bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trends and associations ofTrichomonas vaginalisinfection in men and women with genital discharge syndromes in Johannesburg, South Africa
Authors: Lewis David A , Marsh Kimberly , Radebe Frans , Maseko Venessa , Hughes Gwenda
Published: April 2013

Objectives

To better understand the epidemiology ofTrichomonas vaginalisinfection, we investigated the association betweenT vaginalisand demographic, clinical, microbiological and behavioural characteristics of patients presenting with genital discharges to a primary healthcare clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Methods

During six annual surveys (2007–2012), 1218 cases of male urethral discharge syndrome and 1232 cases of vaginal discharge syndrome were consecutively recruited. Diagnostic methods included nucleic acid amplification (Neisseria gonorrhoeae,Chlamydia trachomatis,T vaginalisandMycoplasma genitalium), microscopy (bacterial vaginosis andCandida) and serology (Treponema pallidum, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and HIV). Logistic regression analyses and χ2tests were used to identify predictors ofT vaginalisinfection.

Results

The prevalence ofT vaginalisdecreased from 2007 to 2012 (men from 13.4% to 4.8%; women from 33.8 to 23.1%). Overall, 74 (6.1%) men and 291 (23.6%) women wereT vaginalispositive, with the highest prevalence in those aged ≥40 years (men 13.6%; women 30.9%).T vaginalisinfection occurred more often in pregnant women (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.67; 95% CI 1.29 to 5.54) and in women with serological evidence ofT pallidum(aOR 1.63; 95% CI 1.08 to 2.45) or HSV-2 infections (aOR 1.75; 95% CI 1.16 to 2.64).T vaginalisinfection occurred less often in men with coexistent gonorrhoea (aOR 0.35; 95% CI 0.21 to 0.57) and in women with either bacterial vaginosis (aOR 0.60; 95% CI 0.44 to 0.82) orCandidamorphotypes (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.43 to 0.86).

Conclusions

Although the prevalence ofT vaginalisinfection has decreased over time, it remains an important cause of genital discharge in South Africa, particularly in older patients and pregnant women.
CFD analysis of the effect of nozzle stand-off distance on turbulent impinging jets
Authors: Shademan Mehrdad , Balachandar Ram , Barron Ronald M.
Published: April 2013

Three-dimensional steady Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes simulations have been carried out to investigate the effect of the nozzle stand-off distance on the mean and turbulence characteristics of jets impinging vertically on flat surfaces. As part of the study, the performance of different turbulence models such as Realizable k–ε, k–ω SST, and Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) were evaluated. Based on comparisons with experimental data, RSM was chosen to further evaluate the characteristics of impinging jets. The Reynolds number based on the jet exit velocity and nozzle diameter is 100 000. Three different nozzle height-to-diameter ratios, representing different types of impinging jets, were simulated and compared with available experimental data. A strong dependency of the jet characteristics on the nozzle height-to-diameter ratio was observed. The simulations show that an increase in this ratio results in larger shear stress and more distributed pressure on the wall, more development of the flow in the axial direction and faster progress of the jet in the wall region. The current simulations present a robust step-by-step computational fluid dynamics approach to investigate the role of the nozzle height-to-diameter ratio on the impinging jet flow parameters.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EXPERIMENTAL FEATURES OF THE BOSE–EINSTEIN CONDENSATES OF 7Li, 23Na, 41K, 85Rb, 87Rb AND 133Cs VIA A LINEARLY PERTURBED HARMONIC OSCILLATOR POTENTIAL
Authors: MALIK G. P. , VARMA V. S.
Published: April 2013

We show that the observed features of the above-named Bose–Einstein condensates can be understood via an effective confining potential of the form of: [Formula: see text] where T denotes the temperature, m the mass of an atom of the trapped gas, ω the geometric mean of the three frequencies used for confinement, k the Boltzmann constant and b a dimensionless perturbation parameter. Such an exercise is undertaken because Tcs calculated via earlier treatments based solely on an r2-potential lead to a mismatch with the experimental values. We fix b by substituting the density of states corresponding to V(r, T) into the equation for the number of excited atoms N } exc(T) and appealing to the experimental data at T = Tc. The values of b thus found are: 1.3426 (7 Li ), 1.8420 (23 Na ), 0.4998 (41 K ), 0.3486 (85 Rb ), 1.5332 (87 Rb ) and 1.2430 (133 Cs ). While these are used to calculate N exc (T) for each of the condensates at T = Tc/2 and Tc/10, we also report on: (a) the variation of b for each condensate for some selected values of the pair (N } exc, Tc) and (b) the possibility of realizing the state (N exc , pTc; p (a number) ≫1) for all of these condensates with a unique value of b, even though the parameter-sets {m, ω, N exc , Tc} characterizing them differ widely. Attention is drawn to diverse fields where T-dependent Hamiltonians have found useful application.
IMPROVED TIME-MULTIPLEXED FPGA ARCHITECTURE AND ALGORITHM FOR MINIMIZING COMMUNICATION COST DESIGNS
Authors: KAO CHI-CHOU , LAI YEN-TAI
Published: April 2013

