bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolution of Sinonasal Symptoms and Mucosal Healing after Minimally Invasive Pituitary Surgery
Authors: Chaudhry Shiven , Chaudhry Sharang , Qureshi Talha , Batra Pete S.
Published: April 2017

Background

Minimally invasive pituitary surgery (MIPS) via endoscopy has become widely accepted as the surgical paradigm of choice for pituitary pathology. The objective of the current study was to analyze the evolution of symptom scores and mucosal healing after MIPS.

Methods

The 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) scores and objective endoscopic data of 52 patients were reviewed in a longitudinal manner. Scaled averages of the SNOT-22 and endoscopic scores from different time points were compared with baseline scores by using nonparametric testing. The time to baseline for endoscopic examinations was also analyzed by using Kaplan-Meier curves.

Results

The rhinologic symptoms subdomain of the SNOT-22 scores showed statistically significant worsening between baseline and 2 weeks after surgery (p = 0.03). Follow-up SNOT-22 scores after 2 weeks showed no significant differences compared with baseline scores, with an overall trend toward improvement in patient symptoms during the subsequent period. Similar analysis for the endoscopic data illustrated statistically significant differences from the baseline scores up to 16 weeks after surgery. The overall trend showed a worsened endoscopic examination, initially with a spike at ∼8 to 10 weeks (p = 0.03) and with a subsequent return to baseline. The Kaplan-Meier estimate curve demonstrated a median time to return to baseline endoscopy at 18.9 weeks (95% confidence interval, 14.9-38.3 weeks).

Conclusion

The longitudinal data exhibited subjective improvement of patient outcomes based on SNOT-22 scores within 2-4 weeks after MIPS. However, the objective endoscopic data revealed a lag in improvement of the examination, typically at 16-20 weeks, which underscores ongoing careful endoscopic assessment and management to ensure proper mucosal healing beyond just subjective symptoms as the gauge to postoperative recovery.
Complete Surgical Resection and Short-Term Survival in Acute Invasive Fungal Rhinosinusitis
Authors: Roxbury Christopher R. , Smith David F. , Higgins Thomas S. , Lee Stella E. , Gallia Gary L. , Ishii Masaru , Lane Andrew P. , Reh Douglas D.
Published: April 2017

Background

Acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (AIFR) is a fulminant fungal infection seen in patients who are immunocompromised. Due to its rarity, there is little evidence regarding the appropriate antifungal treatment regimen, especially the degree of surgical intervention.

Objective

To assess factors that impact short-term survival in AIFR as defined by survival to hospital discharge and to develop a staging system to predict survival and complete surgical resection.

Methods

Fifty-four patients with histopathologically diagnosed AIFR who met inclusion criteria were identified between 1984 and 2014. Patient characteristics, disease extent, treatment modality, and short-term survival data were collected. Univariate analysis was performed to assess for factors associated with survival and increased likelihood of surgical resection.

Results

Of 52 patients with adequate documentation, 36 (69.2%) survived their hospital stay. Complete surgical resection was the only factor associated with improved survival (survival, 95.5%; p < 0.01). A surgical staging system was proposed to guide probability of complete resection and overall prognosis, with stage I disease limited to the nasal cavity, stage II involving the paranasal sinuses, stage III involving the orbit, and stage IV with skull base or intracranial extension. The χ2 analyses showed a decreased likelihood of complete surgical resection with stage III or IV disease compared with stage I (resection, 90.9%) (stage III resection, 37.5% [p = 0.01]; stage IV resection, 16.7% [p = 0.002]). There was a decreased likelihood of survival associated with increasing disease stage compared with stage I (survival, 100%) (stage II survival, 60% [p = 0.009]; stage III survival, 62.5% [p = 0.02]; stage IV survival, 54.6%, [p = 0.006]).

Conclusion

Although further studies are needed to define specific treatment protocols, analysis of these data indicated that endoscopic sinus surgery with the goal of complete surgical resection may provide the best survival outcomes in select patients when complete surgical resection can be performed. Our staging system represents the first attempt to predict surgical success and prognosis in patients with AIFR.
Respiratory Viral Detection in the Paranasal Sinuses of Patients with Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Rowan Nicholas R. , Wang Eric W. , Kanaan Alyssa , Sahu Nivedita , Williams John V. , Phillips Caleb D. , Lee Stella E.
Published: April 2017

Background

Pulmonary colonization with antibiotic-resistant organisms in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is often preceded by upper-airway infections. Although there is a well-described relationship between pulmonary respiratory viral infections and overall disease progression of CF, the pathogenicity of respiratory viral infections in the paranasal sinuses of patients with CF remains unknown. With recent advances in respiratory virus detection techniques, this study sought to detect the presence of respiratory viruses in the paranasal sinuses of patients with CF in comparison with healthy controls and to correlate the viral presence with clinical measures of sinonasal disease.

Methods

This prospective individual cohort study compared 24 patients with CF with 14 healthy controls. Basic demographics, clinical measures of disease and respiratory viral screens (commercial multiplex) obtained directly from the paranasal sinuses were compared between the two groups.

