bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wage Inequality and Wage Mobility in Europe
Authors: Bachmann Ronald , Bechara Peggy , Schaffner Sandra
Published: November 2014

Using data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions, this paper investigates wage inequality and wage mobility in Europe. Decomposing inequality into within‐ and between‐group inequality, we analyze to what extent wage inequality and mobility can be explained by observable characteristics. Furthermore, we investigate which individual and household characteristics determine transitions within the wage distribution. We find that overall, mobility reduces wage inequality. While a large part of wage inequality is due to unobservable characteristics, the equalizing effect of mobility mainly occurs within groups. Furthermore, both personal and household characteristics play an important role for wage transitions. Finally, our findings reveal large cross‐country differences across Europe.
A Collaborative Initiative For the Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance in Mexico
Authors: Zaidi Mussaret B. , Dreser Anahi , Figueroa Inda Marcela
Published: November 2014

Antimicrobial resistance exacts worldwide an increasingly significant clinical and economic toll. Despite the international calls for urgent action, antimicrobial use and resistance have been low on the Mexican government's policy agenda. In early 2010, a multidisciplinary group of experts launched a national initiative for containment of antimicrobial resistance that was endorsed by major medical, veterinary and public health institutions. The initiative called for seven priority actions including the creation of an ad hoc intersectoral advisory group, a requirement that human and veterinary antibiotics be dispensed only with prescription, and the establishment of effective surveillance systems. A consensus document was disseminated among key decision‐makers at the ministries of Health and Agriculture and the legislature. The Ministry of Health (MoH) enacted a decree effective as of August 2010, which enforced the regulations that required medical prescriptions for the sale of human antibiotics. While the information disseminated by the MoH did focus on the dangers of self‐medication, it failed to highlight the inherent perils of antibiotic resistance or the consequences of antibiotic use in food‐animals. Following the decree, there was a surge of medical offices controlled by retail pharmacies. In the veterinary sector, voluntary guidelines were developed for good husbandry practices, including antibiotic use in food animals; five antimicrobials for use in food‐animals were banned. No intersectoral advisory group or surveillance systems were established. This study describes a bottom‐top approach in Mexico for the development of a national strategy to improve antibiotic use and contain antimicrobial resistance. Its experiences suggest that, in countries such as Mexico that lack strong regulatory systems and surveillance capacities, a more systemic approach is warranted. Future efforts should begin with early involvement of key stakeholders and informing policy makers, professionals and the population at large about the critical importance of antibiotic resistance.
Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of an External Gear Pump With Decompression Slot and Meshing Contact Point
Authors: Castilla R. , Gamez-Montero P. J. , del Campo D. , Raush G. , Garcia-Vilchez M. , Codina E.
Published: November 2014

Recently several works have been published on numerical simulation of an external gear pump (EGP). Such kinds of pumps are simple and relatively inexpensive, and are frequently used in fluid power applications, such as fluid power in aeronautical, mechanical, and civil engineering. Nevertheless, considerable effort is being undertaken to improve efficiency and reduce noise and vibration produced by the flow and pressure pulsations. Numerical simulation of an EGP is not straightforward principally for two main reasons. First, the gearing mechanism between gears makes it difficult to handle a dynamic mesh without a considerable deterioration of mesh quality. Second, the dynamic metal–metal contact simulation is important when high pressure outflow has to be reproduced. The numerical studies published so far are based on a two-dimensional (2D) approximation. The aim of the present work is to contribute to the understanding of the fluid flow inside an EGP by means of a complete three-dimensional (3D) parallel simulation on a cluster. The 3D flow is simulated in a linux cluster with a solver developed with the openfoam Toolbox. The hexahedral mesh quality is maintained by periodically replacing the mesh and interpolating the physical magnitudes fields. The meshing contact point is simulated with the viscous wall approach, using a viscosity model based on wall proximity. The results for the flow rate ripples show a similar behavior to that obtained with 2D simulations. However, the flow presents important differences inside the suction and the discharge chambers, principally in the regions of the pipes' connection. Moreover, the decompression slot below the gearing zone, which can not be simulated with a 2D approximation, enables a more realistic simulation of a contact ratio greater than 1. The results are compared with experimental measurements recently published.
BE-PALS: An Innovative Theory-Based Intervention to Promote Moderate Physical Activity Among Adult Lesbians
Authors: Brittain Danielle R. , Dinger Mary K.
Published: November 2014

Adult lesbians are insufficiently active to achieve health benefits. An 8-week pilot intervention targeting coping skills to overcome barriers, was designed to increase moderate physical activity (MPA) among adult lesbians. Sixteen lesbians aged 29 to 55 years (experimental condition [EC] [n = 10]; control condition [CC] [n = 6] completed measures at baseline and end-program. Mixed repeated-measures ANOVAs used to examine between-group differences in average daily: (a) MPA, (b) task self-efficacy (TSE), and (c) self-regulatory efficacy (SRE) from baseline to end-program, were not significant. Two data trends with moderate effect sizes were identified: (1) the EC maintained 24 minutes/d of MPA (P = .10; d = .43); and (2) TSE was maintained among the EC but decreased for the CC (P = .09; d=.44). Only a small effect size was found (P = .56; d = .16) for SRE. The intervention appears to stem declines in MPA and task-related efficacy beliefs.
Takayasu's arteritis occurring under TNF-α blockers: a new paradoxical effect?
Authors: Souabni Leila , Ben Abdelghani Kaouther , Jradi Saoussen , Zakraoui Leith
Published: November 2014

