bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antiplatelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) activity in the saliva of ixodid ticks is linked with their long mouthparts
Authors: Slovák M. , Štibrániová I. , Hajnická V. , Nuttall P. A.
Published: October 2013

The saliva of blood‐feeding arthropods modulates their vertebrate hosts' haemostatic, inflammatory and immune responses to facilitate blood feeding. In a previous study, we showed that salivary gland products from ixodid tick species also manipulate the wound‐healing response by targeting at least four different mammalian growth factors: transforming growth factor β1, hepatocyte growth factor, fibroblast growth factor 2 and platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF). In addition, species that showed PDGF‐binding activity also inhibited cell proliferation in vitro and induced changes in cell morphology accompanied by disruption of the actin cytoskeleton. Here, we show a correlation between the length of the tick hypostome, the sclerotized feeding tube of the mouthparts inserted into the host's skin and anti‐PDGF activity. This apparent link between hypostome length, and hence the potential depth of skin damage, and PDGF‐binding activity was not apparent for the other growth factors or for other cytokines important in wound healing (keratinocyte growth factor, interleukin 6 and stromal cell‐derived factor 1). However, PDGF‐binding activity was no longer correlated with anti‐cell activities, indicating that an additional as yet unidentified activity in tick saliva may affect cellular changes in wound repair.
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) long‐chain acyl‐coenzyme A synthetases expressed at high levels in developing seeds
Authors: Aznar‐Moreno Jose A. , Venegas Calerón Mónica , Martínez‐Force Enrique , Garcés Rafael , Mullen Robert , Gidda Satinder K. , Salas Joaquín J.
Published: October 2013

Long chain fatty acid synthetases (LACSs) activate the fatty acid chains produced by plastidial de novo biosynthesis to generate acyl‐CoA derivatives, important intermediates in lipid metabolism. Oilseeds, like sunflower, accumulate high levels of triacylglycerols (TAGs) in their seeds to nourish the embryo during germination. This requires that sunflower seed endosperm supports very active glycerolipid synthesis during development. Sunflower seed plastids produce large amounts of fatty acids, which must be activated through the action of LACSs, in order to be incorporated into TAGs. We cloned two different LACS genes from developing sunflower endosperm, HaLACS1 and HaLACS2, which displayed sequence homology with Arabidopsis LACS9 and LACS8 genes, respectively. These genes were expressed at high levels in developing seeds and exhibited distinct subcellular distributions. We generated constructs in which these proteins were fused to green fluorescent protein and performed transient expression experiments in tobacco cells. The HaLACS1 protein associated with the external envelope of tobacco chloroplasts, whereas HaLACS2 was strongly bound to the endoplasmic reticulum. Finally, both proteins were overexpressed in Escherichia coli and recovered as active enzymes in the bacterial membranes. Both enzymes displayed similar substrate specificities, with a very high preference for oleic acid and weaker activity toward stearic acid. On the basis of our findings, we discuss the role of these enzymes in sunflower oil synthesis.
Prediction of Parturition in Bitches Utilizing Continuous Vaginal Temperature Measurement
Authors: Geiser B , Burfeind O , Heuwieser W , Arlt S
Published: October 2013

Contents

The objective of this study was to determine sensitivity and specificity of a body temperature decline in bitches to predict parturition. Temperature loggers were placed into the vaginal cavity of 16 pregnant bitches on day 56–61 after estimated ovulation or first mating. This measurement technique has been validated previously and enabled continuous sampling of body temperature. The temperature loggers were expelled from the vagina before delivery of the first pup. The computed values for specificity (77–92%) were higher than sensitivity (53–69%), indicating a more precise prognosis of parturition not occurring. In conclusion, our findings may assist interpreting vaginal temperature measurements in order to predict parturition in bitches.
Association Pattern Discovery Via Theme Dictionary Models
Authors: Deng Ke , Geng Zhi , Liu Jun S.
Published: October 2013

Discovering patterns from a set of text or, more generally, categorical data is an important problem in many disciplines such as biomedical research, linguistics, artificial intelligence and sociology. We consider here the well-known ‘market basket’ problem that is often discussed in the data mining community, and is also quite ubiquitous in biomedical research. The data under consideration are a set of ‘baskets’, where each basket contains a list of ‘items’. Our goal is to discover ‘themes’, which are defined as subsets of items that tend to co-occur in a basket. We describe a generative model, i.e. the theme dictionary model, for such data structures and describe two likelihood-based methods to infer themes that are hidden in a collection of baskets. We also propose a novel sequential Monte Carlo method to overcome computational challenges. Using both simulation studies and real applications, we demonstrate that the new approach proposed is significantly more powerful than existing methods, such as association rule mining and topic modelling, in detecting weak and subtle interactions in the data.
Structured Functional Additive Regression in Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces
Authors: Zhu Hongxiao , Yao Fang , Zhang Hao Helen
Published: October 2013

