervention with a drug-eluting stent to the mid-RCA. Patients with HIV are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Of these, coronary artery disease is one of the most critical complications of HIV. Perinatally acquired HIV infection can be a high-risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A high degree of suspicion is warranted in such patients, especially if they are noncompliant to their ART.
Risk of Microvascular Complications and Macrovascular Risk Factors in Early-Onset Type 1 Diabetes after at Least 10 Years Duration: An Analysis of Three Population-Based Cross-Sectional Surveys in Germany between 2009 and 2016
Authors: Tönnies Thaddäus , Stahl-Pehe Anna , Baechle Christina , Castillo Katty , Kuss Oliver , Yossa Rhuphine , Lindner Lena M. E. , Holl Reinhard W. , Rosenbauer Joachim
Published: April 2018

Aims. To estimate the risk of microvascular complications and macrovascular risk factors among persons with early-onset (diagnosed at ages 0 to <5 years) and long-duration type 1 diabetes and determine temporal trends and associations with potential predictors. Methods. We conducted three population-based cross-sectional surveys in Germany (N=1789) to obtain information on exposures and five outcomes (retinopathy, nephropathy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and a composite endpoint combining all four outcomes). For each outcome, log-binomial spline regression was applied to estimate the risk and dose-response relationship with diabetes duration and exposures. Results. The risk for microvascular complications increased after 14 years since diabetes diagnosis whereas dyslipidemia and hypertension were already prevalent at 10 years. The 15-year risk (95% confidence interval) of the composite endpoint for female and male patients was 22.9% (18.8%–27.9%) and 19.2% (15.5%–23.8%), respectively. Temporal trends suggested a decreasing risk between 2009 and 2016. Glycemic control, lifestyle-related factors, and SES, but not health care-related factors, were associated with the risk of the composite endpoint. Conclusions. In early-onset type 1 diabetes, there exists a considerable risk of complications and comorbidities already in young ages. Future research should focus on prevention of diabetic complications in young patients and clarification of pathways of the associations found.
Mesenteric Ischemia and Myocardial Infarction Associated with Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Cheng Liting , Wu Yongquan
Published: April 2018

Atrial fibrillation is a common disease correlated with embolism incidents. However, there is lack of report on atrial fibrillation causing myocardial infarction and mesenteric ischemia at the same time. Our patient is a 69-year-old woman who had undergone thoracic surgery a month before presented to our hospital with newly discovered atrial fibrillation, abdominal pain, and ST-elevated myocardial infarction. This is a rare case that atrial fibrillation took place one month after surgery and caused embolism incidents in both coronary artery and mesenteric artery.
Comparison of Postoperative Short-Term Outcomes between Tension-Free Vaginal Mesh Surgery Using the Capio™ SLIM Suture Capturing Device and Conventional TVM Surgery for Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Authors: Kanasaki Haruhiko , Oride Aki , Hara Tomomi , Kyo Satoru
Published: April 2018

Aim. We compared the short-term effectiveness of tension-free vaginal mesh (TVM) surgery using the Capio SLIM suture capturing device and conventional TVM surgery for treatment of pelvic organ prolapse. Methods. We retrospectively compared postoperative pain, urinary function, and length of hospital stay between 7 patients who underwent TVM surgery using the Capio device and 9 patients who underwent conventional TVM surgery. Results. There was no significant between-group difference in mean age between the Capio TVM group and the conventional TVM group (76.0 ± 5.6 years and 72.5 ± 11.5 years) or in mean operating time (86.56 ± 23.33 min and 95.28 ± 23.88 min). Four of the 7 patients in the Capio TVM group could not sense the urge to urinate after removal of the urethral catheter, but all patients in the conventional TVM group did so. The volume of the first voluntary urination was significantly smaller in the Capio TVM group than that in the conventional TVM group (102.14 ± 80.57 mL versus 472.22 ± 459.43 mL). The mean residual urine volume after the first voluntary urination was greater in the Capio TVM group than that in the conventional TVM group (285.70 ± 233.82 mL versus 34.56 ± 73.31 mL). The number of catheter days and mean maximal volume of residual urine were significantly greater in the Capio TVM group. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 6.57 ± 1.83 days in the Capio TVM group and 3.2 ± 0.42 days in the conventional TVM group. Six patients who underwent Capio TVM surgery complained of deep-seated pain in the hip region. Conclusion. Urinary function may worsen postoperatively when the Capio TVM device is used in patients with pelvic organ prolapse.
The Effect of Anesthesia on the Immune System in Colorectal Cancer Patients
Authors: Dang Yangjie , Shi Xingxing , Xu William , Zuo Mingzhang
Published: April 2018

