bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A system for the management, display and integration of pre-hospital healthcare activity in the deployed environment
Authors: Grant Simon , Wheatley R J
Published: January 2014

Aim

To create and implement a system through which pre-hospital healthcare activity across an entire operational theatre could be made available in real-time to support healthcare delivery, governance and assurance activity.

Methods

An IT-based system was created that could display, manage and integrate the pre-hospital healthcare activity on Op HERRICK 18. The system was based on the Defence Medical Services Common Assurance Framework and run through Microsoft Office SharePoint.

Results

Pre-hospital healthcare activity was made available and visible across an operational theatre. This supported delivery, assurance and governance at any time. Activity from each medical facility could be integrated and display automatically improving theatre wide situational awareness. The availability of information resulted in a shift towards a more continuous process of assurance and governance rather than reliance on inherently threatening and increasingly intermittent inspection regimes.

Discussion

The ability to review healthcare activity remotely at anytime significantly improves the validity of assurance possible for a deployed force. Governance activity can be more responsive and less reliant on the fixed timescale and datasets of reports from outlying medical facilities. However, assurance and governance authorities must not allow such a wealth of information to impact local leadership and innovation through a perception of, or actual, micro-management.
Physiology studies at high altitude; why and how
Authors: Mellor Adrian , Woods D
Published: January 2014

The military has always had an important role in high altitude research. This is due to the fact that mountainous regions often span borders and provide a safe haven to enemies. Deploying troops rapidly into high altitude environments presents major problems in terms of the development of high altitude illness. This paper examines the rationale for carrying out research at high altitude and the opportunities within the UK Defence Medical Services for carrying out this research.
Ar–Ar dating and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic character of Paleogene basalts from the Xialiaohe Depression, northern Bohai Bay Basin: implications for transformation of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle under the eastern North China Craton
Authors: Wu Chang-Zhi , Samson Iain M. , Chen Zhen-Yan , Chen Li-Hui , Gu Lian-Xing , Cai Guo-Gang , Li Jun , Yang Guang-Da
Published: January 2014

Paleogene basalts are widely distributed in the Xialiaohe Depression, which lies in the northern part of the Bohai Bay Basin, the second largest petroleum-bearing basin of China, in the northeastern part of the North China Craton. The basalts mainly occur in three formations: the Paleocene Fangshenpao Formation (PFF), the Eocene Shahejie Formation (ESF), and the Oligocene Dongyin Formation (ODF). The PFF is dominated by tholeiites, whereas the ESF and ODF are characterized by alkaline basalts with minor tholeiites. These basalts contain generally lower contents in large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and most high-field-strength elements (HFSEs) relative to ocean-island basalts (OIBs), except for positive anomalies for Ba, Sr, Eu, and Ti, and are characterized by OIB-like Sr and Nd isotopic compositions and by abnormally low radiogenic lead isotopic composition. They display a positive correlation between 206Pb/204Pb and 143Nd/144Nd, and a negative correlation between 206Pb/204Pb and 87Sr/86Sr. The geochemical characteristics of these basalts are quite different from that expected from magmas derived from crustal contamination or melting from a uniform asthenospheric mantle source, but is consistent with derivation from newly formed lithospheric mantle. Combined with the geochemical character of the ESF and ODF basalts, we ascribe the abnormally low radiogenic lead isotopic composition for the Paleocene PFF basalts to newly formed lithospheric mantle that originated from recycling of delaminated thickened lithosphere in Late Mesozoic, including a lower crustal component.
ON A CONJECTURE OF LAN–SHENG–ZUO ON SEMISTABLE HIGGS BUNDLES: RANK 3 CASE
Authors: LI LINGGUANG
Published: January 2014

Let X be a smooth projective curve of genus g over an algebraically closed field k of characteristic p > 2. We prove that any rank 3 nilpotent semistable Higgs bundle (E, θ) on X is a strongly semistable Higgs bundle. This gives a partially affirmative answer to a conjecture of Lan–Sheng–Zuo [Semistable Higgs bundles and representations of algebraic fundamental groups: positive characteristic case, preprint (2012), arXiv:1210.8280][(Very recently, A. Langer [Semistable modules over Lie algebroids in positive characteristic, preprint (2013), arXiv:1311.2794] and independently Lan–Sheng–Yang–Zuo [Semistable Higgs bundles of small ranks are strongly Higgs semistable, preprint (2013), arXiv:1311.2405] have proven the conjecture for ranks less than or equal to p case.)] In addition, we prove a tensor product theorem for strongly semistable Higgs bundles with p satisfying some bounds (Theorem 4.3). From this we reprove a tensor theorem for semistable Higgs bundles on the condition that the Lan–Sheng–Zuo conjecture holds (Corollary 4.4).
TWO MEROMORPHIC FUNCTIONS SHARING SOME PAIRS OF SMALL FUNCTIONS REGARDLESS OF MULTIPLICITIES
Authors: QUANG SI DUC , QUYNH LE NGOC
Published: January 2014

