bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cultivation of native fish in Mexico: cases of success
Authors: Dávila‐Camacho Claudia Araceli , Galaviz‐Villa Itzel , Lango‐Reynoso Fabiola , Castañeda‐Chávez María del Refugio , Quiroga‐Brahms Cecilia , Montoya‐Mendoza Jesús
Published: July 2018

Aquaculture practice in Mexico is commonly carried out with some freshwater species, which are introduced in the region for its production, with technology developed in other countries. The growth of this activity has been slow, sometimes leading to loss of investments due to difficulties in the implementation of foreign technological packages, poor selection and inadequate management of the species, or farming sites, and even confusing legal procedures. Mexico stands out for the development of crops of exotic species more than native species, of which most are freshwater type. There are thirty‐four recorded species of freshwater fish, six of them are native and twenty‐eight are introduced species. The success of cultivating native species lies mainly in the process of selecting species with potential and certain characteristics. Mariculture is relatively new in Mexico; it has been intensibly developed, mostly in the north‐west of the country. It has a great potential due to the high commercial value of its species, excellent quality and demand in the market. Ornamental aquaculture is the most developed in Mexico; the main producer is the state of Morelos, with total technological expertise in production of introduced and native species. It should be noted that this success has been achieved, in some cases, with the support of projects from government institutions, universities, research centres, associations and private companies. Pointing out that the common factor for a successful aquaculture practice is an ecosystemic and sustainable approach, continuously improving practices and fish farming management, while complying with regulatory standards.
Identification of an HLA‐A null allele, HLA‐A*33:129N
Authors: Yin Y. , Takemura P. , Reed E. F. , Zhang Q.
Published: July 2018

HLA‐A*33:129N has a single nucleotide insertion compared with its closest allele HLA‐A*33:01:01 at codon 186.
Terrorism and international air travel: A gravity approach
Authors: Mitra Devashish , Pham Cong S. , Bandyopadhyay Subhayu
Published: July 2018

We present a theoretical model (adapted from the structural gravity model by Anderson and van Wincoop, American Economic Review, 93, 2003, 170) to capture the effects of terrorism on air passenger traffic between nations affected by terrorism. We then use equations derived from this model, in conjunction with alternative functional forms for trade costs, to estimate the effects of terrorism on bilateral air passenger service flows from 58 source countries to 26 destination countries during 2000–14. An additional small‐scale terrorist incident in the origin country and destination country together results in a reduction in bilateral air passenger travel by, at least, 1.3% and 0.81%, respectively, for pairs of countries located 1,000 and 2,000 km or less apart. The adverse impact of transnational terrorism is approximately five times larger. Terrorism adversely impacts bilateral air passenger travel both by reducing national output and especially by increasing psychological distress. Last but not the least, international air passenger travel is found to be extremely sensitive to fatal terrorist attacks and terrorist attacks on targets such as airports, travel or tourists.
Comparison between May‐Grünwald‐Giemsa and rapid cytological stains in fine‐needle aspirates of canine mast cell tumour: Diagnostic and prognostic implications
Authors: Sabattini S. , Renzi A. , Marconato L. , Militerno G. , Agnoli C. , Barbiero L. , Rigillo A. , Capitani O. , Tinto D. , Bettini G.
Published: July 2018

Mast cell tumours (MCTs) are often diagnosed by cytology based on the identification of purple intracytoplasmic granules with methanolic Romanowsky stains, including May‐Grünwald‐Giemsa (MGG). In clinical practice, aqueous rapid stains (RS) are commonly used, but mast cell granules may not stain properly. Aim of this prospective study was to investigate the frequency of MCT hypogranularity with RS and its potential implications in tumour identification, cytological grading assessment and recognition of nodal metastatic disease. Cytological preparations of canine primary MCTs and metastatic lymph nodes with subsequent histopathological confirmation were included. For each case, good‐quality smears were stained with both MGG and RS and comparatively assessed. Eleven of 60 (18.3%) primary MCTs were hypogranular with RS; 9 of them were histologically high‐grade tumours and in 3 cases (5%) a definitive MCT diagnosis could not be made. Accuracy in cytological grading assessment (85%) did not differ between RS and MGG. Thirteen of 28 (46.4%) metastatic lymph nodes were hypogranular with RS and 3 independent observers failed to identify nodal MCT metastases in 7% to 18% of RS‐stained smears. This study confirms that, in limited cases, RS can be ineffective in staining MCT granules, particularly in high‐grade tumours, thus making diagnosis more dependent on experience and quality of preparations. In dubious cases, methanolic stains should be applied. The use of RS is discouraged for the search of nodal metastases, as the identification of isolated mast cells can be more challenging.
The Procedure of Constitutional Amendment – Comparative Reviews of European Practices
Authors: Balaj Luz
Published: July 2018

