bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resuming anticoagulants after anticoagulation-associated intracranial haemorrhage: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhou Zien , Yu Jie , Carcel Cheryl , Delcourt Candice , Shan Jiehui , Lindley Richard I , Neal Bruce , Anderson Craig S , Hackett Maree L
Published: May 2018

Objective

To determine the adverse outcomes following resumption of anticoagulation in patients with anticoagulation-associated intracranial haemorrhage (ICH).

Design

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis in this clinical population. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement was followed, and two authors independently assessed eligibility of all retrieved studies and extracted data.

Data sources

Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, from inception to February 2017.

Eligibility criteria and outcomes

Randomised controlled trials or cohort studies that recruited adults who received oral anticoagulants at the time of ICH occurrence and survived after the acute phase or hospitalisation were searched. Primary outcomes, including long-term mortality, recurrent ICH and thromboembolic events. Secondary outcomes were the frequency of resuming anticoagulant therapy and related factors.

Results

We included 12 cohort studies (no clinical trials) involving 3431 ICH participants. The pooled frequency of resuming anticoagulant therapy was 38% (95% CI 32% to 44%), but this was higher in participants with prosthetic heart valves, subarachnoid haemorrhage or dyslipidaemia. There was no evidence that resuming anticoagulant therapy was associated with higher long-term mortality (pooled relative risk (RR) 0.60, 95% CI 0.30 to 1.19; p=0.14) or ICH recurrence (pooled RR 1.14, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.80; p=0.57). Resumption of anticoagulation was associated with significantly fewer thromboembolic events (pooled RR 0.31, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.42; p<0.001). In a subgroup of patients with atrial fibrillation, resuming anticoagulant therapy was associated with fewer long-term mortality (pooled RR 0.27, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.37, p<0.001).

Conclusions

Based on these observational studies, resuming anticoagulant therapy after anticoagulation-associated ICH has beneficial effects on long-term complications. Clinical trials are needed to substantiate these findings.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42017063827.
How to prevent and manage radiation-induced coronary artery disease
Authors: Cuomo Jason R , Javaheri Sean P , Sharma Gyanendra K , Kapoor Deepak , Berman Adam E , Weintraub Neal L
Published: May 2018

Radiation-induced coronary heart disease (RICHD) is the second most common cause of morbidity and mortality in patients treated with radiotherapy for breast cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other prevalent mediastinal malignancies. The risk of RICHD increases with radiation dose. Exposed patients may present decades after treatment with manifestations ranging from asymptomatic myocardial perfusion defects to ostial, triple-vessel disease and sudden cardiac death. RICHD is insidious, with a long latency and a tendency to remain silent late into the disease course. Vessel involvement is often diffuse and is preferentially proximal. The pathophysiology is similar to that of accelerated atherosclerosis, characterised by the formation of inflammatory plaque with high collagen and fibrin content. The presence of conventional risk factors potentiates RICHD, and aggressive risk factor management should ideally be initiated prior to radiation therapy. Stress echocardiography is more sensitive and specific than myocardial perfusion imaging in the detection of RICHD, and CT coronary angiography shows promise in risk stratification. Coronary artery bypass grafting is associated with higher risks of graft failure, perioperative complications and all-cause mortality in patients with RICHD. In most cases, the use of drug-eluting stents is preferable to surgical intervention, bare metal stenting or balloon-angioplasty alone.
Is there a nocebo response that results from disease awareness campaigns and advertising in Australia, and can this effect be mitigated?
Authors: Benson Stuart , Hunter David
Published: May 2018

Direct-to-consumer advertising is banned in Australia, and instead pharmaceutical companies use disease awareness campaigns as a strategy to raise public awareness of conditions for which the company produces a treatment. This practice has been justified by promoting individual autonomy and public health, but it has attracted criticism regarding medicalisation of normal health and ageing, and exaggeration of the severity of the condition in question, imbalanced reporting of risks and benefits, and damaging the patient–clinician relationship. While there are benefits of disease awareness promotion, there is another possible adverse consequence that has not yet been rigorously considered: the possibility of inducing a nocebo response via the campaign. We will discuss the creation of a nocebo response in this context.
Finite element analysis of intermediate crack debonding in fibre reinforced polymer strengthened reinforced concrete beams
Authors: Cohen Michael , Monteleone Agostino , Potapenko Stanislav
Published: May 2018

The performance of the fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) to reinforced concrete (RC) interface is vital to ensure desired design capacity. Without proper understanding of the interfacial behaviour it is impossible to develop an effective, efficient, and rational bonding technique. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive numerical investigation aimed to assess and better understand the debonding behaviour caused by different types of intermediate flexural crack distributions in FRP–RC strengthened beams. The model is based on damage mechanics modelling of concrete, a bilinear bond–slip relationship with softening to represent the interface, and a discrete crack approach to simulate crack propagation. The model also highlights how crack propagation and debonding is affected by the rate of change of moment. It is shown that the variation of crack spacing and rate of change of moment can significantly affect debonding crack propagation and strain development in the internal and external reinforcement, which directly influences debonding load.
Effect of aspect ratio on developing and developed narrow open channel flow with rough bed
Authors: Mahananda Minakshee , Hanmaiahgari Prashanth Reddy , Balachandar Ram
Published: May 2018