In this paper, we prove that two meromorphic functions f and g must be linked by a quasi-Möbius transformation if they share a pair of small functions ignoring multiplicities and share other four pairs of small functions with multiplicities truncated by 2. We also show that two meromorphic functions which share q (q ≥ 6) pairs of small functions ignoring multiplicities are linked by a quasi-Möbius transformation. Moreover, in our results, the zeros with multiplicities more than a certain number are not needed to be counted in the condition sharing pairs of small functions of meromorphic functions. These results are generalization and improvements of some recent results.
CHEN–GACKSTATTER TYPE SURFACES IN ${\mathbb R}_{1}^{4}$: DEFORMATION, SYMMETRY, AND THE PROBLEM OF EMBEDDEDNESS
Authors: XIE ZHENXIAO , MA XIANG
Published: January 2014

We find a 2-parameter family of deformations in [Formula: see text] of the classical Chen–Gackstatter surface explicitly, and show the existence of a larger 4-parameter family of deformations. Each of them still has genus one, a unique end, with total Gaussian curvature - ∫ K = 8π. On the other hand, a uniqueness theorem is obtained when we assume that the surface has more than four symmetries. The problem of embeddedness is also discussed with some partial results.
Stochastic quasi-synchronization for uncertain chaotic delayed neural networks
Authors: Zhang Shuo , Yu Yongguang , Wen Guoguang , Rahmani Ahmed
Published: January 2014

The stochastic quasi-synchronization issue for uncertain chaotic delayed neural networks (DNNs) is investigated. Stochastic perturbation and three uncertain elements, including the discontinuous activation functions, mismatched connection weight parameters and unknown connection weight parameters, are considered in the chaotic DNNs. According to the Ito formula and the inequality techniques, the parameters update laws and the control laws are given to realize the synchronization. And a stochastic quasi-synchronization criterion is established. Furthermore, sufficient conditions are proposed for the control of the synchronization error bound by choosing appropriate control laws. Some numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.
DAMPING IN TWO-COMPONENT BOSE GAS
Authors: BHATTACHERJEE ARANYA B.
Published: January 2014

In this paper, we investigate the Landau and Baliaev damping of the collective modes in a two-component Bose gas using the mean-field approximation. We show that due to the two body atom–atom interaction, oscillations of each component is coupled to the thermal excitations of the other component which gives rise to creation or destruction of the elementary excitations that can take place in the two separate components. In addition, we find that the damping is also enhanced due to inter-component coupling.
FINITE ELEMENT SIMULATIONS ON MECHANICAL SELF-ASSEMBLY OF BIOMIMETIC HELICAL STRUCTURES
Authors: GUO QIAOHANG , ZHENG HUANG , CHEN WENZHE , CHEN ZI
Published: January 2014

Helices are ubiquitous building blocks in natural systems, and have since become major sources of inspiration for engineering design of helical devices with a range of applications in sensors, transducers, transistors and micro-robotics devices. In this work, we illustrate the mechanical self-assembly principle in spontaneous helical structures, and perform finite element simulations to model such large deformation of thin structures in three dimensions. Our work can facilitate designs of tunable helical structures at both macroscopic and microscopic scales with desirable geometric parameters for engineering applications such as in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), drug delivery, sensors, acturators, optoelectronics and microbotics.
Catalytic activity to lithium-thionylchloride battery of different transitional metal carboxylporphyrins
Authors: Lü Xiangfei , Hu Nan jiang , Li Jun , Zhang Zeng qi , Tang Wei
Published: January 2014

The 5-(4-carboxylatomethoxy)phenyl-10,15,20-triphenyl porphyrin ( H 2 Pp ) and its transition metal complex (MPp, M = Zn 2+, Co 2+, Ni 2+, Cu 2+) were synthesized and characterized by IR, UV-vis, MS and elementary analysis. Electrocatalytic effects associated with the reduction of thionyl chloride in a lithium/thionyl chloride ( Li / SOCl 2) battery containing H 2 Pp and its transition metal complex (MPp, M = Zn 2+, Co 2+, Ni 2+, Cu 2+) are evaluated by the relative energy of the battery and discharge time. The results indicate that the energy of Li / SOCl 2 battery catalyzed by CuPp and ZnPp is 103.7%, 106.3%, respectively, higher than that of Li / SOCl 2 battery in the absence of the porphyrins. The energy of Li / SOCl 2 battery whose electrolyte contains NiPp and CoPp is similar to that of the cell in the absence of these complexes. It shows that the electronic configuration of the central metal ion influences a charge-transfer process during the reduction of thionyl chloride. With the increasing numbers of d electrons of the central metal ion, the catalytic activity of MPps was enhanced. The ZnPp with electronic configuration d10 of central metal ion exhibits relatively high catalytic activity.
SIMULATION TO THE CYCLIC DEFORMATION OF POLYCRYSTALLINE ALUMINUM ALLOY USING CRYSTAL PLASTICITY FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
Authors: LUO JUAN , KANG GUOZHENG , SHI MINGXING
Published: January 2014