Constitutional changes in a state with written constitution are carried out on the basis of a rule that has been set out by the constitution itself. In practice, many authors refers to articles that define the way of changing the constitution as "rules that define rules" (See for more Tracy Di Fillippo, How to Make Objections to Discovery under the Amended Rules, 25 Pretrial Prac. & Discovery 1, 2016.) Depending on the content of these rules, two sets of constitutions are generally formulated in the theory of constitutional right. The first are the flexible constitutions, which are amended in a simpler procedure, with a simple majority and in a shorter period of time. While in the second category there are the so-called rigid constitutions. Rigid are called the constitutions that have established a more extended or complicated procedure of amendment, with a qualified majority (more than just a simple majority) and a longer period of time.However, the procedure and the number of members of parliament differ. The main goal of this paper is to analyze those differencies, in oredr to find that how the procedure can affect on the constitutionality of the constittuion amendments. Is the rigid procedure a key for constitutional amendments or not? This is another question that is going to be analyzed by comparing different procedures of constitutional amendments in different countries.
Microbial Community Cohesion Mediates Community Turnover in Unperturbed Aquifers
Authors: Danczak Robert E. , Johnston Michael D. , Kenah Chris , Slattery Michael , Wilkins Michael J.
Published: July 2018

Many microbial ecology studies have examined community structuring processes in dynamic or perturbed situations, while stable environments have been investigated to a lesser extent. Researchers have predicted that environmental communities never truly reach a steady state but rather exist in states of constant flux due to internal, rather than external, dynamics. The research presented here utilized a combined null model approach to examine the deterministic and stochastic processes responsible for observed community differences in unperturbed, groundwater ecosystems. Additionally, internal dynamics were investigated by relating a recently published measure of community complexity (cohesion) to ecological structuring processes. The data presented here suggest that communities that are more cohesive, and therefore more complex, are more likely affected by homogenizing selection, while less-complex communities are more susceptible to dispersal. By understanding the relationship between internal dynamics and community structuring processes, insight about microbial population development in natural systems can be obtained.
An observational study of patients’ attitudes to tattoos and piercings on their physicians: the ART study
Authors: Cohen Marissa , Jeanmonod Donald , Stankewicz Holly , Habeeb Keith , Berrios Matthew , Jeanmonod Rebecca
Published: July 2018

Introduction

Perceptions regarding body art change over time as societal norms change. Previous research regarding patients' perceptions of physicians with exposed body art have been hampered by flaws in design methodology that incorporate biases into patient responses. This study was performed to determine whether emergency department (ED) patients perceived a difference in physician competence, professionalism, caring, approachability, trustworthiness and reliability in the setting of exposed body art.

Methods

Standardised surveys about physician competence, professionalism, caring, approachability, trustworthiness and reliability rating providers on a five point Likert scale were administered to patients in an ED after an encounter with a physician provider who demonstrated no body art modification, non-traditional piercings, tattoos, or both piercings and tattoos. Each provider served as their own control. Patients were blinded to the purpose of the survey.

Results

Patients did not perceive a difference in physician competence, professionalism, caring, approachability, trustworthiness or reliability in the setting of exposed body art. Patients assigned top box performance in all domains >75% of the time, regardless of physician appearance.

Conclusion

In the clinical setting, having exposed body art does not significantly change patients' perception of the physician.
Upregulated immune checkpoint HHLA2 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma: a novel prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target
Authors: Chen Dongming , Chen Wei , Xu Yong , Zhu Meng , Xiao Yi , Shen Yanhao , Zhu Shuai , Cao Changchun , Xu Xianlin
Published: July 2018

Background

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a malignant urogenital cancer with high mortality; however, current progress in understanding its molecular mechanism and predicting clinical treatment outcome is limited. Therefore, this study is to evaluate the clinical significance of immune inhibitory molecular human endogenous retrovirus-H long terminal repeat-associating protein 2 (HHLA2) in ccRCC prognosis and transcriptional regulatory network.

Methods

Expression ofHHLA2in ccRCC was examined by an online database platform ONCOMINE. The ONCOMINE result was independently validated by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Kaplan-Meier survival was generated using IBM SPSS Statistics V.22. ccRCC tissues cells with high HHLA2 were sorted and subjected to microarray transcriptional profiling and analysis.

Results

It was shown that expression of HHLA2 was statistically significantly increased in ccRCC tissues compared with normal renal tissues at both transcriptional and protein level. Moreover, the expression of HHLA2 was closely correlated with multiple clinicopathological features including tumour size, clinical stage and histological grade. High HHLA2 expression was associated with poor overall survival and clinical outcome. Comprehensive microarray analysis further identified thousands of HHLA2 targets including mRNA, long non-coding RNA and circular RNA that might function in various biological processes, especially, immune response.

Conclusion

Increased HHLA2 expression was observed in ccRCC tumour tissue, which leads to a remarkable shorter overall survival and poorer prognosis. Together with other molecular evidence, we have demonstrated that HHLA2 could be a potential prognostic biomarker for ccRCC.
Costs, contracts and the narrative of prosperity: an economic analysis of smallholder tobacco farming livelihoods in Kenya
Authors: Magati Peter , Lencucha Raphael , Li Qing , Drope Jeffrey , Labonte Ronald , Appau Adriana Boakyewaa , Makoka Donald , Goma Fastone , Zulu Richard
Published: July 2018

Background

The tobacco industry has used the alleged negative impacts on economic livelihoods for tobacco farmers as a narrative to oppose tobacco control measures in low/middle-income countries. However, rigorous empirical evidence to support or refute this claim remains scarce. Accordingly, we assess how much money households earn from selling tobacco, and the costs they incur to produce the crop, including labour inputs. We also evaluate farmers’ decision to operate under contract directly with tobacco manufacturers and tobacco leaf-buying companies or to operate as independent farmers.

