bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lillooet Glacier basalts, southwestern British Columbia, Canada: products of Quaternary glaciovolcanism
Authors: Wilson Alexander M. , Russell James K.
Published: January 2017

The retreat of Lillooet Glacier (LG) has exposed a succession of pillow basalt and subordinate amounts of breccia and hyaloclastite. The lithofacies and physiographic setting suggest that the deposits have a glaciovolcanic origin and represent a partially dissected basaltic pillow-dominated tindar. Chemically, the LG volcanic rocks are basalt to basaltic andesite, and, as a group, they represent the highest-silica, Quaternary mafic products in the Garibaldi volcanic belt (GVB). Like other northern GVB (alkaline) basalts, they lack the Nb–Ta depletion signature typically associated with subduction-related products. Geochemical and petrologic analysis indicates that the LG basalts are comagmatic and that chemical variations within the suite are consistent with sorting of the observed phenocryst assemblage: olivine + plagioclase. Thermodynamic modeling establishes shallow, crustal, pre-eruptive storage conditions at <2 kbar (1 kbar = 100 MPa; or 7.5 km) and an H2O content of 0.5–1 wt.%. We estimate that the LG basalts were erupted at the peak of, or during the waning stages of, Fraser glaciation (17–13 ka). The eruption produced an englacial lake that was >150 m deep and that appears to have been sustained throughout the entire eruption (i.e., no discernible passage zone). Using hydrostatic constraints, we calculate a minimum overlying paleo-ice thickness of >645 m and a paleo-ice surface elevation of >1895 m above sea level.
Étude de la bande ν3 de la molécule 70GeD4 : Analyse des positions de transitions rovibrationnelles et ambiguïtés des termes q2J4 de l’Hamiltonien
Authors: Meskine Mohamed , Kaarour Abdelkrim , Ouardi Okkacha
Published: January 2017

Ce travail consiste à analyser les positions des raies de transitions rovibrationnelles de la bande ν3 de la molécule 70GeD4, qui se trouve dans la fenêtre 1420–1620 cm−1. Dans cette analyse, où l’Hamiltonien des molécules tétraédriques est développé jusqu’à l’ordre 7, 43 paramètres (dont 10 relatifs au niveau de base GS) interviennent dans le développement de l’Hamiltonien. L’ensemble des programmes XTDS et SPVIEW, développés au Laboratoire interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne (ICB Dijon, France), sont utilisés dans toutes nos analyses et nos calculs de spectres. L’analyse des 292 données expérimentales nous a permis de déterminer, parmi les 33 relatifs à la bande ν3, 32 paramètres, pour une valeur de Jmax = 31 et avec un écart quadratique moyen dRMS = 0,587 × 10−3 cm−1, très proche de la précision expérimentale. Sur la base des 292 données expérimentales de la bande ν3 de la molécule 70GeD4, la théorie des ambiguïtés des paramètres de type q2J4 de l’Hamiltonien effectif pour les états triplement dégénérés (F2) des molécules tétraédriques est vérifiée. Il est montré, et en accord avec la théorie des ambigüités, que les paramètres [Formula: see text] de type q2J4, et sur la base d’un ensemble de données expérimentales ne se déterminent pas d’une façon unique, et ne peuvent donc pas être considérés comme des constantes spectroscopiques.
Disorders of Astrocytes: Alexander Disease as a Model
Authors: Olabarria Markel , Goldman James E.
Published: January 2017

Astrocytes undergo important phenotypic changes in many neurological disorders, including strokes, trauma, inflammatory diseases, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. We have been studying the astrocytes of Alexander disease (AxD), which is caused by heterozygous mutations in the GFAP gene, which is the gene that encodes the major astrocyte intermediate filament protein. AxD is a primary astrocyte disease because GFAP expression is specific to astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS). The accumulation of extremely large amounts of GFAP causes many molecular changes in astrocytes, including proteasome inhibition, stress kinase activation, mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation, loss of glutamate and potassium buffering capacity, loss of astrocyte coupling, and changes in cell morphology. Many of these changes appear to be common to astrocyte reactions in other neurological disorders. Using AxD to illuminate common mechanisms, we discuss the molecular pathology of AxD astrocytes and compare that to astrocyte pathology in other disorders.
Pathogenesis and Pathology of Mastocytosis
Authors: Metcalfe Dean D. , Mekori Yoseph A.
Published: January 2017

Systemic mastocytosis is a clonal disorder of mast cells that may variably present with characteristic skin lesions, episodes of mast cell mediator release, and disturbances of hematopoiesis. No curative therapy presently exists. Conventional management has relied on agents that antagonize mediators released by mast cells, inhibit mediator secretion, or modulate mast cell proliferation. Recent advances in the molecular understanding of the pathophysiology of systemic mastocytosis have provided new therapeutic considerations, including new and novel tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
An Enhanced Supervisory Control Strategy for Periodicity Mutual Exclusions in Discrete Event Systems Based on Petri Nets
Authors: Jiang Zhongyuan , Wang Huan , Chen Xiaoliang , Tang Mingwei , Ye Jianhong
Published: January 2017