Functional additive models provide a flexible yet simple framework for regressions involving functional predictors. The utilization of a data-driven basis in an additive rather than linear structure naturally extends the classical functional linear model. However, the critical issue of selecting non-linear additive components has been less studied. In this work, we propose a new regularization framework for structure estimation in the context of reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces. The approach proposed takes advantage of functional principal components which greatly facilitates implementation and theoretical analysis. The selection and estimation are achieved by penalized least squares using a penalty which encourages the sparse structure of the additive components. Theoretical properties such as the rate of convergence are investigated. The empirical performance is demonstrated through simulation studies and a real data application.
Palynological approach in upper Quaternary terrestrial carbonates of central Italy: Anything but a ‘mission impossible’
Authors: Bertini Adele , Minissale Angelo , Ricci Marianna
Published: October 2013

A palynological survey has been carried out on two late Quaternary travertine s.l. deposits of central Italy at Serre di Rapolano and Bagnoli (Tuscany region). The principal aim was to improve the understanding of factors that affect the accumulation and preservation of pollen grains in thermal (i.e. travertine) and ambient temperature (i.e. calcareous tufa) terrestrial carbonates. For this purpose, 52 526 pollen grains belonging to 118 pollen taxa from local to extra‐regional sources were analysed in 200 samples from different travertine and calcareous tufa lithofacies. Of these, 97 samples, generally from thermal travertines, were barren in palynomorphs. By contrast, pollen grains in the remaining samples were well‐preserved and did not show differential preservation features. These observations suggest that the pH of the solutions from which travertine or tufa precipitate is not a limiting factor in causing corrosion and/or destruction of pollen grains. Rather, the barrenness recorded in many samples appears to reflect a paucity of pollen rather than post‐depositional destruction. Results suggest that the depositional energy of the environment during the deposition of travertine plays an important role in controlling pollen concentration, as verified in both depressions (lower energy to higher pollen concentration) and slopes (higher energy to lower pollen concentration), respectively. Analysis of pollen data suggests that relatively high depositional temperatures and rates of carbonate deposition are also major limiting factors for efficient accumulation of pollen grains. Results of this study reveal that understanding pollen taphonomy processes in travertine and calcareous tufa is critical to developing accurate palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic reconstructions.
Continuous vs interval training on glycemic control and macro‐ and microvascular reactivity in type 2 diabetic patients
Authors: Mitranun W. , Deerochanawong C. , Tanaka H. , Suksom D.
Published: October 2013

To determine the effects of continuous aerobic exercise training (CON) vs interval aerobic exercise training (INT) on glycemic control and endothelium‐dependent vasodilatation, 43 participants with type 2 diabetes were randomly allocated to the sedentary, CON, and INT groups. The CON and INT exercise training programs were designed to yield the same energy expenditure/exercise session and included walking on treadmill for 30 and 40 min/day, 3 times/week for 12 weeks. Body fatness and heart rate at rest decreased and leg muscle strength increased (all P < 0.05) in both the CON and INT groups. Fasting blood glucose levels decreased (P < 0.05) in both exercise groups but glycosylated hemoglobin levels decreased (P < 0.05) only in the INT group. Maximal aerobic capacity, flow‐mediated dilation, and cutaneous reactive hyperemia increased significantly in both exercise groups; however, the magnitude of improvements was greater in the INT group. Only the INT group experienced reductions in erythrocyte malondialdehyde and serum von Willebrand factor and increases in plasma glutathione peroxidase and nitric oxide (all P < 0.05). We concluded that both continuous and interval training were effective in improving glycemic control, aerobic fitness, and endothelium‐dependent vasodilation, but the interval training program appears to confer greater improvements than the continuous training program.
Stalking: Does it Leave a Psychological Footprint?
Authors: Diette Timothy M. , Goldsmith Arthur H. , Hamilton Darrick , Darity William , McFarland Katherine
Published: October 2013

Objectives

This article offers new evidence on whether stalking damages the mental health of female victims. This study advances the literature by accounting for age of initial stalking victimization, mental health status prior to being stalked, and exposure to other forms of traumatic victimization.

Methods

Using logistical analysis, we utilize data drawn from three large national data sets.

Results

We find that being the victim of stalking as a young adult, ages 18–45, significantly increases the odds of initial onset of psychological distress; however, this is not the case for victims ages 12–17.

Conclusions

Stalking has emerged as a deeply disturbing public issue because of its prevalence and the fear it creates in victims. Unfortunately, little is known about the psychological consequences of being stalked because the emerging literature typically is based on small, nonrandom samples. Our findings highlight the benefits of reducing stalking and the importance of supporting victims.
Using Contextualized Geographically Weighted Regression to Model the Spatial Heterogeneity of Land Prices in Beijing, China
Authors: Harris Rich , Dong Guanpeng , Zhang Wenzhong
Published: October 2013

Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) is a method of spatial statistical analysis allowing the modeled relationship between a response variable and a set of covariates to vary geographically across a study region. Its use of geographical weighting arises from the expectation that observations close together by distance are likely to share similar characteristics. In practice, however, two points can be geographically close but socially distant because the contexts (or neighborhoods) within which they are situated are not alike. Drawing on a previous study of geographically and temporally weighted regression, in this article we develop what we describe as contextualized Geographically Weighted Regression (CGWR), applying it to the field of hedonic house price modeling to examine spatial heterogeneity in the land parcel prices of Beijing, China. Contextual variables are incorporated into the analysis by adjusting the geographical weights matrix to measure proximity not only by distance but also with respect to an attribute space defined by measures of each observation's neighborhood. Comparing CGWR with GWR suggests that adding the contextual information improves the model fit.
The Geography, Structure, and Evolution of the GIS Research Community in the US: A Network Analysis from 1992 to 2011
Authors: Mao Liang
Published: October 2013

