bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Simple Step Test to Estimate Cardio-Respiratory Fitness Levels of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in a Clinical Setting
Authors: Cooney Jennifer K. , Moore Jonathan P. , Ahmad Yasmeen A. , Jones Jeremy G. , Lemmey Andrew B. , Casanova Francesco , Maddison Peter J. , Thom Jeanette M.
Published: December 2013

Purpose. Exercise tests represent an important clinical tool to evaluate cardio-respiratory fitness and to predict future adverse cardiovascular events. However, use of such tests in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is relatively uncommon despite well-established evidence that low exercise capacity and high CVD mortality are features of this disease. Therefore, this study examined the validity and reliability of a sub-maximal step test for use in RA patients.Methods. Thirty patients (24 females) (mean ± SD age53±10years) performed a sub-maximal step test on two occasions to estimate the criterion measure of cardio-respiratory fitness (V.O2max). A further maximal cycling test provided a direct fitness measurement (V.O2 peak). Pearson correlation coefficient, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Bland and Altman plots, and 95% limits of agreement (LOA) were used to determine the validity and reliability of the sub-maximal test.Results. EstimatedV.O2maxcorrelated well with directly measuredV.O2 peak(r=0.79, LoA ±5.7 mL·kg−1·min−1). Test-retest reproducibility for estimatedV.O2maxwas excellent (ICC=0.97, LoA ±2.2 mL·kg−1·min−1).Conclusion. The sub-maximal step test studied here represents a valid and reproducible method to estimate cardio-respiratory fitness in RA patients. This test may be useful for the assessment and management of CVD risk in a clinical setting.
Synthesis of N-(6-(4-(Piperazin-1-yl)phenoxy)pyridin-3-yl)benzenesulfonamide Derivatives for the Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Deka Nabajyoti , Bajare Swapnil , Anthony Jessy , Nair Amrutha , Damre Anagha , Patel Dharmeshkumar , B-Rao Chandrika , Sivaramakrishnan H. , Mutt Shivaprakash Jagalur , Wilankar Chandan , Marita Rosalind
Published: December 2013

Metabolic syndrome is a widely prevalent multifactorial disorder associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. High plasma levels of insulin and glucose due to insulin resistance are a major component of the metabolic disorder. Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are potent PPARγ ligand and used as insulin sensitizers in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. They are potent insulin-sensitizing agents but due to adverse effects like hepatotoxicity, a safer alternative of TZDs is highly demanded. Here we report synthesis of N-(6-(4-(piperazin-1-yl)phenoxy)pyridin-3-yl)benzenesulfonamide derivatives as an alternate remedy for insulin resistance.
Molecular Tomography of the Quantum State by Time-Resolved Electron Diffraction
Authors: Ischenko A. A.
Published: December 2013

A procedure is described that can be used to reconstruct the quantum state of a molecular ensemble from time-dependent internuclear probability density functions determined by time-resolved electron diffraction. The procedure makes use of established techniques for evaluating the density matrix and the phase-space joint probability density, that is, the Wigner function. A novel expression for describing electron diffraction intensities in terms of the Wigner function is presented. An approximate variant of the method, neglecting the off-diagonal elements of the density matrix, was tested by analyzing gas electron diffraction data for N2 in a Boltzmann distribution and TRED data obtained from the 193 nm photodissociation of CS2 to carbon monosulfide, CS, at 20, 40, and 120 ns after irradiation. The coherent changes in the nuclear subsystem by time-resolved electron diffraction method determine the fundamental transition from the standard kinetics to the dynamics of the phase trajectory of the molecule and the tomography of molecular quantum state.
Elastic Information Management for Air Pollution Monitoring in Large-Scale M2M Sensor Networks
Authors: Ma Yajie , Guo Yike , Silva Dilshan , Tsinalis Orestis , Wu Chao
Published: December 2013

In large-scale machine-to-machine sensor networks, the applications such as urban air pollution monitoring require information management over widely distributed sensors under restricted power, processing, storage, and communication resources. The continual increases in size, data generating rates, and connectivity of sensor networks present significant scale and complexity challenges. Traditional schemes of information management are no longer applicable in such a scenario. Hence, an elastic resource allocation strategy is introduced which is a novel management technique based on elastic computing. With the discussion of the challenges of implementing real-time and high-performance information management in an elastic manner, an air pollution monitoring system, called EIMAP, was designed with a four-layer hierarchical structure. The core technique of EIMAP is the elastic resource provision scheduler, which models the constraint satisfaction problem by minimizing the use of resources for collecting information for a defined quality threshold. Simulation results show that the EIMAP system has high performance in resource provision and scalability. The experiment of pollution cloud dispersion tracking presents a case study of the system implementation.
Structure and Microhardness of Cu‐Ta Joints Produced by Explosive Welding
Authors: Maliutina Iu. N. , Mali V. I. , Bataev I. A. , Bataev A. A. , Esikov M. A. , Smirnov A. I. , Skorokhod K. A.
Published: December 2013

