bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Management of myasthenia gravis in pregnancy
Authors: Shimizu Yuko , Kitagawa Kazuo
Published: May 2016

To a neurologist, pregnancy and delivery are major issues for patients with neuroimmunological diseases, including myasthenia gravis (MG). MG is an autoimmune disease caused by antibodies against the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor or other postsynaptic antigens, such as muscle‐specific kinase or low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein 4. In Japan, a nationwide survey in 2006 showed that 15 100 people, or 11.8 per 100 000 persons, had been diagnosed with MG. In women with MG who became pregnant, the disease symptoms worsened for 41%, whereas 30% showed no change, and 29% had remission of symptoms. Exacerbations occur in the first trimester and in the first 3 months postpartum. It is also important to watch for transient neonatal MG, which occurs in 10–30% of infants delivered by mothers with MG. It is critical to carefully monitor antimuscle‐specific kinase antibody‐positive patients with MG because of their greater risk for bulbar palsy. The present review discusses the effects of pregnancy on MG and the management of MG in pregnancy.
Alien and native plant richness and abundance respond to different environmental drivers across multiple gravel floodplain ecosystems
Authors: Brummer T. J. , Byrom A. E. , Sullivan J. J. , Hulme P. E.
Published: May 2016

Aim

To assess whether native and alien plant cover and richness respond similarly to flow regime, propagule pressure, climate and floodplain characteristics in highly dynamic braided river ecosystems.

Location

Canterbury, New Zealand.

Methods

A regional, multiscale survey was conducted across 19 braided river floodplains in multiple catchments. We measured alien and native cover and richness across gradients of flow regime (flow magnitude, variability and high/low‐flow events), propagule pressure (inferred from land cover), climate and local‐scale floodplain substrate and topography. Boosted regression trees were used to determine the relative and absolute importance of these variables on plant cover and richness.

Results

The floodplain ecosystems were highly invaded with 154 alien species and only 31 natives. Alien cover was higher in rivers with larger maximum flows, in plots with fine substrate texture, and at higher local river bed elevations. Alien richness increased as the variability of winter flows increased and followed a hump‐shaped relationship with river bed elevation. In contrast, native species richness and cover were both shaped primarily by climate and by land cover, higher in cooler and wetter areas with more adjacent native vegetation.

Main conclusions

Alien and native richness and cover were shaped by different variables, so managing the ecosystem (e.g. flow regime) to mitigate aliens would not necessarily promote natives. Promotion of natives will require considerations of propagule supply and whether extant native species are suited to low‐elevation climatic conditions. Aliens were associated with predictors that approximate disturbance processes. Increased flow variability in winter could lead to an increase in the number of aliens; conversely, flow stabilization is likely to allow problematic invaders to increase in cover locally.
Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the REG‐CTNNA2 region of chromosome 2 and NEIL3 associated with impulsivity in a Native American sample
Authors: Ehlers C. L. , Gizer I. R. , Bizon C. , Slutske W. , Peng Q. , Schork N. J. , Wilhelmsen K. C.
Published: May 2016

Impulsivity is a multi‐faceted construct that, while characterized by a set of correlated dimensions, is centered around a core definition that involves acting suddenly in an unplanned manner without consideration for the consequences of such behavior. Several psychiatric disorders include impulsivity as a criterion, and thus it has been suggested that it may link a number of different behavioral disorders, including substance abuse. Native Americans (NA) experience some of the highest rates of substance abuse of all the US ethnic groups. The described analyses used data from a low‐coverage whole genome sequence scan to conduct a genome‐wide association study (GWAS) of an impulsivity phenotype in an American Indian community sample (n = 658). Demographic and clinical information were obtained using a semi‐structured interview. Impulsivity was assessed using a scale derived from the Maudsley personality inventory that combines both novelty seeking and lack of planning items. The impulsivity score was tested for association with each variant adjusted for demographic variables, and corrected for ancestry and kinship, using emmax. Simulations were conducted to calculate empirical P‐values. Genome‐wide significant findings were observed for a variant 50‐kb upstream from catenin cadherin‐associated protein, alpha 2 (CTNNA2), a neuronal‐specific catenin, in the REG gene cluster. A meta‐analysis of GWAS had previously identified common variants in CTNNA2 as being associated with excitement seeking. A second locus upstream of nei endonuclease VIII‐like 3 (NEIL3) on chromosome 4 also achieved genome‐wide significance. The association between sequence variants in these regions suggests their potential roles in the genetic regulation of this phenotype in this population.
The thrombin generation assay distinguishes inhibitor from non‐inhibitor patients with severe haemophilia A
Authors: Mancuso M. E. , Chantarangkul V. , Clerici M. , Fasulo M. R. , Padovan L. , Scalambrino E. , Peyvandi F. , Tripodi A. , Santagostino E.
Published: May 2016

Introduction

Patients with haemophilia A (HA) have impaired thrombin generation (TG) capacity and TG assay (TGA) values are linearly related to plasma factor VIII (FVIII) levels.

Aim

This study carried out in patients with unmeasurable FVIII (<1 IU dL−1) was aimed at unravelling any difference in TG capacity in patients with or without inhibitors.