Takayasu’s arteritis (TA) is a rare granulomatous vasculitic disease. Recently, experimental studies and several case reports have supported the use of anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy for severe forms of TA. We report a case of a 58-year-old woman who was followed for spondyloarthritis. Her disease was resistant to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and TNF-α blockers were initiated. The patient developed asthaenia and severe back pain. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 82 mm and C reactive protein was 192 mg/L. Based on thickened walls of large vessel on MRI, a diagnosis of TA was established. Under corticosteroids and after discontinuation of TNF-α blockers, the patient remained free of symptoms at 8-month follow-up.
The mystery of recurrent idiopathic cerebrovascular and coronary arterial thrombosis
Authors: Rajani Ali Raza , Mahmoud Wael Ezzat , Murugesan Vagishwari , BinBrek Azan Salem
Published: November 2014

A 46-year-old man presented to our hospital with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Previous records revealed a history of recurrent non-STEMI, stroke and transient ischaemic attacks. He was thoroughly investigated with coronary angiography, a cerebral CT angiography, thrombophilia panel and autoimmune screening tests, all of which proved negative. His current episode of STEMI resulted while on dual antiplatelet therapy; the patient was investigated for P2Y12 receptor resistance, which was also negative. A diagnosis of idiopathic recurrent arterial thrombosis was established and the patient was discharged home on aspirin and warfarin. Routine follow-up has revealed no recurrence of symptoms.
Chameleons everywhere
Authors: Sprenger Katharina , Furrer Hansjakob
Published: November 2014

We report the case of an HIV-infected man returning from Thailand with secondary syphilis with general symptoms, hepatitis and a pulmonary mass lesion. A cerebrospinal fluid examination showed no signs of neurosyphilis. Two months after successful treatment with benzathine penicillin he presented with a mass lesion in the brain suspected to be a glioma or glioblastoma, which turned out to be a syphilitic gumma. Syphilis remains a great imitator in clinical medicine. Syphilitic brain gummata can develop within a few months.
A case of lung mass: a common association between uncommon diseases
Authors: Gupta Vishal , Karnik Niteen D , Agrawal Dhiraj , Tiwari Dhirendra Kumar
Published: November 2014

A young man presented with a history of cough, chest pain and streaky haemoptysis with low-grade fever. Further evaluation revealed a mass in the left hemithorax, which was biopsied to reveal cryptococcoma. The patient was HIV negative. Flow cytometry lymphocyte subset analysis showed reduced CD4+ T lymphocytes. Absolute CD4+ lymphocyte count was only 230 (normal range 530–1300). The patient was started on injectable amphotericin B, which was given for 1 month, and he was discharged on oral fluconazole.
A unique way to treat Goodpasture's disease
Authors: Narayanan Maya , Casimiro Isabel , Pichler Raimund
Published: November 2014

A 21-year-old man with no medical history presented to the emergency department with fatigue, oliguria and lower extremity oedema. Initial laboratory tests showed that the patient was in acute renal failure with a creatinine of 12.8 mg/dL (normal 0.51–1.18 mg/dL). Further work up showed crescentic glomerulonephritis on renal biopsy, and serology was positive for antiglomerular basement antibody (titre 191 U/mL, normal 0–0.7 U/mL). Shortly after diagnosis he developed haemoptysis and chest imaging was consistent with pulmonary haemorrhage. The standard immunotherapy for Goodpasture's disease is cyclophosphamide, but due to known reproductive toxicities associated with cyclophosphamide and the patient's age, it was decided to use alternate but less studied therapies for treatment. At discharge, the patient had undergone five plasmapheresis treatments, had received two doses of Rituximab with a steroid taper, and his antiglomerular basement membrane level had decreased significantly.
A case of ocular cardiac reflex in a child with blunt ocular trauma
Authors: Reddy Soma Sekhara , Landry Jonathan P , Douglass Kate , Venugopalan Poovathum Parambil
Published: November 2014

An 11-year-old boy re-presented with refractory vomiting 18 h after blunt facial and head trauma. Initial CT of the brain performed at his first visit was normal. He was found to have a heart rate of 56 bpm (age appropriate 65–100 bpm) with a blood pressure 90/60 mm Hg. Physical examination revealed an injected sclera and limited vertical movement of the left eye. Neurological examination revealed no focal deficits, but a Glasgow Coma Scale of 14, with mild confusion, depressed mental status and diplopia on upward gaze. Performing upward gaze extra ocular movements exacerbated the patient's bradycardia and confirmed the presence of the oculocardiac reflex. High-resolution CT of orbits demonstrated a left orbital floor fracture with entrapment of the left inferior rectus muscle. Surgical correction resolved his bradycardia.
Venous sinus thrombosis secondary to tuberculous meningitis: a novel cause of trigeminal neuralgia
Authors: Tsimiklis Chrisovalantis Athanasios , Gragnaniello Cristian , Abou-Hamden Amal
Published: November 2014

