bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Practice of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Nepal: Its Scope and Influencing Factor
Authors: Yadav Anjani Kumar , Dongol Ashok , Acharya Pradeep , Jaisani Mehul R.
Published: March 2019

Objectives. Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a relatively newer and growing specialty of dentistry in Nepal whose scope is not yet estimated. The objective of this study was to estimate the scope and the factors influencing the scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery in Nepal. Study Design. In this cross-sectional study, all the oral and maxillofacial surgeons who were registered in the Nepalese Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (NAOMS) were included (purposive sampling). The structured questionnaires were distributed to them, the collected data were entered in Microsoft excel 2010, and variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics (percentage) by SPSS 16.0. Results. Out of 46 questionnaires distributed, 35 were responded and returned (response rate = 76%). Majority of participants (77.1%) were in 30–39 years of age group. Male to female ratio was 4 : 1. More than half (68.6%) of the participants had practice experience of <5 years, and none had practice experience of >20 years. The ratio of the surgeons practiced in Medical/Dental Teaching Hospital to those in Government Hospital was 3 : 1. Sixteen (45.7%) participants practiced in Capital Valley and none in Far-Western Development Region. Traumatology was practiced by thirty-four (97.1%) participants although only twenty-three (65.7%) participants had primary interest in it. Each of oncology, orthognathic surgery, implantology, and cleft lip/palate surgery was performed by <8% of the participants. Common factors influencing the practice were inadequate training (71.4%) and insufficient facilities/infrastructures (45.7%). Conclusion. The scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery is limited in Nepal, and oncology, implantology, cleft lip/palate, and orthognathic surgery have received little attention.
Discrete Cosine Transform Matrix Based SLM Algorithm for OFDM with Diminished PAPR for M-PSK over Different Subcarriers
Authors: Gupta Prabal , Singh Rajiv Kumar , Thethi H. Pal , Singh Balpreet , Nanda Santosh Kumar
Published: March 2019

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is the highly spectrally well-organized method that has the difficulty of excessive peak power to average power ratio (PAPR), which ultimately imposes constraints on the high-power amplifier. Many practices have been projected to lessen PAPR of the OFDM systems. Amongst all the practices, the selected mapping (SLM) method has drawn more attention because of distortion-less behaviour. This technique uses unique phase sequences. It has been learnt that phase formation for SLM is very tedious. In the proposed work, the SLM method has been used, but phase arrangement formation is based on the usage of discrete cosine transform (DCT) matrix. In this proposed work, discrete cosine transform matrix has been chosen based on the requirement of optimization so that the arrangement with lowest PAPR can be nominated for the transmission. MATLAB simulation depicts that the remarkable gain is achieved as compared with the existing technique. In the proposed work, scheming of phase sequences are very informal due to the use of a DCT matrix which has a definite structure and can be generated at the receiver side with the help of side information of the phases and communicated from the transmitter to the receiver.
Expression of LAIR-1 (CD305) on Human Blood Monocytes as a Marker of Hepatic Cirrhosis Progression
Authors: Martínez-Esparza María , Ruiz-Alcaraz Antonio José , Carmona-Martínez Violeta , Fernández-Fernández María Dolores , Antón Gonzalo , Muñoz-Tornero María , Lencina Miriam , Pagán Inmaculada , de la Peña Jesús , García-Peñarrubia Pilar
Published: March 2019

Background and Aim. The presumed role of the inhibitory receptor LAIR-1 (CD305) in the inflammatory response suggests that it might contribute to the pathophysiology of chronic inflammatory diseases such as liver cirrhosis. We studied the LAIR-1 expression on liver macrophages and blood monocytes related to the progression of liver cirrhosis.Methods. The expression of LAIR-1 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and Western blot.Results. We found a decreased number of macrophages expressing LAIR-1 in cirrhotic liver that could be due to a high presence of collagen, ligand of LAIR-1, in the fibrotic tissue which could downregulate its expression or interfere with the immunostaining. The expression of LAIR-1 decreased after cell differentiation, and the total content, but not the cell surface expression, increased after activation in the HL-60 human macrophagein vitromodel. Blood monocytes exhibited higher LAIR-1 expression levels in cirrhotic patients, which were evident even in early clinical stages in all monocyte subsets, and greater in the “intermediate” inflammatory monocyte subpopulation. Thein vitroactivation of human blood monocytes did not increase its expression on the cell surface suggesting that thein vivoincrease of LAIR-1 must be the result of a specific combination of stimuli present in cirrhotic patients. This represents an exclusive feature of liver cirrhosis, since blood monocytes from other chronic inflammatory pathologies showed similar or lower LAIR-1 levels compared with those of healthy controls.Conclusions. These results may indicate that monocyte LAIR-1 expression is a new biomarker to early detect liver damage caused by chronic inflammation in liver cirrhosis.
Model of Consecutive, Steady-State Underflow for Vertical Tailing Silos
Authors: Ren Wei-cheng , Gao Ru-gao , Gan De-qing , Zhang You-zhi
Published: March 2019

