bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An exploration of how young people and parents use online support in the context of living with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Kirk Susan , Milnes Linda
Published: February 2015

Background

There is increasing recognition of the Internet's potential role in providing information and support for people living with long‐term conditions. However, how young people and parents use online forms of self‐care support in the context of living with childhood chronic illness has been under‐researched.

Objective

To explore how online peer support is used by young people and parents to support self‐care in relation to cystic fibrosis (CF).

Setting and participants

Online forum for young people and parents based on a CF charity website. A total of 279 individuals participated in the forum during the study.

Design

An online ethnographical approach, involving observing, downloading and analysing discussion group postings. All postings made over a random 4‐month period were included (151 discussion threads).

Results

The online setting enabled a physically disconnected group to connect and create a safe space to collectively share experiences and receive support to manage and live with cystic fibrosis. Participants exchanged experientially derived advice and views on how to manage treatments, emotions, relationships, identity and support from services. While parents sought information and support on managing specific therapies/services and ways of maintaining their child's health, the information and support young people desired appeared to be more directed at how to ‘fit’ CF into their everyday lives.

Discussion and conclusions

Online support groups appear to supplement professional support in relation to self‐management. They enable young people and parents to share experiences, feelings and strategies for living with long‐term conditions with peers and develop the expertise to empower them in interactions with health‐care professionals.
Fighting their last stand? A global analysis of the distribution and conservation status of gymnosperms
Authors: Fragnière Yann , Bétrisey Sébastien , Cardinaux Léonard , Stoffel Markus , Kozlowski Gregor
Published: February 2015

Aim

Gymnosperms are often described as a marginal and threatened group, members of which tend to be out‐competed by angiosperms and which therefore preferentially persist at higher latitudes and elevations. The aim of our synthesis was to test these statements by investigating the global latitudinal and elevational distribution of gymnosperms, as well as their conservation status, using all extant gymnosperm groups (cycads, gnetophytes, ginkgophytes and conifers).

Location

Worldwide.

Methods

We developed a database of 1014 species of gymnosperms containing latitudinal and elevational distribution data, as well as their global conservation status, as described in the literature. The 1014 species comprised 305 cycads, 101 gnetophytes, the only living representative of ginkgophytes, and 607 conifers. Generalized additive models, frequency histograms, kernel density estimations and distribution maps based on Takhtajan's floristic regions were used.

Results

Although the diversity of gymnosperms decreases at equatorial latitudes, approximately 50% of the extant species occur primarily between the tropics. More than 43% of gymnosperms can occur at very low elevations (≤ 200 m a.s.l.). Gymnosperms, considering all species together as well as their main taxonomic groups separately, do not exhibit a latitudinal diversity gradient as commonly observed for many other taxa. Gymnosperms, and especially conifers, are on average less threatened at higher and equatorial latitudes.

Main conclusions

Gymnosperms display an unusual latitudinal diversity gradient, which we suggest cannot fully be accounted for by angiosperm dominance and competitive superiority. We hypothesize that other factors explain their present distribution, such as the development of centres of endemism in several regions and the adaptation of certain taxa to cold and arid climates.
Fear of hypoglycemia and its determinants in insulin‐treated patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Sakane Naoki , Kotani Kazuhiko , Tsuzaki Kokoro , Nishi Masami , Takahashi Kaoru , Murata Takashi , Yamada Kazunori , Okazaki Kentaro , Yanagisawa Katsuyuki , Yamada Kenichi , Kuribayashi Nobuichi , Totsuka Yasuo , Hiyoshi Toru , Naka Motoji , Sugimoto Masatake , Aoki Yuji , Waki Masako , Furuya Miyuki , Kitaoka Haruko , Oishi Mariko , Shimizu Ikki , Miyaoka Hiroaki , Okada Akira , Yamamoto Toshikazu
Published: February 2015

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of fear of hypoglycemia, in association with severe hypoglycemia and social factors, in insulin‐treated patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A questionnaire survey on hypoglycemia and patient–physician communication was carried out in 355 patients with insulin‐treated type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at 16 hospitals and clinics. A fear of hypoglycemia was reported by 27.7% of patients. A stepwise logistic regression analysis found that severe hypoglycemia during the past 1 year was a significant determinant of fear of hypoglycemia (odds ratio 2.16, 95% confidence interval 1.06–4.41; P = 0.034), and age (odds ratio 1.02, 95% confidence interval 1.00–1.05, P = 0.038) and living alone (odds ratio 1.93, 95% confidence interval 1.00–3.73, P < 0.05) were significantly higher in patients with fear of hypoglycemia than in those without it.
Prevalence of Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders in Subjects with Erectile Dysfunction: A Comparative Study
Authors: Maseroli Elisa , Corona Giovanni , Rastrelli Giulia , Lotti Francesco , Cipriani Sarah , Forti Gianni , Mannucci Edoardo , Maggi Mario
Published: February 2015

Introduction

Alterations of gonadal, thyroid, and pituitary hormones, along with metabolic disorders, might be involved in causing erectile dysfunction (ED).

Aim

The prevalence of endocrine abnormalities in two different cohorts from the general and the symptomatic populations of Florence was compared.