The structure and microhardness of Cu‐Ta joints produced by explosive welding were studied. It was found that, during explosive welding, an intermediate layer 20⋯40 μm thick with a finely dispersed heterophase structure, formed between the welded copper and tantalum plates. The structure of the layer was studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Microvolumes with tantalum particles distributed in a copper matrix and microvolumes of copper particles in a tantalum matrix were detected. The tantalum particles in copper have a size of 5⋯500 nm, with a predominance of 5⋯50 nm particles. A mechanism for the formation of the finely dispersed heterophase structure in explosive welding is proposed. The microhardness of interlayers with the heterophase structure reaches 280 HV, which far exceeds the microhardness of copper (~130 HV) and tantalum (~160 HV). Many twins of deformation origin were found in the structure of the copper plate. The effect of heating temperature in the range from 100 to 900∘C on the microhardness of copper, tantalum, and the Cu‐Ta welded joint was studied. Upon heating to 900∘C, the microhardness of the intermediate layer decreases from 280 to 150 HV. The reduction in the strength properties of the weld material is mainly due to structural transformations in copper.
λ-Statistical Convergence in Paranormed Space
Authors: Alghamdi Mohammed A. , Mursaleen Mohammad
Published: December 2013

The concept ofλ-statistical convergence for sequences of real numbers was introduced in Mursaleen (2000). In this paper, we prove decomposition theorem forλ-statistical convergence. We also define and studyλ-statistical convergence,λ-statistically Cauchy, and stronglyλp-summability in Paranormed Space.
Changes in the Mucus Barrier during Cisplatin-Induced Intestinal Mucositis in Rats
Authors: Yamamoto Hajime , Ishihara Kazuhiko , Takeda Yuko , Koizumi Wasaburo , Ichikawa Takafumi
Published: December 2013

Aim. Gastrointestinal mucositis is a frequent complication of antineoplastic chemotherapy, but the effects of chemotherapy on mucosal defense mechanisms remain poorly understood. We studied the effects of cisplatin on mucin, one of the principal defense factors of the gastrointestinal mucosa, and evaluated the efficacy of two different types of H2-receptor antagonists against cisplatin-induced mucositis.Methods. Cisplatin (6 mg/kg) was administered intravenously to rats (day 0). The rats were sacrificed 1, 3, 7, and 11 days after treatment, and their stomach, jejunum, ileum, and colon were removed. Immunoreactivity of the mucosa was compared with the use of anti-mucin monoclonal antibody. To evaluate the efficacy of H2-receptor antagonists, either famotidine (3 mg/kg) or lafutidine (30 mg/kg) was given orally once daily on days 0, 1, and 2. Histological and biochemical findings were compared among the groups to assess effects on cisplatin-induced injury.Results. Cisplatin significantly altered the immunoreactivity and content of mucin in the small intestinal mucosa, especially in the ileum. Lafutidine protected against cisplatin-induced mucosal injury and attenuated decreased mucin accumulation.Conclusion. Cisplatin appears to alter the mucus barrier function in the intestinal mucosa. Lafutidine might effectively prevent chemotherapy-induced mucositis by activating intestinal mucus cells.
Goniomitine: An Overview on the Chemistry of This Indole Alkaloid
Authors: Alves José C. F.
Published: December 2013

This paper reports an overview on the chemistry of the indole alkaloid goniomitine focusing, mainly, on the methods of synthesis related to this natural product and analogs.
Low‐Complexity Saliency Detection Algorithm for Fast Perceptual Video Coding
Authors: Liu Pengyu , Jia Kebin
Published: December 2013

A low‐complexity saliency detection algorithm for perceptual video coding is proposed; low‐level encoding information is adopted as the characteristics of visual perception analysis. Firstly, this algorithm employs motion vector (MV) to extract temporal saliency region through fast MV noise filtering and translational MV checking procedure. Secondly, spatial saliency region is detected based on optimal prediction mode distributions in I‐frame and P‐frame. Then, it combines the spatiotemporal saliency detection results to define the video region of interest (VROI). The simulation results validate that the proposed algorithm can avoid a large amount of computation work in the visual perception characteristics analysis processing compared with other existing algorithms; it also has better performance in saliency detection for videos and can realize fast saliency detection. It can be used as a part of the video standard codec at medium‐to‐low bit‐rates or combined with other algorithms in fast video coding.
It Is Always on Your Mind: Experiences and Perceptions of Falling of Older People and Their Carers and the Potential of a Mobile Falls Detection Device
Authors: Williams Veronika , Victor Christina R. , McCrindle Rachel
Published: December 2013

Background. Falls and fear of falling present a major risk to older people as both can affect their quality of life and independence. Mobile assistive technologies (AT) fall detection devices may maximise the potential for older people to live independently for as long as possible within their own homes by facilitating early detection of falls.Aims. To explore the experiences and perceptions of older people and their carers as to the potential of a mobile falls detection AT device.Methods. Nine focus groups with 47 participants including both older people with a range of health conditions and their carers. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed.Results. Four key themes were identified relating to participants’ experiences and perceptions of falling and the potential impact of a mobile falls detector: cause of falling, falling as everyday vulnerability, the environmental context of falling, and regaining confidence and independence by having a mobile falls detector.Conclusion. The perceived benefits of a mobile falls detector may differ between older people and their carers. The experience of falling has to be taken into account when designing mobile assistive technology devices as these may influence perceptions of such devices and how older people utilise them.
In VitroandIn VivoAntimalarial Evaluations of Myrtle Extract, a Plant Traditionally Used for Treatment of Parasitic Disorders
Authors: Naghibi Farzaneh , Esmaeili Somayeh , Abdullah Noor Rain , Nateghpour Mehdi , Taghvai Mahdieh , Kamkar Siamak , Mosaddegh Mahmoud
Published: December 2013

