bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Patient Satisfaction Using the EORTC IN-PATSAT32 Questionnaire and Surgical Outcome in Single-Port Surgery for Benign Adnexal Disease: Observational Comparison with Traditional Laparoscopy
Authors: Buda Alessandro , Cuzzocrea Marco , Montanelli Luca , Passoni Paolo , Bargossi Lorena , Baldo Romina , Locatelli Luca , Milani Rodolfo
Published: November 2013

Laparoscopic surgery has been demonstrated as a valid approach in almost all gynaecologic procedures including malignant diseases. Benefits of the minimally invasive approach over traditional open surgery have been well demonstrated in terms of minimal perioperative morbidity and reduced postoperative pain and hospital stay duration, with consequent quick postoperative recovery (Medeiros et al. (2009)). Single-port surgery resurfaced in gynaecology surgery in recent years and renewed interest among other surgeons and within the industry to develop this field (Podolsky et al. (2009)). Patient satisfaction is emerging as an increasingly important measure of quality which represents a complex entity that is dependent on patient demographics, comorbidities, disease, and, to a large extent, patient expectations (Tomlinson and Ko (2006)). It can be broadly thought to refer to all relevant experiences and processes associated with health care delivery (Jackson et al. (2001)). In this study we aim to compare single-port surgery (SPS) with conventional laparoscopy in terms of patient satisfaction using the EORTC IN-PATSAT32 questionnaire. We also evaluate the main surgical outcomes of both minimally invasive approaches.
Analyzing Taiwan IC Assembly Industry by Grey-Markov Forecasting Model
Authors: Lin Lei-Chuan , Wu Shan-Yau
Published: November 2013

This study utilizes the black swan theorem to discuss how to face the lack of historical data and outliers. They may cause huge influences which make it impossible for people to predict the economy from their knowledge or experiences. Meanwhile, they cause the general dilemma of which prediction tool to be used which is also considered in this study. For the reason above, this study uses 2009 Q1 to 2010 Q4 quarterly revenue trend of Taiwan’s semiconductor packaging and testing industry under the global financial turmoil as basis and the grey prediction method to deal with nonlinear problems and small data. Under the lack of information and economic drastic changes, this study applies Markov model to predict the industry revenues of GM(1,1) and DGM(1,1) results. The results show that the accuracy of 2010 Q1–Q3 is 88.37%, 90.27%, sand 91.13%, respectively. Besides, they are better than the results of GM(1,1) and DGM(1,1) which are 86.51%, 77.35%, 75.46% and 73.77%, 74.25%, 59.72%. The results show that the prediction ability of the grey prediction with Markov model is better than traditional GM(1,1) and DGM(1,1) sfacing the changes of financial crisis. The results also prove that the grey-Markov chain prediction can be the perfect criterion for decision-makers judgment even when the environment has undergone drastic changes which bring the impact of unpredictable conditions.
Interaction of Acupuncture and Electroacupuncture on the Pharmacokinetics of Aspirin and the Effect of Brain Blood Flow in Rats
Authors: Wu Ming-Tsang , Shaw Lee-Hsin , Wu Yu-Tse , Tsai Tung-Hu
Published: November 2013

Acupuncture and electroacupuncture have been used to improve the brain and motor functions of poststroke patients, and aspirin is used for the prevention of stroke recurrence. Our hypothesis is that acupuncture and electroacupuncture treatments may interact with aspirin in terms of pharmacokinetics via affecting the brain blood flow. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential interactions of acupuncture and electroacupuncture on the pharmacokinetics of aspirin. The effects of acupuncture treatments on brain blood flow were measured by the laser Doppler blood flow imager. The parallel pharmacokinetic study design included three groups: control, acupuncture, and electroacupuncture groups. Two acupoints, namely, Quchi (LI 11) and Zusanli (ST 36), were needled and stimulated electronically in anaesthetized rats. The concentrations of aspirin and its metabolite, salicylic acid were determined by microdialysis and HPLC analysis after aspirin administration (30 mg/kg, i.v.). The brain blood flow responded to electroacupuncture treatments, but the pharmacokinetic parameters of aspirin and salicylic acid in blood and brain were not significantly changed by acupuncture and electroacupuncture treatments. This study may, in part, offer some evidence to support the contention that there is no significant interaction for the combination of aspirin with acupuncture or electroacupuncture.
Analytical and Experimental Study of Residual Stresses in CFRP
Authors: Chiang Chia-Chin , Van Thuyet Vu , Wang Shih-Han , Tsai Liren
Published: November 2013

Fiber Bragg Grating sensors (FBGs) have been utilized in various engineering and photoelectric fields because of their good environment tolerance. In this research, residual stresses of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRP) were studied using both experimental and analytical approach. The FBGs were embedded inside middle layers of CFRP to study the formation of residual stress during curing process. Finite element analysis was performed using ABAQUS software to simulate the CFRP curing process. Both experimental and simulation results showed that the residual stress appeared during cooling process and the residual stresses could be released when the CFRP was machined to a different shape.
An Energy-Efficient Sequence-Aware Top-k Monitoring Scheme in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Yeo Myungho , Seong Dongook , Park Junho , Ahn Minje , Yoo Jaesoo
Published: November 2013