Methods

A stratified random sampling method was used to implement a nationally representative household-level economic survey of 585 farmers across the three main tobacco growing regions in Kenya. The survey was augmented with focus group discussions in all three regions to refine and enrich the context of the findings.

Results

Both contract and independent farmers experience small profit margins per acre, with contract farmers operating at a loss. Even when family labour is excluded from the calculation, income levels remain low, particularly considering the typically large households. Generally, tobacco farmers enter into contracts with tobacco companies because they have a ‘guaranteed’ buyer for their tobacco leaf and receive the necessary agricultural inputs (fertiliser, seeds, herbicides and so on) without paying cash up-front.

Conclusions

Tobacco farming households enter into contract with tobacco companies to realise perceived economic benefits. The narrative that tobacco farming is a lucrative economic undertaking for smallholder farmers, however, is inaccurate in the context of Kenya.
Rapid qualification of mereotopological relationships using signed distance fields
Authors: Schubotz René , Vogelgesang Christian , Rubinstein Dmitri
Published: July 2018

Although mereotopological relationship theories and their qualification problems have been extensively studied in [Formula: see text], the qualification of mereotopological relations in [Formula: see text] remains challenging. This is due to the limited availability of topological operators and high costs of boundary intersection tests. In this paper, a novel qualification technique for mereotopological relations in [Formula: see text] is presented. Our technique rapidly computes RCC-8 base relations using precomputed signed distance fields, and makes no assumptions with regards to complexity or representation method of the spatial entities under consideration.
Quantitative speciation of Zn in technosols using chemical fractionation and X-ray absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Minkina Tatiana , Nevidomskaya Dina , Bauer Tatiana , Linnik Vitaly G. , Shuvaeva Victoria , Mandzhieva Saglara , Soldatov Aleksandr , Zubavichus Yan , Trigub Alexander
Published: July 2018

Human activity, such as mining, is often detrimental to the environment. For risk assessment of polluted soils, it is crucial to establish the speciation of the contaminants such as zinc. The aim of the work was to identify the Zn species in contaminated anthropogenically transformed soils known as ‘spolic technosols’. The Zn speciation in technosols was studied using a combined fractionation scheme and a set of X-ray synchrotron methods. Spolic technosols within the Karabashmed Company zone of the southern Urals have a very high level of Zn contamination. The role of soil components in metal fixation in both the loosely and firmly bound states were revealed. Iron oxides actively participate in the immobilization of Zn. The studу of the local structure of technosols by X-ray absorption spectroscopy showed that Zn is coordinated to six oxygen atoms forming a distorted octahedron with Zn–O bond lengths close to those in ZnSO
4
. The presence of short bonds, formed by Zn atoms, has been also revealed. Thus, the application of two independent methods can be helpful in defining Zn speciation in polluted soils.
Re-evaluation of the Permian macrofossils from the Parnaíba Basin: biostratigraphic, palaeoenvironmental and palaeogeographical implications
Authors: Iannuzzi Roberto , Neregato Rodrigo , Cisneros Juan C. , Angielczyk Kenneth D. , Rößler Ronny , Rohn Rosemarie , Marsicano Claudia , Fröbisch Jörg , Fairchild Thomas , Smith Roger M. H. , Kurzawe Francine , Richter Martha , Langer Max C. , Tavares Tatiane M. V. , Kammerer Christian F. , Conceição Domingas M. , Pardo Jason D. , Roesler Guilherme A.
Published: July 2018

Although Permian fossils have been known from the Parnaíba Basin for two centuries, and some faunal and flora elements are well known worldwide, research on the fossil assemblages from this basin has lagged relative to other, more accessible basins. In the last decade, however, there has been a significant increase in the study of fossils from the two Permian units of the basin: the Pedra de Fogo and Motuca formations. The goal of this contribution is to synthesize and update the existing data on the Permian macrofossils from these formations, and to use them to address biostratigraphic, palaeoenvironmental and palaeogeographical questions. The Pedra de Fogo and Motuca formations are likely to be Cisuralian in age. Contrary to previous reports, there is more than one stratigraphic interval that preserves petrified fossil plants. The possible marine influence proposed for the Pedra de Fogo Formation must be reassessed based on the strongly terrestrial character of its fossil assemblages. Palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic conditions are inferred to be wetter than is typically predicted for this region of the globe based on climatic modelling. Despite sharing some taxa with the Euramerican and Gondwanan biogeographical provinces, the Parnaíba Basin was likely to have been part of a distinct biogeographical province, as indicated by the high degree of endemism displayed by its Permian floras and faunas.
Interspinous Process Decompression Improves Quality of Life in Patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Authors: Nunley Pierce D. , Patel Vikas V. , Orndorff Douglas G. , Lavelle William F. , Block Jon E. , Geisler Fred H.
Published: July 2018