The Time-Multiplexed FPGA (TMFPGA) architecture can improve dramatically logic utilization by time-sharing logic but it needs a large amount of registers among sub-circuits for partitioning the given sequential circuits. In this paper, we propose an improved TMFPGA architecture to simplify the precedence constraints so that the number of the registers among sub-circuits can be reduced for sequential circuits partitioning. To demonstrate the practicability of the architecture, we also present a greedy algorithm to minimize the maximum number of the registers. Experimental results demonstrate the effectives of the algorithm.
HIGH THROUGHPUT FILTER ARCHITECTURE FOR OPTIMAL FPGA-BASED IMPLEMENTATIONS
Authors: KAMBOH HAMID M. , KHAN SHOAB A.
Published: April 2013

Modern field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) offer built in support for efficient implementation of signal processing algorithms in the form of specialized embedded blocks such as high speed carry chains, specialized shift registers, adders, multiply accumulators (MAC) and block memories. These dedicated elements provide increased computational power and are used for efficient implementation of computationally extensive algorithms. This paper proposes a novel algorithm and architecture for the design and implementation of high performance intermediate frequency (IF) filters on FPGAs. In this research, we have proposed innovative design methodologies for generation of optimal feed forward and recursive architectures to be mapped on a family of FPGAs. Keeping in perspective the limited number of registers within the embedded blocks, the new methodology applies transformations to achieve higher throughput by applying various optimizations to the design algorithm. Implementation options include systolic MAC, transpose direct form MAC, canonic signed digit and distributed arithmetic based filters to suite the most economical FPGA implementation. The paper demonstrates the methodology and shows its applicability by synthesizing the designs and comparing the results to a number of traditional architectures and intellectual property cores. Using Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA, our results show a throughput improvement between 7% and 30% with an average improvement of 16% over traditional implementations of these designs.
RECENT RESULTS IN MATHEMATICAL GR
Authors: KLAINERMAN SERGIU
Published: April 2013

The current state of the vacuum evolution problem in general relativity is reviewed from a perspective of rigorous mathematical results.
PEAKS IN THE CMBR POWER SPECTRUM II: PHYSICAL INTERPRETATION FOR ANY COSMOLOGICAL SCENARIO
Authors: LÓPEZ-CORREDOIRA MARTÍN
Published: April 2013

In a previous paper (part I), the mathematical properties of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) power spectrum which presents oscillations were discussed. Here, we discuss the physical interpretation: a power spectrum with oscillations is a rather normal characteristic expected from any fluid with clouds of overdensities that emit/absorb radiation or interact gravitationally with the photons, and with a finite range of sizes and distances for those clouds. The standard cosmological interpretation of "acoustic" peaks is just a particular case; peaks in the power spectrum might be generated in scenarios within some alternative cosmological model that have nothing to do with oscillations due to gravitational compression in a fluid.

We also calculate the angular correlation function of the anisotropies from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP)-7 yr and ACT data, in an attempt to derive the minimum number of parameters a polynomial function should have to fit it: a set of polynomial functions with a total of ≈ 6 free parameters, apart from the amplitude, is enough to reproduce the first two peaks. However, the standard model with six tunable free parameters also reproduces higher-order peaks, giving the standard model a higher confidence. At present, while no simple function with six free parameters is found to give a fit as good as the one given by the standard cosmological model, we may consider the predictive power of the standard model beyond an instrumentalist approach (such as the Ptolemaic astronomy model of the orbits of the planets).
PRIMORDIAL BLACK HOLE CONSTRAINTS FOR CURVATON MODELS WITH PREDICTED LARGE NON-GAUSSIANITY
Authors: BUGAEV E. V. , KLIMAI P. A.
Published: April 2013

We consider the early Universe scenario which allows for production of non-Gaussian curvature perturbations at small scales. We study the peculiarities of a formation of primordial black holes (PBHs) connected with the non-Gaussianity. In particular, we show that PBH constraints on the values of curvature perturbation power spectrum amplitude are strongly dependent on the shape of perturbations and can significantly (by two orders of magnitude) deviate from the usual Gaussian limit [Formula: see text]. We give examples of PBH mass spectra calculations and PBH constraints for the particular case of the curvaton model.
CONSTRAINTS ON THAWING SCALAR FIELD MODELS FROM FUNDAMENTAL CONSTANTS
Authors: GAO QING , GONG YUNGUI
Published: April 2013

We consider a dark energy model with a relation between the equation of state parameter w and the energy density parameter Ωϕ derived from thawing scalar field models. Assuming the variation of the fine structure constant is caused by dark energy, we use the observational data of the variation of the fine structure constant to constrain the current value of w0 and Ωϕ0 for the dark energy model. At the 1σ level, the observational data excluded some areas around w0 = –1, which explains the positive detection of the variation of the fine structure constant at the 1σ level, but ΛCDM model is consistent with the data at the 2σ level.
ON THE EFFECT OF ENERGY CONSERVATION ON BLACK HOLE EVAPORATION
Authors: TORRES R. , FAYOS F. , LORENTE-ESPÍN O.
Published: April 2013

We consider the emission of Hawking radiation by black holes as a consequence of a tunneling process. By requiring energy conservation in the derivation of the emission rate we get a well-known deviation from an exact thermal spectrum. A model that takes into account the implications of energy conservation, as well as the back-scattered radiation, is then constructed in order to describe the evolution of black holes as they evaporate. The evaporation process in this model is compared with the results in the standard "thermal" approximation. This allows us to point out the relevance that energy conservation might have in the last stages of black hole evaporation. We also comment about the possible implications of energy conservation in the information loss paradox.
NEW METHOD FOR CHARACTERISTIC EVOLUTIONS IN NUMERICAL RELATIVITY
Authors: CAO ZHOUJIAN
Published: April 2013

