bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Global Comparators project: international comparison of 30-day in-hospital mortality by day of the week
Authors: Ruiz Milagros , Bottle Alex , Aylin Paul P
Published: July 2015

Objective

To examine the association of mortality by day of the week for emergency and elective patients.

Design

Retrospective observational study using the international dataset from the Global Comparators (GC) project consisting of hospital administrative data.

Setting

28 hospitals from England, Australia, USA and the Netherlands during 2009–2012.

Participants

Emergency and surgical-elective patients.

Main outcome measures

In-hospital deaths within 30 days of emergency admission or of elective surgery.

Results

We examined 2 982 570 hospital records; adjusted odds of 30-day death were higher for weekend emergency admissions to 11 hospitals in England (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.13 on Sunday), 5 hospitals in USA (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.24 on Sunday) and 6 hospitals in the Netherlands (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.33 on Saturday). Emergency admissions to the six Australian hospitals showed no daily variation in adjusted 30-day mortality, but showed a weekend effect at 7 days post emergency admission (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.22 on Saturday). All weekend elective patients showed higher adjusted odds of 30-day postoperative death; we observed a ‘Friday effect’ for elective patients in the six Dutch hospitals.

Conclusions

We show that mortality outcomes for our sample vary within each country and per day of the week in agreement with previous studies of the ‘weekend effect’. Due to limitations of administrative datasets, we cannot determine the reasons for these findings; however, the international nature of our database suggests that this is a systematic phenomenon affecting healthcare providers across borders. Further investigation is needed to understand the factors that give rise to the weekend effect. The participating hospitals represent varied models of service delivery, and there is a potential to learn from best practice in different healthcare systems.
Decreased faux addenda following standardisation of pathologist practice
Authors: Smith Maxwell L , Wendel-Spiczka Amy J , Zarka Matthew A
Published: July 2015

Aims

We wanted to improve the quality of histopathology addenda and amendments by introducing standardised nomenclature and procedures.

Methods

We standardised amendment and addenda definitions, implemented a pathologist visual work tool, and evaluated and quantitated all amendments and addenda for 3 months prior to implementation and 17 months after.

Results

In the 3-month pre-intervention period, 32 of 979 addenda (3.3%) were misused and 18 of 98 amendments (18.4%) were incorrectly classified. In the 17-month post-intervention period, 57 of 5906 addenda (1.0%) were misused and 54 of 752 amendments (7.2%) were incorrectly classified. These differences were statistically significant (p<0.0001).

Conclusions

The introduction of standardised nomenclature and a visual work tool significantly improved the quality of histopathology addenda and amendments.
Quantification and comparison of individual space-use strategies in foraging drift-feeding fish using fine-scale, multidimensional movement analysis
Authors: Vivancos Aurélien , Closs Gerard P.
Published: July 2015

Fine-scale space-use of drift-feeding fish is underpinned by an energetic trade-off that makes spatial positioning paramount for fitness, especially in a group context. However, methodologies used to study the space-use of drift-feeding fish are mainly based on direct visual observation, and the accuracy of such an approach can be questionable. Furthermore, previous studies mainly focused on the space-use of territorial salmonids, as they are relatively easy to observe. Here, we use a digital imaging technique to manually extract the spatial position of fish and feeding events in three dimensions (3D), at a very fine spatiotemporal scale, from in situ stereo-video footages. We use a motion model to quantify individual space-use strategies in two dimensions (2D) through the horizontal plane (perpendicular to gravity) and through the vertical plane (parallel to the flow). We study territorial (brown trout, Salmo trutta) and nonterritorial (roundhead galaxiid, Galaxias anomalus) juvenile drift-feeding fish to test this methodology over a broad spectrum of drift-feeding fish space-use. Results show that the methodology used permits the reliable quantification of space-use by territorial and nonterritorial drift-feeding fish and could be used to reveal relevant insights on their respective behavioral ecologies.
Layered effects of parental condition and larval survival on the recruitment of neighboring haddock stocks
Authors: Friedland Kevin D. , Leaf Robert T. , Kristiansen Trond , Large Scott I.
Published: July 2015

We used remote sensing chlorophyll a concentration data, spring copepod abundance, and individual fish condition information to understand the annual recruitment variability of two neighboring haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) stocks in the Gulf of Maine region. When we considered the full range of recruitment variability, the abundance of the copepods Calanus finmarchicus and Pseudocalanus spp. failed to explain the variation in survivor ratio in either stock. However, when we examined this relationship with subsets of the data, we found that Pseudocalanus spp. appears to have had an effect on survivor ratio. The full range of recruitment variability of the Georges Bank stock was found to correlate with the timing and size of the fall bloom the year before recruitment, which has been termed the parental condition hypothesis, suggesting that the fall bloom affects the condition of spawning adults and thus recruitment. The absence of a correlation between fall bloom and recruitment in the Gulf of Maine stock can be attributed to the difference in fall bloom frequency between the two stock areas. It appears that both parental condition and larval survival affect haddock recruitment; however, the relative impact of these effects depends on the contrasting nature of ecosystem environmental drivers.
Diversity of endophytic and rhizoplane bacterial communities associated with exotic Spartina alterniflora and native mangrove using Illumina amplicon sequencing
Authors: Hong Youwei , Liao Dan , Hu Anyi , Wang Han , Chen Jinsheng , Khan Sardar , Su Jianqiang , Li Hu
Published: July 2015