Based on the collected ethnobotanical data from the Traditional Medicine and Materia Medica Research Center (TMRC), Iran,Myrtus communisL. (myrtle) was selected for the assessment ofin vitroandin vivoantimalarial and cytotoxic activities. Methanolic extract of myrtle was prepared from the aerial parts and assessed for antiplasmodial activity, using the parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) assay against chloroquine-resistant (K1) and chloroquine-sensitive (3D7) strains ofPlasmodium falciparum. The 4-day suppressive test was employed to determine the parasitemia suppression of the myrtle extract againstP. berghei  in vivo. The IC50values of myrtle extract were 35.44 µg/ml against K1 and 0.87 µg/ml against 3D7. Myrtle extract showed a significant suppression of parasitaemia (84.8 ± 1.1% at 10 mg/kg/day) in mice infected withP. bergheiafter 4 days of treatment. Cytotoxic activity was carried out against mammalian cell lines using methyl thiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay. No cytotoxic effect on mammalian cell lines up to 100 µg/mL was shown. The results support the traditional use of myrtle in malaria. Phytochemical investigation and understanding the mechanism of action would be in our upcoming project.
Evidence of Antidepressive Effects of aWakan-yaku,Hochuekkito, in Depression Model Mice with Learned-Helplessness Behavior
Authors: Tohda Michihisa , Mingmalairak Salin
Published: December 2013

Wakan-yakuis a type of Japanese and Sino traditional, systematized medical care that has been practiced for hundreds of years. This medicinal system includes many antidepressive prescriptions. One of the candidates isHochuekkito, although experimental evidence has not yet been established clearly. To obtain evidence, a depression model of learned-helplessness (LH) mice was used. Based on the score of escape failure, an index of the depression degree, mice with a depressive condition were selected to assessHochuekkito’s effects. This selection was significant and effective in the following two points: evaluation of the drug effect under disease conditions and minimization of the number of animals. Treatment withHochuekkito(1 and 5 g/kg p.o.; estimated galenical amount) for 14 days significantly decreased the depression index, the number of escape failures, and desipramine (10 mg/kg p.o.) suggesting thatHochuekkitohas an antidepressive effect.
Computer Aided Diagnostic Support System for Skin Cancer: A Review of Techniques and Algorithms
Authors: Masood Ammara , Ali Al-Jumaily Adel
Published: December 2013

Image-based computer aided diagnosis systems have significant potential for screening and early detection of malignant melanoma. We review the state of the art in these systems and examine current practices, problems, and prospects of image acquisition, pre-processing, segmentation, feature extraction and selection, and classification of dermoscopic images. This paper reports statistics and results from the most important implementations reported to date. We compared the performance of several classifiers specifically developed for skin lesion diagnosis and discussed the corresponding findings. Whenever available, indication of various conditions that affect the technique’s performance is reported. We suggest a framework for comparative assessment of skin cancer diagnostic models and review the results based on these models. The deficiencies in some of the existing studies are highlighted and suggestions for future research are provided.
On Approximation by Algebraic Version of the Trigonometric Jackson Integrals Gs,n in Weighted Integral Metric
Authors: Zapryanova Teodora
Published: December 2013

We characterize the errors of the algebraic version of trigonometric Jackson integrals Gs,n in weighted integral metric. We prove direct and strong converse theorem in terms of the weighted K-functional.
The Impacts of Different Expansion Modes on Performance of Small Solar Energy Firms: Perspectives of Absorptive Capacity
Authors: Chen Hsing Hung , Shen Tao , Xu Xin-long , Ma Chao
Published: December 2013

The characteristics of firm’s expansion by differentiated products and diversified products are quite different. However, the study employing absorptive capacity to examine the impacts of different modes of expansion on performance of small solar energy firms has never been discussed before. Then, a conceptual model to analyze the tension between strategies and corporate performance is proposed to filling the vacancy. After practical investigation, the results show that stronger organizational institutions help small solar energy firms expanded by differentiated products increase consistency between strategies and corporate performance; oppositely, stronger working attitudes with weak management controls help small solar energy firms expanded by diversified products reduce variance between strategies and corporate performance.
On the First-Order Shape Derivative of the Kohn-Vogelius Cost Functional of the Bernoulli Problem
Authors: Bacani Jerico B. , Peichl Gunther
Published: December 2013

The exterior Bernoulli free boundary problem is being considered. The solution to the problem is studied via shape optimization techniques. The goal is to determine a domain having a specific regularity that gives a minimum value for the Kohn-Vogelius-type cost functional while simultaneously solving two PDE constraints: a pure Dirichlet boundary value problem and a Neumann boundary value problem. This paper focuses on the rigorous computation of the first-order shape derivative of the cost functional using the Hölder continuity of the state variables and not the usual approach which uses the shape derivatives of states.
Paraneoplastic Mononeuritis Multiplex as a Presenting Feature of Adenocarcinoma of the Lung
Authors: Ekiz Esra , Ozkok Abdullah , Ertugrul Nazan Kader
Published: December 2013

Paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes are observed in less than 0.1% of cancer patients. Neurologic syndromes in lung cancer include Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, polyneuropathy, cerebellar degeneration, and rarely mononeuritis multiplex. In this case, a patient presenting with bilateral asymmetrical sensorimotor polyneuropathy who was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the lung is reported.
Clear Cell Adenocarcinoma of the Renal Pelvis in a Male Patient
Authors: Kongkarnka Sarawut , Kitirattakarn Pruit , Katayama Hironori , Khunamornpong Surapan
Published: December 2013

Carcinoma of the renal pelvis is an uncommon renal neoplasm. Clear cell adenocarcinoma in the urinary tract is rare and has a histomorphology resembling that of the female genital tract. We herein present a case of clear cell adenocarcinoma of the renal pelvis, which is the first example in a male patient to our knowledge. A 54-year-old man presented with right flank pain. The tumor was associated with renal stones and hydronephrosis and invaded into the peripelvic fat tissue with regional lymph node metastasis. The patient died of metastatic disease six months postoperatively. Histologically, the tumor showed complex papillary architecture lined with clear and hobnail cells. Clear cell adenocarcinoma of the renal pelvis may pose a diagnostic challenge on histological grounds, particularly in the distinction from renal cell carcinoma. The immunohistochemical stains could help confirm the diagnosis. Due to its rarity, an effective treatment regimen remains to be determined.
Optical Rectification and Second Harmonic Generation on Quasi-Realistic InAs/GaAs Quantum Dots: With Attention to Wetting Layer Effect
Authors: Khaledi-Nasab A. , Sabaiean M. , Sahrai M. , Fallahi V.
Published: December 2013

In this paper, we have performed a theoretical study on nonlinear optical rectification (OR) and second harmonic generation (SHG) for three-level dome-shaped InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) in the presence of wetting layer (WL). We used the compact density matrix framework and effective mass approximation to investigate the second order nonlinear phenomena on InAs/GaAs QD. It is demonstrated that second harmonic generation (SHG), optical rectification (OR), and their mutual absorption and refractive index changes are quite sensitive to the size of QDs. The size variations have profound irregular behavior owing to distribution of envelope function on WL and QD simultaneously. Moreover it is found that R=13 nm is a critical radius where the regular variation takes place. It is shown that size variation causes blue shift until Critical radius (R=13 nm) and after that, increasing the QD size lead to redshift in second order phenomena.
Low Temperature Flex‐on‐Flex Assembly Using Polyvinylidene Fluoride Nanofiber Incorporated Sn58Bi Solder Anisotropic Conductive Films and Vertical Ultrasonic Bonding
Authors: Kim Tae-Wan , Suk Kyung-Lim , Lee Sang-Hoon , Paik Kyung-Wook
Published: December 2013

In this study, solder ball incorporated polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) nanofiber was added into the ACF system to overcome short circuit issues of fine pitch flex‐on‐flex (FOF) assembly. Also, in order to improve the thermal mismatch of the flexible substrate which can lead to electrode misalignment during the bonding process, low melting temperature Sn58Bi solder balls were used with vertical ultrasonic (U/S) bonding method. When performing FOF assembly using PVDF nanofiber/Sn58Bi solder ACF and vertical ultrasonic bonding, PVDF nanofiber/Sn58Bi solder ACFs showed 34% higher solder capture rate on an electrode compared to conventional Ni ACFs and conventional Sn58Bi solder ACFs. Additionally, PVDF nanofiber/Sn58Bisolder ACFs showed 100% insulation between neighboring electrodes where conventional Ni ACFs and conventional Sn58Bi solder ACFs showed 75% and 87.5% insulation. Other electrical properties such as contact resistance and current handling capability as well as reliability test of PVDF nanofiber/Sn58Bi solder ACFs showed improved results compared to those of conventional Ni ACFs, which proves the formation of stable solder joint of PVDF nanofiber/Sn58Bi solder ACFs.
Bounds for the Arithmetic Mean in Terms of the Neuman-Sándor and Other Bivariate Means
Authors: Zhang Fan , Chu Yu-Ming , Qian Wei-Mao
Published: December 2013

We present the largest valuesα1,α2, andα3and the smallest valuesβ1,β2, andβ3such that the double inequalitiesα1M(a,b)+(1-α1)H(a,b)<A(a,b)<β1M(a,b)+ (1-β1)H(a,b),α2M(a,b)+(1-α2) H-(a,b) < A(a,b)<β2M(a,b)+(1-β2)H-(a,b), andα3M(a,b)+(1-α3)He(a,b)< A(a,b)<β3M (a,b)+(1-β3)He(a,b)hold for alla,b>0witha≠b, whereM(a,b),A(a,b),He(a,b),H(a,b)andH-(a,b)denote the Neuman-Sándor, arithmetic, Heronian, harmonic, and harmonic root-square means ofaandb, respectively.
Intravitreal and Subtenon Depot Triamcinolone as Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa Associated Cystoid Macular Edema
Authors: Barge Sidnei , Rothwell Renata , Sepúlveda Paula , Agrelos Luís
Published: December 2013

