bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disappearance of Helicobacter without Antibiotics in 12 Patients with Gastritis
Authors: Freeman Hugh James
Published: March 2016

Detection of Helicobacter pylori in endoscopic gastric biopsies has been associated with a variety of diseases, including ulcers and gastritis. Although the natural history of H pylori in the gastric mucosa is unknown, antibiotic regimens have been used for eradication. Gastric biopsies from 6050 endoscopic procedures done by a single gastroenterologist from 1981 to 1994 were evaluated. Of these, 2860 from April 1, 1991 to September 30, 1994 had silver‐stained biopsies to facilitate H pylori detection, and at least two upper endoscopic procedures were done with gastric biopsies in 188 patients. Twelve of the 188 patients with an initially positive H pylori gastric biopsy became H pylori‐negative without antibiotic treatment for H pylori or other infection; 10 received omeprazole and two received no drug treatment. In two of the 12 patients recurrent H pylori in the gastric mucosa was also documented. These findings indicate that H pylori may disappear and reappear in the gastric mucosa with no specific antibiotic eradication regimen, although omeprazole may eradicate H pylori in vivo in some patients. The natural history of H pylori in gastric biopsies is poorly understood. Improved understanding, especially regarding the pathogenesis of upper gastrointestinal ulcerative and inflammatory disease processes, is essential before recommendations for specific antibiotic eradication regimens can be made.
Lipoma of the Colon with Overlying Hyperplastic Epithelium
Authors: Radhi Jasim M , Haig TH Brian
Published: March 2016

Lipomas of the colon are submucosal nonepithelial tumours covered by intact or eroded mucosa. A large colonic lipoma present in close proximity to an area of diverticulitis is presented. The lining mucosa in this case exhibited hyperplastic changes, reminiscent of those seen in hyperplastic polyps. The significance of such mucosal changes are highlighted because adenomatous or even carcinomatous transformation, though rare, remains possible.
Azathioprine‐Induced Pericarditis in a Patient with Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Simpson C David
Published: March 2016

Inflammatory bowel disease is rarely associated with pericarditis but both sulfasalazine and the aminosalicylates have been known to cause this complication. To the author′s knowledge this is the first reported case of acute pericarditis caused by azathioprine. It is believed that pericarditis is yet another potential manifestation of hypersensitivity to this drug.
Late Recurrent Post‐Transplant Primary Biliary Cirrhosis in British Columbia
Authors: Yoshida Eric M , Singh R Andrew , Vartanian Robert K , Owen David A , Erb Siegfried R , Scudamore Charles H
Published: March 2016

Late recurrent primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) following orthotopic liver transplant remains a controversial topic. The first documented case of recurrence occurring in 16 patients transplanted for PBC and followed at the authors′ institution for longer than one year is presented. A 54‐year‐old man transplanted for PBC developed a cholestatic pattern of enzyme elevation on post‐transplant day (PTD) 1305. Repeat antimitochondrial antibody was strongly positive (1:300 to 1:400). A liver biopsy revealed severe bile duct damage, lymphocytic cholangitis, focal periductal noncaseating granuloma and minimal endotheliitis. Recurrent PBC was diagnosed. At the time of orthotopic liver transplant this patient received induction immunosuppression with OKT3 crossed over to cyclosporine (CsA), azathioprine (AZA) and prednisone. AZA was discontinued early and maintenance CsA tapered to a target trough level of 150 to 200 ng/mL by PTD 365. Prednisone was withdrawn by PTD 664. CsA levels during PTDs 1225 to 1305 (before elevation of hepatobiliary enzymes) were below target at 114 to 166 ng/mL. Of the 16 patients, all but three were maintained on CsA, AZA and prednisone. One was on CsA (trough levels on target) and AZA; the other two, including the patient with recurrent PBC, were on CsA only. The trough CsA level of the patient without recurrent PBC has been within the target range. The authors speculate that the underlying defect in immunoregulation in PBC persists post‐transplant and that in the patient without recurrent PBC this defect was unmasked by lowered maintenance immunosuppression ‐ allowing recurrence of PBC in a previously stable liver allograft.
Occult Liver Abscess Following Clinically Unsuspected Ingestion of Foreign Bodies
Authors: Tsui Ban CH , Mossey J
Published: March 2016

Two uncommon cases of foreign body (a wooden clothespin and a toothpick) perforation of the gut with associated pyogenic liver abscesses are presented. These cases illustrate the difficulties of preoperative diagnosis. The lack of history of ingestion of foreign bodies, variable clinical presentation of the conditions and radiolucent natures of the foreign bodies all play a role in impeding the diagnosis preoperatively. This report emphasizes the role of ultrasound and computed tomographic scan in evaluating similar cases. Any patient with known risk factors for ingestion of foreign body should arouse suspicion and be investigated further.
Helicobacter pylori: From Bench to Bedside
Authors: Chiba N , Matisko A , Sinclair P , Thomson ABR
Published: March 2016