Lumbar spinal stenosis has been shown to negatively impact health-related quality of life. Interspinous process decompression (IPD) is a minimally invasive procedure that utilizes a stand-alone spacer to serve as a joint extension blocker to relieve neural compression in patients with spinal stenosis. Using the 5-year results from an FDA randomized controlled trial of IPD, the quality of life in 189 patients treated with the Superion® spacer was evaluated with the SF-12. Physical and mental component summary (PCS, MCS) scores were computed preoperatively and at annual intervals. For the PCS, mean scores improved from 29.4 ± 8.1 preoperatively to 41.2 ± 12.4 at 2 years (40%) and to 43.8 ± 11.6 at 5 years (49%) (p<0.001 for both comparisons). At 2 years, 81% (103 of 128) of subjects demonstrated maintenance or improvement in PCS scores. The mean MCS score improved from 50.0 ± 12.7 preoperatively to 54.4 ± 10.6 and 54.7 ± 8.6 at 2 and 5 years, respectively (p>0.10 for both comparisons). These results demonstrate that the significant impairment in physical well-being found in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis can be ameliorated, in large part, by IPD treatment.
Electrocardiographic Analysis of Repolarization Changes in South Indian Children with Kawasaki Disease after the Acute Phase of Illness
Authors: Reddy Siddhartha , Rai Maneesh , Singh Chouhan Ravi Raj , Rao Suchetha , Kamath Nutan
Published: July 2018

Background. Cardiac involvement in children with Kawasaki disease (KD) may present with repolarization abnormalities which are associated with increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac events. Methods. Twenty children with history of KD without cardiac involvement in the acute phase were recruited along with age and sex-matched controls. Twelve-lead ECG was obtained from both groups using CARDIART 610T ECG system at 25 mm/sec and 50 mm/sec paper speed. ECG was repeated in 19 children in the study group after 9±2 months. Measurements (QT dispersion (QTd), T-wave peak to end (Tp-Te) interval, and Tp-Te/QT ratio) were made using standard digital calipers. Statistical analysis was performed with student t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SSPS version 17.0. Results. The mean value of QTd in the first ECG in cases was significantly high: 43.15±14.13 versus 29.47±8.637 in the controls (p=0.001). The follow-up ECG in 19 cases showed a mean value of 46.26±16.25 versus 43.89+-14.53 at baseline (p=0.440). QTd was increased in the follow-up ECG but was not statistically significant. There was no statistical significance seen in the Tp-Te interval and Tp-Te/Qt ratio as observed in Lead II and Lead V5. Conclusion. Significant increase in the QTd in children with KD indicates repolarization changes in the myocardium even in the absence of clinical carditis. The persistence of this change on follow-up could indicate a possible increased risk for ventricular arrhythmia and warrants long term assessment of the cardiovascular status.
Effects of Post Ischemia‐Reperfusion Treatment with Trimetazidine on Renal Injury in Rats: Insights on Delayed Renal Fibrosis Progression
Authors: Park Jin Ha , Jun Ji Hae , Shim Jae-Kwang , Shin Eun Jung , Shin Eunah , Kwak Young-Lan
Published: July 2018

Even after recovery from acute kidney injury, glomeruli remain vulnerable to further injury by way of interstitial fibrosis. This study is aimed at elucidating the effects of post ischemia‐reperfusion (I/R) treatment with trimetazidine on the progression to renal fibrosis as well as short‐ and intermediate‐term aspects. Trimetazidine 3 mg/kg or 0.9% saline was given intraperitoneally once upon reperfusion or daily thereafter for 5 d or 8 w. Renal histologic changes and related signaling proteins were assessed. After 24 h, post I/R treatment with trimetazidine significantly reduced serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels and tubular injury accompanied with upregulation of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐ (HIF‐) 1α, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and Bcl‐2 expression. After 5 d, post I/R treatment with trimetazidine reduced renal tubular cell necrosis and apoptosis with upregulation of HIF‐1α‐VEGF and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase activities, attenuation of matrix metalloproteinase activities, and alteration of the ratio of Bax to Bcl‐2 levels. After 8 w, however, post I/R treatment with trimetazidine did not modify the progression of renal fibrosis. In conclusion, post I/R treatment with trimetazidine allows ischemic kidneys to regain renal function and structure more rapidly compared to nontreated kidneys, but not enough to resolute renal fibrosis in long‐term aspect.
The Role of the Vagus Nerve in Cancer Prognosis: A Systematic and a Comprehensive Review
Authors: De Couck Marijke , Caers Ralf , Spiegel David , Gidron Yori
Published: July 2018