The main task of numerical relativity is to solve Einstein equations with the aid of supercomputer. There are two main schemes to write Einstein equations explicitly as differential equations. One is based on 3 + 1 decomposition and reduces the Einstein equations to a Cauchy problem. The another takes the advantage of the characteristic property of Einstein equations and reduces them to a set of ordinary differential equations. The latter scheme is called characteristic formalism which is free of constraint equations in contrast to the corresponding Cauchy problem. Till now there is only one well developed code (PITT code) for characteristic formalism. In PITT code, special finite difference algorithm is adopted for the numerical calculation. And it is this special difference algorithm that restricts the numerical accuracy order to second-order. In addition, this special difference algorithm makes the popular Runge–Kutta method used in Cauchy problem not available. In this paper, we modify the equations for characteristic formalism. Based on our new set of equations, we can use usual finite difference method as done in usual Cauchy evolution. And Runge–Kutta method can also be adopted naturally. We develop a set of code in the framework of AMSS-NCKU code based on our new method and some numerical tests are done.
A STANDBY SYSTEM UNDER INTERFERENCE MODELS WITH ONE AND MORE REPAIR FACILITIES
Authors: PATOWARY A. N. , HAZARIKA J. , SRIWASTAV G. L.
Published: April 2013

Here we have considered an n-standby system with one and more than one repair facility (ies) for interference (or stress–strength) models. The system is working under impacts of stresses. Each impact is called a cycle. When a component fails it goes for repair; the repair policy is first-come-first-serve (FCFS). The failure times of components, system and repair times all are measured in cycles. The reliability of the system at the Nth cycle is evaluated in different cases. When stress–strength distributions both are either exponential or gamma or normal the reliability of the system is numerically evaluated for given n, N and for some particular values of the parameters involved and are tabulated. The numerical values of the system reliability are on the expected line.
WAVELET PACKETS ASSOCIATED WITH NONUNIFORM MULTIRESOLUTION ANALYSIS ON POSITIVE HALF LINE
Authors: Sharma Vikram , Manchanda P.
Published: April 2013

Gabardo and Nashed [Nonuniform multiresolution analysis and spectral pairs, J. Funct. Anal.158 (1998) 209–241] introduced the Nonuniform multiresolution analysis (NUMRA) whose translation set is not a group. Farkov [Orthogonal p-wavelets on ℝ+, in Proc. Int. Conf. Wavelets and Splines (St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 2005), pp. 4–26] studied multiresolution analysis (MRA) on positive half line and constructed associated wavelets. Meenakshi et al. [Wavelets associated with Nonuniform multiresolution analysis on positive half line, Int. J. Wavelets, Multiresolut. Inf. Process.10(2) (2011) 1250018, 27pp.] studied NUMRA on positive half line and proved the analogue of Cohen's condition for the NUMRA on positive half line. We construct the associated wavelet packets for such an MRA and study its properties.
Promoting Inclusive Development in East Asia
Authors: WONG John , LYE Liang Fook
Published: April 2013

Policy makers today are increasingly preoccupied with the new development strategy of “inclusive growth”, which targets the development process, beyond GDP increases, to meet broader social objectives ranging from the satisfaction of people's basic needs and greater income equality to better environmental protection.
Economic Development Strategies in Korea: Some Valuable Lessons to Asian Developing Countries
Authors: LEE Choong Lyol
Published: April 2013

This paper examines major economic indicators and important development strategies of Korea for the past 60 years. The analysis concludes that the role of a government is crucial to its economic development. A government has to change its development strategies and policies at an appropriate time and cooporate with the private sector well. It also needs to provide good education and to maintain its competitiveness in the global market.
Effect of birth weight and 12 weeks of exercise training on exercise-induced AMPK signaling in human skeletal muscle
Authors: Mortensen Brynjulf , Hingst Janne R. , Frederiksen Nicklas , Hansen Rikke W. W. , Christiansen Caroline S. , Iversen Ninna , Friedrichsen Martin , Birk Jesper B. , Pilegaard Henriette , Hellsten Ylva , Vaag Allan , Wojtaszewski Jørgen F. P.
Published: April 2013

Subjects with a low birth weight (LBW) display increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). We hypothesized that this is associated with defects in muscle adaptations following acute and regular physical activity, evident by impairments in the exercise-induced activation of AMPK signaling. We investigated 21 LBW and 21 normal birth weight (NBW) subjects during 1 h of acute exercise performed at the same relative workload before and after 12 wk of exercise training. Multiple skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained before and after exercise. Protein levels and phosphorylation status were determined by Western blotting. AMPK activities were measured using activity assays. Protein levels of AMPKα1 and -γ1 were significantly increased, whereas AMPKγ3 levels decreased with training independently of group. The LBW group had higher exercise-induced AMPK Thr172 phosphorylation before training and higher exercise-induced ACC2 Ser221 phosphorylation both before and after training compared with NBW. Despite exercise being performed at the same relative intensity (65% of V̇o2peak), the acute exercise response on AMPK Thr172, ACC2 Ser221, AMPKα2β2γ1, and AMPKα2β2γ3 activities, GS activity, and adenine nucleotides as well as hexokinase II mRNA levels were all reduced after exercise training. Increased exercise-induced muscle AMPK activation and ACC2 Ser221 phosphorylation in LBW subjects may indicate a more sensitive AMPK system in this population. Long-term exercise training may reduce the need for AMPK to control energy turnover during exercise. Thus, the remaining γ3-associated AMPK activation by acute exercise after exercise training might be sufficient to maintain cellular energy balance.
The saccadic system does not compensate for the immaturity of the smooth pursuit system during visual tracking in children
Authors: Ego Caroline , Orban de Xivry Jean-Jacques , Nassogne Marie-Cécile , Yüksel Demet , Lefèvre Philippe
Published: April 2013