Mutual exclusion problems widely exist in discrete event systems in which several processes will compete for the common resource for maintaining their normal running. This competition is mutually exclusive. However, a special behavior, that is, periodic mutual exclusion behavior, is important for many discrete event systems. Once a process obtains the common resource, it will consecutively obtain the common resource in the following several competitions. The other processes should wait for the release of the common resource. All processes will compete for the common resource again after the common resource is released. These competitions have obvious periodicity. In this paper, a methodology is proposed to design periodic mutual exclusion supervisors to control the periodic mutual exclusion behavior in discrete event systems. Moreover, two original structural conversion concepts, calledk-derivation andk-convergence processes, are proposed to construct the periodic mutual exclusion supervisors. The discussion results show that many undesirable execution sequences are forbidden since the periodic mutual exclusion behavior is controlled by the proposed periodic mutual exclusion supervisors. Finally, an example is used to illustrate the proposed methodology.
Emergent Uterine Arterial Embolization Using N-Butyl Cyanoacrylate in Postpartum Hemorrhage with Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
Authors: Obata Soichiro , Kasai Michi , Kasai Junko , Seki Kazuo , Sekikawa Zenjiro , Torimoto Izumi , Takebayashi Shigeo , Hirahara Fumiki , Aoki Shigeru
Published: January 2017

Although it is widely accepted that uterine artery embolization (UAE) is an effective therapeutic strategy for postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), no consensus has been reached regarding the efficacy of UAE in patients with PPH with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). This single-center retrospective cohort study included patients treated with UAE using NBCA for PPH between 2010 and 2015. The patients were divided into DIC and non-DIC groups, according to the obstetrical DIC score and the overt DIC diagnostic criteria issued by the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH), and their clinical outcomes were compared. There were 28 patients treated with UAE using NBCA. Complete hemostasis was achieved by UAE in 19 of 28 patients. In eight of nine patients with unsuccessful hemostasis, surgical hemostatic interventions were performed after UAE, and hemostasis was achieved in seven patients. UAE using NBCA showed no significant intergroup differences in complete hemostasis according to the presence or absence of DIC based on obstetrical DIC score (70% versus 62.5%, P=1.000) or ISTH DIC score (54.5% versus 76.5%, P=0.409). UAE using NBCA may be a useful first-choice treatment for PPH with DIC.
Network-Assisted Distributed Fairness-Aware Interference Coordination for Device-to-Device Communication Underlaid Cellular Networks
Authors: Boabang Francis , Nguyen Hoang-Hiep , Pham Quoc-Viet , Hwang Won-Joo
Published: January 2017

Device-to-device (D2D) communication underlaid cellular network is considered a key integration feature in future cellular network. However, without properly designed interference management, the interference from D2D transmission tends to degrade the performance of cellular users and D2D pairs. In this work, we proposed a network-assisted distributed interference mitigation scheme to address this issue. Specifically, the base station (BS) acts as a control agent that coordinates the cross-tier interference from D2D transmission through a taxation scheme. The cotier interference is controlled by noncooperative game amongst D2D pairs. In general, the outcome of noncooperative game is inefficient due to the selfishness of each player. In our game formulation, reference user who is the victim of cotier interference is factored into the payoff function of each player to obtain fair and efficient outcome. The existence, uniqueness of the Nash Equilibrium (NE), and the convergence of the proposed algorithm are characterized using Variational Inequality theory. Finally, we provide simulation results to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.
Spatiotemporal Variability and Trends of Extreme Precipitation in the Huaihe River Basin, a Climatic Transitional Zone in East China
Authors: Ye Zhengwe , Li Zonghua
Published: January 2017

Precipitation data from 30 stations in the Huaihe River basin (HRB), a climatic transitional zone in east China, were used to investigate the spatiotemporal variability and trends of extreme precipitation on multitimescales for the period 1961–2010. Results indicated that (1) the spatial pattern of the annual precipitation, rainy days, extreme precipitation, and maximum daily precipitations shows a clear transitional change from the south (high) to the north (low) in the HR; it confirmed the conclusion that the HRB is located in the transitional zone of the 800 mm precipitation contour in China, where the 800 mm precipitation contour is considered as the geographical boundary of the south and the north. (2) Higher value of the extreme precipitation intensity mainly occurs in the middle of the east and the central part of the basin; it reveals a relatively distinct west-east spatial disparity, and this is not in line with the spatial pattern of the extreme precipitation total, the sum of the precipitation in 95th precipitation days. (3) Annual precipitation of 22 stations exhibits increasing trend, and these 22 stations are located from the central to the northern part. There is no significant trend detected for the seasonal precipitation. The summer precipitation exhibits a larger change range; this might cause the variation of the flood and drought in the HBR. However, the increasing trend in winter precipitation may be beneficial to the relief of winter agricultural drought. Rainy days in 12 stations, mostly located in and around the central northeastern part, experienced significant decreasing trend. Extreme precipitation days and precipitation intensity have increasing trends, but no station with significant change trend is detected for the maximum precipitation of the basin. (4) The spatiotemporal variability in the HRB is mainly caused by the geographic differences and is largely influenced by the interdecadal variations of East Asian Summer Monsoon in eastern China. The output of this paper could provide references for the practical decision making and integrated basin management of Huaihe River basin.
Efficient and Privacy-Aware Power Injection over AMI and Smart Grid Slice in Future 5G Networks
Authors: Zhang Yinghui , Zhao Jiangfan , Zheng Dong
Published: January 2017