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the key leading cause of high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Surgical excision is the most effective treatment for CRC. However, stress caused by surgery response can destroy the body’s immunity and increase the likelihood of cancer dissemination and metastasis. Anesthesia is an effective way to control the stress response, and recent basic and clinical research has shown that anesthesia and related drugs can directly or indirectly affect the immune system of colorectal cancer patients during the perioperative period. Thus, these drugs may affect the prognosis of CRC surgery patients. This review is intended to summarize currently available data regarding the effects of anesthetics and related drugs on perioperative immune function and postoperative recurrence and metastasis in CRC patients. Determining the most suitable anesthesia for patients with CRC is of utmost importance.
Transcriptomic Profiling of Fruit Development in Black Raspberry Rubus coreanus
Authors: Chen Qing , Liu Xunju , Hu Yueyang , Sun Bo , Hu Yaodong , Wang Xiaorong , Tang Haoru , Wang Yan
Published: April 2018

The wild Rubus species R. coreanus, which is widely distributed in southwest China, shows great promise as a genetic resource for breeding. One of its outstanding properties is adaptation to high temperature and humidity. To facilitate its use in selection and breeding programs, we assembled de novo 179,738,287 R. coreanus reads (125 bp in length) generated by RNA sequencing from fruits at three representative developmental stages. We also used the recently released draft genome of R. occidentalis to perform reference-guided assembly. We inferred a final 95,845-transcript reference for R. coreanus. Of these genetic resources, 66,597 (69.5%) were annotated. Based on these results, we carried out a comprehensive analysis of differentially expressed genes. Flavonoid biosynthesis, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, and cutin, suberin, and wax biosynthesis pathways were significantly enriched throughout the ripening process. We identified 23 transcripts involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway whose expression perfectly paralleled changes in the metabolites. Additionally, we identified 119 nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) protein-coding genes, involved in pathogen resistance, of which 74 were in the completely conserved domain. These results provide, for the first time, genome-wide genetic information for understanding developmental regulation of R. coreanus fruits. They have the potential for use in breeding through functional genetic approaches in the near future.
Cancer Antigen 125 during Pregnancy in Women without Ovarian Tumor Is Not Often Rising
Authors: Amampai Rattapon , Suprasert Prapaporn
Published: April 2018

Objective. To determine the percentage of rising serum cancer antigen (CA-125) in singleton pregnant women whose ultrasonographical findings were normal. Methods. Singleton pregnant women who received antenatal care at our institute with a normal ultrasonographical examination in their first and/or second trimester were invited to participate in blood testing for CA-125. The conditions that might affect the CA-125 level were excluded. The normal level of CA-125 was defined as ≤35 U/ml. Results. 136 pregnant women met the inclusion criteria. Of these cases, 87 cases received a blood test for CA-125 in both their first and second trimesters while 46 and 3 cases received a blood test for CA-125 in only the first and second trimester, respectively. The median serum CA-125 levels in the first and second trimester were 16.44 (range 5.94–77.54) U/ml and 16.76 (range 5.26–35.81) U/ml, respectively. Only 9.1% of the studied patients showed an abnormal CA-125 level in the first trimester period and only one case showed an abnormal CA-125 level in the second trimester period. Conclusion. Few of normal pregnancies showed rising CA-125. Therefore, when it elevated in pregnant women, other causes such as the adnexal lesion should be investigated.
Stability Analysis Method for Rock Slope with an Irregular Shear Plane Based on Interface Model
Authors: Qi Changqing , Qi Jiabing , Li Liuyang , Liu Jin
Published: April 2018

Landslide developed in rock mass usually has irregular shear plane. An approach for calculating distributed factor of safety of the irregular shear plane was put forward in this paper. The presented method can obtain not only the detailed stability status at any grid node of a complex shear plane but also the global safety of the slope. Thus, it is helpful to thoroughly understand the mechanism of slope failure. Comparing with the result obtained through the limit equilibrium method, the presented method was proved to be more accurate and suitable for stability analysis of rock slope with a thin shear plane. The stability of a potentially unstable rock slope was analyzed based on the presented method at the end of this paper. The detailed local stability, global stability, and the potential failure mechanism were provided.
Muscle Coactivation during Stability Exercises in Rhythmic Gymnastics: A Two-Case Study
Authors: Rutkowska-Kucharska Alicja , Szpala Agnieszka , Jaroszczuk Sebastian , Sobera Małgorzata
Published: April 2018