Motor skills improve with age from childhood into adulthood, and this improvement is reflected in the performance of smooth pursuit eye movements. In contrast, the saccadic system becomes mature earlier than the smooth pursuit system. Therefore, the present study investigates whether the early mature saccadic system compensates for the lower pursuit performance during childhood. To answer this question, horizontal eye movements were recorded in 58 children (ages 5–16 yr) and 16 adults (ages 23–36 yr) in a task that required the combination of smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements. Smooth pursuit performance improved with age. However, children had larger average position error during target tracking compared with adults, but they did not execute more saccades to compensate for their low pursuit performance despite the early maturity of their saccadic system. This absence of error correction suggests that children have a lower sensitivity to visual errors compared with adults. This reduced sensitivity might stem from poor internal models and longer processing time in young children.
pH modulation of glial glutamate transporters regulates synaptic transmission in the nucleus of the solitary tract
Authors: Huda Rafiq , McCrimmon Donald R. , Martina Marco
Published: April 2013

The nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) is the major site for termination of visceral sensory afferents contributing to homeostatic regulation of, for example, arterial pressure, gastric motility, and breathing. Whereas much is known about how different neuronal populations influence these functions, information about the role of glia remains scant. In this article, we propose that glia may contribute to NTS functions by modulating excitatory neurotransmission. We found that acidification (pH 7.0) depolarizes NTS glia by inhibiting K+-selective membrane currents. NTS glia also showed functional expression of voltage-sensitive glutamate transporters, suggesting that extracellular acidification regulates synaptic transmission by compromising glial glutamate uptake. To test this hypothesis, we evoked glutamatergic slow excitatory potentials (SEPs) in NTS neurons with repetitive stimulation (20 pulses at 10 Hz) of the solitary tract. This SEP depends on accumulation of glutamate following repetitive stimulation, since it was potentiated by blocking glutamate uptake with dl- threo-β-benzyloxyaspartic acid (TBOA) or a glia-specific glutamate transport blocker, dihydrokainate (DHK). Importantly, extracellular acidification (pH 7.0) also potentiated the SEP. This effect appeared to be mediated through a depolarization-induced inhibition of glial transporter activity, because it was occluded by TBOA and DHK. In agreement, pH 7.0 did not directly alter d-aspartate-induced responses in NTS glia or properties of presynaptic glutamate release. Thus acidification-dependent regulation of glial function affects synaptic transmission within the NTS. These results suggest that glia play a modulatory role in the NTS by integrating local tissue signals (such as pH) with synaptic inputs from peripheral afferents.
Ibuprofen-Induced Hemolytic Anemia
Authors: Barbaryan Aram , Iyinagoro Chioma , Nwankwo Nwabundo , Ali Alaa M. , Saba Raya , Kwatra Shawn G. , Hussain Nasir , Uzoka Chukwuemeka C. , Prueksaritanond Suartcha , Mirrakhimov Aibek E.
Published: April 2013

Drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia is a rare condition with an incidence of 1 per million of the population. We report the case of a 36-year-old female who presented to the emergency department complaining of shortness of breath and dark colored urine. Physical examination was significant for pale mucous membranes. The patient reported using ibuprofen for a few days prior to presentation. Complete blood count performed before starting ibuprofen revealed normal platelets and hemoglobin values. On admission, the patient had evidence of hemolytic anemia with hemoglobin of 4.9 g/dL, hematocrit of 14.2%, lactate dehydrogenase 435 IU/L, and reticulocytosis 23.2%. Further testing ruled out autoimmune disease, lymphoma, and leukemia as etiologies for the patient’s new onset hemolytic anemia. Ibuprofen was immediately stopped with a gradual hematologic recovery within 3 days.
Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Capacity fromNypa fruticansWurmb. Fruit
Authors: Prasad Nagendra , Yang Bao , Kong Kin Weng , Khoo Hock Eng , Sun Jian , Azlan Azrina , Ismail Amin , Romli Zulfiki Bin
Published: April 2013

Nypa fruticansWurmb. is one of the important underutilized fruit of Malaysia, which lacks scientific attention. Total phenolics, flavonoid content, and antioxidant capacities from endosperm extracts ofNypa fruticans(unripe and ripe fruits) were evaluated. Endosperm extract of unripe fruits (EEU) exhibited the highest phenolics (135.6 ± 4.5 mg GAE/g), flavonoid content (68.6 ± 3.1 RE/g), and antioxidant capacity. Free radical scavenging capacity of EEU as assessed by 2-2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenz-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radicals showed inhibitory activity of78±1.2% and85±2.6%, respectively. Beta carotene bleaching coefficient of EEU was higher (2550±123), when compared to endosperm extract of ripe fruits (1729±172). Additionally, EEU exhibited high antioxidant capacity by phosphomolybdenum method and ferric reducing antioxidant power values. Eight phenolic compounds fromNypa fruticansendosperm extracts were identified and quantified by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography. Chlorogenic acid, protocatechuic acid, and kaempferol were the major phenolic compounds. Thus this fruit could be used as a potential source of natural antioxidant.
A Case of Extrauterine Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma in the Colon Diagnosed Three Decades after Hysterectomy for Benign Disease
Authors: Ayuso Andres , Fadare Oluwole , Khabele Dineo
Published: April 2013