Methods

Blood samples were collected from patients in a non‐bleeding state, after a 5‐day wash‐out period from last treatment.

Results

TGA was performed in 102 patients with severe HA (15% with high‐responding inhibitors; 51% with null F8 mutations, that as expected were more prevalent in inhibitor than in non‐inhibitor patients). TG capacity was significantly lower in inhibitor than non‐inhibitor patients and in those with null mutations than in those with non‐null mutations. When the TG capacity was evaluated only in patients with null mutations with and without inhibitors it was lower in the presence of inhibitors.

Conclusions

This study shows a greater TG impairment in inhibitor patients irrespective of FVIII levels, inhibitor titre and F8 mutation type, suggesting a role for the TGA in unravelling functional interferences of anti‐FVIII inhibitors on coagulation system activation.
The first report of the thyroid function of haemophilic patients with HIV/HCV co‐infection in Japan
Authors: Sakimura C. , Eguchi S. , Yamanouchi K. , Minami S. , Kuba S. , Hayashida N. , Soyama A. , Hidaka M. , Takatsuki M. , Maeda S. , Kuroki T.
Published: May 2016

Introduction

A high incidence of thyroid dysfunction is reported in patients with HIV or HCV mono‐infection. We have conducted a periodic medical examination including the thyroid function for haemophilic patients with HIV/HCV co‐infection due to contaminated blood products.

Methods

We examined the thyroid function (as assessed by the FT3, FT4 and TSH levels) in 45 haemophilic patients, including thyroglobulin and auto‐antibody, antithyroglobulin antibody, antithyroid peroxidase antibody and anti‐TSH receptor antibody in 28 patients.

Results

All the patients were males (median age: 42 years; range: 29–66). The median values of thyroid function were FT3 3.36 pg mL−1, FT4 1.125 ng mL−1 and TSH 1.65 μIU mL−1. Five patients (11.1%) had high TSH levels. In 28 patients in whom the presence of auto‐antibodies was examined, the median age was 47 years of age. The median value of thyroglobulin was 16 ng mL−1 and two patients showed high levels of thyroglobulin. The presence of anti‐TSH receptor antibody of all the patients was negative, but one patient (3.5%) was positive of antithyroid peroxidase antibody and antithyroglobulin antibody.

Conclusions

Since 0.68–3.6% of the general healthy population is reported to show hypothyroidism, our data showed that the proportion of hypothyroidism in haemophilic patients with HIV/HCV co‐infection was more frequent than that of the normal population.
Effect of Attritor Milling on Synthesis and Sintering of Forsterite Ceramics
Authors: Tan Yoke Meng , Tan Chou Yong , Ramesh Singh , Teh Yee Ching , Wong Yew Hong , Yap Boon Kar
Published: May 2016

Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) was chosen as a new candidate for bone implant application because of its superior fracture toughness and good bioactivity. However, synthesizing pure forsterite has been a challenge to many researchers because of its inability to eliminate secondary phases that have similar chemical compounds as forsterite. Attritor mill was introduced to form pure forsterite via solid‐state method through the reaction between magnesium carbonate (MgCO3) and talc (Mg3Si4(OH)2). Attritor‐milled samples showed superior mechanical properties compared with ball‐milled samples because of the smaller particle size of the former which in turn eliminated the secondary phases at low sintering temperature.
Electrical Impedance Variations in Banana Ripening: An Analytical Study with Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy
Authors: Chowdhury Atanu , Kanti Bera Tushar , Ghoshal Dibyendu , Chakraborty Badal
Published: May 2016

Fruit ripening is a very crucial event in food engineering as the fruits are very important and essential food materials for human health. Under‐ripening and over‐ripening both are not desirable to have all the essential and important nutrients in the fruits which are only available at their optimum‐ripening state. Hence, studying the ripening process of fruits is very much essential which will not only help the people to have the best fruit quality but also will help the researcher and scientist to analyze the food quality. Chemical and biochemical analyses conducted to analyze the fruit ripening are time‐consuming and destructive in nature; hence, these methods, generally, are not found suitable for routine, fast and repetitive inspections. A fast and nondestructive fruit ripening characterization method is found essential to study the ripening state and fruit nutrients levels. In this direction, the EIS studies have been conducted as a nondestructive evaluation method to study the electrical impedance variations during banana ripening. The electrical impedance of banana samples is measured by Agilent 4294A impedance analyzer at different states of ripening and the ripening states are correlated with their corresponding impedances. All the impedance parameters, Z, phase angle, real part of Z and imaginary part of Z are studied to analyze the ripening phenomena in terms of banana impedance. The results demonstrate that the complex impedance, real part and imaginary part of the impedance all increase with the progresses in the ripening process. Equivalent circuit modeling shows that the ripened banana contains constant phase elements. Statistical analysis conducted on the samples from a same bunch also shows that the electrical impedance spectroscopy technique can be applied for noninvasive characterization of banana ripening.