A crystal plasticity based finite element model (i.e., FE model) is used in this paper to simulate the cyclic deformation of polycrystalline aluminum alloy plates. The Armstrong–Frederick nonlinear kinematic hardening rule is employed in the single crystal constitutive model to capture the Bauschinger effect and ratcheting of aluminum single crystal presented under the cyclic loading conditions. A simple model of latent hardening is used to consider the interaction of dislocations between different slipping systems. The proposed single crystal constitutive model is implemented numerically into a FE code, i.e., ABAQUS. Then, the proposed model is verified by comparing the simulated results of cyclic deformation with the corresponding experimental ones of a face-centered cubic polycrystalline metal, i.e., rolled 5083 aluminum alloy. In the meantime, it is shown that the model is capable of predicting local heterogeneous deformation in single crystal scale, which plays an important role in the macroscopic deformation of polycrystalline aggregates. Under the cyclic loading conditions, the effect of applied strain amplitude on the responded stress amplitude and the dependence of ratcheting strain on the applied stress level are reproduced reasonably.
A Hierarchical Market Solution to the Min–Max Multiple Depots Vehicle Routing Problem
Authors: Kivelevitch Elad , Sharma Balaji , Ernest Nicholas , Kumar Manish , Cohen Kelly
Published: January 2014

The problem of assigning a group of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to perform spatially distributed tasks often requires that the tasks will be performed as quickly as possible. This problem can be defined as the Min–Max Multiple Depots Vehicle Routing Problem (MMMDVRP), which is a benchmark combinatorial optimization problem. In this problem, UAVs are assigned to service tasks so that each task is serviced once and the goal is to minimize the longest tour performed by any UAV in its motion from its initial location (depot) to the tasks and back to the depot. This problem arises in many time-critical applications, e.g. mobile targets assigned to UAVs in a military context, wildfire fighting, and disaster relief efforts in civilian applications. In this work, we formulate the problem using Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) and Binary Programming and show the scalability limitation of these formulations. To improve scalability, we propose a hierarchical market-based solution (MBS). Simulation results demonstrate the ability of the MBS to solve large scale problems and obtain better costs compared with other known heuristic solution.
Intracortical microstimulation of supplementary eye field impairs ability of monkeys to make serially ordered saccades
Authors: Berdyyeva Tamara K. , Olson Carl R.
Published: January 2014

Neurons in the supplementary eye field (SEF) of the macaque monkey exhibit rank selectivity, firing differentially as a function of the phase attained during the performance of a task requiring the execution of saccades to a series of objects in fixed order. The activity of these neurons is commonly thought to represent ordinal position in the service of serial-order performance. However, there is little evidence causally linking neuronal activity in the SEF to sequential behavior. To explore the role of the SEF in serial-order performance, we delivered intracortical microstimulation while monkeys performed a task requiring them to make saccades to three objects in a fixed order on each trial. Microstimulation, considered on average across all SEF sites and all phases of the trial, affected saccadic kinematics. In particular, it prolonged the reaction time, increased the peak velocity, and slightly increased the amplitude of saccades. In addition, it interfered with the monkeys' ability to select the target appropriate to a given phase of the trial. The pattern of the errors was such as would be expected if microstimulation shifted the neural representation of ordinal position toward a later phase of the trial.
A Serological Survey of Akabane Virus Infection in Cattle in Sudan
Authors: Elhassan Amira M. , Mansour Mohammed E. A. , Shamon Awadia A. A. , El Hussein A. M.
Published: January 2014

A cross-sectional survey was carried out in ten states in Sudan to determine seroprevalence and to assess risk factors associated with Akabane virus (AKAV) infection in dairy herds. Serum samples were collected from a total of 361 dairy cattle and tested for antibodies against AKAV using ELISA. The prevalence rates of AKAV antibodies in cattle varied between 69.6% in Khartoum state and 3.3% in Sennar State with an overall prevalence rate of 29.4%. The prevalence rates of AKAV antibodies were significantly associated with breed being high in crossbred (39.9%; P<0.001); female sex (33%; P<0.001), and animals in the age group of 2-3 years old (45.3%; P<0.001). Akabane virus antibodies prevalence was also highly associated with locality (P<0.001); season being high in winter season (58.1%; P<0.001); and animals raised under intensive management system (37%; P<0.001). Among 68 cases suffering from reproductive (abortion and infertility) problems the prevalence rate of AKAV antibodies in animals with infertility problem (76.2%; P<0.03) was significantly higher than in animals with abortion (48.9%). The study revealed that AKAV infection is highly prevalent in dairy cattle in Sudan and this calls for control strategy to be implemented.
Use of Landsat Land Surface Temperature and Vegetation Indices for Monitoring Drought in the Salt Lake Basin Area, Turkey
Authors: Orhan Osman , Ekercin Semih , Dadaser-Celik Filiz
Published: January 2014

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate multitemporal land surface temperature (LST) changes by using satellite remote sensing data. The study included a real-time field work performed during the overpass of Landsat-5 satellite on 21/08/2011 over Salt Lake, Turkey. Normalized vegetation index (NDVI), vegetation condition index (VCI), and temperature vegetation index (TVX) were used for evaluating drought impact over the region between 1984 and 2011. In the image processing step, geometric and radiometric correction procedures were conducted to make satellite remote sensing data comparable within situmeasurements carried out using thermal infrared thermometer supported by hand-held GPS. The results showed that real-time ground and satellite remote sensing data were in good agreement with correlation coefficient (R2) values of 0.90. The remotely sensed and treated satellite images and resulting thematic indices maps showed that dramatic land surface temperature changes occurred (about2∘C) in the Salt Lake Basin area during the 28-year period (1984–2011). Analysis of air temperature data also showed increases at a rate of 1.5–2∘Cduring the same period. Intensification of irrigated agriculture particularly in the southern basin was also detected. The use of water supplies, especially groundwater, should be controlled considering particularly summer drought impacts on the basin.
The Effect of 17β-Estradiol Administration on Cutaneous Wound Healing in 24-Week Ovariectomized Female Mice
Authors: Mukai Kanae , Nakajima Yukari , Urai Tamae , Komatsu Emi , Takata Kana , Miyasaka Yuriko , Nasruddin  , Sugama Junko , Nakatani Toshio
Published: January 2014