We focus on top- k monitoring in wireless sensor networks and propose a novel sequence-aware top- k monitoring algorithm called SAT. Top- k monitoring is important to many applications of sensor networks. Conventional top- k monitoring algorithms install a filter at each sensor node and suppress unnecessary sensor updates. However, they have some drawbacks such as the fact that the sensor nodes consume energy extremely to probe sensor reading or to update filters. Our basic idea is to collect readings sequentially by their values. First, sequence-aware data collection is investigated to make sensor nodes to determine their orders for data gathering phase. Next, sensor nodes transmit their sensor readings sequentially to the base station. When the base station collects k-readings, it broadcasts a simple message to stop data gathering phase. Therefore, SAT may minimize the communication cost for processing top- k queries. Moreover, we expand our approach to a cluster-based top- k monitoring to filter out false positives in hierarchical levels. In order to show the superiority of our top- k monitoring approach, we simulate its performance with the conventional filter-based top- k monitoring algorithm. In the results, our approach reduces communication overhead and prolongs the network lifetime largely.
LiNbO3 Coating on Concrete Surface: A New and Environmentally Friendly Route for Artificial Photosynthesis
Authors: Nath Ranjit K. , Zain M. F. M. , Kadhum Abdul Amir H.
Published: November 2013

The addition of a photocatalyst to ordinary building materials such as concrete creates environmentally friendly materials by which air pollution or pollution of the surface can be diminished. The use of LiNbO3 photocatalyst in concrete material would be more beneficial since it can produce artificial photosynthesis in concrete. In these research photoassisted solid‐gas phases reduction of carbon dioxide (artificial photosynthesis) was performed using a photocatalyst, LiNbO3, coated on concrete surface under illumination of UV‐visible or sunlight and showed that LiNbO3 achieved high conversion of CO2 into products despite the low levels of band‐gap light available. The high reaction efficiency of LiNbO3 is explained by its strong remnant polarization (70 µC/cm2), allowing a longer lifetime of photoinduced carriers as well as an alternative reaction pathway. Due to the ease of usage and good photocatalytic efficiency, the research work done showed its potential application in pollution prevention.
The User Requirement Based Competitive Price Model for Spectrum Sharing in Cognitive Radio Networks
Authors: Ye Fang , Li Yibing , Yang Rui , Sun Zhiguo
Published: November 2013

We analyze the competitive price game model for spectrum sharing in cognitive radio networks with multiple primary users and secondary users and propose a user requirement based competitive price game model for the calculation of the shared spectrum size of cognitive user in Bertrand game. The communication requirement of the cognitive user is quantified into different requirement levels. With the application of spectrum requirement factor, cognitive user can adjust the demanded shared spectrum size according to self-requirement level and the shared spectrum price provided by licensed users. It can avoid the waste of spectrum resource caused by the overdistribution of spectrum to the cognitive user with low communication requirement. Simulation results show that the occupied spectrum of cognitive user can be adjusted with the variation of requirement levels, and the licensed users can achieve better profit performance with consideration of requirement of cognitive user by adjustment of the shared spectrum price proposed spectrum sharing model.
The Exact Distribution of the Condition Number of Complex Random Matrices
Authors: Shi Lin , Gan Taibin , Zhu Hong , Gu Xianming
Published: November 2013

Let Gm×n (m ≥ n) be a complex random matrix and which is the complex Wishart matrix. Let λ1 > λ2 > …>λn > 0 and σ1 > σ2 > …>σn > 0 denote the eigenvalues of the W and singular values of Gm×n, respectively. The 2‐norm condition number of Gm×n is . In this paper, the exact distribution of the condition number of the complex Wishart matrices is derived. The distribution is expressed in terms of complex zonal polynomials.
α-Ketoglutarate Accumulation Is Not Dependent on Isocitrate Dehydrogenase Activity during Tellurite Detoxification inEscherichia coli
Authors: Reinoso Claudia A. , Appanna Vasu D. , Vásquez Claudio C.
Published: November 2013

Tellurite is toxic to most microorganisms because of its ability to generate oxidative stress. However, the way in which tellurite interferes with cellular processes is not fully understood to date. In this line, it was previously shown that tellurite-exposed cells displayed reduced activity of theα-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (α-KGDH), which resulted inα-ketoglutarate (α-KG) accumulation. In this work, we assessed ifα-KG accumulation in tellurite-exposedE. colicould also result from increased isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activities, both enzymes involved inα-KG synthesis. Unexpectedly both activities were found to decrease in the presence of the toxicant, an observation that seems to result from the decreased transcription oficdAandgdhAgenes (encoding ICDH and GDH, resp.). Accordingly, isocitrate levels were found to increase in tellurite-exposedE. coli. In the presence of the toxicant, cells lackingicdAorgdhAexhibited decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and higher tellurite sensitivity as compared to the wild type strain. Finally, a novel branch activity of ICDH as tellurite reductase is presented.
Two Applications of Clustering Techniques to Twitter: Community Detection and Issue Extraction
Authors: Kim Yong-Hyuk , Seo Sehoon , Ha Yong-Ho , Lim Seongwon , Yoon Yourim
Published: November 2013