Practical Applications

EIS conducted on banana ripening characterizes the banana ripening process in terms of its impedance variation and develops the equivalent circuit. EIS studies establish the correlation between the bioimpedance variation and ripening states which can be potentially utilized to study the banana ripening noninvasively. Statistical analysis shows that the standard deviation of all the impedance parameters of different banana samples obtained from a same bunch is very low compared to the corresponding mean values. It is observed that the EIS study conducted on one banana sample can represent the ripening state of the other bananas and hence the EIS studies conducted on limited number of samples can be utilized to characterize the ripening of the entire banana stacks. Thus EIS studies on banana ripening not only help us to find the optimum ripening state but also it will help the researchers to analyze its physiological changes, taste, and nutrient levels.
Going Cognitivein der Themenforschung
Authors: Scarinzi Alfonsina
Published: May 2016

Gegenstand dieses Beitrages ist die Rolle der kognitiven und stilistischen Dehabitualisierung beim thematischen Lesen eines Textes der Literatur im Rahmen der sogenannten kognitiven Wende in der Literaturwissenschaft und Themenforschung. Es wird behauptet, dass Abweichung, die Verfremdung erreicht, für das thematische Lesen eines Textes der Literatur relevant wird, wenn sie nicht nur Abweichung von standardisiertem Sprachgebrauch, sondern auch Abweichung von etablierten kulturellen Wissensschemata bewirken kann. Auf diese Weise wird auf Isers Kritik am Abweichungsbegriff als Bedingung der Poetizität zurückgegangen. Die kognitive Kontrollfunktion vonmanifestness(Sperber & Wilson) undinterestingness(Schank) bei der Disambiguierung der thematischen Vieldeutigkeit eines Textes der Literatur wird besprochen.
Role of Eosinophil Granulocytes in Allergic Airway Inflammation Endotypes
Authors: Amin K. , Janson C. , Bystrom J.
Published: May 2016

Eosinophil granulocytes are intriguing members of the innate immunity system that have been considered important defenders during parasitic diseases as well as culprits during allergy‐associated inflammatory diseases. Novel studies have, however, found new homoeostasis‐maintaining roles for the cell. Recent clinical trials blocking different Th2 cytokines have uncovered that asthma is heterogeneous entity and forms different characteristic endotypes. Although eosinophils are present in allergic asthma with early onset, the cells may not be essential for the pathology. The cells are, however, likely disease causing in asthma with a late onset, which is often associated with chronic rhinosinusitis. Assessment of eosinophilia, fraction exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and periostin are markers that have emerged useful in assessing and monitoring asthma severity and endotype. Current scientific knowledge suggests that eosinophils are recruited by the inflammatory environment, activated by the innate interleukin (IL)‐33 and prevented from apoptosis by both lymphocytes and innate immune cells such as type two innate immune cells. Eosinophils contain four specific granule proteins that exhibit an array of toxic and immune‐modulatory activates. The granule proteins can be released by different mechanisms. Additionally, eosinophils contain a number of inflammatory cytokines and lipid mediators as well as radical oxygen species that might contribute to the disease both by the recruitment of other cells and the direct damage to supporting cells, leading to exacerbations and tissue fibrosis. This review aimed to outline current knowledge how eosinophils are recruited, activated and mediate damage to tissues and therapies used to control the cells.
Determining the effect of vein visualization technology on donation success, vasovagal symptoms, anxiety and intention to re‐donate in whole blood donors aged 18–30 years: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Waller D. , Mondy P. , Brama T. , Fisher J. , King A. , Malkov K. , Wall‐Smith D. , Ryan L. , Irving D. O.
Published: May 2016

Background and objectives

Vein visualization technology (VVT) devices use near‐infrared light to assist location of peripheral veins. The current study investigated the impact of VVT on donor experience and collection success for young blood donors at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service.

Materials and Methods

The study in donors aged 18 to 30 years used a two intervention to one control randomized trial design with 285 new and 587 returning donors recruited at two sites. Donors reported presyncopal symptoms, phlebotomy pain, anxiety and intentions to redonate along with other measures. Participating phlebotomists rated usefulness of the technology. Flow rates, collection volumes and other donation information were taken from routine data.

Results

No significant differences were found between control and intervention groups on presyncopal symptoms, phlebotomy pain, anxiety, intentions to redonate, flow rates, collection volumes or vasovagal reactions (all P's > 0·05). Phlebotomist ratings of VVT were significantly more positive when they had less than 5 years of experience (P < 0·01) or when the vein was not visible to the naked eye (P < 0·01).

Conclusions

Results suggest that VVT does not improve the donation experience for younger blood donors. Staff reports indicate that VVT may have some utility for assisting with difficult phlebotomies.
Noise power spectrum of the fixed pattern noise in digital radiography detectors
Authors: Kim Dong Sik , Kim Eun
Published: May 2016

Purpose:

The fixed pattern noise in radiography image detectors is caused by various sources. Multiple readout circuits with gate drivers and charge amplifiers are used to efficiently acquire the pixel voltage signals. However, the multiple circuits are not identical and thus yield nonuniform system gains. Nonuniform sensitivities are also produced from local variations in the charge collection elements. Furthermore, in phosphor‐based detectors, the optical scattering at the top surface of the columnar CsI growth, the grain boundaries, and the disorder structure causes spatial sensitivity variations. These nonuniform gains or sensitivities cause fixed pattern noise and degrade the detector performance, even though the noise problem can be partially alleviated by using gain correction techniques. Hence, in order to develop good detectors, comparative analysis of the energy spectrum of the fixed pattern noise is important.