This article reviews the role of the vagus nerve in tumor modulation and cancer prognosis. We present a systematic review of 12 epidemiological studies examining the relationship between heart rate variability, the main vagus nerve index, and prognosis in cancer patients (survival and tumor markers). These studies show that initially high vagal nerve activity predicts better cancer prognosis, and, in some studies, independent of confounders such as cancer stage and treatments. Since the design of the epidemiological studies is correlational, any causal relationship between heart rate variability and cancer prognosis cannot be inferred. However, various semi-experimental cohort studies in humans and experimental studies in animals have examined this causal relationship. The second part of this paper presents a comprehensive review including human and animal cohort and experimental studies showing that vagotomy accelerates tumor growth, while vagal nerve activation improves cancer prognosis. Based on all reviewed studies, it is concluded that the evidence supports a protective role of the vagus nerve in cancer and specifically in the metastatic stage.
Design of a Control System for an Organic Flight Array Based on a Neural Network Controller
Authors: Oh Bokyoung , Jeong Junho , Suk Jinyoung , Kim Seungkeun
Published: July 2018

This paper presents a flight control system for an organic flight array (OFA) with a new configuration consisting of multimodularized ducted-fan unmanned aerial vehicles. The OFA has a distinguished advantage of assembling or separating with respect to its missions or operational conditions because of its reconfigurable structure. Therefore, designing a controller that can be flexibly applied in each situation is necessary. First, a dynamic modeling of the OFA based on a single ducted-fan vehicle is performed. Second, the inner loop for attitude control is designed through dynamic model inversion and a PD controller. However, an adaptive control component is needed to flexibly cope with the uncertainty because the operating environment of the OFA is varied, and uncertainty exists depending on the number of modules to be assembled and disturbances. In addition, the performance of the neural network adaptive controller is verified through a numerical simulation according to two scenarios.
Simple Algebraic Criteria for Asymptotic Stability of a Class of TS Fuzzy Time-Delay Switched Systems
Authors: Aoun Nawel , Kermani Marwen , Sakly Anis
Published: July 2018

This paper investigates the asymptotic stability of a class of TS fuzzy switched systems when an arbitrary switching strategy is adopted. The proposed method, applied to neutral and retarded-type systems, is based on the vector-norms approach. The idea consists in defining a common comparison system to all the fuzzy models. If this comparison system can be described by a state matrix that fulfills the properties of the opposite of an M-matrix, then we can conclude on the asymptotic stability of the initial system via simple algebraic delay-independent conditions.
Fuzzy Dynamic Parameter Adaptation in ACO and PSO for Designing Fuzzy Controllers: The Cases of Water Level and Temperature Control
Authors: Valdez Fevrier , Vazquez Juan Carlos , Gaxiola Fernando
Published: July 2018

A novel approach applied to Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Ant Colony Optimization is presented. The main contribution of this work is the use of fuzzy systems to dynamically update the parameters for the ACO and PSO algorithms. In the case of ACO, two fuzzy systems are designed for the Ant Colony System (ACS) algorithm variant. The first system adjusts the value for the pheromone evaporation parameter from the global pheromone trail update equation and the second system adjusts the values for the pheromone evaporation parameter from the local pheromone trail update equation. In the case of PSO, a fuzzy system is designed to find the values for the inertia weight parameter from the velocity equation. Fuzzy logic controllers (FLCs) are optimized with ACO and PSO, respectively, to prove the performance of the proposed approach. The particular benchmark problems considered to test the proposed methods are the water level control in a tank and temperature control in a shower. Therefore, PSO and ACO algorithms are applied in the optimization of the parameters of the FLCs. The achievement of the proposed fuzzy ACO and PSO algorithms is compared with the original results of each benchmark control problem.
A Case of Diffuse Leptomeningeal Glioneuronal Tumor Misdiagnosed as Chronic Tuberculous Meningitis without Brain Biopsy
Authors: Lee Jung koo , Ko Hak-cheol , Choi Jin-gyu , Lee Youn Soo , Son Byung-chul
Published: July 2018

Here we report a rare case of diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor (DLGNT) in a 62-year-old male patient misdiagnosed as having tuberculous meningitis. Due to its rarity and radiologic findings of leptomeningeal enhancement in the basal cisterns on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) similar to tuberculous meningitis, DLGNT in this patient was initially diagnosed as communicating hydrocephalus from tuberculous meningitis despite absence of laboratory findings of tuberculosis. The patient’s symptoms and signs promptly improved after a ventriculoperitoneal shunting surgery followed by empirical treatment against tuberculosis. Five years later, mental confusion and ataxic gait developed in this patient again despite well-functioning ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Aggravation of leptomeningeal enhancement in the basal cisterns was noted in MRI. An additional course of antituberculosis medication with steroid was started without biopsy of the brain. Laboratory examinations for tuberculosis were negative again. After four months of improvement, his mental confusion, memory impairment, dysphasia, and ataxia gradually worsened. A repeated MRI of the brain showed further aggravation of leptomeningeal enhancement in the basal cisterns. Biopsy of the brain surface and leptomeninges revealed a very rare occurrence of DLGNT. His delayed diagnosis of DLGNT might be due to prevalence of tuberculosis in our country, similarity in MRI finding of prominent leptomeningeal enhancement in the basal cisterns, and extreme rarity of DLGNT in the elderly. DLGLT should be considered in differential diagnosis of medical conditions presenting as communicating hydrocephalus with prominent leptomeningeal enhancement. A timely histologic diagnosis through a leptomeningeal biopsy of the brain and spinal cord in case of unusual leptomeningeal enhancement with uncertain laboratory findings is essential because cytologic examination of the cerebrospinal fluid in DLGNT is known to be negative.
A Novel Waveform Design Method for Shift-Frequency Jamming Confirmation
Authors: Zhou Chang , Zhu Zhen-Bo , Tang Zi-Yue
Published: July 2018