We present a case of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) related cystoid macular edema (CME) refractory to oral acetazolamide and topical ketorolac that was treated with intravitreal and subtenon depot triamcinolone. A 32-year-old male with RP presented with complaints of bilateral decrease in visual acuity. His best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/50 in the right eye and 20/100 in the left eye. After being informed of the available treatment options, the patient received bilateral intravitreal injection triamcinolone. The patient’s BCVA improved to 20/40 in the right eye and 20/50 in the left eye and the CME was resorbed. However, 5 months after the injection in the left eye and two months in the right eye, visual acuity decreased due to recurrence of CME. We performed a second intravitreal injection in the left eye with improvement of visual and anatomic results, but we observed a recurrence of CME. Afterwards, we treated the patient with subtenon depot triamcinolone in both eyes, with the result that there was no recurrence after 4 months in OD or after 3 months in OS. We conclude that intravitreal and subtenon depot triamcinolone appear to provide at least temporary benefit in refractory CME as regards the improvement of visual acuity.
Th17-Associated Cytokines as a Therapeutic Target for Steroid-Insensitive Asthma
Authors: Morishima Yuko , Ano Satoshi , Ishii Yukio , Ohtsuka Shigeo , Matsuyama Masashi , Kawaguchi Mio , Hizawa Nobuyuki
Published: December 2013

Steroid-insensitive asthma is an infrequent but problematic airway disease that presents with persistent symptoms, airflow limitation, or recurrent exacerbations even when treated with steroid-based therapies. Because of unsatisfactory results obtained from currently available therapies for steroid-insensitive asthma, a better understanding of its pathogenesis and the development of new targeted molecular therapies are warranted. Recent studies indicated that levels of interleukin (IL)-17 are increased and both eosinophils and neutrophils infiltrate the airways of severe asthmatics. IL-17 is a proinflammatory cytokine mainly secreted from helper T (Th) 17 cells and is important for the induction of neutrophil recruitment and migration at sites of inflammation. This review focuses on the pathogenetic role of Th17 cells and their associated cytokines in steroid-insensitive asthma and discusses the prospects of novel therapeutic options targeting the Th17 signaling pathway.
Suicidal Career in Severe Depression among Long-Term Survivors: In a Followup after 37–53 Years Suicide Attempts Appeared to End Long before Depression
Authors: Crona Lisa , Mossberg Alexander , Brådvik Louise
Published: December 2013

Objective. To describe the suicidal career in the long-term course of severe depression.Subjects and Method. Seventy-five former in-patients were interviewed by telephone about course of depression and suicide attempts 37–53 years after index admission. Medical records were read in many cases.Results. 29 subjects had attempted suicide, 13 repeated, 10 made severe, and 13 violent attempts. The risk of suicide attempt decreased by 10% for every decade spent depressed. Suicide attempts were made early in course of depression, and more time was spent depressed after suicide attempts than before.Conclusions. A healing process of the suicidal career, which may occur long before the end of the last depressive episode (sometimes decades), is proposed.
On Distributed Localization for Road Sensor Networks: A Game Theoretic Approach
Authors: Jia Jie , Zhang Guiyuan , Wang Xingwei , Chen Jian
Published: December 2013

Road sensor network is an important part of vehicle networks system and is critical for many intelligent automobile scenarios, such as vehicle safety monitoring and transportation efficiency supporting. Localization of sensors is an active and crucial issue to most applications of road sensor network. Generally, given some anchor nodes’ positions and certain pairwise distance measurements, estimating the positions of all nonanchor nodes embodies a nonconvex optimization problem. However, due to the small number of anchor nodes and low sensor node connectivity degree in road sensor networks, the existing localization solutions are ineffective. In order to tackle this problem, a novel distributed localization method based on game theory for road sensor networks is proposed in this paper. Formally, we demonstrate that our proposed localization game is a potential game. Furthermore, we present several techniques to accelerate the convergence to the optimal solution. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm.
Impact of Mean Platelet Volume on Combined Safety Endpoint and Vascular and Bleeding Complications following Percutaneous Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation
Authors: Magri Caroline J. , Chieffo Alaide , Durante Alessandro , Latib Azeem , Montorfano Matteo , Maisano Francesco , Cioni Michela , Agricola Eustachio , Covello Remo Daniel , Gerli Chiara , Franco Annalisa , Spagnolo Pietro , Alfieri Ottavio , Colombo Antonio
Published: December 2013

Background. Vascular and bleeding complications remain important complications in patients undergoing percutaneous transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TF-TAVI). Platelets play an important role in bleeding events. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is an indicator of platelet activation. The objective of this study was to assess whether low MPV is an indicator of major vascular and bleeding complications following TF-TAVI.Methods. A retrospective cohort study of 330 subjects undergoing TF-TAVI implantation was performed. The primary study endpoint was the occurrence of combined safety endpoint (CSEP); secondary endpoints included major vascular complications and life-threatening bleeding. Endpoints were defined according to Valve Academic Research Consortium 2.Results. The CSEP at 30 days was reached in 30.9%; major vascular complications were observed in 14.9% while life-threatening bleeding occurred in 20.6%. Logistic Euroscore and MPV were independent predictors of CSEP. Predictors of vascular complications were female sex, previous myocardial infarction, red blood cell distribution width (RDW), and MPV while predictors of life-threatening bleeding were peripheral arterial disease, RDW, and MPV.Conclusion. A low baseline MPV was shown for the first time to be a significant predictor of CSEP, major vascular complications, and life-threatening bleeding following TF-TAVI.
Comparative (Computational) Analysis of the DNA Methylation Status of Trinucleotide Repeat Expansion Diseases
Authors: Ghorbani Mohammadmersad , Taylor Simon J. E. , Pook Mark A. , Payne Annette
Published: December 2013