With the exponential increase in research in the field ofHelicobacter pyloria paradigm shift has occurred. It is now recognized thatH pyloriis a chronic infection of the stomach causing inflammation. Some patients remain asymptomatic, while others may develop dyspepsia, duodenal or gastric ulcer, gastric cancer or a mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. However, the role ofH pyloriin contributing to nonulcer dyspepsia or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug gastropathy remains controversial. An effective vaccine againstH pyloriis years away. Major interest has focused on the questions "who should be investigated and therefore treated" and "what is the latest gold standard for eradication ofH pylori"? In Europe, guidelines have been developed to help the practitioner answer these important questions. Canadian guidelines will soon be available. For persons with known peptic ulcer disease there should be unequivocal acceptance that the good clinical practice of eradicatingH pyloriwill result in substantial savings in health care expenses. The original 'classical triple therapy' (bismuth, metronidazole and tetracycline [BMT]) has now been surpassed by the combination of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) plus two antibiotics (metronidazole plus clarithromycin; amoxicillin plus clarithromycin; or amoxicillin plus metronidazole), each given twice a day for one week. In Canada, the regimen of omeprazole plus one antibiotic (amoxicillin or clarithromycin) was approved recently but gives an eradication rate that is lower than the current target of 90%. According to the European (Mäastricht) recommendations, if a single treatment attempt with PPI plus two antibiotics fails, PPI plus BMT is recommended.
Primary Adenocarcinoma in an Enterocutaneous Fistula Associated with Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Ying Luis T , Hurlbut David J , Depew William T , Boag Alexander H , Taguchi Kenneth
Published: March 2016

Increasing numbers of intestinal adenocarcinomas in patients with Crohn’s disease have been reported, but the strength of this association still needs to be elucidated. Adenocarcinoma has also been documented in different types of fistulous tracts associated with Crohn’s disease. The first case of well‐differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma involving only enterocutaneous fistulae is reported in a patient with long‐standing Crohn’s disease complicated by persistent abdominal wall fistulous tracts. The malignant lesion arose from neoplastic transformation of columnar epithelium lining portions of the fistulae occurring as a result of either re‐epithelialization of these inflammatory tracts or mural implantation of mucosal tissue secondary to prior ulceration. The patient has remained disease‐free eight years after surgical resection of the tumour. Even though intestinal carcinoma is not as strongly associated with Crohn’s disease as with ulcerative colitis, intestinal carcinoma should be considered in the setting of long‐standing disease, previous intestinal exclusion surgeries and complications such as enterocutaneous or other types of fistulous tracts. The prognosis of such patients may be excellent with early diagnosis and treatment.
Patients’ Perceptions of their Participation in a Clinical Trial for Postoperative Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Kennedy ED , Blair JE , Ready R , Wolff BG , Steinhart AH , Carryer PW , McLeod RS
Published: March 2016

OBJECTIVE: To explore patients′ perceptions of their participation in a randomized controlled trial.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 27‐item questionnaire was mailed to all patients who participated in a randomized controlled trial that determined the effectiveness of mesalamine in preventing the recurrence of Crohn′s disease postoperatively.

RESULTS: The response rate was 66% (99 of 149). Fifty‐five per cent of the patients felt that they received better medical care than they otherwise would have and 53% liked taking the medication. Sixty‐eight per cent of the patients did not feel that annual colonoscopy was too frequent and 81% felt that the time commitment did not significantly interfere with their job or other activities. Seventy‐five per cent and 62% of the patients would have liked more information and education, respectively, about Crohn′s disease incorporated into the trial. Although 91% of the patients would agree to participate in a future randomized controlled trial comparing medical therapies, only 44% would agree to participate in a future randomized controlled trial comparing medical with surgical therapies.

CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients were satisfied with their participation in the trial. A large proportion of the patients would participate again but would like more information and education incorporated into the trial. Furthermore, post‐trial questionnaires may be helpful in the design of future trials.
The Evolving Role of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiography before and after Cholecystectomy
Authors: Ganguli SC , Pasha TM , Petersen BT
Published: March 2016

Laparoscopy is the preferred approach for cholecystectomy; however the indications for pre‐ versus postoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) are still evolving. The records of patients who had ERC performed one month before (n=119) or after (n=35) laparoscopic or open cholecystectomy from January 1990 to August 1992 (period 1), and 66 patients who had preoperative ERC from November 1995 to October 1996 (period 2) are reviewed. ERC indications, findings and outcomes were reviewed, and trends in the use of preoperative ERC from 1990 to 1996 were sought. Between periods 1 and 2 the yield of preoperative ERC increased from 36% to 58% (P<0.01). The use of preoperative ERC for the indication of abnormal liver enzymes declined (P<0.05), while the yield increased (25% versus 61%, P<0.01). Both the use of ERC and the yield remained stable for other indications. ERC was felt to have changed the surgical approach in 5% of patients. Primary indications for postoperative ERC (n=35) included abnormal intraoperative cholangiography (43%), liver function test abnormalities (23%) and recurrence of preoperative symptoms (14%); stones were found in 60%, 50% and 20% of patients with these indications, respectively. Overall, 46% of postoperative studies revealed duct stones. The roles for pre‐ and postoperative ERC are changing and depend greatly on the relative laparoscopic and endoscopic expertise at a given institution.
Overview of Olestra: A New Fat Substitute
Authors: Hunt Richard , Zorich Nora L , Thomson Alan BR
Published: March 2016