Root-associated microbial communities are very important for biogeochemical cycles in wetland ecosystems and help to elaborate the mechanisms of plant invasions. In the estuary of Jiulong River (China), Spartina alterniflora has widely invaded Kandelia obovata-dominated habitats, offering an opportunity to study the influence of root-associated bacteria. The community structures of endophytic and rhizosphere bacteria associated with selected plant species were investigated using the barcoded Illumina paired-end sequencing technique. The diversity indices of bacteria associated with the roots of S. alterniflora were higher than those of the transition stands and K. obovata monoculture. Using principal coordinate analysis with UniFrac metrics, the comparison of β-diversity showed that all samples could be significantly clustered into 3 major groups, according to the bacteria communities of origin. Four phyla, namely Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, and Firmicutes, were enriched in the rhizoplane of both salt marsh plants, while they shared higher abundances of Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria among endophytic bacteria. Members of the phyla Spirochaetes and Chloroflexi were found among the endophytic bacteria of S. alterniflora and K. obovata, respectively. One of the interesting findings was that endophytes were more sensitive in response to plant invasion than were rhizosphere bacteria. With linear discriminate analysis, we found some predominant rhizoplane and endophytic bacteria, including Methylococcales, Pseudoalteromonadacea, Clostridium, Vibrio, and Desulfovibrio, which have the potential to affect the carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles. Thus, the results provide clues to the isolation of functional bacteria and the effects of root-associated microbial groups on S. alterniflora invasions.
BTEX biodegradation and its nitrogen removal potential by a newly isolatedPseudomonasthivervalensisMAH1
Authors: Qu Dan , Zhao Yongsheng , Sun Jiaqiang , Ren Hejun , Zhou Rui
Published: July 2015

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) are of great environmental concern because of their widespread occurrence in groundwater and soil, posing an increasing threat to human health. The aerobic denitrifying BTEX-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas thivervalensis MAH1 was isolated from BTEX-contaminated sediment under nitrate-reducing conditions. The degradation rates of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene by strain MAH1 were 4.71, 6.59, 5.64, and 2.59 mg·L−1·day−1, respectively. The effects of sodium citrate, nitrate, and NaH2PO4on improving BTEX biodegradation were investigated, and their optimum concentrations were 0.5 g·L−1, 100 mg·L−1, and 0.8 mmol·L−1, respectively. Moreover, MAH1, which has nirS and nosZ genes, removed ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite at 2.49 mg NH4+-N·L−1·h−1, 1.50 mg NO3−-N·L−1·h−1, and 0.83 mg NO2−-N·L−1·h−1, respectively. MAH1 could help in mitigating the pollution caused by nitrogen amendments for biostimulation. This study highlighted the feasibility of using MAH1 for the bioremediation of BTEX-contaminated sites.
Laplacian Energy of Digraphs and a Minimum Laplacian Energy Algorithm
Authors: Qi Xingqin , Fuller Edgar , Luo Rong , Guo Guodong , Zhang Cunquan
Published: July 2015

In spectral graph theory, the Laplacian energy of undirected graphs has been studied extensively. However, there has been little work yet for digraphs. Recently, Perera and Mizoguchi (2010) introduced the directed Laplacian matrix [Formula: see text] and directed Laplacian energy [Formula: see text] using the second spectral moment of [Formula: see text] for a digraph [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] vertices, where [Formula: see text] is the diagonal out-degree matrix, and [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] whenever there is an arc [Formula: see text] from the vertex [Formula: see text] to the vertex [Formula: see text] and 0 otherwise. They studied the directed Laplacian energies of two special families of digraphs (simple digraphs and symmetric digraphs). In this paper, we extend the study of Laplacian energy for digraphs which allow both simple and symmetric arcs. We present lower and upper bounds for the Laplacian energy for such digraphs and also characterize the extremal graphs that attain the lower and upper bounds. We also present a polynomial algorithm to find an optimal orientation of a simple undirected graph such that the resulting oriented graph has the minimum Laplacian energy among all orientations. This solves an open problem proposed by Perera and Mizoguchi at 2010.
A Note on the Owen Value for Glove Games
Authors: Belau Julia
Published: July 2015

A well-known and simple game to model markets is the glove game where worth is produced by building matching pairs. For glove games, different concepts, like the Shapley value, the component restricted Shapley value or the Owen value, yield different distributions of worth. While the Shapley value does not distinguish between productive and unproductive agents in the market and the component restricted Shapley value does not consider imbalancedness of the market, the Owen value accounts for both. As computational effort for Shapley-based allocation rules is generally high, this note provides a computationally efficient formula for the Owen value (and the component restricted Shapley value) for glove games in case of minimal winning coalitions. A comparison of the efficient formulas highlights the above-mentioned differences.
Équation de Fermat et nombres premiers inertes
Authors: Kraus Alain
Published: July 2015

Soient K un corps de nombres et p un nombre premier ≥ 5. Notons μp le groupe des racines p-ièmes de l'unité. On définit p comme étant K-régulier si p ne divise pas le nombre de classes du corps K(μp). Sous l'hypothèse que p est K-régulier et inerte dans K, on établit le second cas du théorème de Fermat sur K pour l'exposant p. On utilise pour cela des arguments classiques, ainsi que le théorème de Faltings selon lequel une courbe de genre au moins deux sur K n'a qu'un nombre fini de points K-rationnels. De plus, si K est un corps quadratique imaginaire, distinct de [Formula: see text], on en déduit un énoncé permettant souvent en pratique de démontrer le théorème de Fermat sur K pour un exposant K-régulier donné.