Methods:

In order to observe the energy spectrum of the fixed pattern noise, a normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS) of the fixed pattern noise is considered in this paper. Since the fixed pattern noise is mainly caused by the nonuniform gains, we call the spectrum the gain NNPS. We first asymptotically observe the gain NNPS and then formulate two relationships to calculate the gain NNPS based on a nonuniform‐gain model. Since the gain NNPS values are quite low compared to the usual NNPS, measuring such a low NNPS value is difficult. By using the average of the uniform exposure images, a robust measuring method for the gain NNPS is proposed in this paper.

Results:

By using the proposed measuring method, the gain NNPS curves of several prototypes of general radiography and mammography detectors were measured to analyze their fixed pattern noise properties. We notice that a direct detector, which is based on the a‐Se photoconductor, showed lower gain NNPS than the indirect‐detector case, which is based on the CsI scintillator. By comparing the gain NNPS curves of the indirect detectors, we could analyze the scintillator properties depending on the techniques for the scintillator surface processing.

Conclusions:

A robust measuring method for the NNPS of the fixed pattern noise of a radiography detector is proposed in this paper. The method can measure a stable gain NNPS curve, even though the fixed pattern noise level is quite low. From the measured gain NNPS curves, we can compare and analyze the detector properties in terms of producing the fixed pattern noise.
Using Magnets and Classroom Flipping to Promote Student Engagement and Learning about Protein Translation in a Large Microbiology Class
Authors: McLean Jennifer L. , Suchman Erica L.
Published: May 2016

It is generally accepted within the education community that active learning is superior to traditional lecturing alone. Many science educators, however, are reluctant to give up classroom time for activities because they fear that they will not have time to cover as much content. Classroom flipping has been gaining momentum in higher education as one way to engage students in the classroom while still exposing students to the same volume of course content. The activity presented here demonstrates how flipping one lecture period can be used in conjunction with an engaging in-class activity to teach a concept that is often difficult for students to learn through lecture alone. Specifically, we asked students to view a lecture video on bacterial protein translation before coming to class. We then used the classroom period to conduct a hands-on activity that allowed students to interact with magnetic pieces representing the components of protein translation to generate a protein from a given piece of DNA. Survey data showed that students liked the flipped classroom format associated with this activity, but they would not want every class flipped, and they perceived that the hands-on protein translation activity helped them to learn the material. Preliminary summative assessment data showed that this activity may have been useful in helping students to achieve the fundamental learning outcome that students will be able to translate a protein from a given piece of bacterial DNA.
Battle of the Bacteria: Characterizing the Evolutionary Advantage of Stationary Phase Growth
Authors: Kram Karin E. , Yim Kristina M. , Coleman Aaron B. , Sato Brian K.
Published: May 2016

Providing students with authentic research opportunities has been shown to enhance learning and increase retention in STEM majors. Accordingly, we have developed a novel microbiology lab module, which focuses on the molecular mechanisms of evolution in
E. coli
, by examining the growth advantage in stationary phase (GASP) phenotype. The GASP phenotype is demonstrated by growing cells into long-term stationary phase (LTSP) and then competing them against un-aged cells in a fresh culture. This module includes learning goals related to strengthening practical laboratory skills and improving student understanding of evolution. In addition, the students generate novel data regarding the effects of different environmental stresses on GASP and the relationship between evolution, genotypic change, mutation frequency, and cell stress. Pairs of students are provided with the experimental background, select a specific aspect of the growth medium to modify, and generate a hypothesis regarding how this alteration will impact the GASP phenotype. From this module, we have demonstrated that students are able to achieve the established learning goals and have produced data that has furthered our understanding of the GASP phenotype. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
Pyogenic liver abscess: uncommon presentation
Authors: Sotto Mayor Joana , Robalo Maria Margarida , Pacheco Ana Paula , Esperança Sofia
Published: May 2016

Pyogenic liver abscess is a rare entity, but it is fatal when untreated. With a peak incidence in the fifth decade of life, its early recognition and intervention are key to successful treatment and better prognosis of patients. In recent years, its approach has been enhanced by the use of percutaneous drainage, improved imaging techniques and a better microbiological characterisation, allowing for a more appropriate use of antibiotics. Clinical manifestations are variable and depend on the size of the abscess, the condition of the patient, associated diseases and possible complications. Among the most common symptoms that stand out are the pain in the upper quadrants of the abdomen, high fever, nausea and vomiting. The authors present the case of a patient who developed an atrial flutter as the initial presentation of a hepatic abscess that imagiologically mimicked a hepatic tumour.
Recurrence of an NSAID-induced diaphragmatic disease of the small intestine
Authors: Sumner Daniel , Sahota Jagjit , Schofield John
Published: May 2016