Smart grid is critical to the success of next generation of power grid, which is expected to be characterized by efficiency, cleanliness, security, and privacy. In this paper, aiming to tackle the security and privacy issues of power injection, we propose an efficient and privacy-aware power injection (EPPI) scheme suitable for advanced metering infrastructure and 5G smart grid network slice. In EPPI, each power storage unit first blinds its power injection bid and then gives the blinded bid together with a signature to the local gateway. The gateway removes a partial blind factor from each blinded bid and then sends to the utility company aggregated bid and signature by using a novel aggregation technique called hash-then-addition. The utility company can get the total amount of collected power at each time slot by removing a blind factor from the aggregated bid. Throughout the EPPI system, both the gateway and the utility company cannot know individual bids and hence user privacy is preserved. In particular, EPPI allows the utility company to check the integrity and authenticity of the collected data. Finally, extensive evaluations indicate that EPPI is secure and privacy-aware and it is efficient in terms of computation and communication cost.
A Study on Insulation Characteristics of Glass Wool and Mineral Wool Coated with a Polysiloxane Agent
Authors: Jeon Chan-Ki , Lee Jae-Seong , Chung Hoon , Kim Ju-Ho , Park Jong-Pil
Published: January 2017

The insulation in buildings is very important. Insulation used in the building is largely divided into organic and inorganic insulation by its insulation material. Organic insulation materials which are made of Styrofoam or polyurethane are extremely vulnerable to fire. On the other hand, inorganic insulation such as mineral wool and glass wool is very weak with moisture, while it is nonflammable, so that its usage is very limited. Therefore, this study developed moisture resistance applicable to mineral wool and glass wool and measured the thermal conductivity of the samples which are exposed to moisture by exposing the product coated with moisture resistance and without moisture resistance to moisture and evaluated how the moisture affects thermal conductivity by applying this to inorganic insulation.
Consistent Atomic Geometries and Electronic Structure of Five Phases of Potassium Niobate from Density-Functional Theory
Authors: Schmidt Falko , Landmann Marc , Rauls Eva , Argiolas Nicola , Sanna Simone , Schmidt W. G. , Schindlmayr Arno
Published: January 2017

We perform a comprehensive theoretical study of the structural and electronic properties of potassium niobate (KNbO3) in the cubic, tetragonal, orthorhombic, monoclinic, and rhombohedral phase, based on density-functional theory. The influence of different parametrizations of the exchange-correlation functional on the investigated properties is analyzed in detail, and the results are compared to available experimental data. We argue that the PBEsol and AM05 generalized gradient approximations as well as the RTPSS meta-generalized gradient approximation yield consistently accurate structural data for both the external and internal degrees of freedom and are overall superior to the local-density approximation or other conventional generalized gradient approximations for the structural characterization ofKNbO3. Band-structure calculations using a HSE-type hybrid functional further indicate significant near degeneracies of band-edge states in all phases which are expected to be relevant for the optical response of the material.
Multilayers Polyethylene Film for Crop Protection in Harsh Climatic Conditions
Authors: Dehbi A. , Youssef B. , Chappey C. , Mourad A.-H. I. , Picuno P. , Statuto D.
Published: January 2017

In this work the performance and durability of a new generation of greenhouse covers, in which the cover is composed of five layers, are investigated. A sand wind ageing was performed under different exposure conditions. Surface morphology and chemical, physical, and thermal characteristics were investigated by using optical microscopy, FTIR, and tensile test techniques. In addition, the mechanical integrity of the five-layer film was assessed. The analysis indicated that the sand wind treatments have a significant influence only on the performance of the film. An attempt has been done to compare the properties of the five-layer film with the monolayer and trilayer films with or without air bubble under similar conditions. The results revealed that the five-layer film proved to be a promising greenhouse covering film.
Boundary Value Methods for Second‐Order PDEs via the Lanczos‐Chebyshev Reduction Technique
Authors: Biala T. A. , Jator S. N. , Adeniyi R. B.
Published: January 2017

In this paper, we study the performance of Boundary Value Methods (BVMs) on second‐order PDEs. The PDEs are transformed into a system of second‐order ordinary differential equations (ODEs) using the Lanczos‐Chebyshev reduction technique. The conditions under which the BVMs converge and the computational complexities of the algorithms are discussed. Numerical illustrations are given to show the simplicity and high accuracy of the approach.
Predicting Real‐Time Crash Risk for Urban Expressways in China
Authors: Liu Miaomiao , Chen Yongsheng
Published: January 2017