Olestra is a mixture of hexa‐, hepta‐ and octa‐esters formed from the reaction of sucrase and long chain fatty acids isolated from edible oils. Olestra has properties similar to those of traditional triglycerides but is not hydrolyzed by pancreatic lipases and, therefore, serves as a noncaloric replacement for fats in the diet. The safety of olestra has been established in over 100 studies in seven different species of animals, with confirmatory safety data coming from approximately 75 human studies; consumption of olestra at levels typical for savoury snacks does not result in reports of gastrointestinal problems in humans. This is consistent with the results of studies of the physiological and morphological effects of olestra in animals and in humans. It is anticipated that olestra will be available in Canada in the near future. Patients will soon be asking their physicians about its use. This article provides an overview of olestra.
Influence of Sex, Age and Smoking Status on Patient Comfort during Gastroscopy with Pharyngeal Anesthesia by a New Benzocaine-Tetracaine Preparation
Authors: Gelly André L , Farley Alain , Boyer Judy , Asselin Michelle , Spénard Jean
Published: March 2016

Thirty-seven patients underwent gastroscopy under pharyngeal anaesthesia with benzocaine-tetracaine (Endospray; Axcan Pharma). Patients recorded their perception of intubation, of the rest of the procedure, of taste and of throat well-being on visual analogue scales. Throat well-being and taste scores were better for men than for women. There was a strong trend for smokers to be more intolerant to intubation than nonsmokers. There was a weak but significant correlation for younger patients to be more intolerant to intubation. This study points to age and smoking status as possible factors influencing the perception of gastroscopy under pharyngeal anesthesia.
Ketotifen Treatment of Active Colitis in Patients with 5‐Aminosalicylate Intolerance
Authors: Marshall John K , Irvine E Jan
Published: March 2016

Mast cell stabilizers are commonly used in the treatment of asthma and allergic disorders. Although the role of mucosal mast cells in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease remains uncertain, mast cell stabilizers have been shown in animal models to attenuate the severity of experimental colitis. The authors′ experience with ketotifen in three patients ‐ one each with Crohn′s disease, ulcerative colitis and collagenous colitis ‐ who had demonstrated allergy to, or intolerance of, 5‐aminosalicylic acid is reported.
Antibiotic Susceptibilities of Helicobacter pylori Strains Isolated in the Province of Alberta
Authors: Taylor Diane E , Jiang Qin , Fedorak Richard N
Published: March 2016

The incidence of antibiotic resistance to amoxicillin, clarithromycin, erythromycin, metronidazole and tetracycline inHelicobacter pylori strains isolated from gastric biopsy specimens obtained in Alberta was investigated. Results for all antibiotics were obtained using agar dilution, and in addition to metronidazole, the E test was used. Resistance to amoxicillin and tetracycline was not detected. Metronidazole resistance determined using agar dilution was approximately 12% (95% CI 4% to 26%) when minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were at least 8 µg/mL, but fell to 2% (95% CI 0.1% to 13%) when MICs were set at 32 µg/mL or greater. The E test for metronidazole resistance (MIC 8 µg/mL or greater) yielded a slightly higher percentage of resistant strains compared with agar dilution tests (14%, 95% CI 5% to 29%). One of the 31 strains was resistant to clarithromycin (MIC 8 µg/mL) and erythromycin (MIC 16 µg/mL). Thus, the incidence of resistance to clarithromycin, part of the currently used triple therapy for eradication of H pylori, was 3% (95% CI 0.1% to 17%).
Asymptomatic Esophageal Varices Should Be Endoscopically Treated
Authors: Soehendra Nib
Published: March 2016

Endoscopic treatment has generally been accepted in the management of bleeding esophageal varices. Both the control of acute variceal bleeding and elective variceal eradication to prevent recurrent bleeding can be achieved via endoscopic methods. In contrast to acute and elective treatment, the role of endoscopic therapy in asymptomatic patients who have never had variceal bleeding remains controversial because of the rather disappointing results obtained from prophylactic sclerotherapy. Most published randomized controlled trials showed that prophylactic sclerotherapy had no effect on survival. In some studies, neither survival rate nor bleeding risk was improved. In this article, the author champions the view that asymptomatic esophageal varices should be endoscopically treated.
Seepage Monitoring Models Study of Earth-Rock Dams Influenced by Rainstorms
Authors: Qiu Jianchun , Zheng Dongjian , Zhu Kai
Published: March 2016