Twitter’s recent growth in the number of users has redefined its status from a simple social media service to a mass media. We deal with clustering techniques applied to Twitter network and Twitter trend analysis. When we divide and cluster Twitter network, we can find a group of users with similar inclination, called a “Community.” In this regard, we introduce the Louvain algorithm and advance a partitioned Louvain algorithm as its improved variant. In the result of the experiment based on actual Twitter data, the partitioned Louvain algorithm supplemented the performance decline and shortened the execution time. Also, we use clustering techniques for trend analysis. We use nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF), which is a convenient method to intuitively interpret and extract issues on various time scales. By cross-verifying the results using NFM, we found that it has clear correlation with the actual main issue.
The Effect of Bedding System Selected by Manual Muscle Testing on Sleep-Related Cardiovascular Functions
Authors: Kuo Terry B. J. , Li Jia-Yi , Lai Chun-Ting , Huang Yu-Chun , Hsu Ya-Chuan , Yang Cheryl C. H.
Published: November 2013

Background. Different types of mattresses affect sleep quality and waking muscle power. Whether manual muscle testing (MMT) predicts the cardiovascular effects of the bedding system was explored using ten healthy young men.Methods. For each participant, two bedding systems, one inducing the strongest limb muscle force (strong bedding system) and the other inducing the weakest limb force (weak bedding system), were identified using MMT. Each bedding system, in total five mattresses and eight pillows of different firmness, was used for two continuous weeks at the participant’s home in a random and double-blind sequence. A sleep log, a questionnaire, and a polysomnography were used to differentiate the two bedding systems.Results and Conclusion. Heart rate variability and arterial pressure variability analyses showed that the strong bedding system resulted in decreased cardiovascular sympathetic modulation, increased cardiac vagal activity, and increased baroreceptor reflex sensitivity during sleep as compared to the weak bedding system. Different bedding systems have distinct cardiovascular effects during sleep that can be predicted by MMT.
Influence of Intermediate Principal Stress on Undrained Behavior of Intact Clay under Pure Principal Stress Rotation
Authors: Zhou Jian , Yan Jiajia , Xu Changjie , Gong Xiaonan
Published: November 2013

This study presents the accumulations of the excess pore water pressure and the deformation as well as the noncoaxial behavior of intact soft clay subjected to pure principal stress rotation. Series of tests were carried out by using a dynamic hollow cylinder apparatus to highlight the influence of intermediate principal stress parameterb. It was found that the rate of PWP evolution was greatly influenced byb, but the influence was not monotonous. Specimens under the conditionb= 0.75 had the highest accumulation of pore water pressure while under the conditionb= 0 had the strongest resistance to the pore pressure generation. PWP accumulated mainly in the first cycle. The failure of specimens under principal stress rotation was controlled by the strain other than the pore pressure. The shear stiffness decreased more quickly with higherbvalue. The direction of the principal strain increment was strongly dependent on the principal stress increment orientation and less influenced by thebvalue and the number of cycles.
Modeling the Electrostatic Deflection of a MEMS Multilayers Based Actuator
Authors: Ouakad Hassen M. , Hawwa Muhammad A. , Al-Qahtani Hussain M.
Published: November 2013

An actuator comprised of a rigid substrate and two parallel clamped-clamped microbeams is modeled under the influence of electrostatic loading. The problem is considered under the context of nonlinear Euler's mechanics, where the actuating system is described by coupled integrodifferential equations with relevant boundary conditions. Galerkin-based discretization is utilized to obtain a reduced-order model, which is solved numerically. Actuators with different gap sizes between electrode and beams are investigated. The obtained results are compared to simulations gotten by the finite-element commercial software ANSYS.
Distal Phalangeal Necrosis in the Extremities as a Paraneoplastic Syndrome in Prostate Cancer: An Extremely Rare Case
Authors: Akin Yigit , Yucel Selcuk , Baykara Mehmet
Published: November 2013

Paraneoplastic syndromes (PNSs) are rare disorders which are triggered by an altered immune system response to a neoplasm. Although prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common urological malignancy associated with PNSs, literature is lacking in defining the cases representing different PNSs in PCa. Herein, we present a 50-year-old man with fulminant distal phalangeal necrosis in the lower extremities after a diagnosis of PCa. Additionally, we review the literature in light of this case.
Superficial Siderosis of the Central Nervous System: A Post-Mortem 7.0-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study with Neuropathological Correlates
Authors: De Reuck J. , Deramecourt V. , Cordonnier C. , Auger F. , Durieux N. , Pasquier F. , Bordet R. , Defebvre L. , Caparros-Lefebvre D. , Maurage C.A. , Leys D.
Published: November 2013