This study attempts to unravel the effect of aspect ratio on the turbulence characteristics in developing and fully developed narrow open channel flows. In this regard, experiments were conducted in a rough bed open channel flow. Instantaneous 3D velocities were acquired using an acoustic Doppler velocimeter at various locations along the centerline of the flume. The variables of interest include the mean components of the flow velocity, turbulence intensity, wall normal Reynolds shear stress, correlation coefficient, turbulence kinetic energy, and anisotropy. A new correlation between the equivalent roughness and velocity shift from the smooth wall logarithmic equation as a function of aspect ratio is proposed. Aspect ratio was found to influence the velocity characteristics throughout the depth in the developing flow region, while the effects are confined to the outer layer for fully developed flows. New equations to describe the variation of turbulence intensities and turbulent kinetic energy are proposed for narrow open channel flows. Reynolds stress anisotropy analysis reveals that level of anisotropy in narrow open channel flow is less than in wide open channel flows. Finally, a linear regression model is proposed to predict flow development length in narrow open channel flows with a rough bed.
Parametric study of microscopic two-dimensional traffic flow models: A literature review
Authors: Mahapatra Geetimukta , Maurya Akhilesh Kumar , Chakroborty Partha
Published: May 2018

Indian traffic is highly heterogeneous consisting of all-inclusive vehicle characteristics, occupying any lateral position over the entire road width which results in vehicles continuous interaction with the neighbouring vehicles (in both longitudinal and lateral directions), indicating two-dimensional (2D) traffic manoeuvre, opposite to the traditional one-dimensional (1D) interaction of vehicles in lane based traffic. Certain modifications were made in the existing 1D models to describe the overtaking and lane changing manoeuvre of the mixed traffic stream. However, the continuous lateral manoeuvre of the no-lane based mixed traffic cannot be described by these parameters. This paper initially provides a brief review of different 2D behavioural models, which describe the longitudinal and lateral movements simultaneously. Also, the various existing commercially available traffic micro-simulation frameworks developed for representing the real traffic are reviewed. Different microscopic traffic parameters used in the existing simulation models to mimic the real-world traffic are identified, which can be used to understand the 2D traffic stream.
Hesperidin Suppresses Renin-Angiotensin System Mediated NOX2 Over-Expression and Sympathoexcitation in 2K-1C Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Wunpathe Chutamas , Potue Prapassorn , Maneesai Putcharawipa , Bunbupha Sarawoot , Prachaney Parichat , Kukongviriyapan Upa , Kukongviriyapan Veerapol , Pakdeechote Poungrat
Published: May 2018

Hesperidin, a flavonoid derived from citrus fruits, possesses several beneficial effects including anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of hesperidin on the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) cascade that mediated oxidative stress and sympathoexcitation in two-kidney, one-clipped (2K-1C) hypertensive rats. 2K-1C hypertension was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Hypertensive rats were treated with hesperidin at 20[Formula: see text]mg/kg or 40[Formula: see text]mg/kg or losartan at 10[Formula: see text]mg/kg beginning at three weeks after surgery and then continued for four weeks ([Formula: see text]/group). Hesperidin reduced blood pressure in a dose-dependent manner in hypertensive rats compared to untreated rats ([Formula: see text]). Increased plasma angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity and angiotensin II levels, as well as, upregulated AT1 receptor protein expression in aortic tissues were attenuated in hypertensive rats treated with hesperidin. Hesperidin suppressed oxidative stress markers and NADPH oxidase over-expression, and restored plasma nitric oxide metabolites in 2K-1C rats. This was associated with improvement of the vascular response to acetylcholine in isolated mesenteric vascular beds and aortic rings from 2K-1C rats treated with hesperidin ([Formula: see text]). Enhancement of nerve-mediated vasoconstriction related to high plasma noradrenaline in the 2K-1C group was alleviated by hesperidin treatment ([Formula: see text]). Furthermore, losartan exhibited antihypertensive effects by suppressing the RAS cascade and oxidative stress and improved vascular dysfunction observed in 2K-1C rats ([Formula: see text]). Based on these results, it can be presumed that hesperidin is an antihypertensive agent. Its antihypertensive action might be associated with reducing RAS cascade-induced NOX2 over-expression and sympathoexcitation in 2K-1C hypertensive rats.
THE MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS OF THE MODEL OF ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT BACTERIA AND THE IMMUNE CELLS
Authors: MOSTEFAOUI IMENE MERIEM , MOUSSAOUI ALI
Published: May 2018

Currently, World Health Organization (WHO) report confirms that the antibiotic-resistant infections are the greatest threat to health. Despite the new therapeutic strategies, the bacteria develop mechanisms to defend themselves against antibiotics. In this paper, we propose a mathematical model describing the dynamics of resistant bacteria, non-resistant bacteria and immune cells exposed to an antibiotic. The global stability of equilibria is performed by using Lyapunov functions.
FRACTAL AGGREGATES ON GEOMETRIC GRAPHS
Authors: ZHOU LING , WANG SHENG-JUN
Published: May 2018