A continuous tailing discharge model is proposed for solving the problems of high fluctuation in underflow concentration and low, unstable actual discharge concentration in vertical tailing silos. On the basis of the mass balance equation, a mathematical model for continuous tailing discharge is derived, and a partial differential equation related to the height of the tailing silo in the compression area and tailing slurry concentration is obtained. The effective solid stress equation and the solid flux equation can be obtained from the results of centrifuge tests and intermittent sedimentation tests. The volume concentrations of underflow corresponding to various heights of tailing surfaces are simulated by using fluid mechanics software under dynamic balancing conditions. The results of the simulations are highly similar to those calculated by the derived mathematical model of continuous tailing discharge, and the results of the industrial test are also closely related to the results of the differential equation, thereby verifying the accuracy of the proposed discharge model.
Percutaneous Endoscopic Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion for the Treatment of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: Preliminary Report of Seven Cases with 12-Month Follow-Up
Authors: Yang Jincai , Liu Chang , Hai Yong , Yin Peng , Zhou Lijin , Zhang Yaoshen , Pan Aixing , Zhang Yangpu , Zhang Liming , Ding Yi , Xu Chunyang
Published: March 2019

Purpose. The objective of this study was to investigate the preliminary effectiveness of percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (PE-TLIF) for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Methods. From September 2016 to June 2017, a series of seven patients consisting of six females and one male with an average age of 55.25 years (range 43–77 years) who were diagnosed with LSS were involved in this study. All patients were treated by PE-TLIF. During perioperative and follow-up period, demographic data, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and modified MacNab criteria were evaluated and perioperative complications were documented. Results. All patients were followed up for more than 12 months, with an average follow-up time of 15 (range 12-21) months. The mean VAS of back pain was 7.43 (range 6-8) preoperatively and 0.86 (range 0-2) at the final follow-up. The mean VAS of leg pain was 6.14 (range 4-9) preoperatively and 0.71 (range 0-1) at the final follow-up. The mean ODI was 53.57% (range 38%-63%) preoperatively and 15.57% (range 5%-26%) at the final follow-up. In three-month follow-up, continuous bone trabeculae bridging between intervertebral bodies was seen in 3 cases, and the remaining 4 cases could identify continuous bone trabeculae bridging at 6-month follow-up, reaching the standard of spinal intervertebral fusion. At the final follow-up, 4 patients were rated as excellent (4/7) and 3 patients were rated as good (3/7) according to the modified MacNab criteria. Conclusions. Our study suggested that percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion could acquire satisfactory treatment effects for the patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, even for the patient who could not afford general anesthesia.
Alterations of Hematologic and Hematopoietic Parameters in Mice Exposed to Pulsed Electromagnetic Field
Authors: Li Kangchu , Teng Zenghui , Liu Zhaohui , Zhang Yuxing , Long Kaiping , Liao Qimei , Ni Ansheng , Ding Guirong , Ma Shirong
Published: March 2019

Effects of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) on hematology and hematopoiesis might vary with different PEMF parameters. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible effects of PEMF exposure at different pulses on hematologic and hematopoietic parameters in mice. Groups of male BALB/c mice were whole body exposed or were sham exposed (control) to PEMF at 100, 1000, and 10000 pulses. After PEMF exposure, blood samples and bone marrow cells of mice were collected for hematologic examinations, bone marrow nucleated cell counting, colony-forming units of granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) colony assay, and serum granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) assay. Compared with the control group, white blood cells (WBC) and lymphocytes (LYM) in the 100 and 1000 pulses exposed groups were significantly increased but not changed in the 10000 pulses exposed group. Red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB), and platelets (PLT) were not changed in all exposed groups. There was no significant difference in mouse bone marrow nucleated cell number between the control group and each exposed group 7 days after PEMF exposure. The CFU-GM clone number of bone marrow cells and serum GM-CSF level were significantly increased in the 100 and 1000 pulses exposed group but not changed in the 10000 pulses exposed group. Our results indicated that the PEMF exposure at fewer pulses may induce statistically significant alterations in some hematologic and hematopoietic parameters of mice but no changes can be found in the more pulses PEMF-exposed groups.
Inhibition of Oxidative Neurotoxicity and Scopolamine-Induced Memory Impairment by γ-Mangostin: In Vitro and In Vivo Evidence
Authors: Lee Youngmun , Kim Sunyoung , Oh Yeonsoo , Kim Young-Mi , Chin Young-Won , Cho Jungsook
Published: March 2019