Results

Respiratory viruses were detected in 33% of patients with CF (8/24) compared with 0% of the healthy controls (0/14) (p = 0.017). Respiratory viruses were only detected during the winter months, and the most commonly identified were influenza A and human rhinovirus strains. There was no statistical difference in the 22-Item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) scores (p = 0.93) or modified Lund-Kennedy scores (p = 0.74) between patients with CF with a positive viral test and those without a positive result.

Conclusions

Respiratory viral detection is more commonly detected in the paranasal sinuses of patients with CF compared with healthy controls. Although respiratory viral presence did not correlate with a worse clinical severity of sinonasal disease, these findings may provide insight into the pathophysiology of CF and open new avenues for potential targeted therapy.
Maternal pertussis immunisation: clinical gains and epidemiological legacy
Authors: Bento Ana I , King Aaron A , Rohani Pejman
Published: April 2017

The increase in whooping cough (pertussis) incidence in many countries with high routine vaccination coverage is alarming, with incidence in the US reaching almost 50,000 reported cases per year, reflecting incidence levels not seen since the 1950s. While the potential explanations for this resurgence remain debated, we face an urgent need to protect newborns, especially during the time window between birth and the first routine vaccination dose. Maternal immunisation has been proposed as an effective strategy for protecting neonates, who are at higher risk of severe pertussis disease and mortality. However, if maternally derived antibodies adversely affect the immunogenicity of the routine schedule, through blunting effects, we may observe a gradual degradation of herd immunity. ‘Wasted’ vaccines would result in an accumulation of susceptible children in the population, specifically leading to an overall increase in incidence in older age groups. In this Perspective, we discuss potential long-term epidemiological effects of maternal immunisation, as determined by possible immune interference outcomes.
Fully endoscopic combined transsphenoidal and supraorbital keyhole approach for parasellar lesions
Authors: Nagata Yuichi , Watanabe Tadashi , Nagatani Tetsuya , Takeuchi Kazuhito , Chu Jonsu , Wakabayashi Toshihiko
Published: April 2017

OBJECTIVE

Parasellar tumors that extend far laterally beyond the internal carotid artery or that are fibrous and adhere firmly to critical structures are difficult to remove totally via the endoscopic transsphenoidal approach alone. In such cases, a combined transsphenoidal-transcranial approach is effective to achieve maximal resection in a single stage. In this paper, a new minimally invasive surgical technique for complicated parasellar lesions, a fully endoscopic combined transsphenoidal–supraorbital keyhole approach, is presented.

METHODS

A retrospective review of patients who had been treated via a fully endoscopic combined transsphenoidal–supraorbital keyhole approach for complicated parasellar lesions was performed. The data for resection rate, perioperative mortality and morbidity, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 12 fully endoscopic combined transsphenoidal–supraorbital keyhole approaches were performed from March 2013 to February 2016; 10 were for pituitary adenomas and 2 were for craniopharyngiomas. Gross-total resection or near-total resection was achieved in 7 of 12 cases. Among the 11 patients who had presented with preoperative visual disturbances, 7 had visual improvement. However, 1 patient showed deterioration in visual function. No patient experienced postoperative hemorrhage, needed additional surgical treatment, or had postoperative CSF leakage.

CONCLUSIONS

In the combined transsphenoidal and transcranial approach, safe and effective cooperative manipulation with 2 surgical corridors can be performed for complicated parasellar lesions. The goal of this procedure is not to achieve gross-total resection, but to achieve safe resection. Moreover, this new surgical approach offers neurosurgeons a simpler operative field with less invasiveness than the conventional microscopic combined approach. The fully endoscopic combined endonasal–supraorbital keyhole approach is an efficacious procedure for complicated parasellar lesions with acceptable results.
CDK4/6 Inhibitors in Cancer Therapy: A Novel Treatement Strategy for Bladder Cancer
Authors: Pan Qi , Sathe Anuja , Black Peter C. , Goebell Peter J. , Kamat Ashish M. , Schmitz-Draeger Bernd , Nawroth Roman
Published: April 2017

Patients with metastatic bladder cancer (mBC) treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy have a limited median survival of only around 14 months [ 1 ]. Despite over 30 years of basic and clinical research, until recently no therapeutic options beyond cisplatin-based therapy had entered clinical routine and, at least in the US, none of the tested agents had been approved for second-line treatment. This has changed with the advent of immune checkpoint blockade, including especially PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. The high response rates of 24% over a 14.4 month follow up led to the first US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a second line therapy for these patients, and it is likely that this marks the beginning of a new era in the systemic treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer [ 2 – 4 ].