Estrogen replacement promotes cutaneous wound healing in 8–10-week young ovariectomized female mice. However, research using aged ovariectomized female mice has not been reported, to the best of our knowledge. Therefore, we investigated the effect of 17β-estradiol on cutaneous wound healing using 24-week middle-aged ovariectomized female mice. Twenty-week-old female mice were divided into three groups: medication with 17β-estradiol after ovariectomy (OVX + 17β-estradiol), ovariectomy (OVX), and sham (SHAM). After 4 weeks, the mice received two full-thickness wounds. Then, the OVX + 17β-estradiol group was administered 17β-estradiol at 0.01 g/day until healing. The ratio of wound area in the OVX + 17β-estradiol group was significantly decreased compared with that in the OVX group. The numbers of neutrophils and macrophages in the OVX + 17β-estradiol group were significantly smaller than those in the OVX group. In addition, the ratio of myofibroblasts in the OVX + 17β-estradiol group was significantly higher than that in the OVX group. These data suggested that exogenous continuous 17β-estradiol administration promotes cutaneous wound healing in 24-week OVX female mice by reducing wound area, shortening inflammatory response, and promoting wound contraction. However, it is unclear whether the effect of exogenous estrogen on wound healing outweighs the delay of wound healing due to advanced age.
Should Steroid Therapy Be Necessarily Needed for Autoimmune Pancreatitis Patients with Lesion Resected due to Misdiagnosed or Suspected Malignancy?
Authors: Wu Wenchuan , Yao Xiuzhong , Lin Chao , Jin Dayong , Wang Dansong , Lou Wenhui , Qin Xinyu
Published: January 2014

To explore whether steroid therapy should be needed for autoimmune pancreatitis patients after operation, eight AIP patients receiving operation were enrolled in this study from January 2007 to July 2013. All patients underwent liver function, CA19-9, and contrast-enhanced CT and/or MRI. Tests of IgG and IgG4 were performed in some patients. Tests of serum TB/DB,γ-GT, andγ-globulin were undergone during the perioperative period. Six cases receiving resection were pathologically confirmed as AIP patients and two were confirmed by intraoperative biopsy. For seven patients, TB/DB level was transiently elevated 1 day or 4 days after operation but dropped below preoperative levels or to normal levels 7 days after operation, and serumγ-GT level presented a downward trend. Serumγ-globulin level exhibited a downward trend among six AIP patients after resection, while an upward trend was found in another two AIP patients receiving internal drainage. Steroid therapy was not given to all six AIP patients until two of them showed new lines of evidence of residual or extrapancreatic AIP lesion after operation, while another two cases without resection received steroid medication. Steroid therapy might not be recommended unless there are new lines of evidence of residual extrapancreatic AIP lesions after resection.
Bandwidth Extension of High Compliance Current Mirror by Using Compensation Methods
Authors: Gupta Maneesha , Singh Urvashi , Srivastava Richa
Published: January 2014

Due to the huge demand of high-speed analog integrated circuits, it is essential to develop a wideband low input impedance current mirror that can be operated at low power supply. In this paper, a novel wideband low voltage high compliance current mirror using low voltage cascode current mirror (LVCCM) as a basic building block is proposed. The resistive compensation and inductive peaking methods have been used to extend the bandwidth of the conventional current mirror. By replacing conventional LVCCM in a high compliance current mirror with the compensated LVCCM, the bandwidth extension ratio of 3.4 has been achieved with no additional DC power dissipation and without affecting its other performances. The circuits are designed in TSMC 0.18 μm CMOS technology on Spectre simulator of Cadence.
A Machine Learning Approach for Specification of Spinal Cord Injuries Using Fractional Anisotropy Values Obtained from Diffusion Tensor Images
Authors: Tay Bunheang , Hyun Jung Keun , Oh Sejong
Published: January 2014

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) uses in vivo images that describe extracellular structures by measuring the diffusion of water molecules. These images capture axonal movement and orientation using echo-planar imaging and provide critical information for evaluating lesions and structural damage in the central nervous system. This information can be used for prediction of Spinal Cord Injuries (SCIs) and for assessment of patients who are recovering from such injuries. In this paper, we propose a classification scheme for identifying healthy individuals and patients. In the proposed scheme, a dataset is first constructed from DTI images, after which the constructed dataset undergoes feature selection and classification. The experiment results show that the proposed scheme aids in the diagnosis of SCIs.
Evaluation of Antioxidant Compounds, Antioxidant Activities, and Mineral Composition of 13 Collected Purslane (Portulaca oleraceaL.) Accessions
Authors: Alam Md. Amirul , Juraimi Abdul Shukor , Rafii M. Y. , Abdul Hamid Azizah , Aslani Farzad , Hasan M. M. , Mohd Zainudin Mohd Asraf , Uddin Md. Kamal
Published: January 2014

