bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are there any alternatives for transfusion of AB plasma as universal donor in an emergency release setting?
Authors: Balvers Kirsten , Saleh Sarah , Zeerleder Sacha S. , Klinkspoor J. Henriette , Goslings J. Carel , Juffermans Nicole P.
Published: February 2016

BACKGROUND

AB plasma is used as the universal donor plasma product in patients requiring massive transfusion. However, currently it is a recommended policy to transfuse plasma derived from male donors only as transfusion of plasma from HLA antibody–positive female donors is associated with an increased risk for transfusion‐related acute lung injury. As a result, due to high demands, supplies of blood banks may run out of AB plasma, calling for alternatives. Therefore, the aim of this review was to investigate alternatives for emergency release of AB plasma as the universal donor.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

A systematic search was conducted in Embase and PubMed. Studies on adult patients, who were transfused with at least 1 unit of plasma, investigating the incidence of transfusion‐related complications or mortality in patients transfused with ABO‐identical, ABO‐compatible, or ABO‐incompatible plasma were eligible for inclusion. The primary outcomes were the incidence of transfusion‐related complications and mortality.

RESULTS

In total six studies were included. Transfusion of ABO‐compatible plasma was associated with an increased incidence of lung injury and mortality (odds ratio, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.04‐1.15; p = 0.0003) compared to transfusion of ABO‐identical plasma. No significant differences were observed regarding transfusion‐related complications and mortality between patients transfused with ABO‐compatible or ABO‐incompatible plasma.

DISCUSSION

Studies are insufficient to formulate advice about alternatives for transfusion of AB plasma as universal donor plasma in the emergency setting due to the small number of studies. The results of this review underline the need for further research.
Five years of experience with ID‐NAT at a tertiary care centre in North India: An interdictory step in preventing the transfusion‐transmitted Infections
Authors: Kabita C. , Poonam C. , Rahul C. , Diptiranjan R. , Kanchan D. , Parag F.
Published: February 2016

Introduction

Technological advancements in transfusion medicine have led to safer blood supply to the community like never before. However, blood safety is a daunting task in India with ~1.25 billion population and high prevalence rate of HIV (0.29%), HBV (2–8%) and HCV (2%) in donor population. This study aims at evaluating the impact of ID‐NAT as an add‐on test on safe blood supply in the current Indian scenario.

Materials and Method

A retrospective observational study was conducted to analyse the data of 5 years of add‐on NAT at Main Blood Bank, AIIMS, New Delhi.

Results

1.84% (3556 of 193 167) units were initially NAT reactive. A total of 3495 units were further tested, of which 79.25% were discriminated (193 HIV, 421 HCV, 2060 HBV and 96 co‐infections). The remaining 13% (456) were repeat non‐reactive and 7.7% (269) could not be discriminated. Overall, NAT yield rate was one in 847, whereas virus‐specific NAT yield rates were one in 96 584, one in 2683, one in 1370 and one in 14 859 for HIV, HCV, HBV and HBV/HCV Co‐infections, respectively.

Conclusion

Five‐years of ID‐NAT screening interdicted 228 probable TTIs to 684 (assuming 100% component separation) transfusion recipients. Implementation of NAT along with routine serological tests for screening of the blood donations definitely improves the transfusion safety. However, interpretation of NAT reactive results should be adjudged cautiously keeping in mind, the chance occurrence of false‐positive reactivity.
Micro‐CT Structural Analysis of the Canine Medial Coronoid Disease
Authors: Fitzpatrick Noel , Garcia Tanya C. , Daryani Anjolie , Bertran Judith , Watari Shinya , Hayashi Kei
Published: February 2016

Objective

To use micro‐computed tomography (CT) to evaluate the fissure–fracture pattern in dogs affected by medial coronoid disease (MCD).

Study Design

Prospective case‐controlled study.

Sample Population

Client owned (n = 21) and cadaver dogs (n = 5).

Methods

Segments were excised by subtotal coronoid ostectomy from dogs with MCD. Two categories were identified: fissured (Fi) or fractured (F). Three subcategories were contingent on fissure–fracture orientation: tip (T), radial incisure (RI), and radial incisure encroaching tip (RIT). Control segments were from nondiseased cadavers. High‐resolution micro‐CT (3 dimensional and 2 dimensional) was performed on all segments. Measurements included mean bone mineral density, trabecular number and thickness, and the angle of the fissure–fracture relative to the predominant trabecular orientation.

Results

A total of 28 diseased segments from 21 dogs (mean age 23.3 months, mean bodyweight 31.5 kg) were analyzed and categorized according to fissure–fragment location as Fi‐T (n = 2), Fi‐RIT (n = 2), Fi‐RI (n = 3), F‐T (n = 5), F‐RIT (n = 9), F‐RI (n = 7). The 3D analysis revealed subchondral micro‐fracturing occurred in association with fragmentation. Canalicular impaction was associated with increase in trabecular number and decrease in trabecular space, most notably in RI categories. The 2D analysis showed that predominant trabecular orientation in control segments was significantly different to RI but not to T. The mean (SD) angle difference between the orientation of fissure–fracture and the predominant trabecular pattern was 6.9 (6.9)° for RI and 44.6 (49.6) ° for T.