For earth-rock dams influenced by rainstorms, seepage status monitoring is very important and provides the basis for the safe and effective operation of earth-rock dams. The most influential factors concerning the seepage of earth-rock dams are the reservoir water level, precipitation, temperature, and timeliness, and the influence of the reservoir water level and precipitation on the seepage of an earth-rock dam exhibits hysteretic effects. The reservoir water level of an earth-rock dam abruptly increases and may exceed the historically highest water level, therein causing new deformations of the earth-rock dam or even plastic deformation. Thus, the permeability coefficient for parts of an earth-rock dam changes, and we present the exceeded water level factor. Considering the complexity of the seepage monitoring of earth-rock dams, based on the hysteretic reservoir water level and precipitation, temperature, timeliness, and the exceeded water level factor, a statistical model based on an explicit function and an artificial wavelet neural network model based on an implicit function are established. Based on these two models, an integrated monitoring model based on maximum entropy theory is established. At the end of this paper, three monitoring models are used for the seepage monitoring of a measuring point of an earth-rock dam influenced by rainstorms, and the results show that the three monitoring models obtain satisfactory predication accuracy.
Study on Modification of NaX Zeolites: The Cobalt (II)-Exchange Kinetics and Surface Property Changes under Thermal Treatment
Authors: Tran Hoai-Lam , Kuo Maw-Suey , Yang Wein-Duo , Huang Yu-Chang
Published: March 2016

The cobalt (II) ion-exchange process followed the Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption models as well as the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The cobalt-exchanged contents increased when the initial Co(NO3)2solution concentration increased up to 0.14 mol L−1at the optimal pH of 6.05. The N2adsorption isotherms are mixed types I/II isotherms and H3 type hysteresis. Both the micropore and mesopore adsorptions occurred during the adsorption process. The modification, which is both the cobalt (II) exchange and thermal treatment, significantly improved the surface properties of NaX zeolites. Accordingly, the optimal temperature range is 500 to 600°C for a thermal treatment. This is consistent with the results of XRD analysis.
Variability Assessment of Aromatic and Fine Rice Germplasm in Bangladesh Based on Quantitative Traits
Authors: Islam M. Z. , Khalequzzaman M. , Bashar M. K. , Ivy N. A. , Haque M. M. , Mian M. A. K.
Published: March 2016

The study was conducted to investigate genetic variability among 113 aromatic and fine local rice genotypes of which five were exotic in origin. The test genotypes were evaluated for 19 growth traits, yield components, and yield. All the quantitative traits varied significantly among the test genotypes. High heritability along with high genetic advance was observed for flag leaf area, secondary branches per panicle, filled grains per panicle, grain length, grain breadth, grain length breadth ratio, and 1000 grain weight. Such findings suggested preponderance of additive gene action in gene expression for these characters. Grain yield was significantly and positively correlated with days to flowering, days to maturity, panicle length, filled grains per panicle, and 1000 grain weight. According toD2cluster analysis, 113 test genotypes formed 10 clusters. Selection of parents from the clusters V and X followed by hybridization would possibly result in desirable heterosis for the development of heterotic rice hybrids. Finally, molecular characterizations of the studied germplasm are required for high resolution QTL mapping and validating the presence of candidate genes responsible for valuable characters.
Dynamic Behaviors of Contact Lines on Micropillared Hydrophobic Surfaces
Authors: Tan Chen-chuan , Jia Zhi-hai , Yang Hui-nan , Cai Tai-min
Published: March 2016

The dynamic characteristics of contact lines on inclined micropillared surfaces were investigated in this paper. It was observed that the contact lines varied gradually to a ladder shape with the droplet sliding on micropillared surfaces under Wenzel state. The dynamic deformation of contact lines would be more obvious under Wenzel state and Cassie impregnating state; however it is negligible when the droplet is in one-dimensional scenario. Droplet layers formed during droplet sliding were left behind and evaporated quickly and disappeared. Based on these characteristics, the comparison of experimental data with theoretical models was discussed. It was found that energy barrier played an important role in analyzing wetting characteristics. Because of ignoring the role of energy barrier, the model of sliding angle cannot predict the sliding angle on micropillared surfaces very well, especially when the area fraction is small. This work is helpful to propose a more accuracy sliding angle model.
Implications of Intrathecal Chemotherapy for Anaesthesiologists: A Brief Review
Authors: Nair Abhijit
Published: March 2016

Intrathecal chemotherapy is routinely prescribed in medical oncology practice, either for prophylaxis or for treatment of leptomeningeal disease due to a primary haematological disease or a metastatic disease due to any other malignancy. As these groups of patients are coagulopathic either because of the disease per se or due to systemic chemotherapy, lumbar puncture in them is considered challenging and is expected to be performed by an anaesthesiologist because of their expertise in this procedure. However, the challenge is not only in performing the lumbar puncture safely but also in dealing with other issues like explaining and handling complications that can happen either due to the drug injected intrathecally or due to a neurodeficit occurring either due to the underlying coagulopathy or due to the progression of leptomeningeal disease.
Pregnancy and Accelerated Phase of Myeloid Chronic Leukemia Treated with Imatinib: A Case Report from a Developing Country
Authors: Ngolet Lydie Ocini , Kocko Innocent , Elira Dokekias Alexis
Published: March 2016