Methods

The first group is a general population sample derived from a Florentine spin-off of the European Male Aging Study (EMAS cohort; n = 202); the second group is a series of n = 3,847 patients attending our clinic for ED (UNIFI cohort).

Results

Both primary and secondary hypogonadism were more often observed in the UNIFI than in the EMAS cohort (2.8 vs. 0%; P < 0.05 and 18.9 vs. 8%; P < 0.001, respectively). However, only the second association retained statistical significance after adjusting for age. Compensated hypogonadism was more common in the EMAS cohort (4.4 vs. 8.1%; P < 0.05). No statistically significant difference in the prevalence of overt thyroid disorders was observed. Conversely, subclinical hyperthyroidism was more prevalent in the EMAS cohort (2 vs. 4.1%, P < 0.05). No significant difference in the prevalence of hyperprolactinemia was detected, while the prevalence of hypoprolactinemia was significantly higher in the UNIFI than in the EMAS cohort (28.2% vs. 17.8%, P = 0.001), even after the adjustment for age, BMI, and testosterone (P = 0.001). Central obesity (waist ≥102 cm), impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were more often detected in UNIFI patients (31.7 vs. 22.8%, P < 0.05; 44.5 vs. 33.3%, P < 0.05; 20.1% vs. 1.0%, P < 0.001 in the UNIFI and EMAS cohort, respectively), even after adjusting for age. In contrast, the prevalence of overweight and obesity did not differ between the two groups.

Conclusion

T2DM, IFG, central obesity, secondary hypogonadism, and hypoprolactinemia are more frequent in subjects consulting for ED than in the general population of the same geographic area. Our data suggest that these conditions could play a central role in determining consultation for ED.
When carnivores roam: temporal patterns and overlap among Madagascar's native and exotic carnivores
Authors: Farris Z. J. , Gerber B. D. , Karpanty S. , Murphy A. , Andrianjakarivelo V. , Ratelolahy F. , Kelly M. J.
Published: February 2015

Madagascar's Eupleridae carnivores are perhaps the least studied and most threatened family of Carnivora. Investigating potential direct and indirect competition among these native species and sympatric exotic carnivores is necessary to better direct conservation actions. From 2008 to 2013, we photographically surveyed a diverse rainforest landscape, comparing six native and three exotic carnivores' activity patterns throughout the diel cycle. We used hierarchical Bayesian Poisson analysis to describe the activity patterns of Madagascar's carnivore community, assessed effects of season and site on temporal activity patterns, and estimated coefficients of overlap between carnivore pairings to assess effects of body size and ecological niche on temporal overlap among native and exotic carnivores. We observed changes in temporal activity patterns across seasons particularly during the austral summer (hot–dry season) for four native and two exotic carnivores, including evidence of fossa Cryptoprocta ferox altering their temporal activity during their mating season (hot–dry season). We found evidence of high overlap between natives and exotics indicating the potential for increased interactions and competition. The greatest overlap in temporal activity occurred between both ring‐tail Galidia elegans and brown‐tail vontsira Salanoia concolor and exotic dogs Canis familiaris. Cr. ferox, falanouc Eupleres goudotii and spotted fanaloka Fossa fossana also overlapped in activity with the nocturnal, exotic Indian civet Viverricula indica. Cr. ferox avoided humans and Ca. familiaris across all seasons. Unexpectedly, carnivore body size and ecological niche were not important predictors of temporal overlap. Previous research has shown these native and exotic carnivores overlap spatially and these new findings of temporal overlap among native and exotic carnivores add urgency to the need to manage exotic carnivores across Madagascar.
Neuromodulation for the Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms
Authors: YAMANISHI Tomonori , KAGA Kanya , FUSE Miki , SHIBATA Chiharu , UCHIYAMA Tomoyuki
Published: February 2015

Neuromodulation therapy incorporates electrical stimulation to target specific nerves that control lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The objectives of this article are to review the mechanism of action, the type of neuromodulation, and the efficacy of neuromodulation mainly according to the results of randomized controlled trials. Neuromodulation includes pelvic floor electrical stimulation (ES) using vaginal, anal and surface electrodes, interferential therapy (IF), magnetic stimulation (MS), percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation, and sacral nerve stimulation (SNS). The former four stimulations are used for external periodic (short‐term) stimulation, and SNS are used for internal, chronic (long‐term) stimulation. All of these therapies have been reported to be effective for overactive bladder or urgency urinary incontinence. Pelvic floor ES, IF, and MS have also been reported to be effective for stress urinary incontinence. The mechanism of neuromodulation for overactive bladder has been reported to be the reflex inhibition of detrusor contraction by the activation of afferent fibers by three actions, i.e., the activation of hypogastric nerve, the direct inhibition of the pelvic nerve within the sacral cord and the supraspinal inhibition of the detrusor reflex. The mechanism of neuromodulation for stress incontinence is contraction of the pelvic floor muscles through an effect on the muscle fibers as well as through the stimulation of pudendal nerves. Overall, cure and improvement rates of these therapies for urinary incontinence are 30–50, and 60–90% respectively. MS has been considered to be a technique for stimulating nervous system noninvasively. SNS is indicated for patients with refractory overactive bladder and urinary retention.
Telehealth Monitoring of Patients with Schizophrenia and Suicidal Ideation
Authors: Kasckow John , Gao Shasha , Hanusa Barbara , Rotondi Armando , Chinman Matthew , Zickmund Susan , Gurklis John , Fox Lauren , Cornelius Jack , Richmond Ira , Haas Gretchen L.
Published: February 2015