The strong clinical need to improve the medical management of this disease for those patients, not responding to current therapy has led to an increased molecular understanding of bladder cancer and has forstered the development of many potential molecular manipulations and targeted strategies beyond the new immune-oncologic approaches. Among the molecular alterations indentified in bladder cancer, cell cycle deregulation appears to be a key driver of disease progression. Target-directed therapy against CDK4/6 is an emerging strategy to regain control of cell cycle deregulation. Here, we provide an overview of the current status of CDK4/6 inhibitors in cancer therapy, their potential use in mBC and the challenges for their clinical use.
Maintaining intellectual diversity in data science
Authors: Mann Richard P. , Woolley-Meza Olivia
Published: April 2017

Data science is a young and rapidly expanding field, but one which has already experienced several waves of temporarily-ubiquitous methodological fashions. In this paper we argue that a diversity of ideas and methodologies is crucial for the long term success of the data science community. Towards the goal of a healthy, diverse ecosystem of different statistical models and approaches, we review how ideas spread in the scientific community and the role of incentives in influencing which research ideas scientists pursue. We conclude with suggestions for how universities, research funders and other actors in the data science community can help to maintain a rich, eclectic statistical environment.
Prodromal Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Prodromal Alzheimer’s Disease: A Comparison of the Cognitive and Clinical Profiles
Authors: Sadiq Dilman , Whitfield Tim , Lee Lean , Stevens Tim , Costafreda Sergi , Walker Zuzana
Published: April 2017

Background: Dementia must be diagnosed accurately and early in the disease course to allow pathology-specific treatments to be effective. Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), especially at the prodromal stage.

Objective: To compare the clinical and neuropsychological profiles of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients who, at follow-up, progressed to AD (retrospectively AD-MCI) or DLB (retrospectively DLB-MCI) or remained MCI.

Methods: This longitudinal study used an unselected sample from a memory clinic database. A total of 1,848 new patients were seen at the memory clinic between 1994–2015. Of these, 560 patients (30%) had an initial diagnosis of MCI and were considered for the study. Inclusion criteria were patients who had a diagnosis of MCI at initial assessment and a minimum of 12 months’ follow-up.

Results: Of the 429 MCI patients with follow-up data, 164 (38%) remained MCI, 107 (25%) progressed to AD, and 21 (5%) progressed to DLB. The remainder progressed to alternative diagnoses. At baseline, DLB-MCI patients performed significantly worse on visuospatial function and letter fluency tests than both AD-MCI and stable-MCI groups, and better on episodic memory tests than the AD-MCI group. At baseline, DLB-MCI patients had a significantly higher mean UPDRS score and were more likely to have REM sleep behavior disorder and fluctuating cognition.

Conclusion: DLB-MCI patients have a specific cognitive and neuropsychiatric profile which should alert clinicians to the possibility of prodromal DLB. This is relevant when considered in the context of early disease-specific therapy.
Modifiable Risk Factors for Prevention of Dementia in Midlife, Late Life and the Oldest-Old: Validation of the LIBRA Index
Authors: Vos Stephanie J.B. , van Boxtel Martin P.J. , Schiepers Olga J.G. , Deckers Kay , de Vugt Marjolein , Carrière Isabelle , Dartigues Jean-François , Peres Karine , Artero Sylvaine , Ritchie Karen , Galluzzo Lucia , Scafato Emanuele , Frisoni Giovanni B. , Huisman Martijn , Comijs Hannie C. , Sacuiu Simona F. , Skoog Ingmar , Irving Kate , O’Donnell Catherine A. , Verhey Frans R.J. , Visser Pieter Jelle , Köhler Sebastian
Published: April 2017

Background: Recently, the LIfestyle for BRAin health (LIBRA) index was developed to assess an individual’s prevention potential for dementia.

Objective: We investigated the predictive validity of the LIBRA index for incident dementia in midlife, late life, and the oldest-old.

Methods: 9,387 non-demented individuals were recruited from the European population-based DESCRIPA study. An individual’s LIBRA index was calculated solely based on modifiable risk factors: depression, diabetes, physical activity, hypertension, obesity, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, coronary heart disease, and mild/moderate alcohol use. Cox regression was used to test the predictive validity of LIBRA for dementia at follow-up (mean 7.2 y, range 1–16).

Results: In midlife (55–69 y, n = 3,256) and late life (70–79 y, n = 4,320), the risk for dementia increased with higher LIBRA scores. Individuals in the intermediate- and high-risk groups had a higher risk of dementia than those in the low-risk group. In the oldest-old (80–97 y, n = 1,811), higher LIBRA scores did not increase the risk for dementia.

Conclusion: LIBRA might be a useful tool to identify individuals for primary prevention interventions of dementia in midlife, and maybe in late life, but not in the oldest-old.
Quantification of Butyrylcholinesterase Activity as a Sensitive and Specific Biomarker of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Macdonald Ian R. , Maxwell Selena P. , Reid George A. , Cash Meghan K. , DeBay Drew R. , Darvesh Sultan
Published: April 2017

Amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques are a neuropathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD); however, a significant number of cognitively normal older adults can also have Aβ plaques. Thus, distinguishing AD from cognitively normal individuals with Aβ plaques (NwAβ) based on Aβ plaque detection is challenging. It has been observed that butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) accumulates in plaques preferentially in AD. Thus, detecting BChE-associated plaques has the potential as an improved AD biomarker. We present Aβ, thioflavin-S, and BChE quantification of 26 postmortem brain tissues; AD ( n = 8), NwAβ ( n = 6), cognitively normal without plaques ( n = 8), and other common dementias including corticobasal degeneration, frontotemporal dementia with tau, dementia with Lewy bodies, and vascular dementia. Pathology burden in the orbitofrontal cortex, entorhinal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampal formation was determined and compared. The predictive value of Aβ and BChE quantification was determined, via receiver-operating characteristic plots, to evaluate their AD diagnostic performance using sensitivity, specificity, and area under curve (AUC) metrics. In general, Aβ and BChE-associated pathology were greater in AD, particularly in the orbitofrontal cortex. In this region, the largest increase (9.3-fold) was in BChE-associated pathology, observed between NwAβ and AD, due to the virtual absence of BChE-associated plaques in NwAβ brains. Furthermore, BChE did not associate with pathology of the other dementias. In this sample, BChE-associated pathology provided better diagnostic performance (AUC = 1.0, sensitivity/specificity = 100% /100%) when compared to Aβ (AUC = 0.98, 100% /85.7%). These findings highlight the predictive value of BChE as a biomarker for AD that could facilitate timely disease diagnosis and management.
On the security and usability of dynamic cognitive game CAPTCHAs
Authors: Mohamed Manar , Gao Song , Sachdeva Niharika , Saxena Nitesh , Zhang Chengcui , Kumaraguru Ponnurangam , Van Oorschot Paul C.
Published: April 2017

Existing CAPTCHA solutions are a major source of user frustration on the Internet today, frequently forcing companies to lose customers and business. Game CAPTCHAs are a promising approach which may make CAPTCHA solving a fun activity for the user. One category of such CAPTCHAs – called Dynamic Cognitive Game (DCG) CAPTCHA – challenges the user to perform a game-like cognitive (or recognition) task interacting with a series of dynamic images. Specifically, it takes the form of many objects floating around within the images, and the user’s task is to match the objects corresponding to specific target(s), and drag/drop them to the target region(s).

In this paper, we pursue a comprehensive analysis of DCG CAPTCHAs. We design and implement such CAPTCHAs, and dissect them across four broad but overlapping dimensions: (1) usability, (2) fully automated attacks, (3) human-solving relay attacks, and (4) hybrid attacks that combine the strengths of automated and relay attacks. Our study shows that DCG CAPTCHAs are highly usable, even on mobile devices and offer some resilience to relay attacks, but they are vulnerable to our proposed automated and hybrid attacks.
Incidence of Hypertension and Associated Cardiovascular and Metabolic Status in a Group of Official Population of Bangladesh
Authors: Irfan SM Rezaul , Safdar AMB , Alam Md Zahid , Habib Samira Humaira , Islam Rashedul , Hossain Mohammad Shakhawat , Hoque Shabnam Jahan , Mohibullah AKM
Published: April 2017

Hypertension is one and the major non communicable diseases in the world and contributing significantly to the burden of cardiovascular diseases, stroke, kidney failure and premature death. The prevalence of hypertension in Bangladesh varies from 11- 20% and 7% of the death in Bangladesh are due to hypertension related disease. Only 11% of the total cases of hypertension have effective control of blood pressure. Education, social awareness, income, access to physicians may be factors for less adherences to medications and effective control of the disease. This study was undertaken in a group of population with average to good educational, social and economic background to see the incidence of the disease, its control and associated cardiovascular and metabolic status. 599 working officials above the age of 50 years were evaluated in BIRDEM General Hospital from January 2013 to December 2013 to see the incidences of hypertension, control of blood pressure and cardiac and metabolic status of the population. Total 308 patients in the study population had hypertension and 39 were newly detected. 68.8% of the patients with hypertension have effective control of blood pressure with medications and systolic hypertension was revealed in 8.7% cases. This might be due to increase awareness of the study population related to the educational, economic and social background and this plays an important role in effective control of the disease.Bangladesh Heart Journal 2016; 31(2) : 52-57
Situs Inversus Totalis: A Rare Congenital Anomaly and the Presence of COPD Giving a Concept of Dextroposition with Limb Lead Reversal in ECG
Authors: Sabah Khandker Md. Nurus , Chowdhury Abdul Wadud , Islam Mohammad Shahidul , Amin Mohammad Gaffar , Khandakar Md Azizul Hassan , Kawser Shamima
Published: April 2017

Situs inversus totalis is the mirror-image of normal position of the thoracic and abdominal viscera. It may be detected incidentally when the patient seek medical attention for other medical illness. From medico-legal points of view, this rare disorder is important in many ways for a junior physician to prevent a big mishap, especially surgical. Here, we report a case, who was 55- year-old, seeking medical attention for infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease incidentally diagnosed as a case of situs inversus totalis.Bangladesh Heart Journal 2016; 31(2) : 100-103
‘Dreams that hunger makes’: Memories of Hunger in Yeats, Mangan, Speranza, and Irish Folklore
Authors: Lennon Joseph
Published: April 2017