We developed a real‐time crash risk prediction model for urban expressways in China in this study. About two‐year crash data and their matching traffic sensor data from the Beijing section of Jingha expressway were utilized for this research. The traffic data in six 5‐minute intervals between 0 and 30 minutes prior to crash occurrence was extracted, respectively. To obtain the appropriate data training period, the data (in each 5‐minute interval) during six different periods was collected as training data, respectively, and the crash risk value under different data conditions was defined. Then we proposed a new real‐time crash risk prediction model using decision tree method and adaptive neural network fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). By comparing several real‐time crash risk prediction methods, it was found that our proposed method had higher precision than others. And the training error and testing error were minimum (0.280 and 0.291, resp.) when the data during 0 to 30 minutes prior to crash occurrence was collected and the decision tree‐ANFIS method was applied to train and establish the real‐time crash risk prediction model. The prediction accuracy of the crash occurrence could reach 65% when 0.60 was considered as the crash prediction threshold.
Apolipoprotein C-I Levels Are Associated with the Urinary Protein/Urinary Creatinine Ratio in Pediatric Idiopathic Steroid-Sensitive Nephrotic Syndrome: A Case Control Study
Authors: Odaka Jun , Kanai Takahiro , Ito Takane , Saito Takashi , Aoyagi Jun , Betsui Hiroyuki , Yamagata Takanori
Published: January 2017

Humoral factors may cause idiopathic steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (ISSNS). In the present study, we analyzed serum proteins using mass spectrometry (MS) to identify proteins associated with the pathophysiology of pediatric ISSNS. We collected serial serum samples from 33 children during each ISSNS phase; Phase A1 is the acute phase prior to steroid treatment (STx), Phase A2 represents the remission period with STx, and Phase A3 represents the remission period after completion of STx. Children with normal urinalyses (Group B) and children with a nephrotic syndrome other than ISSNS (Group C) served as controls. No significant differences in urinary protein/urinary creatinine (UP/UCr) ratios were observed between the children with phase A1 ISSNS and Group C. We used surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time of flight MS for sample analysis. Four ion peaks with a mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) of 6,444, 6,626, 8,695, and 8,915 were significantly elevated during ISSNS Phase A1 compared to Phase A2, Phase A3, and Group C. The intensity of anm/zof 6,626 significantly correlated with the UP/UCr ratio and anm/zof 6,626 was identified as apolipoprotein C-I (Apo C-I). Apo C-I levels correlate with the UP/UCr ratio in pediatric ISSNS. Our findings provide new insights into the pathophysiology of ISSNS.
Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy Combined with Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation over Premotor Cortex Improves Motor Function in Severe Stroke: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Andrade Suellen M. , Batista Larissa M. , Nogueira Lídia L. R. F. , Oliveira Eliane A. de , Carvalho Antonio G. C. de , Lima Soriano S. , Santana Jordânia R. M. , Lima Emerson C. C. de , Fernández-Calvo Bernardino
Published: January 2017

Objective.We compared the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation at different cortical sites (premotor and motor primary cortex) combined with constraint-induced movement therapy for treatment of stroke patients.Design.Sixty patients were randomly distributed into 3 groups: Group A, anodal stimulation on premotor cortex and constraint-induced movement therapy; Group B, anodal stimulation on primary motor cortex and constraint-induced movement therapy; Group C, sham stimulation and constraint-induced movement therapy. Evaluations involved analysis of functional independence, motor recovery, spasticity, gross motor function, and muscle strength.Results.A significant improvement in primary outcome (functional independence) after treatment in the premotor group followed by primary motor group and sham group was observed. The same pattern of improvement was highlighted among all secondary outcome measures regarding the superior performance of the premotor group over primary motor and sham groups.Conclusions.Premotor cortex can contribute to motor function in patients with severe functional disabilities in early stages of stroke. This study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov database (NCT 02628561).
Lyapunov Based Estimation of Flight Stability Boundary under Icing Conditions
Authors: Pei Binbin , Xu Haojun , Xue Yuan
Published: January 2017

Current fight boundary of the envelope protection in icing conditions is usually defined by the critical values of state parameters; however, such method does not take the interrelationship of each parameter and the effect of the external disturbance into consideration. This paper proposes constructing the stability boundary of the aircraft in icing conditions through analyzing the region of attraction (ROA) around the equilibrium point. Nonlinear icing effect model is proposed according to existing wind tunnel test results. On this basis, the iced polynomial short period model can be deduced further to obtain the stability boundary under icing conditions using ROA analysis. Simulation results for a series of icing severity demonstrate that, regardless of the icing severity, the boundary of the calculated ROA can be treated as an estimation of the stability boundary around an equilibrium point. The proposed methodology is believed to be a promising way for ROA analysis and stability boundary construction of the aircraft in icing conditions, and it will provide theoretical support for multiple boundary protection of icing tolerant flight.
Factors Associated with Growth Retardation in Children Suffering from Sickle Cell Anemia: First Report from Central Africa
Authors: Lukusa Kazadi Aimé , Ngiyulu René Makuala , Gini-Ehungu Jean Lambert , Mbuyi-Muamba Jean Marie , Aloni Michel Ntetani
Published: January 2017

Background. The aim of this study was to investigate and determine the risk factors associated with poor growth among SCA children.Methods.A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kinshasa, the capital’s country. The nutritional status was assessed using the Z scores of the anthropometric indices.Results.We gathered data on the 256 patients, 138 females (53.9%), who entered the study. The mean age at presentation was 8.4 ± 4.9 years of age. Underweight, stunting, and wasting were found, respectively, in 47.7%, 10.5%, and 50.3% of SCA children. A history of hand-foot syndrome, more than 3 blood transfusions, being less than 12 months of age when receiving the first transfusion, more than two severe sickle crises per year, a medical history of severe infections, and the presence of hepatomegaly were associated with poor growth. When comparing sickle cell patients under 12 years of age (n=159) to a group of 296 age-matched children with normal Hb-AA, a significantly higher proportion of subjects with stunting and underweight were found among SCA.Conclusion.Nutritional status encountered in Congolese sickle cell children has been described for the first time in this study. A high prevalence of poor growth in SCA children was found in our study.
Brain Symmetry Index in Healthy and Stroke Patients for Assessment and Prognosis
Authors: Agius Anastasi Andrei , Falzon Owen , Camilleri Kenneth , Vella Malcolm , Muscat Richard
Published: January 2017