A telehealth system was developed to monitor risk following hospitalization for suicidal ideation. We hypothesized that 3 months of telehealth monitoring will result in a greater reduction in suicidal ideation. Veterans with schizophrenia admitted with recent suicidal ideation and/or a suicidal attempt were recruited into a discharge program of VA Usual Care with daily Health Buddy© monitoring (HB) or Usual Care (UC) alone. Fifteen of 25 were randomized to HB and 10 received UC. Daily adherence in the use of the HB system during months 1–3 was, respectively, 86.9%, 86.3%, and 84.1%. There were significant improvements in Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation scores in HB participants. There were no changes in depressive symptoms. Telehealth monitoring for this population of patients appears to be feasible.
A rare case of Cryptococcus gattii pneumonia in a renal transplant patient
Authors: Cicora F. , Petroni J. , Formosa P. , Roberti J.
Published: February 2015

Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are environmental fungi that can cause fever, cough, pneumonia, meningoencephalitis, dissemination, and death. C. gattii causes cryptococcomas more frequently than does C. neoformans and may require prolonged antifungal treatment. We present a rare case of C. gattii pneumonia in a renal transplant patient. A 44‐year‐old man, living in a rural area endemic for C. gattii and who had received a kidney transplant, was admitted to the hospital with fever, vomiting, weight loss, and diarrhea. A chest computed tomography revealed 2 alveolar, nodular, subpleural infiltrates in the periphery of the lungs. Differential diagnoses included infectious infiltrates, granulomatosis, embolization, and hemorrhage. C. gattii, molecular type VGI, was confirmed on day 28. Treatment consisted of amphotericin B at 1 mg/kg/day or fluconazole at 800 mg/day for first 6 weeks, followed by fluconazole at 400 mg/day for the subsequent 12 months. Response to the therapy has been slow. Because of the occurrence of outbreaks and its high morbidity and mortality rates, physicians must be aware of this complication in transplant recipients to avoid delays in diagnosis and to provide prompt management.
Weed seedbank size and composition in a long‐term tillage and crop sequence experiment
Authors: Ruisi P , Frangipane B , Amato G , Badagliacca G , Di Miceli G , Plaia A , Giambalvo D
Published: February 2015

Knowledge of the effects of agricultural practices on weed seedbank dynamics is essential for predicting future problems in weed management. This article reports data relative to weed seedbank structure after 18 years of continuous application of conventional tillage (CT, based on mouldboard ploughing) or no tillage (NT) within three crop sequences (continuous wheat, WW; wheat–faba bean, WF; and wheat–berseem clover, WB). Tillage system did not affect the size of the total weed seedbank, but altered both its composition and the distribution of seeds within the soil profile. In particular, the adoption of CT favoured some species (mainly Polygonum aviculare), whereas the continuous use of NT favoured other species (Papaver rhoeas, Phalaris spp. and Lactuca serriola). The effects of tillage system on weed seedbank size and composition were less pronounced in the WB cropping system than in either the WW or WF. Compared with WF and WB, WW resulted in an increase in total weed seedbank density (about 16 000 seedlings m−2 in WW, compared with 10 000 and 6000 seedlings m−2 in WF and WB, respectively) and a reduction in weed diversity, with a strong increase in some species (e.g. Polygonum aviculare). Our results for the effect of NT application on weed seedbank size and composition suggest that farmers should only apply such a conservative technique within an appropriate crop sequence.
Sympathetic vasoconstriction takes an unexpected pannexin detour
Authors: Nielsen Morten Schak
Published: February 2015

The ATP-releasing pannexin channel may be the key to maintaining blood flow to exercising muscles.
Interaction effects on load-carrying behavior of piled rafts embedded in clay from centrifuge tests
Authors: Park Donggyu , Lee Junhwan
Published: February 2015

In the present study, various interaction effects and load-carrying behavior of piled rafts embedded in clay were investigated. For this purpose, a series of centrifuge load tests were conducted using different types of model foundations, including single pile, group piles, piled raft, and unpiled raft. Different clay conditions were considered to prepare for centrifuge specimens. It was found that the pile group effect in clays is significant within initial loading range, showing lower load-carrying capacity. As settlement increases, the pile group effect becomes less pronounced. For both soft and stiff conditions, the values of the raft-to-pile (R-P) interaction factor varied initially, which became converged to some values around unity with increasing settlement. Similar tendency was observed for the pile-to-raft (P-R) interaction factor. The load responses of different pile components within the piled raft were not significantly different for the soft condition. For the stiff condition, the corner and inner piles showed the highest and lowest load-carrying capacities, respectively, due to piled-raft interaction effects. Correlations to cone resistance were analyzed and presented for the base and shaft resistances of piles for piled rafts.
Structural and electronic properties of V- and Co-doped single-walled ZnONT(8,0): Transition from semiconducting to metallic and half-metallic states
Authors: Taghavi Mendi R. , Majidiyan Sarmazdeh M. , Elahi S. M. , Abolhassani M. R. , Boochani A. , Zelati A.
Published: February 2015