Mots-clés: Théorème de Fermat; corps de nombres.

Let K be a number field and p a prime number ≥5. Let us denote by μp the group of the pth roots of unity. We define p to be K-regular if p does not divide the class number of the field K(μp). Under the assumption that p is K-regular and inert in K, we establish the second case of Fermat's Last Theorem over K for the exponent p. We use in the proof classical arguments, as well as Faltings' theorem stating that a curve of genus at least two over K has a finite number of K-rational points. Moreover, if K is an imaginary quadratic field, other than [Formula: see text], we deduce a statement which allows often in practice to prove Fermat's Last Theorem over K for a given K-regular exponent.
Representations by octonary quadratic forms with coefficients 1, 3 or 9
Authors: Alaca Ayşe , Kesicioğlu M. Nesibe
Published: July 2015

Using modular forms, we determine the number of representations of a positive integer by diagonal octonary quadratic forms with coefficients 1, 3 or 9.
On the exceptional sets in Sylvester continued fraction expansion
Authors: Zhang Zhen-Liang
Published: July 2015

In this paper, we study some exceptional sets of points whose partial quotients in their Sylvester continued fraction expansions obey some restrictions. More precisely, for α ≥ 1 we prove that the Hausdorff dimension of the set [Formula: see text] is one. In addition, we find that the points whose partial quotients in their Sylvester continued fraction expansions obey some property of divisibility have the same Engel continued fraction expansion and Sylvester continued fraction expansion. And we establish that the set of points whose Engel continued fraction expansion and Sylvester continued fraction expansion coincide is uncountable.
Microwave Absorption Properties of Fe-Doped Ordered Mesoporous Carbon (CMK-3)/Silica Matrix Nanocomposites with Magnetic Multi-Resonance Mechanisms
Authors: Ren Yanyan , Yang Le , Wang Liuding , Xing Hui , Wu Hongjing
Published: July 2015

Low-density Fe-doped ordered mesoporous carbon (CMK-3)-silica (SBA-15) nanocomposites with different Fe contents have been prepared by a catalytic carbonization procedure followed by high-temperature calcination in N2. From field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and high resolution-transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) images, it can be concluded that CMK-3 particles are dispersed homogeneously into a silica matrix and form a novel, special and interesting composite nanostructure. The metal species ([Formula: see text]18[Formula: see text]nm) are dispersed on the surface of frameworks during the catalytic carbonization procedure and endow a magnetic property to the carbon–silica nanocomposites. The optimal reflection loss (RL) calculated from the measured permittivity and permeability is [Formula: see text]19[Formula: see text]dB at 17.2[Formula: see text]GHz for an absorber thickness of 2.00[Formula: see text]mm. Moreover, the electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption less than [Formula: see text]10[Formula: see text]dB is found to exceed 5.76[Formula: see text]GHz as the layer thickness is 2.37 mm. The permittivity dispersion behaviors have been explained based on the Cole–Cole model and the conductivity contribution model. A new simple empirical model was also supposed to find the fitted curves of the multi-resonance imaginary permeability spectra of the composites. The EM wave can hardly be reflected on the absorber surface because of a better match between dielectric loss and magnetic loss, which originates from the combination of dielectric carbon–silica and magnetic Fe species.
Perspectives on using pulsed electric field to enhance biogas yield in anaerobic digestion
Authors: Pliquett Uwe
Published: July 2015

Controlling large-scale biogas fermenters needs a deep understanding of the interaction between process parameters and microbiology. Therefore, monitoring of not only critical metabolic states of the microbial community, but also relationships between sub-processes is required. Once the process is understood, manipulation, for instance, by application of a brief, intense electric field in a controlled way can increase the methane yield. The electric treatment protocols depend not only on the location within the process, but also on the composition of the raw substrate and the process temperature. Besides the direct action of the electric field, side effects like shockwaves, Joule heating, electrowetting or the generation of reactive electrode byproducts can influence the effectiveness of the treatment.
Surface Effect on Diffractions of Elastic Waves and Stress Concentration near a Cluster of Cylindrical Nanoholes Arranged as Quadrate Shape
Authors: Yan Ru
Published: July 2015