Background: Superficial siderosis (SS) is a rare finding on T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), regarded as a radiological marker of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). The present study investigates with 7.0-tesla MRI the prevalence of SS and its underlying pathological substrate in a consecutive series of post-mortem brains of elderly patients with various neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular lesions. Materials and Methods: The prevalence of SS and associated lesions was screened using 7.0-tesla MRI and their neuropathological correlates in 120 post-mortem brains of patients with various neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases. Results: Eighty-three separate zones of SS were detected in 45 brains (37.5%), including 25 areas of disseminated SS (dSS) and 58 areas of focal SS (fSS), restricted to less than 3 sulci. dSS was spatially related to sequels of 14 lobar haematomas and 11 cerebral infarcts, while fSS was connected to 19 microbleeds and 39 micro-infarcts (p < 0.001). Comparison of the 15 CAA to the 30 non-CAA brains showed that dSS was due to an old lobar haematoma in 53% of the former group compared to 3% of the latter group (p = 0.003). fSS was due to a microbleed in 7% of the CAA brains and to 40% of the non-CAA brains (p = 0.03). Conclusions: SS is associated with both haemorrhagic and ischaemic underlying lesions. It is frequently observed on T2*-weighted 7.0-tesla MRI, and two types of SS may be described. Clinicians should keep in mind that SS may be found in other settings than CAA.
Circle of Willis Configuration as a Determinant of Intracranial Dolichoectasia
Authors: Gutierrez Jose , Sultan Sally , Bagci Ahmet , Rundek Tatjana , Alperin Noam , Elkind Mitchell S.V. , Sacco Ralph L. , Wright Clinton B.
Published: November 2013

Background: Circle of Willis (COW) variants might influence arterial caliber in the brain. We hypothesized that these variants would be associated with the prevalence of intracranial dolichoectasia (DE). Methods: We examined COW variants and DE in a sample of stroke-free participants (n = 436) undergoing magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) as part of a population-based study. Large intracranial arterial diameters were obtained when available; if not, the artery was defined as hypoplastic or absent according to its visibility on MRA. Subscores for the anterior and the posterior circulations were created. DE was defined as arterial diameters ≥2 SD above the population mean for that artery, adjusting for intracranial volume. Generalized linear models with a Poisson distribution were used to evaluate predictors of both absent and hypoplastic vessels, and logistic regression was used to assess the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of DE depending on COW variants. Results: Only 44% of the sample had all 14 arteries present, 32% lacked 1 artery, 18% lacked 2 and 6% lacked 3 or more. DE of at least 1 artery was not associated with the total number of hypoplastic or absent arteries, but DE in a posterior circulation artery was weakly associated with the number of absent arteries in the posterior circulation (β coefficient = 0.36, p = 0.06). DE of at least 1 artery was more frequent in those with 1 or more absent arteries (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.03-1.57). Posterior circulation DE was more frequent in participants with at least 1 or more absent arteries at any location (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.02-1.78). Participants with an incomplete posterior COW were more likely to have DE in the anterior circulation (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.01-2.33). Having an absent left anterior cerebral artery (ACA) A1 segment was associated with right ACA DE (OR 34.1, 95% CI 3.16-368.2); an absent right ACA was associated with left ACA DE (OR 14.1, 95% CI 1.69-118.28). Absence of 1 (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.4) or 2 (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.4-6.6) of the 2 arteries connecting the anterior to the posterior circulation was associated with basilar artery DE. Conclusion: The COW is a pleomorphic structure that allows collateral flow to compensate for an insufficient or absent arterial component at the base of the skull. By presumed flow diversion, arteries might undergo outward remodeling. Whether this compensatory arterial dilatation is beneficial or not remains unknown.
Spektrum der störungsspezifischen verhaltenstherapeutischen Behandlungsansätze bei depressiven Störungen
Authors: Buhić-Bergner Aida , Linden Michael
Published: November 2013

In der Diskussion um eine moderne Psychotherapie wird zunehmend eine „störungsspezifische Psychotherapie“ gefordert. Diesbezüglich gilt für die Verhaltenstherapie, dass es nicht nur für jede der vielen psychischen Störungen eigene Erklärungsmodelle und Interventionsmöglichkeiten gibt, sondern dass es auch für jede einzelne Störung gleich mehrere Alternativen gibt. Eine störungsspezifische Psychotherapie bedeutet nicht, dass sich aus der Diagnose alleine schon eine störungsspezifische Psychotherapie ableiten ließe, sondern es bedarf in jedem Einzelfall eines patientenspezifischen Störungsmodells und patientenspezifischer Interventionen. Heuristisch leitend müssen dabei die im Rahmen der Verhaltenstherapie über die Jahrzehnte entwickelten evidenzbasierten Störungskonzepte sein. Am Beispiel der depressiven Störung wird eine Übersicht über wichtige unterschiedliche Störungskonzepte und die daraus abgeleiteten Behandlungsmethoden gegeben, d.h. Reinforcer-Modelle, Coping-Modelle, kognitive Modelle, Emotionsmodelle und integrative verhaltenstherapeutische Modelle. Es wird dargestellt, wie diese Theorie- und Behandlungskonzepte auf den einzelnen Fall mittels Verhaltensanalyse zu übertragen sind.
Towards a natural classification of Dothideomycetes: The genera Dermatodothella, Dothideopsella, Grandigallia, Hysteropeltella and Gloeodiscus (Dothideomycetes incertae sedis)
Authors: ARIYAWANSA HIRAN A. , KANG JI-CHUAN , ALIAS SITI A. , CHUKEATIROTE EKACHAI , HYDE KEVIN D.
Published: November 2013