A 33-year-old Vietnamese man with a history of superior sagittal sinus thrombosis secondary to tuberculous meningitis presented with severe recurrent trigeminal neuralgia. A complex compensatory cerebral venous drainage system developed, and a varix, in direct contact with the root entry zone of the trigeminal nerve, was the trigger for his pain. The patient's symptoms are presently controlled with a combination of medications for neuropathic pain, however he continues to experience frequent severe exacerbations and may very well require more invasive means to manage his condition in future.
Overdose with antiepileptic drugs: the efficacy of extracorporeal removal techniques
Authors: Moinho Rita , Dias Andrea , Estanqueiro Paula , Farela Neves José
Published: November 2014

Drug overdose is a growing problem among adolescents. Clinical severity depends on the drug and ingested amount, which in some cases may be life-threatening. We present a clinical case of a previously healthy teenage girl who ingested 16.4 g of carbamazepine and 14.5 g of valproic acid. She presented with profound disturbance of consciousness and toxic levels of both drugs, raised in the first hours after the ingestion. She was successfully treated with charcoal haemoperfusion followed by continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration. Overdose with the two drugs separately is common, but there are no reports of intoxication by simultaneous ingestion. High levels of carbamazepine and valproic acid can lead to severe systemic effects and management is made difficult by the absence of specific antidotes. Extracorporeal removal techniques are a good therapeutic option in these cases as they enhance the clearance by reducing the half-life of both drugs thereby preventing serious complications.
Optimization of manufacturing of emitter-coupled logic to decrease surface of chip
Authors: Pankratov E. L. , Bulaeva E. A.
Published: November 2014

In this paper, we introduce an approach to increase integration rate of bipolar heterotransistors. The approach based on doping of required parts of heterostructure by diffusion or implantation and optimization of annealing of dopant and/or radiation defects. As simplification of the considered approach to increase integration rate we consider possibility to used common collector.
Using Value Efficiency Analysis to Benchmark Nonhomogeneous Units
Authors: Halme Merja , Korhonen Pekka J
Published: November 2014

We consider the problem of evaluating the performance of a set of heterogeneous units. The heterogeneity may originate from environmental conditions or the unit itself. We propose a comparison of the units with benchmark units that perform well and represent various types of heterogeneity. The benchmark units are specified by a decision maker and used as alternative most preferred units in the value efficiency analysis. Each unit is associated with the best benchmark unit, in the spirit of the data envelopment analysis. The approach simultaneously takes into account preference information and the heterogeneity of units. We developed the approach to provide a framework for quantitative performance comparison for the Helsinki parishes. The parishes have heterogeneous structures and operate in various environments leading to different emphases of outputs. The special feature of the approach is that it is does not require the characterization of the heterogeneity by quantitative measures.
Synthesizing Optimal Switching Lattices
Authors: Gange Graeme , Søndergaard Harald , Stuckey Peter J.
Published: November 2014

The use of nanoscale technologies to create electronic devices has revived interest in the use of regular structures for defining complex logic functions. One such structure is the switching lattice, a two-dimensional lattice of four-terminal switches. We show how to directly construct switching lattices of polynomial size from arbitrary logic functions; we also show how to synthesize minimal-sized lattices by translating the problem to the satisfiability problem for a restricted class of quantified Boolean formulas. The synthesis method is an anytime algorithm that uses modern SAT solving technology and dichotomic search. It improves considerably on an earlier proposal for creating switching lattices for arbitrary logic functions.
Multiplierless Design of Folded DSP Blocks
Authors: Aksoy Levent , Flores Paulo , Monteiro Jose
Published: November 2014

This article addresses the problem of minimizing the implementation cost of the time-multiplexed constant multiplication (TMCM) operation that realizes the multiplication of an input variable by a single constant selected from a set of multiple constants at a time. It presents an efficient algorithm, called
orpheus
, that finds a multiplierless TMCM design by sharing logic operators, namely adders, subtractors, adders/subtractors, and multiplexors (MUXes). Moreover, this article introduces folded design architectures for the digital signal processing (DSP) blocks, such as finite impulse response (FIR) filters and linear DSP transforms, and describes how these folded DSP blocks can be efficiently realized using TMCM operations optimized by
orpheus
. Experimental results indicate that
orpheus
can find better solutions than existing TMCM algorithms, yielding TMCM designs requiring less area. They also show that the folded architectures lead to alternative designs with significantly less area, but incurring an increase in latency and energy consumption, compared to the parallel architecture.
Exponential Technology and The Singularity
Authors: Cochrane Peter
Published: November 2014

The Priesthood of the Singularity posits a fast approaching prospect of machines overtaking human abilities (Ray Kurzweil's
The Singularity is Near
, Viking Press, 2006) on the basis of the exponential rate of electronic integration---memory and processing power. In fact, they directly correlate the growth of computing technology with that of machine intelligence as if the two were connected in some simple-to-understand and predictable way. Here we present a different view based upon the fundamentals of intelligence and a more likely relationship. We conclude that machine intelligence is growing in a logarithmic (or at best linear fashion) rather than the assumed exponential rate.
StopWatch
Authors: Li Peng , Gao Debin , Reiter Michael K.
Published: November 2014