The research community of Geographic Information Systems and Science (GIS) has been growing rapidly during the last two decades. Little attention has been paid to understanding its geography, structure and evolution. Taking a new organizational perspective, this article aims to fill the knowledge gap by analyzing collaboration and citation networks between GIS research organizations, including academic institutions, government agencies, businesses, and others. These two networks are analyzed in geographical and bibliographical spaces, respectively, to discover characteristic distributions and structures. The results show an uneven geographic distribution of GIS research organizations, and clustered spatial interactions between them. Both collaboration and citation networks exhibit typical “scale‐free” structures, which came into being around the year 2000 and have remained to the present. Further, the GIS research community is composed of 11 cohesive sub‐groups, with each having a clear hub‐spoke structure and a few highly connected organizations as leaders. These results shed light on the overall picture of the GIS research community, and offer a reference system that stimulates further exploration.
Hepatitis E virus infection as a new probable cause of de novo membranous nephropathy after kidney transplantation
Authors: Taton B. , Moreau K. , Lepreux S. , Bachelet T. , Trimoulet P. , De Ledinghen V. , Pommereau A. , Ronco P. , Kamar N. , Merville P. , Couzi L.
Published: October 2013

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has been identified as a cause of chronic viral hepatitis in immunocompromised patients. Some glomerular diseases were found to be associated with this infection. We report the first case, to our knowledge, of a kidney transplant recipient who developed an HEV infection and de novo membranous nephropathy (MN) concomitantly. The patient displayed a hepatic cytolysis first and a nephrotic syndrome occurred 3 months later. HEV infection was diagnosed upon positive polymerase chain reaction on plasma and stool samples, and renal allograft biopsy revealed de novo MN. Typical causes of MN were definitively excluded. A 3‐month course of ribavirin monotherapy allowed the patient to mount a sustained viral response that was rapidly followed by complete remission of the nephrotic syndrome. The chronology of the onset and remission of both diseases is highly suggestive of a causal relationship between hepatitis E and MN.
Efficacy and side effects of praziquantel in the treatment for Schistosoma mansoni infection in school children in Senbete Town, northeastern Ethiopia
Authors: Reta Birehanu , Erko Berhanu
Published: October 2013

Objective

To assess the efficacy and side effects of praziquantel in the treatment for Schistosoma mansoni infection in school children in Senbete Town, northeastern Ethiopia.

Methods

A single stool specimen was collected from 342 school children and examined for S. mansoni ova using Kato–Katz technique (single slide) and formol‐ether concentration technique. Positive individuals were treated with a single oral dose of praziquantel at 40 mg/kg body weight. Egg reduction and cure rates were assessed 4 weeks post‐treatment. Structured questionnaires were also used to collect pre‐treatment and 24‐h post‐treatment signs and symptoms to assess side effects of the drug.

Results

Praziquantel reduced the egg rate by 79.46% and achieved a cure rate of 82.89% 4 weeks post‐treatment. 86.67% of the children presented at least one transient drug‐related sign and symptom 24‐h post‐treatment.

Conclusion

Praziquantel demonstrated sufficient efficacy against S. mansoni in Senbete Town, northeastern Ethiopia. Mild and transient signs and symptoms associated with therapy disappeared within 24 h without specific treatment.
Low prevalence of renal dysfunction in HIV‐infected pregnant women: implications for guidelines for the prevention of mother‐to‐child transmission of HIV
Authors: Myer Landon , Kamkuemah Monika , Kaplan Richard , Bekker Linda‐Gail
Published: October 2013

Objective

Emerging international guidelines for the prevention of mother‐to‐child transmission of HIV infection across sub‐Saharan Africa call for the initiation of a triple‐drug antiretroviral regimen containing tenofovir, a potentially nephrotoxic agent, in all HIV‐infected pregnant women at the first antenatal clinic visit. While there are significant benefits to the rapid initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in pregnancy, there are few data on the prevalence of pre‐existing renal disease in HIV‐infected pregnant women and in turn, the potential risks of this approach are not well understood.

Methods

We analysed data on renal function in consecutive patients eligible for ART at a large primary healthcare clinic in Cape Town. All individuals were screened for renal dysfunction via serum creatinine and estimation of creatinine clearance via the Cockroft–Gault equation.