This essay explores Irish social memories of fasting and hunger by reading works by James Clarence Mangan, Speranza (Lady Wilde), W.B. Yeats, and three folk stories recorded in the Schools Collection of the National Folklore Archive. In Famine lyric poetry about hunger and dreams, listeners appear indicted by hungry voices that become increasingly close to the reader. Folk stories both remember the Famine and recall the dynamics of hospitality and fasting in medieval Irish texts, where the Middle Irish word troscud suggests fasting against something or someone, unlike spiritual fasting, óine, which implies an emptying. Focussing on dreams of the hungry, these works indicate how hospitality and fasting entwine in Ireland's social memory of hunger.
Comparative Analysis of Agricultural Assets, Incomes and Food Security of Rural Households in Ghana, Senegal and Liberia
Authors: Sohoulande Djebou Dagbegnon , Price Edwin , Kibriya Shahriar , Ahn Jaehyun
Published: April 2017

This article compares and examines the relationships among agricultural assets, incomes and food security in rural communities of Ghana, Senegal, and Liberia. A total of 1483 rural households were surveyed and data on agricultural endeavors, incomes and food security were collected. The analyses of incomes and agricultural assets show signs of high inequality of resource distribution. In addition, facets of food insecurity were observed among the surveyed households. The study used a multivariate logistic model, then evaluated how agricultural assets affect the food security status of rural households in Ghana, Senegal and Liberia distinctly. Overall, the results show several similarities at country level, but disparities were also noted. In particular, the study outlined significant relationships between technology assets and the food security status of rural households in Ghana and Senegal. However, the logistic model did not show any statistically significant relationship with the rural households surveyed in Liberia. This paradigm suggests critical inter-regional dissimilarities which the study discussed by emphasizing relevant socio-economic features at the country level.
Changes in the Nitrogen Budget and Soil Nitrogen in a Field with Paddy–Upland Rotation with Different Histories of Manure Application
Authors: Takakai Fumiaki , Kikuchi Takemi , Sato Tomomi , Takeda Masato , Sato Kensuke , Nakagawa Shinpei , Kon Kazuhiro , Sato Takashi , Kaneta Yoshihiro
Published: April 2017

In northern Japan, declines in soil nitrogen fertility have occurred in paddy–upland rotation systems with soybean cultivation. A six-year lysimeter experiment was conducted to evaluate the nitrogen budget in paddy–upland rotation (three-year for upland soybean, then three-year for flooded paddy rice) and to clarify the effect of preceding compost application (immature or mature compost over four consecutive years of forage rice cultivation) on the nitrogen budget and soil nitrogen fertility. Available soil nitrogen throughout the experimental period and soybean and rice yields in both compost application plots tended to be higher than those in the control plot. The nitrogen budgets during both soybean and rice cultivation were negative, and the amount of nitrogen loss in both compost application plots tended to be higher than that in the control plot. The nitrogen loss during rice cultivation (−2.3 to −4.3 g N m−2 year−1) was less than that during soybean cultivation (−9.6 to −14.6 g N m−2 year−1). Nitrogen loss estimated based on the nitrogen budget agreed well with that estimated based on changes in soil nitrogen storage during soybean cultivation but not during rice cultivation, suggesting underestimation of nitrogen loss from the rice paddy.
Experimental Study on Heat Transfer Performance of Vacuum Tube Heat Collector with Thermal Storage
Authors: Huang Xinpeng , Chen Zhenqian , Shi Juan
Published: April 2017

This experimental study is intended to explore the heat performance of a novel vacuum tube heat collector with thermal storage. In order to enhance the heat transfer performance, we add radial metal fins to the U-tube which is used as the heat transfer channel of water. Meanwhile, in order to increase the thermal capacity of the heat collector, the heat collector model is designed to be larger than the general collector and is filled with the phase change materials (PCMs). In the U-tube, paraffin is chosen as the PCM. Then, during the experiment, to study the energy absorption and desorption characteristics of the heat collector, we chose to test during the day and night in the summer and the transition season. The experimental results show that, at night, the outlet water temperature of the vacuum tube heat collector has been enhanced by using PCM. The outlet water temperature decreases with the increase of flow rate.
Energy-Saving Network Ventilation Technology of Extra-Long Tunnel in Climate Separation Zone
Authors: Guo Chun , Xu Jianfeng , Yang Lu , Guo Xiong , Zhang Yunlong , Wang Mingnian
Published: April 2017

Saving energy is a major challenge for the development and safety of the world. Researchers at home and abroad have been continuously working on energy saving technology in the tunnel ventilation for decades. Based on segmented longitudinal ventilation for extra-long road tunnels, the main ventilation mode and utilization method of natural wind energy in extra-long road tunnel were analyzed in this paper. In addition, the possible velocity distribution of natural wind in each section under wind pressure was investigated. Principles of natural wind in each tunnel section were studied based on long-term monitored meteorological factors. Accordingly, a fan equipment configuration method with high guaranteed rate during tunnel operation was proposed. A calculation method for energy-saving network ventilation in the tunnels was established. A feasible and efficient optimized energy-saving ventilation strategy was proposed, which utilizes natural wind and reduces the operation energy consumption. Thus, the annual energy saving in ventilation can reach up to 43.2% compared to previous energy costs when the intelligent ventilation system works. The research results can properly combine natural wind energy with mechanical ventilation to realize the smart self-energy saving in extra-long tunnels.
Inverse Identification of the Frequency-Dependent Mechanical Parameters of a Viscoelastic Core Layer Based on the Vibration Response
Authors: Sun Wei , Wang Zhuo , Liu Rong , Yan Xianfei
Published: April 2017