Conclusion

T and RI fissure–fracture patterns show morphologic differences and likely arise from different supraphysiologic loading. Medial compartment disease is not homogenous and pattern recognition may assist further investigation of etiopathogenesis.
MOTION DEFORMATION STYLE CONTROL TECHNIQUE FOR 3D HUMANOID CHARACTER BY USING MOCAP DATA
Authors: Ismail Ismahafezi , Sunar Mohd Shahrizal , Kolivand Hoshang
Published: February 2016

Realistic humanoid 3D character movement is very important to apply in the computer games, movies, virtual reality and mixed reality environment. This paper presents a technique to deform motion style using Motion Capture (MoCap) data based on computer animation system. By using MoCap data, natural human action style could be deforming. However, the structure hierarchy of humanoid in MoCap Data is very complex. This method allows humanoid character to respond naturally based on user motion input. Unlike existing 3D humanoid character motion editor, our method produces realistic final result and simulates new dynamic humanoid motion style based on simple user interface control.
INTENSITY ENHANCEMENT ON OUTDOOR IMAGES
Authors: Al-Zubaidy Yaseen , Abdul Salam Rosalina , Abdulrahim Khairi
Published: February 2016

Outdoor images that are captured in bad weather conditions have low contrast and infidelity colours. Under the turbid medium conditions such as haze, mist, fog and drizzle, the light which reaches to the sensor is attenuated by atmospheric particles. These atmospheric phenomena degrade the contrast intensity of outdoor images based on haze density. In this research, we present new method to improve both the intensity and fine details of outdoor scene images. The RGB (Red, Green and Blue) input image is converted to the HSI (Hue Saturation Intensity) colour space and the density of the haze is estimated. Then, we use Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) technique to enhance the degraded intensity based on the estimation of the density of the haze. Our method is effective in a wide range of weather conditions and under different levels of visibility.
Gluconeogenesis during endurance exercise in cyclists habituated to a long‐term low carbohydrate high‐fat diet
Authors: Webster Christopher C. , Noakes Timothy D. , Chacko Shaji K. , Swart Jeroen , Kohn Tertius A. , Smith James A. H.
Published: February 2016

Key points

Blood glucose is an important fuel for endurance exercise. It can be derived from ingested carbohydrate, stored liver glycogen and newly synthesized glucose (gluconeogenesis).

We hypothesized that athletes habitually following a low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) diet would have higher rates of gluconeogenesis during exercise compared to those who follow a mixed macronutrient diet.

We used stable isotope tracers to study glucose production kinetics during a 2 h ride in cyclists habituated to either a LCHF or mixed macronutrient diet.

The LCHF cyclists had lower rates of total glucose production and hepatic glycogenolysis but similar rates of gluconeogenesis compared to those on the mixed diet.

The LCHF cyclists did not compensate for reduced dietary carbohydrate availability by increasing glucose synthesis during exercise but rather adapted by altering whole body substrate utilization.

Endogenous glucose production (EGP) occurs via hepatic glycogenolysis (GLY) and gluconeogenesis (GNG) and plays an important role in maintaining euglycaemia. Rates of GLY and GNG increase during exercise in athletes following a mixed macronutrient diet; however, these processes have not been investigated in athletes following a low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) diet. Therefore, we studied seven well‐trained male cyclists that were habituated to either a LCHF (7% carbohydrate, 72% fat, 21% protein) or a mixed diet (51% carbohydrate, 33% fat, 16% protein) for longer than 8 months. After an overnight fast, participants performed a 2 h laboratory ride at 72% of maximal oxygen consumption. Glucose kinetics were measured at rest and during the final 30 min of exercise by infusion of [6,6‐2H2]‐glucose and the ingestion of 2H2O tracers. Rates of EGP and GLY both at rest and during exercise were significantly lower in the LCHF group than the mixed diet group (Exercise EGP: LCHF, 6.0 ± 0.9 mg kg−1 min−1, Mixed, 7.8 ± 1.1 mg kg−1 min−1, P < 0.01; Exercise GLY: LCHF, 3.2 ± 0.7 mg kg−1 min−1, Mixed, 5.3 ± 0.9 mg kg−1 min−1, P < 0.01). Conversely, no difference was detected in rates of GNG between groups at rest or during exercise (Exercise: LCHF, 2.8 ± 0.4 mg kg−1 min−1, Mixed, 2.5 ± 0.3 mg kg−1 min−1, P = 0.15). We conclude that athletes on a LCHF diet do not compensate for reduced glucose availability via higher rates of glucose synthesis compared to athletes on a mixed diet. Instead, GNG remains relatively stable, whereas glucose oxidation and GLY are influenced by dietary factors.
Implicit Model Equation for Hydraulic Resistance and Heat Transfer including Wall Roughness
Authors: Laurien Eckart
Published: February 2016

