bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Perioperative Blood Transfusion on Postoperative Complications and Prognosis of Gastric Adenocarcinoma Patients with Different Preoperative Hemoglobin Value
Authors: Xue Lian , Chen Xiao-Long , Wei-Han Zhang , Yang Kun , Chen Xin-Zu , Zhang Bo , Chen Zhi-Xin , Chen Jia-Ping , Zhou Zong-Guang , Hu Jian-Kun
Published: December 2015

Background. The impact of perioperative blood transfusion on the prognosis of gastric adenocarcinoma patients is still controversial. The aim of this study was to elucidate the impact of perioperative blood transfusion on postoperative complications and prognosis of patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma with different levels of preoperative hemoglobin value (POHb).Method. From 2003 to 2011, 1199 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy were retrospectively enrolled and followed up to December 2014. Clinicopathological features and survival outcomes were compared between transfused and nontransfused patients.Results. In this study, transfused patients had more postoperative complications than nontransfused ones (P=0.002). In survival analysis, the difference was not significant between transfused and nontransfused patients with POHb between 70 and 100 g/L (P=0.191). However, in patients with POHb >100 g/L, transfused patients had significantly worse prognosis (P<0.001), especially in TNM III stage patients (P=0.002). And intraoperative blood transfusion predicted poor prognosis (P=0.001).Conclusion. Perioperative blood transfusion might lead to poor survival in gastric adenocarcinoma patients with POHb >100 g/L and transfused patients had more postoperative complications; thus it is better to refrain from unnecessary perioperative blood transfusion especially intraoperative transfusion.
Particle Swarm Optimization with Double Learning Patterns
Authors: Shen Yuanxia , Wei Linna , Zeng Chuanhua , Chen Jian
Published: December 2015

Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is an effective tool in solving optimization problems. However, PSO usually suffers from the premature convergence due to the quick losing of the swarm diversity. In this paper, we first analyze the motion behavior of the swarm based on the probability characteristic of learning parameters. Then a PSO with double learning patterns (PSO-DLP) is developed, which employs the master swarm and the slave swarm with different learning patterns to achieve a trade-off between the convergence speed and the swarm diversity. The particles in the master swarm and the slave swarm are encouraged to explore search for keeping the swarm diversity and to learn from the global best particle for refining a promising solution, respectively. When the evolutionary states of two swarms interact, an interaction mechanism is enabled. This mechanism can help the slave swarm in jumping out of the local optima and improve the convergence precision of the master swarm. The proposed PSO-DLP is evaluated on 20 benchmark functions, including rotated multimodal and complex shifted problems. The simulation results and statistical analysis show that PSO-DLP obtains a promising performance and outperforms eight PSO variants.
Prevalence of Urinary Tract Infection and Antimicrobial Susceptibility among Diabetic Patients with Controlled and Uncontrolled Glycemia in Kuwait
Authors: Sewify May , Nair Shinu , Warsame Samia , Murad Mohamed , Alhubail Asma , Behbehani Kazem , Al-Refaei Faisal , Tiss Ali
Published: December 2015

Diabetic patients have higher risk of urinary tract infection (UTI). In the present study, we investigated the impact of glycemic control in diabetic patients on UTI prevalence, type of strains, and their antimicrobial drugs susceptibility. This study was conducted on urine samples from 722 adult diabetic patients from which 252 (35%) samples were positive for uropathogens. Most UTI cases occurred in the uncontrolled glycemic group (197 patients) versus 55 patients with controlled glycemia. Higher glycemic levels were measured in uncontrolled glycemia group (HbA1c = 8.3 ± 1.5 and 5.4 ± 0.4, resp.,P<0.0001). Females showed much higher prevalence of UTI than males in both glycemic groups (88.5% and 11.5%, resp.,P<0.0001). In the uncontrolled glycemia group 90.9% of the UTI cases happened at ages above 40 years and a clear correlation was obtained between patient age ranges and number of UTI cases (r=0.94;P=0.017), whereas in the group with controlled glycemia no trend was observed.Escherichia coliwas the predominant uropathogen followed byKlebsiella pneumoniaeand they were together involved in 76.2% of UTI cases. Those species were similarly present in both diabetic groups and displayed comparable antibiotic resistance pattern. These results highlight the importance of controlling glycemia in diabetic patients to reduce the UTI regardless of age and gender.
Phosphorylation of CRMP2 by Cdk5 Regulates Dendritic Spine Development of Cortical Neuron in the Mouse Hippocampus
Authors: Jin Xiaohua , Sasamoto Kodai , Nagai Jun , Yamazaki Yuki , Saito Kenta , Goshima Yoshio , Inoue Takafumi , Ohshima Toshio
Published: December 2015