This article presents StopWatch, a system that defends against timing-based side-channel attacks that arise from coresidency of victims and attackers in infrastructure-as-a-service clouds. StopWatch triplicates each cloud-resident guest virtual machine (VM) and places replicas so that the three replicas of a guest VM are coresident with nonoverlapping sets of (replicas of) other VMs. StopWatch uses the timing of I/O events at a VM’s replicas collectively to determine the timings observed by each one or by an external observer, so that observable timing behaviors are similarly likely in the absence of any other individual, coresident VMs. We detail the design and implementation of StopWatch in Xen, evaluate the factors that influence its performance, demonstrate its advantages relative to alternative defenses against timing side channels with commodity hardware, and address the problem of placing VM replicas in a cloud under the constraints of StopWatch so as to still enable adequate cloud utilization.
Gate-Level Information Flow Tracking for Security Lattices
Authors: Hu Wei , Mu Dejun , Oberg Jason , Mao Baolei , Tiwari Mohit , Sherwood Timothy , Kastner Ryan
Published: November 2014

High-assurance systems found in safety-critical infrastructures are facing steadily increasing cyber threats. These critical systems require rigorous guarantees in information flow security to prevent confidential information from leaking to an unclassified domain and the root of trust from being violated by an untrusted party. To enforce bit-tight information flow control, gate-level information flow tracking (GLIFT) has recently been proposed to precisely measure and manage all digital information flows in the underlying hardware, including implicit flows through hardware-specific timing channels. However, existing work in this realm either restricts to two-level security labels or essentially targets two-input primitive gates and several simple multilevel security lattices. This article provides a general way to expand the GLIFT method for multilevel security. Specifically, it formalizes tracking logic for an arbitrary Boolean gate under finite security lattices, presents a precise tracking logic generation method for eliminating false positives in GLIFT logic created in a constructive manner, and illustrates application scenarios of GLIFT for enforcing multilevel information flow security. Experimental results show various trade-offs in precision and performance of GLIFT logic created using different methods. It also reveals the area and performance overheads that should be expected when expanding GLIFT for multilevel security.
Scaling Input Stimulus Generation through Hybrid Static and Dynamic Analysis of RTL
Authors: Liu Lingyi , Vasudevan Shobha
Published: November 2014

We enhance STAR, an automatic technique for functional input vector generation for design validation. STAR statically analyzes the source code of the Register-Transfer Level (RTL) design. The STAR approach is a hybrid between RTL symbolic execution and concrete simulation that offsets the disadvantages of both. The symbolic execution, which follows the concrete simulation path, extracts constraints for that path. The guard in the path constraints is then mutated and passed to an SMT solver. A satisfiable assignment generates a valid input vector. However, STAR suffers the problem of path explosion during symbolic execution. In this article, we present an explored symbolic state caching method to attack path explosion. Explored symbolic states are states starting from which all subpaths have been explored. Each explored symbolic state is stored in the form of bitmap encoding of branches to ease comparison. When the explored symbolic state is reached again in the following symbolic execution, all subpaths can be pruned. In addition, we use two types of optimizations: (a) dynamic UD chain slicing; and (b) local conflict resolution to improve the running efficiency of STAR. We demonstrate that the results of the enhanced STAR are promising in showing high coverage on benchmark RTL designs, and the runtime of the test generation process is reduced from several hours to less than 20 minutes.
Reducing Contention in Shared Last-Level Cache for Throughput Processors
Authors: Kuo Hsien-Kai , Lai Bo-Cheng Charles , Jou Jing-Yang
Published: November 2014

Deploying the Shared Last-Level Cache (SLLC) is an effective way to alleviate the memory bottleneck in modern throughput processors, such as GPGPUs. A commonly used scheduling policy of throughput processors is to render the maximum possible thread-level parallelism. However, this greedy policy usually causes serious cache contention on the SLLC and significantly degrades the system performance. It is therefore a critical performance factor that the thread scheduling of a throughput processor performs a careful trade-off between the thread-level parallelism and cache contention. This article characterizes and analyzes the performance impact of cache contention in the SLLC of throughput processors. Based on the analyses and findings of cache contention and its performance pitfalls, this article formally formulates the aggregate working-set-size-constrained thread scheduling problem that constrains the aggregate working-set size on concurrent threads. With a proof to be NP-hard, this article has integrated a series of algorithms to minimize the cache contention and enhance the overall system performance on GPGPUs. The simulation results on NVIDIA's Fermi architecture have shown that the proposed thread scheduling scheme achieves up to 61.6% execution time enhancement over a widely used thread clustering scheme. When compared to the state-of-the-art technique that exploits the data reuse of applications, the improvement on execution time can reach 47.4%. Notably, the execution time improvement of the proposed thread scheduling scheme is only 2.6% from an exhaustive searching scheme.
An Extended Perspective on Individual Security Behaviors
Authors: Crossler Robert , Bélanger France
Published: November 2014