In this paper, some structural and electronic properties of V - and Co -doped single-walled ZnO nanotube (8,0), such as cohesive energy, geometric structure, density of states and band structure were investigated using first principles calculations. Our results showed that, first, the pure SWZnONT(8,0) can be stable and second, doped SWZnONTs(8,0) by V and Co atoms are more stable than pure SWZnONT(8,0) and TM impurities distort the structure of nanotubes around the TM impurities. The electronic results showed that pure SWZnONT(8,0) have a direct band gap about 1.443 eV and it is semiconductor. While with substituting V and Co instead of Zn in nanotube, a transition occurs from semiconducting to metallic and half-metallic states which these doped nanotubes as well as their magnetic properties are qualified for using in spintronic devices.
An Integrated Development Framework for Tabletop Computer Games
Authors: Lilis Yannis , Savidis Anthony
Published: February 2015

We have implemented an integrated development framework for tabletop computer games focusing on the aspects of terrain composition and input management. To support multiple game genres and varying board setups we propose a generic terrain structure based on a directed graph where each game node is represented by a graph node in the underlying structure. To capture and express the repeating path-patterns commonly found in tabletop games we also utilize reusable building blocks called
structured tiles
. Structured tiles combine information about graphical representation, geometry as well as path structure, essentially constituting sub-graphs of a respective tile image. In this sense, the terrain is composed by assembling sub-graphs and the resulting complete graph can be used to perform semantic terrain analysis like node connectivity and reachability checks. Finally structured tiles can be used to standardize common game mechanics like plausible path computation, path selection by players, and in-path movement and incorporate them into the game engine. To support the various and dynamically changing input configurations required by the pervasive nature of tabletop computer games we also propose a
multimodal input system
that allows game actions to be performed via numerous virtual input devices abstracting over physical input devices, while supporting their dynamic plugging or unplugging during gameplay. The input system keeps track of the physical input devices associated for each player and it can dynamically identify missing game commands caused by the unplugging of a device. To prevent stalling interaction in such cases, we introduce animated interactive panels encompassing the required game commands. These panels, called
soft dialogues
, require only pointing input and allow maintaining interaction regardless of the type of game input required during runtime (e.g. keypad, or switch-based input). Soft dialogues also help achieve input accessibility by combining them with scanning interaction techniques. Overall, our framework constitutes a complete solution for the development of tabletop computer games facilitating the authoring and management of complex and large terrains while providing a reusable and extensible input infrastructure that significantly reduces the need to implement common input elements across different games.
Automatically detectable indicators of programming assignment difficulty
Authors: Ihantola Petri , Sorva Juha , Vihavainen Arto
Published: February 2015

The difficulty of learning tasks is a major factor in learning, as is the feedback given to students. Even automatic feedback should ideally be influenced by student-dependent factors such as task difficulty. We report on a preliminary exploration of such indicators of programming assignment difficulty that can be automatically detected for each student from source code snapshots of the student's evolving code. Using a combination of different metrics emerged as a promising approach. In the future, our results may help provide students with personalized automatic feedback.
Effect of Sodium Benzoate Preservative on Micronucleus Induction, Chromosome Break, and Ala40Thr Superoxide Dismutase Gene Mutation in Lymphocytes
Authors: Pongsavee Malinee
Published: February 2015

Sodium benzoate is food preservative that inhibits microbial growth. The effects of sodium benzoate preservative on micronucleus induction, chromosome break, and Ala40Thr superoxide dismutase gene mutation in lymphocytes were studied. Sodium benzoate concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mg/mL were treated in lymphocyte cell line for 24 and 48 hrs, respectively. Micronucleus test, standard chromosome culture technique, PCR, and automated sequencing technique were done to detect micronucleus, chromosome break, and gene mutation. The results showed that, at 24- and 48-hour. incubation time, sodium benzoate concentrations of 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mg/mL increased micronucleus formation when comparing with the control group (P<0.05). At 24- and 48-hour. incubation time, sodium benzoate concentrations of 2.0 mg/mL increased chromosome break when comparing with the control group (P<0.05). Sodium benzoate did not cause Ala40Thr (GCG→ACG) in superoxide dismutase gene. Sodium benzoate had the mutagenic and cytotoxic toxicity in lymphocytes caused by micronucleus formation and chromosome break.
The Value of Serum Midkine Level in Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Shaheen Karim Y. A. , Abdel-Mageed Abeer I. , Safwat Eslam , AlBreedy Ashraf M.
Published: February 2015