We study the aggregation process on the geometric graph. The geometric graph is composed by sites randomly distributed in space and connected locally. Similar to the regular lattice, the network possesses local connection, but the randomness in the spatial distribution of sites is considered. We show that the correlations within the aggregate patterns fall off with distance with a fractional power law. The numerical simulation results indicate that the aggregate patterns on the geometric graph are fractal. The fractals are robust against the randomness in the structure. A remarkable new feature of the aggregate patterns due to the geometric graph is that the fractal dimension can be adjusted by changing the connection degree of the geometric graph.
A Biometric-Secured Neighborhood Vector Relational Coefficient Framework for Social Network Communication
Authors: Sivasubramaniyam Jayanthi , Chandrasekar C.
Published: May 2018

Multimodal Biometric has been widely researched to improve social network user communication. Appropriate modeling of authentication and access control is highly required to perform precise system analysis in a social network framework. In this work, a Multimodal Biometric Secured (MBSec) Social Network User Communication framework to provide user authentic social communication in a safe environment is investigated. The multimodal user biometric features (i.e. face and fingerprint) with neighborhood feature pixel dominancy stored in a spatial vector are gene encoded to generate biometric identity keys. The authenticity of user is validated by decoding gene encoded biometric features with biometric identity keys. User relational coefficient is calculated for users, using prior knowledge instances shared between different social users. The social network user’s relational coefficient is sequenced in a matrix to identify the occurrence of authentic user relational social communication. Experiments were conducted using face and fingerprint images collected from BioSecure dataset. Our results demonstrate that the proposed social network user communication framework is able to significantly improve the true positive rate of authenticated users, compared to conventional FR approaches that only make use of a single model. Further, we demonstrate that our MBSec framework has a low social network authentication time and access control time.
The Dynamics of Three Different Entropic Measures of Quantum Correlations in Mixed Bipartite State Coupled with Classical Environments
Authors: Shamirzaie Mahmood , Khan Salman
Published: May 2018

The dynamics of three different entropic measures of quantum correlations in mixed bipartite qubit states in the presence of two different classical noises, the static noise (SN) and the random telegraph noise (RTN), are investigated. The three entropic measures of quantum correlations correspond to one-way information deficit, geometric quantum discord and the cubic information. General analytic relations for each quantifier in the two configurations are obtained. In both configurations, the minimized value of each measure of quantum correlations corresponds to the conditional entropy of the same projectors. It is shown that one-way information deficit captures more correlations in highly mixed initial states. On the contrary, in both configurations the cubic information reduces to the geometric quantum discord and captures more correlations for highly pure initial states. The periodic revival of each measure of quantum correlation is more prominent in the case of RTN.
Spherically symmetric black hole solution in mimetic gravity and anti-evaporation
Authors: Nashed G. G. L.
Published: May 2018

In this paper, we study the mimetic theory and derive a new spherically symmetric black hole solution. The asymptotic behavior of this solution behaves as a flat spacetime. This black hole is characterized by the fact that it has different components of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Nevertheless, both of these components have a coinciding Killing and event horizons. Furthermore, this black hole has curvature singularities which are stronger than those of the known black hole solutions in general relativity. This feature can be shown by calculating some invariants of curvature. We study the stability of the perturbation and the related anti-evaporation of the Nariai spacetime.
Can an interacting varying Chaplygin gas and tachyonic matter accelerate universe?
Authors: Khurshudyan Martiros
Published: May 2018

In this paper, a cosmological model involving interacting varying Chaplygin gas of a specific type and a tachyonic matter is considered to address the problem known as the accelerated expansion of the universe. The study shows that a specific form of the potential and appropriate values of the parameters allows a transition from early tachyonic to late-time tachyonic dark matter with [Formula: see text]. This point, up to our knowledge, makes the considered cosmological scenario unique in the literature. Moreover, discussion on future finite-time singularities for the considered models finalizes the paper. The study shows that in case of non-interacting model, the fate of universe will be either Type II (The Sudden Singularity), or Type IV (“Generalized Sudden Singularity”) singularity. On the other hand, the consideration of [Formula: see text] non-gravitational interaction in addition to Type II and Type IV singularities will induce also Type V (“[Formula: see text]-singularity”) singularity, while with [Formula: see text] only Type IV singularity will be observed. Moreover, two forms of scale factor have been considered allowing to analytically obtain the behavior of the cosmological parameters without specifying an explicit form of the potential for tachyonic matter.
Locally rotationally symmetric Bianchi type-I string cosmological models in f(R) theory of gravity
Authors: Aditya Y. , Reddy D. R. K.
Published: May 2018

This study deals with spatially homogeneous and anisotropic locally rotationally symmetric (LRS) Bianchi type-I universe with cosmic string source in the framework of [Formula: see text] theory of gravity [S. Capozziello, S. Carloni and A. Troisi, Quintessence without scalar fields, Recent Res. Dev. Astron. Astrophys. 1 (2003), 625; S. Nojiri and S. D. Odintsov, Modified gravity with negative and positive powers of curvature: Unification of inflation and cosmic acceleration, Phys. Rev. D 68 (2003) 123512]. Solving the field equations using (i) relation between metric potentials, (ii) power law relation between [Formula: see text] and average scale factor [Formula: see text] and (iii) equations of state for string models we have presented Takabayasi [T. Takabayasi, Quantum Mechanics Determinism, Causality, and Particles (Springer, Berlin, 1976)], Nambu [P. S. Letelier, String cosmologies, Phys. Rev. D 28 (1983) 2414–2419] and Reddy [D. R. K. Reddy, A string cosmological model in a scalar–Tensor theory of gravitation, Astrophys. Space Sci. 286 (2003) 359–363] string cosmological models. The dynamical parameters of our models are determined and their physical behavior is discussed. The most interesting result about the models is that the anisotropic effects are wiped out at late times.
Business Cycles and Conditional Credit-Rating Migration Matrices
Authors: Boreiko Dmitri , Kaniovski Serguei , Kaniovski Yuri , Pflug Georg Ch.
Published: May 2018