Proper density and morphology of dendritic spines are important for higher brain functions such as learning and memory. However, our knowledge about molecular mechanisms that regulate the　development and maintenance of dendritic spines is limited. We recently reported that cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is required for the development and maintenance of dendritic spines of cortical neurons in the mouse brain. Previousin vitrostudies have suggested the involvement of Cdk5 substrates in the formation of dendritic spines; however, their role in spine development has not been testedin vivo. Here, we demonstrate that Cdk5 phosphorylates collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP2) in the dendritic spines of cultured hippocampal neurons andin vivoin the mouse brain. When we eliminated CRMP2 phosphorylation inCRMP2KI/KImice, the densities of dendritic spines significantly decreased in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons in the mouse brain. These results indicate that phosphorylation of CRMP2 by Cdk5 is important for dendritic spine development in cortical neurons in the mouse hippocampus.
Hydrochemical Denudation and Transient Carbon Dioxide Drawdown in the Highly Glacierized, Shrinking Koxkar Basin, China
Authors: Wang Jian , Han Haidong , Zhao Qiudong , Zhang Xiaowen
Published: December 2015

This study considered solute fluxes and the transient CO2drawdown process in the highly glacierized Koxkar basin in Central Eurasia, around 70.20% of which is covered by present-day ice. From 27 June to 30 September 2011, the total runoff depth was 671.70 mm, which yielded crustal solute fluxes of 213.65 ± 10.05 kg·(km2·d)−1that accounted for 53.59% of the total solute flux of the river water. The solute fluxes derived directly from ice meltwater and precipitation were 70.02 ± 4.68 and 16.57 ± 1.13 kg·(km2·d)−1, respectively, which accounted for 17.57% and 4.16% of the total solute flux. The carbonation and hydrolysis of carbonate and feldspar minerals occurred because of the presence of H+, supplied by sulfide oxidation or CO2drawdown. While the H+yielded by sulfide oxidation was insufficient for hydrochemical reactions, atmospheric CO2dissolved in the water generated H+that drove follow-up reactions. The total transient drawdown of CO2was 804.83 t C, which generated 39.61% of the totalHCO3-and 24.68% of the river water solute. Transient drawdown of CO2in the glacier region indicated that change of glacial area and volume could influence atmospheric CO2concentration and be important in the long-term global CO2cycle.
Generalization Bounds Derived IPM-Based Regularization for Domain Adaptation
Authors: Meng Juan , Hu Guyu , Li Dong , Zhang Yanyan , Pan Zhisong
Published: December 2015

Domain adaptation has received much attention as a major form of transfer learning. One issue that should be considered in domain adaptation is the gap between source domain and target domain. In order to improve the generalization ability of domain adaption methods, we proposed a framework for domain adaptation combining source and target data, with a new regularizer which takes generalization bounds into account. This regularization term considers integral probability metric (IPM) as the distance between the source domain and the target domain and thus can bound up the testing error of an existing predictor from the formula. Since the computation of IPM only involves two distributions, this generalization term is independent with specific classifiers. With popular learning models, the empirical risk minimization is expressed as a general convex optimization problem and thus can be solved effectively by existing tools. Empirical studies on synthetic data for regression and real-world data for classification show the effectiveness of this method.
Real-Time Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis of a Low Power Hub Motor Using Feedforward Neural Network
Authors: Şimşir Mehmet , Bayır Raif , Uyaroğlu Yılmaz
Published: December 2015

Low power hub motors are widely used in electromechanical systems such as electrical bicycles and solar vehicles due to their robustness and compact structure. Such systems driven by hub motors (in wheel motors) encounter previously defined and undefined faults under operation. It may inevitably lead to the interruption of the electromechanical system operation; hence, economic losses take place at certain times. Therefore, in order to maintain system operation sustainability, the motor should be precisely monitored and the faults are diagnosed considering various significant motor parameters. In this study, the artificial feedforward backpropagation neural network approach is proposed to real-time monitor and diagnose the faults of the hub motor by measuring seven main system parameters. So as to construct a necessary model, we trained the model, using a data set consisting of 4160 samples where each has 7 parameters, by the MATLAB environment until the best model is obtained. The results are encouraging and meaningful for the specific motor and the developed model may be applicable to other types of hub motors. The prosperous model of the whole system was embedded into Arduino Due microcontroller card and the mobile real-time monitoring and fault diagnosis system prototype for hub motor was designed and manufactured.
Acute Psychological Stress Modulates the Expression of Enzymes Involved in the Kynurenine Pathway throughout Corticolimbic Circuits in Adult Male Rats
Authors: Vecchiarelli Haley A. , Gandhi Chaitanya P. , Hill Matthew N.
Published: December 2015

Tryptophan is an essential dietary amino acid that is necessary for protein synthesis, but also serves as the precursor for serotonin. However, in addition to these biological functions, tryptophan also serves as a precursor for the kynurenine pathway, which has neurotoxic (quinolinic acid) and neuroprotective (kynurenic acid) metabolites. Glucocorticoid hormones and inflammatory mediators, both of which are increased by stress, have been shown to bias tryptophan along the kynurenine pathway and away from serotonin synthesis; however, to date, there is no published data regarding the effects of stress on enzymes regulating the kynurenine pathway in a regional manner throughout the brain. Herein, we examined the effects of an acute psychological stress (120 min restraint) on gene expression patterns of enzymes along the kynurenine pathway over a protracted time-course (1–24 h post-stress termination) within the amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and medial prefrontal cortex. Time-dependent changes in differential enzymes along the kynurenine metabolism pathway, particularly those involved in the production of quinolinic acid, were found within the amygdala, hypothalamus, and medial prefrontal cortex, with no changes seen in the hippocampus. These regional differences acutely may provide mechanistic insight into processes that become dysregulated chronically in stress-associated disorders.
A Forecasting Approach Combining Self-Organizing Map with Support Vector Regression for Reservoir Inflow during Typhoon Periods
Authors: Lin Gwo-Fong , Wang Tsung-Chun , Chen Lu-Hsien
Published: December 2015