The methanolic extracts of 13 accessions of purslane were analyzed for their total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid contents (TFC), and total carotenoid contents (TCC) and antioxidant activity of extracts was screened using FRAP assay and DPPH radical scavenging methods. The TPC, TFC, and TCC ranged from0.96±0.04to9.12±0.29 mg GAE/g DW,0.13±0.04to1.44±0.08 mg RE/g DW, and0.52±0.06to5.64±0.09 mg (β-carotene equivalent) BCE/g DW, respectively. The DPPH scavenging (IC50) activity varied between2.52±0.03 mg/mL and3.29±0.01 mg/mL and FRAP ranged from7.39±0.08to104.2±6.34 μmol TE/g DW. Among all the measured micro- and macrominerals K content was the highest followed by N, Na, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, Zn, and Mn. The overall findings proved that ornamental purslane was richer in antioxidant properties, whereas common purslane possesses more mineral contents than ornamental ones.
Left Ventricular Endocardium Tracking by Fusion of Biomechanical and Deformable Models
Authors: Ketout Hussin , Gu Jason
Published: January 2014

This paper presents a framework for tracking left ventricular (LV) endocardium through 2D echocardiography image sequence. The framework is based on fusion of biomechanical (BM) model of the heart with the parametric deformable model. The BM model constitutive equation consists of passive and active strain energy functions. The deformations of the LV are obtained by solving the constitutive equations using ABAQUS FEM in each frame in the cardiac cycle. The strain energy functions are defined in two user subroutines for active and passive phases. Average fusion technique is used to fuse the BM and deformable model contours. Experimental results are conducted to verify the detected contours and the results are evaluated by comparing themto a created gold standard. The results and the evaluation proved that the framework has the tremendous potential to track and segment the LV through the whole cardiac cycle.
DERMA: A Melanoma Diagnosis Platform Based on Collaborative Multilabel Analog Reasoning
Authors: Nicolas Ruben , Fornells Albert , Golobardes Elisabet , Corral Guiomar , Puig Susana , Malvehy Josep
Published: January 2014

The number of melanoma cancer-related death has increased over the last few years due to the new solar habits. Early diagnosis has become the best prevention method. This work presents a melanoma diagnosis architecture based on the collaboration of several multilabel case-based reasoning subsystems called DERMA. The system has to face up several challenges that include data characterization, pattern matching, reliable diagnosis, and self-explanation capabilities. Experiments using subsystems specialized in confocal and dermoscopy images have provided promising results for helping experts to assess melanoma diagnosis.
Reactive Carbonyl SpeciesIn Vivo: Generation and Dual Biological Effects
Authors: Semchyshyn Halyna M.
Published: January 2014

Reactive carbonyls are widespread species in living organisms and mainly known for their damaging effects. The most abundant reactive carbonyl species (RCS) are derived from oxidation of carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids. Chemical modification of proteins, nucleic acids, and aminophospholipids by RCS results in cytotoxicity and mutagenicity. In addition to their direct toxicity, modification of biomolecules by RCS gives rise to a multitude of adducts and cross links that are increasingly implicated in aging and pathology of a wide range of human diseases. Understanding of the relationship between metabolism of RCS and the development of pathological disorders and diseases may help to develop effective approaches to prevent a number of disorders and diseases. On the other hand, constant persistence of RCS in cells suggests that they perform some useful role in living organisms. The most beneficial effects of RCS are their establishment as regulators of cell signal transduction and gene expression. Since RCS can modulate different biological processes, new tools are required to decipher the precise mechanisms underlying dual effects of RCS.
Cusped and Smooth Solitons for the Generalized Camassa-Holm Equation on the Nonzero Constant Pedestal
Authors: Li Dong , Xie Yongan , Tang Shengqiang
Published: January 2014

We investigate the traveling solitary wave solutions of the generalized Camassa-Holm equationut - uxxt + 3u2ux=2uxuxx + uuxxxon the nonzero constant pedestallimξ→±∞⁡uξ=A. Our procedure shows that the generalized Camassa-Holm equation with nonzero constant boundary has cusped and smooth soliton solutions. Mathematical analysis and numerical simulations are provided for these traveling soliton solutions of the generalized Camassa-Holm equation. Some exact explicit solutions are obtained. We show some graphs to explain our these solutions.
Emerging Risk Factors and Prevention of Perioperative Pulmonary Complications
Authors: Bhateja Priyanka , Kaw Roop
Published: January 2014

Modern surgery is faced with the emergence of newer “risk factors” and the challenges associated with identifying and managing these risks in the perioperative period. Obstructive sleep apnea and obesity hypoventilation syndrome pose unique challenges in the perioperative setting. Recent studies have identified some of the specific risks arising from caring for such patients in the surgical setting. While all possible postoperative complications are not yet fully established or understood, the prevention and management of these complications pose even greater challenges. Pulmonary hypertension with its changing epidemiology and novel management strategies is another new disease for the surgeon and the anesthesiologist in the noncardiac surgical setting. Traditionally most such patients were not considered surgical candidates for any required elective surgery. Our review discusses these disease entities which are often undiagnosed before elective noncardiac surgery.
Microwave Assisted Synthesis of Novel Imidazolopyridinyl Indoles as Potent Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Agents
Authors: Biradar Jaiprakash S. , Rajesab Parveen , Somappa Sasidhar B.
Published: January 2014