Shift-frequency jamming is generally used to form range false targets for ground-based early-warning radar systems; the frequency shift value of such interference is larger than the Doppler shift value of the moving target, and the key element to suppress the shift-frequency jamming is the frequency shift value estimation. However, in the low- or medium-pulse repetition frequency (PRF) mode, it is challenging to estimate the accurate frequency shift due to the velocity ambiguity. To solve this problem, a novel sparse Doppler-sensitive waveform is designed based on the ambiguity function theory, where the basic idea is to design a waveform sensitive to a specific Doppler but insensitive to other Dopplers; therefore, this waveform can recognize the specific Doppler of the target unambiguously. To apply the designed waveform in practice, the detection and estimation processing flow is provided based on the waveform diversity technique and the family of the sparse Doppler-sensitive waveforms. Simulation experiments are presented to validate the efficiency of the proposed method, and we conclude that the advantage of this method is that it can be used to confirm the specific Doppler of the target unambiguously with few pulses even under the condition of a low PRF.
A Comparative Study of Vitrectomy Combined with Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling for the Treatment of Idiopathic Macular Hole with Air or C3F8 Intraocular Tamponade
Authors: Chen Xiang , Yao Yi , Hao Xiaolu , Liu Xiaocui , Liu Tiecheng
Published: July 2018

Purpose. The treatment of idiopathic macular holes has been basically modeled, and vitreoretinal surgery is recognized as an effective treatment. However, the postoperative tamponade of gas will still make the patient uncomfortable and may have related complications. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether air as an intraocular tamponade is equivalent to gas and what advantages may exist. Methods. A retrospective study was performed in one hundred and ninety-eight patients from 2013 to 2017; 112 received gas tamponade and 86 received air tamponade. After receiving retinal surgery, the outcomes of best corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, slit lamp examination, fundus examination, and imaging of the macula by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography were analyzed. Results. Before operation, there was no statistically significant difference in age, sex, macular hole diameter, or visual acuity between groups. The median follow-up period for the C3F8 group was 26 months, and the median follow-up for the air group was 25 months. After the operation, the best corrected visual acuity and macular hole closure rate were not significantly different between the two groups. The face-down time after the operation, the incidence of lens opacity on the third postoperative day, the intraocular pressure on the third postoperative day, and the operation time were significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions. In idiopathic macular hole surgery, the effect of air as an intraocular tamponade material can be similar to that of C3F8 but has fewer complications. In particular, it is a better choice for patients for whom the face-down position is not suitable.
Design of FPGA-Based Accelerator for Convolutional Neural Network under Heterogeneous Computing Framework with OpenCL
Authors: Luo Li , Wu Yakun , Qiao Fei , Yang Yi , Wei Qi , Zhou Xiaobo , Fan Yongkai , Xu Shuzheng , Liu Xinjun , Yang Huazhong
Published: July 2018

CPU has insufficient resources to satisfy the efficient computation of the convolution neural network (CNN), especially for embedded applications. Therefore, heterogeneous computing platforms are widely used to accelerate CNN tasks, such as GPU, FPGA, and ASIC. Among these, FPGA can accelerate the computation by mapping the algorithm to the parallel hardware instead of CPU, which cannot fully exploit the parallelism. By fully using the parallelism of the neural network’s structure, FPGA can reduce the computing costs and increase the computing speed. However, the development of FPGA requires great design skills. As a heterogeneous development platform, OpenCL has some advantages such as high abstraction level, short development cycle, and strong portability, which can make up for the lack of skilled designers. This paper uses Xilinx SDAccel to realize the parallel acceleration of CNN task, and it also proposes an optimizing strategy of single convolutional layer to accelerate CNN. Simulation results show that the calculation speed could be improved by adopting the proposed optimizing strategy. Compared with the baseline design, the strategy of single convolutional layer could increase the computing speed 14 times. Performance of the whole CNN task could be improved 2 times more than before, and the speed of image classification could attain more than 48 fps.
The Isoquinoline Alkaloid Dauricine Targets Multiple Molecular Pathways to Ameliorate Alzheimer‐Like Pathological Changes In Vitro
Authors: Liu Pan , Chen Xiao , Zhou Haizhe , Wang Liqun , Zhang Zaijun , Ren Xiaohu , Zhu Feiqi , Guo Yi , Huang Xinfeng , Liu Jianjun , Spencer Peter S. , Yang Xifei
Published: July 2018