Heat transfer to water at supercritical pressure within the core of a supercritical water reactor must be predicted accurately to ensure safe design of the reactor and prevent overheating of the fuel cladding. In the previous work (Laurien, 2012, “Semi-Analytic Prediction of Hydraulic Resistance and Heat Transfer for Pipe Flows of Water at Supercritical Pressure,” Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants, ICAPP’12, Chicago, June 24–28), we have demonstrated that the wall shear stress and the wall temperature can be computed in a coupled way by a finite-difference method, taking the wall roughness into account. In the present paper, the classical two-layer model, consisting only of a laminar sublayer and a turbulent wall layer, is extended toward the same task. A set of implicit algebraic equations for the wall shear stress and the wall temperature is derived. It is consistent with the well-established Colebrook equation for rough pipes, which is included as a limiting case for constant properties. The accuracy of the prediction for strongly heated pipe flow is tested by comparison to experiments (Yamagata et al., 1972, “Forced Convective Heat Transfer to Supercritical Water Flowing in Tubes,” Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 15(12), 2575–2593) with supercritical water. The high accuracy and the generality of Laurien (2012) “Semi-Analytic Prediction of Hydraulic Resistance and Heat Transfer for Pipe Flows of Water at Supercritical Pressure,” Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants, ICAPP’12, Chicago, June 24–28 are not achieved, but with the help of correction factors, the two-layer model has a potential for improved predictions of the hydraulic resistance and the heat transfer of pipe and channel flows at supercritical pressure.
Influence of deposition atmosphere and substrate temperature on the structure, morphology, and photoluminescence of pulsed laser deposited La0.5Gd1.5SiO5:Dy3+
Authors: Ogugua Simon N. , Nyenge Raphael L. , Sechogela Phillip T. , Swart Hendrik C. , Ntwaeaborwa Odireleng M.
Published: February 2016

Dysprosium doped mixed lanthanum gadolinium oxyorthosilicate (La0.5Gd1.5SiO5:Dy3+) thin films were laser ablated on Si (111) substrates. The films were deposited in different atmospheres [vacuum, argon, and oxygen (O2)] and also at different deposition temperatures (50, 200, 300, 400, and 500 °C) in O2. The x-ray diffraction patterns preferentially showed two peaks, one from Gd2SiO5 and one from La2SiO5. The surface topography and particle morphology of the films were studied using atomic force microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscope. The Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) spectra and the energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy spectra confirmed the presence of O, Si, La, Gd, and Dy in the films. The thickness of the films determined from the RBS data were in the micrometer range and changes with the substrate temperature and deposition atmosphere. The electronic states of the films were analyzed using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photoluminescence (PL) excitation showed a prominent peak around 226 nm from which the emission spectra were measured. The emission spectra showed two prominent peaks at 488 and 578 nm due to f–f electronic transition of Dy3+. The highest PL intensity was obtained from the film deposited in O2 at the substrate temperature of 200 °C.
Mouse oocytes differentiate through organelle enrichment from sister cyst germ cells
Authors: Lei Lei , Spradling Allan C.
Published: February 2016

Mouse oocytes receive sister cell factors

Mammalian mature oocytes, the largest cells in the body, are capable of programming and reprogramming embryogenesis. Only about 20% of developing mouse germ cells become oocytes. Lei and Spradling show that organelles and the cytoplasm move through intercellular connections between sister germ cells in mouse fetal ovaries to enrich oocyte cytoplasm just before oocytes arrest to form the ovarian reserve (see the Perspective by Pepling). Similar transfers occur during oogenesis in many invertebrate and lower vertebrate species, possibly providing oocytes their special properties for programming embryo development.

Science
, this issue p.
95
; see also p.
35
Infantile intracranial aneurysm of the superior cerebellar artery
Authors: Del Santo Molly Ann , Cordina Steve Mario
Published: February 2016

Intracranial aneurysms in the pediatric population are rare. We report a case of a 3-month-old infant who presented with inconsolable crying, vomiting, and sunset eye sign. CT revealed a subarachnoid hemorrhage, with CT angiogram revealing a superior cerebellar artery aneurysm. An external ventricular drain was placed for acute management of hydrocephalus, with definitive treatment by endovascular technique with a total of six microcoils to embolize the aneurysm. Serial transcranial Dopplers revealed no subsequent vasospasm. Although aneurysms in the pediatric population are rare, once the diagnosis is established, early treatment results in better outcomes.
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis affecting the skull base and manifesting as spontaneous skull base osteomyelitis
Authors: Harrison Laura , Mcnally Jeremy , Corbridge Rogan
Published: February 2016

A 53-year-old woman presented with right-sided otalgia radiating to the temporal region, angle of the mandible and upper neck. Otoscopy was unremarkable on examination and there were no signs of otitis externa. MRI revealed an infiltrative soft tissue mass to the right lateral aspect of the clivus. Transnasal and CT-guided biopsies were performed, however, these showed either inconclusive or benign tissue. Following multidisciplinary team assessment a diagnosis of spontaneous skull base osteomyelitis was made and treatment with intravenous antibiotics started. Failure to respond to antimicrobials and the development of cranial nerve palsies raised the possibility of a vasculitis. Subsequently, a clinical diagnosis of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) was made. Remission has now been maintained with cyclophosphamide and prednisolone. We discuss the rare presentation of GPA mimicking that of spontaneous skull base osteomyelitis as well as its management and related primary otolaryngological manifestations.
Improving asthma severity and control screening in a primary care pediatric practice
Authors: Sudhanthar Sathyanarayan , Turner Jane , Sigal Yakov , Thakur Kripa , Gold Jonathan
Published: February 2016