Security threats regularly affect users of home computers. As such, it is important to understand the practices of users for protecting their computers and networks, and to identify determinants of these practices. Several recent studies utilize Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to explore these practices. However, these studies focus on one specific security protection behavior or on intentions to use a generic measure of security protection tools or techniques (practices). In contrast, this study empirically tests the effectiveness of PMT to explain a newly developed measure for collectively capturing several individual security practices. The results show that PMT explains an important portion of the variance in the unified security practices measure, and demonstrates the importance of explaining individual security practices as a whole as opposed to one particular behavior individually. Implications of the study for research and practice are discussed.
Sexual Transmission of HCV in Heterologous Monogamous Spouses
Authors: Rafik Mona M. , El Shazly Yehia , Abbas Amal A. , Abd Elhady Walid , Ragab Dina , AlShennawy Dina
Published: November 2014

We screened for evidence of HCV infection in healthy heterologous monogamous spouses of chronic HCV patients and studied the relation with various risk factors. A cross-sectional study of fifty healthy monogamous heterosexual spouses of HCV-positive index cases was carried out. All participants were HBV and HIV negative. The association with various risk factors was studied. Five spouses (10%) showed evidence of HCV infection. Two partners were positive for HCV antibody alone (4%) and 3 for antibody and HCV PCR (6%). No association was found between HCV infection and various sociodemographic parameters with the exception of older age categories. Intraspousal transmission of HCV may be an important source of spread of HCV infection. The reservoir of HCV-infected individuals in Egypt is sizable, and sexual transmission of HCV may contribute to the total burden of infection in Egypt.
Thermoelastic and Pyroelectric Couplings Effects on Dynamics and Active Control of Smart Piezolaminated Beam Modeled by Finite Element Method
Authors: Sanbi M. , Saadani R. , Sbai K. , Rahmoune M.
Published: November 2014

Smart structures with integrated sensors, actuators, and control electronics are of importance to the next generation high-performance structural systems. In this study, thermopiezoelastic characteristics of piezoelectric beam continua are studied and applications of the theory to active structures in sensing and optimal control are discussed. Using linear thermopiezoelastic theory and Timoshenko assumptions, a generic thermopiezoelastic theory for piezolaminated composite beam is derived. Finite element equations for the thermopiezoelastic media are obtained by using the linear constitutive equations in Hamilton's principle together with the finite element approximations. The structure consists of a modeling of cantilevered piezolaminated Timoshenko beam with integrated thermopiezoelectric elements between two aluminium layers. The structure is modelled analytically and then numerically and the results of simulations are presented in order to visualize the states of their dynamics and the state of control. The optimal control LQG accompanied by the Kalman filter is applied. The effects of thermoelastic and pyroelectric couplings on the dynamics of the structure and on the control procedure are studied and discussed. We show that the control procedure cannot be perturbed by applying a thermal gradient and the control can be applied at any time during the period of vibration of the beam.
Body Mass Index in Clinic Attenders: Patient Self-Perception versus Actual Measurements
Authors: Pooransingh S. , Ramgulam K. , Dialsingh I.
Published: November 2014

Objectives. The objectives of the study were to measure actual BMI in patients attending chronic disease clinics in health centres and to relate this to the patients’ own perceptions of their body image and the need to lose weight.Study Design. A cross sectional study.Methods. The actual BMIs in patients who attended chronic disease clinics in 14 health centres were measured. All participants were asked to state where they thought they were on a visual body image scale and were also asked if they thought they needed to lose weight.Results. All participants approached agreed to participate (RR 100%). 70% of patients were found to have a raised BMI. Approximately 73% of patients using the visual scale indicated that an overweight or obese BMI was ideal for them.Conclusions. Patients think they are thinner than they actually are, with obvious implications for health and health seeking behaviour. A whole of society approach is needed to change weight status perceptions and improve exercise and dietary behaviour.
An Analysis of Relationship among Income Inequality, Poverty, and Income Mobility, Based on Distribution Functions
Authors: Chen Jiandong , Si Yaqing , Li Fengying , Zhao Aifeng
Published: November 2014

Many studies show that the relationship among income inequality, poverty, and income mobility needs to be further discussed. Meanwhile, some researches on Distribution Function offer new perspective and methods to analyze this issue. First, this paper expresses the relationship among the Gini coefficient, poverty ratio, and income mobility of 5 common Distribution Functions through math deduction; this finding cannot be found in relevant literatures. Furthermore, an empirical research result proves that the income distribution of urban residents in the period from 2005 to 2010 fits Log-Logistic Distribution. On the basis of the above analysis and empirical data, the paper explores the relations of income inequality, poverty, and income mobility of urban residents and draws some useful conclusions.
A Prospective Study of Villous Capillary Lesions in Complicated Pregnancies
Authors: Srinivasan Anu Priyadharshini , Omprakash B. O. Parijatham , Lavanya Kandhimalla , Subbulakshmi Murugesan Priyadharshini , Kandaswamy Saraswathi
Published: November 2014