To quantify the impact of business cycles on the dynamics of credit ratings, conditional migration matrices and probabilities of the corresponding macroeconomic scenarios are estimated. The approach is tested on a Standard and Poor’s (S&P’s) dataset that covers the period from 1991 to 2013. The difference between the conditional probabilities and their unconditional counterparts is evaluated. It is the greatest, up to [Formula: see text], for contraction periods and downgrading probabilities.
Chaotic Dynamics in Brain Activity: An Approach Based on Cross-Prediction Errors for Nonstationary Signals
Authors: Machado Birajara Soares , Fonseca André , Morya Edgard , Amaro Edson
Published: May 2018

In this work, we developed two novel approaches to characterize dynamical properties of brain electrical activity, based on cross-prediction errors analysis. The first, a test called [Formula: see text]-sets, provides an efficient way to classify the data generator mechanism. The second, the [Formula: see text]-index, considers relevant changes in the dynamics through stationarity checking. These measures are defined by two basic properties of chaotic time series: a set of dense orbits and the similarity between its parts. The accuracy was verified for simulated signals with different dynamical properties and by the relation with other descriptive measures, Lempel–Ziv complexity and Lyapunov exponents. We applied these measures to local field potentials data, acquired from the cerebral cortex of a Wistar rat during a sleep-wake cycle, and point out evidence of deterministic components in the brain electrical activity even if it exhibits a nonstationary signature.
Deep Learning of EEG Time–Frequency Representations for Identifying Eye States
Authors: Gurve Dharmendra , Krishnan Sridhar
Published: May 2018

A new Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture to classify nonstationary biomedical signals using their time–frequency representations is proposed. The present method uses the spectrogram of the biomedical signals as an input to CNN, in addition Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) dictionary elements are used as an additional feature to improve the performance of the CNN model. Considering a number of applications involving eye state classification, such as in Parkinson’s disease detection, analysis of eye fatigue in 3D TVs, driver’s drowsiness detection, infant sleep-waking state identification, and classification of bipolar mood disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity, the proposed method was applied to Electroencephalography (EEG) data for classification of eye state. First, the spectrogram of EEG signal is obtained and used as an image input to CNN, simultaneously, the NMF feature is also fed to CNN. Further, both features are combined in fully connected layer of CNN architecture. The proposed method is compared with other existing methods for eye state detection and shows good classification accuracy with 96.16%. The prediction rate for the proposed method is 134 observations/second, which is suitable for brain–computer interface applications.
Clustering Parkinson’s and Age-Related Voice Impairment Signal Features for Unsupervised Learning
Authors: Rueda Alice , Krishnan Sridhar
Published: May 2018

This study focuses on the possibility of remote monitoring and screening of Parkinson’s and age-related voice impairment for the general public using self-recorded data on readily available or emerging technologies such as Smartphone and IoT devices. While most studies use professionally recorded voice in a controlled environment, this study uses self-recorded sustained vowel /a/ recordings using iPhone. Each healthy control (HC) and people with Parkinson’s (PWP) group has 57 age-matching mixed-gender subjects. The control subjects can have age-related voice impairment. Without severity labels, features extracted from the recordings were grouped by their similarity in voice using unsupervised learning with various clustering methods. The optimal number of clusters ([Formula: see text]) was estimated using direct and statistical methods. The estimated [Formula: see text] does not agree with the defined Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale-Speech (UPDRS-3.1) scales. Using [Formula: see text], five hierarchical and one partition-based clustering were used for comparison and cross-checking. The hierarchical-based methods are Hierarchical Cluster (HCluster), Hierarchical K-Means (HKMeans), Agglomerative Nesting (AGNES), Divisive Analysis (DIANA), and neural network-based Self-Organized Tree Algorithm (SOTA). The partition-based method is Clustering Large Applications (CLARA). Three internal validation indices: connectivity, Dunn index and silhouette width, were used to measure the compactness of the clusters and their separations. The validation result, ordered from the best, is AGNES, HCluster, DIANA, HKMeans, CLARA, and SOTA. Majority vote was applied to the results from AGNES, HCluster and DIANA to obtain the final grouping. Five groups were defined representing outliers, severely impaired voice, minor impaired, healthier voice, and cannot be grouped. All methods identified the same two outliers except SOTA. The clustering and voting have successfully identified the 2 outliers, 5 more severely impaired, 82 minor impaired, and 22 healthier voice. Only 3 could not be grouped. Feature extraction has reduced the data size by a factor of 518. It is possible to first reduce the data size for transmission and perform unsupervised learning at the receiving end for remote monitoring and screening.
The Role of Macrophages in the Pathogenesis of ALI/ARDS
Authors: Huang Xiaofang , Xiu Huiqing , Zhang Shufang , Zhang Gensheng
Published: May 2018

