bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The association of antihypertensives with postural blood pressure and falls among seniors residing in the community: a case–control study
Authors: Zia Anam , Kamaruzzaman Shahrul B. , Myint Phyo K. , Tan Maw P.
Published: July 2015

Background

A drop in postural blood pressure (BP) may contribute to falls, while antihypertensives have been considered to induce postural drop or orthostatic hypotension (OH) and falls among older people. However, this relationship between antihypertensives, postural BP and the risk of falls has never been evaluated in a single study.

Objective

To examine the association of postural BP changes and BP therapy with the risk of falls among community‐dwelling older people in a case–control manner.

Method

Cases (n = 202) included participants aged ≥ 65 years with two falls or one injurious fall while controls (n = 156) included participants ≥ 65 years with no falls in the preceding 12 months. Antihypertensives usage and medical history were recorded. Supine BP measurements were obtained at 10 min rest and at 1, 2 and 3 min after standing. Orthostatic hypotension was defined as a reduction in BP of 20/10 mmHg within 3 min of standing.

Results

Individual antihypertensive classes were not associated with falls. Minimal standing systolic BP (SBP) was significantly lower among fallers [128 (± 27·3) vs. 135·7 (± 24·7) mmHg; P = 0·01], but fallers were not more likely to fulfil the diagnostic criteria for OH. Diuretics were associated with OH and α‐blockers were associated with minimal standing SBP. Univariate analysis revealed that the use of ≥ 2 antihypertensives was associated with recurrent and injurious falls [OR,1.97;CI,1.2–3.1], which was no longer significant aftermultivariateadjustment for age and number of comorbidities [OR, 1.6; CI, 0.95–2.6].

Discussion

Minimal standing SBP or a lower SBP at 2 or 3minutes standing was associated with falls rather than OH using consensus definition. Association between ≥ 2 antihypertensives and falls was attenuated by increasing age and comorbidities. Our findings challenge previous assumptions that OH or the use of antihypertensives is associated with falls. Future studies should now seek to link these findings prospectively with falls in order to guide decision‐making for BP lowering therapy among older patients.
From Technological Inventions to New Products: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda of the Main Enabling Factors
Authors: Ardito Lorenzo , Messeni Petruzzelli Antonio , Albino Vito
Published: July 2015

Firms' ability to steady exploit their proprietary inventions via new products is an important driver to innovate, and then to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. However, the current state of the art on the main determinants affecting technology‐based products' commercialization is characterized by the lack of an integrative framework, and fails to analyze these factors across different levels of analysis. Thereby, the present paper aims at providing such an integrative and multilevel framework, bringing together findings on the various determinants enabling the introduction of new products based on firms' own technological inventions through a systematic review of more than 100 articles published in leading international journals. More specifically, we integrate and discuss the literature findings by distinguishing related factors across the individual, firm, network, and industry level of analysis. In addition, a summary of the main gaps and future research directions are presented, in the attempt to further stimulate the academic debate on the topic.
Physicochemical and microbiological description of Caxiri – a cassava and corn alcoholic beverage
Authors: Miguel Maria Gabriela C. P. , Collela Carolina F. , de Almeida Euziclei G. , Dias Disney R. , Schwan Rosane F.
Published: July 2015

Caxiri is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from cassava, corn and sweet potatoes by indigenous people in Brazil. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Lactobacillus fermentum, Bacillus subtilis and L. helveticus were the main microbial species detected. Maltose was the main carbohydrate found (19.12 g L−1), and lactic acid (15.09 g L−1) and ethanol (92.16 g L−1) were also found in high concentrations. Gas chromatography‐flame ionisation detector was used to identify thirteen volatile compounds. Among these volatiles, the higher concentrations were decanoic acid (123.04 μg L−1) for the acids, diethyl malate (88.32 μg L−1) for the esters, furfural (109.31 μg L−1) for the aldehydes, 2‐phenylethanol (1022.76 μg L−1) for the alcohols and 1,1‐diethoxyethane (226.24 μg L−1) for the others. This study contributes to increasing knowledge of the microbiota present in the alcoholic fermentation produced from cassava, corn and sweet potatoes.
Polypharmacy in Older Adults With Hypertension: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Mukete Bertrand N. , Ferdinand Keith C.
Published: July 2015

Older adults are more likely to take more than two medications for medical conditions, and polypharmacy is associated with increased risk of adverse events (fall injury, hyperkalemia and hypokalemia, heart failure, and blood pressure exacerbation), polypharmacy mismanagement, drug‐drug interaction, and increased costs. Knowledge of drugs that interact with known antihypertensive agents is paramount to avoiding or reducing adverse events, hospitalizations, and health care dollars. Innovative approaches such as use of a fixed‐dose combination pill, ingestible sensor system, electronic reminder system, medical audits, and the integration of a pharmacist in the care of patients should be implemented to avoid polypharmacy mismanagement.
Vertical Foreclosure Using Exclusivity Clauses: Evidence from Shopping Malls
Authors: Ater Itai
Published: July 2015