The vascularity of placental tissue is dependent on various factors of which fetomaternal hypoxia plays a major role. Hypoxia can be of different types and each type influences the vascularity of the villi, especially terminal villi, in its own way. In this study, we attempted to identify villous vascular changes in a group of term placentae from mothers with diseases complicating pregnancy. Chorangiosis was the most frequently identified lesion while chorangioma was found in only 2 cases. There were no cases of chorangiomatosis. A few cases had normal villous vasculature. Maternal diseases have a major role in disrupting the placental vasculogenesis and angiogenesis by creating a hypoxic environment that may affect the fetus adversely. Hence, such conditions need to be identified early in pregnancy and managed appropriately as it is possible to maintain a normal vasculature and prevent neonatal mortality and morbidity if prompt intervention is done.
Virulence Genes Content and Antimicrobial Resistance inEscherichia colifrom Broiler Chickens
Authors: Mohamed Moemen A. , Shehata Mostafa A. , Rafeek Elshimaa
Published: November 2014

A total of 121E. colistrains were isolated from broiler chickens (96 extraintestinal pathogenic (ExPEC) strains from diseased broiler chickens and 25 avian fecalE. coli(AFEC) from healthy ones). Ten of the isolates (6 from diseased chickens and 4 from healthy birds) were serogrouped and 25 were examined for 4 virulence markers (tsh,papC,colV, andissgenes) as well as for their antimicrobial resistance. Five strains were nontypable and the rest were serotyped as follows: O86:K61 (2/5), O78:K80 (1/5), and O128:K67 (1/5) were recovered from diseased chickens, while O111:K58 strain (1/4) was isolated from healthy ones. Theissgene was found in 72.2% of the examined ExPEC strains in contrast to zero percentages (0%) in the AFEC strains, which may serve as a good marker for distinguishing APEC and its knocking out may help in creation of candidate vaccine that may prove sucess in elimination of infections in broiler chickens. Antimicrobial resistance patterns revealed a complete resistance to gentamicin, pefloxacin, amoxicillin, and enrofloxacin among examined strains followed by varying degrees of resistance for the rest of tested agents. The highest resistance was recorded against norfloxacin, in 24 isolates (96%), in contrast to the lowest resistance was recorded against colistin sulphate, in 14 strains (56%). These findings suggest the need for the prudent use of antimicrobials with broiler chickens and act as a warrant for the possibility of avian sources to transmit these resistant isolates to humans.
The Gap and the Upper Critical FieldHc2as Function of Doping for High-TcCuprates
Authors: Orozco S. , Méndez-Moreno R. M. , Ortiz M. A.
Published: November 2014

The relation between thed-wave superconducting gapΔ0and the specific heat obtained with the Volovik effect is used to determine the upper critical fieldHc2as doping function, for high-temperature superconductors. A two-components model withd-wave symmetry, within the BCS framework, is introduced to describe the superconducting state. Generalized Fermi surface topologies are used in order to increase the density of states at the Fermi level, allowing the high-Tcvalues observed. The electron-phonon interaction is considered the most relevant mechanism for the high-Tccuprates, where the available phonon energy is provided by the half-breathing modes. The energy gap valuesΔ0calculated with this model are introduced to describe the variation of the upper critical fieldHc2as function of doping, forLa2-xSrxCuO4.
Ammonia Diffusion through Nalophan Double Bags: Effect of Concentration Gradient Reduction
Authors: Sironi Selena , Eusebio Lidia , Capelli Laura , Boiardi Emanuela , Del Rosso Renato
Published: November 2014

The ammonia loss through Nalophan bags has been studied. The losses observed for storage conditions and times as allowed by the reference standard for dynamic olfactometry (EN 13725:2003) indicate that odour concentration values due to the presence of small molecules may be significantly underestimated if samples are not analysed immediately after sampling. A diffusion model was used in order to study diffusion through the bag. The study discusses the effect of concentration gradient (ΔC) across the polymeric membrane of the analyte. TheΔCwas controlled by using a setup bag called “double bags.” Experimental data show a reduction of ammonia percentage losses due to the effect of the external multibarrier. The expedient of the double bag loaded with the same gas mixture allows a reduced diffusion of ammonia into the inner bag. Comparing the inner bag losses with those of the single bag stored in the same conditions (T,P,u) and with equal geometrical characteristics (S/V,z), it was observed that the inner bag of the double bag displays a 16% loss while the single bag displays a 37% loss. Acting on theΔCit is possible to achieve a gross reduction of 57% in the ammonia leakage due to diffusion.
Successful Thrombolysis despite Having an Incidental Unruptured Cerebral Aneurysm
Authors: Briosa e Gala Diana , Almeida André , Monteiro Nadine , Paiva Nunes Ana , Ferreira Patrícia , Mendonça Nuno , Amaral-Silva Alexandre , Alcântara João
Published: November 2014

Purpose. To report a case of successful thrombolysis performed in a patient with an incidental unruptured intracranial aneurysm and review the literature.Case Report. Patient admitted for ischemic stroke due to left posterior cerebral artery occlusion, with an incidental right middle cerebral artery aneurysm, who underwent treatment with tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) resulting in clinical improvement without complications.Conclusion. The presence of unruptured intracranial aneurysms is considered as a contraindication to thrombolysis, due to a potentially higher hemorrhagic risk of aneurysm rupture. Patients, otherwise, eligible for thrombolysis are usually excluded from receiving this emergent treatment, despite its potential benefits. A reevaluation of the strict exclusion criteria for thrombolysis in acute stroke patients should be considered.
Critical Product Features’ Identification Using an Opinion Analyzer
Authors: Shamim Azra , Balakrishnan Vimala , Tahir Muhammad , Shiraz Muhammad
Published: November 2014