Asthma is the most commonly encountered chronic disease in children. Periodic assessment of asthma severity and control is an integral part of asthma management, but patients with uncontrolled asthma don’t always schedule routine asthma care visits. The aim of this project was to improve asthma control and severity screening in a primary care setting by using a validated tool for all visits for patients with a diagnosis of asthma aged 4-21 years. Our QI team developed a protocol to administer the Asthma Control Test (TM), a validated questionnaire to assess asthma control. The stakeholders involved were the physicians, nursing staff, and the Health Information Team (HIT). All patients who had a prior diagnosis of asthma or with an asthma medication in their chart, who presented for any clinical visit including asthma were administered ACT. The staff scored the ACT and included the form in the encounter sheet so that the physicians can review the scores, address the asthma control, severity, and document in the chart. The number of patients whose asthma control was assessed improved from 10% per year to 85% after the three PDSA cycles. Administration of the tool did not impact the flow of the patients in a busy primary care practice. Screening asthma severity and control for patients diagnosed with asthma with a validated questionnaire when presenting for any chief complaint including asthma will help the provider address the severity and control of asthma symptoms in a timely manner and would potentially help prevent unwanted emergency department or urgent care usage.
Control of glyphosate-resistant Canada fleabane [Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq.] with isoxaflutole and metribuzin tank mix
Authors: Ditschun Scott , Soltani Nader , Robinson Darren E. , Tardif François J. , Kaastra Allan C. , Sikkema Peter H.
Published: February 2016

The future release of ‘Balance GT’ soybean, which is resistant to isoxaflutole and glyphosate, opens up the possibility for control of glyphosate-resistant (GR) Canada fleabane using HPPD-inhibiting herbicides (Group 27) in soybean. Field trials were conducted over two years to evaluate the dose response of an isoxaflutole plus metribuzin tank mix, as well as each chemical applied alone, to assess their response using Flint's adaptation of Colby's equation. Factorial experiments were performed in growth room and greenhouse environments to assess isoxaflutole versus glyphosate, isoxaflutole versus metribuzin, and isoxaflutole plus metribuzin versus glyphosate. Tank mixes of isoxaflutole plus metribuzin in a 1:4 ratio provided 80% control of GR Canada fleabane at a dose range between 420 (84 + 336) and 611 (122 + 489) g a.i. ha−1 at 8 WAA (weeks after application). Tank mixes achieved an 80% reduction in biomass at a dose range between 498 and 738 g a.i. ha−1, while 80% reduction in density was obtained with doses from 96 to 423 g a.i. ha−1, 8 WAA. With glyphosate as a constant tank partner, field treatments of isoxaflutole plus metribuzin were mostly synergistic with some analyses showing an additive response. When tested in the growth room, isoxaflutole plus glyphosate tank mixes indicate additivity in the majority of treatments on glyphosate-susceptible (GS) fleabane.
Surface structure for efficiently coupling into photonic crystal slab waveguides with a triangular lattice of air holes
Authors: Huang Zhen , Yu Tianbao , Wang Tongbiao , Liu Nianhua
Published: February 2016

Highly efficient coupling outer electromagnetic (EM) waves into photonic crystal (PhC) waveguides (PhCWs) is critical to the applications of PhCs in photonic integrated circuits. We investigate and simulate an efficient way of coupling EM waves into PhCWs of air holes array by using surface dielectric margin based on all-PhCs structure. Good matching of modal field profiles on both sides of the interface is obtained by adjusting the surface dielectric margin along the propagation direction. The coupling efficiency can be highly enhanced by suppressing the surface field propagating along the transverse margin at the interface. The numerical results using finite-difference time-domain simulations show that the bandwidth for coupling efficiency larger than 90% can be as broad as about 100[Formula: see text]nm.
Single-walled carbon nanotubes functionalized by a series of dichlorocarbenes: DFT study
Authors: Petrushenko Igor K. , Petrushenko Konstantin B.
Published: February 2016

The structural and elastic properties of neutral and ionized dichlorocarbene (CCl2) functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were studied using density functional theory (DFT). The Young’s modulus of ionized pristine SWCNTs is found to decrease in comparison to that of neutral models. The interesting effect of increase in Young’s modulus values of ionized functionalized SWCNTs is observed. We ascribe this feature to the concurrent processes of the bond elongation on ionization and the local deformation on cycloaddition. The strong dependence of the elasticity modulus on the number of addends is also observed. However, the CCl2-attached SWCNTs in their neutral and ionized forms remain strong enough to be suitable for the reinforcement of composites. In contrast to the elastic properties, the binding energies do not change significantly, irrespective of CCl2 coverage.
Riding and thriving on the API hype cycle
Authors: Vukovic Maja , Laredo Jim , Muthusamy Vinod , Slominski Aleksander , Vaculin Roman , Tan Wei , Naik Vijay , Silva-Lepe Ignacio , Kumar Arun , Srivastava Biplav , Branch Joel W.
Published: February 2016