Background and Aim. Identification of sensitive biomarkers to improve early diagnosis of HCC is needed. We aimed to evaluate serum midkine (MDK) as a biomarker for HCC diagnosis.Patients and Methods. 40 HCCs, 30 liver cirrhosis patients, and 30 healthy subjects were enrolled. Serum MDK using ELISA was measured in all included subjects.Results. Serum MDK was significantly elevated in HCC group compared to cirrhotic and healthy control groups (0.625 versus 0.15 and 0.125 ng/mL), respectively. No significant association was found between MDK and either BCLC stage, tumor diameter, tumor number, or AFP level. Receiver operating characteristic curve showed that best cutoff for MDK and AFP was 0.387 and 88.5 ng/mL, respectively. Area under the curve of MDK was significantly larger than that of AFP (0.941 versus 0.671). The sensitivity of MDK at 0.387 ng/mL for HCC diagnosis was significantly higher than that of AFP at cutoffs 20, 88.5, and 200 ng/mL (92.5 versus 62.5, 40, and 25%), respectively. Sensitivity of MDK reached 93.3% in patients with AFP <20 ng/mL. Moreover, MDK at 0.387 ng/mL had significant better sensitivity than AFP at 20 ng/mL in distinguishing HCC from BCLC 0/A (90 versus 40%).Conclusion. Serum MDK might be a potential diagnostic marker for HCC particularity in its early stages.
The HDAC Inhibitor Vorinostat Diminishes theIn VitroMetastatic Behavior of Osteosarcoma Cells
Authors: Mu Xiaodong , Brynien Daniel , Weiss Kurt R.
Published: February 2015

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignancy of bone and affects patients in the first two decades of life. The greatest determinant of survival is the presence of pulmonary metastatic disease. The role of epigenetic regulation in OS, specifically the biology of metastases, is unknown. Our previous study with the murine OS cell populations K7M2 and K12 demonstrated a significant correlation of metastatic potential with the DNA methylation level of tumor suppressor genes. In the current study, we investigated if the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, vorinostat, could regulate the metastatic potential of highly metastatic OS cells. Our results revealed that vorinostat treatment of highly metastatic K7M2 OS cells was able to greatly reduce the proliferation and metastatic potential of the cells. Morphological features related to cell motility and invasion were changed by vorinostat treatment. In addition, the gene expressions of mTOR, ALDH1, and PGC-1 were downregulated by vorinostat treatment. These data suggest that vorinostat may be an effective modulator of OS cell metastatic potential and should be studied in preclinical models of metastatic OS.
Obesity Is Associated with an Increase in Pharmaceutical Expenses among University Employees
Authors: Gazmararian Julie A. , Frisvold David , Zhang Kun , Koplan Jeffrey P.
Published: February 2015

Objective. To examine costs associated with obesity in an employee population and factors associated with increased costs.Methods. We used data from the Physical Activity and Life Style (PALS) study, a randomized prospective design evaluating three interventions to increase physical activity among physically inactive nonfaculty university employees (n=454). The primary exposure variable, obesity (measured by body mass index), was obtained from the in-person baseline survey. Covariates were obtained from the baseline survey and included demographic characteristics and health status. Data from the baseline survey was linked with administrative data to determine pharmaceutical, inpatient, outpatient, and total health care costs for three years. Average monthly expenditures for obese and nonobese individuals were compared usingt-tests and a two-part multivariate regression model adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and health behaviors.Results. Although in-patient and outpatient expenses were not associated with obesity, pharmaceutical expenditures were $408 or 87.2% higher per year ($468 versus $876) for obese individuals than for nonobese individuals, which reflected poorer health behaviors and health status of obese adults.Conclusion. Awareness of the costs associated with obesity among employees can stimulate employers to make the investment in providing employer-sponsored wellness and health improvement programs to address obesity.
Sample Entropy Analysis of EEG Signals via Artificial Neural Networks to Model Patients’ Consciousness Level Based on Anesthesiologists Experience
Authors: Jiang George J. A. , Fan Shou-Zen , Abbod Maysam F. , Huang Hui-Hsun , Lan Jheng-Yan , Tsai Feng-Fang , Chang Hung-Chi , Yang Yea-Wen , Chuang Fu-Lan , Chiu Yi-Fang , Jen Kuo-Kuang , Wu Jeng-Fu , Shieh Jiann-Shing
Published: February 2015

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, as it can express the human brain’s activities and reflect awareness, have been widely used in many research and medical equipment to build a noninvasive monitoring index to the depth of anesthesia (DOA). Bispectral (BIS) index monitor is one of the famous and important indicators for anesthesiologists primarily using EEG signals when assessing the DOA. In this study, an attempt is made to build a new indicator using EEG signals to provide a more valuable reference to the DOA for clinical researchers. The EEG signals are collected from patients under anesthetic surgery which are filtered using multivariate empirical mode decomposition (MEMD) method and analyzed using sample entropy (SampEn) analysis. The calculated signals from SampEn are utilized to train an artificial neural network (ANN) model through using expert assessment of consciousness level (EACL) which is assessed by experienced anesthesiologists as the target to train, validate, and test the ANN. The results that are achieved using the proposed system are compared to BIS index. The proposed system results show that it is not only having similar characteristic to BIS index but also more close to experienced anesthesiologists which illustrates the consciousness level and reflects the DOA successfully.
An Introduction to Fuzzy Testing of Multialternative Hypotheses for Group of Samples with the Single Parameter: Through the Fuzzy Confidence Interval of Region of Acceptance
Authors: Harikrishnan Manikandan , Sundarrajan Jeyabharathi , Rengasamy Muthuraj
Published: February 2015