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disease, has no effective treatment. Dauricine (DAU), a benzyl tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from the root of Menispermum dauricum DC, reportedly has neuroprotective effects in cerebral ischemia. Here, we investigated the effects of DAU on N2a cells stably transfected with Swedish mutant amyloid precursor protein (N2a/APP), an AD‐like cell model. ELISA and Western blot analysis revealed that DAU inhibited APP processing and reduced Aβ accumulation. In addition, DAU ameliorated tau hyperphosphorylation via PP2A, p35/25, and CDK5 pathways in N2a/APP cells. The amelioration of tau hyperphosphorylation by DAU was also validated in HEK293/Tau cells, another cell line with tau hyperphosphorylation. Proteomic analysis revealed 85 differentially expressed proteins in the lysates between the wild‐type N2a cells (N2a/WT) and the N2a/APP cells in the presence or absence of DAU; these were classified into 6 main categories according to their functions: endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress‐associated proteins, oxidative stress‐associated proteins, cytoskeleton proteins, molecular chaperones, mitochondrial respiration and metabolism‐related proteins, and signaling proteins. Taken together, we demonstrated that DAU treatment reduces AD‐like pathology, thereby suggesting that DAU has potential therapeutic utility in AD.
Efficiency Analysis of Healthcare System in Lebanon Using Modified Data Envelopment Analysis
Authors: Ibrahim Mustapha D. , Daneshvar Sahand
Published: July 2018

The inflow of refugees from Syria into Lebanon necessitates a robust and efficient healthcare system in Lebanon to withstand the growing demand for healthcare service. For this purpose, we evaluate the efficiency of healthcare system in Lebanon from 2000 through 2015 by applying a modified data envelopment analysis (DEA) model. We have selected four output variables: life expectancy at birth, maternal mortality ratio, infant mortality rate, and newly infected with HIV and two input variables: total health expenditure (% of GDP) and number of hospital beds. The findings of the paper show improvement in the efficiency of the healthcare system in Lebanon after the widespread of the health system reform in 2005. It also shows that reduction in health expenditure does not necessarily reduce efficiency if operational and technical aspect of the healthcare system is improved. The study infers that the healthcare system in Lebanon is capable of withstanding the increase in health demand provided further resources are made available and the existing technical and operational improvement are maintained.
Prevention of Acute Radiation-Induced Skin Reaction with NPE® Camellia Sinensis Nonfermentatum Extract in Female Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Postoperative Radiotherapy: A Single Centre, Prospective, Open-Label Pilot Study
Authors: Näf Gabriela , Gasser Urs E. , Holzgang Hans E. , Schafroth Sandra , Oehler Christoph , Zwahlen Daniel R.
Published: July 2018

Background. To assess effectiveness of NPE, a proprietary Camellia sinensis nonfermentatum (CSNF) extract, in prevention and recovery of acute radiation-induced skin reaction (ARSR) and skin care during postoperative whole breast radiotherapy (RT). Methods. Twenty patients were enrolled in this single centre, prospective, open-label pilot study. The outcomes of 20 prospective data sets were compared with 100 retrospectively collected matched data sets derived from hospital records. The preventive CSNF gel (2.5%) was administered 1 to 2 hours before each session on the irradiated fields. The care CSNF lotion (0.4%) was administered as 7-day pretreatment after each RT session, twice daily between RT sessions, and 4 to 8 weeks thereafter. The control group was treated according to the hospital care guidelines. The primary endpoint was time to ARSR ≥ Grade 2 (CTCAE v4.03); secondary endpoints were frequencies of ARSR grades 1, 2, 3, and 4, recovery of ARSR, frequencies of interruption and RT stop, complications and required rescue interventions, and tolerability of CSNF. Results. Time to ARSR ≥ G2 (censoring) was significantly longer (p = 0.014) in the CSNF group. The hazard ratio was 2.33 (95% CI: 1.15–4.72), demonstrating a 50% decrease in the risk of developing ARSR ≥ G2. There was a trend to faster recovery from ARSR G2 in the CSNF group (100% versus 47%; p = 0.078). The proportion of patients requiring rescue treatment during RT and follow-up was markedly higher in the control compared to the CSNF group (1% to 51% versus 0% to 15%). CSNF gel and lotion were well tolerated both during and after RT. Conclusions. This pilot study provides the first evidence on the potential pharmacological effectiveness of CSNF extract in prevention of RT-induced ARSR and recovery of skin irritation in patients undergoing postoperative whole breast RT and may reflect a novel concept for prevention of RT-induced ARSR and care of irritated skin.
On the Convergence Ball and Error Analysis of the Modified Secant Method
Authors: Lin Rongfei , Wu Qingbiao , Chen Minhong , Lei Xuemin
Published: July 2018

We aim to study the convergence properties of a modification of secant iteration methods. We present a new local convergence theorem for the modified secant method, where the derivative of the nonlinear operator satisfies Lipchitz condition. We introduce the convergence ball and error estimate of the modified secant method, respectively. For that, we use a technique based on Fibonacci series. At last, some numerical examples are given.
A Control Architecture of Robot-Assisted Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Feng Yongli , Jia Qingxuan , Wei Wei
Published: July 2018