Background. Chronic myeloid leukemia is a hematological malignancy caused by expression of BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase oncogene, product of the t(9;22) Philadelphia translocation. Accelerated phase of this disease marks the onset of advanced rapidly progressive disease unresponsive to many therapies. Pregnancy limits broad number of therapies on patients because of their potential teratogenic effects. We report the case of a pregnant 34-year-old patient on accelerated phase successively managed by imatinib. She achieved a safe pregnancy and delivered at 39 weeks a healthy baby without congenital abnormalities. Our case is unusual because of the accelerated phase of the disease.Case Presentation. A 34-year-old African female with history of chronic phase of myeloid leukemia on imatinib, lost to follow-up for 4 months, presented to the hematological department for abdominal discomfort. Accelerated phase of chronic myeloid leukemia was diagnosed. Complete hematological response was achieved on high doses of imatinib. At the completion of 39 weeks, she delivered a healthy child without congenital anomalies.Conclusion. Despite its teratogenic and embryotoxic effects, front line imatinib is the only effective, well-tolerated treatment for patient on accelerated phase that can be offered to patients in sub-Saharan countries.
Early Bronchus-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma Diagnosed with Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Molecular Testing
Authors: Li Pen , Cheung Lawrence , Chiu Brian
Published: March 2016

When extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), a low grade B-cell lymphoma, arises in the lung it is referred to as bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) lymphoma. We describe a patient with a history of Sjögren’s syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis with dyspnea and imaging consistent with lymphoid interstitial pneumonia (LIP). However, while histology and immunohistochemistry lacked definitive features of a lymphoma, immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) polymerase chain reaction testing demonstrated B-cell monoclonality, consistent with an early BALT lymphoma.
Exercise as an Adjuvant Therapy for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization
Authors: Emmons Russell , Niemiro Grace M. , De Lisio Michael
Published: March 2016

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) using mobilized peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cells (HSPCs) is the only curative strategy for many patients suffering from hematological malignancies. HSPC collection protocols rely on pharmacological agents to mobilize HSPCs to peripheral blood. Limitations including variable donor responses and long dosing protocols merit further investigations into adjuvant therapies to enhance the efficiency of HSPCs collection. Exercise, a safe and feasible intervention in patients undergoing HSCT, has been previously shown to robustly stimulate HSPC mobilization from the bone marrow. Exercise‐induced HSPC mobilization is transient limiting its current clinical potential. Thus, a deeper investigation of the mechanisms responsible for exercise‐induced HSPC mobilization and the factors responsible for removal of HSPCs from circulation following exercise is warranted. The present review will describe current research on exercise and HSPC mobilization, outline the potential mechanisms responsible for exercise‐induced HSPC mobilization, and highlight potential sites for HSPC homing following exercise. We also outline current barriers to the implementation of exercise as an adjuvant therapy for HSPC mobilization and suggest potential strategies to overcome these barriers.
Review of Adaptive Cell Selection Techniques in LTE-Advanced Heterogeneous Networks
Authors: Gadam M. A. , Ahmed Maryam Abdulazeez , Ng Chee Kyun , Nordin Nor Kamariah , Sali Aduwati , Hashim Fazirulhisyam
Published: March 2016

Poor cell selection is the main challenge in Picocell (PeNB) deployment in Long Term Evolution- (LTE-) Advanced heterogeneous networks (HetNets) because it results in load imbalance and intercell interference. A selection technique based on cell range extension (CRE) has been proposed for LTE-Advanced HetNets to extend the coverage of PeNBs for load balancing. However, poor CRE bias setting in cell selection inhibits the attainment of desired cell splitting gains. By contrast, a cell selection technique based on adaptive bias is a more effective solution to traffic load balancing in terms of increasing data rate compared with static bias-based approaches. This paper reviews the use of adaptive cell selection in LTE-Advanced HetNets by highlighting the importance of cell load estimation. The general performances of different techniques for adaptive CRE-based cell selection are compared. Results reveal that the adaptive CRE bias of the resource block utilization ratio (RBUR) technique exhibits the highest cell-edge throughput. Moreover, more accurate cell load estimation is obtained in the extended RBUR adaptive CRE bias technique through constant bit rate (CBR) traffic, which further improved load balancing as against the estimation based on the number of user equipment (UE). Finally, this paper presents suggestions for future research directions.
The General Solution of Impulsive Systems with Caputo-Hadamard Fractional Derivative of Orderq∈C  (R(q)∈(1,2))
Authors: Zhang Xianmin , Zhang Xianzhen , Liu Zuohua , Peng Hui , Shu Tong , Yang Shiyong
Published: March 2016

Motivated by some preliminary works about general solution of impulsive system with fractional derivative, the generalized impulsive differential equations with Caputo-Hadamard fractional derivative ofq∈C  (R(q)∈(1,2)) are further studied by analyzing the limit case (as impulses approach zero) in this paper. The formulas of general solution are found for the impulsive systems.
A Rough Set Based Assessment of the Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Tanzanian Shipping Sector Perspective
Authors: Massami Erick P. , Myamba Benitha M.
Published: March 2016

The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions due to transport operations have drastically increased in recent years. The sea transport in particular contributes 2.7 to 3 percent of CO2, a major component of GHG emissions globally. Numerous measures have been undertaken locally and internationally to alleviate the sea transport share of Greenhouse Gases. However, most of these measures will be fruitful if ship investors (e.g., ship owners and operators) would fully employ the GHG emission reduction strategies. Due to the scarcity of the statistical data in this respect, this study therefore presents a rough set synthetic assessment (RSSA) model to GHG emission abatement strategies in the Tanzanian shipping sector. The results of the assessment reveal that the Tanzanian shipping companies engaged in Cabotage trade are aware of the abatement strategies and moderately apply them.
A Simple Spectrophotometric Method for the Determination of Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances in Fried Fast Foods
Authors: Zeb Alam , Ullah Fareed
Published: March 2016