A 74-year-old woman was referred to the surgical team from clinic, reporting of a 1-week history of vomiting and abdominal distension on a background of previous large bowel resection for a flare up of diverticulitis with a suspicion of diaphragm disease of the small intestine diagnosed at the same time. She was initially managed conservatively owing to the likely diagnosis of adhesion(s) leading to small bowel obstruction, but a CT of the abdomen a day later revealed a recurrence of diaphragmatic disease of the small bowel causing an obstruction, most likely due to chronic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use. She was taken to theatre for an emergency laparotomy and small bowel resection due to previous resections, from which she made a good recovery; she was discharged from hospital 8 days later.
Vitro toxicity assessments of nano-ZnS on bovine serum albumin by multispectroscopic methods
Authors: Liang Caishuang , Liu Xiaoqing , Chen Chunyan , Chen Xiaoming , Cai Changqun
Published: May 2016

Measuring protein damaged by nanomaterials may give insight into the mechanisms of toxicity of nanomaterials. The toxic effects of nano-ZnS, nano-Al2O3, nano-ZnCO3, and nano-SiO2 on bovine serum albumin (BSA) were thoroughly studied by multispectroscopic methods, including resonance light scattering, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism, etc., and the most obvious changes were observed when nano-ZnS interacted with BSA among the four nanoparticles. The experimental results showed that nano-ZnS can bind with BSA to form a complex when the conjugating ratio is 1:1. nano-ZnS can alter the structure of BSA, leading to a loosening of the protein skeleton, and therefore, the internal hydrophobic amino acids are exposed in the loose structure, which indicated that nano-ZnS has an obvious toxic effect on BSA. This work provides a new perspective and method for determining the toxic effects of nanomaterials on biological macromolecules.
CAN THE CROWD DO THE JOB? EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF INTEGRATING CUSTOMERS INTO A COMPANY’S BUSINESS MODEL INNOVATION
Authors: EBEL PHILIPP ALEXANDER , BRETSCHNEIDER ULRICH , LEIMEISTER JAN MARCO
Published: May 2016

While collaborative business modeling (CBM) constitutes a promising new approach for opening up a company’s innovation process, existing literature lacks empirical evidence of the effects related to this approach. Drawing on related literature on the quality of creative output, this paper proposes that in the context of a CBM initiative, the integration of customers will improve the quality of the generated output. As indicated by the results of our empirical evaluation, customers are indeed capable of developing high quality business models and are able to outperform company experts when it comes to the task of developing new business models.
KBLAS
Authors: Abdelfattah Ahmad , Keyes David , Ltaief Hatem
Published: May 2016

KBLAS is an open-source, high-performance library that provides optimized kernels for a subset of Level 2 BLAS functionalities on CUDA-enabled GPUs. Since performance of dense matrix-vector multiplication is hindered by the overhead of memory accesses, a double-buffering optimization technique is employed to overlap data motion with computation. After identifying a proper set of tuning parameters, KBLAS efficiently runs on various GPU architectures while avoiding code rewriting and retaining compliance with the standard BLAS API. Another optimization technique allows ensuring coalesced memory access when dealing with submatrices, especially for high-level dense linear algebra algorithms. All KBLAS kernels have been leveraged to a multi-GPU environment, which requires the introduction of new APIs. Considering general matrices, KBLAS is very competitive with existing state-of-the-art kernels and provides a smoother performance across a wide range of matrix dimensions. Considering symmetric and Hermitian matrices, the KBLAS performance outperforms existing state-of-the-art implementations on all matrix sizes and achieves asymptotically up to 50% and 60% speedup against the best competitor on single GPU and multi-GPUs systems, respectively. Performance results also validate our performance model. A subset of KBLAS high-performance kernels have been integrated into NVIDIA's standard BLAS implementation (cuBLAS) for larger dissemination, starting from version 6.0.
A Radix-Independent Error Analysis of the Cornea-Harrison-Tang Method
Authors: Jeannerod Claude-Pierre
Published: May 2016

Assuming floating-point arithmetic with a fused multiply-add operation and rounding to nearest, the Cornea-Harrison-Tang method aims to evaluate expressions of the form
ab
+
cd
with high relative accuracy. In this article, we provide a rounding error analysis of this method, which unlike previous studies is not restricted to binary floating-point arithmetic but holds for any radix β. We show first that an asymptotically optimal bound on the relative error of this method is 2β
u
+ 2
u
2
/β - 2
u
2
= 2
u
+ 2/β
u
2
+
O
(
u
3
), where
u
= 1/2β

1-
p

is the unit roundoff in radix β and precision
p
. Then we show that the possibility of removing the
O
(
u
2
) term from this bound is governed by the radix parity and the tie-breaking strategy used for rounding: if β is odd or rounding is
to nearest even
, then the simpler bound 2
u
is obtained, while if β is even and rounding is
to nearest away
, then there exist floating-point inputs
a
,
b
,
c
,
d
that lead to a relative error larger than 2
u
+ 2/β
u
2
— 4
u
3
. All these results hold provided underflows and overflows do not occur and under some mild assumptions on
p
satisfied by IEEE 754-2008 formats.
A System-Level Modeling and Design for Cyber-Physical-Social Systems
Authors: Zeng Jing , Yang Laurence T. , Ma Jianhua
Published: May 2016