This study describes the development of a reservoir inflow forecasting model for typhoon events to improve short lead-time flood forecasting performance. To strengthen the forecasting ability of the original support vector machines (SVMs) model, the self-organizing map (SOM) is adopted to group inputs into different clusters in advance of the proposed SOM-SVM model. Two different input methods are proposed for the SVM-based forecasting method, namely, SOM-SVM1 and SOM-SVM2. The methods are applied to an actual reservoir watershed to determine the 1 to 3 h ahead inflow forecasts. For 1, 2, and 3 h ahead forecasts, improvements in mean coefficient of efficiency (MCE) due to the clusters obtained from SOM-SVM1 are 21.5%, 18.5%, and 23.0%, respectively. Furthermore, improvement in MCE for SOM-SVM2 is 20.9%, 21.2%, and 35.4%, respectively. Another SOM-SVM2 model increases the SOM-SVM1 model for 1, 2, and 3 h ahead forecasts obtained improvement increases of 0.33%, 2.25%, and 10.08%, respectively. These results show that the performance of the proposed model can provide improved forecasts of hourly inflow, especially in the proposed SOM-SVM2 model. In conclusion, the proposed model, which considers limit and higher related inputs instead of all inputs, can generate better forecasts in different clusters than are generated from the SOM process. The SOM-SVM2 model is recommended as an alternative to the original SVR (Support Vector Regression) model because of its accuracy and robustness.
Development of a Vehicle-Bridge-Soil Dynamic Interaction Model for Scour Damage Modelling
Authors: Prendergast L. J. , Hester D. , Gavin K.
Published: December 2015

Damage detection in bridges using vibration-based methods is an area of growing research interest. Improved assessment methodologies combined with state-of-the-art sensor technology are rapidly making these approaches applicable for real-world structures. Applying these techniques to the detection and monitoring of scour around bridge foundations has remained challenging; however this area has gained attraction in recent years. Several authors have investigated a range of methods but there is still significant work required to achieve a rounded and widely applicable methodology to detect and monitor scour. This paper presents a novel Vehicle-Bridge-Soil Dynamic Interaction (VBSDI) model which can be used to simulate the effect of scour on an integral bridge. The model outputs dynamic signals which can be analysed to determine modal parameters and the variation of these parameters with respect to scour can be examined. The key novelty of this model is that it is the first numerical model for simulating scour that combines a realistic vehicle loading model with a robust foundation soil response model. This paper provides a description of the model development and explains the mathematical theory underlying the model. Finally a case study application of the model using typical bridge, soil, and vehicle properties is provided.
A Nationwide Population-Based Study of Corrosive Ingestion in Taiwan: Incidence, Gender Differences, and Mortality
Authors: Chen Chuan-Mei , Chung Yueh-Chin , Tsai Li-Hung , Tung Yi-Chen , Lee Horng-Mo , Lin Mei-Ling , Liu Hsin-Li , Tang Woung-Ru
Published: December 2015

Corrosive injury results from the intake of corrosive-acid-based chemicals. However, this phenomenon is limited to a small number of cases and cannot be extrapolated to the epidemiology of corrosive injuries in actual situations. This study focuses on the annual incidence of corrosive injury and its connection to gender, risk factors, and in-hospital mortality. All patients with corrosive injury (ICD-9 947.0–947.3) were identified using a nationwide inpatient sample from 1996 until 2010. Chi-squared tests and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine risk factors of gender differences and in-hospital mortality of corrosive injury. Young adults comprised the majority of patients (71.2%), and mean age was 44.6 ± 20.9 years. Women showed a higher incidence rate of corrosive injuries, age, suicide, psychiatric disorder, and systemic complications compared with men (p<0.001). The present study demonstrated that age (OR = 10.93; 95% CI 5.37–22.27), systemic complications (OR = 5.43; 95% CI 4.61–6.41), malignant neoplasms (OR = 2.23; 95% CI 1.37–3.62), gastrointestinal complications (OR = 2.02; 95% CI 1.63–2.51), chronic disease (OR = 1.30; 95% CI 1.08–1.56), and suicide (OR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.05–1.44) were strongly associated with in-hospital mortality. Educational programs may be helpful for reducing the incidence of ingestion of corrosive chemicals.
Deep Brain Stimulation for Obesity: From a Theoretical Framework to Practical Application
Authors: Nangunoori Raj K. , Tomycz Nestor D. , Oh Michael Y. , Whiting Donald M.
Published: December 2015