A simple and highly sensitive spectrophotometric method was developed for the determination of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) as a marker for lipid peroxidation in fried fast foods. The method uses the reaction of malondialdehyde (MDA) and TBA in the glacial acetic acid medium. The method was precise, sensitive, and highly reproducible for quantitative determination of TBARS. The precision of extractions and analytical procedure was very high as compared to the reported methods. The method was used to determine the TBARS contents in the fried fast foods such as Shami kebab, samosa, fried bread, and potato chips. Shami kebab, samosa, and potato chips have higher amount of TBARS in glacial acetic acid-water extraction system than their corresponding pure glacial acetic acid and vice versa in fried bread samples. The method can successfully be used for the determination of TBARS in other food matrices, especially in quality control of food industries.
An Effective Cable Sizing Procedure Model for Industries and Commerial Buildings
Authors: Nair M. Pratap , Nithiyananthan K.
Published: March 2016

This paper mainly focuses on the cable sizing methods and calculation of electrical cables according to the various international standards. For instance, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), National Electrical Code (NEC), British Standard (BS) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The basic philosophy underlying any cable sizing calculations are the same. The main objective of this research work is to develop effective cable sizing model for building services.
Modified Variational Mode Decomposition for Power Line Interference Removal in ECG Signals
Authors: Mohan Neethu , S Sachin Kumar , Poornachandran Prabaharan , K.P Soman
Published: March 2016

Power line interferences (PLI) occurring at 50/60 Hz can corrupt the biomedical recordings like ECG signals and which leads to an improper diagnosis of disease conditions. Proper interference cancellation techniques are therefore required for the removal of these power line disturbances from biomedical recordings. The non-linear time varying characteristics of biomedical signals make the interference removal a difficult task without compromising the actual signal characteristics. In this paper, a modified variational mode decomposition based approach is proposed for PLI removal from the ECG signals. In this approach, the central frequency of an intrinsic mode function is fixed corresponding to the normalized power line disturbance frequency. The experimental results show that the PLI interference is exactly captured both in magnitude and phase and are removed. The proposed approach is experimented with ECG signal records from MIT-BIH Arrhythmia database and compared with traditional notch filtering.
Improved Learning Scheme for Cognitive Radio using Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Mahajan Rita , Bagai Deepak
Published: March 2016

The future of wireless system is facing the problem of spectrum scarcity. Number of users is increasing rapidly but available spectrum is limited. The Cognitive Radio (CR) network technology can enable the unlicensed users to share the frequency spectrum with the licensed users on a dynamic basis without creating any interference to primary user. Whenever secondary user finds that primary user is not transmitting and channel is free then it uses channel opportunistically. In this paper cognitive radio with predictive capability using artificial neural network has been proposed. The advantage of such cognitive user is saving of time and energy for spectrum sensing. Proposed radio will sense only that channel which is predicted to be free and channel is selected on the basis of maximum vacant time. Performance has been evaluated in the term of mean square error. The results show that this learning capability can be embedded in secondary users for better performance of future wireless technologies.  
Advancement in Research Techniques on Medical Imaging Processing for Breast Cancer Detection
Authors: S J Sushma , Prasanna Kumar S C
Published: March 2016

With the advancement of medical image processing, the area of the healthcare sector has started receiving the benefits of the modern arena of diagnostic tools to identify the diseases effectively. Cancer is one of the dreaded diseases, where success factor of treatment offered by medical sector is still an unsolved problem. Hence, the success factor of the treatment lies in early stage of the disease or timely detection of the disease. This paper discusses about the advancement being made in the medical image processing towards an effective diagnosis of the breast cancer from the mammogram image in radiology. There has been enough research activity with various sorts of advances techniques being implemented in the past decade. The prime contribution of this manuscript is to showcase the advancement of the technology along with illustration of the effectiveness of the existing literatures with respect to research gap.
An Effective Noise Adaptive Median Filter for Removing High Density Impulse Noises in Color Images
Authors: Saleem S. Abdul , Razak T. Abdul
Published: March 2016

Images are normally degraded by some form of impulse noises during the acquisition, transmission and storage in the physical media. Most of the real time applications usually require bright and clear images, hence distorted or degraded images need to be processed to enhance easy identification of image details and further works on the image. In this paper we have analyzed and tested the number of existing median filtering algorithms and their limitations. As a result we have proposed a new effective noise adaptive median filtering algorithm, which removes the impulse noises in the color images while preserving the image details and enhancing the image quality. The proposed method is a spatial domain approach and uses the 3×3 overlapping window to filter the signal based on the correct selection of neighborhood values to obtain the effective median per window. The performance of the proposed effective median filter has been evaluated using MATLAB, simulations on a both gray scale and color images that have been subjected to high density of corruption up to 90% with impulse noises. The results expose the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm when compared with the quantitative image metrics such as PSNR, MSE, RMSE, IEF, Time and SSIM of existing standard and adaptive median filtering algorithms.
A Simulation-based Approach to Optimize the Execution Time and Minimization of Average Waiting Time Using Queuing Model in Cloud Computing Environment
Authors: Pal Souvik , Pattnaik Prasant Kumar
Published: March 2016