Classical statistics and many data mining methods rely on “statistical significance” as a sole criterion for evaluating alternative hypotheses. It is very useful to find out the significant difference existing between the samples as well as the population or between two samples. But in this paper, the researchers try to apply the concepts of fuzzy group testing of hypothesis problem between multi group of samples of same size or different, through comparing the parameters like mean, standard deviation, and so forth. Hence we can compare multigroups such that they have the significant difference in their mean or standard deviation or other parameters through the fuzzy group testing of multihypotheses. The authors introduced and investigated the concepts very first time through fuzzy analysis that can decide which group(s) or samples can be taken for further investigation and eitherH0is rejected or accepted and hence the next discussion provides the properties of group of samples which may result in the optimized solution for the problem.
Left Ventricle: Fully Automated Segmentation Based on Spatiotemporal Continuity and Myocardium Information in Cine Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (LV-FAST)
Authors: Wang Lijia , Pei Mengchao , Codella Noel C. F. , Kochar Minisha , Weinsaft Jonathan W. , Li Jianqi , Prince Martin R. , Wang Yi
Published: February 2015

CMR quantification of LV chamber volumes typically and manually defines the basal-most LV, which adds processing time and user-dependence. This study developed an LV segmentation method that is fully automated based on the spatiotemporal continuity of the LV (LV-FAST). An iteratively decreasing threshold region growing approach was used first from the midventricle to the apex, until the LV area and shape discontinued, and then from midventricle to the base, until less than 50% of the myocardium circumference was observable. Region growth was constrained by LV spatiotemporal continuity to improve robustness of apical and basal segmentations. The LV-FAST method was compared with manual tracing on cardiac cine MRI data of 45 consecutive patients. Of the 45 patients, LV-FAST and manual selection identified the same apical slices at both ED and ES and the same basal slices at both ED and ES in 38, 38, 38, and 41 cases, respectively, and their measurements agreed within-1.6±8.7 mL,-1.4±7.8 mL, and1.0±5.8%for EDV, ESV, and EF, respectively. LV-FAST allowed LV volume-time course quantitatively measured within 3 seconds on a standard desktop computer, which is fast and accurate for processing the cine volumetric cardiac MRI data, and enables LV filling course quantification over the cardiac cycle.
Building Expert Medical Prognostic Systems Using Voronoi Diagram
Authors: Ivanchuk Maria A. , Malyk Igor V.
Published: February 2015

The method of building expert systems for medical prediction of severity in patients is purposed. The method is based on using Voronoi diagrams. Examples of using the method are described in the paper.
Prevalence and Possible Risk Factors of Low Bone Mineral Density in Untreated Female Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Sun Yi-Ning , Feng Xiu-Yuan , He Lan , Zeng Ling-Xia , Hao Zhi-Ming , Lv Xiao-Hong , Pu Dan
Published: February 2015

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation. Different studies have shown decreased bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with SLE. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and possible risk factors of low BMD in untreated female patients with SLE in Chinese population. A total of 119 untreated female patients with SLE were included. BMD was measured at lumbar spine and at total hip by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The associations between decreased BMD and demographic variables, clinical variables, and bone metabolism variables were analyzed. These SLE patients had the following characteristics: mean age was32.6±11.9years, mean disease duration was22.1±34.5months, and mean SLEDAI was11.4±5.4. Osteopenia was present in 31.1% of the patients and osteoporosis in 8.5%. A significant negative association between low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and BMD at the lumbar spine (correlation coefficient= −0.242;P=0.023) and total hip (correlation coefficient= −0.259;P=0.019) was shown. These results seem to indicate that increased LDL-c may be an important risk factor for low BMD at lumbar spine and total hip in untreated female SLE patients.
Pediatric Resuscitation: Outcome Effects of Location, Intervention, and Duration
Authors: Scott John P. , Loveland Baptist Lindsey , Berens Richard J.
Published: February 2015

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is performed in order to restore oxygen delivery and prevent multiorgan system failure and death. Prompt initiation of CPR with appropriate medical or surgical therapy may shorten arrest duration before irreversible organ injury occurs. The brain is most susceptible to irreversible anoxic injury. Survival data suggests that children are more likely than adults to survive and have good neurologic outcomes following cardiac arrest. In this review of pediatric resuscitation, we discuss important predictors of postarrest outcomes as well as advances in resuscitation science focusing on the critical importance of oxygen delivery during periarrest care.
The Relationship between Serum 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D and Insulin Sensitivity and  β-Cell Function in Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Gao Yuan , Wu Xinchi , Fu Qi , Li Yanyun , Yang Tao , Tang Wei
Published: February 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OHD) and insulin sensitivity andβ-cell function in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. 395 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients were enrolled in this study. Venous blood samples were collected at 0 min, 30 min, and 120 min of OGTT to measure serum glucose and insulin. Matsuda ISI and HOMA-IR were used to determine insulin sensitivity. The ratio of 0–120 min area under curve of insulin to glucose (insulin release index, INSR) was calculated as surrogate index ofβ-cell insulin secretion function. The products of insulin secretion indices multiplied by Matsuda insulin sensitivity index were used as disposition indices. Patients were divided into three groups according to tertiles (T1, T2, and T3) of 25-OHD concentration. There was significant difference among three groups for HOMA-IR, Matsuda ISI, and INSR. HOMA-IR, Matsuda ISI, INSR, and DI were undifferentiated among three groups in male patients. But HOMA-IR, Matsuda ISI, and INSR were significantly different among three groups in female patients after being adjusted by confounding factors. In conclusion, serum 25-OHD is associated with insulin sensitivity andβ-cell function for female newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients, and the association is ambiguous in males.
A General Uniqueness Theorem concerning the Stability of Additive and Quadratic Functional Equations
Authors: Lee Yang-Hi , Jung Soon-Mo
Published: February 2015