Obesity remains a pervasive global health problem. While there are a number of nonsurgical and surgical options for treatment, the incidence of obesity continues to increase at an alarming rate. The inability to curtail the growing rise of the obesity epidemic may be related to a combination of increased food availability and palatability. Research into feeding behavior has yielded a number of insights into the homeostatic and reward mechanisms that govern feeding. However, there remains a gap between laboratory investigations of feeding physiology in animals and translation into meaningful treatment options for humans. In addition, laboratory investigation may not be able to recapitulate all aspects of human food consumption. In a landmark pilot study of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the lateral hypothalamic area for obesity, we found that there was an increase in resting metabolic rate as well as a decreased urge to eat. In this review, the authors will review some of the work relating to feeding physiology and research surrounding two nodes involved in feeding homeostasis, nucleus accumbens (NAc) and hypothalamus, and use this to provide a framework for future investigations of DBS as a viable therapeutic modality for obesity.
Chaos Analysis on the Acceleration Control Signals of the Piezoelectric Actuators in the Stewart Platform
Authors: E Jiaqiang , Qian Cheng , Liu Teng , Liu Guanling
Published: December 2015

In order to solve the nonlinear mechanism in the process of actual control application of six-degree-of-freedom parallel Stewart platform, the chaos theory was applied in the paper to analyze the acceleration control signal. The research included correlation dimension calculation by use of the G-P method, the maximum Lyapunov coefficient of the acceleration control signal, and Kolmogorov entropies of the acceleration control signal. The results show that the acceleration signals are of chaos characteristics, and there are lots of influencing factors to the acceleration variables.
The Role of MR Enterography in Assessing Crohn’s Disease Activity and Treatment Response
Authors: Moy Matthew P. , Sauk Jenny , Gee Michael S.
Published: December 2015

MR enterography (MRE) has become the primary imaging modality in the assessment of Crohn’s disease (CD) in both children and adults at many institutions in the United States and worldwide, primarily due to its noninvasiveness, superior soft tissue contrast, and lack of ionizing radiation. MRE technique includes distention of the small bowel with oral contrast media with the acquisition of T2-weighted, balanced steady-state free precession, and multiphase T1-weighted fat suppressed gadolinium contrast-enhanced sequences. With the introduction of molecule-targeted biologic agents into the clinical setting for CD and their potential to reverse the inflammatory process, MRE is increasingly utilized to evaluate disease activity and response to therapy as an imaging complement to clinical indices or optical endoscopy. New and emerging MRE techniques, such as diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), magnetization transfer, ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide- (USPIO-) enhanced MRI, and PET-MR, offer the potential for an expanded role of MRI in detecting occult disease activity, evaluating early treatment response/resistance, and differentiating inflammatory from fibrotic strictures. Familiarity with MR enterography is essential for radiologists and gastroenterologists as the technique evolves and is further incorporated into the clinical management of CD.
Capsule Endoscopy for Crohn’s Disease: Current Status of Diagnosis and Management
Authors: Yang Dong-Hoon , Keum Bora , Jeen Yoon Tae
Published: December 2015

Crohn’s disease (CD) is an idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease involving the small and/or large intestine. More than 50% of Western CD patients and up to 88% of Asian CD patients may have small intestinal involvement. Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) has a higher diagnostic yield than small bowel barium radiography and computed tomography enterography for the detection of small intestinal involvement of CD. VCE also provides diagnostic yields comparable to magnetic resonance- (MR-) based enterography or enteroclysis and may have several advantages over MR-based tests for the detection of early small intestinal lesions. Several studies have suggested the use of VCE-based disease activity scoring systems to evaluate small intestinal mucosal disease activity, although their clinical relevance needs to be further studied. A possible indication for VCE is recurrence monitoring after complete surgical excision of CD-involved segments but its usefulness and efficacy compared with conventional endoscopy should be evaluated. The capsule retention rate ranges from 0 to 5.4% in suspected CD patients and from 0 to 13.2% in established CD patients. If VCE is necessary, significant small bowel stricture should be ruled out before VCE by performing a patency capsule study and/or small bowel radiological study in suspected or established CD patients.
The Exercising Brain: Changes in Functional Connectivity Induced by an Integrated Multimodal Cognitive and Whole-Body Coordination Training
Authors: Demirakca Traute , Cardinale Vita , Dehn Sven , Ruf Matthias , Ende Gabriele
Published: December 2015

This study investigated the impact of “life kinetik” training on brain plasticity in terms of an increased functional connectivity during resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). The training is an integrated multimodal training that combines motor and cognitive aspects and challenges the brain by introducing new and unfamiliar coordinative tasks. Twenty-one subjects completed at least 11 one-hour-per-week “life kinetik” training sessions in 13 weeks as well as before and after rs-fMRI scans. Additionally, 11 control subjects with 2 rs-fMRI scans were included. The CONN toolbox was used to conduct several seed-to-voxel analyses. We searched for functional connectivity increases between brain regions expected to be involved in the exercises. Connections to brain regions representing parts of the default mode network, such as medial frontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex, did not change. Significant connectivity alterations occurred between the visual cortex and parts of the superior parietal area (BA7). Premotor area and cingulate gyrus were also affected. We can conclude that the constant challenge of unfamiliar combinations of coordination tasks, combined with visual perception and working memory demands, seems to induce brain plasticity expressed in enhanced connectivity strength of brain regions due to coactivation.
Controlling Individuals Growth in Semantic Genetic Programming through Elitist Replacement
Authors: Castelli Mauro , Vanneschi Leonardo , Popovič Aleš
Published: December 2015