The identification of the mechanical parameters of the viscoelastic core layer is of great significance for the modeling and damping design of the constrained layer damping (CLD) composite structure. In this study, based on the measured frequency vibration response of a CLD plate, an inverse approach was developed to identify the aforementioned parameters. Then, on the basis of considering both the viscoelastic material damping and the remaining equivalent viscous damping, the equation of motion of the CLD plate under base excitation was established and a method to obtain the vibration response was also presented. Further, a matching calculation based on sensitivity was proposed, to achieve the identification of the mechanical parameters. Finally, a CLD aluminum plate with a ZN_1 viscoelastic core layer was chosen to demonstrate the proposed method. In addition, the identification results were also introduced into the vibration response analysis and the rationality of the identified parameters were verified by comparing the vibration responses obtained by theoretical calculations and the experiment.
Variations of Carbon Monoxide Concentrations in the Megacity of São Paulo from 2000 to 2015 in Different Time Scales
Authors: Rozante José , Rozante Vinícius , Souza Alvim Débora , Ocimar Manzi Antônio , Barboza Chiquetto Júlio , Siqueira D’Amelio Monica , Moreira Demerval
Published: April 2017

Air pollution is an important public health issue. High levels of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere are hazardous to human health. Studies regarding the concentration of this and other gases in the atmosphere allow political actions to manage and reduce the emission of pollutants. In this context, this paper studied the annual, seasonal, weekly and daily variations of carbon monoxide (CO) concentration for the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP). We studied three sites in the MRSP, two of them are located in areas under the influence of heavy vehicle traffic (Osasco and Congonhas) and the third one in a city park (Ibirapuera Park). The results showed high influence of gasoline vehicles on CO emission. In the annual scale, CO concentration decreased due to improvements in emission technology, despite the increasing number of vehicles. CO emission showed a seasonal, weekly and diurnal cycle associated to meteorological conditions and emission patterns. The highest values of mean concentration were observed in June/July for Osasco (2.20 ppm), Congonhas (2.04 ppm) and Ibirapuera (1.04 ppm), during the morning, due to weak dispersion of the polluting gases and higher emission from the rush hours.
Recent Trends of Extreme Precipitation and Their Teleconnection with Atmospheric Circulation in the Beijing-Tianjin Sand Source Region, China, 1960–2014
Authors: Wei Wei , Shi Zhongjie , Yang Xiaohui , Wei Zheng , Liu Yanshu , Zhang Zhiyong , Ge Genbatu , Zhang Xiao , Guo Hao , Zhang Kebin , Wang Baitian
Published: April 2017

Based on the daily precipitation data from 53 meteorological stations, 11 extreme precipitation indices were selected, categorized and calculated; the temporal and spatial patterns in these indices and their teleconnections with the large-scale circulations were analyzed by the non-parametric Mann-Kendall test; and Sen’s slope estimator and linear regression for the period of 1960–2014 were calculated. The results indicated that all extreme precipitation indices had spatial patterns decreasing from the southeastern to the northwestern parts of the Beijing-Tianjin Sand Source Region (BTSSR), except for the consecutive dry days (CDD), which exhibited a reverse spatial pattern. At the whole-region scale, most extreme precipitation indices showed an insignificant decreasing trend, with exceptions in the intensity indices (RX1day and RX5day) with a statistical significance at the 90% confidence level. The total annual precipitation showed a general shift towards a drier climate in the study area. Spatially, all indices for extreme precipitation showed decreasing trends at most stations, except for simple daily intensity index (SDII) and heavy precipitation days (R10). The change in extreme precipitation may be affected by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Better understanding of extreme precipitation for the BTSSR may be useful in the regional planning for ecological restoration and water management.
The Protective Effects of p-Coumaric Acid on Acute Liver and Kidney Damages Induced by Cisplatin
Authors: Ekinci Akdemir Fazile , Albayrak Mevlüt , Çalik Muhammet , Bayir Yasin , Gülçin İlhami
Published: April 2017

In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of p-Coumaric acid (PCA) on cisplatin (CIS)-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in Wistar adult rats for 24 h compared to untreated control groups. In this experiment, 40 Wistar adult rats were utilized and divided randomly into five groups. After 24 h of CIS administration, liver and kidneys were harvested and assessed by H&E staining. Also, markers for oxidative stress and antioxidants were analyzed in theses tissues. Compared to the control group, accumulation of malondialdehyde was increased in groups treated CIS, whereas superoxide dismutase activities and glutathione levels were distinctly diminished in this group. The study’s histopathological findings such as hydropic degeneration, vascular congestion, sinusoidal dilatation in hepatocytes and tubular necrosis in kidneys were in accordance with the results of markers for oxidative stress. PCA may prevent hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity by increased antioxidant enzymes and reduced oxidant parameters.
Highly Dispersed PdNPs/α-Al2O3 Catalyst for the Selective Hydrogenation of Acetylene Prepared with Monodispersed Pd Nanoparticles
Authors: Zhang Huoli , Wang Youchao , Wang Yan , Cao Jianliang , Kang Peng , Tang Qingjie , Ma Mingjie
Published: April 2017