We prove a general uniqueness theorem that can be easily applied to the (generalized) Hyers-Ulam stability of the Cauchy additive functional equation, the quadratic functional equation, and the quadratic-additive type functional equations. This uniqueness theorem can replace the repeated proofs for uniqueness of the relevant solutions of given equations while we investigate the stability of functional equations.
Successful Treatment with Mycophenolate Mofetil and Tacrolimus in Juvenile Severe Lupus Nephritis
Authors: Kise Tomoo , Yoshimura Hiroshi , Fukuyama Shigeru , Uehara Masatsugu
Published: February 2015

Lupus nephritis (LN) of juvenile onset often has severe disease presentation. Despite aggressive induction therapy, up to 20% of patients with LN are resistant to initial therapy and up to 44% suffer a renal relapse. However, there is no consensus on an appropriate therapeutic regimen for refractory LN. We report a 13-year-old girl with recurrent LN who was not taking her medications. At age of 11 years, she was diagnosed with LN classified as International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society (ISN/RPS) class IV G (A) + V. She was treated with prednisolone and MMF after nine methylprednisolone pulses. Nineteen months later, she was admitted to the hospital with generalized edema. Her symptoms were nephrotic syndrome and acute renal dysfunction. She received three methylprednisolone pulses for 3 days, followed by oral prednisolone and MMF. Twenty-seven days after the three methylprednisolone pulses, her acute renal dysfunction was improved, but the nephrotic syndrome was not improved. A second biopsy showed diffuse lupus nephritis classified as the predominant finding of ISN/RPS class V. We added tacrolimus to the MMF. Four months after adding tacrolimus, the nephrotic syndrome improved. We conclude that adding tacrolimus to the treatment regimen for LN resistant to MMF is effective.
Patient Characteristics Can Influence the Incidence of Perioperative Microemboli during Carotid Artery Interventions
Authors: Zayed Mohamed A. , Hitchner Elizabeth , Gholibeikian Simin , Rosen Allyson , Lane Barton , Zhou Wei
Published: February 2015

Purpose. Perioperative cerebral microembolization demonstrated on diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) can occur following carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS). We sought to explore potential risk factors for this in the large patient cohort. Methods. We reviewed a 6-year consecutive patient cohort that received either CEA or CAS, and perioperative DWI evaluations. Results. 303 patients were reviewed, and 56 (19.4%) patients were found to have perioperative microemboli. The incidence was higher among patients who received CAS (P < 0.001). Hypertension (P = 0.03), smoking (P = 0.001), and a history of transient ischemic attacks (P = 0.04) were risk factors for microembolization. The risk was higher among CEA patients with obesity (P = 0.05), and among CAS patients with coronary artery disease (P = 0.03). Conclusion. Specific patient populations are likely more prone to develop perioperative cerebral microemboli following carotid intervention. Continued risk stratification may help decrease future perioperative cerebral microembolization rates.
Histopathological, Histomorphometrical, and Radiographical Evaluation of Injectable Glass-Ceramic-Chitosan Nanocomposite in Bone Reconstruction of Rat
Authors: Seyedmajidi Maryam , Rabiee Seyedmahmood , Haghanifar Sina , Seyedmajidi Seyedkamal , Jorsaraei Seyed Gholam ali , Alaghehmand Homayoun , Jamaatlu Naghmeh , Bijani Ali
Published: February 2015

Background. Bone defects following tumor resection and osteolysis due to bone lesions, periodontal tissue disorders, and bone reconstruction are challenges that surgeons face. Gass-ceramic-chitosan nanocomposite contains chitosan, a derivative of crustaceans’ exoskeleton.Methods. Thirty-two 6–8-week-old male Wistar rats were chosen. One hole on each right and left tibia was made. The right tibia holes were filled with injectable glass-ceramic-chitosan nanocomposite, and the left tibia holes were left empty. After 7, 14, 28, and 60 days, histopathological, histomorphometrical, and radiographical assessments were performed.Results. Radiographic density on days 7 and 14 was significantly higher in the right tibias than in the left tibias. Trabecular bone thickness, which was higher in the right tibias, increased from day 7 to day 60 in both right and left tibias, although not significantly.Conclusions. Glass-ceramic-chitosan nanocomposite is suggested for use in bone repair in cases of bone loss. More histopathological, histomorphometrical, and radiographical assessments are also recommended.
Pelvic Exenteration: Experience from a Rural Cancer Center in Developing World
Authors: Dessai Sampada B. , Balasubramanian Satheesan , Patil Vijay M. , Chakraborty Santam , Bhattacharjee Atanu , Vikram Syam
Published: February 2015

