bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinico-Social and Immunological Profile of Antiretroviral Naïve Children Living With HIV In Tertiary Care Hospital, Delhi
Authors: Verma D , Acharya Anita Shankar , Bachani D , Seth A
Published: March 2017

Introduction: This study was undertaken to assess the clinical profile of children living with HIV at the time of their enrolment in an ART centre in Delhi. The study also attempts to understand association between clinical staging and immunological profile (CD4 count/percentage) in HIV infected children. The findings of this study may help policy makers to plan better health care of CLHIV in resource constrained country like India. The Objectives of the study were to assess the baseline clinico-social and immunological profile of HIV positive children before the start of Antiretroviral Therapy, to study clinicosocial and morbidity profile of HIV positive children at the time of their enrolment in ART centre and to study the association between immunodeficiency and clinical staging of CLHIV.Methodology: The present study, conducted between December 2012 and March 2013, is a retrospective case review of 83 antiretroviral naïve Children living with HIV aged 8 months to 13 years and attending paediatric ART clinic of a tertiary care hospital of Delhi. After the infection was established on serological grounds, information on socio-demographic, clinical and immunological profile was studied.Results: Majority (62.7%) of CLHIV were boys. Both parents of CLHIV were found to be positive in 63.9% while mother was found to be positive in 69.9%. The most common route of HIV infection was mother-to-child transmission (69.9%), followed by transmission though blood/blood products (12.0%). Every three out of four children (71.1%) were in WHO clinical stage III or IV. Three out of four (74.7%) children presented with fever, one in two with cough (56.6%). Diarrhoea (56.6%), pneumonia (41.0%), popular pruritic eruptions (18.1%), candidiasis (16.9%) and tuberculosis (14.5%) were the most common opportunistic infections in these children. The most common signs present were hepatomegaly (81.9%), anaemia (78.3%) and lymphadenopathy (72.3%).Conclusion: Mother to child transmission is the most common route of transmission in CLHIV. At enrolment more than half of the children were in clinical stage III&IV. Fever, cough, diarrhoea, weight loss, rashes were common morbidities of the children. Majority of the children had hepatomegaly, anaemia and lymphadenopathy.SAARC J TUBER LUNG DIS HIV/AIDS, 2016; XIII(1) p.32-38
Editorial Vol.13(1)
Authors: Editor The
Published: March 2017

No abstract available.
The decision-making role of the patient in localised prostate cancer treatment
Authors: Wang Luke L , Ranasinghe Weranja K.B.
Published: March 2017

Our objective was to review the current literature on patient participation and decision-making in the treatment selection process for localised prostate cancer, and to evaluate capacity for improvement. Methods: 42 articles from our literature search were deemed eligible and relevant for review. We reviewed studies on all facets of the treatment decision-making process with most number of articles (16) on treatment preferences. Results: The majority of the patients prefer an active or collaborative role in decision-making. Patients are seeking information from a myriad of sources but the recommendation from their treating physician is often the most influential on the final decision. Radical prostatectomy is more likely to be selected in patients who view a cure for cancer as being of the utmost importance and radiation therapy is preferred in patients who are concerned about treatment side effects. Conclusion: Currently no ideal tool exists to assist patients in making informed treatment decisions that also takes into account patients’ values and preferences. We encourage collaborative partnership in a multidisciplinary setting to optimise this process and individualised risk-based decision-making tools may provide a better pathway to assist patients reach decisions.
How do the design features of health hackathons contribute to participatory medicine?
Authors: Day Karen , Humphrey Gayl , Cockcroft Sophie
Published: March 2017

The Hackathon concept is attracting interest as a vehicle for participatory development in both Health and Information systems. Publically available datasets, cloud based data storage, and increasingly sophisticated analytical methods, combined with user friendly development tools for mobile devices are inspiring innovation in the participatory medicine space. This has the potential to disrupt traditional methods and deliver solutions more rapidly, and in a form more likely to meet requirements. In health applications this involves putting the patient and their supports at the centre of design. This work contributes to solving the challenges involved in bringing a diverse cohort of designers, developers, problem owners, healthcare providers, patients, and citizens together to solve user-driven self-care problems using technology. We use a descriptive case study approach focussing on two weekend-long hackathons dubbed “Health Hackathon: Solving Self-care”. We gather thick data from multiple sources according to the process defined by Geertz (1994) first, to provide a rich picture of the role of hackathons in participatory medicine and second, to contribute evidence to the practise of running a hackathon. Some key originalities of our work include seeking more candid responses via self-serve interviews. Through this, controversially, we noted a marked emphasis on the creative process over concerns for privacy and ethics around the personal data cloud created by hackathon products. We build on existing theories of participatory medicine and emerging methodologies for conducting hackathons to provide evidence of the efficacy of the hacking approach both in terms of outcome and team dynamics. Through interviews, observation, twitter feeds and a pre-survey, we identify a number of success factors including (1) group size, (2) maturity of the idea, (3) level of involvement of a mentor, and (4) involvement of students. In addition we identify five skills identified by successful health hackathon participants; knowledge, patient focussed skills, analytical skills, software design skills and professional perspective. In common with previous studies we find that there are considerable social benefits that accrue in running a hackathon. Participants meet new people and learn first-hand of the challenges and opportunities provided by the skill sets and work environments of others. This work builds on the existing body of research concerning hackathons and in particular work in the context of participatory medicine
Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor Shareholdings and Corporate Operating Performance
Authors: Yang Shuili , Ren Xiaoyan
Published: March 2017