Pd nanoparticles (PdNPs) stabilized by methyl cellulose (MC) were synthesized in an aqueous solution, which are monodispersed nanoparticles. PdNPs/α-Al2O3 catalyst was prepared with monodispersed PdNPs and showed better catalytic performance than Pd/α-Al2O3 catalyst prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation method using Pd(NO3)2 as a precursor. The catalysts were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). It was found that monodispersed PdNPs were spherical or elliptical nanoparticles with exposed (111) and (100) facets, and the PdNPs/α-Al2O3 catalyst showed a more concentrated distribution of Pd particles on the surface of α-Al2O3 support than the Pd/α-Al2O3 catalyst. The preparation method achieved the highly dispersed PdNPs/α-Al2O3 catalyst with smaller Pd particle size and decreased the aggregation of Pd active sites, which was responsible for higher acetylene conversion and ethylene selectivity.
Kinetic Analysis of Additive on Plasma Electrolytic Boriding
Authors: Jiang Yongfeng , Bao Yefeng , Wang Min
Published: April 2017

Plasma electrolytic boriding (PEB) is a method of combination surface strengthening and surface texturing on metal. In this study, the kinetics and the lubrication friction of borided layers in the plasma electrolytic boriding on the Q235 were investigated in an aqueous solution for 5–15 min. The cross-section and surface morphologies of the boriding layers were confirmed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The presence of phases on the surface was determined using the X-ray diffraction. The hardness and the lubrication friction were evaluated using a micro-hardness tester and pin-on-disk friction tester in an oil sliding condition, respectively. The PEB layer contains phases in FeB, Fe2B, Ni3B4, NiB, and Ni2B. It is indicated that the value of activation energy in the PEB treatment is approximately 186.17 kJ/mol. The random micro-pores in surface texturing are unevenly distributed on the surface of the Q235. The micro-hardness of the boriding layer is up to 900 HV, whereas that of the substrate is approximately 181 HV. The weight loss of PEB sample in 10 min is 0.0017 mg in the lubrication friction, whereas that of untreated sample is 0.0047 mg in the same condition. The formation of boriding strengthening surface texturing in PEB improves lubrication friction greatly.
Nanoscale Sensing Using Point Defects in Single-Crystal Diamond: Recent Progress on Nitrogen Vacancy Center-Based Sensors
Authors: Bernardi Ettore , Nelz Richard , Sonusen Selda , Neu Elke
Published: April 2017

Individual, luminescent point defects in solids, so-called color centers, are atomic-sized quantum systems enabling sensing and imaging with nanoscale spatial resolution. In this overview, we introduce nanoscale sensing based on individual nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. We discuss two central challenges of the field: first, the creation of highly-coherent, shallow NV centers less than 10 nm below the surface of a single-crystal diamond; second, the fabrication of tip-like photonic nanostructures that enable efficient fluorescence collection and can be used for scanning probe imaging based on color centers with nanoscale resolution.
A New Kind of Permutation Entropy Used to Classify Sleep Stages from Invisible EEG Microstructure
Authors: Bandt Christoph
Published: April 2017

Permutation entropy and order patterns in an EEG signal have been applied by several authors to study sleep, anesthesia, and epileptic absences. Here, we discuss a new version of permutation entropy, which is interpreted as distance to white noise. It has a scale similar to the well-known χ 2 distributions and can be supported by a statistical model. Critical values for significance are provided. Distance to white noise is used as a parameter which measures depth of sleep, where the vigilant awake state of the human EEG is interpreted as “almost white noise”. Classification of sleep stages from EEG data usually relies on delta waves and graphic elements, which can be seen on a macroscale of several seconds. The distance to white noise can anticipate such emerging waves before they become apparent, evaluating invisible tendencies of variations within 40 milliseconds. Data segments of 30 s of high-resolution EEG provide a reliable classification. Application to the diagnosis of sleep disorders is indicated.
The Disk-Driven Jet of Cygnus A
Authors: Boccardi Bia , Krichbaum Thomas , Bach Uwe
Published: April 2017

Recently published results from VLBI observations at 3 and 7 millimeters of the radio galaxy Cygnus A are reviewed in this article, and discussed within the model of a prominently stratified jet outflow. At the source redshift ( z = 0.056), mm-VLBI allows a spatial resolution down to 200 Schwarzschild radii to be achieved, providing an extremely detailed view of the two-sided jet base. Through a study of the kinematic properties of the flow and of its transverse structure, it is shown that the radio emission is produced by an accelerating, mildly relativistic, parabolically expanding disk-wind. The observed transverse stratification, both of the flux density and of the bulk speed, supports the presence of an invisible faster spine close to the jet axis, powered either by the inner regions of the accretion disk or by the spinning black hole.
A G-Super4PCS Registration Method for Photogrammetric and TLS Data in Geology
Authors: Zhang Rongchun , Li Hao , Liu Lanfa , Wu Mingfei
Published: April 2017