Objective.Quantitative neurophysiological signal parameters are of value in predicting motor recovery after stroke. The novel role of EEG-derived brain symmetry index for motor function prognostication in the subacute phase after stroke is explored.Methods. Ten male stroke patients and ten matched healthy controls were recruited. Motor function was first assessed clinically using the MRC score, its derivative Motricity Index, and the Fugl–Meyer assessment score. EEG was subsequently recorded first with subjects at rest and then during hand grasping motions, triggered by visual cues. Brain symmetry index (BSI) was used to identify the differences in EEG-quantified interhemispheric cortical power asymmetry observable in healthy versus cortical and subcortical stroke patients. Subsequently, any correlation between BSI and motor function was explored.Results. BSI was found to be significantly higher in stroke subjects compared to healthy controls (p=0.023). The difference in BSI was more pronounced in the cortical stroke subgroup (p=0.016). BSI showed only a mild general decrease on repeated monthly recording. Notably, a statistically significant correlation was observed between early BSI and Fugl–Meyer score later in recovery (p<0.050).Conclusions. Brain symmetry index is increased in the subacute poststroke phase and correlates with motor function 1-2 months after stroke.
Molecular Characteristics and Antibiotic Resistance Profiles ofKlebsiellaIsolates in Mthatha, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
Authors: Vasaikar Sandeep , Obi Larry , Morobe Isaac , Bisi-Johnson Mary
Published: January 2017

The increase in the incidence of extended-spectrumβ-lactamase- (ESBL-) producingKlebsiellaspecies has become a serious problem worldwide, because of their incrimination in antibiotic resistance. The objective of this study is to investigate the resistance genes responsible for ESBL-producingKlebsiellaspecies and carbapenemase-producingKlebsiella(CRE) isolated in Mthatha and to study their epidemiology. A prospective, descriptive study of 202 nonrepetitive samples from patients was obtained from Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital. The culturedKlebsiellaisolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility tests and the polymerase chain reaction ofblaCTX-M,blaTEM,blaSHV,blaKPC, andblaNDMgenes. OverallK. pneumoniaewere the majority with 169 (83.7%) species isolates, followed byK. oxytocawith 29 (14.4%), whileK. ozaenaeandRaoultella ornithinolyticawere 2 (0.9%) each. The prevalence of ESBL production in allKlebsiellaspecies was 117 (57.9%). ESBL-genotypic resistance is driven in Mthatha byblaSHV121 (77.1%) followed byblaTEM105 (66.9%) andblaCTX-Mat 89 (56.7%). The most common ESBL genotype combination among theKlebsiellawasblaTEM+blaSHV+blaCTX-Mat 79 (50.3%). There is a steady increase in the rate of ESBL genes in the last five years.
Iterative Schemes for Nonconvex Quasi-Variational Problems with V-Prox-Regular Data in Banach Spaces
Authors: Bounkhel M. , Bounekhel Dj.
Published: January 2017

In this paper, we propose an extension of quasi-equilibrium problems from the convex case to the nonconvex case and from Hilbert spaces to Banach spaces. The proposed problem is called quasi-variational problem. We study the convergence of some algorithms to solutions of the proposed nonconvex problems in Banach spaces.
Neuroprotective Properties of Panax notoginseng Saponins via Preventing Oxidative Stress Injury in SAMP8 Mice
Authors: Huang Jin-Lan , Jing Xin , Tian Xin , Qin Mei-Chun , Xu Zhe-Hao , Wu Deng-Pan , Zhong Zhen-Guo
Published: January 2017

Inhibiting oxidative damage in early stage of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is considered as a strategy for AD treatment. Our previous study has shown that Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) have an antiaging action by increasing the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐PX) in the serum of aged rats. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of PNS on antioxidant enzymes and uncoupling proteins (UCPs) involved in oxidative stress in AD mice. The results showed that PNS prevented neuronal loss in hippocampal CA1 region and alleviated pathomorphological change of neurons in CA1 region. Moreover, PNS inhibited the production of 8‐hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG), enhanced the expressions and activities of SOD, CAT, and GSH‐PX, and improved the mRNA and protein levels of UCP4 and UCP5 in the brains of SAMP8 mice. Together, our study shows that PNS has the ability to protect neurons in AD brain from oxidative stress damage through attenuating the production of 8‐OHdG, enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the expressions levels of UCP4 and UCP5. Accordingly, PNS may be a promising agent for AD treatment.
Proposed Economical and Stable Lepton Mass Matrices with Texture Zeros
Authors: Rong Shu-jun
Published: January 2017