The design of cyber-physical-social systems (CPSS) is a novel and challenging research field due that it emphasizes the deep fusion of cyberspace, physical space, and social space. In this article, we extend our previously proposed system-level design framework [Zeng et al. 2015] to tailor it to the needs of social scenario of multiple users. A hierarchical Petri net-based model and social flow are presented to extend the control flow and formally describe the social interactions of multiple users, respectively. By using the extended model, the system-level optimization for CPSS can be achieved by the improved design flow. Specifically, object emplacement and user satisfaction are further extended into the social environment. Also maximal power estimation algorithm is improved, leveraging the extended intermediate representation model. Finally, we use a smart office case to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of our improved design approach for multiple users.
Political Theory on Climate Change
Authors: Lane Melissa
Published: May 2016

This article focuses on discussions in political theory on climate change in the period 2005–2015, setting them in the context of broader discussions in political theory on the environment and ecology in the period 1990–2005. The themes of justice, politics, and expertise are used to organize the review. It is argued that discussions of justice and climate change could benefit from a richer connection to the literature on historical injustice; that in discussions of the politics of climate change, a comparative advantage of political theory lies in further development of the role of ethos and imagination in reshaping our understanding of the place of the status quo; and that more research into the relationship between expertise and democracy is needed. In conclusion, the idea of the Anthropocene is considered, with the need for further consideration of politics in specifying how humans are transforming the nature of the earth and atmosphere.
Policy Making for the Long Term in Advanced Democracies
Authors: Jacobs Alan M.
Published: May 2016

A range of policy problems—from climate change to pension sustainability to skill shortages—confront governments with intertemporal dilemmas: trade-offs between maximizing social welfare in the present and taking care of the future. There is, moreover, substantial variation in the degree to which democratic governments are willing to invest in long-term social goods. Surprisingly, the literature on the politics of public policy has paid little explicit attention to timing as a dimension of policy choice, focusing almost exclusively on matters of cross-sectional distribution. This article develops a framework for explaining intertemporal policy choices in democracies by adapting findings from the literatures on distributive politics, political economy, and political behavior. The article makes a case for analyzing the politics of the long term as a struggle over how welfare should be allocated across groups and over how policy effects should be distributed through time.
A Review on Locomotor Training after Spinal Cord Injury: Reorganization of Spinal Neuronal Circuits and Recovery of Motor Function
Authors: Smith Andrew C. , Knikou Maria
Published: May 2016

Locomotor training is a classic rehabilitation approach utilized with the aim of improving sensorimotor function and walking ability in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Recent studies have provided strong evidence that locomotor training of persons with clinically complete, motor complete, or motor incomplete SCI induces functional reorganization of spinal neuronal networks at multisegmental levels at rest and during assisted stepping. This neuronal reorganization coincides with improvements in motor function and decreased muscle cocontractions. In this review, we will discuss the manner in which spinal neuronal circuits are impaired and the evidence surrounding plasticity of neuronal activity after locomotor training in people with SCI. We conclude that we need to better understand the physiological changes underlying locomotor training, use physiological signals to probe recovery over the course of training, and utilize established and contemporary interventions simultaneously in larger scale research studies. Furthermore, the focus of our research questions needs to change from feasibility and efficacy to the following: what are the physiological mechanisms that make it work and for whom? The aforementioned will enable the scientific and clinical community to develop more effective rehabilitation protocols maximizing sensorimotor function recovery in people with SCI.
Antimicrobial Activity ofCroton macrostachyusStem Bark Extracts against Several Human Pathogenic Bacteria
Authors: Obey Jackie K. , von Wright Atte , Orjala Jimmy , Kauhanen Jussi , Tikkanen-Kaukanen Carina
Published: May 2016

In Kenya, leaves and roots fromCroton macrostachyusare used as a traditional medicine for infectious diseases such as typhoid and measles, but reports on possible antimicrobial activity of stem bark do not exist. In this study, the antibacterial and antifungal effects of methanol, ethyl acetate and butanol extracts, and purified lupeol ofC. macrostachyusstem bark were determined against important human gram-negative pathogensEscherichia coli,Salmonella typhi,Klebsiella pneumoniae, andEnterobacter aerogenes, gram-positiveListeria monocytogenes,and a fungusCandida albicans. The most promising broad scale antimicrobial activity against all the studied pathogens was shown by the ethyl acetate extract. The ethyl acetate extract induced the zone of inhibition between10.1±0.6 mm and16.0±1.2 mm againstS. typhi,E. coli,K. pneumoniae,E. aerogenes,andL. monocytogeneswith weaker antimicrobial activity againstC. albicans(zone of inhibition:5.6±1.0 mm). The antibiotic controls (amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, benzylpenicillin, clotrimazole, and cefotaxime) showed antimicrobial activity with zones of inhibition within13.4±0.7–22.1±0.9 mm. The ethyl acetate extract had MIC in the range of 125–250 mg/mL against all the studied bacteria and againstC. albicansMIC was 500 mg/mL. The present results give scientific evidence and support the traditional use ofC. macrostachyusstem bark as a source for antimicrobials. We show thatC. macrostachyusstem bark lupeol is a promising antimicrobial agent against several important human pathogens.
Vector Potential ofBlattella germanica(L.) (Dictyoptera: Blattidae) for Medically Important Bacteria at Food Handling Establishments in Jimma Town, Southwest Ethiopia
Authors: Solomon Fithamlak , Belayneh Fanuel , Kibru Gebre , Ali Solomon
Published: May 2016