We consider the multiple scattering of elastic waves (P-wave and SV-wave) by a cluster of nanosized cylindrical holes arranged as quadrate shape. When the radius of the holes shrinks to nanometers, the surface elasticity theory is adopted in analysis. Using the displacement potential method and wave functions expansion method, we obtain that the multiple scattering fields induced by incident P- and SV-waves around the holes are derived. The dynamic stress concentration around the holes is calculated to illustrate the effect of surface effects on the multiple scattering of P- and SV-waves.
Transient Global Amnesia as the First Clinical Symptom for Malignant B-Cell Lymphoma with Central Nervous System Involvement
Authors: Zafar Atif , Khan Ghulam Ishaq , Abdin Sahrish , Khan Muhammad Taimoor
Published: July 2015

We present the case of an elderly male who was diagnosed with transient global amnesia (TGA), only to be diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma with central nervous system involvement a few weeks later. This is the first ever case reported in literature with lymphoma presenting as TGA. Literature review and pertinent points regarding high-yield imaging protocol for presumed TGA patients are discussed.
Coordination of a Random Yield Supply Chain with a Loss-Averse Supplier
Authors: Luo Jiarong , Chen Xu
Published: July 2015

This paper investigates the coordination of a supply chain consisting of a loss-averse supplier and a risk-neutral buyer who orders products from the supplier who suffers from random yield to meet a deterministic demand. We derive the risk-neutral buyer’s optimal order policy and the loss-averse supplier’s optimal production policy under shortage-penalty-surplus-subsidy (SPSS) contracts. We also analyze the impacts of loss aversion on the loss-averse supplier’s production decision making and find that the loss-averse supplier may produce less than, equal to, or more than the risk-neutral supplier. Then, we provide explicit conditions on which the random yield supply chain with a loss-averse supplier can be coordinated under SPSS contracts. Finally, adopting numerical examples, we find that when the shortage penalty is low, the buyer’s optimal order quantity will increase, while the supplier’s optimal production quantity will first decrease and then increase as the loss aversion level increases. When the shortage penalty is high, the buyer’s optimal order quantity will decrease but the supplier’s optimal production quantity will always increase as the loss aversion level increases. Furthermore, the numerical examples provide strong evidence for the view that SPSS contracts can effectively improve the performance of the whole supply chain.
Animal Models and “Omics” Technologies for Identification of Novel Biomarkers and Drug Targets to Prevent Heart Failure
Authors: Hou Yunlong , Adrian-Segarra Juan M. , Richter Manfred , Kubin Natalia , Shin Jaeyoung , Werner Isabella , Walther Thomas , Schönburg Markus , Pöling Jochen , Warnecke Henning , Braun Thomas , Kostin Sawa , Kubin Thomas
Published: July 2015

It is now accepted that heart failure (HF) is a complex multifunctional disease rather than simply a hemodynamic dysfunction. Despite its complexity, stressed cardiomyocytes often follow conserved patterns of structural remodelling in order to adapt, survive, and regenerate. When cardiac adaptations cannot cope with mechanical, ischemic, and metabolic loads efficiently or become chronically activated, as, for example, after infection, then the ongoing structural remodelling and dedifferentiation often lead to compromised pump function and patient death. It is, therefore, of major importance to understand key events in the progression from a compensatory left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction to a decompensatory LV systolic dysfunction and HF. To achieve this, various animal models in combination with an “omics” toolbox can be used. These approaches will ultimately lead to the identification of an arsenal of biomarkers and therapeutic targets which have the potential to shape the medicine of the future.
A Fast Cluster Motif Finding Algorithm for ChIP-Seq Data Sets
Authors: Zhang Yipu , Wang Ping
Published: July 2015

New high-throughput technique ChIP-seq, coupling chromatin immunoprecipitation experiment with high-throughput sequencing technologies, has extended the identification of binding locations of a transcription factor to the genome-wide regions. However, the most existing motif discovery algorithms are time-consuming and limited to identify binding motifs in ChIP-seq data which normally has the significant characteristics of large scale data. In order to improve the efficiency, we propose a fast cluster motif finding algorithm, named as FCmotif, to identify the(l, d)motifs in large scale ChIP-seq data set. It is inspired by the emerging substrings mining strategy to find the enriched substrings and then searching the neighborhood instances to construct PWM and cluster motifs in different length. FCmotif is not following the OOPS model constraint and can find long motifs. The effectiveness of proposed algorithm has been proved by experiments on the ChIP-seq data sets from mouse ES cells. The whole detection of the real binding motifs and processing of the full size data of several megabytes finished in a few minutes. The experimental results show that FCmotif has advantageous to deal with the(l, d)motif finding in the ChIP-seq data; meanwhile it also demonstrates better performance than other current widely-used algorithms such as MEME, Weeder, ChIPMunk, and DREME.
Maslinic Acid, a Triterpene from Olive, Affects the Antioxidant and Mitochondrial Status of B16F10 Melanoma Cells Grown under Stressful Conditions
Authors: Mokhtari Khalida , Rufino-Palomares Eva E. , Pérez-Jiménez Amalia , Reyes-Zurita Fernando J. , Figuera Celeny , García-Salguero Leticia , Medina Pedro P. , Peragón Juan , Lupiáñez José A.
Published: July 2015