Extrauterine endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) is rare and typified by delayed recurrence of primary ESS. Here, we report an unusual case of colonic ESS in a woman with a remote history of hysterectomy. An 80-year-old woman, with a history of hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for abnormal bleeding and endometriosis 37 years prior to presentation, was diagnosed with ESS in the colon. She was treated with laparoscopic low anterior resection, followed by megestrol acetate, and has been in remission for more than 4 years. This case highlights the rarity of extra-uterine ESS in the colon, especially in the absence of a known history of primary uterine ESS. The patient’s history of endometriosis may have been a predisposing risk factor. ESS in the colon may be treated successfully with surgical resection and progestin therapy. Indefinite surveillance is recommended to monitor for late recurrences.
Nonlinear Radon Transform Using Zernike Moment for Shape Analysis
Authors: Ma Ziping , Kang Baosheng , Lv Ke , Zhao Mingzhu
Published: April 2013

We extend the linear Radon transform to a nonlinear space and propose a method by applying the nonlinear Radon transform to Zernike moments to extract shape descriptors. These descriptors are obtained by computing Zernike moment on the radial and angular coordinates of the pattern image's nonlinear Radon matrix. Theoretical and experimental results validate the effectiveness and the robustness of the method. The experimental results show the performance of the proposed method in the case of nonlinear space equals or outperforms that in the case of linear Radon.
Molecular Detection of Antibiotic Resistance in South African Isolates ofHelicobacter pylori
Authors: Tanih Nicoline F. , Ndip Roland N.
Published: April 2013

Rapid diagnosis and treatment ofHelicobacter pylori(H. pylori) presents a challenge. We aimed at investigating the presence ofH. pylori, susceptibility profile, and associated mutations in an effort to validate the effectiveness of GenoType HelicoDR assay inH. pylorityping in our environment. Two hundred and fifty-four biopsy specimens were cultured and DNA extracted from seventy-eight positive cultures using the Qiagen DNA extraction kit. The GenoType Helico DR which employs reverse hybridisation was used to confirm the presence ofH. pylori, determination of its susceptibility to antimicrobials, and detection of mutations conferring resistance to clarithromycin and fluoroquinolones. The organism was isolated from 168/254 (66.1 %) of the specimens by culture. Of the 78 strains used for further investigation, 12/78 (15.38%) were resistant to clarithromycin while 66/78 (84.61%) were susceptible. For fluoroquinolone, 70/78 (89.74%) strains were susceptible while 8 (10.26%) were resistant. Mutations were observed in 17 strains with A2147G being the most prevalent; A2146C and D91N were the least. The reverse hybridisation assay is an easy and fast technique in confirming the presence ofH. pylori, its antimicrobial profile, and associated mutations. Analysis regarding the suitability of this assay forH. pylorityping is warranted in other regions.
A Satellite-Based Sky Luminance Model for the Tropics
Authors: Janjai Serm
Published: April 2013

This paper presents a sky luminance model for the tropics. The model is mathematically expressed as a multiplication of two functions. These areφ, which is a function of the zenith angle of a sky element and solar zenith angle, andf, which is a function of the angle between the sky element and the sun. To obtain the analytical forms of these functions, the sky luminance data collected at Nakhon Pathom (13.82°N, 100.04°E), Thailand, during a four-year period were analyzed. Additionally, satellite-derived cloud index at the position of the sky luminance measurements during the same period was estimated. Based on values of the cloud index, the skies were classified into 10 types, from clear to overcast skies. By using appropriate grouping and mathematical operation of the sky luminance data, the values of the two functions were obtained and then fitted with empirical equations. The multiplication of these equations gives the final form of the sky luminance model. To validate the model, it was used to calculate the relative sky luminance at other three sites in the tropics. It was found that values of relative sky luminance calculated from the model and those obtained from the measurements were in reasonable agreement.
The Type of Anesthesia Used during Cesarean Section Is Related to the Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn
Authors: Keleş Esengül , Yazgan Hamza , Gebeşçe Arzu , Pakır Emine
Published: April 2013

Aim. To demonstrate whether transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN) is found more frequently in women undergoing general or combined epidural-spinal (CES) anesthesia during Cesarean section. Methods. This study was done retrospectively. A total of 1447 Cesarean sections (C/S) were performed in our clinic between January 2008 and December 2011. General anesthesia was performed in 1078 (74.5%) of the Cesarean cases. CES anesthesia was performed in 369 cases (25.5%). The International Classification of Diseases,Tenth Revision code of P22.1, was used to identify the infants with TTN. Stratified multivariate analysis was undertaken on subgroups to assess the effect modification by factors known to influence the incidence of TTN: maternal age, maternal systolic-diastolic artery pressure, heart rate, Apgar score at 1 and 5 minutes, sex, time interval from spinal block to skin incision, and time interval from skin incision to umbilical cord clamping. Results. The rate of TTN diagnosis was found to be higher in parturients who had a cesarean section with combined epidural-spinal anesthesia, but no statistical differences were found. (P<0.05)
(odds ratio = 1.471 and 95%CI: 0.92–2.35). Conclusions. The incidence of TTN was found related to C/S but independent from the type of anesthesia. However, studies with a wider spectrum of patients and a lower quantitative difference between the groups are needed in order to draw firm this conclusions.
Organic Photovoltaic Cells Based on PbPc Nanocolumns Prepared by Glancing Angle Deposition
Authors: Liu Yang , Zhang Fujun , Wang Jian
Published: April 2013