Cloud computing is the emerging domain in academia and IT Industry. It is a business framework for delivering the services and computing power on-demand basis. Cloud users have to pay the service providers based on their usage. For enterprises, cloud computing is the worthy of consideration and they try to build business systems with lower costs, higher profits and quality-of-service. Considering cost optmization, service provider may initially try to use less number of CPU cores and data centers. For that reason, this paper deals with CloudSim simulation tool which has been utilized for evaluating the number of CPU cores and execution time. Minimization of waiting time is also a considerable issue. When a large number of jobs are requested, they have to wait for getting allocated to the servers which in turn may increase the queue length and also waiting time. This paper also deals with queuing model with multi-server and finite capacity to reduce the waiting time and queue length.
Economic Valuation of Power and Energy Losses in Distribution Networks
Authors: Bisanovic Smajo , Samardzic Mersiha , Aganovic Damir
Published: March 2016

This paper presents a framework for determining the price of power and energy at each node in distribution network as well as the price of energy losses in their elements. The proposed framework is based on the concept of the radial structure network and gives one approach to solving the pricing problem that is based on purchase price of power and energy at the network supply point. In this way it is possible to determine the economic value of energy losses whether in the network as a whole or in particular voltage levels. The model has been successfully tested and results from test studies are reported.
Optimal Location of Distributed Generation and its Impacts on Voltage Stability
Authors: Nigam Manoj Kumar , Sethi V.K.
Published: March 2016

Distributed generation (DG) technology is based on the renewable sources of energy. Now a day’s distributed generation plays an important role of power generation utilities to fulfill the increasing demand of power at the costumer’s site. A distributed generation is the small generation unit with capacity varying from kW (kilowatt) to few MW (megawatt). The main aim of this paper is to find the solution for optimal location of connecting DG and also the disturbances in the voltage fluctuations responds to imperfection of connecting DG. A test network of IEEE-30 bus system has been simulated using PSAT 2.1.7. The compensation methods have also been developed for filtering out the disturbances caused by the DG connection. The disturbance in the voltage profile is improved by minimizing the real and reactive power losses with the help of STATCOM. The proposed approach IEEE-30-bus system was tested and the result was discussed.
Frequency and Time Response of Power Plant Grounding System Exposed to Lightning Strike
Authors: Nikolovski Srete N , Baus Zoran , Knežević Goran
Published: March 2016

This paper examines the frequency response of power plant grounding system exposed to the lightning current. Large amount of current generated by the stroke flow in the grounding system of power plant and dissipate in the soil.  The electric and magnetic field generated by such high voltages and currents may cause damage of equipment and may be dangerous for the personnel in power plant.  For the every given frequency obtained using Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) of lightning current impulse, electromagnetic field theory approach is used to solve Maxell’s equation and compute scalar potential, electric and magnetic field. Also, the influence of the point in which lightning current is diffused in the grounding system is presented. Three dimensional plots of spatial distribution of scalar potential, electric and magnetic field are presented. The time domain response of scalar potential, electric and magnetic field on one profile is also presented.
Effect of Contaminant Flow-rate and Applied Voltage on the Current Density and Electric Field of Polymer Tracking Test
Authors: Muhamedin F. L. , M. Piah M. A. , Othman N. A. , Ahmed Algeelani Nasir
Published: March 2016

Electrical failure due to surface discharge on the insulation material will cause material degradation and eventually lead to system failure. The flow of leakage current (LC) on the insulator surface under wet contamination is used to determine the material degradation level. According to IEC 60587 standard, LC exceeding 60 mA for more than two seconds is considered as failure. In this study, the  electric field and current density distributions on the linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and natural rubber blend material have been analyzed using finite element method (FEM) analysis. The physical parameters used in FEM simulation were applied with voltage and contaminant flow rate, in accordance to contaminant conductivity. Tracking test condition according to IEC 60587 standard has been applied as proposed by the reference work in simulation using QuickField FEM software. The results show that the electric field and current density would become critical in higher applied voltage and contaminant flow rate. The highest average and highest maximum current density and electric field are found in both applied voltage of 6 kV and contaminant flow rate of 0.90 mlmin-1.
Statistical Analysis on Preliminary Breakdown Pulses of Positive Cloud-to-Ground Lightning in Malaysia
Authors: Wooi Chin-Leong , Abdul-Malek Zulkurnain , Ahmad Noor Azlinda , Mokhtari Mehrdad , Salimi Behnam
Published: March 2016