Guidelines for the enterprise.
IoT promises, perils and perspectives: Closing statement
Authors: Delic Kemal A.
Published: February 2016

By many indications, signs, and signals there is writing on the wall: the Internet of Things (IoT) is coming! In this closing statement, Kemal Delic briefly reflects on two possible developments for the IoT and concludes with a third, and more likely, scenario.
D
elta
C
on
Authors: Koutra Danai , Shah Neil , Vogelstein Joshua T. , Gallagher Brian , Faloutsos Christos
Published: February 2016

How much has a network changed since yesterday? How different is the wiring of Bob’s brain (a left-handed male) and Alice’s brain (a right-handed female), and how is it different? Graph similarity with given node correspondence, i.e., the detection of changes in the connectivity of graphs, arises in numerous settings. In this work, we formally state the axioms and desired properties of the graph similarity functions, and evaluate when state-of-the-art methods fail to detect crucial connectivity changes in graphs. We propose D
elta
C
on
, a principled, intuitive, and scalable algorithm that assesses the similarity between two graphs on the same nodes (e.g., employees of a company, customers of a mobile carrier). In conjunction, we propose D
elta
C
on
-A
ttr
, a related approach that enables attribution of change or dissimilarity to responsible nodes and edges. Experiments on various synthetic and real graphs showcase the advantages of our method over existing similarity measures. Finally, we employ D
elta
C
on
and D
elta
C
on
-A
ttr
on real applications: (a) we classify people to groups of high and low creativity based on their brain connectivity graphs, (b) do temporal anomaly detection in the who-emails-whom Enron graph and find the top culprits for the changes in the temporal corporate email graph, and (c) recover pairs of test-retest large brain scans ( ∼17M edges, up to 90M edges) for 21 subjects.
Automation should be like Iron Man, not Ultron
Authors: Limoncelli Tom
Published: February 2016

The "Leftover Principle" requires increasingly more highly skilled humans.
The paradox of autonomy and recognition
Authors: Matsudaira Kate
Published: February 2016

Thoughts on trust and merit in software team culture.
The value of Ada
Authors: Barr Valerie
Published: February 2016

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Valerie Barr considers the continuing attraction of the woman considered the first computer programmer.
Rich data, poor fields
Authors: Geller Tom
Published: February 2016

Diverse technologies help farmers produce food in resource-poor areas.
Materialization Optimizations for Feature Selection Workloads
Authors: Zhang Ce , Kumar Arun , Ré Christopher
Published: February 2016

There is an arms race in the data management industry to support statistical analytics. Feature selection, the process of selecting a feature set that will be used to build a statistical model, is widely regarded as the most critical step of statistical analytics. Thus, we argue that managing the feature selection process is a pressing data management challenge. We study this challenge by describing a feature selection language and a supporting prototype system that builds on top of current industrial R-integration layers. From our interactions with analysts, we learned that feature selection is an interactive human-in-the-loop process, which means that feature selection workloads are rife with reuse opportunities. Thus, we study how to materialize portions of this computation using not only classical database materialization optimizations but also methods that have not previously been used in database optimization, including structural decomposition methods (like QR factorization) and warmstart. These new methods have no analogue in traditional SQL systems, but they may be interesting for array and scientific database applications. On a diverse set of datasets and programs, we find that traditional database-style approaches that ignore these new opportunities are more than two orders of magnitude slower than an optimal plan in this new trade-off space across multiple R backends. Furthermore, we show that it is possible to build a simple cost-based optimizer to automatically select a near-optimal execution plan for feature selection.
New exemptions to anti-circumvention rules
Authors: Samuelson Pamela
Published: February 2016

Allowing some reverse engineering of technical measures for non-infringing purposes.
Fifty years of operating systems
Authors: Denning Peter J.
Published: February 2016

A recent celebration of 50 years of operating system research yields lessons for all professionals in designing offers for their clients.
Is Combining Contextual and Behavioral Targeting Strategies Effective in Online Advertising?
Authors: Lu Xianghua , Zhao Xia , Xue Ling
Published: February 2016

Online targeting has been increasingly used to deliver ads to consumers. But discovering how to target the most valuable web visitors and generate a high response rate is still a challenge for advertising intermediaries and advertisers. The purpose of this study is to examine how behavioral targeting (BT) impacts users’ responses to online ads and particularly whether BT works better in combination with contextual targeting (CT). Using a large, individual-level clickstream data set of an automobile advertising campaign from an Internet advertising intermediary, this study examines the impact of BT and CT strategies on users’ click behavior. The results show that (1) targeting a user with behavioral characteristics that are closely related to ads does not necessarily increase the click through rates (CTRs); whereas, targeting a user with behavioral characteristics that are loosely related to ads leads to a higher CTR, and (2) BT and CT work better in combination. Our study contributes to online advertising design literature and provides important managerial implications for advertising intermediaries and advertisers on targeting individual users.
Paroxysmal Amnesia Attacks due to Hashimoto’s Encephalopathy
Authors: Nar Senol Pelin , Bican Demir Aylin , Bora Ibrahim , Bakar Mustafa
Published: February 2016