Cockroaches have been regarded as possible vectors of human enteropathogens. Their presence and crawl particularly in food handling establishments could be risky for human health. Therefore, this study was done to determine the vector potential of cockroach for medically important bacterial pathogens in restaurants and cafeterias. A cross-sectional study was conducted on cockroaches from restaurants and cafeterias in Jimma town from May to September 2014. Standard taxonomic keys and microbiological techniques were applied for species identification and isolation. Data was analyzed in SPSS version 16.0. All cockroaches trapped were the German cockroach,Blattella germanica(L.) (Dictyoptera: Blattidae).Escherichia coliwas the most frequently isolated followed bySalmonellaspecies (serogroups B, D, E, C1, and NG),Bacillus cereus, andShigella flexneri. Wide varieties of bacteria of medical relevance were also identified. Of which,Klebsiellaspp. 49(40.8%),Bacillusspp., andStaphylococcus saprophyticuswere predominant.Blattella germanica(L.) (Dictyoptera: Blattidae) could serve as a potential vector for the dissemination of foodborne pathogens such asSalmonellaspp.,Shigella flexneri,E. coli,S. aureus, andB. cereusand these bacteria could be a major threat to public health. Therefore, environmental sanitation and standard hygiene need to be applied in the food handling establishments in that locality.
Proliferation and Glia-Directed Differentiation of Neural Stem Cells in the Subventricular Zone of the Lateral Ventricle and the Migratory Pathway to the Lesions after Cortical Devascularization of Adult Rats
Authors: Wan Feng , Bai Hua-Jing , Liu Jun-Qi , Tian Mo , Wang Yong-Xue , Niu Xin , Si Yin-Chu
Published: May 2016

We investigated the effects of cortical devascularization on the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of neural stem cells (NSCs) in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle of adult rats. 60 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group and devascularized group. At 15 and 30 days after cerebral cortices were devascularized, rats were euthanized and immunohistochemical analysis was performed. The number of PCNA-, Vimentin-, and GFAP-positive cells in the bilateral SVZ of the lateral wall and the superior wall of the lateral ventricles of 15- and 30-day devascularized groups increased significantly compared with the control group (P<0.05andP<0.01). The area density of PCNA-, Vimentin-, and GFAP-positive cells in cortical lesions of 15- and 30-day devascularized groups increased significantly compared with the control group (P<0.05andP<0.01). PCNA-, GFAP-, and Vimentin-positive cells in the SVZ migrated through the rostral migratory stream (RMS), and PCNA-, GFAP-, and Vimentin-positive cells from both the ipsilateral and contralateral dorsolateral SVZ (dl-SVZ) migrated into the corpus callosum (CC) and accumulated, forming a migratory pathway within the CC to the lesioned site. Our study suggested that cortical devascularization induced proliferation, glia-directed differentiation, and migration of NSCs from the SVZ through the RMS or directly to the corpus callosum and finally migrating radially to cortical lesions. This may play a significant role in neural repair.
People Centered Innovation: Enabling Lean Integrated Project Delivery and Disrupting the Construction Industry for a More Sustainable Future
Authors: Paolillo William , Olson Branka V. , Straub Edward
Published: May 2016

People-centered innovation is a paradigm shift in the construction industry. It is derived from the supposition that people not methods, schedules, or budgets deliver projects. Our data suggest that a multilevel, multidisciplinary project team through shared vision, values, and a common vernacular defines, designs, and delivers more successful projects than traditional methods. These projects meet the needs of shareholders, the community, stakeholders, and the planet. We employ the concepts of emotional intelligence and agency theory to explain an integrated project delivery (IPD) construction project using lean tactics that not only delivered, but also exceeded expectations resulting in a six-month schedule acceleration and $60M savings over the original estimated cost of the project calculated assuming traditional project delivery methods. The safety rating for this project was 50% better than the national average and the expected improvement in operating margin for the new building is 33% greater. This paper introduces the notion of people-centered innovation to an industry that has struggled to adapt and show positive results over recent decades. Our case study describes the significance of people-centered innovation in construction project delivery. We discuss the implications for the construction industry going forward.
Dynamic Heat Supply Prediction Using Support Vector Regression Optimized by Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Wang Meiping , Tian Qi
Published: May 2016