Previous studies have examined DNA methylation in different trinucleotide repeat diseases. We have combined this data and used a pattern searching algorithm to identify motifs in the DNA surrounding aberrantly methylated CpGs found in the DNA of patients with one of the three trinucleotide repeat (TNR) expansion diseases: fragile X syndrome (FRAXA), myotonic dystrophy type I (DM1), or Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA). We examined sequences surrounding both the variably methylated (VM) CpGs, which are hypermethylated in patients compared with unaffected controls, and the nonvariably methylated CpGs which remain either always methylated (AM) or never methylated (NM) in both patients and controls. Using the J48 algorithm of WEKA analysis, we identified that two patterns are all that is necessary to classify our three regions CCGG* which is found in VM and not in AM regions and AATT* which distinguished between NM and VM + AM using proportional frequency. Furthermore, comparing our software with MEME software, we have demonstrated that our software identifies more patterns than MEME in these short DNA sequences. Thus, we present evidence that the DNA sequence surrounding CpG can influence its susceptibility to bede novomethylated in a disease state associated with a trinucleotide repeat.
Evolving MCDM Applications Using Hybrid Expert‐Based ISM and DEMATEL Models: An Example of Sustainable Ecotourism
Authors: Chuang Huan-Ming , Lin Chien-Ku , Chen Da-Ren , Chen You-Shyang
Published: December 2013

Ecological degradation is an escalating global threat. Increasingly, people are expressing awareness and priority for concerns about environmental problems surrounding them. Environmental protection issues are highlighted. An appropriate information technology tool, the growing popular social network system (virtual community, VC), facilitates public education and engagement with applications for existent problems effectively. Particularly, the exploration of related involvement behavior of VC member engagement is an interesting topic. Nevertheless, member engagement processes comprise interrelated sub‐processes that reflect an interactive experience within VCs as well as the value co‐creation model. To address the top‐focused ecotourism VCs, this study presents an application of a hybrid expert‐based ISM model and DEMATEL model based on multi‐criteria decision making tools to investigate the complex multidimensional and dynamic nature of member engagement. Our research findings provide insightful managerial implications and suggest that the viral marketing of ecotourism protection is concerned with practitioners and academicians alike.
An Improved Second Order Sliding Mode Twisting Algorithm for Finite-Time Trajectory Tracking of Intelligent Vehicle
Authors: Yang Jie , Wang Qinglin , Li Yuan
Published: December 2013

This paper proposes a kind of controller comprising Twisting algorithm and adaptive method for the trajectory tracking control of intelligent vehicle system with uncertainties. Firstly, by the adding the adaptive compensation controller, shortcomings of existing second order sliding mode Twisting algorithm are avoided. Second, based on the previosly improved method, we also add another kind of adaptive controller to make the controller parameters do not need to be selected. The intelligent vehicle system can achieve finite-time trajectory tracking, the upper bounds of the uncertainties do not need to be determined previously, and the controller parameters can be adjusted automatically according to the system state. The effectiveness and robustness of the improved algorithm are verified by theory and simulation results of the intelligent vehicle system.
A New Role of Vemurafenib as a Neoadjuvant Treatment of Axillary and Brain Melanoma Metastases
Authors: Melnik Idit , Lotem Michal , Yoffe Boris
Published: December 2013

Vemurafenib is approved by the FDA for the management of unresectable or metastatic melanoma. However, its role as a neoadjuvant therapy has not been determined. We present the first documented case in which vemurafenib induced complete tumor necrosis of both lymph node and brain metastases within one month or less, an outcome that indicated that the patient was a good candidate for excisional surgery.
New Power Sharing Control for Inverter‐Dominated Microgrid Based on Impedance Match Concept
Authors: Gu Herong , Wang Deyu , Shen Hong , Zhao Wei , Guo Xiaoqiang
Published: December 2013

Power flow control is one of the most important issues for operating the inverter‐dominated autonomous microgrid. A technical challenge is how to achieve the accurate active/reactive power sharing of inverters. P‐F and Q‐V droop control schemes have been widely used for power sharing in the past decades. But they suffer from the poor power sharing in the presence of unequal line impedance. In order to solve the problem, a comprehensive analysis of the power droop control is presented, and a new droop control based on the impedance match concept is proposed in this paper. In addition, the design guidelines of control coefficients and virtual impedance are provided. Finally, the performance evaluation is carried out, and the evaluation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Novel Approach for Rooftop Detection Using Support Vector Machine
Authors: Baluyan Hayk , Joshi Bikash , Al Hinai Amer , Woon Wei Lee
Published: December 2013