Exclusive contracts are one of the most controversial topics in the economic analysis of antitrust. Yet, very few empirical papers analyze the determinants and the consequences of exclusive contracts. In this paper, I study exclusive contracts between hamburger restaurants and Israeli shopping malls, in which mall owners commit to prohibiting additional hamburger restaurants from entering their malls. I investigate the determinants of these exclusive contracts and examine how such contracts affect the number of hamburger restaurants and their sales. I show that exclusive contracts are less likely to be adopted in larger malls, in malls that face more competition from other malls, and in malls that opened before 1993, when McDonald's and Burger King entered the Israeli market. I then use the mall's opening year—before or after 1993—as an instrumental variable to estimate a negative effect of exclusive contracts on the number of restaurants and on total mall hamburger sales. My findings are generally consistent with anti‐competitive vertical foreclosure models.
Effect of Prosthodontic Rehabilitation of Maxillary Defects on Hypernasality of Speech
Authors: Tripathi Arvind , Gupta Ashutosh , Arora Varun
Published: July 2015

Purpose

To establish a correlation between the effective internal diameter of the maxillary defect, the resonating frequency, and the effectiveness of the definitive obturator in reducing the percentage nasality.

Materials and Methods

Twenty‐nine patients who underwent maxillectomy confined only to the hard palate (Aramany's class I and class II defect) and were wearing a definitive obturator for at least 3 months were included. The percentage nasality and resonating frequency were calculated with the help of Praat software. The patients were asked to read out a “Rainbow” passage and also to phonate and articulate vowels. Both parameters were assessed with and without the obturator prosthesis.

Results

Following obturator use, a mean change of 1.07 ± 0.83 kHz was observed in the resonating frequency (p< 0.001). The percentage change in resonating frequency was found to be 27.48 ± 4.99% following obturator use (p< 0.001). The effective internal diameter of the maxillary defect was calculated with the help of a Vernier calliper. The correlation between absolute and percentage values of resonating frequency and nasality before and after obturator use was found to be negative.

Conclusion

This study found that efficacy of the obturator prosthesis in reducing nasality was greater in smaller defects than in large defects.
pH and Erosive Potential of Commonly Used Oral Moisturizers
Authors: Delgado Alex J. , Olafsson Vilhelm G. , Donovan Terence E.
Published: July 2015

Purpose

To measure the pH values of commonly used oral moisturizers and to evaluate their erosive potential using a gravimetric analysis.

Materials and Methods

A pH analysis was performed for seven commercially available oral moisturizers using a calibrated pH meter. The pH recording was repeated three times, from three different bottles each of the same product. The gravimetric analysis was performed by submerging human dentin blocks in 5 ml of each of the moisturizers for a total of 2 weeks, with gravimetric measurements made at baseline, 24 hours, 48 hours, 96 hours, 1 week, and 15 days. Tap water was used as positive control and citric acid as the negative control. The erosive potential was descriptively analyzed, and a Spearman correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between the erosive potential and the pH values.

Results

The average pH values are as follows: Oasis, 6.3, Bioténe Moisturizing Mouth Spray, 6.1, CTx2 Spray, 9.1, Mouth Kote, 3.0, Thayer's, 6.3, Bioténe Oral Balance, 6.6, Rain, 7.1, tap water 6.99, and citric acid 1.33. The results (% of tooth structure lost) of the gravimetric analysis were as follows: Mouth Kote, 9.6%, Bioténe Moisturizing Mouth Spray, 4.6%, Oasis, 3.2%, Thayer's, 2.0%, Bioténe Oral Balance, 0.0%, Rain, 0.0%, CTx2 Spray, 0.0%, tap water 0.0%, and citric acid 18.8%. There was a significant negative correlation between the pH values and the erosive potential (rs = −0.73; P ≤ 0.0001).

Conclusions

There is large variation in the composition and pH values of commonly used oral moisturizers, and there is a strong correlation between pH values and erosive potential of commonly used oral moisturizers. Clinical Significance: Patients with dry mouth are at increased risk for erosion and root caries. Oral moisturizing agents are often prescribed for patients with hyposalivation to be used as needed for symptomatic relief. This study shows that there is large variation in the pH values and erosive potential of commonly used oral moisturizing agents.
A Technique to Facilitate Tooth Modification for Removable Partial Denture Prosthesis Guide Planes
Authors: Haeberle C. Brent , Abreu Amara , Metzler Kurt
Published: July 2015

The technique in this article was developed to provide a means to create prepared guide planes of proper dimension to ensure a more stable and retentive removable partial denture prosthesis (RPDP) framework when providing this service for a patient. Using commonly found clinical materials, a paralleling device can be fabricated from the modified diagnostic cast of the patient's dental arch requiring an RPDP. Polymethyl methacrylate or composite added to an altered thermoplastic form can be positioned intraorally and used as a guide to predictably adjust tooth structure for guide planes. Since it can potentially minimize the number of impressions and diagnostic casts made during the procedure, this can help achieve the desired result more efficiently and quickly for the patient.
Gene‐expression analysis of cementoblasts and osteoblasts
Authors: Matthews B. G. , Roguljic H. , Franceschetti T. , Roeder E. , Matic I. , Vidovic I. , Joshi P. , Kum K.‐Y. , Kalajzic I.
Published: July 2015

Background and Objective

Cementum and bone are similar mineralized tissues, but cementum accumulates much more slowly than bone, does not have vasculature or innervation and does not undergo remodeling. Despite these differences, there are no well‐established markers to distinguish cementoblasts from other mature mineralizing cells such as osteoblasts and odontoblasts. The purpose of this study was to assess differences in gene expression between cementoblasts and osteoblasts using gene profiling of cell populations isolated directly from osteocalcin–green fluorescent protein (OC‐GFP) transgenic mice.