One-hundred and sixteen genera are listed as incertae sedis in the class Dothideomycetes. This is a first of a series of papers in which we re-examine the herbarium types of these genera, which are generally poorly known. By examining the generic types we can suggest higher level placements, but more importantly we illustrate the taxa so that they are better understood. In this way the taxa can be recollected, sequenced and placed in a natural taxonomic framework in the Ascomycota. In this study we re-examined the genera Dermatodothella, Dothideopsella, Gloeodiscus, Grandigallia and Hysteropeltella. We re-describe and illustrate the type species of these genera and discuss their placements using modern concepts. Dermatodothella is placed in Polystomellaceae, Dothideopsella in Phaeosphaeriaceae, Grandigallia in Shiraiaceae and Hysteropeltella in Schizothyriaceae, while Gloeodiscus is retained in Dothideomycetes incertae sedis. Fresh collections of these genera are needed for further studies, so that they can be epitypified and molecular data can be analyzed to obtain a natural classification.
The Effect of Dead Elements on the Accuracy of Doppler Ultrasound Measurements
Authors: Vachutka Jaromir , Dolezal Ladislav , Kollmann Christian , Klein Jakob
Published: November 2013

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of multiple dead elements in an ultrasound probe on the accuracy of Doppler ultrasound measurements. For this work, we used a specially designed ultrasound imaging system, the Ultrasonix Sonix RP, that provides the user with the ability to disable selected elements in the probe. Using fully functional convex, linear, and phased array probes, we established a performance baseline by measuring the parameters of a laminar parabolic flow profile. These same parameters were then measured using probes with 1 to 10 disabled elements. The acquired velocity spectra from the functional probes and the probes with disabled elements were then analyzed to determine the overall Doppler power, maximum flow velocity, and average flow velocity. Color Flow Doppler images were also evaluated in a similar manner. The analysis of the Doppler spectra indicates that the overall Doppler power as well as the detected maximum and average velocities decrease with the increasing number of disabled elements. With multiple disabled elements, decreases in the detected maximum and average velocities greater than 20% were recorded. Similar results were also observed with Color Flow Doppler measurements. Our results confirmed that the degradation of the ultrasound probe through the loss of viable elements will negatively affect the quality of the Doppler-derived diagnostic information. We conclude that the results of Doppler measurements cannot be considered accurate or reliable if there are four or more contiguous dead elements in any given probe.
Sleep disturbance in adopted children with a history of maltreatment
Authors: Cuddihy Charlotte , Dorris Liam , Minnis Helen , Kocovska Eva
Published: November 2013

This study aimed to investigate whether children with a history of maltreatment and current behaviour problems demonstrate greater sleep disruption than controls; and also whether sleep disturbances are associated with these behavioural problems using standardised carer report measures. Sixty-three participants were assessed using the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) (Owens, Spirito and McGuinn, 2000) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) (Goodman, et al., 2003). Thirty-four participants aged 5–12 years were recruited via Adoption UK – Scotland. Inclusion criteria included a history of maltreatment (confirmed from social work documents) with associated social/behavioural problems. Twenty-nine controls with no psychiatric or maltreatment history, also aged 5–12 years, were recruited from two general practices.

Mean CSHQ total sleep difficulty scores were significantly higher in maltreated children than in controls (48.9 vs 23.6, P < 0.001). Rates of clinically significant sleep problems (total sleep score>41) were also higher in the maltreatment group at 50% compared to 12% in controls (P = 0.002). There was a significant association between high scores on the CSHQ and the SDQ (P < 0.000). Overall, this study suggests that behaviourally disturbed children with a history of maltreatment experience significant sleep disruption, which is in turn associated with their behavioural disturbance. This has clear implications for both clinical assessment and intervention with this vulnerable group and is worthy of further research.
Feeling the same or feeling different? An analysis of the experiences of young people in foster care
Authors: Madigan Sarah , Quayle Ethel , Cossar Jill , Paton Kate
Published: November 2013

Various conceptualisations of identity development emphasise the internal world of adolescents while others place more emphasis on the social world. Previous findings highlight the impact of stigmatisation and how this may hinder positive identity development in adolescents in foster care; the significance of peer interactions has also been underlined. Anecdotal evidence suggests that young people in care do not want to be made to feel different from others but there appears to be an absence of empirical research confirming this. Interviews were carried out with nine 12–16-year-olds currently residing in foster care to explore their representations of ‘feeling the same or feeling different’. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) guided how data were analysed and super-ordinate themes were identified. This article reports on one of these themes: difference. This is explored through four subordinate themes that relate to participants not wanting others to know they were in care, feeling alienated due to their foster care status, perceiving that others viewed them differently and, at times, noticing differences themselves. The dynamic nature of these experiences is emphasised and the findings are considered in relation to the extant literature. Practice and research implications are discussed.
Managing unregulated contact in the age of new technology: possible solutions
Authors: Simpson Jennifer E
Published: November 2013