Hashimoto’s encephalopathy is a rare disease which is thought to be autoimmune and steroid responsive. The syndrome is characterized by cognitive impairment, encephalopathy, psychiatric symptoms, and seizures associated with increased level of anti-thyroid antibodies. The exact pathophysiology underlying cerebral involvement is still lesser known. Although symptoms suggest a nonlesional encephalopathy in most of the cases, sometimes the clinical appearance can be subtle and may not respond to immunosuppressants or immunomodulatory agents. Here we report a case who presented with drowsiness and amnestic complaints associated with paroxysmal electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities which could be treated only with an antiepileptic drug.
Active Chemical Sampling System for Underwater Chemical Source Localization
Authors: Takemura Ryuichi , Sakata Hiromi , Ishida Hiroshi
Published: February 2016

This paper investigates the effect of active water sampling to enhance chemical reception for small underwater robots. The search for a chemical source in a stagnant water environment is not an easy task because the chemical solution released from the source stays in the close vicinity of the source. No signal is obtained even if a robot with chemical sensors is placed a few centimeters from the chemical source. In the system under study, four electrochemical sensors are aligned in front of a suction pipe that draws water samples from the surroundings. Owing to the smooth laminar flow converging to the suction port, the streak of the chemical solution drawn to the sensors is shaped into a thin filamentous form. To prevent the chemical solution from passing between the sensors without touching their surfaces, slits are placed in front of the sensors to guide the incoming chemical solution from different directions to the corresponding sensors. A chemical source can be located by moving the system in the direction of the sensor showing the largest response. It is also shown that the chemical reception at the sensors can be significantly enhanced when the system is wobbled to introduce disturbances.
Free Vibration of a Perfectly Clamped-Free Beam with Stepwise Eccentric Distributed Masses
Authors: Gillich Gilbert-Rainer , Praisach Zeno-Iosif , Abdel Wahab Magd , Gillich Nicoleta , Mituletu Ion Cornel , Nitescu Codrin
Published: February 2016

A direct approach for the calculation of the natural frequencies and vibration mode shapes of a perfectly clamped-free beam with additional stepwise eccentric distributed masses is developed, along with its corresponding equations. Firstly there is contrived influence of a mass, located on a given position along the beam, upon the modal energies, via an energy analysis method. Secondly, the mass participation coefficient is defined as a function of the mass location and the bending vibration mode number. The proposed coefficient is employed to deduce the mathematical relation for the frequencies of beams with supplementary eccentric loads, generally available for any boundary conditions. The accuracy of the obtained mathematical relation was examined in comparison with the numerical simulation and experimental results for a cantilever beam. For this aim, several finite element models have been developed, individualized by the disturbance extent and the mass increase or decrease. Also, one real system was tested. The comparisons between the analytically achieved results and those obtained from experiments proved the accuracy of the developed mathematical relation.
A Note on the Discrete Spectrum of Gaussian Wells (I): The Ground State Energy in One Dimension
Authors: Muchatibaya G. , Fassari S. , Rinaldi F. , Mushanyu J.
Published: February 2016

The ground state energyE0(λ)ofHλ=-d2/dx2-λe-x2is computed for small values ofλby means of an approximation of an integral operator in momentum space. Such an approximation leads to a transcendental equation for whichϵ0(λ)=|E0(λ)|1/2is the root.
A Novel Brain Network Construction Method for Exploring Age-Related Functional Reorganization
Authors: Li Wei , Wang Miao , Li Yapeng , Huang Yue , Chen Xi
Published: February 2016

The human brain undergoes complex reorganization and changes during aging. Using graph theory, scientists can find differences in topological properties of functional brain networks between young and elderly adults. However, these differences are sometimes significant and sometimes not. Several studies have even identified disparate differences in topological properties during normal aging or in age-related diseases. One possible reason for this issue is that existing brain network construction methods cannot fully extract the “intrinsic edges” to prevent useful signals from being buried into noises. This paper proposes a new subnetwork voting (SNV) method with sliding window to construct functional brain networks for young and elderly adults. Differences in the topological properties of brain networks constructed from the classic and SNV methods were consistent. Statistical analysis showed that the SNV method can identify much more statistically significant differences between groups than the classic method. Moreover, support vector machine was utilized to classify young and elderly adults; its accuracy, based on the SNV method, reached 89.3%, significantly higher than that with classic method. Therefore, the SNV method can improve consistency within a group and highlight differences between groups, which can be valuable for the exploration and auxiliary diagnosis of aging and age-related diseases.
Uremic Pruritus Is Not Associated with Endocannabinoid Receptor 1 Gene Polymorphisms
Authors: Heisig Monika , Łaczmański Łukasz , Reich Adam , Lwow Felicja , Szepietowski Jacek C.
Published: February 2016