In this article, profitability, asset quality, debt risk, and sales growth are used as measurement indices of corporate operating performance. On the basis of panel data of 630 companies for 2008–2014, which is after the completion of China's split-share structure reform, an entity fixed-effects model is used to study the effect of qualified foreign institutional investor (QFII) shareholdings on the operating performance of Chinese non-financial transnational corporations. The results show that the QFII shareholdings ratio and shareholdings checks and balances degree are significantly positively correlated with return on equity and total assets turnover, but they have no significant correlation with asset liability ratio and sales growth rate. The evidence therefore suggests that the higher the QFII shareholdings ratio is, the higher the enthusiasm is for QFII shares participating in corporate governance, and the better the general corporate operating performance. The findings provide an important reference for Chinese transnational corporations to introduce QFII shares to improve governance structure and corporate operating performance.
Multiple Margins of China's Export Growth: A Two-Mode Network Dynamic Analysis
Authors: Wu Gang , Pu Yue , Yao Xing , Jiang Yumei , Du Wenjun
Published: March 2017

Using China's Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding Systems (HS) six-digit trade data for 1999–2013 from the UN Comtrade database, we redistribute and re-estimate the intensive and extensive margins of China's export growth on the basis of a dynamic products–markets two-mode network. Three main results emerge. First, the intensive margin was the main reason for China's export growth, and the contribution of the extensive margin was limited. Second, intensive margin and product margin were mainly concentrated in developed countries and China's neighbours, but the market margin was more distributed in developing countries and China's neighbours. Finally, countries along the “One Belt, One Road” have larger and growing contributions to China's export growth. In light of our findings, we provide a set of policy recommendations.
Solar cosmic rays: 75 years of research
Authors: Miroshnichenko L I
Published: March 2017

The 28th of February 2017 marked the 75th anniversary of the first confident detection of solar cosmic rays (SCRs), a term referring to accelerated solar particles with energies from about 106 to ∼ 1010 − 1011 eV. The present paper reviews the key observational and theoretical results on SCRs that have been accumulated over this period. The history of the discovery of SCRs is briefly described, together with SCR recording techniques and instruments, and some physical, methodical, and practical aspects of SCR generation are discussed in more detail. Special attention is given to mechanisms of charged particle acceleration at and near the Sun. Current ideas on the interaction of solar cosmic rays with the solar atmosphere, peculiarities of their transport in interplanetary magnetic fields, movements in Earth’s magnetosphere, and their impact on Earth’s atmosphere are reviewed. It is shown that this field of space physics has produced many results of fundamental interest for astrophysics, solar–terrestrial physics, geophysics, and practical cosmonautics (astronautics).
Individual Ranging Behaviour Patterns in Commercial Free-Range Layers as Observed through RFID Tracking
Authors: Larsen Hannah , Cronin Greg , Gebhardt-Henrich Sabine , Smith Carolynn , Hemsworth Paul , Rault Jean-Loup
Published: March 2017

In this exploratory study, we tracked free-range laying hens on two commercial flocks with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology with the aim to examine individual hen variation in range use. Three distinct outdoor zones were identified at increasing distances from the shed; the veranda [0–2.4 m], close range [2.4–11.4 m], and far range [>11.4 m]. Hens’ movements between these areas were tracked using radio frequency identification technology. Most of the hens in both flocks (68.6% in Flock A, and 82.2% in Flock B) accessed the range every day during the study. Of the hens that accessed the range, most hens accessed all three zones (73.7% in Flock A, and 84.5% in Flock B). Hens spent half of their time outdoors in the veranda area. Within-individual consistency of range use (daily duration and frequency) varied considerably, and hens which were more consistent in their daily range use spent more time on the range overall (p < 0.001). Understanding variation within and between individuals in ranging behaviour may help elucidate the implications of ranging for laying hens.
Effect of Leaves of Caesalpinia decapetala on Oxidative Stability of Oil-in-Water Emulsions
Authors: Gallego María , Skowyra Monika , Gordon Michael , Azman Nurul , Almajano María
Published: March 2017