Despite development in the understanding of the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the underlying mechanism still needs to be elucidated. Apart from leukocytes and endothelial cells, macrophages are also essential for the process of the inflammatory response in ALI/ARDS. Notably, macrophages play a dual role of proinflammation and anti-inflammation based on the microenvironment in different pathological stages. In the acute phase of ALI/ARDS, resident alveolar macrophages, typically expressing the alternatively activated phenotype (M2), shift into the classically activated phenotype (M1) and release various potent proinflammatory mediators. In the later phase, the M1 phenotype of activated resident and recruited macrophages shifts back to the M2 phenotype for eliminating apoptotic cells and participating in fibrosis. In this review, we summarize the main subsets of macrophages and the associated signaling pathways in three different pathological phases of ALI/ARDS. According to the current literature, regulating the function of macrophages and monocytes might be a promising therapeutic strategy against ALI/ARDS.
Scutellaria baicalensis Attenuates Airway Remodeling via PI3K/Akt/NF‐κB Pathway in Cigarette Smoke Mediated‐COPD Rats Model
Authors: Xu Fei , Lin Jinpei , Cui Wenqiang , Kong Qing , Li Qiuping , Li Lulu , Wei Ying , Dong Jingcheng
Published: May 2018

Background. Scutellaria baicalensis (SB) is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for chronic inflammatory diseases. This study aims to investigate the effects of the early intervention with SB on airway remodeling in a well‐established rat model of COPD induced by cigarette smoking. Methods. COPD model in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were established by exposing them to smoke for 6 days/week, for 12 weeks, 24 weeks, or 36 weeks. Meanwhile, rats were randomly divided into normal control group, model group, Budesonide (BUD) group, and the SB (low, middle, and high) dose groups with 8 rats in each group and 3 stages (12 weeks, 24 weeks, and 36 weeks). After treatment, the pulmonary function was evaluated by BUXCO system and the morphology changes of the lungs were observed with HE and Masson staining. The serum IL‐6, IL‐8, and IL‐10 and TNF‐α, TGF‐beta (TGF‐β1), MMP‐2, MMP‐9, and TIMP‐1 levels in BALF were detected by ELISA‐kit assay. The protein expression levels of AKT and NF‐κB (p65) were determined by western blot (WB). Results. The oral of SB significantly improved pulmonary function (PF) and ameliorated the pathological damage and attenuated inflammatory cytokines infiltration into the lungs. Meanwhile, the levels of TGF‐β, MMP‐2, MMP‐9, and TIMP‐1 were partially significantly decreased. The levels of PI3K/AKT/NF‐κB pathway were also markedly suppressed by SB. Conclusions. SB could significantly improve the condition of airway remodeling by inhibiting airway inflammation and partially quenching TGF‐β and MMPs via PI3K/AKT/NF‐κB pathway.
Histopathology in Periprosthetic Joint Infection: When Will the Morphomolecular Diagnosis Be a Reality?
Authors: Bori G. , McNally M. A. , Athanasou N.
Published: May 2018

The presence of a polymorphonuclear neutrophil infiltrate in periprosthetic tissues has been shown to correlate closely with the diagnosis of septic implant failure. The histological criterion considered by the Musculoskeletal Infection Society to be diagnostic of periprosthetic joint infection is “greater than five neutrophils per high-power field in five high-power fields observed from histologic analysis of periprosthetic tissue at ×400 magnification.” Surgeons and pathologists should be aware of the qualifications introduced by different authors during the last years in the histological techniques, samples for histological study, cutoffs used for the diagnosis of infection, and types of patients studied. Recently, immunohistochemistry and histochemistry studies have appeared which suggest that the cutoff point of five polymorphonuclear neutrophils in five high-power fields is too high for the diagnosis of many periprosthetic joint infections. Therefore, morphomolecular techniques could help in the future to achieve a more reliable histological diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection.
Constraints on Higgs Effective Couplings in Hνν¯ Production of CLIC at 380 GeV
Authors: Denizli H. , Senol A.
Published: May 2018

The potential of the e+e-→νν¯H process in the first stage of CLIC considering center-of-mass energy of 380 GeV and assuming the baseline integrated luminosity of 500 fb-1 is examined to probe CP-conserving dimension-six operators in a model-independent Standard Model effective field theory framework. In the analysis, a detailed fast simulation on e+e-→νν¯H signal processes and dominant backgrounds is performed including parton showering with PYTHIA and detector simulation based on ILD type detector with DELPHES in MadGraph. The obtained best limits on c¯HB, c¯W=-c¯B, and c¯HW are -4.82;1.53×10-2, -5.11;4.13×10-3, and -6.58;5.55×10-3, respectively.
Chronic Inflammation May Enhance Leiomyoma Development by the Involvement of Progenitor Cells
Authors: Orciani Monia , Caffarini Miriam , Biagini Alessandra , Lucarini Guendalina , Delli Carpini Giovanni , Berretta Antonella , Di Primio Roberto , Ciavattini Andrea
Published: May 2018