Balance exercises in rhythmic gymnastics are performed on tiptoes, which causes overload of foot joints. This study aimed to evaluate the engagement of muscles stabilizing ankle and knee joints in balance exercises and determine exercises which may lead to ankle and knee joint injuries. It was hypothesized that long-term training has an influence on balance control and efficient use of muscles in their stabilizing function. Two rhythmic gymnasts (8 and 21 years old) performed balances on tiptoes (side split with hand support, ring with hand support) and on a flat foot (back split without hand support exercise). Surface electromyography, ground reaction forces, and kinematic parameters of movement were measured. The measuring systems applied were synchronized with the BTS SMART system. The results show the necessity to limit balance exercises on tiptoes in children because gastrocnemius medialis (GM) and gastrocnemius lateralis (GL) activity significantly exceeds their activity. Ankle joint stabilizing activity of GM and GL muscles in the younger gymnast was more important than in the older one. Performing this exercise, the younger gymnast distributed load on the anterior side of the foot while the older one did so on its posterior. Gymnastics coaches should be advised to exclude ring with hand support exercise from the training of young gymnasts.
Subjective Experiences and Sensitivities in Women with Fibromyalgia: A Quantitative and Comparative Study
Authors: De Roa P. , Paris P. , Poindessous J. L. , Maillet O. , Héron A.
Published: April 2018

Fibromyalgia is a chronic widespread pain syndrome associated with chronic fatigue. Its pathogenesis is not clearly understood. This study presents subjective experiences and sensitivities reported by fibromyalgia patients, which should be considered in primary care to avoid medical nomadism, as well as stigmatization of the patients. The prevalence of significant characteristics was compared with others patients consulting at the same pain unit who suffer from rebel and disabling form of chronic migraine. Psychometric tests were anonymously completed by 78 patients of the Pain Unit (44 fibromyalgia patients and 34 migraine patients). Tests evaluated pain (Visual Analog scale), childhood traumas (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), lack of parental affection, stressful life events (Holmes and Rahe Scale), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), perceived hypersensitivity to 10 stimuli, and hyperactivity before illness. However, pain scores were comparable in the two groups, and the prevalence was significantly higher in fibromyalgia patients than in migraine patients for anxiety (81.8% versus 51.5%) and depression (57.1% versus 8.8%). Childhood physical abuses were more frequently reported in fibromyalgia than in migraine cases (25% versus 3%). Similarly, the feeling of lack of parental affection, subjective hypersensitivity to stress and stimuli (cold, moisture, heat, full moon, and flavors) or hyperactivity (ergomania), appeared as prominent features of fibromyalgia patients. Fibromyalgia patients considered themselves as being hypersensitive (mentally and physically) compared to migraine patients. They also have higher depression levels. Beyond somatic symptoms, precociously taking account of psychosocial and behavioral strategies would highly improve treatment efficiency of the fibromyalgia syndrome.
Development and Validation of an LC-MS/MS Method and Comparison with a GC-MS Method to Measure Phenytoin in Human Brain Dialysate, Blood, and Saliva
Authors: Hösli Raphael , König Stefan , Mühlebach Stefan F.
Published: April 2018

Phenytoin (PHT) is one of the most often used critical dose drugs, where insufficient or excessive dosing can have severe consequences such as seizures or toxicity. Thus, the monitoring and precise measuring of PHT concentrations in patients is crucial. This study develops and validates an LC-MS/MS method for the measurement of phenytoin concentrations in different body compartments (i.e., human brain dialysate, blood, and saliva) and compares it with a formerly developed GC-MS method that measures PHT in the same biological matrices. The two methods are evaluated and compared based on their analytical performance, appropriateness to analyze human biological samples, including corresponding extraction and cleanup procedures, and their validation according to ISO 17025/FDA Guidance for Industry. The LC-MS/MS method showed a higher performance compared with the GC-MS method. The LC-MS/MS was more sensitive, needed a smaller sample volume (25 µL) and less chemicals, was less time consuming (cleaning up, sample preparation, and analysis), and resulted in a better LOD (<1 ng/mL)/LOQ (10 ng/mL). The calibration curve of the LC-MS/MS method (10–2000 ng/mL) showed linearity over a larger range with correlation coefficients r2 > 0.995 for all tested matrices (blood, saliva, and dialysate). For larger sample numbers as in pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies and for bedside as well as routine analyses, the LC-MS/MS method offers significant advantages over the GC-MS method.
Sensitive Fluorescent Sensor for Recognition of HIV-1 dsDNA by Using Glucose Oxidase and Triplex DNA
Authors: Li Yubin , Liu Sheng , Ling Liansheng
Published: April 2018