Results

Over a 2‐year period, 238 pregnant women, 1014 non‐pregnant women and 609 men were screened to initiate ART. Pregnant women eligible were significantly younger, in earlier stages of HIV disease, had higher CD4 cell counts and lower HIV viral loads, than non‐pregnant adults. The median serum creatinine in pregnant women (46 µmol/L) was significantly lower and the median creatinine clearance (163 ml/min/1.73 m2) was significantly higher than other groups (P < 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively). Fewer than 1% of pregnant women had moderate renal dysfunction before ART initiation, with no instances of severe dysfunction observed, compared to 7% moderate or severe renal dysfunction in non‐pregnant women or men (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Renal dysfunction in HIV‐infected pregnant women is significantly less common than in other HIV‐infected adults eligible for ART. The risks associated with initiating tenofovir immediately in pregnant women before reviewing serum creatinine results may be limited, and the benefits of rapid ART initiation in pregnancy may outweigh possible risks of nephrotoxicity.
Skin eruptions specific to pregnancy: an overview
Authors: Maharajan Ajaya , Aye Christina , Ratnavel Ravi , Burova Ekaterina
Published: October 2013

Key content

Pregnancy results in various physiological skin changes. As a consequence, some common dermatoses can present more frequently in pregnant women. In addition, there are a number of skin eruptions unique to pregnancy.

The aetiology of physiological skin changes in pregnancy is uncertain but is thought to be due to hormonal and physical changes of pregnancy.

The four dermatoses of pregnancy are: atopic eruption of pregnancy, pemphigoid gestationis, polymorphic eruption of pregnancy and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

Learning objectives

To understand the physiological skin changes in pregnancy.

To identify the skin conditions that require appropriate referral.

To be able to take a history, to diagnose the skin eruptions unique to pregnancy, undertake appropriate investigations and first‐line management, and understand the criteria for referral to a dermatologist.
Product Complexity, Quality of Institutions and the Protrade Effect of Immigrants
Authors: Briant Anthony , Combes Pierre‐Philippe , Lafourcade Miren
Published: October 2013

The paper assesses the trade‐creating impact of foreign‐born residents on the international imports and exports of the French regions where they are settled. The protrade effect of immigrants is investigated along two intertwined dimensions: the complexity of traded goods and the quality of institutions in partner countries. The trade‐enhancing impact of immigrants is, on average, more salient when they come from a country with weak institutions. However, this positive impact is especially large on the imports of simple products. When we turn to complex goods, for which the information channel conveyed by immigrants is the most valuable, immigration enhances imports regardless of the quality of institutions in the partner country. Regarding exports, immigrants substitute for weak institutions on both simple and complex goods.
Efficacy of eight commercial disinfectants against Microsporum canis and Trichophyton spp. infective spores on an experimentally contaminated textile surface
Authors: Moriello Karen A. , Kunder Darcie , Hondzo Hanna
Published: October 2013

Background

An important part of treatment of dermatophytosis is the removal of infective material and decontamination of the environment. It is recognized that the role of disinfectants is to kill infective material not removed during the mechanical removal of debris and gross cleaning steps. A widely used disinfectant in the home is a dilute solution of sodium hypochlorite.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To determine whether over‐the‐counter products, particularly ready‐to‐use formulations, with label claim as fungicidal are effective against Microsporum or Trichophyton spores isolated from cat hair.

Methods

Eight commercial disinfectants were tested in vitro for fungicidal efficacy using three different trials and a 10 min contact time, as follows: a standard 1:10 spore dilution suspension test; 1 and 5 mL of disinfectant solution applied to contaminated gauze fabric; and, to simulate home use, one and five sprays of disinfectant applied to contaminated gauze. Good efficacy was defined as a product that completely inhibited growth.

Results

All products completely inhibited growth in the suspension test. Four of eight products showed complete inhibition of growth of both pathogens on the textile test after 1 mL or one spray; however, all eight products showed complete inhibition of pathogen growth after 5 mL or five sprays.

Conclusions and clinical importance

Aggressive removal of contaminated material followed by thorough application of commercial ready‐to‐use disinfectants labelled as fungicidal against Trichophyton mentagrophytes are alternatives to dilute sodium hypochlorite.
Retrospective evaluation of hyperosmolar hyperglycemia in 66 dogs (1993–2008)
Authors: Trotman Tara K. , Drobatz Kenneth J. , Hess Rebecka S.
Published: October 2013

Objectives

To clinically characterize a large group of dogs with the hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS) and to determine whether 2HHSsubgroups, dogs with hyperosmolar ketonuric (HK) diabetes mellitus (DM) and dogs with hyperosmolar nonketonuric (HNK)DMwere clinically different from one another.

Design

Retrospective study. Records of 1,250 diabetic dogs that were examined between January 1993 and July 2008 were reviewed in order to identify dogs withHHS. Inclusion required a calculated serum osmolality ≥325 mOsm/kg, with or without ketonuria.

Setting

University teaching hospital.

Animals

Sixty‐six dogs with HHS including 34 dogs withHK, 25 dogs withHNK, and 7 dogs with unclassifiedHHS.

Interventions

None.

Measurements and Main Results

HHSwas diagnosed in 5% of dogs withDM.HKandHNKdogs were similar to one another in regard to most historical, physical examination, and clinicopathologic variables as well as outcome. Sixty‐two percent of dogs withHHSsurvived to discharge from the hospital. Poor outcome ofHHSdogs was associated with abnormal mental status (P= 0.03) and a low venous pH (P= 0.045). Dogs withHKwere significantly more likely to have acute pancreatitis (P= 0.046), higher body temperature (P= 0.006), higherWBCcount (P= 0.01), and a shorter duration of clinical signs (P= 0.02) compared to dogs withHNK. Dogs withHNKhad significantly higherBUNand creatinine concentrations (P= 0.0002 andP= 0.008, respectively) and higher calculated osmolality (P= 0.001) compared to dogs withHK.