Organic small material lead phthalocyanine (PbPc) nanocolumns were prepared via glancing angle deposition (GLAD) on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates. Organic electron acceptor materials fullerene (C60) was evaporated onto the nanocolumn PbPc thin films to prepare heterojunction structure ITO/PbPc/C60/Bphen/Al organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs). It is worthwhile to mention that C60molecules firstly fill the voids between PbPc nanocolumns and then form impact C60layer. The interpenetrating electron donor/acceptor structure effectively enhances interface between electron donor and electron acceptor, which is beneficial to exciton dissociation. The short circuit current density (Jsc) of organic photovoltaic devices (OPVs) based on PbPc nanocolumn was increased from 1.19 mA/cm2to 1.74 mA/cm2, which should be attributed to the increase of interface between donor and acceptor. The effect of illumination intensity on the performance of OPVs was investigated by controlling the distance between light source and sample, and theJscof two kind of OPVs was increased along with the increase of illumination intensity.
Disruptions in Liver Function among Cancer Patients and Patients Treated with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibiting Drugs: Comparisons of Two Population-Based Databases
Authors: Landis Sarah H. , Nordstrom Beth L. , Sansbury Leah B. , Shantakumar Sumitra , Laurent Samantha A. St. , Fraeman Kathy H. , Nelson Jeanenne J.
Published: April 2013

Liver toxicity is a recognized adverse event associated with small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Electronic Medical Record (EMR) databases offer the most precise data to investigate the rate of liver function test (LFT) elevations; however, they can be limited in sample size and costly to access and analyze. Health insurance claims databases often contain larger samples sizes but may lack key health information. We evaluated the feasibility of utilizing a large claims database to calculate incidence rates (IRs) of LFT elevations among a general cohort of cancer patients and a cohort of patients treated with TKIs by comparing the results to a “gold standard” oncology-specific EMR database. IRs for the TKI cohorts were very similar between the two databases; however, IRs were higher in the EMR database for the cancer cohorts. Possible explanations for these differences include lack of specificity when defining a cancer case, poor capture of laboratory data, or inaccurate assessment of person-time in the insurance claims database. This study suggests that insurance claims data may provide reliable results when investigating liver toxicities associated with oncology drug exposure; however, there are limitations when assessing laboratory outcomes for cohorts defined solely by disease status.
A Stability Condition with Delay-Dependence for a Class of Switched Large-Scale Time-Delay Systems
Authors: Wang Chi-Jo , Chiou Juing-Shian
Published: April 2013

By using the time-switched method and the comparison theorem, we derived a criterion of delay-dependent stability for the switched large-scale time-delay systems. To guarantee the exponential stability for the switched large-scale time-delay systems with stability marginλ, the total activation time ratio of the switching law is determined. An example is used to illustrate the effectiveness of our result.
DTNQ-Pro, a Mimetic Dipeptide, Sensitizes Human Colon Cancer Cells to 5-Fluorouracil Treatment
Authors: Gomez-Monterrey Isabel , Campiglia Pietro , Scognamiglio Ilaria , Vanacore Daniela , Dicitore Alessandra , Lombardi Angela , Caraglia Michele , Novellino Ettore , Stiuso Paola
Published: April 2013

The resistance of growing human colon cancer cells to chemotherapy agents has been correlated to endogenous overexpression of stress proteins including the family of heat shock proteins (HSPs). Previously, we have demonstrated that a quinone-based mimetic dipeptide, named DTNQ-Pro, induced differentiation of growing Caco-2 cells through inhibition of HSP70 and HSP90. In addition, our product induced a HSP27 and vimentin intracellular redistribution. In the present study, we have evaluated whether a decrease of stress proteins induced by DTNQ-Pro in Caco-2 cells could sensitize these cells to treatment with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) cytotoxicity. The pretreatment of Caco-2 with 500 nM of DTNQ-Pro increases lipid peroxidation and decreases expression of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and FOXO3a. At the same experimental conditions, an increase of the 5-FU-induced growth inhibition of Caco-2 cells was recorded. These effects could be due to enhanced DTNQ-Pro-induced membrane lipid peroxidation that, in turn, causes the sensitization of cancer cells to the cytotoxicity mediated by 5-FU.
Correlation of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Serum Levels and White Blood Cells Gene Expression of Nuclear Receptors in a Population of Infertile Women
Authors: Caserta Donatella , Ciardo Francesca , Bordi Giulia , Guerranti Cristiana , Fanello Emiliano , Perra Guido , Borghini Francesca , La Rocca Cinzia , Tait Sabrina , Bergamasco Bruno , Stecca Laura , Marci Roberto , Lo Monte Giuseppe , Soave Ilaria , Focardi Silvano , Mantovani Alberto , Moscarini Massimo
Published: April 2013