In 2012, Moraglio and coauthors introduced new genetic operators for Genetic Programming, called geometric semantic genetic operators. They have the very interesting advantage of inducing a unimodal error surface for any supervised learning problem. At the same time, they have the important drawback of generating very large data models that are usually very hard to understand and interpret. The objective of this work is to alleviate this drawback, still maintaining the advantage. More in particular, we propose an elitist version of geometric semantic operators, in which offspring are accepted in the new population only if they have better fitness than their parents. We present experimental evidence, on five complex real-life test problems, that this simple idea allows us to obtain results of a comparable quality (in terms of fitness), but with much smaller data models, compared to the standard geometric semantic operators. In the final part of the paper, we also explain the reason why we consider this a significant improvement, showing that the proposed elitist operators generate manageable models, while the models generated by the standard operators are so large in size that they can be considered unmanageable.
Complimentary Imaging Modalities for Investigating Obscure Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Capsule Endoscopy, Double-Balloon Enteroscopy, and Computed Tomographic Enterography
Authors: Chu Ye , Wu Sheng , Qian Yuting , Wang Qi , Li Juanjuan , Tang Yanping , Bai Tingting , Wang Lifu
Published: December 2015

Objectives. The complimentary value of computed tomographic enterography (CTE) and double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) combined with capsule endoscopy (CE) was evaluated in the diagnosis of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB).Methods. Patients who received CE examinations at Ruijin Hospital between July 2007 and July 2014 with the indication of OGIB were identified, and those who also underwent DBE and/or CTE were included. Their clinical information was retrieved, and results from each test were compared with findings from the other two examinations.Results. The overall diagnostic yield of CE was comparable with DBE (73.9% versus 60.9%) but was significantly higher than the yield of CTE (87% versus 25%,p<0.001). The diagnostic yield of angiodysplasia at CE was significantly higher than CTE (73% versus 8%,p<0.001) and DBE (39.1% versus 17.4%,p=0.013), while no significant difference was found between the three approaches for small bowel tumors. DBE and CTE identified small bowel diseases undetected or undetermined by CE. Conversely, CE improved diagnosis in the cases with negative CTE and DBE, and findings at initial CE directed further diagnosis made by DBE.Conclusions. Combination of the three diagnostic platforms provides complementary value in the diagnosis of OGIB.
A Neural Network Approach to Intention Modeling for User-Adapted Conversational Agents
Authors: Griol David , Callejas Zoraida
Published: December 2015

Spoken dialogue systems have been proposed to enable a more natural and intuitive interaction with the environment and human-computer interfaces. In this contribution, we present a framework based on neural networks that allows modeling of the user’s intention during the dialogue and uses this prediction to dynamically adapt the dialogue model of the system taking into consideration the user’s needs and preferences. We have evaluated our proposal to develop a user-adapted spoken dialogue system that facilitates tourist information and services and provide a detailed discussion of the positive influence of our proposal in the success of the interaction, the information and services provided, and the quality perceived by the users.
Taking Sides: An Integrative Review of the Impact of Laterality and Polarity on Efficacy of Therapeutic Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Anomia in Chronic Poststroke Aphasia
Authors: Sandars Margaret , Cloutman Lauren , Woollams Anna M.
Published: December 2015

Anomia is a frequent and persistent symptom of poststroke aphasia, resulting from damage to areas of the brain involved in language production. Cortical neuroplasticity plays a significant role in language recovery following stroke and can be facilitated by behavioral speech and language therapy. Recent research suggests that complementing therapy with neurostimulation techniques may enhance functional gains, even amongst those with chronic aphasia. The current review focuses on the use of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) as an adjunct to naming therapy for individuals with chronic poststroke aphasia. Our survey of the literature indicates that combining therapy with anodal (excitatory) stimulation to the left hemisphere and/or cathodal (inhibitory) stimulation to the right hemisphere can increase both naming accuracy and speed when compared to the effects of therapy alone. However, the benefits of tDCS as a complement to therapy have not been yet systematically investigated with respect to site and polarity of stimulation. Recommendations for future research to help determine optimal protocols for combined therapy and tDCS are outlined.
A Comparison of Vibroacoustic Response of Isotropic Plate with Attached Discrete Patches and Point Masses Having Different Thickness Variation with Different Taper Ratios
Authors: Kumar Bipin , Ranjan Vinayak , Azam Mohammad Sikandar , Singh Piyush Pratap , Mishra Pawan , Ajit K. Priya , Kumar Praveen
Published: December 2015