Maslinic acid (MA) is a natural compound whose structure corresponds to a pentacyclic triterpene. It is abundant in the cuticular lipid layer of olives. MA has many biological and therapeutic properties related to health, including antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antihypertensive, and antioxidant activities. However, no studies have been performed to understand the molecular mechanism induced by this compound in melanoma cancer. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of MA in melanoma (B16F10) cells grown in the presence or absence of fetal bovine serum (FBS). We performed cell proliferation measurements, and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) measurements using dihydrorhodamine 123 (DHR 123) and activities of catalase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione S-transferase, and superoxide dismutase. These changes were corroborated by expression assays. FBS absence reduced cell viability decreasing IC50values of MA. The DHR 123 data showed an increase in the ROS level in the absence of FBS. Furthermore, MA had an antioxidant effect at lower assayed levels measured as DHR and antioxidant defense. However, at higher dosages MA induced cellular damage by apoptosis as seen in the results obtained.
Nondestructive Testing of Advanced Concrete Structure during Lifetime
Authors: Pazdera Lubos , Topolar Libor , Smutny Jaroslav , Timcakova Kristyna
Published: July 2015

The paper reports on measurements and analysis of the measurements during hardening and drying of specimens using selected acoustic nondestructive testing techniques. An integrated approach was created for better understanding of the relations between the lifetime cycle and the development of the mechanical properties of concrete. Acoustic emission, impact echo, and ultrasonic techniques were applied simultaneously to the same mixtures. These techniques and results are presented on alkali-activated slag mortars. The acoustic emission method detects transient elastic waves within the material, caused by the release of cumulated stress energy, which can be mechanical, thermal, or chemical. Hence, the cause is a phenomenon which releases elastic energy into the material, which then spreads in the form of an elastic wave. The impact echo method is based on physical laws of elastic stress wave propagation in solids generated by mechanical impulse. Ultrasonic testing is commonly used to find flaws in materials or to assess wave velocity spreading.
The Effectiveness and Applicability of Compensatory Cognitive Training for Japanese Patients with Schizophrenia: A Pilot Study
Authors: Otsuka Sadao , Matsui Mie , Hoshino Takatoshi , Miura Kayoko , Higuchi Yuko , Suzuki Michio
Published: July 2015

Although cognitive remediation or training for schizophrenia has been developed, few studies on the subject have focused on Japanese patients. The aim of the present study was to examine the effectiveness and applicability of compensatory cognitive training (CCT) in Japanese patients with schizophrenia. Twenty-six participants diagnosed with schizophrenia were assigned to either the CCT plus treatment as usual group (n=13) or the treatment as usual alone group (n=13). CCT is a 12-session, manualized, group-based training that coaches compensatory strategies in four cognitive domains (prospective memory, attention, verbal memory, and executive functions). Cognitive, functional, and clinical symptom measures were implemented at baseline, after treatment, and at 3-month follow-up. Mixed design analyses of variance with group and time for each measure demonstrated that effects of CCT on verbal memory, processing speed, and social functioning at postintervention were significant, and the effects on processing speed were maintained at follow-up. Our study suggests that CCT has beneficial effects on cognitive performance, improving functional outcomes in Japanese patients with schizophrenia. Additionally, the high degrees of attendance rates and level of satisfaction rated by the CCT participants ensure the applicability of this methodology to this population.
A Hierarchical Scheduling Scheme in WSNs Based on Node-Failure Pretreatment
Authors: Liu Hai-yuan , Guo Yi-nan , Chen Mei-rong , Zhu Yuan-shun
Published: July 2015

One of the most important challenges in designing wireless sensor networks is how to recover a broken network within a very short time as the active nodes are failed or out-of-energy. Focusing on this problem, a hierarchical scheduling scheme based on node-failure pretreatment is proposed, in which the global optimization method is used to find the minimum connected tree and the local multilayer recovery algorithm is used to find a candidate sensor node instead of the failed one. Three highlights of this scheme are as follows: (1) The importance of sensor nodes is defined in terms of their locations in minimum connected tree and coverage acreage. (2) The neighborhood radius of failed sensor node varies with its importance, and then its candidate-node set is dynamically constructed. (3) A novel multilayer recovery strategy including node recovery and regional recovery is presented. Simulation results show that hierarchical scheduling scheme finds the optimal candidate sensor node in less time to make the repaired network with lowest energy consumption. Though the less sensor nodes are activated, the network lifetime is slightly shorter. Moreover, this scheme can be applied in the problem that the communication radius of sensor node is less than two times of its sensing radius.
Application of Effective Stress Model to Analysis of Liquefaction and Seismic Performance of an Earth Dam in China
Authors: Qi Changqing , Lu Wei , Wu Jimin , Liu Xing
Published: July 2015

Earthquake-induced liquefaction is one of the major causes of catastrophic earth dam failure. In order to assess the liquefaction potential and analyze the seismic performance of an earth dam in Fujian, Southeastern China, the in situ shear wave velocity test was firstly carried out. Results indicate that the gravelly filling is a type of liquefiable soil at present seismic setting. Then the effective stress model was adopted to thoroughly simulate the response of the soil to a proposed earthquake. Numerical result generally coincides with that of the empirical judgment based on in situ test. Negative excess pore pressure developed in the upper part of the saturated gravelly filling and positive excess pore pressure developed in the lower part. The excess pore pressure ratio increases with depth until it reaches a maximum value of 0.45. The displacement of the saturated gravelly soil is relatively small and tolerable. Results show that the saturated gravelly filling cannot reach a fully liquefied state. The dam is overall stable under the proposed earthquake.
Use of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether for the Treatment of Refractory Intrahepatic Biliary Strictures and Bile Casts: A Modern Perspective
Authors: Kim Gregory , Malayaman Saninuj N. , Green Michael Stuart
Published: July 2015