A sensitive fluorescent sensor for sequence-specific recognition of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) was developed on the surface of silver-coated glass slide (SCGS). Oligonucleotide-1 (Oligo-1) was designed to assemble on the surface of SCGS and act as capture DNA, and oligonucleotide-2 (Oligo-2) was designed as signal DNA. Upon addition of target HIV-1 dsDNA (Oligo-3•Oligo-4), signal DNA could bind on the surface of silver-coated glass because of the formation of C•GoC in parallel triplex DNA structure. Biotin-labeled glucose oxidase (biotin-GOx) could bind to signal DNA through the specific interaction of biotin-streptavidin, thereby GOx was attached to the surface of SCGS, which was dependent on the concentration of target HIV-1 dsDNA. GOx could catalyze the oxidation of glucose and yield H2O2, and the HPPA can be oxidized into a fluorescent product in the presence of HRP. Therefore, the concentration of target HIV-1 dsDNA could be estimated with fluorescence intensity. Under the optimum conditions, the fluorescence intensity was proportional to the concentration of target HIV-1 dsDNA over the range of 10 pM to 1000 pM, the detection limit was 3 pM. Moreover, the sensor had good sequence selectivity and practicability and might be applied for the diagnosis of HIV disease in the future.
Analysis of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Ambient Aerosols by Using One-Dimensional and Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography Combined with Mass Spectrometric Method: A Comparative Study
Authors: Ahn Yun Gyong , Jeon So Hyeon , Lim Hyung Bae , Choi Na Rae , Hwang Geum-Sook , Kim Yong Pyo , Lee Ji Yi
Published: April 2018

Advanced separation technology paired with mass spectrometry is an ideal method for the analysis of atmospheric samples having complex chemical compositions. Due to the huge variety of both natural and anthropogenic sources of organic compounds, simultaneous quantification and identification of organic compounds in aerosol samples represents a demanding analytical challenge. In this regard, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) has become an effective analytical method. However, verification and validation approaches to quantify these analytes have not been critically evaluated. We compared the performance of gas chromatography with quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-qMS) and GC×GC-TOFMS for quantitative analysis of eighteen target polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The quantitative obtained results such as limits of detection (LODs), limits of quantification (LOQs), and recoveries of target PAHs were approximately equivalent based on both analytical methods. Furthermore, a larger number of analytes were consistently identified from the aerosol samples by GC×GC-TOFMS compared to GC-qMS. Our findings suggest that GC×GC-TOFMS would be widely applicable to the atmospheric and related sciences with simultaneous target and nontarget analysis in a single run.
Synthesis, Structure, and Cyclocondensation of the 4,4,4-Trifluoro-3,3-dihydroxy-2-methyl-1-(thien-2-yl)-1-butanone with Hydroxylamine and Hydrazine
Authors: Flores Alex F. C. , Kuhn Bruna P. , Flores Darlene C. , Pereira Mariano A. , Balliano Tatiane L. , da Silva Givanildo S.
Published: April 2018

The synthesis of 4,4,4-trifluoro-3,3-dihydroxy-2-methyl-1-(thien-2-yl)butan-1-one (3) through acylation of 1,1-dimethoxy-1-(thien-2-yl)propane (1) with trifluoroacetic anhydride and its reactions with hydroxylamine and hydrazine was investigated. X-ray structural analysis of new trifluoromethyl-substituted dielectrophile 3 revealed that this hydrate exists as a racemate with inter- and intramolecular O-H·O bonds. The crystal structure shows alignment along axis b of pair molecules with the same configuration of the O2-H·O1 bond. For 5(3)-trifluoromethyl-4-methyl-3(5)-(thien-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole (4), obtained via cyclocondensation of precursor 2 and hydrazine hydrochloride, X-ray structural analysis indicated that its rings are almost planar (torsion angle N2-C5-C6-C7–5.4°) and that S1 at the thienyl moiety is anti-periplanar to N2 (torsion angle N2-C5-C6-S1 176.01); no disorder effect was observed for the thienyl ring.