Robot-assisted intervention has been successfully applied to the education and training of children with autism spectrum disorders. However, it is necessary to increase the autonomy of the robot to reduce the burden on the human therapists. This paper focuses on proposing a robotic architecture to improve the autonomy of the robot in the course of the interaction between the robot and the child with autism. Following the model of perception-cognition-action, the architecture also incorporates some of the concepts of traditional autism intervention approach and the human cognitive model. The details of the robotic architecture are described in this paper, and in the end, a typical scenario is used to verify the proposed method.
Periodic Motion in an Excited and Damped Cubic Nonlinear Oscillator
Authors: Cveticanin L. , Kozmidis Luburic U. , Mester Gy.
Published: July 2018

This paper investigates the steady-state periodic motion in the excited and damped one-degree-of-freedom Duffing oscillator. The oscillator is of the pure cubic type. The excitation is periodical and described by the product of two Jacobi elliptic functions. The mathematical model of the oscillator is a nonhomogeneous second-order strong nonlinear differential equation. The paper develops a procedure for obtaining the steady-state solution of the equation. Conditions for the existence of the steady-state motion of the oscillator are obtained. The influence of the excitation and of the damping on the steady-state motion is analyzed. The paper also investigates the transient to the steady-state motion in the parameter perturbed systems. An analytical method based on the time variable amplitude and the time variable phase is developed. The analysis of the obtained results shows that the damping parameter is an adequate control parameter for the steady-state motion of the oscillator. Analytically obtained results are compared with numerically obtained ones. The difference between solutions is negligible.
Exploring the Intermodal Relationship between Taxi and Subway in Beijing, China
Authors: Jiang Shixiong , Guan Wei , He Zhengbing , Yang Liu
Published: July 2018

Taxi is an indispensable mode in the urban public transportation. Although many studies have explored the travel patterns of taxi trips, few have combined taxi and subway to reveal their intermodal relationship. To bridge the gap, this study utilized taxi’s trajectory data to investigate its relationship with subway. Considering the multifaceted relationship between taxi and subway in operation, taxi trips are categorized into three types, namely, subway-competing, subway-extending, and subway-complementing taxi trips. The characteristics of each type of taxi trips reflect the specialties and their interactions with subway. The origin/destination distributions of taxi and subway trips are compared and analyzed. Furthermore, the supply and demand of taxi within the buffer zone of each subway station are analyzed to reflect the difficulty of hailing taxis. The negative binomial regression models are used to explore the relationship between taxi trips and subway ridership. The results show that there is a significantly positive correlation between taxi trips and subway ridership.
Efficacy and Safety of the Traditional Japanese Medicine Keigairengyoto in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris
Authors: Ito Kotaro , Masaki Saori , Hamada Manabu , Tokunaga Tetsuo , Kokuba Hisashi , Tashiro Kenji , Yano Ichiro , Yasumoto Shinichiro , Imafuku Shinichi
Published: July 2018

Several traditional Japanese medicines including Keigairengyoto (KRT) are used to treat acne vulgaris, but there is no robust evidence of their effectiveness. In this study, we examined the effectiveness and safety of KRT in treating acne vulgaris. An open-label, randomized, parallel control group comparison was conducted with a conventional treatment group (adapalene and topical antibiotics; control group) and a KRT group (control treatment plus KRT). The test drugs were administered for 12 weeks to patients (15 to 64 years, outpatient) with inflammatory acne on their face, and the amount of acne at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks was measured. Sixty-four patients were enrolled; 29 patients in each group were included in the analysis. Twenty-eight patients in the control group and 24 patients in the KRT group were included in the efficacy analysis. The number of inflammatory skin rashes at 4 and 8 weeks in the KRT group was significantly decreased compared with the control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in noninflammatory eruptions and general rashes. There were no serious adverse events in both groups. KRT may be a useful agent in patients with inflammatory acne in combination with conventional treatments. This trial is registered with UMIN 000014831.
Dynamic Decomposition Analysis and Forecasting of Energy Consumption in Shanxi Province Based on VAR and GM (1, 1) Models
Authors: Cui Herui , Wu Ruirui , Zhao Tian
Published: July 2018

Environmental issues caused by energy consumption have attracted increasing attention recently. Shanxi Province, a typical energy-dominated region in China, has long-term dependency on coal industry generating extensive economic growth, which is detrimental to green development. Distinguished from previous studies ignoring driving factors of energy consumption, this paper establishes a vector autoregression (VAR) model to dynamically identify the drivers of energy consumption based on STIRPAT model in Shanxi Province from 1990 to 2015. It can be obtained from the impulse response analysis that a positive shock in population, GDP, and urbanization level, respectively, positively affect energy consumption, and a positive change in technology negatively affects energy consumption in the long run. The variance decomposition results indicate that fluctuation in energy consumption explained by the innovation of the urbanization level accounts for 23.18%, which plays a prevailing role in increasing energy consumption. Meanwhile, the forecasting results of GM (1,1) model manifest that energy consumption in Shanxi Province generally has an increasing trend from 2016 to 2025. Consequently, Shanxi can achieve green development through optimizing energy structure, promoting the transformation of resource-based cities, and promoting low-carbon technological innovation. This paper can be available for other resource-based regions analogous to Shanxi.