Unregulated contact between young people in care and their birth parents or extended family is often regarded as a risk-laden area of social work. This article discusses the concept of contact and reviews some current perceptions of mobile technologies and social media. It considers why unregulated contact is pursued by young people in care and highlights the significance of theoretical ideas on adolescent brain development and insecure attachment. The article argues for the adoption of a different mindset by social work practitioners in terms of understanding mobile technologies and social media, and of how the risks associated with it should be assessed. A set of solutions is posited to help practitioners deal with this ever-challenging phenomenon.
Decreased circulating miRNA levels in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis
Authors: Fenoglio Chiara , Ridolfi Elisa , Cantoni Claudia , De Riz Milena , Bonsi Rossana , Serpente Maria , Villa Chiara , Pietroboni Anna M , Naismith Robert T , Alvarez Enrique , Parks Becky J , Bresolin Nereo , Cross Anne H , Piccio Laura M , Galimberti Daniela , Scarpini Elio
Published: November 2013

Emerging evidence underlines the importance of micro(mi)RNAs in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Free-circulating miRNAs were investigated in serum from MS patients compared to controls. Statistically significant decreased levels of miR-15b, miR-23a and miR-223 were observed in MS patients ( p < 0.05). Results were validated and replicated in two further independent MS populations. A direct correlation between miRNA levels and the EDSS score was determined in PPMS ( p < 0.007). The generalized trend toward miRNA down-regulation could result in over-expression of target genes involved in disease pathogenesis. Circulating miRNA profiling could thus represent a new avenue to identify easily detectable disease biomarkers.
Integration of Sri Lanka into Indian Supply Chains under the Bilateral Free Trade Agreement
Authors: Abeyratne Sirimal
Published: November 2013

The purpose of this article is to examine the role of Indo-Lanka Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in integration of Sri Lanka into the Indian manufacturing processes in line with emerging trade patterns based on ‘global product sharing’. While Sri Lanka has established close economic ties with India in general, the FTA (2000) has led to a ‘zero’-tariff regime covering a bulk of their bilateral trade. However, there is no evidence to support the popular perceptions about the deeper integration of Sri Lanka into Indian supply chains. While the expansion of Sri Lanka’s trade with India under the FTA has revealed peculiar outcomes, the ‘old-style’ trade integration between the two countries has remained virtually unchanged. Trade and growth patterns in both Sri Lanka and India are different from the experience of East and South-east Asian countries which created opportunities to accommodate globalized supply chains of fragmented manufacturing processes.
Human Development Achievement and Improvement
Authors: Dutta Swati
Published: November 2013

The article is concerned with the analysis of the human development achievement and improvement indices of Indian states for the time period of 1981, 1991, 2001 and 2011. The analysis points out how Indian states have, over time, extensively changed their position in terms of various achievements and improvement index values. There is wide difference in the ranking of the states in terms of achievement and improvement indices. There is non-linearity in the improvement of various dimensions as well as the overall human development. The most striking result is the low improvement of the low-achieving states. This is a cause of serious concern and must be addressed through increasing input allocation and efficient utilization of such inputs. The public sector could also be more strengthened in such states.
An update on the treatment of genotype-1 chronic hepatitis C infection: lessons from recent clinical trials
Authors: Wendt Astrid , Bourlière Marc
Published: November 2013

The launch of first-generation protease inhibitors (PIs) was a major step forward in hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment. However, this major advance is, up to now, restricted to genotype-1 (GT-1) patients. However, the ongoing development of new direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) allows new hope for the future. The development of second-wave and second-generation PIs yields higher antiviral potency through plurigenotypic activity, more convenient daily administration, fewer side effects and, for the second-generation PIs, potential activity against resistance-associated variants. NS5B inhibitors (NS5B.I) include nucleoside/nucleotide inhibitors (NIs) and nonnucleotide inhibitors (NNIs). NIs have high efficacy across all genotypes. Sofosbuvir has highly potent antiviral activity across all genotypes in association with pegylated interferon (IFN) and ribavirin (PR), thus allowing shortened treatment duration. NS5A inhibitors (NS5A.I) have highly potent antiviral activity. It has recently been shown for the first time that NS5A.I in combination with PI can cure GT-1b null-responder patients in an IFN-free regimen. In addition, several studies demonstrate that IFN-free regimens with DAA combinations are able to cure a large number of either naïve or treatment-experienced GT-1 patients. Moreover, a quadruple regimen with PR is able to cure almost all GT-1 null-responders. The development of pan-genotypic DAAs (NIs or NS5A.I) allows new combinations with or without PR that increase the rate of sustained virological response (SVR) for all patients, even for those with cirrhosis and independently of the genotype. Therefore, the near future of HCV treatment looks promising. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the clinical results recently reported for HCV treatment in GT-1 patients.
Evolution of sigma phase in 321 grade austenitic stainless steel parent and weld metal with duplex microstructure
Authors: Green G. , Higginson R. , Hogg S. , Spindler S. , Hamm C.
Published: November 2013