Material and Methods

OC‐GFP reporter mice were used as they show labeling of cementoblasts, osteoblasts and odontoblasts, but not of periodontal ligament fibroblasts, within the periodontium. We sorted cells digested from the molar root surface to isolate OC‐GFP+ cementoblasts. Osteoblasts were isolated from calvarial digests. Microarray analysis was performed, and selected results were confirmed by real‐time PCR and immunostaining or in situ hybridization.

Results

Microarray analysis identified 95 genes that were expressed at least two‐fold higher in cementoblasts than in osteoblasts. Our analysis indicated that the Wnt signaling pathway was differentially regulated, as were genes related to skeletal development. Real‐time PCR confirmed that expression of the Wnt inhibitors Wnt inhibitory factor 1 (Wif1) and secreted frizzled‐related protein 1 (Sfrp1) was elevated in cementoblasts compared with osteoblasts, and Wif1 expression was localized to the apical root region. In addition, the transcription factor BARX homeobox 1 (Barx1) was expressed at higher levels in cementoblasts, and immunohistochemistry indicated that BARX1 was expressed in apical cementoblasts and cementocytes, but not in osteoblasts or odontoblasts.

Conclusion

The OC‐GFP mouse provides a good model for selectively isolating cementoblasts, and allowed for identification of differentially expressed genes between cementoblasts and osteoblasts.
Change of Ultrasound Estimated Bladder Weight and Bladder Wall Thickness After Treatment of Bladder Outlet Obstruction With Dutasteride
Authors: LEE Ha Na , LEE Young‐Suk , HAN Deok Hyun , LEE Kyu‐Sung
Published: July 2015

Objectives

To investigate the change of bladder wall hypertrophy to relieve bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) by treatment with 5α‐reductase inhibitor.

Methods

Men who have BOO confirmed by urodynamic study (BOO index ≥40) were treated with dutasteride 0.5 mg once a day for 6 months. We measured ultrasound estimated bladder weight (UEBW), UEBW divided by body surface area (UEBW/BSA), and bladder wall thickness (BWT) before and after treatment. Changes in LUTS parameters were assessed by using the International Prostate Symptom Score, uroflowmetry, residual urine volume, prostate volume, serum prostate‐specific antigen (PSA), and LUTS outcome scores (LOS). Correlation between the change of LUTS parameters and UEBW, UEBW/BSA, and BWT were evaluated. We assessed the changes of bladder wall hypertrophy according to the results of benefit, satisfaction, and willingness to continue (BSW) questionnaire.

Results

Thirty patients completed the 6‐month study. The mean UEBW was 47.10 ± 7.79 g before and 50.07 ± 5.39 g after dutasteride treatment (P = 0.259). The mean UEBW/BSA was 26.47 ± 4.30 g/m2 before and 28.2 ± 3.53 g/m2 after treatment (P = 0.253), and there was no definite change in mean BWT after treatment (P = 0.301). Most LUTS parameters including LOS significantly improved. Increased BOO index value was related to decreased BWT (ρ = 0.361, P = 0.049). There was no definite change in mean UEBW, UEBW/BSA, and BWT according to the results of the BSW questionnaire.

Conclusions

There was no change in UEBW, UEBW/BSA and BWT despite improving most clinical parameters suggesting BOO. The changes of bladder wall hypertrophy parameters still have limitations to directly reflect the relief of BOO.
Circulating Endothelial Cells Expressing the Angiogenic Transcription Factor Krüppel‐Like Factor 4 are Decreased in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Czepluch Frauke S. , Vogler Melanie , Kuschicke Hendrik , Meier Julia , Gogiraju Rajinikanth , Katschinski Dörthe M. , Riggert Joachim , Hasenfuss Gerd , Schäfer Katrin
Published: July 2015

Objective

The zinc finger transcription factor KLF4 is known to control diverse EC functions.

Methods

The functional role of KLF4 for angiogenesis and its association with CAD was examined in HUVECs and human CECs.

Results

In two different angiogenesis assays, siRNA‐mediated KLF4 downregulation impaired HUVEC sprouting and network formation. Conversely, KLF4 overexpression increased HUVEC sprouting and network formation. Similar findings were observed after incubation of HUVECs with CdM from KLF4 cDNA‐transfected cells, suggesting a role of paracrine factors for mediating angiogenic KLF4 effects. In this regard, VEGF expression was increased in KLF4‐overexpressing HUVECs, whereas its expression was reduced in HUVECs transfected with KLF4 siRNA. To examine the relevance of our in vitro findings for human endothelial dysfunction, we analyzed the expression of KLF4 in CECs of patients with stable CAD. Flow cytometry analyses revealed decreased numbers of KLF4‐positive CECs in peripheral blood from CAD patients compared to healthy controls.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that KLF4 may represent a potential biomarker for EC dysfunction. In the future, (therapeutic) modulation of KLF4 may be useful in regulating EC function during vascular disease processes.
Effects of Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance on Negotiation Propensity and Performance
Authors: Bear Julia B. , Segel‐Karpas Dikla
Published: July 2015