A new method for detecting rooftops in satellite images is presented. The proposed method is based on a combination of machine learning techniques, namely, k-means clustering and support vector machines (SVM). Firstly k-means clustering is used to segment the image into a set of rooftop candidates—these are homogeneous regions in the image which are potentially associated with rooftop areas. Next, the candidates are submitted to a classification stage which determines which amongst them correspond to “true” rooftops. To achieve improved accuracy, a novel two-pass classification process is used. In the first pass, a trained SVM is used in the normal way to distinguish between rooftop and nonrooftop regions. However, this can be a challenging task, resulting in a relatively high rate of misclassification. Hence, the second pass, which we call the “histogram method,” was devised with the aim of detecting rooftops which were missed in the first pass. The performance of the model is assessed both in terms of the percentage of correctly classified candidates as well as the accuracy of the estimated rooftop area.
Reduction of the Livestock Ammonia Emission under the Changing Temperature during the Initial Manure Nitrogen Biomineralization
Authors: Bleizgys Rolandas , Bagdonienė Indrė , Baležentienė Ligita
Published: December 2013

Experimental data were applied for the modelling optimal cowshed temperature environment in laboratory test bench by a mass‐flow method. The principal factor affecting exponent growth of ammonia emission was increasing air and manure surface temperature. With the manure temperature increasing from 4°C to 30°C, growth in the ammonia emission grew fourfold, that is, from 102 to 430 mg m−2h−1. Especial risk emerges when temperature exceeds 20°C: an increase in temperature of 1°C contributes to the intensity of ammonia emission by 17 mg m−2h−1. The temperatures of air and manure surface as well as those of its layers are important when analysing emission processes from manure. Indeed, it affects the processes occurring on the manure surface, namely, dehydration and crust formation. To reduce ammonia emission from cowshed, it is important to optimize the inner temperature control and to manage air circulation, especially at higher temperatures, preventing the warm ambient air from blowing direct to manure. Decrease in mean annual temperature of 1°C would reduce the annual ammonia emission by some 5.0%. The air temperature range varied between −15°C and 30°C in barns. The highest mean annual temperature (14.6°C) and ammonia emission (218 mg m−2h−1) were observed in the semideep cowshed.
Adherence of Surgeons to Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Guidelines in a Tertiary General Hospital in a Rapidly Developing Country
Authors: Abdel-Aziz Ahmed , El-Menyar Ayman , Al-Thani Hassan , Zarour Ahmad , Parchani Ashok , Asim Mohammad , El-Enany Rasha , Al-Tamimi Haleema , Latifi Rifat
Published: December 2013

Objectives. To assess the standard practice of care of surgeons regarding surgical antibiotic prophylaxis, to identify gaps, and to set recommendations.Methods. A retrospective analysis of data obtained from different surgical units in a single center in Qatar over a 3-month period in 2012. A total of 101 patients who underwent surgery and followed regimes for surgical prophylaxis as per hospital guidelines were included in the study.Results. The overall use of antibiotic was 89%, whereas the current practice did not match the recommended hospital protocols in 53.5% of cases. Prolonged antibiotics use (59.3%) was the commonest reason for nonadherence followed by the use of an alternative antibiotic to that recommended in the protocol (31.5%) and no prophylaxis was used in 9.2% of cases. The rate of compliance was significantly higher among clean surgery than clean contaminated group (P=0.03). Forty-four percent of clean and 65% of clean-contaminated procedures showed noncompliance with the recommended surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis hospital guidelines.Conclusion. Lack of adherence to hospital protocols is not uncommon. This finding remains a challenge to encourage clinicians to follow hospital guidelines appropriately and to consistently apply the surgical antibiotic prophylaxis. The role of clinical pharmacist may facilitate this process across all surgical disciplines.
Sustainable Transport Data Collection and Application: China Urban Transport Database
Authors: Jiang Tian , Wu Zhongyi , Song Yu , Liu Xianglong , Liu Haode , Zhang Haozhi
Published: December 2013

Transport policy making process of national and local governments should be supported by a comprehensive database to ensure a sustainable and healthy development of urban transport. China Urban Transport Database (CUTD) has been built to play such a role. This paper is to make an introduction of CUTD framework including user management, data warehouse, and application modules. Considering the urban transport development features of Chinese cities, sustainable urban transport development indicators are proposed to evaluate the public transport service level in Chinese cities. International urban transport knowledge base is developed as well. CUTD has been applied in urban transport data processing, urban transport management, and urban transport performance evaluation in national and local transport research agencies, operators, and governments in China, and it will be applied to a broader range of fields.
Nonlinear Closure Relations for Electron Transport in Hydrodynamical Models
Authors: Salhoumi A.
Published: December 2013

Closure relations problem of hydrodynamical models in semiconductors is considered by expressing third- and fourth-order closure relations for the moments of the distribution function
in terms of second-order Lagrange multipliers using a generalized Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution
function within information theory. Calculation results are commented and compared with
others to justify the accuracy of the approach developed in this paper. The comparison involves,
in the first part with good agreements, the closure relations results obtained within extended
thermodynamics which were checked by means of Monte Carlo simulations, in the second part,
the results obtained by Grad's method which expands the distribution function up to fourth-order
in Hermite polynomials. It is seen that the latter method cannot give any restriction on closure
relations for higher-order moments, within the same conditions proposed in our approach. The
important role of Lagrange multipliers for the determination of all closure relations is asserted.
Sonochemical Synthesis of Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles
Authors: Goswami Partha P. , Choudhury Hanif A. , Chakma Sankar , Moholkar Vijayanand S.
Published: December 2013