Conclusions

HHSis a rare condition in which poor outcome is associated with abnormal mental status and low venous pH. Among dogs withHHS, the subgroup of dogs withHKhas significantly more acute pancreatitis, shorter duration of clinical signs, and higher body temperature andWBCcount compared to dogs withHNK, whereas dogs withHNKhave more azotemia and higher calculated osmolality compared to dogs withHK.
Commercially available blood storage containers
Authors: Prowse C. V. , de Korte D. , Hess J. R. , van der Meer P. F. ,   the Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion (BEST) Collaborative
Published: October 2013

Plastic blood bags improve the safety and effectiveness of blood component separation and storage. Progress towards optimal storage systems is driven by medical, scientific, business and environmental concerns and is limited by available materials, consumer acceptance and manufacturing and regulatory concerns. Blood bag manufacturers were invited to submit lists of the bags they manufacture. The lists were combined and sorted by planned use. The lists were analysed by experts to assess the degree to which the products attend to scientific problems. Specific issues addressed included the use of di‐ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) as plasticizer for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) blood bags, the size, material and thickness of platelet bags, and the fracture resistance of plasma bags. Alternatives to DEHP for red blood cell (RBC) storage exist, but are mostly in a developmental stage. Plastic bags (DEHP‐free, PVC‐free) for platelet storage with better gas diffusion capabilities are widely available. Alternatives for plasma storage with better fracture resistance at low temperatures exist. Most RBC products are stored in DEHP‐plasticized PVC as no fully satisfactory alternative exists that ensures adequate storage with low haemolysis. A variety of alternative platelet storage systems are available, but their significance – other than improved oxygen transport – is poorly understood. The necessity to remove DEHP from blood bags still needs to be determined.
Human platelet antigens – 2013
Authors: Curtis B. R. , McFarland J. G.
Published: October 2013

To date, 33 human platelet alloantigens (HPAs) have been identified on six functionally important platelet glycoprotein (GP) complexes and have been implicated in alloimmune platelet disorders including foetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT), posttransfusion purpura (PTP) and multitransfusion platelet refractoriness (MPR). The greatest number of recognized HPA (20 of 33) resides on the GPIIb/IIIa complex, which serves as the receptor for ligands important in mediating haemostasis and inflammation. These include HPA‐1a, the most commonly implicated HPA in FNAIT and PTP in Caucasian populations. Other platelet GP complexes, GPIb/V/IX, GPIa/IIa and CD109, express the remaining 13 HPAs. Of the recognized HPAs, 12 occur as six serologically and genetically defined biallelic ‘systems’ where the –a form designates the higher frequency allele and the –b form, the lower. Twenty‐one other HPAs are low‐frequency or rare antigens for which postulated higher frequency –a alleles have not yet been identified as antibody specificities. In addition to the HPA markers, platelets also express ABO and human leucocyte antigen (HLA) antigens; antibodies directed at the former are occasionally important in FNAIT, and to the latter, in MPR.
TRIPLE‐PHASE HELICAL COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IN DOGS WITH HEPATIC MASSES
Authors: Kutara Kenji , Seki Mamiko , Ishikawa Chieko , Sakai Manabu , Kagawa Yumiko , Iida Gentoku , Ishigaki Kumiko , Teshima Kenji , Edamura Kazuya , Nakayama Tomohiro , Asano Kazushi
Published: October 2013

The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of triple‐phase helical computed tomography (CT) for differentiating canine hepatic masses. Seventy dogs with hepatic masses underwent triple‐phase CT followed by surgical removal of the hepatic masses. Triple‐phase helical CT scans for each dog included precontrast, arterial phase, portal venous phase, and delayed phase studies. The removed hepatic masses were histopathologically classified as hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 47), nodular hyperplasia (n = 14), and hepatic metastatic tumors (n = 9) in dogs. Of the 47 hepatocellular carcinomas, the most common CT findings included a heterogeneous pattern with hyper‐, iso‐, and hypoenhancement in both the arterial and portal venous phases (40/47, 85.1%). Of the 14 nodular hyperplasias, the most common CT findings were a homogeneous pattern with hyper‐ and isoenhancement in both the portal venous and delayed phases (13/14, 92.9%). Of nine hepatic metastatic tumors, the most common CT findings included a homogeneous hypoenhancement pattern in both the arterial and portal venous phases (8/9, 88.9%). In addition, 5 (55.6%) showed homogeneous hypoenhancement patterns in the delayed phase. Findings from our study indicated that triple‐phase CT is a useful tool for preoperative differentiation of hepatocellular carcinoma, nodular hyperplasia, and hepatic metastatic tumors in dogs.
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ODONTOGENIC NEOPLASMS IN DOGS
Authors: Amory Joseph T. , Reetz Jennifer A. , Sánchez Melissa D. , Bradley Charles W. , Lewis John R. , Reiter Alexander M. , Mai Wilfried
Published: October 2013