Attachment theory has received scant consideration in the negotiation literature. We examined the effects of attachment anxiety and avoidance on negotiation propensity and performance in two studies. In terms of negotiation propensity (Study 1), attachment anxiety had significant, deleterious effects, though contrary to our predictions, attachment avoidance did not have significant effects. However, there was an interaction such that individuals high on attachment avoidance had a greater propensity to negotiate with an insecurely attached counterpart compared to a secure counterpart. In addition, attachment orientation influenced negotiation performance and information sharing (Study 2), but the effects depended upon role in the negotiation, with stronger effects for attachment avoidance as opposed to attachment anxiety. Theoretical and practical implications for research on negotiation and attachment theory are discussed.
From gene to harvest: insights into upstream process development for the GMP production of a monoclonal antibody in transgenic tobacco plants
Authors: Sack Markus , Rademacher Thomas , Spiegel Holger , Boes Alexander , Hellwig Stephan , Drossard Juergen , Stoger Eva , Fischer Rainer
Published: July 2015

The EU Sixth Framework Programme Integrated Project ‘Pharma‐Planta’ developed an approved manufacturing process for recombinant plant‐made pharmaceutical proteins (PMPs) using the human HIV‐neutralizing monoclonal antibody 2G12 as a case study. In contrast to the well‐established Chinese hamster ovary platform, which has been used for the production of therapeutic antibodies for nearly 30 years, only draft regulations were initially available covering the production of recombinant proteins in transgenic tobacco plants. Whereas recombinant proteins produced in animal cells are secreted into the culture medium during fermentation in bioreactors, intact plants grown under nonsterile conditions in a glasshouse environment provide various ‘plant‐specific’ regulatory and technical challenges for the development of a process suitable for the acquisition of a manufacturing licence for clinical phase I trials. During upstream process development, several generic steps were addressed (e.g. plant transformation and screening, seed bank generation, genetic stability, host plant uniformity) as well as product‐specific aspects (e.g. product quantity). This report summarizes the efforts undertaken to analyse and define the procedures for the GMP/GACP‐compliant upstream production of 2G12 in transgenic tobacco plants from gene to harvest, including the design of expression constructs, plant transformation, the generation of production lines, master and working seed banks and the detailed investigation of cultivation and harvesting parameters and their impact on biomass, product yield and intra/interbatch variability. The resulting procedures were successfully translated into a prototypic manufacturing process that has been approved by the German competent authority.
Recent progress in the treatment of infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Tomizawa Daisuke
Published: July 2015

Treatment of infants with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), especially those with mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) rearrangement (MLL‐r), which account for approximately 80% of cases, is still a major challenge for pediatric hematologists and oncologists worldwide. Continuing efforts by collaborative clinical study groups in Europe, North America, and Japan have rescued approximately half of the MLL‐r ALL patients with intensive chemotherapy with or without allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Recent progress has clarified the unique mechanism of MLL‐r ALL: the aberrant methylation and histone modifications via DOT1L and other related molecules by MLL fusion proteins lead to leukemogenetic gene expression, thus to overt leukemia. In order to overcome this dismal subtype of ALL, novel targeted therapy based on leukemia biology is urgently needed. Due to the extreme rarity of the disease, collaboration between the study groups in Europe (Interfant), North America (Children's Oncology Group), and Japan (Japanese Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group) is under way.
Fever pattern and C‐reactive protein predict response to rescue therapy in Kawasaki disease
Authors: Nakagama Yu , Inuzuka Ryo , Hayashi Taiyu , Shindo Takahiro , Hirata Yoichiro , Shimizu Nobutaka , Inatomi Jun , Yokoyama Yoshiki , Namai Yoshiyuki , Oda Yoichiro , Takamizawa Masaru , Harita Yutaka , Oka Akira
Published: July 2015

Background

Evidence to guide rescue therapy in refractory Kawasaki disease (KD) is lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the most important variables in predicting non‐response to rescue therapy in refractory KD.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 171 patients diagnosed with refractory KD resistant to initial i.v. immunoglobulin (IVIG). Participants received rescue therapy consisting of IVIG monotherapy or IVIG plus prednisolone. Characteristics and laboratory variables were compared between rescue therapy non‐responders and responders. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the independent predictors of non‐response to rescue therapy.

Results

Among the 171 participants, 54 (31.6%) were non‐responders to rescue therapy. On univariate analysis, fever pattern after initial IVIG, day of illness at rescue therapy, rescue therapy regimen and six laboratory variables (pre‐IVIG sodium, C‐reactive protein [CRP]; post‐IVIG white blood cell count, platelet count, sodium, CRP) were useful in discriminating between non‐responders and responders. These nine variables were included in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Persistent fever after initial IVIG (aOR, 2.39; 95%CI: 1.07–5.37) and post‐IVIG CRP (aOR, 1.09; 95%CI: 1.02–1.17, per 1 mg/dL increase) were identified as independent predictors of non‐response to rescue therapy. IVIG rescue monotherapy (aOR, 3.05; 95%CI: 1.05–8.84) also predicted non‐response after adjusting for fever pattern and post‐IVIG CRP.