Cobalt ferrite being a hard magnetic material with high coercivity and moderate magnetization has found wide-spread applications. In this paper, we have reported the sonochemical synthesis of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles using metal acetate precursors. The ferrite synthesis occurs in three steps (hydrolysis of acetates, oxidation of hydroxides, and in situ microcalcination of metal oxides) that are facilitated by physical and chemical effects of cavitation bubbles. The physical and magnetic properties of the ferrite nano-particles thus synthesized have been found to be comparable with those reported in the literature using other synthesis techniques.
Taxonomic study of the genus Scaphoideus Uhler (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae) from Japan
Authors: KAMITANI SATOSHI , HAYASHI MASAMI
Published: December 2013

The Japanese species of the genus Scaphoideus are revised. Eight species are recognized from Japan, including four new species: S. ryukyuensis sp. nov. from the Ryukyus, S. pristiophorus sp. nov. from Honshu and Kyushu, S. aurantius sp. nov. from the Ryukyus and S. brevistylus sp. nov. from Honshu, Kyushu and the Ryukyus.
Ethograms indicate stable well-being during prolonged training phases in rhesus monkeys used in neurophysiological research
Authors: Hage Steffen R , Ott Torben , Eiselt Anne-Kathrin , Jacob Simon N , Nieder Andreas
Published: December 2013

Awake, behaving rhesus monkeys are widely used in neurophysiological research. Neural signals are typically measured from monkeys trained with operant conditioning techniques to perform a variety of behavioral tasks in exchange for rewards. Over the past years, monkeys' psychological well-being during experimentation has become an increasingly important concern. We suggest objective criteria to explore whether training sessions during which the monkeys work under controlled water intake over many days might affect their behavior. With that aim, we analyzed a broad range of species-specific behaviors over several months (‘ethogram’) and used these ethograms as a proxy for the monkeys' well-being. Our results show that monkeys' behavior during training sessions is unaffected by the duration of training-free days in-between. Independently of the number of training-free days (two or nine days) with ad libitum food and water supply, the monkeys were equally active and alert in their home group cages during training phases. This indicates that the monkeys were well habituated to prolonged working schedules and that their well-being was stably ensured during the training sessions.
Design Challenges and Guidelines for Social Interaction Using Mobile Telepresence Robots
Authors: Tsui Katherine M. , Yanco Holly A.
Published: December 2013

In this chapter, we address issues related to using mobile telepresence robotics for social interaction between people in different locations. We examine this problem space from three perspectives: (a) designing for the robot user, who is in a remote location; (b) designing for people near the robot, who are interacting with the user; and (c) designing so that the conversation is not hampered by the technology. We identify and review a number of mobile telepresence robots that have been designed for such social interactions across a variety of applications, including business, education, and healthcare. Finally, we discuss areas for future research and development in mobile telepresence robots for social applications.
The Social Embeddedness of Strategy Implementation
Authors: Lehtimäki Hanna , Karintaus Katja
Published: December 2013

The purpose of this case is to deepen understanding about strategy implementation. The study draws on a network survey conducted in four internationally operating companies and presents analysis on the role of social relations in strategy implementation. As an outcome, the study provides insight into the ways by which social relations within the firm facilitate strategy implementation. This article contributes to literature of strategic initiatives by examining the informal structure, the social relations in four internationally operating firms.
IS Project Escalation: A Case Study of Off-shore Development
Authors: Talat Amina , Khalid Ali
Published: December 2013

This is an empirical qualitative article. It attempts to study the phenomenon of project escalation in Information Systems. The methodology employed has been to choose a project that escalated, carry out an in depth analysis of the various endogenous and exogenous factors involved and identify possible reasons for such escalation. The antecedants of project esacalation thus identified can be subjected to empirical research in future.
Pakistan Foods and Beverage Company
Authors: Syed Aly Raza , Zainab Ambreen , Zia Shahid A. , Shahzad Khuram
Published: December 2013

Pakistan Foods and Beverage Company (PFBC), having a workforce of 4500 people and 25 per cent annual growth, has become a leading company in the Confectionary and Food industry of Pakistan. The perils of managing growth are catching up the organization with extremely high employees’ separation rate, lower productivity, endless complaints and grievances, lack of HR management systems and a ‘one man’ show approach adopted by its owners. The CEO now wants to strategically realign and incorporate the organization-wide cultural change according to his Vision 2020 and revamp things to make it great without leaving good.
IKZF1 status as a prognostic feature in BCR-ABL1–positive childhood ALL
Authors: van der Veer Arian , Zaliova Marketa , Mottadelli Federica , De Lorenzo Paola , te Kronnie Gertruuy , Harrison Christine J. , Cavé Hélène , Trka Jan , Saha Vaskar , Schrappe Martin , Pieters Rob , Biondi Andrea , Valsecchi Maria Grazia , Stanulla Martin , den Boer Monique L. , Cazzaniga Giovanni
Published: December 2013

Key Points

IKZF1 deletions are predictive of an unfavorable outcome in childhood BCR-ABL1–positive ALL. Good-risk BCR-ABL1–positive patients with wild-type IKZF1 have good outcomes when treated with imatinib.