Odontogenic neoplasms are locally invasive oral tumors in dogs. The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe CT characteristics for varying histopathologic types of canine odontogenic neoplasms. A board‐certified veterinary radiologist who was unaware of histologic findings reviewed and scored imaging studies. A total of 29 dogs were included in the study. Twenty‐three of these dogs had concurrent dental radiographs. The most common CT characteristics for all tumor types were a direct association with or in the region of multiple teeth in 96.4% (27/28), contrast enhancement in 96.3% (26/27), alveolar bone lysis in 93.1% (27/29), and mass‐associated tooth displacement in 85.2% (23/27). Mass‐associated cyst‐like structures were identified in 53.6% (15/28) and were only present in tumors containing odontogenic epithelium. Canine acanthomatous ameloblastomas (n = 15) appeared as extra‐osseous (10/15) or intra‐osseous (5/15) masses. Intra‐osseous canine acanthomatous ameloblastomas were more likely to have mass‐associated cyst‐like structures and were subjectively more aggressive when compared with extra‐osseous canine acanthomatous ameloblastomas. Amyloid‐producing odontogenic tumors (n = 3) had subjectively uniform CT imaging characteristics and consisted of round soft tissue and mineral attenuating masses with multiple associated cyst‐like structures. Fibromatous epulides of periodontal ligament origin (n = 4) were contrast enhancing extra‐osseous masses that were rarely referred for CT examinations and 25% (1/4) were not visible with CT. Other odontogenic tumors were less represented or had more variable CT imaging characteristics. Mass‐associated tooth destruction was appreciated more often with dental radiographs and extra‐oral tumor extension was identified more often with CT.
IMAGING DIAGNOSIS—HYPOGLYCEMIA ASSOCIATED WITH CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA AND PERITONEAL CARCINOMATOSIS IN A HORSE
Authors: Wong David , Hepworth Kate , Yaeger Michael , Miles Kristina , Wilgenbusch Conrad
Published: October 2013

An 8‐year‐old Thoroughbred mare presented for decreased appetite, ataxia, and weakness. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a large volume of anechoic fluid along with multiple masses involving the spleen, liver, and diaphragm. Pleural fluid was identified via ultrasonography and thoracic radiography. Thoracic radiographs also identified pulmonary interstitial nodules, an undulant dorsal diaphragmatic margin and enlargement of tracheobronchial lymph nodes. Clinical signs of weakness and mild seizures were concurrent with hypoglycemic episodes. The final diagnosis was cholangiocarcinoma with extensive metastasis. Clinical signs of weakness, ataxia, and seizures were attributed to a paraneoplastic syndrome of tumor‐associated hypoglycemia that has been infrequently reported in horses.
Numerical Investigation of the Single Phase Forced Convection Heat Transfer Characteristics of Nanofluid Flowing in Smooth and Micro-Fin Tubes
Authors: Kayacı Nurullah , Tabatabaei Mahdi , Celen Ali , Yıldız Oğuzhan , Dalkılıç Ahmet Selim , Wongwises Somchai
Published: October 2013

Forced convection flows of nanofluids containing of water with TiO2 nanoparticles in smooth and micro-fin tubes with constant wall temperature are studied numerically in this paper. A single-phase numerical model having three-dimensional equations is solved with either constant heat flux or temperature dependent properties to determine the hydrodynamics and thermal behaviors of the nanofluid flow by means of a CFD program for the water flow in a smooth tube and micro-fin tubes having various helix angles (0°, 18°). An intensive literature review on the determination of the physical properties (k, μ, ρ, Cp) of nanofluids is given in the paper. The numerical model is validated by means of a CFD program using the experimental smooth tube data as a case study and it is also solved in the CFD program for several micro-fin tubes as a simulation study. Velocity, temperature and pressure distributions are shown in the paper. Besides this, the values of experimental and numerical are compared with each other in terms of friction factors, shear stresses, convective heat transfer coefficients and pressure drops. Moreover, the effects of the presence of nanofluids and micro-fins in the inner surface of the test tube on the heat transfer characteristics are investigated in detail.
Influence of the Aspect Ratio on the Stability of Pseudoplastic Fluids Between Rotating Cylinders
Authors: Ashrafi Nariman , Haghighi Habib Karimi
Published: October 2013

Pseudoplastic circular Couette flow in annulus is investigated in finite gap. The onset of the Taylor vortices is determined theoretically by solving the conservation equations, constructing the solution path as the inner cylinder speed rises and detecting the critical conditions. The obtained governing equations were solved by the spectral method. The curved streamlines of the circular Couette flow can cause a centrifugal instability leading to toroidal vortices, known as Taylor vortices. A range of parameters is found in which the combination of shear thinning and gap effect leads to destabilizing the vortex structure indicated as the point of Hopf bifurcation. Comparison with existing measurements on pseudoplastic circular Couette flow results in good agreement.
Innovative Approach to Energy Efficient Buildings From Construction to Services: A Review
Authors: Khalil Essam E.
Published: October 2013

Attempts to adequately design an optimum HVAC airside system that furnishes comfort and air quality in the air-conditioned spaces with efficient energy consumption represent a great challenge. This paper presents a recent status quo of HVAC airside design for the air-conditioned spaces under holistic approach. The present review summarizes the current status, future requirements, and expectations. It has been found that, the experimental investigations should be considered in the new trend of energy investigations, not to merely to validate the numerical tools, but also to provide a complete database of the airflow characteristics in the air-conditioned spaces. Based on this analysis and the vast progress of computers and associated software, the artificial intelligent technique is sought as a prominent competitor candidate to the experimental and numerical techniques. Finally, the researches that relate between the different designs of the HVAC systems and energy consumption should concern with the optimization of airside design as the expected target to enhance the indoor environment.