Among a series of xanthones identified from mangosteen, the fruit of Garcinia mangostana L. (Guttifereae), α- and γ-mangostins are known to be major constituents exhibiting diverse biological activities. However, the effects of γ-mangostin on oxidative neurotoxicity and impaired memory are yet to be elucidated. In the present study, the protective effect of γ-mangostin on oxidative stress-induced neuronal cell death and its underlying action mechanism(s) were investigated and compared to that of α-mangostin using primary cultured rat cortical cells. In addition, the effect of orally administered γ-mangostin on scopolamine-induced memory impairment was evaluated in mice. We found that γ-mangostin exhibited prominent protection against H2O2- or xanthine/xanthine oxidase-induced oxidative neuronal death and inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation triggered by these oxidative insults. In contrast, α-mangostin had no effects on the oxidative neuronal damage or associated ROS production. We also found that γ-mangostin, not α-mangostin, significantly inhibited H2O2-induced DNA fragmentation and activation of caspases 3 and 9, demonstrating its antiapoptotic action. In addition, only γ-mangostin was found to effectively inhibit lipid peroxidation and DPPH radical formation, while both mangostins inhibited β-secretase activity. Furthermore, we observed that the oral administration of γ-mangostin at dosages of 10 and 30 mg/kg markedly improved scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice. Collectively, these results provide both in vitro and in vivo evidences for the neuroprotective and memory enhancing effects of γ-mangostin. Multiple mechanisms underlying this neuroprotective action were suggested in this study. Based on our findings, γ-mangostin could serve as a potentially preferable candidate over α-mangostin in combatting oxidative stress-associated neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease.
Nonlinear Trajectory Controller with Improved Performances for Waveriders
Authors: Yang LiuQing , Liu YanBin , Zhang Yong
Published: March 2019

This paper presents a nonlinear trajectory controller with improved performances for a general model of the waverider based on feedback linearization theory and composite nonlinear feedback (CNF) technique. First, a nonlinear controller is presented using the dynamic inversion and CNF technique for the MIMO Model, and the robust stability of the proposed controller is proved. Then, the nonlinear model is established on the basis of hypersonic aerodynamic principle, and the dynamic characteristics are analyzed accordingly, and the periodic trajectory is designed and optimized in combination with a fuel optimization problem. Furthermore, the nonlinear controller is applied to the trajectory tracking of the waverider model, and the general design steps are provided the flight controller using this nonlinear control method. Finally, an illustrative example is given to verify the effectiveness of the nonlinear controller of the waverider, and the flight performances are improved accordingly, including system stability, robustness, and tracking ability.
A Novel Severity Score Index for Febrile Neutropenic Patients with Colorectal Diseases
Authors: Perazzoli Camila , Parra Rogério S. , Feitosa Marley R. , Sfoggia Enrico , Simões Belinda Pinto , Rocha José J. R. , Féres Omar
Published: March 2019

Introduction. Abdominal and anorectal disorders may be the cause of clinical decompensation in neutropenic febrile patients, particularly those with hematologic diseases. Infection is a cause for concern for the colorectal surgeon. Some conditions have few manifestations and can lead to death within a short period of time. This study presents the novel colorectal disorder severity score for febrile neutropenic patients. Materials and Methods. This was a case series study analyzing the medical records of 897 patients admitted to the Hematology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Unit in a university hospital between the years 2008 and 2013. Seventy-four episodes of febrile neutropenia in 69 patients diagnosed with an abdominal or anorectal infection site were eligible for the study. The new scoring system proposed here is based on the author’s clinical experience and an extensive literature review. In addition to the extensive literature review, effect measures were calculated, and a statistical analysis was performed. Based on an evaluation of common biological plausibility criteria, five factors were selected as the main predictors of hospital mortality in febrile neutropenic patients with colorectal disease. Results. The proposed score demonstrated increased mortality as the condition worsened as reflected by an increasing score (Fisher’s exact test: 0.001). When considering the logistic model for the probability of death by score level, the AUC value was 0.82 (0.72-0.925), and the Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic value was 2.3, p=0.806. Conclusion. The proposed scoring system allows prediction of the likelihood of death during hospitalization for febrile neutropenic patients with an abdominal and anorectal focus. New studies on the subject are required, and the proposed scoring scale must be validated on a larger and different sample of patients.
Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan for Insomnia: A Systematic Review of Efficacy and Safety
Authors: Yang Xi-qian , Liu Ling , Ming Shu-ping , Fang Jie , Wu Dong-nan
Published: March 2019