A comparison of sound radiation behavior of plate in air medium with attached discrete patches/point masses having different thickness variations with different taper ratio of 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 is analysed. Finite element method is used to find the vibration characteristics while Rayleigh integral is used to predict the sound radiation characteristics. Minimum peak sound power level obtained is at a taper ratio of 0.6 with parabolic increasing-decreasing thickness variation for plate with four discrete patches. At higher taper ratio, linearly increasing-decreasing thickness variation is another alternative for minimum peak sound power level suppression with discrete patches. It is found that, in low frequency range, average radiation efficiency remains almost the same, but near first peak, four patches or four point masses cause increase in average radiation efficiency; that is, redistribution of point masses/patches does have effect on average radiation efficiency at a given taper ratio.
Capsule Endoscopy for Portal Hypertensive Enteropathy
Authors: Jeon Seong Ran , Kim Jin-Oh
Published: December 2015

Portal hypertensive enteropathy (PHE) is a mucosal abnormality of the small bowel that is observed in patients with portal hypertension (PH) and can lead to gastrointestinal bleeding and anemia. The pathogenesis is still not completely understood. The introduction of new endoscopic methods, including capsule endoscopy (CE) or balloon-assisted enteroscopy, has increased the detection of these abnormalities. CE can also serve as a road map for deciding subsequent interventions and evaluating the treatment effect. The prevalence of PHE is reportedly 40–70% in patients with PH. Endoscopic findings can be roughly divided into vascular and nonvascular lesions such as inflammatory-like lesions. Traditionally, PHE-associated factors include large esophageal varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy or colopathy, Child-Turcotte-Pugh class B or C, a history of variceal treatment, and acute gastrointestinal bleeding. More recently, on using scoring systems, a high computed tomography or transient elastography score was reportedly PHE-related factors. However, the prevalence of PHE and its related associated factors remain controversial. The management of PHE has not yet been standardized. It should be individualized according to each patient’s situation, the availability of therapy, and each institutional expertise.
Using the Change Manager Model for the Hippocampal System to Predict Connectivity and Neurophysiological Parameters in the Perirhinal Cortex
Authors: Coward L. Andrew , Gedeon Tamas D.
Published: December 2015

Theoretical arguments demonstrate that practical considerations, including the needs to limit physiological resources and to learn without interference with prior learning, severely constrain the anatomical architecture of the brain. These arguments identify the hippocampal system as the change manager for the cortex, with the role of selecting the most appropriate locations for cortical receptive field changes at each point in time and driving those changes. This role results in the hippocampal system recording the identities of groups of cortical receptive fields that changed at the same time. These types of records can also be used to reactivate the receptive fields active during individual unique past events, providing mechanisms for episodic memory retrieval. Our theoretical arguments identify the perirhinal cortex as one important focal point both for driving changes and for recording and retrieving episodic memories. The retrieval of episodic memories must not drive unnecessary receptive field changes, and this consideration places strong constraints on neuron properties and connectivity within and between the perirhinal cortex and regular cortex. Hence the model predicts a number of such properties and connectivity. Experimental test of these falsifiable predictions would clarify how change is managed in the cortex and how episodic memories are retrieved.
Fault Diagnosis for a Multistage Planetary Gear Set Using Model-Based Simulation and Experimental Investigation
Authors: Li Guoyan , Li Fangyi , Wang Yifan , Dong Dehao
Published: December 2015

The gear damage will induce modulation effects in vibration signals. A thorough analysis of modulation sidebands spectral structure is necessary for fault diagnosis of planetary gear set. However, the spectral characteristics are complicated in practice, especially for a multistage planetary gear set which contains close frequency components. In this study, a coupled lateral and torsional dynamic model is established to predict the modulation sidebands of a two-stage compound planetary gear set. An improved potential energy method is used to calculate the time-varying mesh stiffness of each gear pair, and the influence of crack propagation on the mesh stiffness is analyzed. The simulated signals of the gear set are obtained by using Runge-Kutta numerical analysis method. Meanwhile, the sidebands characteristics are summarized to exhibit the modulation effects caused by sun gear damage. At the end, the experimental signals collected from an industrial SD16 planetary gearbox are analyzed to verify the theoretical derivations. The results of experiment agree well with the simulated analysis.
Thread-Traction with a Sheath of Polypectomy Snare Facilitates Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection of Early Gastric Cancers
Authors: Noda Hisatsugu , Ogasawara Naotaka , Koshino Akira , Fukuta Shouko , Nagoya Takuroh , Hoshino Hironori , Nagao Kazuhiro , Sugiyama Tomoya , Kondo Yoshihiro , Ito Yoshitsugi , Izawa Shinya , Ebi Masahide , Funaki Yasushi , Sasaki Makoto , Kasugai Kunio
Published: December 2015