This aim of this paper is to study the preliminary breakdown pulses (PBP) of positive cloud-to-ground (+CG) lightning flashes in Malaysia. There is a difference in PBP characteristics when a comparison is made between positive and negative flashes. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time the PBP characteristics preceding positive lightning in Malaysia are reported. This study was carried out in Johor Bahru, Malaysia using a broadband antenna system during a monsoon period (Oct-Dec, 2012). It is found that the PBP for +CG lightning is much more complicated compared to the positive cloud-to-ground (–CG) lightning since only negative PBP trains are usually present in the –CG lightning.  Out of 21 analyzed positive flashes, four types of PBP trains were identified according to their initial polarities. These are negative PBP (20%), positive PBP (15%), PBP with polarity reversal (10%), and PBP with irregular polarity (15%). The balance 40% of flashes are without any PBP. The effect of geographical region may also cause the observed differences in the cloud discharge processes including the types of PBP. More studies are needed to determine the relationship between the return stroke and PBP.
Evaluating the Impact of Transmission Range on the Performance of VANET
Authors: A. Almohammedi Akram , K. Noordin Nor , Saeed Sabri
Published: March 2016

Recently, interest in the field of Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) has grown among research community to improve traffic safety and efficiency on the roads. Despite the many advantages, the transmission range in vehicular network remains one of the major challenges due to the unique characteristics of VANETs such as various communication environments, highly dynamic topology, high node mobility and traffic density. The network would suffer from a broadcast-storm in high vehicular density when a fixed transmission range in VANET is used, while in sparse vehicular density the network could be disconnected frequently. In this paper, we evaluated the impact of different transmission ranges and number of flows formed between vehicles in a highway scenario using AODV as routing protocol. In order to validate the simulation of VANET, traffic and network simulators (SUMO & NS-2) have been used. The performance was evaluated in terms of packet delivery ratio and end-to-end delay. The simulation results have shown that better performance was achieved in term of higher PDR and lower end-to-end delay for less than 500 meters transmission range. On the contrary, the PDR started to decrease and end-to-end delay increased when the transmission range exceeded 500 meters. The performance degraded as the number of flows increased.
Experiment-based Study on the Impact of Soiling on PV System’s Performance
Authors: Jamil Wan Juzaili , Abdul Rahman Hasimah , Baharin Kyairul Azmi
Published: March 2016

Soiling refers to the accumulation of dust on PV modules which plays a small but significant role in degrading solar photovoltaics system efficiency. Its effect cannot be generalized because the severity is location and environment dependent. Currently, there are limited studies available on the soiling effect in the hot and humid Malaysian tropical climate. This paper presents an experimental-based approach to investigate the effect of soiling on PV module performance in a tropical climate. The experiment involved a full day exposure of a polycrystalline PV module in the outdoors with accelerated artificial dust loading and an indoor experiment for testing variable dust dimensions. The findings show that for the worst case, the module’s output can be reduced by as much as 20%.
A Flatness Based Nonlinear Sensorless Control of Induction Motor Systems
Authors: Farid Berrezzek , Waffa Bourbia , Bachir Bensaker
Published: March 2016

This paper deals with  the flatness based approach for sensrless  control of induction motor systems.Two main features of the proposed flatness based control are worth to be mentioned. Firstly, the simplicity of implementation of the flatness approach as a nonlinear feedback linearization control technique. Secondly, when the chosen flat outputs involve non available state variable measurements a nonlinear observer is used to estimate them. The main advantage of the used observer is its ability to exploite the properties of the system nonlinearties. The simulation results are presented to illustrate the effectiness of the proposed approach for sensorless control of the considered induction motor.
An Experimental Study of the Unbalance Compensation by Voltage Source Inverter Based STATCOM
Authors: Benslimane Anas , Bouchnaif Jamal , Azizi Mohamed , Grari Khalid
Published: March 2016

This work presents an experimental study of the unbalance compensation caused by the high speed railway substations in the high-voltage power grid with a shunt voltage source inverter based STATCOM. This experimental study is realized on a reduced scale prototype. The Control of inverter is implemented in a DSP card. The practical results presented in this paper are shown the performance of unbalance compensation by VSI_STATCOM in static and dynamic regime.
Biochemistry and Biology of GDF11 and Myostatin
Authors: Walker Ryan G. , Poggioli Tommaso , Katsimpardi Lida , Buchanan Sean M. , Oh Juhyun , Wattrus Sam , Heidecker Bettina , Fong Yick W. , Rubin Lee L. , Ganz Peter , Thompson Thomas B. , Wagers Amy J. , Lee Richard T.
Published: March 2016

Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) and myostatin (or GDF8) are closely related members of the transforming growth factor β superfamily and are often perceived to serve similar or overlapping roles. Yet, despite commonalities in protein sequence, receptor utilization and signaling, accumulating evidence suggests that these 2 ligands can have distinct functions in many situations. GDF11 is essential for mammalian development and has been suggested to regulate aging of multiple tissues, whereas myostatin is a well-described negative regulator of postnatal skeletal and cardiac muscle mass and modulates metabolic processes. In this review, we discuss the biochemical regulation of GDF11 and myostatin and their functions in the heart, skeletal muscle, and brain. We also highlight recent clinical findings with respect to a potential role for GDF11 and/or myostatin in humans with heart disease. Finally, we address key outstanding questions related to GDF11 and myostatin dynamics and signaling during development, growth, and aging.