Cholelithiasis is a prevalent problem in the United States with 14% or more adults affected. Definitive treatment of cholelithiasis is cholecystectomy. When cholecystectomy yields minimal resolution treatment options include expectant management of asymptomatic gallstones or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatogram. We present a case of intrahepatic biliary casts where surgical option was not possible, interventional radiology was unsuccessful, and methyl tert-butyl ether was used to dissolve the biliary obstruction. Dissolution therapy of gallstones was first reported in 1722 when Vollisnieri used turpentine in vitro. While diethyl ether has excellent solubilizing capacity, its low boiling point limited its use surgically as it vaporizes immediately. Diethyl ether can expand 120-fold during warming to body temperature after injection into the biliary system making it impractical for routine use. The use of dissolution is out of favor due to the success of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Epidemiological studies have shown the general population should have minimal concerns from passive exposure. Dissolution using MTBE remains a viable option if surgical or endoscopic options are not available. However, because of risks involved to both the patient and the staff, careful multidisciplinary team approach must be undertaken to minimize the risks and provide the best possible care to the patient.
A Cyber-Attack Synergy Model Considering Both Positive and Negative Impacts from Each Attacker
Authors: Wang Yu-Shun , Hung Lun-Ping , Rau Hsiao-Hsien , Lin Frank Yeong-Sung
Published: July 2015

An emerging attack strategy, collaborative attack, is considered the next generation type of attack. There are only a few models quantifying the synergy of a collaborating attack. Further, previous models consider only positive effects regardless of potential disharmonious factors which are common in the real world. Contributions of this work are summarized as follows: first, this paper introduces a mathematical formulation measuring synergy which takes both positive and negative effects into consideration. This model can not only be applied in measuring collaborative attack effectiveness, but also be used to describe the synergy in other teamwork scenarios. The scenario of an applicable cyber-warfare can take place in a wired network, wireless network, or sensor network. Secondly, a meaningful connection between contest success function and Cobb-Douglas function is proposed and integrated in a cyber-attack scenario. Both the contest intensity of the contest success function and the sum of exponents of Cobb-Douglas function reflect an environmental factor regarding whether it encourages investing or not. Lastly, comparisons between the proposed model and the Cobb-Douglas function are also presented with a subsequent discussion of implications. The behavior of the proposed model is closer to reality and less coupled to another exogenous variable, contest intensity.
Neoprene Orthopaedic Supports: An Underrecognised Cause of Allergic Contact Dermatitis
Authors: Hawkey S. , Ghaffar S.
Published: July 2015

Thioureas, often contained within neoprene to provide water resistance, are an important cause of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in those who use neoprene products. We wish to present three cases of thiourea-induced ACD from three different orthopaedic supports containing neoprene. The first case was a 67-year-old woman who developed an itchy rash on her heel three weeks after using a neoprene insole for plantar fasciitis. The second case was a 47-year-old man who developed an itchy rash on his wrist after wearing neoprene wrist splints for psoriatic arthropathy. The third case was a 77-year-old woman who experienced a severe erythematous rash with blistering from a neoprene elbow brace she received following a humeral fracture. All patients were patch tested to the British Society of Cutaneous Allergy Standard and rubber series and a cut piece from all the relevant supports. At 96 hours, all patients had a + reaction to mixed dialkylthiourea, diethylthiourea, and the supports’ material. No other positive patch test reactions were identified. As neoprene is fast becoming one of the most popular materials used for orthopaedic supports, awareness of this reaction and close liaison between dermatologists and orthopaedic surgeons are therefore essential to allow for early recognition of this complication.
Analysis of Influence of Temperature on Magnetorheological Fluid and Transmission Performance
Authors: Chen Song , Huang Jin , Jian Kailin , Ding Jun
Published: July 2015

Magnetorheological (MR) fluid shows different performances under different temperature, which causes so many problems like the reduction of rheological properties of MR fluid under a high temperature condition, the uncontrollability of shear stress, and even failure of transmission; on that basis, the influence of temperature on the performance of MR fluid and the cause of the rise in temperature of MR transmission device are analyzed in this paper; the shearing transmission performance of the MR transmission device under the effect of an external magnetic field and the influence of temperature on the shearing stress and transmission performance are analyzed. The study results indicate that temperature highly influences the viscosity of MR fluid, and the viscosity influences the shear stress of the MR fluid. The viscosity of MR fluid gradually declines when temperature rises from 100°C. Once the temperature exceeds 100°C, the viscosity would increase and the temperature stability would decline. Temperature obviously influences the characteristics of MR transmission, and particularly, highly influences the characteristics of MR transmission once being higher than 100°C. The chaining of the material in the magnetic field is influenced, which causes the reduction of the rheological properties, the uncontrollability of the shear stress, and even the failure of transmission.
Consistent Weighted Average Flux of Well-Balanced TVD-RK Discontinuous Galerkin Method for Shallow Water Flows
Authors: Pongsanguansin Thida , Maleewong Montri , Mekchay Khamron
Published: July 2015