Although the etiology of leiomyoma is unclear, a progenitor/undifferentiated cell population has been described whose dysregulation may be involved in the onset of uterine conditions. Moreover, inflammation is involved in the development of several tumors. The aim of this work was to understand if progenitor cells sustain a chronic inflammatory microenvironment that enhances leiomyoma development. Cells from 12 human leiomyoma and 12 normal myometrium samples of the same patients were in vitro isolated and exhaustively characterized (morphology, proliferation, cytofluorometry, differentiation, RT-PCR, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting assays). Selected cytokines (ELISA) and inflammation-related genes (RT-PCR) were analyzed to identify healthy myometrium progenitor cells (MPCs) and leiomyoma progenitor cells (LPCs). Results show that (i) MPCs and LPCs share stemness features, such as immunophenotype and multidifferentiation assay, (ii) LPCs have a significantly shorter doubling time and a significantly higher expression of stemness genes (p<0.05), and (iii) LPCs secreted significantly higher levels (p<0.05) of cytokines related to chronic inflammation and significantly lower amounts (p<0.05) of cytokines related to acute inflammation. Despite the limited sample size, comparisons between leiomyoma and normal myometrium tissue from each patient allowed normalization of patient-specific differences. The evidenced cytokine expression pattern related to chronic inflammation in LPCs may play a role in the increased risk of adverse obstetric outcomes (infertility, spontaneous miscarriage, and preterm birth) in women affected by leiomyomas. These women should be recognized as “high risk” and subjected to specialized management both before and during pregnancy.
A Novel and Convenient Method for the Preparation and Activation of PRP without Any Additives: Temperature Controlled PRP
Authors: Du Lijuan , Miao Yong , Li Xin , Shi Panli , Hu Zhiqi
Published: May 2018

Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is a concentrate of autologous platelets which contain enrichment growth factors (GFs). However, the addition of exogenous anticoagulant and procoagulant may result in clinical side effects and raise the price of PRP. Herein, we report a novel method named temperature controlled PRP (t-PRP), in which exogenous additives are dispensable in the preparation and activation process. Human blood samples were processed by a two-step centrifugation process under hypothermic conditions (4°C) to obtain t-PRP and rewarming up to 37°C to activate t-PRP. Contemporary PRP (c-PRP) was processed as the control. t-PRP showed a physiological pH value between 7.46 and 7.48 and up to 6.58 ± 0.45-fold significantly higher platelet concentration than that of whole blood compared with c-PRP (4.06-fold) in the preparation process. Meanwhile, t-PRP also maintained a stable GF level between plasma and PRP. After activation, t-PRP demonstrated natural fiber scaffolding, which trapped more platelet and GFs, and exhibited a slow release and degradation rate of GFs. In addition, t-PRP exhibited the function of promoting wound healing. t-PRP is a novel and convenient method for the preparation and activation of PRP without any additives. Compared to c-PRP, t-PRP reflects more physiologic characteristics while maintaining high quality.
Calculation of Tangent Modulus of Soils under Different Stress Paths
Authors: Huang Hua , Huang Min , Ding Jiangshu
Published: May 2018

During excavation of foundation pit, soils of different sites may undergo different unloading paths. This study focuses on the tangent modulus of soil under different stress paths and provides theoretical basis for the deformation calculation of soil. In this paper, conventional triaxial compression test andK0consolidation unloading test were conducted with mucky soil and silty clay to obtain the deformation characteristics of soils under different stress paths. Experiment results show that the soil samples exhibit distinct stress-strain characteristics under different stress paths, but they all show nonlinearity. The initial tangent modulus increases as the consolidation confining pressure intensifies. Then, based on the test data, the power function relationship between initial tangent modulus and confining pressure under unloading was verified. Simultaneously, a hyperbola function to express stress-strain relation of soils under theK0consolidation unloading condition was proposed and proved. Finally, the formulas of the tangent modulus underK0consolidation unloading were established referring to the derivation of that in Duncan–Chang model. The theoretical calculation results agree well with the test results. It can expand the use of the Duncan–Chang model and improve its application to engineering practice.
Design of a Centrifugal Force-Based Speed Sensor for Downhole Turbodrills
Authors: Wu Chuan , Ding Huafeng , Han Lei
Published: May 2018

Turbodrill is an important type of drilling tool. Rotating speed is a key parameter to measure and control the efficiency of a turbodrill. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the rotating speed when a turbodrill is working under a well. However, current speed measurement devices and sensors cannot meet the requirements of the on-site downhole conditions due to many factors, including inadequate sealing, signal interference, difficult installation, and theoretical limitations. To break the aforementioned bottleneck, a new speed sensor used for turbodrills is designed based on the centrifugal force theory. In more detail, the measurement of the speed is performed based on a functional relation between the rotating speed and the centrifugal force of the turbodrill. Besides, the sensor was tested both in-lab and on-site. The test results illustrate that the measurement error is within ±4%, which meets the practical on-site conditions.
Estimating Renal Function in the Elderly Malaysian Patients Attending Medical Outpatient Clinic: A Comparison between Creatinine Based and Cystatin-C Based Equations
Authors: Jalalonmuhali Maisarah , Elagel Salma Mohamed Abouzriba , Tan Maw Pin , Lim Soo Kun , Ng Kok Peng
Published: May 2018