Uremic pruritus (UP) is a frequent and bothersome symptom in hemodialysis patients. Its etiology is not fully understood and that is why there is no specific treatment. The endocannabinoid system plays a role in many pathological conditions. There is reliable evidence on the association between cannabinoid system and pruritus. In our study, we aimed to evaluate whether genetic variations in the endocannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) gene can affect UP. The rs12720071, rs806368, rs1049353, rs806381, rs10485170, rs6454674, and rs2023239 polymorphisms of the CNR1 gene were genotyped in 159 hemodialysis patients and 150 healthy controls using two multiplex polymerase chain reactions and the minisequencing technique. No statistically significant relationship was found in any of the evaluated genotypes between patients with and without UP, even after excluding patients with diabetes and dyslipidemia. There were no differences between patients with UP and the control group. However, in the group of all HD patients, a significantly higher incidence of GA genotype and lower incidence in GG genotype in the polymorphism rs806381s were revealed versus the control group (p=0.04). It seems that polymorphisms of the CNR1 gene are not associated with uremic pruritus.
High Yielding Microbubble Production Method
Authors: Fiabane Joe , Prentice Paul , Pancholi Ketan
Published: February 2016

Microfluidic approaches to microbubble production are generally disadvantaged by low yield and high susceptibility to (micro)channel blockages. This paper presents an alternative method of producing microbubbles of 2.6 μm mean diameter at concentrations in excess of 30 × 106 mL−1. In this method, the nitrogen gas flowing inside the liquid jet is disintegrated into spray of microbubble when air surrounding this coflowing nitrogen gas-liquid jet passes through a 100 μm orifice at high velocity. Resulting microbubble foam has the polydispersity index of 16%. Moreover, a ratio of mean microbubble diameter to channel width ratio was found to be less than 0.025, which substantially alleviates the occurrence of blockages during production.
The Approximate Solution of Some Plane Boundary Value Problems of the Moment Theory of Elasticity
Authors: Janjgava Roman
Published: February 2016

We consider a two-dimensional system of differential equations of the moment theory of elasticity. The general solution of this system is represented by two arbitrary harmonic functions and solution of the Helmholtz equation. Based on the general solution, an algorithm of constructing approximate solutions of boundary value problems is developed. Using the proposed method, the approximate solutions of some problems on stress concentration on the contours of holes are constructed. The values of stress concentration coefficients obtained in the case of moment elasticity and for the classical elastic medium are compared. In the final part of the paper, we construct the approximate solution of a nonlocal problem whose exact solution is already known and compare our approximate solution with the exact one. Supposedly, the proposed method makes it possible to construct approximate solutions of quite a wide class of boundary value problems.
Abnormal Gait Behavior Detection for Elderly Based on Enhanced Wigner-Ville Analysis and Cloud Incremental SVM Learning
Authors: Luo Jian , Tang Jin , Xiao Xiaoming
Published: February 2016

A cloud based health care system is proposed in this paper for the elderly by providing abnormal gait behavior detection, classification, online diagnosis, and remote aid service. Intelligent mobile terminals with triaxial acceleration sensor embedded are used to capture the movement and ambulation information of elderly. The collected signals are first enhanced by a Kalman filter. And the magnitude of signal vector features is then extracted and decomposed into a linear combination of enhanced Gabor atoms. The Wigner-Ville analysis method is introduced and the problem is studied by joint time-frequency analysis. In order to solve the large-scale abnormal behavior data lacking problem in training process, a cloud based incremental SVM (CI-SVM) learning method is proposed. The original abnormal behavior data are first used to get the initial SVM classifier. And the larger abnormal behavior data of elderly collected by mobile devices are then gathered in cloud platform to conduct incremental training and get the new SVM classifier. By the CI-SVM learning method, the knowledge of SVM classifier could be accumulated due to the dynamic incremental learning. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is feasible and can be applied to aged care, emergency aid, and related fields.
Breakdown of Immune Tolerance in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus by Dendritic Cells
Authors: Liao Xiaofeng , Reihl Alec M. , Luo Xin M.
Published: February 2016

Dendritic cells (DC) play an important role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease with multiple tissue manifestations. In this review, we summarize recent studies on the roles of conventional DC and plasmacytoid DC in the development of both murine lupus and human SLE. In the past decade, studies using selective DC depletions have demonstrated critical roles of DC in lupus progression. Comprehensivein vitroandin vivostudies suggest activation of DC by self-antigens in lupus pathogenesis, followed by breakdown of immune tolerance to self. Potential treatment strategies targeting DC have been developed. However, many questions remain regarding the mechanisms by which DC modulate lupus pathogenesis that require further investigations.
Neurotoxic Effect of Benzo[a]pyrene and Its Possible Association with 6-Hydroxydopamine Induced Neurobehavioral Changes during Early Adolescence Period in Rats
Authors: Das Saroj Kumar , Patel Bhupesh , Patri Manorama
Published: February 2016