Significant evidence supports that many endocrine disrupting chemicals could affect female reproductive health. Aim of this study was to compare the internal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), monoethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in serum samples of 111 infertile women and 44 fertile women. Levels of gene expression of nuclear receptors (ERα, ERβ, AR, AhR, PXR, and PPARγ) were also analyzed as biomarkers of effective dose. The percentage of women with BPA concentrations above the limit of detection was significantly higher in infertile women than in controls. No statistically significant difference was found with regard to PFOS, PFOA, MEHP and DEHP. Infertile patients showed gene expression levels of ERα, ERβ, AR, and PXR significantly higher than controls. In infertile women, a positive association was found between BPA and MEHP levels and ERα, ERβ, AR, AhR, and PXR expression. PFOS concentration positively correlated with AR and PXR expression. PFOA levels negatively correlated with AhR expression. No correlation was found between DEHP levels and all evaluated nuclear receptors. This study underlines the need to provide special attention to substances that are still widely present in the environment and to integrate exposure measurements with relevant indicators of biological effects.
A Case of Hypocalcemia with Severe Vitamin D Deficiency following Treatment for Graves’ Disease with Methimazole
Authors: Miyashita Kazuyuki , Yasuda Tetsuyuki , Kaneto Hideaki , Kuroda Akio , Kitamura Tetsuhiro , Otsuki Michio , Okamoto Yasuyuki , Hamada Noboru , Matsuhisa Munehide , Shimomura Iichiro
Published: April 2013

We herein report the case of a 41-year-old Japanese female office worker who developed symptomatic hypocalcemia with severe vitamin D deficiency following treatment for Graves’ disease with methimazole. The patient’s hypocalcemia was mainly caused by vitamin D deficiency due to unbalanced diets and inadequate exposure to sunlight in addition to the resolution of hyperthyroidism. Vitamin D deficiency is increasing worldwide, and it has been more recently shown to relate to the pathogenesis of Graves’ disease. However, vitamin D deficiency as a cause of hypocalcemia has received little attention. Taken together, this case suggests that we should take more care in calcium kinetics and vitamin D status during treatment for Graves’ disease with antithyroid drugs.
Vehicle Yaw Rate Estimation Using a Virtual Sensor
Authors: Emirler Mümin Tolga , Kahraman Kerim , Şentürk Mutlu , Aksun Güvenç Bilin , Güvenç Levent , Efendioğlu Barış
Published: April 2013

Road vehicle yaw stability control systems like electronic stability program (ESP) are important active safety systems used for maintaining lateral stability of the vehicle. Vehicle yaw rate is the key parameter that needs to be known by a yaw stability control system. In this paper, yaw rate is estimated using a virtual sensor which contains kinematic relations and a velocity-scheduled Kalman filter. Kinematic estimation is carried out using wheel speeds, dynamic tire radius, and front wheel steering angle. In addition, a velocity-scheduled Kalman filter utilizing the linearized single-track model of the road vehicle is used in the dynamic estimation part of the virtual sensor. The designed virtual sensor is successfully tested offline using a validated, high degrees of freedom, and high fidelity vehicle model and using hardware-in-the-loop simulations. Moreover, actual road testing is carried out and the estimated yaw rate from the virtual sensor is compared with the actual yaw rate obtained from the commercial yaw rate sensor to demonstrate the effectiveness of the virtual yaw rate sensor in practical use.
Solving Optimization Problems on Hermitian Matrix Functions with Applications
Authors: Zhang Xiang , Xiang Shu-Wen
Published: April 2013

We consider the extremal inertias and ranks of the matrix expressionsf(X,Y)=A3-B3X-(B3X)*-C3YD3-(C3YD3)*, whereA3=A3*,  B3,  C3, andD3are known matrices andYandXare the solutions to the matrix equationsA1Y=C1,YB1=D1, andA2X=C2, respectively. As applications, we present necessary and sufficient condition for the previous matrix functionf(X,Y)to be positive (negative), non-negative (positive) definite or nonsingular. We also characterize the relations between the Hermitian part of the solutions of the above-mentioned matrix equations. Furthermore, we establish necessary and sufficient conditions for the solvability of the system of matrix equationsA1Y=C1,YB1=D1,A2X=C2, andB3X+(B3X)*+C3YD3+(C3YD3)*=A3, and give an expression of the general solution to the above-mentioned system when it is solvable.
Aberrant Anatomical Variation of Maxillary Sinus Mimicking Periapical Cyst: A Report of Two Cases and Role of CBCT in Diagnosis
Authors: Sekerci Ahmet Ercan , Sisman Yildiray , Etoz Meryem , Bulut Duygu Goller
Published: April 2013

Most periapical lesions are associated with microorganisms from infected root canal systems. Maxillary sinus can pose a diagnostic dilemma radiographically because of its anatomical variation which can mimic a periapical pathosis. The aim of this study was to describe two cases of aberrant anatomical variation of the maxillary sinus that presented radiographic similarities to a periapical cyst in order to call the attention of clinicians to the fact that several different diseases are able to mimic endodontic periapical lesions. An accurate assessment of this morphology was made with the help of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).
Molecular Imaging of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Xenografts with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Targeted Affibody Probes
Authors: Zhao Ping , Yang Xiaoyang , Qi Shibo , Liu Hongguang , Jiang Han , Hoppmann Susan , Cao Qizhen , Chua Mei-Sze , So Samuel K. , Cheng Zhen
Published: April 2013