A well-balanced scheme with total variation diminishing Runge-Kutta discontinuous Galerkin (TVD-RK DG) method for solving shallow water equations is presented. Generally, the flux function at cell interface in the TVD-RK DG scheme is approximated by using the Harten-Lax-van Leer (HLL) method. Here, we apply the weighted average flux (WAF) which is higher order approximation instead of using the HLL in the TVD-RK DG method. The consistency property is shown. The modified well-balanced technique for flux gradient and source terms under the WAF approximations is developed. The accuracy of numerical solutions is demonstrated by simulating dam-break flows with the flat bottom. The steady solutions with shock can be captured correctly without spurious oscillations near the shock front. This presents the other flux approximations in the TVD-RK DG method for shallow water simulations.
Psychological Benefits of Nonpharmacological Methods Aimed for Improving Balance in Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review
Authors: Šumec Rastislav , Filip Pavel , Sheardová Kateřina , Bareš Martin
Published: July 2015

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a serious condition with a major negative impact on patient’s physical and mental health. Postural instability is one of the cardinal difficulties reported by patients to deal with. Neuroanatomical, animal, and clinical studies on nonparkinsonian and parkinsonian subjects suggest an important correlation between the presence of balance dysfunction and multiple mood disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and apathy. Considering that balance dysfunction is a very common symptom in PD, we can presume that by its management we could positively influence patient’s state of mind too. This review is an analysis of nonpharmacological methods shown to be effective and successful for improving balance in patients suffering from PD. Strategies such as general exercise, robotic assisted training, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Yoga, dance (such as tango or ballet), box, virtual reality-based, or neurofeedback-based techniques and so forth can significantly improve the stability in these patients. Beside this physical outcome, many methods have also shown effect on quality of life, depression level, enjoyment, and motivation to continue in practicing the method independently. The purpose of this review is to provide information about practical and creative methods designed to improve balance in PD and highlight their positive impact on patient’s psychology.
Sympathetic Arousal during a Touch-Based Healing Ritual Predicts Increased Well-Being
Authors: Meissner Karin , Koch Anne
Published: July 2015

Objective. There is mounting evidence that more elaborate treatment rituals trigger larger nonspecific effects. The reasons for this remain unclear. In a pilot field study, we investigated the role of psychophysiological changes during a touch-based healing ritual for improvements in subjective well-being.Methods. Heart rate, respiratory rate, and skin conductance levels (SCL) were continuously assessed in 22 subjects before, during, and after a touch-based healing ritual. Participants rated their expectations and subjective well-being was assessed before and after the ritual by the “Short Questionnaire on Current Disposition”.Results. Subjective well-being increased significantly from before to after the ritual. The analysis of psychophysiological changes revealed a significant increase in respiratory rate from baseline to ritual, while skin conductance, heart rate, and heart rate variability did not change. Increases in SCL as well as decreases in respiratory rate from baseline to ritual were significantly associated with improvements in subjective well-being. Regression analyses showed increases in SCL to be the only significant predictor of improvements in well-being.Conclusion. Higher sympathetic arousal during a touch-based healing ritual predicted improvements in subjective well-being. Results suggest the occurrence of an anticipatory stress response, that is, a state of enhanced sympathetic activity that is known to precede relaxation.
Apoptosis-Inducing Activity of Marine SpongeHaliclonasp. Extracts Collected from Kosrae in Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer A549 Cells
Authors: Bae Woori , Lim Hyun Kyung , Kim Kyoung Mee , Cho Hyosun , Lee Sun Yi , Jeong Choon-Sik , Lee Hyi-Seung , Jung Joohee
Published: July 2015

Although various anticancer drugs have been developed for the treatment of nonsmall cell lung cancer, chemotherapeutic efficacy is still limited. Natural products such as phytochemicals have been screened as novel alternative materials, but alternative funds such as marine bioresources remain largely untapped. Of these resources, marine sponges have undergone the most scrutiny for their biological activities, including antiinflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer properties. However, the biological mechanisms of the activities of these marine sponges are still unclear. We investigated the anticancer activity of marine sponges collected from Kosrae in Micronesia and examined their mechanisms of action using nonsmall cell lung cancer A549 cells as a model system. Of 20 specimens, theHaliclonasp. (KO1304-328) showed both dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity. Further, methanol extracts ofHaliclonasp. significantly inhibited cell proliferation and cell viability. A549 cells treated withHaliclonasp. demonstrated induced expression of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p53, p21, caspase-8, and caspase-3. The percentage of apoptotic cells significantly increased in A549 cultures treated withHaliclonasp. These results indicate thatHaliclonasp. induces apoptosis via the JNK-p53 pathway and caspase-8, suggesting that this marine sponge is a good resource for the development of drugs for treatment of nonsmall cell lung cancer.
GPS Based Reduced-Dynamic Orbit Determination for Low Earth Orbiters with Ambiguity Fixing
Authors: Yang Yang , Yue Xiaokui , Yuan Jianping
Published: July 2015