Although the thread-traction (TT) method has been found useful during endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancers, the movement of the thread interferes with the movement of the endoscope, and the lesion can only be pulled to the mouth side. We have developed the novel TT method using a sheath of polypectomy snare (TTSPS). The TTSPS method enables free and independent movement of the thread and the endoscope and allows pulling the lesion towards the anal as well as oral side. The median dissection times, numbers of instances of arterial bleeding, and numbers of local injections into the submucosal layer were significantly lower for ESD with TTSPS than for conventional ESD. Countertraction ESD using the TTSPS method is straightforward, safe, easy, noninvasive, and cost effective, and it uses instruments readily available in most hospitals to enhance visualization of cutting lines. Therefore, the TTSPS method can be universally applied in conventional ESD.
Transarterial Embolization and Percutaneous Ethanol Injection as an Effective Bridge Therapy before Liver Transplantation for Hepatitis C-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Chedid Marcio F. , Scaffaro Leandro A. , Chedid Aljamir D. , Maciel Antonio C. , Cerski Carlos Thadeu S. , Reis Matheus J. , Grezzana-Filho Tomaz J. M. , de Araujo Alexandre , Leipnitz Ian , Kruel Cleber D. P. , Alvares-da-Silva Mario R. , Kruel Cleber R. P.
Published: December 2015

Background. Transarterial chemoembolization alone or in association with radiofrequency ablation is an effective bridging strategy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma awaiting for a liver transplant. However, cost of this therapy may limit its utilization. This study was designed to evaluate the outcomes of a protocol involving transarterial embolization, percutaneous ethanol injection, or both methods for bridging hepatocellular carcinomas prior to liver transplantation.Methods. Retrospective review of all consecutive adult patients who underwent a first liver transplant as a treatment to hepatitis C-related hepatocellular carcinoma at our institution between 2002 and 2012. Primary endpoint was patient survival. Secondary endpoint was complete tumor necrosis.Results. Forty patients were analyzed, age 58 ± 7 years. There were 23 males (57.5%). Thirty-six (90%) out of the total 40 patients were within Milan criteria. Complete necrosis was achieved in 19 patients (47.5%). One-, 3-, and 5-year patient survival were, respectively, 87.5%, 75%, and 69.4%. Univariate analysis did not reveal any variable to impact on overall patient survival.Conclusions. Transarterial embolization, ethanol injection, or the association of both methods followed by liver transplantation comprises effective treatment strategy for hepatitis C-related hepatocellular carcinoma. This strategy should be adopted whenever transarterial chemoembolization and/or radiofrequency ablation are not available options.
Spatial Variability and Periodicity of Precipitation in the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River, China
Authors: He Yi , Mu Xingmin , Gao Peng , Zhao Guangju , Wang Fei , Sun Wenyi , Zhang Yuqing
Published: December 2015

Rainfall is one of the most important reasons causing the soil erosion in the Loess Plateau. The precipitation across the most severely eroded areas in middle reaches of the Yellow River (MRYR), China, was investigated by analyzing the precipitation of flood season(Pf)and precipitation of main flood season(Pmf)from 26 meteorological stations during the period from 1958 to 2013. The empirical orthogonal function (EOF), ensemble empirical mode decomposition, and Hurst exponent are used to detect spatial, multiscale characteristics of periodicity and trend for precipitation. The results show that there exist quasi-3- and quasi-6-year interannual periods and quasi-11- and quasi-28-year interdecadal scale periods forPfandPmf. However, periodical features in most of the study area are not statistically noticeable. Moreover, first EOFs indicated precipitation was affected by the large-scale circulation patterns, and the spatial patterns of the second EOFs indicated an obviously north-south gradient in the MRYR, whereas the third EOFs displayed east-west patterns. Hurst exponent analysis indicates that precipitation inPfandPmfwill continue the current trends in the future. These findings can provide important implications for ecological restoration and farming operations across the study region.
History of Illicit Stimulant Use Is Not Associated with Long-Lasting Changes in Learning of Fine Motor Skills in Humans
Authors: Todd Gabrielle , Pearson-Dennett Verity , Flavel Stanley C. , Haberfield Miranda , Edwards Hannah , White Jason M.
Published: December 2015

Little is known about the long-lasting effect of use of illicit stimulant drugs on learning of new motor skills. We hypothesised that abstinent individuals with a history of primarily methamphetamine and ecstasy use would exhibit normal learning of a visuomotor tracking task compared to controls. The study involved three groups: abstinent stimulant users (n=21; 27 ± 6 yrs) and two gender-matched control groups comprising nondrug users (n=16; 22 ± 4 yrs) and cannabis users (n=16; 23 ± 5 yrs). Motor learning was assessed with a three-minute visuomotor tracking task. Subjects were instructed to follow a moving target on a computer screen with movement of the index finger. Metacarpophalangeal joint angle and first dorsal interosseous electromyographic activity were recorded. Pattern matching was assessed by cross-correlation of the joint angle and target traces. Distance from the target (tracking error) was also calculated. Motor learning was evident in the visuomotor task. Pattern matching improved over time (cross-correlation coefficient) and tracking error decreased. However, task performance did not differ between the groups. The results suggest that learning of a new fine visuomotor skill is unchanged in individuals with a history of illicit stimulant use.
A Broadband Vibration-Based Energy Harvester Using an Array of Piezoelectric Beams Connected by Springs
Authors: Meruane V. , Pichara K.
Published: December 2015