Samples of 321 stainless steel from both the parent and welded section of a thin section tube were subjected to accelerated ageing to simulate long term service conditions in an advanced gas cooled reactor (AGR) power plant. The initial condition of the parent metal showed a duplex microstructure with approximately 50 ferrite and 50 austenite. The weld metal showed three distinct matrix phases, austenite, delta ferrite and ferrite. This result was surprising as the initial condition of the parent metal was expected to be fully austenitic and austenite+delta ferrite in the weldment. The intermetallic sigma phase formed during the accelerated ageing was imaged using ion beam induced secondary electrons then measured using computer software which gave the particle size as a function of aging time. The measurements were used to plot particle size, area coverage against aging time and minimum particle spacing for the parent metal. During aging the amount of ferrite in the parent metal actually increased from ∼50 to ∼80 after aging for 15 000 h at 750°C. Sigma has been observed to form on the austenite/ferrite boundaries as they may provide new nucleation sites for sigma phase precipitation. This has resulted in small sigma phase particles forming on the austenite/ferrite boundaries in the parent metal as the ferrite transforms from the austenite.
Roles of detwinning in strain hardening and ultimate elongation in extruded Mg–3Al–1Zn alloy
Authors: He J. J. , Liu T. M. , Chen H. B. , Long Z. X. , Lu L. W. , Pan F. S.
Published: November 2013

For extruded magnesium alloy, prior compression along extrusion direction has great influences in the flow stress during subsequent tension. Detwinning plays an important role for these influences. In the present study, the effects of different prestrains on strain hardening behaviour during subsequent tension were examined in an extruded magnesium alloy AZ31. The results showed that the existence of detwinning decreased the tensile yield stress. Samples with different prestrains exhibited different strain hardening behaviour during subsequent tension. The reorientation due to detwinning had a great effect on strain hardening during tension. In addition, the effect of detwinning on ultimate elongation was investigated. The results showed that the sample with higher prestrain always has higher ultimate elongation due to the contribution of detwinning on macroscopic strain.
Effects of directional grain structure on impact properties and dislocation substructure of 6061-T6 aluminium alloy
Authors: Lee W.-S. , Liu M.-H.
Published: November 2013

The effects of the grain structure direction on the impact properties and dislocation substructure of 6061-T6 aluminium alloy are investigated under room temperature conditions and strain rates of 1×103, 3×103 and 5×103 s−1 using a split-Hopkinson pressure bar system. The impact tests are performed using specimens machined from rolled 6061-T6 plates in the longitudinal, transverse and through thickness directions respectively. The results show that for all specimens, the flow stress increases with increasing strain rate. Furthermore, for all strain rates, the highest flow stress occurs in the transverse specimen. For strain rates of 1×103 and 3×103 s−1, the flow stress in the through thickness specimen is greater than that in the longitudinal specimen. However, at a strain rate of 5×103 s−1, the flow stress in the longitudinal specimen is higher than that in the through thickness specimen due to a greater dislocation multiplication rate. For all three grain structure directions, the strain rate sensitivity increases with increasing strain rate, but decreases with increasing true strain. The highest strain rate sensitivity is observed in the longitudinal specimen at strain rates of 3×103 to 5×103 s−1. The dislocation density increases markedly with increasing strain rate. Moreover, the square root of the dislocation density varies as a linear function of the flow stress in accordance with the Bailey–Hirsch relationship. The strengthening effect produced by the increased dislocation density is particularly evident in the transverse specimen, followed by the longitudinal specimen and the through thickness specimen.
Degradation behaviour of TiN and TiCN coatings after laser ablation
Authors: Shin H-G. , Jeon S. , Choi Y. , Song J-K. , Lee H.
Published: November 2013

Titanium nitride (TiN) and titanium carbon nitride (TiCN) coatings deposited on Inconel 617 substrates after pulsed laser thermal shock were investigated in terms of morphological observations and atomic concentration profiling in order to compare their deterioration behaviour. The specimens were prepared by an arc discharge technique with a coating thickness of 2·0 μm and ablated with increasing laser pulses using an Nd:YAG pulsed laser ablation system. Surface cracks and pores appeared on the TiN coating subjected to laser ablation, and spalling of the coating layer occurred with large crack propagation, whereas the TiCN coating showed less surface degradation. The coating thickness for both specimens decreased as the laser pulses increased, and interface cracks with delamination formed in the TiN coating. Depth profiling indicated that atoms of the substrate diffused to the surface by thermal stress, and three-dimensional mapping for roughness measurement identified higher thermomechanical stress resistance of the TiCN than the TiN.
Some common fixed point results in ordered partial b-metric spaces
Authors: Mustafa Zead , Roshan Jamal Rezaei , Parvaneh Vahid , Kadelburg Zoran
Published: November 2013

In this paper, we introduce a modified version of ordered partial b-metric spaces. We demonstrate a fundamental lemma for the convergence of sequences in such spaces. Using this lemma, we prove some fixed point and common fixed point results for

(
ψ
,
φ
)

-weakly contractive mappings in the setup of ordered partial b-metric spaces. Finally, examples are presented to verify the effectiveness and applicability of our main results.