We describe herein the design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of novel series of imidazolopyridinyl indole analogues as potent antioxidants and antimicrobials. These novel compounds (3a–i) were synthesized by reacting 3,5-disubstituted-indole-2-carboxylic acid (1a–i) with 2,3-diamino pyridine (2) in excellent yield. The novel products were confirmed by their IR,1H NMR,13C NMR, mass spectral, and analytical data. These compounds were screened for their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Among the compounds tested,3a–dshowed the highest total antioxidant capacity, scavenging, and antimicrobial activities. Compounds3c-dand3g-hhave shown excellent ferric reducing activity.
Talon Cusp: A Prevalence Study of Its Types in Permanent Dentition and Report of a Rare Case of Its Association with Fusion in Mandibular Incisor
Authors: Sharma Gaurav , Nagpal Archna
Published: January 2014

Purpose. The data on various types of talon cusp, a rare developmental anomaly that occurs predominantly on palatal surfaces of maxillary incisors with varied prevalence in different populations, is scarce. Thus, the purpose of study was to evaluate prevalence of various types of talon cusp and its association with sex predilection, site, and other dental anomalies and complications. Subjects and Methods. A cross-sectional prevalence study for various types of talon cusp was conducted in 5200 patients selected randomly. Hattab’s classification criterion was used for diagnosis of types of talon cusp. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed with radiograph. Results. The prevalence of talon cusp was found to be 0.02% (1 in 430 cases). 12 cases of talon cusp in 10 patients (60% males) were documented (2 bilateral cases and 8 unilateral). Type I talon cusp and type II talon cusp were present in five cases each (40.1%) and type III talon cusp was observed in two (16.2%) cases. Conclusion. Type I talon cusp and type II talon cusp were the most common types and permanent maxillary central incisor was the most commonly involved tooth (50%). An extremely rare case of talon cusp on a fused permanent mandibular incisor is also reported.
Proximal Alternating Direction Method with Relaxed Proximal Parameters for the Least Squares Covariance Adjustment Problem
Authors: Xu Minghua , Zhang Yong , Huang Qinglong , Yang Zhenhua
Published: January 2014

We consider the problem of seeking a symmetric positive semidefinite matrix in a closed convex set to approximate a given matrix. This problem may arise in several areas of numerical linear algebra or come from finance industry or statistics and thus has many applications. For solving this class of matrix optimization problems, many methods have been proposed in the literature. The proximal alternating direction method is one of those methods which can be easily applied to solve these matrix optimization problems. Generally, the proximal parameters of the proximal alternating direction method are greater than zero. In this paper, we conclude that the restriction on the proximal parameters can be relaxed for solving this kind of matrix optimization problems. Numerical experiments also show that the proximal alternating direction method with the relaxed proximal parameters is convergent and generally has a better performance than the classical proximal alternating direction method.
Blood Transfusions in Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: An Analysis of Outcomes
Authors: Danninger Thomas , Rasul Rehana , Poeran Jashvant , Stundner Ottokar , Mazumdar Madhu , Fleischut Peter M. , Poultsides Lazaros , Memtsoudis Stavros G.
Published: January 2014

Background.Various studies have raised concern of worse outcomes in patients receiving blood transfusions perioperatively compared to those who do not. In this study we attempted to determine the proportion of perioperative complications in the orthopedic population attributable to the use of a blood transfusion.Methods.Data from 400 hospitals in the United States were used to identify patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA) from 2006 to 2010. Patient and health care demographics, as well as comorbidities and perioperative outcomes were compared. Multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to determine associations between transfusion, age, and comorbidities and various perioperative outcomes. Population attributable fraction (PAF) was determined to measure the proportion of outcome attributable to transfusion and other risk factors.Results.Of 530,089 patients, 18.93% received a blood transfusion during their hospitalization. Patients requiring blood transfusion were significantly older and showed a higher comorbidity burden. In addition, these patients had significantly higher rates of major complications and a longer length of hospitalization. The logistic regression models showed that transfused patients were more likely to have adverse health outcomes than nontransfused patients. However, patients who were older or had preexisting diseases carried a higher risk than use of a transfusion for these outcomes. The need for a blood transfusion explained 9.51% (95% CI 9.12–9.90) of all major complications.Conclusions.Advanced age and high comorbidity may be responsible for a higher proportion of adverse outcomes in THA and TKA patients than blood transfusions.
The Enzymatic Decolorization of Textile Dyes by the Immobilized Polyphenol Oxidase from Quince Leaves
Authors: Arabaci Gulnur , Usluoglu Ayse
Published: January 2014

Water pollution due to release of industrial wastewater has already become a serious problem in almost every industry using dyes to color its products. In this work, polyphenol oxidase enzyme from quince (Cydonia Oblonga) leaves immobilized on calcium alginate beads was used for the successful and effective decolorization of textile industrial effluent. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme was extracted from quince (Cydonia Oblonga) leaves and immobilized on calcium alginate beads. The kinetic properties of free and immobilized PPO were determined. Quince leaf PPO enzyme stability was increased after immobilization. The immobilized and free enzymes were employed for the decolorization of textile dyes. The dye solutions were prepared in the concentration of 100 mg/L in distilled water and incubated with free and immobilized quince (Cydonia Oblonga) leaf PPO for one hour. The percent decolorization was calculated by taking untreated dye solution. Immobilized PPO was significantly more effective in decolorizing the dyes as compared to free enzyme. Our results showed that the immobilized quince leaf PPO enzyme could be efficiently used for the removal of synthetic dyes from industrial effluents.
Serum and Urinary NGAL in Septic Newborns
Authors: Smertka Mike , Wroblewska Jolanta , Suchojad Anna , Majcherczyk Malgorzata , Jadamus-Niebroj Danuta , Owsianka-Podlesny Teresa , Brzozowska Aniceta , Maruniak-Chudek Iwona
Published: January 2014