Background. Pelvic exenteration (PE) is a morbid procedure. Ours is a rural based cancer center limited trained surgical oncology staff. Hence, this audit was planned to evaluate morbidity and outcomes of all patients undergoing PE at our center.Methods. This is a IRB approved retrospective audit of all patients who underwent PE at our center from January 2010 to August 2013. The toxicity grades were retrospectively assigned according to the CTCAE version 4.02 criteria. Chi-square test was done to identify factors affecting grades 3–5 morbidity. Kaplan Meier survival analysis has been used for estimation of median PFS and OS.Results. 34 patients were identified, with the median age of 52 years (28–73 years). Total, anterior, posterior, and modified posterior exenterations were performed in 4 (11.8%), 5 (14.7%), 14 (41.2%), and 11 (32.4%) patients, respectively. The median time for surgery was 5.5 hours (3–8 hours). The median blood loss was 500 mL (200–4000 mL). CTCAE version 4.02 grades 3-4 toxicity was seen in nine patients (25.7%). The median estimated progression free survival was 31.76 months (25.13–38.40 months). The 2-year overall survival was 97.14%.Conclusion. PE related grades 3–5 morbidity of 25.7% and mortality of 2.9% at our resource limited center are encouraging.
Clinical Characteristics, Treatment Patterns, and Outcomes of Primary Canaliculitis among Patients in Beijing, China
Authors: Zhang Qin , Xu Beibei , Li Xiao-Xin , Li Ming-Wu
Published: February 2015

Background. Canaliculitis may cause punctal or canalicular swelling, discharge, erythema, and sometimes concretions. This study examined the clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of primary canaliculitis from patients at a top-rated hospital in Beijing, China.Methods. Medical records of 16 patients (retrospective case series) were studied.Results. This study included four males and twelve females with a median age of 72.5 years. The mean and the median follow-up time were 10.4 months and 6 months, respectively. The mostly observed clinical symptoms were epiphora with discharge (94%), while the mostly observed signs included pouting punctum (75%) and punctal regurgitation of concretions under syringing (75%). Only the symptoms of one patient among those with conservative therapy completely resolved within two-year follow-up. Curettage therapy was found to partly resolve the clinical symptoms and signs within the follow-up of four weeks. Fifteen patients finally received curettage with punctoplasty, and symptoms completely resolved in fourteen patients after one surgery.Conclusions. Syringing with pressing of lacrimal sac area may help better diagnosis of canaliculitis. Additionally, curettage with punctoplasty is recommended for thorough removal of concretions and complete resolution of canaliculitis.
Calculation of Credit Valuation Adjustment Based on Least Square Monte Carlo Methods
Authors: Liu Qian
Published: February 2015

Counterparty credit risk has become one of the highest-profile risks facing participants in the financial markets. Despite this, relatively little is known about how counterparty credit risk is actually priced mathematically. We examine this issue using interest rate swaps. This largely traded financial product allows us to well identify the risk profiles of both institutions and their counterparties. Concretely, Hull-White model for rate and mean-reverting model for default intensity have proven to be in correspondence with the reality and to be well suited for financial institutions. Besides, we find that least square Monte Carlo method is quite efficient in the calculation of credit valuation adjustment (CVA, for short) as it avoids the redundant step to generate inner scenarios. As a result, it accelerates the convergence speed of the CVA estimators. In the second part, we propose a new method to calculate bilateral CVA to avoid double counting in the existing bibliographies, where several copula functions are adopted to describe the dependence of two first to default times.
Identification and DUS Testing of Rice Varieties through Microsatellite Markers
Authors: Pourabed Ehsan , Jazayeri Noushabadi Mohammad Reza , Jamali Seyed Hossein , Moheb Alipour Naser , Zareyan Abbas , Sadeghi Leila
Published: February 2015

Identification and registration of new rice varieties are very important to be free from environmental effects and using molecular markers that are more reliable. The objectives of this study were, first, the identification and distinction of 40 rice varieties consisting of local varieties of Iran, improved varieties, and IRRI varieties using PIC, and discriminating power, second, cluster analysis based on Dice similarity coefficient and UPGMA algorithm, and, third, determining the ability of microsatellite markers to separate varieties utilizing the best combination of markers. For this research, 12 microsatellite markers were used. In total, 83 polymorphic alleles (6.91 alleles per locus) were found. In addition, the variation of PIC was calculated from 0.52 to 0.9. The results of cluster analysis showed the complete discrimination of varieties from each other except for IR58025A and IR58025B. Moreover, cluster analysis could detect the most of the improved varieties from local varieties. Based on the best combination of markers analysis, five pair primers together have shown the same results of all markers for detection among all varieties. Considering the results of this research, we can propose that microsatellite markers can be used as a complementary tool for morphological characteristics in DUS tests.
Extremely Rare Case of Vulvar Myxoid Epithelioid Sarcoma
Authors: Rego Joana Lima , Cintra Georgia Fontes , Netto Ana Karina Junqueira , Abrahão-Machado Lucas Faria , Tsunoda Audrey
Published: February 2015

Epithelioid sarcoma is a distinct sarcoma type with specific morphology and immunophenotype. An epithelioid sarcoma of the vulva is an extremely rare and aggressive tumor and most commonly occurs on the labia majora in women of reproductive age. Only few cases have been reported, especially with the presence of focal myxoid changes. Early diagnosis is difficult because of its benign appearance as a painless subcutaneous nodule. Optimal treatment is not well established due to its rarity. We report a successfully approached case of vulvar epithelioid sarcoma that occurred in a 34-year-old female patient, treated with wide local excision, and review of the current medical literature.