Conclusions

Persistent fever and elevated CRP after initial IVIG are predictive of non‐response to rescue therapy for refractory KD. For patients at high risk of non‐response, IVIG plus prednisolone, or even further intensified rescue therapy regimens may be preferable.
Idiopathic interstitial pneumonias with connective tissue diseases features: A review
Authors: Cottin Vincent
Published: July 2015

A systematic approach is recommended to search for clinical and biological features of connective tissue disease (CTD) in any patient with interstitial lung disease (ILD). In the diagnostic approach to ILD, a diagnosis of CTD should be considered particularly in women and subjects younger than 50 years, and in those with an imaging and/or pathological pattern of non‐specific interstitial pneumonia. However, the diagnosis of CTD may be difficult when ILD is the presenting or the dominant manifestation of CTD. A proportion of patients with ILD present symptoms that belong to the spectrum of CTD and/or biological autoimmune features, but do not fulfil diagnostic criteria for a given CTD. Some imaging and histopathological patterns may also suggest the presence of an underlying CTD. Although studies published to date used heterogeneous definitions and terminology for this condition, evidence is accumulating that even limited CTD features are relevant regarding symptoms, imaging features, pathological pattern and possibly evolution to overt CTD, whereas the impact on prognosis needs confirmation. Conversely, autoantibodies alone do not seem to impact the prognosis or management in patients with otherwise typical idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and no extra‐pulmonary manifestation. A collective international multidisciplinary effort has proposed a uniform definition and criteria for ‘interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features’, a condition characterized by limited CTD features occurring in the setting of ILD, with the aim of fostering future clinical studies. Referral of ILD patients suspect to have CTD to a rheumatologist and possibly multidisciplinary discussion may contribute to a better management.
ZIPF'S LAW IN THE CASE OF MOROCCAN CITIES
Authors: Ezzahid Elhadj , ElHamdani Oumar
Published: July 2015

In this paper, we explore the validity of rank‐size rule in the Moroccan urban system. We use data from the 1982, 1994, and 2004 censuses. Three thresholds are considered to truncate the data: 5000, 50000, and 100000 residents. Power law states that the rank (r) of a city is proportional to a power of its size (Sr), that is, r ̴ S•α. The ordinary least squares (OLS) method is used to estimate α. Using OLS method without Gabaix‐Ibragimov correction (GIC) provides evidence of the validity of Zipf's law for cities of more than 100 000 dwellers.When the GIC is used, it appears that the zipfian distribution (α = ‐1) is also valid for cities of more than 50000 inhabitants. Over the period 1982–2004, it seems likely that intermediate cities grew more rapidly than other cities. This may lead to a more balanced distribution of the Moroccan urban system.
ImmortalGraph
Authors: Miao Youshan , Han Wentao , Li Kaiwei , Wu Ming , Yang Fan , Zhou Lidong , Prabhakaran Vijayan , Chen Enhong , Chen Wenguang
Published: July 2015

Temporal graphs that capture graph changes over time are attracting increasing interest from research communities, for functions such as understanding temporal characteristics of social interactions on a time-evolving social graph. ImmortalGraph is a storage and execution engine designed and optimized specifically for temporal graphs. Locality is at the center of ImmortalGraph’s design: temporal graphs are carefully laid out in both persistent storage and memory, taking into account data locality in both time and graph-structure dimensions. ImmortalGraph introduces the notion of
locality-aware batch scheduling
in computation, so that common “bulk” operations on temporal graphs are scheduled to maximize the benefit of in-memory data locality. The design of ImmortalGraph explores an interesting interplay among locality, parallelism, and incremental computation in supporting common mining tasks on temporal graphs. The result is a high-performance temporal-graph system that is up to 5 times more efficient than existing database solutions for graph queries. The locality optimizations in ImmortalGraph offer up to an order of magnitude speedup for temporal iterative graph mining compared to a straightforward application of existing graph engines on a series of snapshots.
Design of a Predictive Scheduling System to Improve Assisted Living Services for Elders
Authors: Soto-Mendoza Valeria , García-Macías J. Antonio , Chávez Edgar , Martínez-García Ana I. , Favela Jesús , Serrano-Alvarado Patricia , Rojas Maythé R. Zúñiga
Published: July 2015

As the number of older adults increases, and with it the demand for dedicated care, geriatric residences face a shortage of caregivers, who themselves experience work overload, stress, and burden. We conducted a long-term field study in three geriatric residences to understand the work conditions of caregivers with the aim of developing technologies to assist them in their work and help them deal with their burdens. From this study, we obtained relevant requirements and insights to design, implement, and evaluate two prototypes for supporting caregivers’ tasks (e.g., electronic recording and automatic notifications) in order to validate the feasibility of their implementation in situ and their technical requirements. The evaluation in situ of the prototypes was conducted for a period of 4 weeks. The results of the evaluation, together with the data collected from 6 months of use, motivated the design of a predictive schedule, which was iteratively improved and evaluated in participative sessions with caregivers. PRESENCE, the predictive schedule we propose, triggers real-time alerts of risky situations (e.g., falls, entering off-limits areas such as the infirmary or the kitchen) and informs caregivers of routine tasks that need to be performed (e.g., medication administration, diaper change, etc.). Moreover, PRESENCE helps caregivers to record caring tasks (such as diaper changes or medication) and well-being assessments (such as the mood) that are difficult to automate. This facilitates caregiver's shift handover and can help to train new caregivers by suggesting routine tasks and by sending reminders and timely information about residents. It can be seen as a tool to reduce the workload of caregivers and medical staff. Instead of trying to substitute the caregiver with an automatic caring system, as proposed by others, we propose our predictive schedule system that blends caregiver assessments and measurements from sensors. We show the feasibility of predicting caregiver tasks and a formative evaluation with caregivers that provides preliminary evidence of its utility.
Optimizing Energy Efficiency for Minimum Latency Broadcast in Low-Duty-Cycle Sensor Networks
Authors: Xu Lijie , Chen Guihai , Cao Jiannong , Lin Shan , Dai Haipeng , Wu Xiaobing , Wu Fan
Published: July 2015