Caesalpinia decapetala (Roth) Alston (Fabaceae) (CD) is used in folk medicine to prevent colds and treat bronchitis. This plant has antitumor and antioxidant activity. The antioxidant effects of an extract from Caesalpinia decapetala (Fabaceae) were assessed by storage of model food oil-in-water emulsions with analysis of primary and secondary oxidation products. The antioxidant capacity of the plant extract was evaluated by the diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays and by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Lyophilized extracts of CD were added at concentrations of 0.002%, 0.02% and 0.2% into oil-in-water emulsions, which were stored for 30 days at 33 ± 1 °C, and then, oxidative stability was evaluated. The CD extract had high antioxidant activity (700 ± 70 µmol Trolox/g dry plant for the ORAC assay), mainly due to its phenolic components: gallic acid, quercetin, catechin, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and p-coumaric acid. At a concentration of 0.2%, the extract significantly reduced the oxidative deterioration of oil-in-water emulsions. The results of the present study show the possibility of utilizing CD as a promising source of natural antioxidants for retarding lipid oxidation in the food and cosmetic industries.
Synthesis of Injectable Alginate Hydrogels with Muscle-Derived Stem Cells for Potential Myocardial Infarction Repair
Authors: Fang Rui , Tian Weiming , Chen Xiongbiao
Published: March 2017

Myocardial infarction (MI), caused by the occlusion of the left ventricular coronary artery, leads to the loss of cardiomyocytes and, potentially, heart failure. Cardiomyocytes in adult mammals proliferate at an extremely low rate and thus, a major challenge in MI treatment is supplementing exogenous cells and keeping them viable in MI areas. To address this challenge, injecting hydrogels encapsulating cells into MI areas, to compensate for the loss of cardiomyocytes, shows promise. This study synthesized two types of alginate hydrogels, based on self-crosslinking (SCL) and calcium ion crosslinking (Ca2+) in varying formulations. The hydrogels encapsulated living muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) and their performance was evaluated in terms of optimizing cell viability during the injection process, as well as the live/dead rate after long-term cultivation. The morphology of the hydrogel-encapsulated cells was characterized by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and live/dead cells were examined using an MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide staining) assay. The mechanical properties of the hydrogels were also determined via a rheometer, to identify their influence on cell viability during the injection process and with respect to long-term cultivation. The SCL hydrogel with a 0.8% alginate and 20% gelatin formulation resulted in the highest cell viability during the injection process, and the Ca2+ hydrogel composed of 1.1% alginate and 20% gelatin maintained the highest cell survival rate after two months in culture.
Performance of a Supercritical CO2 Bottoming Cycle for Aero Applications
Authors: Jacob Florian , Rolt Andrew , Sebastiampillai Joshua , Sethi Vishal , Belmonte Mathieu , Cobas Pedro
Published: March 2017

By 2050, the evolutionary approach to aero engine research may no longer provide meaningful returns on investment, whereas more radical approaches to improving thermal efficiency and reducing emissions might still prove cost effective. One such radical concept is the addition of a secondary power cycle that utilizes the otherwise largely wasted residual heat in the core engine’s exhaust gases. This could provide additional shaft power. Supercritical carbon dioxide closed-circuit power cycles are currently being investigated primarily for stationary power applications, but their high power density and efficiency, even for modest peak cycle temperatures, makes them credible bottoming cycle options for aero engine applications. Through individual geometric design and performance studies for each of the bottoming cycle’s major components, it was determined that a simple combined cycle aero engine could offer a 1.9% mission fuel burn benefit over a state-of-the-art geared turbofan for the year 2050. However, the even greater potential of more complex systems demands further investigation. For example, adding inter-turbine reheat (ITR) to the combined cycle is predicted to significantly improve the fuel burn benefit.
Application of Electrical Resistivity Data Sets for the Evaluation of the Pollution Concentration Level within Landfill Subsoil
Authors: Koda Eugeniusz , Tkaczyk Andrzej , Lech Mariusz , Osiński Piotr
Published: March 2017

The paper presents complex analyses of geophysical site investigation results. The electrical resistivity method was used to investigate the potential pollutant migration pathways within areas of existing and former landfill sites. For the purpose of the present study, there were four municipal waste landfills and one industrial landfill chosen for further comprehensive analyses. The landfill bottom was isolated using geomembrane liner. However, ground water monitoring results revealed that the base was not leakage-free. Another two landfills were established in the past, when no containment systems were legally required. The geoelectrical investigation was the final part of an overall analytical assessment of the contaminated sites. The study was aimed at pollution spatial migration analyses and the interpretation of results, for further design of the reclamation and restoration plans. A clear correlation between pollution indicators such as salt compounds and electrical resistivity, allow aerial analyses and the precise determination of contaminated zones. The research results presented in the paper have been recently obtained and concern a period from 2010 to 2015.
In Situ Measurement of Alkali Metals in an MSW Incinerator Using a Spontaneous Emission Spectrum
Authors: Yan Weijie , Lou Chun , Cheng Qiang , Zhao Peitao , Zhang Xiangyu
Published: March 2017

This paper presents experimental investigations of the in situ diagnosis of the alkali metals in the municipal solid waste (MSW) flame of an industrial grade incinerator using flame emission spectroscopy. The spectral radiation intensities of the MSW flame were obtained using a spectrometer. A linear polynomial fitting method is proposed to uncouple the continuous spectrum and the characteristic line. Based on spectra processing and a non-gray emissivity model, the flame temperature, emissivity, and intensities of the emission of alkali metals were calculated by means of measuring the spectral radiation intensities of the MSW flame. Experimental results indicate that the MSW flame contains alkali metals, including Na, K, and even Rb, and it demonstrates non-gray characteristics in a wavelength range from 500 nm to 900 nm. Peak intensities of the emission of the alkali metals were found to increase when the primary air was high, and the measured temperature varied in the same way as the primary air. The temperature and peak intensities of the lines of emission of the alkali metals may be used to adjust the primary airflow and to manage the feeding of the MSW to control the alkali metals in the MSW flame. It was found that the peak intensity of the K emission line had a linear relationship with the peak intensity of the Na emission line; this correlation may be attributed to their similar physicochemical characteristics in the MSW. The variation trend of the emissivity of the MSW flame and the oxygen content in the flue gas were almost opposite because the increased oxygen content suppressed soot formation and decreased soot emissivity. These results prove that the flame emission spectroscopy technique is feasible for monitoring combustion in the MSW incinerator in situ.
Self-Fitting Algorithm for Digital Hearing Aid Based on Interactive Evolutionary Computation and Expert System
Authors: Liang Ruiyu , Guo Ruxue , Xi Ji , Xie Yue , Zhao Li
Published: March 2017

The traditional hearing aid fitting method, which mainly relies on the audiologist, is timeconsuming and messy. To improve this situation, a self-fitting algorithm based on an improved interactive evolutionary computation (IEC) algorithm and expert system, which enables the patients to fit the hearing aid by themselves, is proposed. The algorithm takes the band gain as the fitting target and uses the patient’s subjective evaluation to iteratively update the algorithm parameters based on the improved IEC algorithm. In addition, a real-time updated expert system is constructed to assist in the optimization of the initial and iterative parameters of the fitting based on the patient’s audiogram and personal information. To verify the performance of the algorithm, a self-fitting software for the hearing aid is designed. Through this software, the test signal is generated for the patient to evaluate the audio quality on a five-level scale. Based on the evaluation results, the algorithm iteratively optimizes the algorithm parameters until the patient is satisfied with the generated audio. Compared with the fitting algorithm based on Gaussian processes algorithm or the interactive evolutionary algorithm, the average subjective speech recognition rate of the proposed algorithm increase at least 11%. The average recognition rate for environmental sound is also improved by at least 2.9%. In addition, the fitting time of the proposed algorithm is shortened by at least 10 min compared to others two algorithms.
Assessment of Temperature and Elevation Controls on Spatial Variability of Rainfall in Iran
Authors: Javari Majid
Published: March 2017

With rainfall changes, hydrological process variability increases. This study predicts the potential effects of temperature and topography characteristics on rainfall spatial variability. Temperature and topography were considered as two effective factors that may influence monthly rainfall. This study uses rainfall and temperature data from 174 synoptic and climatic stations and 39,055 rain, elevation and temperature points extracted by ArcGIS10.3 over the 40 years (1975–2014). In this study, in order to predict the relationship between temperature, topography and rainfall, a combination of statistics including spatial statistics and Geographical information System (GIS) methods were employed. It was found that the distribution and rainfall variability in some parts of Iran was regarded to be based on topography and temperature. The spatial patterns showed that the variability based on spatial autocorrelation in rainfall severity gradually increased from west to east and north to south in Iran. Temperature and topography influence rainfall spatial variability; moreover, these factors have direct, indirect and total effects on rainfall variability in temporal and spatial patterns. These research results will be useful for the regionalization of climate and rainfall formation factors, management of water sources, environmental planning and measuring environmental controls on the climate system.
Modulation of the Proteostasis Machinery to Overcome Stress Caused by Diminished Levels of t6A‐Modified tRNAs in Drosophila
Authors: Rojas‐Benítez Diego , Eggers Cristián , Glavic Alvaro
Published: March 2017

Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) harbor a subset of post‐transcriptional modifications required for structural stability or decoding function. N6‐threonylcarbamoyladenosine (t6A) is a universally conserved modification found at position 37 in tRNA that pair A‐starting codons (ANN) and is required for proper translation initiation and to prevent frame shift during elongation. In its absence, the synthesis of aberrant proteins is likely, evidenced by the formation of protein aggregates. In this work, our aim was to study the relationship between t6A‐modified tRNAs and protein synthesis homeostasis machinery using Drosophila melanogaster. We used the Gal4/UAS system to knockdown genes required for t6A synthesis in a tissue and time specific manner and in vivo reporters of unfolded protein response (UPR) activation. Our results suggest that t6A‐modified tRNAs, synthetized by the threonyl‐carbamoyl transferase complex (TCTC), are required for organismal growth and imaginal cell survival, and is most likely to support proper protein synthesis.
Experimental Analysis of a Heat Cost Allocation Method for Apartment Buildings
Authors: Saba Fabio , Fernicola Vito , Masoero Marco , Abramo Salvatore
Published: March 2017

The correct estimate of individual thermal energy consumptions, and consequently, a fair heat cost allocation among the residents of apartment buildings with centralized heating systems, represents an important driving force towards energy saving, energy efficiency and the reduction of pollutant emissions. Nowadays, in those contexts where direct heat meters cannot be used because of the layout of the hot water distribution system, electronic Heat Cost Allocators (HCAs) have the highest market share for the assessment of individual thermal energy consumptions. The uncertainty associated with the parameterization of heat cost allocation devices and the installation effects arising in real applications can negatively affect the accuracy of these devices, as far as the estimation of the individual fractions of thermal energy consumption is concerned. This work deals with the experimental analysis of a novel heat cost allocation method for apartment buildings and its comparison with conventional HCAs. The method allows the indirect estimation of the thermal energy exchanged by water radiators without the need for surface temperature measurements, reducing some of the drawbacks associated with the on-site installation. The experimental analysis was carried out in a full-scale central heating system test facility available at the Italian National Metrology Institute (INRIM) and characterized by SI-traceable direct heat meters installed on each water radiator.
Class (I) Phosphoinositide 3-Kinases in the Tumor Microenvironment
Authors: Gyori David , Chessa Tamara , Hawkins Phillip , Stephens Len
Published: March 2017

Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are a diverse family of enzymes which regulate various critical biological processes, such as cell proliferation and survival. Class (I) PI3Ks (PI3Kα, PI3Kβ, PI3Kγ and PI3Kδ) mediate the phosphorylation of the inositol ring at position D3 leading to the generation of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3. PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 can be dephosphorylated by several phosphatases, of which the best known is the 3-phosphatase PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog). The Class (I) PI3K pathway is frequently disrupted in human cancers where mutations are associated with increased PI3K-activity or loss of PTEN functionality within the tumor cells. However, the role of PI3Ks in the tumor stroma is less well understood. Recent evidence suggests that the white blood cell-selective PI3Kγ and PI3Kδ isoforms have an important role in regulating the immune-suppressive, tumor-associated myeloid cell and regulatory T cell subsets, respectively, and as a consequence are also critical for solid tumor growth. Moreover, PI3Kα is implicated in the direct regulation of tumor angiogenesis, and dysregulation of the PI3K pathway in stromal fibroblasts can also contribute to cancer progression. Therefore, pharmacological inhibition of the Class (I) PI3K family in the tumor microenvironment can be a highly attractive anti-cancer strategy and isoform-selective PI3K inhibitors may act as potent cancer immunotherapeutic and anti-angiogenic agents.
The Effect of Trimethylaluminum Flow Rate on the Structure and Optical Properties of AlInGaN Quaternary Epilayers
Authors: Wang Dongbo , Liu Gang , Jiao Shujie , Kong Lingping , Liu Teren , Liu Tong , Wang Jinzhong , Guo Fengyun , Luan Chunyang , Li Zhenghao
Published: March 2017

In this work, a series of quaternary AlxInyGa1−x−yN thin films have been successfully achieved using metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) method with adjustable trimethylaluminum (TMA) flows. Surface morphology and optical properties of AlxInyGa1−x−yN films have been evaluated. The indium segregation effect on the enhancement of UV luminescence emission in AlxInyGa1-x-yN films with increasing TMA flows was investigated. Our results shed some lights on future optical materials design and LED/LD applications.
Unexpected Au Alloying in Tailoring In-Doped SnTe Nanostructures with Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Atherton Samuel , Steele Benjamin , Sasaki Satoshi
Published: March 2017

Materials with strong spin-orbit interaction and superconductivity are candidates for topological superconductors that may host Majorana fermions (MFs) at the edges/surfaces/vortex cores. Bulk-superconducting carrier-doped topological crystalline insulator, indium-doped tin telluride (In-SnTe) is one of the promising materials. Robust superconductivity of In-SnTe nanostructures has been demonstrated recently. Intriguingly, not only 3-dimensional (3D) nanostructures but also ultra-thin quasi-2D and quasi-1D systems can be grown by the vapor transport method. In particular, nanostructures with a controlled dimension will give us a chance to understand the dimensionality and the quantum confinement effects on the superconductivity of the In-SnTe and may help us work on braiding MFs in various dimensional systems for future topological quantum computation technology. With this in mind, we employed gold nanoparticles (GNPs) with well-identified sizes to tailor In-SnTe nanostructures grown by vapor transport. However, we could not see clear evidence that the presence of the GNPs is necessary or sufficient to control the size of the nanostructures. Nevertheless, it should be noted that a weak correlation between the diameter of GNPs and the dimensions of the smallest nanostructures has been found so far. To our surprise, the ones grown under the vapor–liquid–solid mechanism, with the use of the GNPs, contained gold that is widely and inhomogeneously distributed over the whole body.
Improving the Quality of Diagnostic Studies Evaluating Point of Care Tests for Acute HIV Infections: Problems and Recommendations
Authors: Smallwood Megan , Pant Pai Nitika
Published: March 2017

The diagnosis of acute human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (AHI) plays a unique role in preventing the spread of HIV and ending the epidemic. Acutely infected individuals are thought to contribute substantially to forward transmissions of HIV; however, diagnosing AHI in resource-limited settings has proven to be a challenge. While fourth generation antigen-antibody combination assays have been successful in high-resource settings, rapid point of care (POC) versions of these assays have yet to demonstrate high sensitivity to detect AHI. Newer RNA/DNA based POC technologies are being validated, but the challenge to understand the additional value of these devices depends on the quality of study evaluations, in particular choice of study designs and case mix of included populations. In this commentary, we aimed to review the quality of studies evaluating a new fourth generation rapid test for detecting AHI, to identify general methodological limitations and biases in diagnostic accuracy studies, and to recommend strategies for avoiding them in future evaluations. The new studies that were evaluated continued to report the same weaknesses and biases that were seen in previous evaluations of fourth generation rapid tests. We recommend that investigators design future studies carefully, keeping in mind how diagnostic performance may be influenced by prevalence, population, patient case mixes, and reference standards. Care must be taken to avoid biases specific to diagnostic accuracy studies (spectrum, verification, incorporation and reference standard biases). To improve on quality, reporting checklists and guidelines such as Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) and Standards for Reporting Diagnostic accuracy studies (STARD) should be reviewed prior to conducting studies.
Brownian Dynamics Computational Model of Protein Diffusion in Crowded Media with Dextran Macromolecules as Obstacles
Authors: Blanco Pablo , Via Mireia , Garcés Josep , Madurga Sergio , Mas Francesc
Published: March 2017

The high concentration of macromolecules (i.e., macromolecular crowding) in cellular environments leads to large quantitative effects on the dynamic and equilibrium biological properties. These effects have been experimentally studied using inert macromolecules to mimic a realistic cellular medium. In this paper, two different experimental in vitro systems of diffusing proteins which use dextran macromolecules as obstacles are computationally analyzed. A new model for dextran macromolecules based on effective radii accounting for macromolecular compression induced by crowding is proposed. The obtained results for the diffusion coefficient and the anomalous diffusion exponent exhibit good qualitative and generally good quantitative agreement with experiments. Volume fraction and hydrodynamic interactions are found to be crucial to describe the diffusion coefficient decrease in crowded media. However, no significant influence of the hydrodynamic interactions in the anomalous diffusion exponent is found.
On Quantum Collapse as a Basis for the Second Law of Thermodynamics
Authors: Kastner Ruth
Published: March 2017

It was first suggested by David Z. Albert that the existence of a real, physical non-unitary process (i.e., “collapse”) at the quantum level would yield a complete explanation for the Second Law of Thermodynamics (i.e., the increase in entropy over time). The contribution of such a process would be to provide a physical basis for the ontological indeterminacy needed to derive the irreversible Second Law against a backdrop of otherwise reversible, deterministic physical laws. An alternative understanding of the source of this possible quantum “collapse” or non-unitarity is presented herein, in terms of the Transactional Interpretation (TI). The present model provides a specific physical justification for Boltzmann’s often-criticized assumption of molecular randomness (Stosszahlansatz), thereby changing its status from an ad hoc postulate to a theoretically grounded result, without requiring any change to the basic quantum theory. In addition, it is argued that TI provides an elegant way of reconciling, via indeterministic collapse, the time-reversible Liouville evolution with the time-irreversible evolution inherent in so-called “master equations” that specify the changes in occupation of the various possible states in terms of the transition rates between them. The present model is contrasted with the Ghirardi–Rimini–Weber (GRW) “spontaneous collapse” theory previously suggested for this purpose by Albert.
Knowledge-Aided Covariance Matrix Estimation in Spiky Radar Clutter Environments
Authors: Bang Jeong , Melvin William , Lanterman Aaron
Published: March 2017

Space-time adaptive processing (STAP) is an important airborne radar technique used to improve target detection in clutter-limited environments. Effective STAP implementation is dependent on accurate space-time covariance matrix estimation. Heterogeneous clutter, including spiky, spatial clutter variation, violates underlying STAP training assumptions and can significantly degrade corresponding detection performance. This paper develops a spiky, space-time clutter model based on the K-distribution, assesses the resulting impact on STAP performance using traditional methods, and then proposes and evaluates the utility of the knowledge-aided parametric covariance matrix estimation (KAPE) method, a model-based scheme that rapidly converges to better represent spatial variation in clutter properties. Via numerical simulation of an airborne radar scenario operating in a spiky clutter environment, we find substantial improvement in probability of detection ( P D ) for a fixed probability of false alarm ( P F A ) for the KAPE method. For example, in the spiky clutter environment considered herein, results indicate a P D of 32% for traditional STAP and in excess of 90% for KAPE at a P F A of 1E-4, with a corresponding difference of 11.5 dB in threshold observed from exceedance analysis. The proposed K-distributed spiky clutter model, and application and assessment of KAPE as an ameliorating STAP technique, contribute to an improved understanding of radar detection in complex clutter environments.
Optimization of a Bubbling Fluidized Bed Plant for Low-Temperature Gasification of Biomass
Authors: González-Vázquez María , García Roberto , Pevida Covadonga , Rubiera Fernando
Published: March 2017

Investigation into clean energies has been focused on finding an alternative to fossil fuels in order to reduce global warming while at the same time satisfying the world’s energy needs. Biomass gasification is seen as a promising thermochemical conversion technology as it allows useful gaseous products to be obtained from low-energy-density solid fuels. Air–steam mixtures are the most commonly used gasification agents. The gasification performances of several biomass samples and their mixtures were compared. One softwood (pine) and one hardwood (chestnut), their torrefied counterparts, and other Spanish-based biomass wastes such as almond shell, olive stone, grape and olive pomaces or cocoa shell were tested, and their behaviors at several different stoichiometric ratios (SR) and steam/air ratios (S/A) were compared. The optimum SR was found to be in the 0.2–0.3 range for S/A = 75/25. At these conditions a syngas stream with 35% of H2 + CO and a gas yield of 2 L gas/g fuel were obtained, which represents a cold-gas efficiency of almost 50%. The torrefaction process does not significantly affect the quality of the product syngas. Some of the obtained chars were analyzed to assess their use as precursors for catalysts, combustion fuel or for agricultural purposes such as soil amendment.
Simulation of Steam Gasification in a Fluidized Bed Reactor with Energy Self-Sufficient Condition
Authors: Suwatthikul Ajaree , Limprachaya Siripong , Kittisupakorn Paisan , Mujtaba Iqbal
Published: March 2017

The biomass gasification process is widely accepted as a popular technology to produce fuel for the application in gas turbines and Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). Chemical reactions of this process can be separated into three reaction zones: pyrolysis, combustion, and reduction. In this study, sensitivity analysis with respect to three input parameters (gasification temperature, equivalence ratio, and steam-to-biomass ratio) has been carried out to achieve energy self-sufficient conditions in a steam gasification process under the criteria that the carbon conversion efficiency must be more than 70%, and carbon dioxide gas is lower than 20%. Simulation models of the steam gasification process have been carried out by ASPEN Plus and validated with both experimental data and simulation results from Nikoo & Mahinpey (2008). Gasification temperature of 911 °C, equivalence ratio of 0.18, and a steam-to-biomass ratio of 1.78, are considered as an optimal operation point to achieve energy self-sufficient condition. This operating point gives the maximum of carbon conversion efficiency at 91.03%, and carbon dioxide gas at 15.18 volumetric percentages. In this study, life cycle assessment (LCA) is included to compare the environmental performance of conventional and energy self-sufficient gasification for steam biomass gasification.
Study the Flow behind a Semi-Circular Step Cylinder (Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD))
Authors: Sayeed-Bin-Asad S. , Lundström Tord , Andersson Anders
Published: March 2017

Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) measurements, flow visualizations and unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations have been carried out to study the turbulent wake that is formed behind a semi-circular step cylinder at a constant flow rate. The semi-circular cylinder has two diameters, a so-called step cylinder. The results from the LDV measurements indicate that wake length and vortex shedding frequency varies with the cylinder diameter. This implies that a step cylinder can be used to attract fish of different size. By visualizations of the formation of a recirculation region and the well-known von Kármán vortex street behind the cylinder are disclosed. The simulation results predict the wake length and shedding frequency well for the flow behind the large cylinder but fail to capture the dynamics of the flow near the step in diameter to some extent and the flow behind the small cylinder to a larger extent when compared with measurements.
Numerical Study on the Effect of Lambda Value (Oxygen/Fuel Ratio) on Temperature Distribution and Efficiency of a Flameless Oxyfuel Combustion System
Authors: Ghadamgahi Mersedeh , Ölund Patrik , Andersson Nils , Jönsson Pär
Published: March 2017

The flameless oxyfuel combustion technology has been proven to be a promising new method to reduce the fuel consumption and pollutants in industrial applications [...]
An Adaptive Privacy Protection Method for Smart Home Environments Using Supervised Learning
Authors: He Jingsha , Xiao Qi , He Peng , Pathan Muhammad
Published: March 2017

In recent years, smart home technologies have started to be widely used, bringing a great deal of convenience to people’s daily lives. At the same time, privacy issues have become particularly prominent. Traditional encryption methods can no longer meet the needs of privacy protection in smart home applications, since attacks can be launched even without the need for access to the cipher. Rather, attacks can be successfully realized through analyzing the frequency of radio signals, as well as the timestamp series, so that the daily activities of the residents in the smart home can be learnt. Such types of attacks can achieve a very high success rate, making them a great threat to users’ privacy. In this paper, we propose an adaptive method based on sample data analysis and supervised learning (SDASL), to hide the patterns of daily routines of residents that would adapt to dynamically changing network loads. Compared to some existing solutions, our proposed method exhibits advantages such as low energy consumption, low latency, strong adaptability, and effective privacy protection.
Verification and Validation of a Three-Dimensional Orthotropic Plasticity Constitutive Model Using a Unidirectional Composite
Authors: Hoffarth Canio , Khaled Bilal , Shyamsunder Loukham , Rajan Subramaniam , Goldberg Robert , Carney Kelly , DuBois Paul , Blankenhorn Gunther
Published: March 2017

A three-dimensional constitutive model has been developed for modeling orthotropic composites subject to impact loads. It has three distinct components—a deformation model involving elastic and plastic deformations; a damage model; and a failure model. The model is driven by tabular data that is generated either using laboratory tests or via virtual testing. A unidirectional composite—T800/F3900, commonly used in the aerospace industry, is used in the verification and validation tests. While the failure model is under development, these tests indicate that the implementation of the deformation and damage models in a commercial finite element program, LS-DYNA, is efficient, robust and accurate.
Alternative Splicing Profile and Sex-Preferential Gene Expression in the Female and Male Pacific Abalone Haliotis discus hannai
Authors: Kim Mi , Rhee Jae-Sung , Kim Tae , Lee Jung , Choi Ah-Young , Choi Beom-Soon , Choi Ik-Young , Sohn Young
Published: March 2017

In order to characterize the female or male transcriptome of the Pacific abalone and further increase genomic resources, we sequenced the mRNA of full-length complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries derived from pooled tissues of female and male Haliotis discus hannai by employing the Iso-Seq protocol of the PacBio RSII platform. We successfully assembled whole full-length cDNA sequences and constructed a transcriptome database that included isoform information. After clustering, a total of 15,110 and 12,145 genes that coded for proteins were identified in female and male abalones, respectively. A total of 13,057 putative orthologs were retained from each transcriptome in abalones. Overall Gene Ontology terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways analyzed in each database showed a similar composition between sexes. In addition, a total of 519 and 391 isoforms were genome-widely identified with at least two isoforms from female and male transcriptome databases. We found that the number of isoforms and their alternatively spliced patterns are variable and sex-dependent. This information represents the first significant contribution to sex-preferential genomic resources of the Pacific abalone. The availability of whole female and male transcriptome database and their isoform information will be useful to improve our understanding of molecular responses and also for the analysis of population dynamics in the Pacific abalone.
The Diabetes-Linked Transcription Factor PAX4: From Gene to Functional Consequences
Authors: Lorenzo Petra , Juárez-Vicente Francisco , Cobo-Vuilleumier Nadia , García-Domínguez Mario , Gauthier Benoit
Published: March 2017

Paired box 4 (PAX4) is a key factor in the generation of insulin producing β-cells during embryonic development. In adult islets, PAX4 expression is sequestered to a subset of β-cells that are prone to proliferation and more resistant to stress-induced apoptosis. The importance of this transcription factor for adequate pancreatic islets functionality has been manifested by the association of mutations in PAX4 with the development of diabetes, independently of its etiology. Overexpression of this factor in adult islets stimulates β-cell proliferation and increases their resistance to apoptosis. Additionally, in an experimental model of autoimmune diabetes, a novel immunomodulatory function for this factor has been suggested. Altogether these data pinpoint at PAX4 as an important target for novel regenerative therapies for diabetes treatment, aiming at the preservation of the remaining β-cells in parallel to the stimulation of their proliferation to replenish the β-cell mass lost during the progression of the disease. However, the adequate development of such therapies requires the knowledge of the molecular mechanisms controlling the expression of PAX4 as well as the downstream effectors that could account for PAX4 action.
Comparative Epidemiology of Human Fatal Infections with Novel, High (H5N6 and H5N1) and Low (H7N9 and H9N2) Pathogenicity Avian Influenza A Viruses
Authors: Wu Zu-Qun , Zhang Yi , Zhao Na , Yu Zhao , Pan Hao , Chan Ta-Chien , Zhang Zhi-Ruo , Liu She-Lan
Published: March 2017

This study aimed to assess the mortality risks for human infection with high (HPAI) and low (LPAI) pathogenicity avian influenza viruses. The HPAI case fatality rate (CFR) was far higher than the LPAI CFR [66.0% (293/444) vs. 68.75% (11/16) vs. 40.4% (265/656) vs. 0.0% (0/18) in the cases with H5N1, H5N6, H7N9, and H9N2 viruses, respectively; p < 0.001]. Similarly, the CFR of the index cases was greater than the secondary cases with H5N1 [100% (43/43) vs. 43.3% (42/97), p < 0.001]. Old age [22.5 vs. 17 years for H5N1, p = 0.018; 61 vs. 49 years for H7H9, p < 0.001], concurrent diseases [18.8% (15/80) vs. 8.33% (9/108) for H5N1, p = 0.046; 58.6% (156/266) vs. 34.8% (135/388) for H7H9, p < 0.001], delayed confirmation [13 vs. 6 days for H5N1, p < 0.001; 10 vs. 8 days for H7N9, p = 0.011] in the fatalities and survivors, were risk factors for deaths. With regard to the H5N1 clusters, exposure to poultry [67.4% (29/43) vs. 45.2% (19/42), p = 0.039] was the higher risk for the primary than the secondary deaths. In conclusion, old age, comorbidities, delayed confirmation, along with poultry exposure are the major risks contributing to fatal outcomes in human HPAI and LPAI infections.