There are many viable combinations of texture zeros in lepton mass matrices. We propose an economical and stable mass texture. Analytical and numerical results on mixing parameters and the effective mass of neutrinos are obtained. These results satisfy new constraints from neutrinos oscillation experiments and cosmological observations. Their stabilities are also examined through the perturbations to some structure parameters. Our proposition reveals that, in the complex forest of neutrinos mixing models, a simple and stable one is still possible.
Ectopic Thyroid Tissue in the Mediastinum Characterized by Histology and Functional Imaging with I-123 SPECT/CT
Authors: Hummel Jed , Wachsmann Jason , Carrick Kelley , Oz Orhan K. , Mathews Dana , Peng Fangyu
Published: January 2017

Ectopic thyroid tissue is a rare entity and when discovered it is typically along the pathway of embryologic migration of the thyroid. We present a case of incidental finding of ectopic thyroid tissue within mediastinum in a 61-year-old female patient with a history of total thyroidectomy for thyroiditis and nodules. The patient presented to emergency room with cough and right chest pain and underwent a chest computed tomographic angiogram (CTA) to exclude pulmonary embolism as part of chest pain workup. One right paratracheal mediastinal soft tissue nodule was visualized on the images of CTA. This right paratracheal soft tissue mass was found to be ectopic benign thyroid tissue by histological analysis of the biopsied tissue samples. The function of this ectopic thyroid tissue was characterized by I-123 radioiodine uptake and single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) imaging. This case illustrates that ectopic thyroid tissue should be included for differential diagnosis of a hyperdense soft tissue mass located within mediastinum. I-123 SPECT/CT is useful for guiding tissue biopsy of ectopic thyroid tissue distant from orthotopic thyroid gland and functional and anatomic characterization of mediastinal ectopic thyroid tissue for surgical resection when it is medically necessary.
IoT Architecture for a Sustainable Tourism Application in a Smart City Environment
Authors: Nitti Michele , Pilloni Virginia , Giusto Daniele , Popescu Vlad
Published: January 2017

In the past few years, the Smart Cities concept has become one of the main driving forces for the urban transition towards a low carbon environment, sustainable economy, and mobility. Tourism, as one of the fastest growing industries, is also an important generator of carbon emissions; therefore, the recently emerging sustainable tourism concept is envisioned as an important part of the Smart Cities paradigm. Within this context, the Internet-of-Things (IoT) concept is the key technological point for the development of smart urban environments through the use of aggregated data, integrated in a single decisional platform. This paper performs the first analysis on the feasibility of the use of an IoT approach and proposes a specific architecture for a sustainable tourism application. The architecture is tailored for the optimisation of the movement of cruise ship tourists in the city of Cagliari (Italy), by taking into consideration factors such as transport information and queue waiting times. A first set of simulations is performed using 67-point of interest, real transportation data, and an optimisation algorithm.
Severe Tuberculosis Requiring Intensive Care: A Descriptive Analysis
Authors: Duro Raquel Pacheco , Figueiredo Dias Paulo , Ferreira Alcina Azevedo , Xerinda Sandra Margarida , Lima Alves Carlos , Sarmento António Carlos , Santos Lurdes Campos dos
Published: January 2017

Background. This study aims to describe the characteristics of tuberculosis (TB) patients requiring intensive care and to determine the in-hospital mortality and the associated predictive factors.Methods. Retrospective cohort study of all TB patients admitted to the ICU of the Infectious Diseases Department of Centro Hospitalar de São João (Porto, Portugal) between January 2007 and July 2014. Comorbid diagnoses, clinical features, radiological and laboratory investigations, and outcomes were reviewed. Univariate analysis was performed to identify risk factors for death.Results. We included 39 patients: median age was 52.0 years and 74.4% were male. Twenty-one patients (53.8%) died during hospital stay (15 in the ICU). The diagnosis of isolated pulmonary TB, a positive smear for acid-fast-bacilli and a positive PCR forMycobacterium tuberculosisin patients of pulmonary disease, severe sepsis/septic shock, acute renal failure and Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome on admission, the need for mechanical ventilation or vasopressor support, hospital acquired infection, use of adjunctive corticotherapy, smoking, and alcohol abuse were significantly associated with mortality (p<0.05).Conclusion. This cohort of TB patients requiring intensive care presented a high mortality rate. Most risk factors for mortality were related to organ failure, but others could be attributed to delay in the diagnostic and therapeutic approach, important targets for intervention.
Cascaded Multitype Interferences Suppression Method Using Sparse Representation and Array Processing for GNSS Receiver
Authors: Guo Qiang , Qi Liangang
Published: January 2017

Interference suppression techniques have been intensively studied in nearly two decades due to their importance for maintaining the integrity and functionality of global navigation satellite system (GNSS). However, the interference suppression method applicable for the complex receiving environment in which there are multitype interfering signals has not been considered in most of the researches. To deal with this problem better, a cascaded multitype interferences suppression method using sparse representation and array processing is proposed. In the first stage, according to the sparsity of the narrowband and modulated wideband interference signals, a novel parallel multichannel signal interference suppression method based on matching pursuit (MP) algorithm and a design strategy for the overcomplete dictionary are proposed to mitigate the interferences with sparse features. Then, the minimum power distortionless response (MPDR) beamformer is employed in the second stage to suppress the residuary interferences (such as Gaussian noise interferences). Compared with existing algorithms, the proposed method can not only effectively suppress the interference arriving from the same direction with the desired signal and increase the Degree of Freedom (DoF) of the array antenna, but also introduce no distortion into the navigation signal. The effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated by theoretical analysis and several simulation results.
The Different Impacts on the Long-Term Survival of Tunneled Internal Jugular Hemodialysis Catheters Based on Tip Position and Laterality
Authors: Premuzic Vedran , Perkov Drazen , Smiljanic Ranko , Brunetta Gavranic Bruna , Jelakovic Bojan
Published: January 2017

Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of different catheter tip positions on the life of the catheter, dysfunction, infection, and quality of hemodialysis and possible differences between the access site laterality in jugular-tunneled hemodialysis catheters. Methods: Catheters were evaluated for the following parameters: place of insertion, time of insertion, duration of use, and reason for removal. In all patients, the catheter tip position was checked using an X-ray. Results: The mean duration of implanted catheters with the tip placed in the cavo-atrial junction and right atrium was significantly longer. There were no differences in catheter functionality at follow-up or complications based on catheter laterality for each catheter tip position. Conclusion: According to our results, the localization of the catheter tip in superior vena cava still remains the least preferable method. Our results showed that the main factor responsible for better catheter functionality was not laterality but the depth to which the catheter tip is inserted into the body.
Implementation of a New UPMC Gamma Knife Radiosurgery Quality Assurance Registry
Authors: Niranjan Ajay , Layne Denise , Briercheck Mark , Trofimova Svetlana , Monaco III Edward A. , Kano Hideyuki , Lunsford L. Dade
Published: January 2017

Object: In this report, we discuss the development of a new, comprehensive, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant electronic quality assurance (QA) registry for Gamma Knife (GK) radiosurgery patients. This registry can be used to query outcomes, link with current hospital electronic medical records, and share data with future corporate or national professional society registries under development. Methods: A clinical task force comprising physicians and regulatory, legal, and information technology (IT) experts was created to define the nomenclature, regulatory requirements, hosting site, and required capabilities of the proposed system. A team of physicians and IT experts defined the clinical parameters and designed the query functions for the registry. Results: The UPMC GK Registry was established as a QA registry exempt from Institutional Review Board oversight. In order to facilitate subsequent query functions (analytics), data entry was created for 3 main categories: brain tumors, vascular malformations, and functional disorders. A Microsoft SQL-based database infrastructure was employed. Conclusions: We developed a new UPMC GK QA registry and successfully migrated our previous data on 13,000 patients into the registry. This simplified and user-friendly registry offers clinicians the opportunity to participate in national registries and to contribute to multicenter evidence-based outcome analyses.
Catheter Failure and Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients with Tunneled Cuffed Venous Catheters in a Single Center
Authors: Shi Min , Cui Tianlei , Ma Liang , Zhou Li , Fu Ping
Published: January 2017

Background: As of now, only a few studies have focused on the failure of tunneled cuffed venous catheter (tCVC) and mortality of hemodialysis (HD) patients using tCVC as long-term vascular access, whose vascular condition for arteriovenous fistula was not very satisfactory. In this study, we aimed to provide information about the first tCVC failure and survival rates of patients in this population. Methods: Fifty-nine patients who used tCVC from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2014 in our HD center were analyzed in this retrospective study and followed up either until their death or until December 31, 2015. The first tCVC and patient survival rates were analyzed. Results: The incidence of catheter-related infections was 0.3 per 1,000 patient-days. The median survival duration of first tCVC was 45.0 (95% CI 29.3-69.7) months and the median survival time of all patients was 56.3 (95% CI 34.1-78.5) months by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Advanced age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.055, p < 0.05) and diabetic mellitus (HR 4.147, p < 0.05) at the initiation of HD were significant risk factors of first tCVC failure, while male (HR 2.712, p < 0.05) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs; HR 4.139, p < 0.05) were significant risk factors for patient mortality as deduced by Cox proportional hazards methods. Conclusions: The study highlighted that first tCVC survival rates and patient survival rates were high in HD patients who were using tCVCs as long-term vascular access, with low incidence of catheter-related infections. In the study it was found that advanced age and diabetic mellitus at the initiation of HD influenced first tCVC failure, whereas male and CVDs seemed to be risk factors for patient mortality.
Acute Kidney Injury and In-Hospital Mortality after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft versus Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Nationwide Study
Authors: Shen Wen , Aguilar Rodrigo , Montero Alex R. , Fernandez Stephen J. , Taylor Allen J. , Wilcox Christopher S. , Lipkowitz Michael S. , Umans Jason G.
Published: January 2017