We developed an effective intelligent model to predict the dynamic heat supply of heat source. A hybrid forecasting method was proposed based on support vector regression (SVR) model-optimized particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms. Due to the interaction of meteorological conditions and the heating parameters of heating system, it is extremely difficult to forecast dynamic heat supply. Firstly, the correlations among heat supply and related influencing factors in the heating system were analyzed through the correlation analysis of statistical theory. Then, the SVR model was employed to forecast dynamic heat supply. In the model, the input variables were selected based on the correlation analysis and three crucial parameters, including the penalties factor, gamma of the kernel RBF, and insensitive loss function, were optimized by PSO algorithms. The optimized SVR model was compared with the basic SVR, optimized genetic algorithm-SVR (GA-SVR), and artificial neural network (ANN) through six groups of experiment data from two heat sources. The results of the correlation coefficient analysis revealed the relationship between the influencing factors and the forecasted heat supply and determined the input variables. The performance of the PSO-SVR model is superior to those of the other three models. The PSO-SVR method is statistically robust and can be applied to practical heating system.
Detecting Susceptibility to Breast Cancer with SNP-SNP Interaction Using BPSOHS and Emotional Neural Networks
Authors: Wang Xiao , Peng Qinke , Fan Yue
Published: May 2016

Studies for the association between diseases and informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have received great attention. However, most of them just use the whole set of useful SNPs and fail to consider the SNP-SNP interactions, while these interactions have already been proven in biology experiments. In this paper, we use a binary particle swarm optimization with hierarchical structure (BPSOHS) algorithm to improve the effective of PSO for the identification of the SNP-SNP interactions. Furthermore, in order to use these SNP interactions in the susceptibility analysis, we propose an emotional neural network (ENN) to treat SNP interactions as emotional tendency. Different from the normal architecture, just as the emotional brain, this architecture provides a specific path to treat the emotional value, by which the SNP interactions can be considered more quickly and directly. The ENN helps us use the prior knowledge about the SNP interactions and other influence factors together. Finally, the experimental results prove that the proposed BPSOHS_ENN algorithm can detect the informative SNP-SNP interaction and predict the breast cancer risk with a much higher accuracy than existing methods.
Combination of Superselective Arterial Embolization and Radiofrequency Ablation for the Treatment of a Giant Renal Angiomyolipoma Complicated with Caval Thrombus
Authors: Stamatiou Konstantinos N. , Moschouris Hippocrates , Marmaridou Kiriaki , Kiltenis Michail , Kladis-Kalentzis Konstantinos , Malagari Katerina
Published: May 2016

This is a case of a 78-year-old male patient with multiple angiomyolipomas of a solitary right kidney. The largest of these tumors (maximum diameter: 13.4 cm) caused significant extrinsic compression of the inferior vena cava complicated by thrombosis of this vessel. Treatment of thrombosis with anticoagulants had been ineffective and the patient had experienced a bleeding episode from the largest right renal angiomyolipoma, which had been treated by transarterial embolization in another institution, 4 months prior to our intervention. Our approach included superselective transarterial embolization of the dominant, right kidney angiomyolipoma with hydrogel microspheres, which was combined, 20 days later, with ultrasonographically guided radiofrequency ablation. Both interventions were uneventful. Computed tomography 2 months after ablation showed a 53% reduction in tumor volume, reduced space-occupying effect on inferior vena cava, and resolution of caval thrombus. Nine months after intervention the patient has had no recurrence of thrombosis or hemorrhage and no tumor regrowth has been observed. The combination of superselective transarterial embolization and radiofrequency ablation seems to be a feasible, safe, and efficient treatment of large renal angiomyolipomas.
Synthesis, X-Ray Crystal Structures, Biological Evaluation, and Molecular Docking Studies of a Series of Barbiturate Derivatives
Authors: Barakat Assem , Ghabbour Hazem A. , Al-Majid Abdullah Mohammed , Qurat-ul-ain  , Imad Rehan , Javaid Kulsoom , Shaikh Nimra Naveed , Yousuf Sammer , Iqbal Choudhary M. , Wadood Abdul
Published: May 2016

A series of barbiturates derivatives synthesized and screened for different set of bioassays are described. The molecular structures of compounds5a,5d,and5fwere solved by single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. The results of bioassay show that compounds4a,4b,4c,4d,4e,4f, and4gare potent antioxidants in comparison to the tested standards, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), andN-acetylcysteine. Compounds4a–4e(IC50=101.8±0.8–124.4±4.4 μM) and4g(IC50=104.1±1.9 μM) were more potent antioxidants than the standard (BHT,IC50=128.8±2.1 μM). The enzyme inhibition potential of these compounds was also evaluated,in vitro, against thymidine phosphorylase,α-glucosidase, andβ-glucuronidase enzymes. Compounds4c,4h,4o,4p,4q, 5f,and5mwere found to be potentα-glucosidase inhibitors and showed more activity than the standard drug acarbose, whereas compounds4v,and5hwere found to be potent thymidine phosphorylase inhibitors, more active than the standard drug, 7-deazaxanthine. All barbiturates derivatives (4a–4x,4z,and5a–5m) were found to be noncytotoxic against human prostate (PC-3), Henrietta Lacks cervical (HeLa) and Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines, and 3T3 normal fibroblast cell line, except4ywhich was cytotoxic against all the cell lines.