With the ever-increasing number of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for scientific missions, the precise determination of the position and velocity of the satellite is a necessity. GPS (Global Positioning System) based reduced-dynamic orbit determination (RPOD) method is commonly used in the post processing with high precision. This paper presents a sequential RPOD strategy for LEO satellite in the framework of Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). Precise Point Positioning (PPP) technique is used to process the GPS observations, with carrier phase ambiguity resolution using Integer Phase Clocks (IPCs) products. A set of GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment) mission data is used to test and validate the RPOD performance. Results indicate that orbit determination accuracy could be improved by 15% in terms of 3D RMS error in comparison with traditional RPOD method with float ambiguity solutions.
Stability of Axially Moving Piezolaminated Viscoelastic Plate Subjected to Follower Force
Authors: Wang Yan , Jing Tao , Wu Jimei , Xie Min
Published: July 2015

The stability of the moving viscoelastic plate with the piezoelectric layer subjected to uniformly distributed tangential follower force is investigated. The force excited by the piezoelectric layer due to external voltage is modeled as the follower tensile force. The differential equation of the axially moving viscoelastic rectangular plate with piezoelectric layer subjected to uniformly distributed tangential follower force is formulated on the basis of the Kirchhoff thin plate theory and the two-dimensional viscoelastic differential constitutive relation. The complex eigenvalue equations are established by the differential quadrature method. Via numerical calculation, the curves of real parts and imaginary parts of dimensionless complex frequencies versus uniformly distributed tangential follower force and dimensionless moving speed are obtained. The effects of nonconservative force, dimensionless axially moving speed, and dimensionless applied voltages on the stability of axially moving nonconservative viscoelastic plate with piezoelectric layer are analyzed.
Echocardiographic Evaluation of Left Atrial Mechanics: Function, History, Novel Techniques, Advantages, and Pitfalls
Authors: Leischik Roman , Littwitz Henning , Dworrak Birgit , Garg Pankaj , Zhu Meihua , Sahn David J. , Horlitz Marc
Published: July 2015

Left atrial (LA) functional analysis has an established role in assessing left ventricular diastolic function. The current standard echocardiographic parameters used to study left ventricular diastolic function include pulsed-wave Doppler mitral inflow analysis, tissue Doppler imaging measurements, and LA dimension estimation. However, the above-mentioned parameters do not directly quantify LA performance. Deformation studies using strain and strain-rate imaging to assess LA function were validated in previous research, but this technique is not currently used in routine clinical practice. This review discusses the history, importance, and pitfalls of strain technology for the analysis of LA mechanics.
Low versus High Fluence Parameters in the Treatment of Facial Laceration Scars with a 1,550 nm Fractional Erbium-Glass Laser
Authors: Shim Hyung-Sup , Jun Dai-Won , Kim Sang-Wha , Jung Sung-No , Kwon Ho
Published: July 2015

Purpose. Early postoperative fractional laser treatment has been used to reduce scarring in many institutions, but the most effective energy parameters have not yet been established. This study sought to determine effective parameters in the treatment of facial laceration scars.Methods. From September 2012 to September 2013, 57 patients were enrolled according to the study. To compare the low and high fluence parameters of 1,550 nm fractional erbium-glass laser treatment, we virtually divided the scar of each individual patient in half, and each half was treated with a high and low fluence setting, respectively. A total of four treatment sessions were performed at one-month intervals and clinical photographs were taken at every visit.Results. Results were assessed using the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) and global assessment of the two portions of each individual scar. Final evaluation revealed that the portions treated with high fluence parameter showed greater difference compared to pretreatment VSS scores and global assessment values, indicating favorable cosmetic results.Conclusion. We compared the effects of high fluence and low fluence 1,550 nm fractional erbium-glass laser treatment for facial scarring in the early postoperative period and revealed that the high fluence parameter was more effective for scar management.
On Intuitionistic Fuzzy β‐Almost Compactness and β‐Nearly Compactness
Authors: Renuka R. , Seenivasan V.
Published: July 2015

The concept of intuitionistic fuzzy β‐almost compactness and intuitionistic
fuzzy β‐nearly compactness in intuitionistic fuzzy topological spaces is introduced and
studied. Besides giving characterizations of these spaces, we study some of their properties.
Also, we investigate the behavior of intuitionistic fuzzy β‐compactness, intuitionistic fuzzy
β‐almost compactness, and intuitionistic fuzzy β‐nearly compactness under several types of
intuitionistic fuzzy continuous mappings.
Models and Algorithms for Optimal Piecewise-Linear Function Approximation
Authors: Camponogara Eduardo , Nazari Luiz Fernando
Published: July 2015

Piecewise-linear functions can approximate nonlinear and unknown functions for which only sample points are available. This paper presents a range of piecewise-linear models and algorithms to aid engineers to find an approximation that fits best their applications. The models include piecewise-linear functions with a fixed and maximum number of linear segments, lower and upper envelopes, strategies to ensure continuity, and a generalization of these models for stochastic functions whose data points are random variables. Derived from recursive formulations, the algorithms are applied to the approximation of the production function of gas-lifted oil wells.