Background: Post-procedural acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with significantly increased short- and long-term mortalities, and renal loss. Few studies have compared the incidence of post-procedural AKI and in-hospital mortality between 2 major modalities of revascularization - coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) - and results have been inconsistent. Methods: We generated a propensity score-matched cohort that includes a total of 286,670 hospitalizations with multi-vessel coronary disease undergoing CABG or PCI (2004-2012) from the National Inpatient Sample database. We compared incidence of AKI, AKI requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT), in-hospital mortality, hospital stay, and charges between CABG and PCI groups. Results: The incidence of AKI after CABG was higher than PCI (8.9 vs. 4.5%, OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.99-2.12, p < 0.001). The incidence of AKI requiring RRT was also higher after CABG (1.1 vs. 0.5%, OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.96-2.34, p < 0.001). Likewise, in-hospital mortality was higher after CABG than PCI (2.0 vs. 1.4%, OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.35-1.52, p < 0.001). Among patients with pre-existing chronic kidney disease (stages I-IV), those undergoing CABG was associated with 2.0-2.3-fold higher odds of developing AKI than those undergoing PCI. The patients treated with CABG had a significantly longer hospital stay and higher hospital charges. Conclusions: Patients undergoing CABG are associated with (1) increased risk of developing post-procedural AKI, (2) higher likelihood of receiving RRT, and (3) worse short-term survival. Long-term renal outcome remains to be studied.
Opposition to Idolatry in the Book of Habakkuk
Authors: Legaspi Michael C.
Published: January 2017

Habakkuk is unique among books in the Twelve in its criticism of foreign cultic practices. Instead of condemning Israel and Judah for the worship of other gods, it criticizes the worship offered to a foreign deity by that deity’s own people. This article examines Hab 2:18-19, arguing that the reduction of the pesel or massēkâ to a lifeless object is intelligible in moral rather than ontological terms. The integration of this cultic criticism into a more standard denunciation of a foreign nation’s non-cultic transgressions yields a distinctive form of opposition to idolatry. What Habakkuk shows is that disbelief in the reality of idols may owe less to a mocking, debunking rationalism than to a cynicism regarding the uses of ritual.
Description of a new species of Eulepethus (Annelida, Eulepethidae) from the northern South China Sea, and comments on the phylogeny of the family
Authors: ZHANG JINGHUAI , ZHANG YANJIE , OSBORN KAREN , QIU JIAN-WEN
Published: January 2017

Eulepethidae is a family of scale-bearing polychaetes. Although members of this family are common inhabitants of tropical and subtropical coastal waters, their diversity is low, with only 22 recognized species in six genera. Here we describe Eulepethus nanhaiensis sp. nov. based on 12 specimens collected from the coastal waters of the northern South China Sea. This new species can be distinguished from Eulepethus hamifer, the only previously described species in this genus, by having up to two spade-shaped lateral processes in some of the anterior elytrae, a blunt-tipped acicular chaeta in the neuropodia of segment 3, and a pair of non-overlapping elytrae in each posterior segment. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Grubeulepis and Mexieulepis are sister genera, and these two genera form the sister clade of Eulepethus.
An Intrinsic Mode of Interannual Variability in the Indian Ocean
Authors: Wolfe Christopher L. , Cessi Paola , Cornuelle Bruce D.
Published: January 2017

An intrinsic mode of self-sustained, interannual variability is identified in a coarse-resolution ocean model forced by an annually repeating atmospheric state. The variability has maximum loading in the Indian Ocean, with a significant projection into the South Atlantic Ocean. It is argued that this intrinsic mode is caused by baroclinic instability of the model’s Leeuwin Current, which radiates out to the tropical Indian and South Atlantic Oceans as long Rossby waves at a period of 4 yr. This previously undescribed mode has a remarkably narrowband time series. However, the variability is not synchronized with the annual cycle; the phase of the oscillation varies chaotically on decadal time scales. The presence of this internal mode reduces the predictability of the ocean circulation by obscuring the response to forcing or initial condition perturbations. The signature of this mode can be seen in higher-resolution global ocean models driven by high-frequency atmospheric forcing, but altimeter and assimilation analyses do not show obvious signatures of such a mode, perhaps because of insufficient duration.
Scattering Calculations at C-Band for Asymmetric Raindrops Reconstructed from 2D Video Disdrometer Measurements
Authors: Thurai Merhala , Manić Sanja , Schönhuber Michael , Bringi V. N. , Notaroš Branislav M.
Published: January 2017

The distribution of raindrop shapes is well known to be important in deriving retrieval algorithms for drop size distribution parameters (such as the mass-weighted mean diameter) and rain rate, as well as for attenuation correction using the differential propagation phase constraint. While past work has shown that in the vast majority of rain events the most “probable” shapes conform to those arising primarily from the axisymmetric (2,0) oscillation mode, a more recent event analysis has shown that drop collisions can give rise to mixed-mode oscillations and that for high collision rate scenarios, a significant percentage of drops can become “asymmetric” at any given instant.

As a follow-up to such studies, this study involved performing scattering calculations for 3D-reconstructed shapes of asymmetric drops using the shape measurements from a 2D video disdrometer (2DVD) during the above-mentioned rain event. A recently developed technique is applied to facilitate the 3D reconstruction from the 2DVD camera data for these asymmetric drops. The reconstruction requires a specific technique to correct for the drop image distortions due to horizontal velocities. Scattering calculations for the reconstructed asymmetric drops have been performed using a higher-order method of moments solution to the electric and magnetic field surface integral equations. Results show that the C-band scattering amplitudes of asymmetric drops are markedly different from those of oblate spheroids. The intention for future studies is to automate the entire procedure so that more realistic simulations can be performed using the 2DVD-based data, particularly for cases where collision-induced drop oscillations give rise to considerable numbers of asymmetric drops.