Background. The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan (TWBXD) has been used widely for treating insomnia in China. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TWBXD in the treatment of insomnia. Objective. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of TWBXD for insomnia. Methods. We searched seven main databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Chinese Biomedicine Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP), and Wan-fang. We identified randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) for insomnia treatment involving TWBXD, TWBXD combined with conventional Western medicine, and conventional Western medicine from their inception to May 2018. The quality of literature was evaluated by Cochrane assessing tool to reduce the risk of bias. Meta-analysis and heterogeneity of results across the trials were performed. RevMan 5.3 was used to synthesize the results. Results. 14 studies involving 1,256 participants were identified in this systematic review. Methodological deficiencies existed in most of the included trials. Few studies described the generation of a random sequence in detail, the concealment of allocation, and the methods of blinding. No placebo was used in treatment. 12 trials compared TWBXD with conventional Western medicine and 2 trials compared TWBXD combined with conventional Western medicine. The results of our meta-analysis showed relative benefits in effective rates in favor of TWBXD (Odds Ratio [OR] 2.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.67 to 4.39, P < 0.00001) and TWBXD combined with conventional Western medicine (OR 5.05, 95% CI 1.58 to 16.12, P=0.006). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores showed similar results, which favored TWBXD (Weighted Mean Difference [WMD] -1.82, 95% CI -3.00 to -0.64, P=0.003). Only 5 trials reported adverse events, whereas the other 9 trials did not provide the safety information. Conclusion. This review demonstrates that although the effects of TWBXD on insomnia were promising, they need to be interpreted with caution, due to the poor methodological quality and the small number of trials of the included studies. TWBXD seems to be generally safe, but there is insufficient evidence to make conclusions on the safety because fewer studies reported the adverse events. Further studies on a larger scale with more rigorous designs are required to evaluate the role of TWBXD in the insomnia treatment.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection in Early Pregnancy: Prevalence and Implications
Authors: Pandey Deeksha , Solleti Vani , Jain Gazal , Das Anwesha , Shama Prasada Kabekkodu , Acharya Shobha , Satyamoorthy Kapaettu
Published: March 2019

Introduction. Young women (20-35 years) are at high risk of HPV infection, although the majority of the infections are asymptomatic and are cleared spontaneously by the host immune system. These are also the group of women who are sexually active and are in the population of pregnant women. During pregnancy, the changes in the hormonal milieu and immune response may favor persistence of HPV infection and may aid in transgenerational transmission thereby furthering the cancer risk. In the present study, we determined the prevalence of vaginal HPV infection in early pregnancy and attempted to relate with pregnancy outcome. Material and Methods. Vaginal cytology samples were collected from the condoms used to cover the vaginal sonography probe during a routine first trimester visit to the hospital. All women were followed up throughout pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were recorded. Results. We found a prevalence of HPV infection around 39.4% in our population. Interestingly all HPV positive women were infected with one or more high risk HPV viruses with an overlap of intermediate and low risk in 43% and 7.3%, respectively. Women with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) showed a statistically higher incidence in HPV positive (7.3%) group as compared to the HPV negative (3.2%) group. Conclusion. The prevalence of genital HPV infection is high during pregnancy (around 40%) and was associated with higher incidence of PPROM.
Optimization of Synthesis Parameters of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Based on Ionic Liquid by Experimental Design and Its Application as a Drug Delivery Agent
Authors: Mohamed Isa Eleen Dayana , Ahmad Haslina , Abdul Rahman Mohd Basyaruddin
Published: March 2019