Multihop broadcasting in low-duty-cycle Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is a very challenging problem, since every node has its own working schedule. Existing solutions usually use unicast instead of broadcast to forward packets from a node to its neighbors according to their working schedules, which is, however, not energy efficient. In this article, we propose to exploit the broadcast nature of wireless media to further save energy for low-duty-cycle networks, by adopting a novel broadcasting communication model. The key idea is to let some early wake-up nodes postpone their wake-up slots to overhear broadcasting messages from its neighbors. This model utilizes the spatiotemporal locality of broadcast to reduce the total energy consumption, which can be essentially characterized by the total number of broadcasting message transmissions. Based on such model, we aim at minimizing the total number of broadcasting message transmissions of a broadcast for low-duty-cycle WSNs, subject to the constraint that the broadcasting latency is optimal. We prove that it is NP-hard to find the optimal solution, and design an approximation algorithm that can achieve a polylogarithmic approximation ratio. Extensive simulation results show that our algorithm outperforms the traditional solutions in terms of energy efficiency.
Testing web applications with state objects
Authors: van Deursen Arie
Published: July 2015

Use states to drive your tests.
Soylent
Authors: Bernstein Michael S. , Little Greg , Miller Robert C. , Hartmann Björn , Ackerman Mark S. , Karger David R. , Crowell David , Panovich Katrina
Published: July 2015

This paper introduces architectural and interaction patterns for integrating crowdsourced human contributions directly into user interfaces. We focus on writing and editing, complex endeavors that span many levels of conceptual and pragmatic activity. Authoring tools offer help with pragmatics, but for higher-level help, writers commonly turn to other people. We thus present Soylent, a word processing interface that enables writers to call on Mechanical Turk workers to shorten, proofread, and otherwise edit parts of their documents on demand. To improve worker quality, we introduce the Find-Fix-Verify crowd programming pattern, which splits tasks into a series of generation and review stages. Evaluation studies demonstrate the feasibility of crowdsourced editing and investigate questions of reliability, cost, wait time, and work time for edits.
A Practical Method for Grid Structures Damage Location
Authors: Yu Zhefu , Huo Linsheng
Published: July 2015

A damage location method based on cross correlation function, wavelet packet decomposition, and support vector machine was proposed for grid structure. The approximate damage positions in grid structures could be determined through the peak abrupt changes of the cross correlation function that was produced by two vibration responses of adjacent measuring points. The vibration response was decomposed into eight bands by wavelet packet in order to accurately locate damage rods. The energy distribution in eight bands was used as a feature vector. SVM is trained to locate damaged bar elements in grid structures. Numerical analysis results showed that this method had good accuracy.
Micro/Nanostructures and Mechanical Properties of Trabecular Bone in Ovariectomized Rats
Authors: Hu Shidi , Li Jin , Liu Lu , Dai Ruchun , Sheng Zhifeng , Wu Xianping , Feng Xiqiao , Yao Xuefeng , Liao Eryuan , Keller Evan , Jiang Yebin
Published: July 2015

Bone mechanical properties encompass both geometric and material factors, while the effects of estrogen deficiency on the material and structural characteristics of bone at micro- to nanoscales are still obscure. We performed a series of combined methodological experiments, including nanoindentation assessment of intrinsic material properties, atomic force microscopy (AFM) characterization of trabecular (Tb) nanostructure, and Tb microarchitecture and 2D BMD. At 15 weeks after surgery, we found significantly less Tb bone mineral density (BMD) at organ (−27%) and at tissue level (−12%), Tb bone volume fraction (−29%), Tb thickness (−14%), and Tb number (−17%) in ovariectomy (OVX) rats than in sham operated (SHAM) rats, while the structure model index (+91%) and Tb separation (+19%) became significantly greater. AFM images showed lower roughness Tb surfaces with loosely packed large nodular structures and less compacted interfibrillar space in OVX than in SHAM. However, no statistically significant changes were in the Tb intrinsic material properties—nanoindentation hardness, elastic modulus, and plastic deformation—nanoindentation depths, and residual areas. Therefore, estrogen deprivation results in a dramatic deterioration in Tb micro/nanoarchitectures, 3D volumetric BMD at both organ and tissue levels, and 2D BMD, but not in the nanomechanical properties of the trabeculae per se.
Linear Array Design with Switched Beams for Wireless Communications Systems
Authors: Ludwig-Barbosa Vinícius , Schlosser Edson , Machado Renato , Guterres Ferreira Filipe , Müller Tolfo Sabrina , Heckler Marcos Vinício Thomas
Published: July 2015