MSC: 47H10, 54H25.
Using a social marketing framework to evaluate recruitment of a prospective study of genetic counseling and testing for the deaf community
Authors: Kobayashi Yoko , Boudreault Patrick , Hill Karin , Sinsheimer Janet S , Palmer Christina GS
Published: November 2013

Background

Recruiting deaf and hard-of-hearing participants, particularly sign language-users, for genetics health service research is challenging due to communication barriers, mistrust toward genetics, and researchers’ unfamiliarity with deaf people. Feelings of social exclusion and lack of social cohesion between researchers and the Deaf community are factors to consider. Social marketing is effective for recruiting hard-to-reach populations because it fosters social inclusion and cohesion by focusing on the targeted audience’s needs. For the deaf population this includes recognizing their cultural and linguistic diversity, their geography, and their systems for information exchange. Here we use concepts and language from social marketing to evaluate our effectiveness to engage a U.S. deaf population in a prospective, longitudinal genetic counseling and testing study.

Methods

The study design was interpreted in terms of a social marketing mix of Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. Price addressed linguistic diversity by including a variety of communication technologies and certified interpreters to facilitate communication; Place addressed geography by including community-based participation locations; Promotion addressed information exchange by using multiple recruitment strategies. Regression analyses examined the study design’s effectiveness in recruiting a culturally and linguistically diverse sample.

Results

271 individuals were enrolled, with 66.1% American Sign Language (ASL)-users, 19.9% ASL + English-users, 12.6% English-users. Language was significantly associated with communication technology, participation location, and recruitment. Videophone and interpreters were more likely to be used for communication between ASL-users and researchers while voice telephone and no interpreters were preferred by English-users (Price). ASL-users were more likely to participate in community-based locations while English-users preferred medically-based locations (Place). English-users were more likely to be recruited through mass media (Promotion) while ASL-users were more likely to be recruited through community events and to respond to messaging that emphasized inclusion of a Deaf perspective.

Conclusions

This study design effectively engaged the deaf population, particularly sign language-users. Results suggest that the deaf population’s cultural and linguistic diversity, geography, and forms of information exchange must be taken into account in study designs for successful recruitment. A social marketing approach that incorporates critical social determinants of health provides a novel and important framework for genetics health service research targeting specific, and hard-to-reach, underserved groups.
Restoration of WNT4 inhibits cell growth in leukemia-derived cell lines
Authors: García-Castro Beatriz , Alvarez-Zavala Monserrat , Riveros-Magaña Alma R , Ortíz-Lazareno Pablo C , Ratkovich-González Sarah , Hernández-Flores Georgina , Bravo-Cuellar Alejandro , Jave-Suarez Luis F , Aguilar-Lemarroy Adriana
Published: November 2013

Background

WNT signaling pathways are significantly altered during cancer development. Vertebrates possess two classes of WNT signaling pathways: the “canonical” WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway, and the “non-canonical” pathways including WNT/Ca2+ and WNT/Planar cell polarity [PCP] signaling. WNT4 influences hematopoietic progenitor cell expansion and survival; however, WNT4 function in cancer development and the resulting implications for oncogenesis are poorly understood.

The aim of this study was twofold: first, to determine the expression of WNT4 in mature peripheral blood cells and diverse leukemia-derived cells including cell lines from hematopoietic neoplasms and cells from patients with leukemia; second, to identify the effect of this ligand on the proliferation and apoptosis of the blast-derived cell lines BJAB, Jurkat, CEM, K562, and HL60.

Methods

We determined WNT4 expression by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and T- and B-lymphocytes from healthy individuals, as well as from five leukemia-derived cell lines and blasts derived from patients with leukemia. To analyze the effect of WNT4 on cell proliferation, PBMCs and cell lines were exposed to a commercially available WNT4 recombinant human protein. Furthermore, WNT4 expression was restored in BJAB cells using an inducible lentiviral expression system. Cell viability and proliferation were measured by the addition of WST-1 to cell cultures and counting cells; in addition, the progression of the cell cycle and the amount of apoptosis were analyzed in the absence or presence of WNT4. Finally, the expression of WNT-pathway target genes was measured by qRT-PCR.

Results

WNT4 expression was severely reduced in leukemia-derived cell lines and blasts derived from patients with leukemia. The exposure of cell lines to WNT4 recombinant protein significantly inhibited cell proliferation; inducing WNT4 expression in BJAB cells corroborated this observation. Interestingly, restoration of WNT4 expression in BJAB cells increased the accumulation of cells in G1 phase, and did not induce activation of canonical WNT/β-catenin target genes.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the WNT4 ligand plays a role in regulating the cell growth of leukemia-derived cells by arresting cells in the G1 cell cycle phase in an FZD6-independent manner, possibly through antagonizing the canonical WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway.