bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Scaling relationships for strip fibre–reinforced aggregates
Authors: Ajayi Olufemi , Le Pen Louis , Zervos Antonis , Powrie William
Published: December 2016

Previous research on random fibre-reinforced granular materials has shown that the relative dimensions of the grains and fibres significantly affect the macromechanical behaviour of the mixture. However, quantitative data are scarce and most previous work has focused on fine to medium sands, leaving uncertainties regarding the applicability of current knowledge to larger size aggregates such as railway ballast. In this paper, triaxial test data on 1/3 and 1/5 scale railway ballast are used to develop scaling relationships for the size and quantity of fibres needed to achieve the same reinforcing effect in granular materials of differing grain size. It is shown that, to maintain consistency across scales, fibre content should be quantified as a numerical (i.e., number of fibres per grain) rather than a volumetric ratio. It is further shown that increasing the fibre length increases the resistance of the mixture to deviator stress if the fibres are wide enough; and that provided an allowance is made for the effect of fibre tension, the changes in the stress–strain–strength behaviour of the granular matrix resulting from the changes in void ratio associated with the addition of the fibres are consistent with conventional soil mechanics theory across scales.
New concept for the design of zero-hydrogen energetic materials with high energy and low sensitivity: achieving a good balance among parent compounds, nitro groups, and N-oxides
Authors: Wu Qiong , Tan Linghua , Hang Zusheng , Zhu Weihua
Published: December 2016

A new powerful zero-hydrogen energetic compound DNDOBTT (2,7-dinitro-4N,9N-dioxide-bis[1,2,4]-triazolo)[1,5-b:1′,5′e][1,2,4,5] tetrazine) was produced by a new design concept of achieving a balance among the parent compound, nitro groups, and N-oxides. Its structure and properties was studied by the density functional theory. The breaking of N–N bond in the tetrazine ring is an initial decomposition step of DNDOBTT, and the energy barrier was predicted to be 175 kJ·mol−1. DNDOBTT has comparable detonation performance with some CHNO energetic compounds, including the most powerful ONC (octanitrocubane), whereas its sensitivity and thermal stability are obviously lower and better than those of ONC, respectively, indicating that DNDOBTT has both the high energy and reduced sensitivity and may be a valuable candidate for experiments. Therefore, a new novel energetic material DNDOBTT with good overall performance has been obtained successfully by the new design concept, and it may be applied to design and develop other novel improved zero-hydrogen energetic materials.
Polynomial Bounds for the Grid-Minor Theorem
Authors: Chekuri Chandra , Chuzhoy Julia
Published: December 2016

One of the key results in Robertson and Seymour’s seminal work on graph minors is the grid-minor theorem (also called the
excluded grid theorem
). The theorem states that for every grid
H
, every graph whose treewidth is large enough relative to |
V
(
H
)| contains
H
as a minor. This theorem has found many applications in graph theory and algorithms. Let
f
(
k
) denote the largest value such that every graph of treewidth
k
contains a grid minor of size (
f
(
k
) ×
f
(
k
)). The best previous quantitative bound, due to recent work of Kawarabayashi and Kobayashi, and Leaf and Seymour, shows that
f
(
k
)=Ω(√log
k
/log log
k
). In contrast, the best known upper bound implies that
f
(
k
) =
O
(√
k
/log
k
). In this article, we obtain the first polynomial relationship between treewidth and grid minor size by showing that
f
(
k
) = Ω(
k
δ
) for some fixed constant δ > 0, and describe a randomized algorithm, whose running time is polynomial in |
V
(
G
)| and
k
, that with high probability finds a model of such a grid minor in
G
.
DLSeF
Authors: Puthal Deepak , Nepal Surya , Ranjan Rajiv , Chen Jinjun
Published: December 2016

Applications in risk-critical domains such as emergency management and industrial control systems need near-real-time stream data processing in large-scale sensing networks. The key problem is how to ensure online end-to-end security (e.g., confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity) of data streams for such applications. We refer to this as an
online security verification
problem. Existing data security solutions cannot be applied in such applications as they cannot deal with data streams with high-volume and high-velocity data in real time. They introduce a significant buffering delay during security verification, resulting in a requirement for a large buffer size for the stream processing server. To address this problem, we propose a Dynamic Key-Length-Based Security Framework (DLSeF) based on a shared key derived from synchronized prime numbers; the key is dynamically updated at short intervals to thwart potential attacks to ensure end-to-end security. Theoretical analyses and experimental results of the DLSeF framework show that it can significantly improve the efficiency of processing stream data by reducing the security verification time and buffer usage without compromising security.
Consistent Synchronization of Action Order with Least Noticeable Delays in Fast-Paced Multiplayer Online Games
Authors: Xu Jingxi , Wah Benjamin W.
Published: December 2016

When running multiplayer online games on IP networks with losses and delays, the order of actions may be changed when compared to the order run on an ideal network with no delays and losses. To maintain a proper ordering of events, traditional approaches either use rollbacks to undo certain actions or local lags to introduce additional delays. Both may be perceived by players because their changes are beyond the just-noticeable-difference (JND) threshold. In this article, we propose a novel method for ensuring a strongly consistent completion order of actions, where
strong consistency
refers to the same completion order as well as the same interval between any completion time and the corresponding ideal reference completion time under no network delay. We find that small adjustments within the JND on the duration of an action would not be perceivable, as long as the duration is comparable to the network round-trip time. We utilize this property to control the vector of durations of actions and formulate the search of the vector as a multidimensional optimization problem. By using the property that players are generally more sensitive to the most prominent delay effect (with the highest
probability of noticeability
P
notice
or the probability of correctly noticing a change when compared to the reference), we prove that the optimal solution occurs when
P
notice
of the individual adjustments are equal. As this search can be done efficiently in polynomial time ( ∼ 5ms) with a small amount of space ( ∼ 160KB), the search can be done at runtime to determine the optimal control. Last, we evaluate our approach on the popular open-source online shooting game BZFlag.
Audiovisual Tool for Solfège Assessment
Authors: Schramm Rodrigo , Nunes Helena De Souza , Jung Cláudio Rosito
Published: December 2016

Solfège is a general technique used in the music learning process that involves the vocal performance of melodies, regarding the time and duration of musical sounds as specified in the music score, properly associated with the meter-mimicking performed by hand movement. This article presents an audiovisual approach for automatic assessment of this relevant musical study practice. The proposed system combines the gesture of meter-mimicking (video information) with the melodic transcription (audio information), where hand movement works as a metronome, controlling the time flow (tempo) of the musical piece. Thus, meter-mimicking is used to align the music score (ground truth) with the sung melody, allowing assessment even in time-dynamic scenarios. Audio analysis is applied to achieve the melodic transcription of the sung notes and the solfège performances are evaluated by a set of Bayesian classifiers that were generated from real evaluations done by experts listeners.
Interactions betweenCYP11B2Promoter Methylation and Smoking Increase Risk of Essential Hypertension
Authors: Gu Tianlun , Mao Shuqi , Fan Rui , Zhong Fade , Zhu Fubao , Hao Lingmei , Zhang Lina , Yin Fengying
Published: December 2016

Aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) is closely linked to essential hypertension (EH). However, it remains unclear whether the methylation of theCYP11B2promoter is involved in the development of EH in humans. Our study is aimed at evaluating the contribution ofCYP11B2promoter methylation to the risk of EH. Methylation levels were measured using pyrosequencing technology in 192 participants in a hospital-based case-control study. Logistic regression and multiple linear regression analyses were utilized to adjust for confounding factors and the GMDR method was applied to investigate high-order gene-environment interactions. Although no significant result was observed linking the four analyzed CpG sites to EH, GMDR detected significant interactions among CpG1, CpG3, CpG4, and smoking correlated with an increased risk of EH (OR = 4.62, adjustedP=0.011). In addition, CpG2 (adjustedP=0.013) and CpG3 (adjustedP=0.039) methylation was significantly lower in healthy males than in healthy females. Likewise, after adjusting for confounding factors, CpG2 methylation (adjustedP=0.007) still showed significant gender-specific differences among the participants of the study. CpG1 (P=0.009) site was significantly positively correlated with age, and CpG3 (P=0.007) and CpG4 (P=0.006) were both inversely linked to smoking. Our findings suggest that gene-environment interactions are associated with the pathogenesis and progression of EH.
Identification of Alternative Variants and Insertion of the Novel PolymorphicAluYl17inTSEN54Gene during Primate Evolution
Authors: Lee Ja-Rang , Kim Young-Hyun , Park Sang-Je , Choe Se-Hee , Cho Hyeon-Mu , Lee Sang-Rae , Kim Sun-Uk , Kim Ji-Su , Sim Bo-Woong , Song Bong-Seok , Jeong Kang-Jin , Lee Youngjeon , Jin Yeung Bae , Kang Philyong , Huh Jae-Won , Chang Kyu-Tae
Published: December 2016

TSEN54encodes a subunit of the tRNA-splicing endonuclease complex, which catalyzes the identification and cleavage of introns from precursor tRNAs. Previously, we identified anAluSx-derived alternative transcript inTSEN54of cynomolgus monkey. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification andTSEN54sequence analysis of primate and human samples identified five novel alternative transcripts, including theAluSxexonized transcript. Additionally, we performed comparative expression analysis via RT-qPCR in various cynomolgus, rhesus monkey, and human tissues. RT-qPCR amplification revealed differential expression patterns. Furthermore, genomic PCR amplification and sequencing of primate and human DNA samples revealed thatAluSxelements were integrated in human and all of the primate samples tested. Intriguingly, in langur genomic DNA, an additionalAluYelement was inserted intoAluSxof intron eight ofTSEN54. The newAluYelement showed polymorphic insertion. Using standardized nomenclature forAlurepeats, the polymorphicAluYof the langurTSEN54was designated as being of theAluYl17subfamily. Our results suggest that integration of theAluSxelement inTSEN54contributed to diversity in transcripts and induced lineage- or species-specific evolutionary events such as alternative splicing and polymorphic insertion during primate evolution.
Liquid-Phase Ethanol Oxidation and Gas-Phase CO Oxidation Reactions over M Doped (M = Ag, Au, Pd, and Ni) and MM′ Codoped CeO2 Nanoparticles
Authors: Park Yohan , Na Yulri , Pradhan Debabrata , Sohn Youngku
Published: December 2016

Transition metal doped metal oxides have been studied extensively for potential applications to environments and chemical industry. Herein, M doped (M = Ag, Au, Pd, and Ni) and MM′ codoped CeO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by a hydrothermal method and their liquid-phase ethanol and gas-phase CO oxidation performances were examined by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and temperature programmed mass spectrometry, respectively. The ethanol and CO oxidation performances were enhanced greatly by metal-doping and were dependent on the relative concentration of codoped metals. For ethanol oxidation, the concentration of acetaldehyde became saturated at low levels, while that of ethyl acetate continuously increased to become a final major product. For M doped CeO2 NPs, the ethanol oxidation performance showed an order of Ni < Ag < Pd ≪ Au. For MM′ codoped CeO2 NPs, the activity of Au doped CeO2 deteriorated drastically upon adding other metals (Ag, Ni, and Pd) as a cocatalyst.
Vowel Imagery Decoding toward Silent Speech BCI Using Extreme Learning Machine with Electroencephalogram
Authors: Min Beomjun , Kim Jongin , Park Hyeong-jun , Lee Boreom
Published: December 2016

The purpose of this study is to classify EEG data on imagined speech in a single trial. We recorded EEG data while five subjects imagined different vowels, /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/. We divided each single trial dataset into thirty segments and extracted features (mean, variance, standard deviation, and skewness) from all segments. To reduce the dimension of the feature vector, we applied a feature selection algorithm based on the sparse regression model. These features were classified using a support vector machine with a radial basis function kernel, an extreme learning machine, and two variants of an extreme learning machine with different kernels. Because each single trial consisted of thirty segments, our algorithm decided the label of the single trial by selecting the most frequent output among the outputs of the thirty segments. As a result, we observed that the extreme learning machine and its variants achieved better classification rates than the support vector machine with a radial basis function kernel and linear discrimination analysis. Thus, our results suggested that EEG responses to imagined speech could be successfully classified in a single trial using an extreme learning machine with a radial basis function and linear kernel. This study with classification of imagined speech might contribute to the development of silent speech BCI systems.
Placenta Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Hosted on RKKP Glass-Ceramic: A Tissue Engineering Strategy for Bone Regenerative Medicine Applications
Authors: Ledda Mario , Fosca Marco , De Bonis Angela , Curcio Mariangela , Teghil Roberto , Lolli Maria Grazia , De Stefanis Adriana , Marchese Rodolfo , Rau Julietta V. , Lisi Antonella
Published: December 2016

In tissue engineering protocols, the survival of transplanted stem cells is a limiting factor that could be overcome using a cell delivery matrix able to support cell proliferation and differentiation. With this aim, we studied the cell-friendly and biocompatible behavior of RKKP glass-ceramic coated Titanium (Ti) surface seeded with human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells (hAMSCs) from placenta. The sol-gel synthesis procedure was used to prepare the RKKP glass-ceramic material, which was then deposited onto the Ti surface by Pulsed Laser Deposition method. The cell metabolic activity and proliferation rate, the cytoskeletal actin organization, and the cell cycle phase distribution in hAMSCs seeded on the RKKP coated Ti surface revealed no significant differences when compared to the cells grown on the treated plastic Petri dish. The health of of hAMSCs was also analysed studying the mRNA expressions of MSC key genes and the osteogenic commitment capability using qRT-PCR analysis which resulted in being unchanged in both substrates. In this study, the combination of the hAMSCs’ properties together with the bioactive characteristics of RKKP glass-ceramics was investigated and the results obtained indicate its possible use as a new and interesting cell delivery system for bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.
On Novel Access and Scheduling Schemes for IoT Communications
Authors: Jiang Zheng , Han Bin , Chen Peng , Yang Fengyi , Bi Qi
Published: December 2016

The Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to foster the development of 5G wireless networks and requires the efficient support for a large number of simultaneous short message communications. To address these challenges, some existing works utilize new waveform and multiuser superposition transmission schemes to improve the capacity of IoT communication. In this paper, we will investigate the spatial degree of freedom of IoT devices based on their distribution, then extend the multiuser shared access (MUSA) which is one of the typical MUST schemes to spatial domain, and propose two novel schemes, that is, the preconfigured access scheme and the joint spatial and code domain scheduling scheme, to enhance IoT communication. The results indicate that the proposed schemes can reduce the collision rate dramatically during the IoT random access procedure and improve the performance of IoT communication obviously. Based on the simulation results, it is also shown that the proposed scheduling scheme can achieve the similar performance to the corresponding brute-force scheduling but with lower complexity.
Yeast Surface-Displayed H5N1 Avian Influenza Vaccines
Authors: Lei Han , Jin Sha , Karlsson Erik , Schultz-Cherry Stacey , Ye Kaiming
Published: December 2016

Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza viruses pose a pandemic threat to human health. A rapid vaccine production against fast outbreak is desired. We report, herein, a paradigm-shift influenza vaccine technology by presenting H5N1 hemagglutinin (HA) to the surface of yeast. We demonstrated, for the first time, that the HA surface-presented yeast can be used as influenza vaccines to elicit both humoral and cell-mediated immunity in mice. The HI titer of antisera reached up to 128 in vaccinated mice. A high level of H5N1 HA-specific IgG1 and IgG2a antibody production was detected after boost immunization. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the yeast surface-displayed HA preserves its antigenic sites. It preferentially binds to both avian- and human-type receptors. In addition, the vaccine exhibited high cross-reactivity to both homologous and heterologous H5N1 viruses. A high level production of anti-HA antibodies was detected in the mice five months after vaccination. Finally, our animal experimental results indicated that the yeast vaccine offered complete protection of mice from lethal H5N1 virus challenge. No severe side effect of yeast vaccines was noted in animal studies. This new technology allows for rapid and large-scale production of influenza vaccines for prepandemic preparation.
Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Using Telemedicine Tools: Pilot Study in Hungary
Authors: Eszes Dóra J. , Szabó Dóra J. , Russell Greg , Kirby Phil , Paulik Edit , Nagymajtényi László , Facskó Andrea , Moe Morten C. , Petrovski Beáta É.
Published: December 2016

Introduction.Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a sight-threatening complication of diabetes. Telemedicine tools can prevent blindness. We aimed to investigate the patients’ satisfaction when using such tools (fundus camera examination) and the effect of demographic and socioeconomic factors on participation in screening.Methods.Pilot study involving fundus camera screening and self-administered questionnaire on participants’ experience during fundus examination (comfort, reliability, and future interest in participation), as well as demographic and socioeconomic factors was performed on 89 patients with known diabetes in Csongrád County, a southeastern region of Hungary.Results.Thirty percent of the patients had never participated in any ophthalmological screening, while 25.7% had DR of some grade based upon a standard fundus camera examination and UK-based DR grading protocol (Spectra™ software). Large majority of the patients were satisfied with the screening and found it reliable and acceptable to undertake examination under pupil dilation; 67.3% were willing to undergo nonmydriatic fundus camera examination again. There was a statistically significant relationship between economic activity, education and marital status, and future interest in participation.Discussion.Participants found digital retinal screening to be reliable and satisfactory. Telemedicine can be a strong tool, supporting eye care professionals and allowing for faster and more comfortable DR screening.
Giant Anterior Chest Wall Basal Cell Carcinoma: An Approach to Palliative Reconstruction
Authors: Santos Pauline Joy F. , Prendergast Christina , Leis Amber
Published: December 2016

Anterior chest wall giant basal cell carcinoma (GBCC) is a rare skin malignancy that requires a multidisciplinary treatment approach. This case report demonstrates the challenges of anterior chest wall GBCC reconstruction for the purpose of palliative therapy in a 72-year-old female. Surgical resection of the lesion included the manubrium and upper four ribs. The defect was closed with bilateral pectoral advancement flaps, FlexHD, and pedicled VRAM. The palliative nature of this case made hybrid reconstruction more appropriate than rigid sternal reconstruction. In advanced metastatic cancers, the ultimate goals should be to avoid risk for infection and provide adequate coverage for the defect.
Monitoring Dangerous Goods in Container Yard Using the Internet of Things
Authors: Ding Lianhong , Chen Yifan , Li Juntao
Published: December 2016

The Internet of Things (IoT), a network of objects, has been regarded as the next revolution for the global information industry after the Internet. With IoT, many intelligent applications can be accomplished or improved. This paper presents a framework for dangerous goods management in container yard using IoT technology. The framework consists of three layers: perceptual layer, transport layer, and application layer. It offers an infrastructure for management and data analysis and utilization. According to the features of dangerous goods, the framework can be enhanced for container information forecast, container gate-in and gate-out management, environment parameters monitoring, and fire control as well. In order to verify our method, a prototype system is developed, which shows good performance. With our method, safe operation of dangerous goods in container yard can be accomplished.
Potential Involvement of Type I Interferon Signaling in Immunotherapy in Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis
Authors: Mattson Lina , Lentini Antonio , Gawel Danuta R. , Badam Tejaswi V. S. , Benson Mikael , Ledin Torbjorn , Nestor Colm E. , Gustafsson Mika , Serra-Musach Jordi , Bjorkander Janne , Xiang Zou , Zhang Huan
Published: December 2016

Specific immunotherapy (SIT) reverses the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) in most patients. Recent studies report type I interferons shifting the balance between type I T helper cell (Th1) and type II T helper cells (Th2) towards Th2 dominance by inhibiting the differentiation of naive T cells into Th1 cells. As SIT is thought to cause a shift towards Th1 dominance, we hypothesized that SIT would alter interferon type I signaling. To test this, allergen and diluent challenged CD4+ T cells from healthy controls and patients from different time points were analyzed. The initial experiments focused on signature genes of the pathway and found complex changes following immunotherapy, which were consistent with our hypothesis. As interferon signaling involves multiple genes, expression profiling studies were performed, showing altered expression of the pathway. These findings require validation in a larger group of patients in further studies.
Biodegradation of Dimethyl Phthalate by Freshwater Unicellular Cyanobacteria
Authors: Zhang Xiaohui , Liu Lincong , Zhang Siping , Pan Yan , Li Jing , Pan Hongwei , Xu Shiguo , Luo Feng
Published: December 2016

The biodegradation characteristics of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) by three freshwater unicellular organisms were investigated in this study. The findings revealed that all the organisms were capable of metabolizing DMP; among them, Cyanothece sp. PCC7822 achieved the highest degradation efficiency. Lower concentration of DMP supported the growth of the Cyanobacteria; however, with the increase of DMP concentration growth of Cyanobacteria was inhibited remarkably. Phthalic acid (PA) was detected to be an intermediate degradation product of DMP and accumulated in the culture solution. The optimal initial pH value for the degradation was detected to be 9.0, which mitigated the decrease of pH resulting from the production of PA. The optimum temperature for DMP degradation of the three species of organisms is 30°C. After 72 hours’ incubation, no more than 11.8% of the residual of DMP aggregated in Cyanobacteria cells while majority of DMP remained in the medium. Moreover, esterase was induced by DMP and the activity kept increasing during the degradation process. This suggested that esterase could assist in the degradation of DMP.
Merging and Fractionation of Muscle Synergy Indicate the Recovery Process in Patients with Hemiplegia: The First Study of Patients after Subacute Stroke
Authors: Hashiguchi Yu , Ohata Koji , Kitatani Ryosuke , Yamakami Natsuki , Sakuma Kaoru , Osako Sayuri , Aga Yumi , Watanabe Aki , Yamada Shigehito
Published: December 2016

Loss of motor coordination is one of the main problems for patients after stroke. Muscle synergy is widely accepted as an indicator of motor coordination. Recently, the characteristics of muscle synergy were quantitatively evaluated using nonnegative matrix factorization (NNMF) with surface electromyography. Previous studies have identified that the number and structure of synergies were associated with motor function in patients after stroke. However, most of these studies had a cross-sectional design, and the changes in muscle synergy during recovery process are not clear. In present study, two consecutive measurements were conducted for subacute patients after stroke and the change of number and structure of muscle synergies during gait were determined using NNMF. Results showed that functional change did not rely on number of synergies in patients after subacute stroke. However, the extent of merging of the synergies was negatively associated with an increase in muscle strength and the range of angle at ankle joint. Our results suggest that the neural changes represented by NNMF were related to the longitudinal change of function and gait pattern and that the merging of synergy is an important marker in patients after subacute stroke.
Gold Nanoparticle Mediated Phototherapy for Cancer
Authors: Yao Cuiping , Zhang Luwei , Wang Jing , He Yulu , Xin Jing , Wang Sijia , Xu Hao , Zhang Zhenxi
Published: December 2016

Gold nanoparticles exhibit very unique physiochemical and optical properties, which now are extensively studied in range of medical diagnostic and therapeutic applications. In particular, gold nanoparticles show promise in the advancement of cancer treatments. This review will provide insights into the four different cancer treatments such as photothermal therapy, gold nanoparticle-aided photodynamic therapy, gold nanoparticle-aided radiation therapy, and their use as drug carrier. We also discuss the mechanism of every method and the adverse effects and its limitations.
Factors Associated with Missed Detection ofMycobacterium tuberculosisby Automated BACTEC MGIT 960 System
Authors: Pang Yu , Su Biyi , Zheng Huiwen , Zhang Zhiguo , Ma Aijing , Wang Yufeng , Zhao Yanlin
Published: December 2016

Despite the demonstration of excellent performance, mycobacterial growth in BACTEC MGIT 960 can go undetected. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of “false-negative” culture sample in Beijing and the potential factors associated with the detection failures by MGIT 960. Of the 577 sputum samples tested, 141 (24.4%) were culture-positive for mycobacteria, of which 133 (94.3%) were automatically determined by MGIT 960 system and 8 (5.7%) were positive for visual growth (false negative by MGIT). Statistical analysis showed that positive grade of specimen had no influence on the false-negative rate by MGIT 960 system (χ2=2.207,P=0.820). In addition, the mean time to detection (TTD) was 241.4 (range: 224–261) hours for false-negative group and 186.8 (range: 173–199) hours for positive group. The difference in TTD between false-negative and positive groups was statistically significant (P<0.01). In conclusion, our data demonstrate that the automatic MGIT missed a small portion of bacteriological mycobacterial patients. In addition, the poor growth rate rather than the low grade of AFB smear is associated with the detection failure by MGIT. Our findings highlight the notion that manual inspection for all instrument-negative MGIT tubes will bring about considerable benefit to patients and clinicians.
Vestibular Migraine: Clinical Challenges and Opportunities for Multidisciplinarity
Authors: Luzeiro Isabel , Luís Leonel , Gonçalves Freire , Pavão Martins Isabel
Published: December 2016

Migraine and vertigo are two very prevalent conditions in general population. The coexistence of both in the same subject is a significant clinical challenge, since it is not always possible to understand whether they are causally related or associated by chance, requiring different diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. In this review we analyze and summarize the actual knowledge about vestibular migraine (VM), focusing on the new concepts proposed by the International Classification of Headache Disorders 3-beta and by the Bárány Society and also addressing the former concepts, which are still present in clinical practice. We conclude that clinical studies using a multidisciplinary approach are crucial in this field, since different specialists observe the same pathology with different eyes. Clinical presentation of VM is variable in what concerns vestibular symptoms temporal relation with migraine headache, as well as in their accompanying manifestations. Biomarkers, either genomics or functional, and molecular imaging techniques will be helpful to clarify many aspects of the complexity of this entity, helping to define to what extent can VM be considered a separate and independent clinical entity.
Impact of Auxins on Vegetative Propagation through Stem Cuttings of Couroupita guianensis Aubl.: A Conservation Approach
Authors: Shekhawat Mahipal S. , Manokari M.
Published: December 2016

The present study explores the potential of exogenous auxins in the development of adventitious shoots and roots from shoot cuttings of Couroupita guianensis (Nagalingam), a threatened tree. Experiments were conducted to assess the effect of various concentrations of auxins on shoot and root morphological traits of stem cuttings in the greenhouse. Amongst the auxins tested, significant effects on number of shoot buds’ induction and their growth were observed with α-Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) treated nodal cuttings. Cent percentage of the stem cuttings of C. guianensis were rooted and shoots were induced when pretreated with 400 mg L−1 NAA for 5 min. Maximum 79% of stem cuttings responded to pretreatment of 300 mg L−1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) for 5 min, and 75% of stem cuttings induced shoots with 400 mg L−1 indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Presence of at least 5 nodes on stem cuttings was found to be prerequisite for root and shoot induction. About 92% of plants were survived under natural soil conditions raised from the stem cuttings. This is the first report of vegetative propagation of C. guianensis through stem cuttings which could be used for conservation strategy and sustainable utilization of this threatened medicinal tree.
Adaptive Deep Supervised Autoencoder Based Image Reconstruction for Face Recognition
Authors: Huang Rongbing , Liu Chang , Li Guoqi , Zhou Jiliu
Published: December 2016

Based on a special type of denoising autoencoder (DAE) and image reconstruction, we present a novel supervised deep learning framework for face recognition (FR). Unlike existing deep autoencoder which is unsupervised face recognition method, the proposed method takes class label information from training samples into account in the deep learning procedure and can automatically discover the underlying nonlinear manifold structures. Specifically, we define an Adaptive Deep Supervised Network Template (ADSNT) with the supervised autoencoder which is trained to extract characteristic features from corrupted/clean facial images and reconstruct the corresponding similar facial images. The reconstruction is realized by a so-called “bottleneck” neural network that learns to map face images into a low-dimensional vector and reconstruct the respective corresponding face images from the mapping vectors. Having trained the ADSNT, a new face image can then be recognized by comparing its reconstruction image with individual gallery images, respectively. Extensive experiments on three databases including AR, PubFig, and Extended Yale B demonstrate that the proposed method can significantly improve the accuracy of face recognition under enormous illumination, pose change, and a fraction of occlusion.
Nanocomposite of CeO2 and High-Coercivity Magnetic Carrier with Large Specific Surface Area
Authors: Reznickova Mantlikova Alice , Plocek Jiri , Pacakova Barbara , Kubickova Simona , Vik Ondrej , Niznansky Daniel , Slouf Miroslav , Vejpravova Jana
Published: December 2016

We succeeded in the preparation of CoFe2O4/CeO2 nanocomposites with very high specific surface area (up to 264 g/m2). First, highly crystalline nanoparticles (NPs) of CoFe2O4 (4.7 nm) were prepared by hydrothermal method in water-alcohol-oleic acid system. The oleate surface coating was subsequently modified by ligand exchange to citrate. Then the NPs were embedded in CeO2 using heterogeneous precipitation from diluted Ce3+ sulphate solution. Dried samples were characterized by Powder X-Ray Diffraction, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis, Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy, Mössbauer Spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method. Moreover, detailed investigation of magnetic properties of the bare NPs and final composite was carried out. We observed homogeneous embedding of the magnetic NPs into the CeO2 without significant change of their size and magnetic properties. We have thus demonstrated that the proposed synthesis method is suitable for preparation of extremely fine CeO2 nanopowders and their nanocomposites with NPs. The morphology and magnetic nature of the obtained nanocomposites make them a promising candidate for magnetoresponsive catalysis.
Treatment of Light Chain Deposition Disease Using Bortezomib-Based Regimen Followed by Thalidomide-Based Regimen in a Saudi Male
Authors: Adamu Bappa , Al-Ghamdi Mushabab , Ahmad Mustafa , Alsaad Khaled O.
Published: December 2016

Light chain deposition disease (LCDD) is a rare illness with, as yet, no clear evidence-based guidelines for its treatment. To the best of our knowledge, LCDD has not been previously reported from Saudi Arabia. We present in this report, a 38-year-old Saudi male who presented with clinical features suggestive of hypertensive nephropathy but kidney biopsy later revealed the diagnosis of LCDD. His serum creatinine at presentation was 297 μmol/L which came down to 194 μmol/L on treatment with Bortezomib, Cyclophosphamide and Dexamethasone. His 24-hour protein excretion at presentation was 6 g/L which also came down to less than 1 g/day. He was later placed on Cyclophosphamide, Thalidomide, and Dexamethasone regimen because of persistent high titres of serum free light chains. He went into remission with undetectable serum free light chains and remained so for three years at the time of writing this report. We conclude that LCDD, though rare, does occur in Saudi population. The treatment of LCDD is challenging but the use of Bortezomib, a proteosome inhibitor, is promising. However, suboptimal response may require further treatment with other therapeutic options such as chemotherapy with alkylating agents or high-dose Melphalan with autologous stem cell transplant.
Towards the Design of a Patient-Specific Virtual Tumour
Authors: Caraguel Flavien , Lesart Anne-Cécile , Estève François , van der Sanden Boudewijn , Stéphanou Angélique
Published: December 2016

The design of a patient-specific virtual tumour is an important step towards Personalized Medicine. However this requires to capture the description of many key events of tumour development, including angiogenesis, matrix remodelling, hypoxia, and cell state heterogeneity that will all influence the tumour growth kinetics and degree of tumour invasiveness. To that end, an integrated hybrid and multiscale approach has been developed based on data acquired on a preclinical mouse model as a proof of concept. Fluorescence imaging is exploited to build case-specific virtual tumours. Numerical simulations show that the virtual tumour matches the characteristics and spatiotemporal evolution of its real counterpart. We achieved this by combining image analysis and physiological modelling to accurately described the evolution of different tumour cases over a month. The development of such models is essential since a dedicated virtual tumour would be the perfect tool to identify the optimum therapeutic strategies that would make Personalized Medicine truly reachable and achievable.
Lie Group Solutions of Magnetohydrodynamics Equations and Their Well-Posedness
Authors: Li Fu-zhi , Yu Jia-li , Li Yang-rong , Yang Gan-shan
Published: December 2016

Based on classical Lie Group method, we construct a class of explicit solutions of two-dimensional ideal incompressible magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equation by its infinitesimal generator. Via these explicit solutions we study the uniqueness and stability of initial-boundary problem on MHD.
Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life for Caregivers of Alzheimer’s Disease Patients
Authors: Andreakou Maria I. , Papadopoulos Angelos A. , Panagiotakos Demosthenes B. , Niakas Dimitris
Published: December 2016

Background.Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder that results in total cognitive impairment and functional decline. Family members are the most usual caregivers worldwide, resulting in a subsequent degradation of their quality of life.Methods.During November 2013–March 2014 in Athens, Greece, 155 AD patients’ family caregivers’ Health-Related Quality of Life and existence of depressive symptomatology were assessed.Results.A strong negative correlation between the dimensions of HRQoL and the scores of the depression scale was revealed. AD patients’ caregivers have a lower HRQoL almost in all dimensions compared to the Greek urban general population. The caregivers’ social role, the existence of emotional problems, and their mental health status led to this result. Furthermore significantly important differences in caregivers’ total HRQoL and depressive symptomatology were indicated in relation to their gender, hypertension existence, patient care frequency, cohabitation with the patient, disease aggravation, and economic status.Conclusions.Caring for relatives with AD strongly correlates with negative caregivers’ HRQoL scores and adversely affects their depressive symptomatology. This negative correlation is enhanced in the later stages of the disease, in greater frequency of care, through living with a patient, in poor financial status, and with the existence of a chronic illness.
Matrix Algorithm for Braiding Simulation of Three-Dimensional Four-Step Braided Composites
Authors: Ma Xin , Dong Yulong , Wang Yulin
Published: December 2016

This paper proposes a new kind of computational approach of three-dimensional (3D) braiding simulation based on matrix theory and symbol operation, which is suitable for batch integral calculation. The approach can be used to calculate braiding matrix at any step. Different braiding matrices fully reflect yarn carrier position changes. Using the braiding matrix calculation, the approach can provide data for storing yarn carrier paths, also termed braiding paths. The 3D braiding paths study was conducted to better visualization and thereby analyse the carrier’s movement characteristics and principles of operation. Finally, a program was designed to provide a reference for the mathematical model in further research.
miR-375 and miR-205 Regulate the Invasion and Migration of Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Synergistically via AKT-Mediated EMT
Authors: Wang Bin , Lv Kexing , Chen Weixiong , Zhao Jing , Luo Jie , Wu Jianhui , Li Zenghong , Qin Hao , Wong Thian-Sze , Yang Weiqiang , Fu Qing-Ling , Lei Wenbin
Published: December 2016

Previous studies have found that miR-375 and miR-205 were significantly dysregulated in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, which contributed to the invasion and migration of LSCC. However, the mechanisms of miR-375 and miR-205 regulating the invasion and migration of LSCC remain unknown. qRT-PCR was performed in 40 pairs of tissue samples to investigate the expression of miR-375 and miR-205 in LSCC and paracarcinoma tissues. To investigate whether or not miR-375 and miR-205 regulated the invasion and migration of LSCC synergistically via AKT-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition, miR-375 mimic and miR-205 inhibitor were transfected into SNU899 cells and miR-375 inhibitor and miR-205 mimic were transfected into SNU899 cells, respectively, with or without AKT inhibitor. Then the expressions of miR-375 and miR-205 were validated by qRT-PCR, cell migration and invasion were determined by wound healing assay and transwell invasive assay, and western blot analysis was performed to detect the expression of related proteins. Our results showed that miR-375 and miR-205 regulated the invasion and migration of LSCC via AKT-mediated EMT synergistically. In conclusion, our findings provided not only new information about the molecular mechanism of miRNAs regulating invasion and migration of LSCC, but also a theoretical principle for potential targeting therapy of laryngeal squamous carcinoma.
Progress of Research on Diffuse Axonal Injury after Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Ma Junwei , Zhang Kai , Wang Zhimin , Chen Gang
Published: December 2016

The current work reviews the concept, pathological mechanism, and process of diagnosing of DAI. The pathological mechanism underlying DAI is complicated, including axonal breakage caused by axonal retraction balls, discontinued protein transport along the axonal axis, calcium influx, and calpain-mediated hydrolysis of structural protein, degradation of axonal cytoskeleton network, the changes of transport proteins such as amyloid precursor protein, and changes of glia cells. Based on the above pathological mechanism, the diagnosis of DAI is usually made using methods such as CT, traditional and new MRI, biochemical markers, and neuropsychological assessment. This review provides a basis in literature for further investigation and discusses the pathological mechanism. It may also facilitate improvement of the accuracy of diagnosis for DAI, which may come to play a critical role in breaking through the bottleneck of the clinical treatment of DAI and improving the survival and quality of life of patients through clear understanding of pathological mechanisms and accurate diagnosis.
Long-Term Anatomical and Functional Outcomes after Combined Cataract and Idiopathic Epiretinal Membrane Surgery
Authors: Kauffmann Yann , Ramel Jean-Christophe , Isaico Rodica , De Lazzer Aurélie , Bron Alain M. , Creuzot-Garcher Catherine
Published: December 2016

Purpose: To describe the 2-year functional and anatomical outcomes in patients operated on for combined cataract and idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) and to study the relationship between best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) throughout the follow-up. Methods: This retrospective observational case series included 72 eyes operated on for combined cataract and idiopathic ERM. They were followed with clinical and SD-OCT examinations preoperatively and 1, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery. Foveolar thickness (FT), photoreceptor status and morphological parameters were assessed. Results: BCVA and FT substantially improved at 24 months. Postoperatively, no significant improvement was observed beyond 6 months for BCVA and 12 months for FT. Outer limiting membrane and inner and outer segment junction disruption scores were well correlated with BCVA both pre- and postoperatively, and significant visual improvement was demonstrated in each subgroup except in those with the highest scores. FT was correlated with BCVA only from 6 to 24 months postoperatively. Conclusion: After combined cataract and idiopathic ERM surgery, BCVA and FT improved rapidly. Most functional and anatomical recovery took place within the first 6 months, but this did not preclude late improvement, in particular in patients with the most disorganized photoreceptor layers. At each time point, the amount of photoreceptor damage seemed closely correlated with visual acuity, but concerning FT, this relationship remains questionable.
A Current Estimation of the Early Risk of Stroke after Transient Ischemic Attack: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Recent Intervention Studies
Authors: Valls Joan , Peiro-Chamarro Maranta , Cambray Serafí , Molina-Seguin Jessica , Benabdelhak Ikram , Purroy Francisco
Published: December 2016

Objective: Recent studies have demonstrated that there is a decrease in the risk of subsequent stroke after transient ischemic attack (TIA) when urgent care (UC) is administered. However, no meta-analysis has been developed with contemporaneous TIA studies. We perform a systematic review and a meta-analysis to establish the risk of early stroke recurrence (SR) considering data from studies that offered UC to TIA patients. Methods: We searched for studies, without language restriction, from January 2007 to January 2015 according to PRISMA guidelines. We included studies with TIA patients who underwent UC and reported the proportion of SR at 90 days. We excluded studies that were centered on less than 100 patients and cohorts including both stroke and TIA, if stroke risk after TIA was not described. For its relevance, we included the TIAregistry.org study published in 2016. We performed both fixed and random effects meta-analyses to determine SR and assess sources of heterogeneity. Results: From 4,103 identified citations, we selected 15 papers that included 14,889 patients. There was great variation in terms of the number of patients included in each study, ranging from 115 to 4,160. Seven studies were TIA clinic based. The mean age and the percentage of men were similar among studies, ranging from 62.4 to 73.1 years and 45.1-62%, respectively. The reported risk of stroke ranged from 0 to 1.46% 2 days after TIA (9 studies included), 0-2.55% 7 days after TIA (11 studies included), 1.91-2.85% 30 days after TIA (4 studies included), and 0.62-4.76% 90 days after TIA (all studies included). The pooled stroke risk was 3.42% (95% CI 3.14-3.74) at 90 days, 2.78% (95% CI 2.47-3.12) at 30 days, 2.06% (95% CI 1.83-2.33) at 7 days and 1.36% (95% CI 1.15-1.59) at 2 days. Although we did not find statistically significant heterogeneity in SR among studies, those with a higher proportion of patients with motor weakness had a significantly higher risk of SR. No statistically significant association was observed between TIA clinic management and SR. Conclusion: The pooled early SR is lower than in previous meta-analyses and homogeneous for all studies with an urgent assessment and management strategy regardless of vascular risk factors and clinical characteristics. Therefore, the best setting for TIA management can be individualized for each center.