Exposure to persistent genotoxicants like benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) during postnatal days causes neurobehavioral changes in animal models. However, neurotoxic potential of B[a]P and its association with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) induced neurobehavioral changes are yet to be explored. The growth of rat brain peaks at the first week of birth and continues up to one month with the attainment of adolescence. Hence, the present study was conducted on male Wistar rats at postnatal day 5 (PND 5) following single intracisternal administration of B[a]P to compare with neurobehavioral and neurotransmitter changes induced by 6-OHDA at PND 30. Spontaneous motor activity was significantly increased by 6-OHDA showing similar trend following B[a]P administration. Total distance travelled in novel open field arena and elevated plus maze was significantly increased following B[a]P and 6-OHDA administration. Neurotransmitter estimation showed significant alleviation of dopamine in striatum following B[a]P and 6-OHDA administration. Histopathological studies of striatum by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining revealed the neurodegenerative potential of B[a]P and 6-OHDA. Our results indicate that B[a]P-induced spontaneous motor hyperactivity in rats showed symptomatic similarities with 6-OHDA. In conclusion, early postnatal exposure to B[a]P in rats causing neurobehavioral changes may lead to serious neurodegenerative consequences during adolescence.
Optimal Fair Scheduling in S-TDMA Sensor Networks for Monitoring River Plumes
Authors: Luque-Nieto Miguel-Angel , Moreno-Roldán José-Miguel , Poncela Javier , Otero Pablo
Published: February 2016

Underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) are a promising technology to provide oceanographers with environmental data in real time. Suitable network topologies to monitor estuaries are formed by strings coming together to a sink node. This network may be understood as an oriented graph. A number of MAC techniques can be used in UWSNs, but Spatial-TDMA is preferred for fixed networks. In this paper, a scheduling procedure to obtain the optimal fair frame is presented, under ideal conditions of synchronization and transmission errors. The main objective is to find the theoretical maximum throughput by overlapping the transmissions of the nodes while keeping a balanced received data rate from each sensor, regardless of its location in the network. The procedure searches for all cliques of the compatibility matrix of the network graph and solves a Multiple-Vector Bin Packing (MVBP) problem. This work addresses the optimization problem and provides analytical and numerical results for both the minimum frame length and the maximum achievable throughput.
A Comprehensive Review on Methodologies Employed for Visual Evoked Potentials
Authors: Kothari Ruchi , Bokariya Pradeep , Singh Smita , Singh Ramji
Published: February 2016

Visual information is fundamental to how we appreciate our environment and interact with others. The visual evoked potential (VEP) is among those evoked potentials that are the bioelectric signals generated in the striate and extrastriate cortex when the retina is stimulated with light which can be recorded from the scalp electrodes. In the current paper, we provide an overview of the various modalities, techniques, and methodologies which have been employed for visual evoked potentials over the years. In the first part of the paper, we cast a cursory glance on the historical aspect of evoked potentials. Then the growing clinical significance and advantages of VEPs in clinical disorders have been briefly described, followed by the discussion on the earlier and currently available methods for VEPs based on the studies in the past and recent times. Next, we mention the standards and protocols laid down by the authorized agencies. We then summarize the recently developed techniques for VEP. In the concluding section, we lay down prospective research directives related to fundamental and applied aspects of VEPs as well as offering perspectives for further research to stimulate inquiry into the role of visual evoked potentials in visual processing impairment related disorders.
The Monocyte-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Correlates with Psycho-Neuro-Inflammatory Factors in Patients with Stable Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Serfőző Gyöngyi , Horváth Tamás , Földesi Imre , Rafael Beatrix , von Känel Roland , Keresztes Margit
Published: February 2016

Background: Psychosocial stress and depression have been recognized as major risk factors of coronary artery disease (CAD). Although monocytes are known to be key players in atherosclerosis, monocyte-based associations with psychoneuroendocrino-immuno-inflammatory (PNI) markers have not been widely investigated in stable CAD. Objective: We examined associations between the monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) and key PNI markers in stable CAD. Methods: We studied 23 patients with stable CAD who completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Rahe's Brief Stress and Coping Inventory. A white blood cell differential was performed, and levels of cortisol, chromogranin A (CgA), LL-37, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were assayed in plasma. Results: Monocyte fraction, MLR and plasma CgA levels exceeded reference values, the social support score was low, and 7 patients had elevated BDI scores. In the multivariate-adjusted analysis, a higher MLR was associated with greater depressive symptom severity (r = 0.624, p < 0.01) as well as with higher concentrations of CgA (r = 0.660, p < 0.01), LL-37 (r = 0.643, p < 0.01), IL-6 (r = 0.532, p < 0.05) and CRP (r = 0.470, p < 0.05). BDI scores associated with CgA concentration (r = 0.618, p < 0.01) and CgA level correlated negatively with the social support score (r = -0.511, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that, in patients with stable CAD, elevated MLR may be associated with depressive symptoms, with increased neuroendocrine-sympathetic activity (marked by CgA) and inflammatory markers that are pertinent to atherosclerosis initiation and progression. The increased neuroendocrine-sympathetic activity correlated with low social support and depressive symptom severity. The MLR might serve as an easy-to-obtain and inexpensive proxy measure of an activated PNI network in stable CAD.