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is postulated to be a potentially new and highly specific/sensitive marker of acute kidney injury (AKI). The aim of this study was to assess the impact of inflammation on serum and urine NGAL in newborns that were treated due to infection. We determined serum and urine NGAL concentrations in 73 infants (51 with sepsis; 22 with severe sepsis) admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in the first month of life, for three consecutive days during the course of treatment for infection. 29 neonates without infection served as the control group. Septic patients, in particular, severe sepsis patients, had increased serum and urinary NGAL levels in the three subsequent days of observation. Five septic patients who developed AKI had elevated serum and urinary NGAL values to a similar extent as septic neonates without AKI. A strong correlation was found between the concentration of serum and urinary NGAL and inflammatory markers, such as CRP and procalcitonin. Serum and urinary NGAL levels were also significantly associated with NTISS (neonatal therapeutic intervention scoring system) values. We conclude that increased serum and urinary NGAL values are not solely a marker of AKI, and more accurately reflect the severity of inflammatory status.
Molecular Divergence and Species Delimitation of the Cultivated Oyster Mushrooms: Integration of IGS1 and ITS
Authors: Avin Farhat Ahmadi , Bhassu Subha , Tan Yee Shin , Shahbazi Pedram , Vikineswary Sabaratnam
Published: January 2014

Identification of edible mushrooms particularlyPleurotusgenus has been restricted due to various obstacles. The present study attempted to use the combination of two variable regions of IGS1 and ITS for classifying the economically cultivatedPleurotusspecies. Integration of the two regions proved a high ability that not only could clearly distinguish the species but also served sufficient intraspecies variation. Phylogenetic tree (IGS1 + ITS) showed seven distinct clades, each clade belonging to a separate species group. Moreover, the species differentiation was tested by AMOVA and the results were reconfirmed by presenting appropriate amounts of divergence (91.82% among and 8.18% within the species). In spite of achieving a proper classification of species by combination of IGS1 and ITS sequences, the phylogenetic tree showed the misclassification of the species ofP. nebrodensisandP. eryngiivar.ferulaewith other strains ofP. eryngii. However, the constructed median joining (MJ) network could not only differentiate between these species but also offer a profound perception of the species’ evolutionary process. Eventually, due to the sufficient variation among and within species, distinct sequences, simple amplification, and location between ideal conserved ribosomal genes, the integration of IGS1 and ITS sequences is recommended as a desirable DNA barcode.
Periodic Solutions for Semilinear Fourth-Order Differential Inclusions via Nonsmooth Critical Point Theory
Authors: Yang Bian-Xia , Sun Hong-Rui
Published: January 2014

Three periodic solutions with prescribed wavelength for a class of semilinear fourth-order differential inclusions are obtained by using a nonsmooth version critical point theorem. Some results of previous related literature are extended.
Restorative Prospective of Powdered Seeds Extract ofGarcinia kolainChrysichthys furcatusInduced withGlyphosateFormulation
Authors: Ikpesu T. O. , Tongo I. , Ariyo A.
Published: January 2014

Responses ofChrysichthys furcatusto glyphosate formulation andGarcinia kolaseed extracts were investigated using the organization for Economic Cooperation and Development numbers 203 and 407 recommended toxicity bioassay. The fish were divided into five groups and exposed to different treatments of glyphosate formulation andGarcinia kolaseed extract, with the control serving as a reference. Water quality parameters and blood chemistry were estimated in the experimental and control fish at the end of 28 days. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) between fish treated with glyphosate formulation alone and other treatments except for dissolved oxygen which was highly significant (P<0.01) between fish treated with glyphosate formulation alone and other treatments and the control. All the blood parameters were significantly (P<0.05) affected by glyphosate formulation when compared with the control. The changes observed in glyphosate formulation alone were reversible whenG. kolaseeds extract was added and was dose dependent. The plant’s extract has shown to be a good remedy to pollutants, and formulations of the seed extract into tablets or capsules could serve as antidote to ameliorate the effects of pollutants. This finding can reduce the risk of biomagnifications of poisons along the food chain.
Vaginal Delivery and Maternal Knowledge on Correct Breastfeeding Initiation Time as Predictors of Early Breastfeeding Initiation: Lesson from a Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Musa Seid Abdulbasit
Published: January 2014