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly aggressive and lethal cancer. It is typically asymptomatic at the early stage, with only 10%–20% of HCC patients being diagnosed early enough for appropriate surgical treatment. The delayed diagnosis of HCC is associated with limited treatment options and much lower survival rates. Therefore, the early and accurate detection of HCC is crucial to improve its currently dismal prognosis. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been reported to be involved in HCC tumorigenesis and to represent an attractive target for HCC imaging and therapy. In this study, an affibody molecule, Ac-Cys-ZEGFR:1907, targeting the extracellular domain of EGFR, was used for the first time to assess its potential to detect HCC xenografts. By evaluating radio- or fluorescent-labeled Ac-Cys-ZEGFR:1907as a probe for positron emission tomography (PET) or optical imaging of HCC, subcutaneous EGFR-positive HCC xenografts were found to be successfully imaged by the PET probe. Thus, affibody-based PET imaging of EGFR provides a promising approach for detecting HCCin vivo.
An Efficient and Secure Certificateless Authentication Protocol for Healthcare System on Wireless Medical Sensor Networks
Authors: Guo Rui , Wen Qiaoyan , Jin Zhengping , Zhang Hua
Published: April 2013

Sensor networks have opened up new opportunities in healthcare systems, which can transmit patient’s condition to health professional’s hand‐held devices in time. The patient’s physiological signals are very sensitive and the networks are extremely vulnerable to many attacks. It must be ensured that patient’s privacy is not exposed to unauthorized entities. Therefore, the control of access to healthcare systems has become a crucial challenge. An efficient and secure authentication protocol will thus be needed in wireless medical sensor networks. In this paper, we propose a certificateless authentication scheme without bilinear pairing while providing patient anonymity. Compared with other related protocols, the proposed scheme needs less computation and communication cost and preserves stronger security. Our performance evaluations show that this protocol is more practical for healthcare system in wireless medical sensor networks.
Streaming Support for Data Intensive Cloud-Based Sequence Analysis
Authors: Issa Shadi A. , Kienzler Romeo , El-Kalioby Mohamed , Tonellato Peter J. , Wall Dennis , Bruggmann Rémy , Abouelhoda Mohamed
Published: April 2013

Cloud computing provides a promising solution to the genomics data deluge problem resulting from the advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. Based on the concepts of “resources-on-demand” and “pay-as-you-go”, scientists with no or limited infrastructure can have access to scalable and cost-effective computational resources. However, the large size of NGS data causes a significant data transfer latency from the client’s site to the cloud, which presents a bottleneck for using cloud computing services. In this paper, we provide a streaming-based scheme to overcome this problem, where the NGS data is processed while being transferred to the cloud. Our scheme targets the wide class of NGS data analysis tasks, where the NGS sequences can be processed independently from one another. We also provide theelastreampackage that supports the use of this scheme with individual analysis programs or with workflow systems. Experiments presented in this paper show that our solution mitigates the effect of data transfer latency and saves both time and cost of computation.
Identification of a Surface Marine Vessel Using LS-SVM
Authors: Moreno-Salinas David , Chaos Dictino , de la Cruz Jesús Manuel , Aranda Joaquín
Published: April 2013

The availability of adequate system models to reproduce, as faithfully as possible, the actual behaviour of the experimental systems is of key importance. In marine systems, the changing environmental conditions and the complexity of the infrastructure needed to carry out experimental tests call for mathematical models for accurate simulations. There exist a wide number of techniques to define mathematical models from experimental data. Support Vector Machines (SVMs) have shown a great performance in pattern recognition and classification research areas having an inherent potential ability for linear and nonlinear system identification. In this paper, this ability is demonstrated through the identification of the Nomoto second-order ship model with real experimental data obtained from a zig-zag manoeuvre made by a scale ship. The mathematical model of the ship is identified using Least Squares Support Vector Machines (LS-SVMs) for regression by analysing the rudder angle, surge and sway speed, and yaw rate. The coefficients of the Nomoto model are obtained with a linear kernel function. The model obtained is validated through experimental tests that illustrate the potential of SVM for system identification.
Nymphaeol-A Isolated from Okinawan Propolis Suppresses Angiogenesis and Induces Caspase-Dependent Apoptosis via Inactivation of Survival Signals
Authors: Tsuchiya Ikumi , Hosoya Takahiro , Ushida Motoko , Kunimasa Kazuhiro , Ohta Toshiro , Kumazawa Shigenori
Published: April 2013

Propolis, a resinous substance that honeybees collect to protect their beehive from enemies, is reported to have various biological activities. In our screening program to search for antiangiogenic compounds from propolis, the ethanol extracts of Okinawan propolis (EEOP) showed significant antiangiogenic activities in a tube formation assay with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)in vitroat 3.13 μg/mL and chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assayin vivoat 25 μg/egg. To elucidate the active compounds of EEOP and their mode of action, we isolated some prenylated flavonoids from EEOP and found that nymphaeol-A had the strongest antiangiogenic activity among them. Nymphaeol-A significantly reducedin vivoneovessel formation in the CAM assay at 25 μg/egg. At the molecular level, nymphaeol-A markedly inactivated mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK kinase 1/2 (MEK1/2) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), whose molecular activations signal new vessel formation in HUVECs. In addition, nymphaeol-A dose- and time-dependently induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in tube-forming HUVECs. Taken together, nymphaeol-A was shown to inhibit angiogenesis at least in part via inactivation of MEK1/2–ERK1/2 signaling and induction of caspase-dependent apoptosis. Okinawan propolis and its major component, nymphaeol-A, may be useful agents for preventing tumor-induced angiogenesis.