This paper presents an analysis for optimal design of switched beamforming applied to a linear array for wireless communication systems. The beam switching scheme provides coverage of a given sector in azimuth and controls the sidelobe level simultaneously. The analysis was developed considering arrays composed of Quasi-Yagi elements. The model assumes a user moving in the azimuthal direction under a constant velocity and with an estimation of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the mobile user (MU). The radio base station applies the beam that yields the best performance during transmission. The decision is based on the feedback information received from the MU. The goal of the analysis is to determine the best trade-off between the array size and number of feedback bits necessary to maximize the SNR at the receiver. The results show that a compromise between the number of beam-pointing directions and the array size should be taken into consideration for a wireless communication system design.
Superresolution Polarimetric ISAR Imaging Based on 2D CP-GTD Model
Authors: Dai Da-hai , Zhang Jing-ke , Wang Xue-song , Xiao Shun-ping
Published: July 2015

This paper presented a new approach to superresolution ISAR imaging based on a scattering model called coherent polarized geometrical theory of diffraction (CP-GTD) which is better matched to the physical scattering mechanism. The algorithm is a joint processing between polarization and superresolution essentially. It can also estimate the number, position, frequency dependence, span, and normalized scattering matrix of scattering centers instantaneously for each channel rather than the one which extracts parameters from each channel separately, and its performance is better than the latter because the fully polarized information is used. The superiority of the CP-GTD is verified by experiment results based on simulated and real data.
Recent Trends in Therapeutic Approaches for Diabetes Management: A Comprehensive Update
Authors: Tiwari Pragya
Published: July 2015

Diabetes highlights a growing epidemic imposing serious social economic crisis to the countries around the globe. Despite scientific breakthroughs, better healthcare facilities, and improved literacy rate, the disease continues to burden several sections, especially middle and low income countries. The present trends indicate the rise in premature death, posing a major threat to global development. Scientific and technological advances have witnessed the development of newer generation of drugs like sulphonylureas, biguanides, alpha glucosidase inhibitors, and thiazolidinediones with significant efficacy in reducing hyperglycemia. Recent approaches in drug discovery have contributed to the development of new class of therapeutics like Incretin mimetics, Amylin analogues, GIP analogs, Peroxisome proliferator activated receptors, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor as targets for potential drugs in diabetes treatment. Subsequently, the identification and clinical investigation of bioactive substances from plants have revolutionized the research on drug discovery and lead identification for diabetes management. With a focus on the emerging trends, the review article explores the current statistical prevalence of the disease, discussing the benefits and limitations of the commercially available drugs. Additionally, the critical areas in clinical diabetology are discussed, with respect to prospects of statins, nanotechnology, and stem cell technology as next generation therapeutics and why the herbal formulations are consistently popular choice for diabetes medication and management.
Correlations between Perceived Oral Malodor Levels and Self-Reported Oral Complaints
Authors: Kameyama Atsushi , Ishii Kurumi , Tomita Sachiyo , Tatsuta Chihiro , Sugiyama Toshiko , Ishizuka Yoichi , Takahashi Toshiyuki , Tsunoda Masatake
Published: July 2015

Objectives. Even though objective data indicating the absence of oral malodor are presented to patients, they may be skeptical about the results, possibly due to the presence of some discomfort in the oral cavity. The objective of this study was to investigate whether there is an association among self-perceptions of oral malodor, oral complaints, and the actual oral malodor test result.Materials and Methods. Questions concerning self-perceptions of oral malodor and subjective intraoral symptoms were extracted from a questionnaire on oral malodor completed by 363 subjects who visited the clinic for oral malodor of Tokyo Dental College Chiba Hospital and gave consent to this study. In addition, the association of self-perception of oral malodor with values obtained after organoleptic and OralChroma measurement was analyzed.Results. No correlation between 195 subjects (54%) who were judged “with oral malodor” (organoleptic score of ≥1) and 294 subjects (81.6%) who had a self-perceptions of oral malodor was observed. Self-perception of oral malodor was significantly correlated with tongue coatingp=0.002and a strange intraoral tastep=0.016.Conclusions. Subjects with a self-perception of oral malodor were not necessarily consistent with those actually having an oral malodor. In addition, it was suggested that patients became aware of oral malodor when they felt oral complaints.
Design of a Substrate-Integrated Fabry-Pérot Cavity Antenna forK-Band Applications
Authors: Nguyen Truong Khang , Park Ikmo
Published: July 2015

This paper presents the design of a planar, low-profile, high-gain, substrate-integrated Fabry-Pérot cavity antenna forK-band applications. The antenna consists of a frequency selective surface (FSS) and a planar feeding structure, which are both lithographically patterned on a high-permittivity substrate. The FSS is made of a circular hole array that acts as a partially reflecting mirror. The planar feeding structure is a wideband leaky-wave slit dipole fed by a coplanar waveguide whose ground plane acts as a perfect reflective mirror. The measured results show that the proposed antenna has an impedance bandwidth of more than 8% (VSWR ≤ 2), a maximum gain of 13.1 dBi, and a 3 dB gain bandwidth of approximately 1.3% at a resonance frequency of around 21.6 GHz. The proposed antenna features low-profile, easy integration into circuit boards, mechanical robustness, and excellent cost-effective mass production suitability.
A Smoothening Method for the Piecewise Linear Interpolation
Authors: Yun Beong In
Published: July 2015