The increasing use and ubiquity of the Internet facilitate dissemination of word-of-mouth through blogs, online forums, newsgroups, and consumer’s reviews. Online consumer’s reviews present tremendous opportunities and challenges for consumers and marketers. One of the challenges is to develop interactive marketing practices for making connections with target consumers that capitalize consumer-to-consumer communications for generating product adoption. Opinion mining is employed in marketing to help consumers and enterprises in the analysis of online consumers’ reviews by highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the products. This paper describes an opinion mining system based on novel review and feature ranking methods to empower consumers and enterprises for identifying critical product features from enormous consumers’ reviews. Consumers and business analysts are the main target group for the proposed system who want to explore consumers’ feedback for determining purchase decisions and enterprise strategies. We evaluate the proposed system on real dataset. Results show that integration of review and feature-ranking methods improves the decision making processes significantly.
Vitamin D Levels Are Associated with Expression of SLE, but Not Flare Frequency
Authors: Squance Marline L. , Reeves Glenn E. M. , Tran Huy A.
Published: November 2014

This study explores links between vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D = 50 nmol/L) and serological autoimmunity (ANA > 1 : 80) and frequency of self-reported flares (SRF) in participants with clinical autoimmunity (SLE). 25(OH)D levels of 121 females were quantified and compared. The cohort consisted of 80 ACR defined SLE patients and 41 age and sex matched controls. Association analysis of log2 (25(OH)D) levels and ANA 80 positivity was undertaken via two-samplet-tests and regression models. Significant differences were found for 25(OH)D levels (mean: control 74 nmol/L (29.5 ng/ml); SLE 58 nmol/L (23.1 ng/ml),P=0.04), 25(OH)D deficiency (P=0.02). Regression models indicate that, for a twofold rise in 25(OH)D level, the odds ratio (OR) for ANA-positivity drops to 36% of the baseline OR. No link was found between SRF-days and 25(OH)D levels. Our results support links between vitamin D deficiency and expression of serological autoimmunity and clinical autoimmunity (SLE). However, no demonstrable association between 25(OH)D and SRF was confirmed, suggesting independent influences of other flare-inducing factors. Results indicate that SLE patients have high risk of 25(OH)D deficiency and therefore supplementation with regular monitoring should be considered as part of patient management.
Assessment of the Contamination of Some Foodstuffs byEscherichia coliO157 in Benin, West Africa
Authors: Bankole Honoré Sourou , Dougnon Victorien Tamègnon , Johnson Roch Christian , Dougnon T. J. , Yehouenou Boniface , Kougblenou Sylvain , Agonsa Maxime , Legonou Magloire , Dadie Thomas , Baba-Moussa Lamine
Published: November 2014

Escherichia coliO157 is a pathogenic bacterium causing haemorrhagic colitis. It represents a serious public health problem in Northern America and Europe, which can plague Africa. Most cases of mentioned poisoning were related to contaminated meat products and vegetables. The present work aimed to estimate the prevalence ofE. coliO157 in meat and vegetables in Benin. For this purpose, 6 lots of faeces samples from pigs and 8 from cattle were collected at the farms on the outskirts of Cotonou. Similarly, 20 samples of carcasses, 20 samples of intestines and stomach, and 20 surfaces samples of slaughtering equipment were taken. Vegetables and environment materials in gardens have also been sampled for 84 samples. Bacteriological analyses revealed a percentage of contamination of 50% for pig faeces and 25% for cattle ones. All the meats from stalling parks have been contaminated by this bacterium. For vegetables, 14.6% of samples were contaminated byE. coliO157. The presence of this pathovar in animal breeding and slaughtering environment and in the gardens shows that Benin is not aware of the risks of foodborne illness associated with the consumption of contaminated products. Therefore, it urges including that germ in a systematic search during safety control of food products in Benin.
Development and Optimization of Polymeric Self-Emulsifying Nanocapsules for Localized Drug Delivery: Design of Experiment Approach
Authors: Wadhwa Jyoti , Asthana Abhay , Gupta Sumeet , Shilkari Asthana Gyati , Singh Ranjit
Published: November 2014