Piezoelectric cantilevered beams have been widely used as vibration-based energy harvesters. Nevertheless, these devices have a narrow frequency band and if the excitation is slightly different there is a significant drop in the level of power generated. To handle this problem, the present investigation proposes the use of an array of piezoelectric cantilevered beams connected by springs as a broadband vibration-based energy harvester. The equations for the voltage and power output of the system are derived based on the analytical solution of the piezoelectric cantilevered energy harvester with Euler-Bernoulli beam assumptions. To study the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed system, the results are compared with those of an array of disconnected beams (with no springs). The analytical model is validated with experimental measurements of three bimorph beams with and without springs. The results show that connecting the array of beams with springs allows increasing the frequency band of operation and increasing the amount of power generated.
Optimal Vibration Control of a Class of Nonlinear Stochastic Systems with Markovian Jump
Authors: Huan R. H. , Hu R. C. , Pu D. , Zhu W. Q.
Published: December 2015

The semi-infinite time optimal control for a class of stochastically excited Markovian jump nonlinear system is investigated. Using stochastic averaging, each form of the system is reduced to a one-dimensional partially averaged Itô equation of total energy. A finite set of coupled dynamical programming equations is then set up based on the stochastic dynamical programming principle and Markovian jump rules, from which the optimal control force is obtained. The stationary response of the optimally controlled system is predicted by solving the Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov (FPK) equation associated with the fully averaged Itô equation. Two examples are worked out in detail to illustrate the application and effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.
Dynamic Modelling and Analysis of the Microsegment Gear
Authors: Xiong Yangshou , Huang Kang , Wang Tao , Chen Qi , Xu Rui
Published: December 2015

The development of technology requires higher load capacity, rotating speed, power-weight ratio, lower vibration, and noise with respect to the gear transmission. The new type microsegment gear’s tooth profile curve is composed of many microsegments. Previous researches indicate that the microsegment gear has a good static performance, while the dynamic behavior of the microsegment gear has never been investigated. This paper will focus on the dynamic performance of the gear. The profile deviation between microsegment gear and involute gear is regarded as a displacement excitation in the proposed dynamic model. The numerical analysis for three cases is conducted and the results shows that, in low-speed and heavy-load, medium-speed and medium-load conditions, microsegment gear and involute gear both exhibit a good performance, while, in high-speed and heavy-load condition, microsegment gear has a better performance than that of involute gear. The influence of backlash on the dynamic performance is also studied. It is found that the variation of backlash does not change the type of motion, but the vibration amplitude and the stability of the motion are much affected. The main idea in this paper is supposed to provide a novel method for the precision grinding of the microsegment gear.
Preoperative Serum Interleukin-6 Is a Potential Prognostic Factor for Colorectal Cancer, including Stage II Patients
Authors: Shiga Kazuyoshi , Hara Masayasu , Nagasaki Takaya , Sato Takafumi , Takahashi Hiroki , Sato Mikinori , Takeyama Hiromitsu
Published: December 2015

Aims. To evaluate the prognostic significance of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) in colorectal cancer (CRC).Patients and Methods. Preoperative serum IL-6 was measured in 233 CRC patients and 13 healthy controls. Relationships between IL-6 and various clinicopathological factors were evaluated, and the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates according to IL-6 status were calculated for all patients and according to disease stage.Results. The mean IL-6 level was 6.6 pg/mL in CRC patients and 2.6 pg/mL in healthy controls. Using a cutoff of 6.3 pg/mL, obtained using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, 57 patients had a high IL-6 level. The mean value was higher for stage II disease than for stage III disease. IL-6 status correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP) and carcinoembryonic antigen levels, obstruction, and pT4 disease. The OS differed according to the IL-6 status for all patients, whereas the DFS differed for all patients and for those with stage II disease. The Cox proportional hazards model showed that pT4 disease was an independent risk factor for recurrence in all CRC patients; IL-6, CRP, and pT4 were significant risk factors in stage II patients.Conclusions. The preoperative IL-6 level influences the risk of CRC recurrence.
Representing the Australian Heat Low in a GCM Using Different Surface and Cloud Schemes
Authors: Allcock Matthew M. , Ackerley Duncan
Published: December 2015

The high insolation during the Southern Hemisphere summer leads to the development of a heat low over north-west Australia, which is a significant feature of the monsoon circulation. It is therefore important that General Circulation Models (GCMs) are able to represent this feature well in order to adequately represent the Australian Monsoon. Given that there are many different configurations of GCMs used globally (such as those used as part of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project), it is difficult to assess the underlying causes of the differences in circulation between such GCMs. In order to address this problem, the work presented here makes use of three different configurations of the Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator (ACCESS). The configurations incorporate changes to the surface parameterization, cloud parameterization, and both together (surface and cloud) while keeping all other parameterized processes unchanged. The work finds that the surface scheme has a larger impact on the heat low than the cloud scheme, which is caused by differences in the soil thermal inertia. This study also finds that the differences in the circulation caused by changing the cloud and surface schemes together are the linear sum of the individual perturbations (i.e., no nonlinear interaction).