We propose a method to smoothen a piecewise linear interpolation at a small number of nodes on a bounded interval. The method employs a sigmoidal type weight function having a property that clusters most points on the left side of the interval toward 0 and those on the right side toward 1. The proposed method results in a noninterpolatory approximation which is smooth over the whole interval. We provide an algorithm for implementing the presented smoothening method. To demonstrate usefulness of the presented method we introduce some numerical examples and investigate the results.
Health Status and Health Determinants of Older Immigrant Women in Canada: A Scoping Review
Authors: Guruge Sepali , Birpreet Birpreet , Samuels-Dennis Joan A.
Published: July 2015

Increasing international migration in the context of aging populations makes a comprehensive understanding of older immigrant women’s health status and determinants of their health particularly urgent. Using Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, we conducted a scoping review to examine the available literature on the health of older immigrant women in Canada. We searched CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, Medline, and Cochrane databases for the period of 1990 to 2014 for Canadian-based, peer-reviewed studies on the topic. A total of 20 articles met the inclusion criteria. These articles were divided into six areas of focus: physical health; mental health; abuse; health promotion and chronic disease prevention; barriers to healthcare access and utilization; and health beliefs, behaviours, and practices. Our results show that the health of older immigrant women is affected by the interplay of various social determinants of health including the physical and social environment; economic conditions; cultural beliefs; gendered norms; and the healthcare delivery system. Our results also revealed that older immigrant women tend to have more health problems, underutilize preventive services, such as cancer screening, and experience more difficulties in accessing healthcare services.
Reactive Oxygen Species Are Required for Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Initiate Proliferation after the Quiescence Exit
Authors: Lyublinskaya O. G. , Borisov Ya. G. , Pugovkina N. A. , Smirnova I. S. , Obidina Ju. V. , Ivanova Ju. S. , Zenin V. V. , Shatrova A. N. , Borodkina A. V. , Aksenov N. D. , Zemelko V. I. , Burova E. B. , Puzanov M. V. , Nikolsky N. N.
Published: July 2015

The present study focuses on the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the process of mesenchymal stem cells “waking up” and entering the cell cycle after the quiescence. Using human endometrial mesenchymal stem cells (eMSCs), we showed that intracellular basal ROS level is positively correlated with the proliferative status of the cell cultures. Our experiments with the eMSCs synchronized in the G0phase of the cell cycle revealed a transient increase in the ROS level upon the quiescence exit after stimulation of the cell proliferation. This increase was registered before the eMSC entry to the S-phase of the cell cycle, and elimination of this increase by antioxidants (N-acetyl-L-cysteine, Tempol, and Resveratrol) blocked G1–S-phase transition. Similarly, a cell cycle arrest which resulted from the antioxidant treatment was observed in the experiments with synchronized human mesenchymal stem cells derived from the adipose tissue. Thus, we showed that physiologically relevant level of ROS is required for the initiation of human mesenchymal stem cell proliferation and that low levels of ROS due to the antioxidant treatment can block the stem cell self-renewal.
Pregnancy in a Previously Conjoined Thoracopagus Twin with a Crisscross Heart
Authors: Rimawi Bassam H. , Krishna Iris , Sahu Anurag , Badell Martina L.
Published: July 2015

Background. Crisscross heart (CCH) is a complex, rare, congenital, rotational, cardiac abnormality that accounts for <0.1% of congenital heart defects (CHD). CCH is characterized by the crossing of the inflow streams of the two ventricles due to an abnormal twisting of the heart. A case of maternal CCH has not been previously reported.Case. We report a case of a primigravida with a CCH, who was separated at birth from her thoracopagus conjoined twin. Pregnancy was managed by congenital cardiology, maternal-fetal medicine, anesthesiology, and obstetrics. She underwent a 39-week vaginal delivery without maternal or neonatal complication.Conclusion. A successful term pregnancy outcome was achieved in a patient with CCH using a multidisciplinary approach to address her cardiac condition.
DOA Estimation for Mixed Uncorrelated and Coherent Sources in Multipath Environment
Authors: Shi Heping , Leng Wen , Wang Anguo , Guo Tongfeng
Published: July 2015

A novel direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation method is proposed to cope with the scenario where a number of uncorrelated and coherent narrowband sources simultaneously impinge on the far-field of a uniform linear array (ULA). In the proposed method, the DOAs of uncorrelated sources are firstly estimated by utilizing the property of the moduli of eigenvalues of the DOA matrix. Afterwards, the contributions of uncorrelated sources and the interference of noise are eliminated completely by exploiting the improved spatial differencing technique and only the coherent components remain in the spatial differencing matrix. Finally, the remaining coherent sources can be resolved by performing the improved spatial smoothing scheme on the spatial differencing matrix. The presented method can resolve more number of sources than that of the array elements and distinguish the uncorrelated and coherent sources that come from the same direction as well as improving the estimation performance. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method.