The present paper reviews the status quo and critically analyses the appropriate approaches to sustainability.
Flow Regimes and Heat Transfer Patterns in Archeological Climatized Church of Christ, Cairo
Authors: Khalil Essam E.
Published: October 2013

Airflow characteristics in ventilated and air-conditioned spaces play an important role to attain comfort and hygiene conditions. This paper utilizes a 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model to assess the airflow characteristics in ventilated and air-conditioned archaeological Church of Christ (hanging Church) in Cairo, Egypt. It is found that the optimum airside design system can be attained, if the airflow is directed to pass all the enclosure areas before the extraction with careful selection of near wall velocities to avoid any wear or aberration of the wall paintings. Still all commonly known factors and evaluation indices have the shortage to describe the influence of the recirculation zones on the occupancy zone of the visitors and also on the fresh supplied air. The mode of evaluation should assess the airflow characteristics in any passage according to its position in the enclosure and the thermal pattern and air quality. The paper ends with brief discussion and concluding remarks.
Digital Control of a Reverse Osmosis Plant
Authors: Mahmoud Magdi S.
Published: October 2013

In this paper, different strategies are investigated for the digital control of a reverse osmosis (RO) plant. Three control strategies to improve the performance of the RO plant are considered. These strategies including state-feeback, observer-based feedback and tracking control are considered. Simulation results show that the tracking controller yields the best perfoamnce, however it requires field knowledge about the RO plant operation. In this regard, observer-based feedback controller provides an alternative compromise.
Equivalent Axial Stiffness of Bolt Heads Subjected to Axial Loading
Authors: Amir Yosef , Grant Douglas , Triscari Andrew
Published: October 2013

Stiffness analysis of bolted joints is essential for predicting the behavior of bolted assemblies subjected to axial loading. The traditional method of calculating bolt stiffness is to model the bolt as if it consisted of a number of individual elements under tension; each element is substituted by cylindrical bodies of various lengths and cross sections, and the stiffness of these bodies is calculated by simple, closed-form formulas. A difficulty with this technique is the substitution of the bolt head which has different boundary conditions than the rest of the body elements of the bolt. The bolt head deforms as a result of contact with the joint member, and consequently develops bearing stress under preload while the rest of the bolt elements experience pure tension. The traditional method to account for bolt head stiffness is to replace the head with a cylinder having a diameter equal to that of the bolt and an equivalent length equal to a fraction of the bolt’s diameter (d). VDI 2230 [1] proposes for the hex head an equivalent cylinder of length 0.5d, and for the socket head a length of 0.4d. This paper presents a finite element-based study performed for five different bolt head styles (hex, hex flange, socket, socket countersunk, and button), and reports the appropriate fraction of head diameter for each style. The head styles for which the equivalent lengths were obtained conform to ISO 4014, 4162, 4762, 10642 and 7380. This paper also reports on the experimental work that was undertaken to validate the calculated results.
A New Approach to Understanding Engineering Thermodynamics From Its Molecular Basis
Authors: Dartnall W. John , Reizes John A.
Published: October 2013

Engineering Thermodynamics is that engineering science in which students learn to analyze dynamic systems involving energy transformations, particularly where some of the energy is in the form of heat. It is well known that people have difficulty in understanding many of the concepts of thermodynamics; in particular, entropy and its consequences. However, even more widely known concepts such as energy and temperature are not simply defined or explained. Why is this lack of understanding and clarity of definition prevalent in this subject? Older engineering thermodynamics textbooks (often containing the words “heat engines” in the title) had a strong emphasis in their early chapters on the general physical details of thermodynamic equipment such as internal and external combustion engines, gas compressors and refrigeration systems. The working fluid in these systems might expand or contract while heat, work and mass might cross the system boundary. The molecular workings within the thermodynamic fluid are not of prime concern to the engineer even though they are to a physicist or chemist. Modern engineering thermodynamics textbooks place great emphasis on mathematical systems designed to analyze the behavior and performance of thermodynamic devices and systems, yet they rarely show, at least early in their presentation, graphical images of the equipment; moreover, they tend to give only passing reference to the molecular behavior of the thermodynamic fluid. This paper presents some teaching strategies for placing a greater emphasis on the physical realities of the equipment in conjunction with the molecular structure of the working fluid in order to facilitate a deeper understanding of thermodynamic performance limitations of equipment.
Study of Creep-Fatigue Interaction in a Prosthetic Socket Below Knee
Authors: Jweeg Muhsin J. , Resan Kadhim K. , Taraq Mustafa
Published: October 2013