Background. To assess the performance of different GFR estimating equations, test the diagnostic value of serum cystatin-C, and compare the applicability of cystatin-C based equation with serum creatinine based equation for estimating GFR (eGFR) in comparison with measured GFR in the elderly Malaysian patients.Methods. A cross-sectional study recruiting volunteered patients 65 years and older attending medical outpatient clinic. 51 chromium EDTA (51Cr-EDTA) was used as measured GFR. The predictive capabilities of Cockcroft-Gault equation corrected for body surface area (CGBSA), four-variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (4-MDRD), and Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations using serum creatinine (CKD-EPIcr) as well as serum cystatin-C (CKD-EPIcys) were calculated.Results. A total of 40 patients, 77.5% male, with mean measured GFR41.2±18.9 ml/min/1.73 m2were enrolled. Mean bias was the smallest for 4-MDRD; meanwhile, CKD-EPIcr had the highest precision and accuracy with lower limit of agreement among other equations. CKD-EPIcys equation did not show any improvement in GFR estimation in comparison to CKD-EPIcr and MDRD.Conclusion. The CKD-EPIcr formula appears to be more accurate and correlates better with measured GFR in this cohort of elderly patients.
Ultrasound-Assisted, Base-Catalyzed, Homogeneous Reaction for Ferulic Acid Production from γ-Oryzanol
Authors: Truong Hoa Thi , Van Do Manh , Duc Huynh Long , Thi Nguyen Linh , Tuan Do Anh , Thanh Xuan Le Thao , Phuoc Duong Hung , Takenaka Norimichi , Imamura Kiyoshi , Maeda Yasuaki
Published: May 2018

A method for producing ferulic acid by ultrasound-assisted, homogeneous, base-catalyzed hydrolysis of γ-oryzanol was developed. Experiments were conducted using various reaction temperatures and ratios of γ-oryzanol to base catalyst in both homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. The reaction performed without ultrasound under the homogeneous conditions of potassium hydroxide/γ-oryzanol ratio (wt/wt) 20 : 1 and 75°C gave a ferulic acid yield of 83.3% in 3 h. Acceleration of the homogeneous reaction using ultrasound irradiation at 20 (horn type) and 200 kHz (planar type) was explored by evaluating the kinetic parameters. At 30°C, the ratios of ultrasonic irradiation at low (20 kHz, 50 W) and high (200 kHz, 50 W) frequencies versus those of the heating method increased by 2.0- and 1.4-fold in comparison with those at 60°C, respectively. The contribution of ultrasonic irradiation (50 W) to the hydrolysis reaction decreased with increase of temperature. However, irradiation at 20 kHz and a power of 180 W gave a 94% ferulic acid yield at 60°C in 3 h. These results indicate that the use of low frequency (horn type and high-power irradiation) enabled yields higher than 90% to be obtained.
Strategies for Managing the Structural and Dynamic Consequences of Project Complexity
Authors: Floricel Serghei , Piperca Sorin , Tee Richard
Published: May 2018

We propose a theoretical framework that highlights the most important consequences of complexity for the form and evolution of projects and use it to develop a typology of project complexity. This framework also enables us to deepen the understanding of how knowledge production and flexibility strategies enable project participants to address complexity. Based on this understanding, we advance a number of propositions regarding the strategies that can be most effective for different categories of complexity. These results contribute to the integration of various strands in the research on project complexity and provide a roadmap for further research on the strategies for addressing it.
Induction and Characterization of Tetraploids from Seeds ofBletilla striata(Thunb.) Reichb.f.
Authors: Li Meiya , Ding Bin , Huang Weipeng , Pan Jieli , Ding Zhishan , Jiang Fusheng
Published: May 2018

Bletilla striata(Thunb.), an ornamental and medicinal plant, is on the list of endangered plants in China. Its pseudobulb is abundant in polysaccharide and has been used for centuries as a herbal remedy. However, a recent rise in demand has placed it at risk of extinction, and therefore, research on its propagation and genetic improvement is essential. Since polyploids tend to possess advantageous qualities, we incubatedB. striataseeds with colchicine with the aim of creating tetraploid plantlets. Aseptic seeds treated with 0.1% colchicine for 7 days showed the highest tetraploid induction rate of 40.67 ± 0.89%. Compared with the wild-type, the tetraploids could be identified by their morphological characteristics including larger stomata at a lower density, larger leaf blades, and a thicker petiole. Contents of polysaccharide and phenolic compounds were also determined in the tetraploid pseudobulbs, revealing significantly higher values than in the wild-type.In vitrocolchicine treatment can therefore be used to successfully produceB. striatatetraploids with superior pseudobulbs.
The Distribution Pattern of the Neurovascular Structures for Anterior Ankle Arthroscopy to Minimize Structural Injury: Anatomical Study
Authors: Jeon Anna , Seo Chang Min , Lee Je-Hun , Han Seung-Ho
Published: May 2018