Background. Early initiation of breastfeeding is a recommended practice by the World Health Organization (WHO), but in Ethiopia only 52% of the mothers practiced early initiation of breastfeeding. Hence, this study aimed to assess prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding and the associated factors among mothers in Bahir Dar City, northwest Ethiopia.Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among mothers who delivered 12 months before the study began in Bahir Dar City, northwest Ethiopia. A cluster sampling technique was used to select a sample of 819 participants. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed.Results. In this study, the prevalence of early initiation was found to be 87.0%. On multivariate logistic regression, delivering vaginally (AOR = 7.37, 95% CI = 4.24, 13.82) and being knowledgeable on correct initiation time (AOR = 6.08, 95% CI = 3.71, 9.95) were found to be independent predictors of early initiation.Conclusions. Prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding in Bahir Dar city is relatively good but still lower than the national plan. Delivering vaginally and being knowledgeable on correct initiation time were significantly associated with early initiation. Increasing maternal knowledge on correct initiation and providing adequate pain relief and early assistance for mothers who gave birth by C/S were recommended.
A Comprehensive Estimation of the Economic Effects of Meteorological Services Based on the Input-Output Method
Authors: Wu Xianhua , Wei Guo , Yang Lingjuan , Guo Ji , Lu Huaguo , Chen Yunfeng , Sun Jian
Published: January 2014

Concentrating on consuming coefficient, partition coefficient, and Leontief inverse matrix, relevant concepts and algorithms are developed for estimating the impact of meteorological services including the associated (indirect, complete) economic effect. Subsequently, quantitative estimations are particularly obtained for the meteorological services in Jiangxi province by utilizing the input-output method. It is found that the economic effects are noticeably rescued by the preventive strategies developed from both the meteorological information and internal relevance (interdependency) in the industrial economic system. Another finding is that the ratio range of input in the complete economic effect on meteorological services is about 1 : 108.27–1 : 183.06, remarkably different from a previous estimation based on the Delphi method (1 : 30–1 : 51). Particularly, economic effects of meteorological services are higher for nontraditional users of manufacturing, wholesale and retail trades, services sector, tourism and culture, and art and lower for traditional users of agriculture, forestry, livestock, fishery, and construction industries.
An Overview of the Environmental Applicability of Vermicompost: From Wastewater Treatment to the Development of Sensitive Analytical Methods
Authors: Pereira Madson de Godoi , Cardoso de Souza Neta Lourdes , Fontes Maurício Paulo Ferreira , Souza Adriana Nascimento , Carvalho Matos Thaionara , de Lima Sachdev Raquel , dos Santos Arnaud Victor , Oliveira da Guarda Souza Marluce , de Andrade Marta Valéria Almeida Santana , Marinho Maciel Paulo Gabriela , Ribeiro Joselito Nardy , Verónica Flores Nardy Ribeiro Araceli
Published: January 2014

The use of vermicompost (humified material) for treating wastewaters, remediating polluted soils, improving agricultural productivity, protecting crop production, and developing sensitive analytical methods is reviewed here, covering the past 17 years. The main advantages of vermicompost, considering all applications covered in this paper, comprise (i) easy acquisition, (ii) low costs, (iii) structural, chemical, and biological characteristics responsible for exceptional adsorptive capacities as well as pollutant degradation, and (iv) the promotion of biocontrol. Specifically, for wastewater decontamination, a considerable number of works have verified the adsorption of toxic metals, but the application of vermicompost is still scarce for the retention of organic compounds. Problems related to the final disposal of enriched vermicompost (after treatment steps) are often found, in spite of some successful destinations such as organic fertilizer. For decontaminating soils, the use of vermicompost is quite scarce, mainly for inorganic pollutants. In agricultural productivity and biocontrol, vermicompost imparts remarkable benefits regarding soil aggregation, plant nutrition, and the development of beneficial microorganisms against phytopathogens. Finally, the use of vermicompost in sensitive analytical methods for quantifying toxic metals is the newest application of this adsorbent.
Multisynchronization of Chaotic Oscillators via Nonlinear Observer Approach
Authors: Aguilar-López Ricardo , Martínez-Guerra Rafael , Mata-Machuca Juan L.
Published: January 2014

The goal of this work is to synchronize a class of chaotic oscillators in a master-slave scheme, under different initial conditions, considering several slaves systems. The Chen oscillator is employed as a benchmark model and a nonlinear observer is proposed to reach synchronicity between the master and the slaves’ oscillators. The proposed observer contains a proportional and integral form of a bounded function of the synchronization error in order to provide asymptotic synchronization with a satisfactory performance. Numerical experiments were carried out to show the operation of the considered methodology.
Assessment ofMycobacterium bovisDeleted inp27-p55Virulence Operon as Candidate Vaccine against Tuberculosis in Animal Models
Authors: Bianco María V. , Clark Simon , Blanco Federico C. , Garbaccio Sergio , García Elizabeth , Cataldi Angel A. , Williams Ann , Bigi Fabiana
Published: January 2014

AMycobacterium bovisknockout inp27-p55operon was tested as an antituberculosis experimental vaccine in animal models. The mutant MbΔp27-p55 was significantly more attenuated in nude mice than its parental strain but more virulent than BCG Pasteur. Challenge experiments in mice and guinea pigs usingM. bovisorM. tuberculosisstrains showed similar protection conferred by MbΔp27-p55 mutant than BCG in terms of pathology and bacterial loads in spleen but lower protection than BCG in lungs. When tested in cattle, MbΔp27-p55 did not induce IL-2 expression and induced a very low production of IFNγ, suggesting that the lack of P27/P55 reduces the capacity ofM. bovisof triggering an adequate Th1 response.