The increasing numbers of amputees due to insurgence actions in Iraq urges the researches to conduct this study. Two stresses of fatigue and heat are generated as a result of limbs movement during extremely hot weather. The objective of this research is to Study the effect of temperature in hot climate countries on a socket made of composite materials during the gait. Where alternating pressures on the inner surface of the socket are generated and lead to variable stresses causing fatigue failure of material. It is evident that as temperature rises, the mechanical properties decrease over time due to creep which causes socket failure due to fatigue and creep interaction. The socket failure at room temperature is determined by fatigue test to obtain S-N curve. Also, stress distribution on the socket is studied at 50 C°.
Health Monitoring of Composite Material Using Fiber Bragg Grating
Authors: Fattahi S. J. , Necsulescu D.
Published: October 2013

Recently, the use of composite materials in different applications like aircrafts, wind turbines and towers has developed rapidly. This rapid development of large size composite structures is, though, not without its problems, particularly in case of difference in lamination when using various materials. Health monitoring and delaminating preventive maintenance are important issues when using composite materials. The use of smart structures enables real-time monitoring of the composite materials and permits applications using sensors to appropriately arrive to a desired state. This paper presents an optimal, inexpensive and continuous laminated sensor based monitoring in composites using Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG). This paper investigates layered composites and FEM based on the static and dynamic equations and the mechanical behavior with respect to stress and strain. Delaminating criteria of a composite cantilever beam can be analyzed based on wavelength shifting relations of FBG and in the resulting reflected spectrum caused by applied forces or displacements.
Methods for Mechanical Filtration and Automated Droplet Monitoring in Electrowetting on Dielectric Devices
Authors: Schertzer Michael J. , Gubarenko Sergey I. , Ben-Mrad Ridha , Sullivan Pierre E.
Published: October 2013

Discrete flow microfluidic devices have been identified as a technology that can be used to efficiently deliver health care services by reducing the cycle times and reagent consumption of common biological protocols and medical diagnostic procedures while reducing overhead costs by performing these applications at the point of care. Electrowetting on dielectric is one promising discrete flow microfluidic platform that can individually create, manipulate, and mix droplets through the application of asymmetric electric fields. The work presented outlines fundamental and practical contributions to the understanding and advancement of electrowetting on dielectric devices that the authors are using to develop a device capable of performing immunoassays on chip. Explicit analytical models for capillary force and the reduction in that force by contact angle hysteresis as a function of the three-dimensional shape of the droplet were derived to develop an empirically validated analytical model for transient motion of droplets in electrowetting on dielectric devices. This model accurately predicts the maximum droplet displacement and travel time to within 2.3% and 2.7%, respectively; whereas the average droplet velocity was always predicted to within 8.1%. It also demonstrates a method for real time monitoring of droplet composition, particle concentration, and chemical reactions in electrowetting on dielectric devices without optical access. This method has been used to determine the concentration of water-methanol solutions, measure the concentration of glass microspheres at various concentrations, and detect the chemical reactions that are typically used in immunoassays. A method for the mechanical filtration of droplets in these devices will also be presented. The proposed filtration method was successful at pore sizes at least two orders of magnitude below the droplet height, which is small enough to separate red and white blood cells in continuous flow microfluidic devices.
CALPE and InDiCa: Two Success Stories
Authors: Cuartero Nuria , Arias Enrique , Rojo Tomás , Cuartero Fernando , Tendero Pedro
Published: October 2013

Nowadays, Spain is the world-wide leadership in High Speed Railways being the most vast in Europe and the second in the world. Other countries like Norway and USA, put their eyes in Spain and the technology developed by the Spanish Administrator in charge of the public Railways Infrastructure (ADIF). This leadership has allowed ADIF to be selected, for instance, into the builders the corridor from Medina to Meca. This paper describes the work carried out during more than fifteen years by the CALPE team, a multidisciplinary research group of civil engineers and computer scientist and ADIF. As a result of this intensive collaboration, two success tools allow ADIF to be competitive. Those tools are called CALPE and InDiCa. In this paper, CALPE and InDiCA are introduced from the beginning of the collaboration till the latest versions: history, mechanical functionalities, computing issues, etc.
Evaluating Thermal Environments by Using an Air-Conditioning Energy-Saving Mechanism
Authors: Tuan Nguyen Anh , Huang K. D.
Published: October 2013

In a highly developed living, people are always looking for a comfortable indoor environment with minimum energy use. Individual air-conditioning system (IACS) can create an individual thermal environment control in a workroom which can contribute to save air-conditioning energy. In this study, we analyze the airflow circulation cell of the IACS with varied outlet port opening and outlet port position dimensions using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique. We created an IACS, two workstations, lightings, and a cabinet in a 3-dimensional room. The fluid was assumed to be Newtonian, unsteady, and incompressible. A Bossinesq approximation was determined in order to consider the buoyancy effect. We examined the effects of the outlet port opening and outlet port position on airflow circulation establishing process. Air temperatures along the various midline of the occupied zone were predicted and compared for a range of outlet port opening and outlet port position by using non-dimensional form. We also showed the occupied zone temperature at various planes in the workroom. Results will indicate the suitable outlet port opening and outlet port position for maintaining individual satisfied occupants’ requirements and improving energy saving potential.