The purpose of the present study was to formulate polymeric self-emulsifying curcumin nanocapsules with high encapsulation efficiency, good emulsification ability, and optimal globule size for localized targeting in the colon. Formulations were prepared using modified quasiemulsion solvent diffusion method. Concentration of formulation variables, namely,X1(oil),X2(polymeric emulsifier), andX3(adsorbent), was optimized by design of experiments using Box-Behnken design, for its impact on mean globule size (Y1) and encapsulation efficiency (Y2) of the formulation. Polymeric nanocapsules with an average diameter of 100–180 nm and an encapsulation efficiency of 64.85 ± 0.12% were obtained.In vitrostudies revealed that formulations released the drug after 5 h lag time corresponding to the time to reach the colonic region. Pronounced localized action was inferred from the plasma concentration profile (Cmax200 ng/mL) that depicts limited systemic absorption. Roentgenography study confirms the localized presence of carrier (0–2 h in upper GIT; 2–4 h in small intestine; and 4–24 h in the lower intestine). Optimized formulation showed significantly higher cytotoxicity (IC50value 20.32 μM) in HT 29 colonic cancer cell line. The present study demonstrates systematic development of polymeric self-emulsifying nanocapsule formulation of curcumin for localized targeting in colon.
Outcomes of Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy with a Posterior Approach to the Seminal Vesicle in 300 Patients
Authors: Yasui Takahiro , Tozawa Keiichi , Okada Atsushi , Kurokawa Satoshi , Kubota Hiroki , Mizuno Kentaro , Umemoto Yukihiro , Kawai Noriyasu , Sasaki Shoichi , Hayashi Yutaro , Kohri Kenjiro
Published: November 2014

Background. The goal of this study was to analyze the perioperative outcomes of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomies (RALPs) performed at our center. Methodology. We retrospectively reviewed 300 consecutive patients with clinically localized prostate cancer who underwent RALP with a posterior dissection approach to the seminal vesicle between May 2011 and November 2013. The mean patient age was 67.2±5.5 years (range: 41–78 years), and the mean prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration, at diagnosis of prostate cancer, was 9.16±6.50 ng/mL (range: 2.20–55.31 ng/mL). Results. The median duration of robotic surgery was 160 min (mean: 165±40 min; range: 75–345 min). Median estimated blood loss, including that in urine, was 200 mL (mean: 277±324 mL; range: 4–3250 mL). Intraoperative and immediate postoperative complications occurred in 3.0% of patients; 4 patients required allogeneic blood transfusion. As a measure of patient continence, 82.4% did not use more than 1 absorbent pad in 24 h, at 6 months postoperatively. Conclusion. RALP with an initial posterior dissection to the seminal vesicle was a safe and efficient method for controlling prostate cancer, even in these initial cases.
Atypical CT Findings in Plexiform Ameloblastoma
Authors: Arora Karandeep Singh , Binjoo Nagesh , Modgil Richa , Negi Lalit Singh , Kaur Prabhpreet
Published: November 2014

Ameloblastoma is an uncommon epithelial odontogenic neoplasm that is nonmineralized, locally aggressive, and, in most cases, benign. Most ameloblastomas develop in the molar-ramus region of the mandible with 70% of them arising in the molar-ramus area. Radiologically they are unilocular or multilocular radiolucency with a honeycomb or soap bubble appearance. The radiographic appearance of ameloblastoma can vary according to the type of tumor. CT is usually helpful in determining the contours of the lesion, its contents, and its extension into soft and hard tissues. Through this case we would bring to light some of the unusual CT findings which include the destruction of the surrounding structures by the lesion which appeared to be normal routine lesion when viewed clinically.
A Novel Mesh Routing Using the Nodes with Identical Tree Level
Authors: Yuan Li-yong , Xu Lin , Zhu Yi-hua , Sun Cong
Published: November 2014

Contemporary wireless sensor network (WSN) adopts IEEE 802.15.4 in its MAC and PHY layers. The mesh routing introduced in IEEE 802.15.5 standard, referred to as the basic mesh routing below, improves reliability and robustness of routing in WSNs since there are multiple routes from a node to the sink. In this paper, the mesh routing with identical level (MRIL) is proposed, which constructs the mesh using the tree generated per IEEE 802.15.5 standard, the two-hop neighbors of the nodes, and the nodes in the same level chains with each consisting of the nodes having identical tree level. The MRIL outperforms the basic mesh routing in terms of energy consumption, the average number of hops traversed per packet, the sizes of memory used to keep neighbor lists and connectivity matrices at nodes, and the number of packet transmissions in exchanging link state information.
Post-Autologous (ASCT) Stem Cell Transplant Therapy in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Al-Mansour Zeina , Ramanathan Muthalagu
Published: November 2014

Autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) is the standard of care in transplant-eligible multiple myeloma patients and is associated with significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS), complete remission rates (CR), and overall survival (OS). However, majority of patients eventually relapse, with a median PFS of around 36 months. Relapses are harder to treat and prognosis declines with each relapse. Achieving and maintaining “best response” to initial therapy is the ultimate goal of first-line treatment and sustained CR is a powerful surrogate for extended survival especially in high-risk multiple myeloma. ASCT is often followed by consolidation/maintenance phase to deepen and/or maintain the response achieved by induction and ASCT. Novel agents like thalidomide, lenalidomide, and bortezomib have been used as single agents or in combination. Thalidomide use has been associated with a meaningful improvement in PFS and EFS, however, with substantial side effects. Data with lenalidomide maintenance after-ASCT is favorable, but the optimal duration of lenalidomide maintenance is still unclear. Bortezomib use has been associated with superior outcomes, predominantly in high-risk myeloma patients. Combination regimens utilizing a proteasome inhibitor (i.e., bortezomib) with an immunomodulatory drug (thalidomide or lenalidomide) have provided the best outcomes. This review article serves as a review of the best available evidence in post-ASCT approaches in multiple myeloma.