Photogrammetry and Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) are the two primary non-contact active measurement techniques in geology. Integrating TLS data with digital images may achieve complementary advantages of spatial information as well as spectrum information, which would be very valuable for automatic rock surface extraction. In order to extract accurate and comprehensive geological information with both digital images and TLS point cloud, the registration problem for different sensor sources should be solved first. This paper presents a Generalized Super 4-points Congruent Sets (G-Super4PCS) algorithm to register the TLS point cloud as well as Structure from Motion (SfM) point cloud generated from disordered digital images. The G-Super4PCS algorithm mainly includes three stages: (1) key-scale rough estimation for point clouds; (2) extraction for the generalized super 4-points congruent base set and scale adaptive optimization; and (3) fine registration with Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm. The developed method was tested with the columnar basalt data acquired in Guabushan National Geopark in Jiangsu Province, China. The results indicate that the proposed method could be used for indirect registration between digital images and TLS point cloud, and the result of which would be prepared for further integration research.
Statistical Evaluation of No-Reference Image Quality Assessment Metrics for Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Li Shuang , Yang Zewei , Li Hongsheng
Published: April 2017

Image quality assessment plays an important role in image processing applications. In many image applications, e.g., image denoising, deblurring, and fusion, a reference image is rarely available for comparison with the enhanced image. Thus, the quality of enhanced images must be evaluated blindly without references. In recent years, many no-reference image quality metrics (IQMs) have been proposed for assessing digital image quality. In this paper, we first review 21 commonly employed no-reference IQMs. Second, we apply these measures to Quickbird images with three different types of general content (urban, rural, and harbor) subjected to three types of degradation (average filtering, Gaussian white noise, and linear motion degradation), each with 40 degradation levels. We evaluate the robustness of the IQMs based on the criteria of prediction accuracy, prediction monotonicity, and prediction consistency. Then, we perform factor analysis on those IQMs deemed robust, and cluster them into several components. We then select the IQM with the highest loading coefficient as the representative IQM for that component. Experimental results suggest that different measures perform differently for images with different contents and subjected to different types of degradation. Generally, the degradation method has a stronger effect than the image content on the evaluation results of an IQM. The same IQM can provide opposite dependences on the level of degradation for different degradation types, and an IQM that performed well with one type of degradation may not perform well with another type. The training-based measures are not appropriate for remote sensing images because the results are highly dependent on the samples employed for training. Only seven of the 21 IQMs were found to fulfill the requirements of robustness. Edge intensity (EI) and just noticeable distortion (JND) are suggested for evaluating the quality of images subjected to average filter degradation. EI, blind image quality assessment through anisotropy (BIQAA), and mean metric (MM) are suggested for evaluating the quality of images subjected to Gaussian white noise degradation. Laplacian derivative (LD), JND, and standard deviation (SD) are suggested for evaluating the quality of images subjected to linear motion. Finally, EI is suggested for evaluating the quality of an image subjected to an unknown type of degradation.
Indoor Fingerprint Positioning Based on Wi-Fi: An Overview
Authors: Xia Shixiong , Liu Yi , Yuan Guan , Zhu Mingjun , Wang Zhaohui
Published: April 2017

The widely applied location-based services require a high standard for positioning technology. Currently, outdoor positioning has been a great success; however, indoor positioning technologies are in the early stages of development. Therefore, this paper provides an overview of indoor fingerprint positioning based on Wi-Fi. First, some indoor positioning technologies, especially the Wi-Fi fingerprint indoor positioning technology, are introduced and discussed. Second, some evaluation metrics and influence factors of indoor fingerprint positioning technologies based on Wi-Fi are introduced. Third, methods and algorithms of fingerprint indoor positioning technologies are analyzed, classified, and discussed. Fourth, some widely used assistive positioning technologies are described. Finally, conclusions are drawn and future possible research interests are discussed. It is hoped that this research will serve as a stepping stone for those interested in advancing indoor positioning.
Ranking the City: The Role of Location-Based Social Media Check-Ins in Collective Human Mobility Prediction
Authors: Abbasi Omid , Alesheikh Ali , Sharif Mohammad
Published: April 2017

Technological advances have led to an increasing development of data sources. Since the introduction of social networks, numerous studies on the relationships between users and their behaviors have been conducted. In this context, trip behavior is an interesting topic that can be explored via Location-Based Social Networks (LBSN). Due to the wide availability of various spatial data sources, the long-standing field of collective human mobility prediction has been revived and new models have been introduced. Recently, a parameterized model of predicting human mobility in cities, known as rank-based model, has been introduced. The model predicts the flow from an origin toward a destination using “rank” concept. However, the notion of rank has not yet been well explored. In this study, we investigate the potential of LBSN data alongside the rank concept in predicting human mobility patterns in Manhattan, New York City. For this purpose, we propose three scenarios, including: rank-distance, the number of venues between origin and destination, and a check-in weighted venue schema to compute the ranks. When trip distribution patterns are considered as a whole, applying a check-in weighting schema results in patterns that are approximately 10 percent more similar to the ground truth data. From the accuracy perspective, as the predicted numbers of trips are closer to real number of trips, the trip distribution is also enhanced by about 50 percent.