Introduction. The aim of this study was to investigate entry points for anterior ankle arthroscopy that would minimize the risk of neurovascular injury. Methods. Thirty-eight specimens from 21 Korean cadavers (age range from 43 to 92 years, mean age of 62.3 years) were used for the study. For the measurements, the most prominent points of the lateral malleolus (LM) and the medial malleolus (MM) were identified before dissection. A line connecting the LM and MM, known as the intermalleolar line, was used as a reference line. We measured 14 variables passed on the reference line. Results. This study found that the nerves were located at 40.0%, 50.0%, and 82.0% of the reference line from the lateral malleolus. We also found that the arteries were located at 22.0%, 35.0%, and 60% of the reference line from the lateral malleolus. Discussion. If all the variables are combined (nerves, arteries, and veins), then there is no safety zone for anterior portal placement. Therefore, we recommend that surgeons concentrate primarily on the arteries and nerves in the clinical setting.
Characterization of Soft Contact Lens Edge Fitting during Daily Wear Using Ultrahigh-Resolution Optical Coherence Tomography
Authors: Cui Lele , Chen Sisi , Zhou Weihe , Sheng Kaixuan , Zhang Lei , Shen Meixiao , Li Ming
Published: May 2018

Purpose. To determine conjunctival overlap over the edge of soft contact lens and to visualize the peripheral postlens tear film (PoLTF) underneath soft contact lenses using ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence tomography (UHR-OCT). Methods. Twenty participants (4 males and 16 females, 23.0 ± 3.7 years) were fitted with two different types of soft contact lenses randomly. The limbus with lens was imaged with the UHR-OCT at the horizontal meridian every two hours up to 6 hours during lens wear. The conjunctival overlap was ranked as the percentage of the edge covered by the conjunctiva. The frequency of occurrence for visualized peripheral PoLTF was determined. Results. The average conjunctival overlaps at insertion were 49% and 73% for galyfilcon A and balafilcon A lenses and increased significantly to 84% and 90% by 6 hours of lens wear (P<0.001). Lenses with rounded edges had more conjunctival overlap than the lenses with angled edges (P=0.014). There were significant decreases for PoLTF on the conjunctiva (P=0.014) and peripheral cornea (P=0.004) over the study period compared to insertion. The percentage of subjects with PoLTF on the conjunctiva (32.5%) and peripheral cornea (36%) were greater in subjects wearing balafilcon A lenses (P=0.017). Conclusions. Increased conjunctival overlap over the lens edges and reduced PoLTF underneath the peripheral region of soft contact lenses were shown during lens daily wear. The lens edge configuration may play a role in conjunctival response and peripheral PoLTF.
Ground-Based Remote Sensing of Aerosol Properties over a Coastal Megacity of Pakistan
Authors: Tariq Salman , Ul-Haq Zia
Published: May 2018

Atmospheric aerosols are considered to be an important constituent of Earth’s atmosphere because of their climatic, environmental, and health effects. Therefore, while studying the global climate change, investigation of aerosol concentrations and properties is essential both at local and regional levels. In this paper, we have used relatively long-term Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) data during September 2006–August 2014 to analyze aerosol properties such as aerosol optical depth at 500 nm (AOD), Ångström exponent (440–870 nm) (AE), refractive index (RI), and asymmetry parameter over Karachi, a coastal megacity of Pakistan. The average annual values of AOD and AE were found to be 0.48 ± 0.20 and 0.59 ± 0.29, respectively. The peak (0.88 ± 0.31) AOD was recorded in July with corresponding AE of 0.30 ± 0.22 representing reasonably higher concentration of coarse size particles over Karachi. The cluster analysis using the scatter plot between absorption AE and extinction AE revealed that desert dust prevailed in the atmosphere of Karachi in spring and summer, while biomass burning aerosols dominate in autumn and winter. The peak values of volume concentrations of coarse and fine-mode particulate matter were found in summer and autumn, respectively. Also, we found significant growing trend in single-scattering albedo with wavelength, indicating the domination of dust particles during summer and spring. The peak value of the real part of the RI was observed in spring (1.53) and modest in winter (1.50). On the contrary, the peak value of the imaginary part of the RI was observed to be constantly elevated in winter and lesser in spring.
Implementing a Parallel Image Edge Detection Algorithm Based on the Otsu-Canny Operator on the Hadoop Platform
Authors: Cao Jianfang , Chen Lichao , Wang Min , Tian Yun
Published: May 2018

The Canny operator is widely used to detect edges in images. However, as the size of the image dataset increases, the edge detection performance of the Canny operator decreases and its runtime becomes excessive. To improve the runtime and edge detection performance of the Canny operator, in this paper, we propose a parallel design and implementation for an Otsu-optimized Canny operator using a MapReduce parallel programming model that runs on the Hadoop platform. The Otsu algorithm is used to optimize the Canny operator’s dual threshold and improve the edge detection performance, while the MapReduce parallel programming model facilitates parallel processing for the Canny operator to solve the processing speed and communication cost problems that occur when the Canny edge detection algorithm is applied to big data. For the experiments, we constructed datasets of different scales from the Pascal VOC2012 image database. The proposed parallel Otsu-Canny edge detection algorithm performs better than other traditional edge detection algorithms. The parallel approach reduced the running time by approximately 67.2% on a Hadoop cluster architecture consisting of 5 nodes with a dataset of 60,000 images. Overall, our approach system speeds up the system by approximately 3.4 times when processing large-scale datasets, which demonstrates the obvious superiority of our method. The proposed algorithm in this study demonstrates both better edge detection performance and improved time performance.