Optimization is a process utilized to discover the best condition to generate the best possible outcome. One of the common optimization method used in the field of chemistry is response surface methodology (RSM). This method consists of mathematical and statistical techniques which relate the responses with the variables of interest. There are many experimental designs in RSM, and one of the most common one is the Box-Behnken design (BBD). In this work, BBD was employed to analyze the main effects and interactions of the reaction temperature, amount of template, and amount of triethanolamine (TEA) on the two responses which are the surface area (SA) and particle size (PS) of ionic liquid templated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs). It was found that the SA and PS were fitted with linear and quadratic models, respectively. MSNs with the highest surface area (999.051 m2 g-1) was chosen for the application of drug delivery; thus, drug loading and drug release experiments were conducted. From these studies, it was found that 37% of drug (quercetin) was successfully encapsulated in MSN and, in 48 hours, 32% of the drug was released.
Hypersonic Aeroelastic Response of Elastic Boundary Panel Based on a Modified Fourier Series Method
Authors: Zhou Xiyue , Wang Lifeng , Jiang Jingnong , Su Zhu
Published: March 2019

In this paper, an analytical method is proposed to directly obtain the aeroelastic time domain response of the elastic boundary panel. Based on a modified Fourier series method (MFSM), the vibration analysis of elastic boundary panels is carried out, after the dynamics equation of the panel is obtained. Then, the vibrational functions are combined with the supersonic piston theory to establish the aeroelastic equation. The aeroelastic time domain response of the panel is obtained to analyze the flutter speed of the panel more intuitively. Finally, the flutter speeds of panels with different length-width ratios, thicknesses, and elastic boundary conditions are discussed in detail.
Activity Feature Solving Based on TF‐IDF for Activity Recognition in Smart Homes
Authors: Guo Jinghuan , Mu Yong , Xiong Mudi , Liu Yaqing , Gu Jingxuan
Published: March 2019

Smart homes based on the Internet of Things have been rapidly developed. To improve the safety, comfort, and convenience of residents’ lives with minimal cost, daily activity recognition aims to know resident’s daily activity in non‐invasive manner. The performance of daily activity recognition heavily depends on solving strategy of activity feature. However, the current common employed solving strategy based on statistical information of individual activity does not support well the activity recognition. To improve the common employed solving strategy, an activity feature solving strategy based on TF‐IDF is proposed in this paper. The proposed strategy exploits statistical information related to both individual activity and the whole of activities. Two distinct datasets have been commissioned, to mitigate against any possible effect of coupling between dataset and sensor configuration. Finally, a number of machine learning (ML) techniques and deep learning technique have been evaluated to assess their performance for residents activity recognition.
Complex Dynamical Behaviors in a Spring‐Block Model with Periodic Perturbation
Authors: Chen Cun , Li Xueping , Ren Jingli
Published: March 2019

A generalization of a Burridge‐Knopoff spring‐block model is investigated to illustrate the dynamics of transform faults. The model can undergo Hopf bifurcation and fold bifurcation of limit cycles. Considering the cyclical nature of the spring stiffness, the model with periodic perturbation is further explored via a continuation technique and numerical bifurcation analysis. It is shown that the periodic perturbation induces abundant dynamics, the existence, the switch, and the coexistence of multiple attractors including periodic solutions with various periods, quasiperiodic solutions, chaotic solutions through torus destruction, or cascade of period doublings. Throughout the results obtained, one can see that the system manifests complex dynamical behaviors such as chaos, self‐organized criticality, and the transition of dynamical behaviors when it comes to periodic perturbations. Even very small variation of a parameter can result in radical changes of the dynamics, which provides a new insight into the fault dynamics.
Effect of Velocity Slip on Head Prediction for Centrifugal Pumps as Turbines
Authors: Wang Xiaohui , Yang Junhu , Xia Zhengting , Hao Yan , Cheng Xiaorui
Published: March 2019

The application of pumps as turbines (PAT) has been developed in several applications for energy recovery schemes. Therefore, establishing a performance correlation between pump mode and turbine mode is essential for selecting the proper machine. However, slip phenomenon is the challenges of head prediction for PAT. In this paper, the slip phenomenon of pump and PAT was revealed, and the slip factor was studied using CFD. The effect of slip on head prediction for PAT was analyzed, and a theoretical prediction model was presented considering slip factors. In order to validate the head prediction model, six centrifugal pumps with specific speed (ns) from 9 to 54.8 were tested as turbines. Results showed that the predicted head by the proposed method was in good agreement with the experimental data, and it is more accurate than Stepanoff, Alatorre‐Frenk, Sharma, and Derakhshan models. This method can be applied in head prediction for low specific speed PAT ( ns <60).
Authenticating Raw from Reconstituted Milk Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Chemometrics
Authors: Du Lijuan , Lu Weiying , Gao Boyan , Wang Jing , Yu Liangli (Lucy)
Published: March 2019

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometrics was used to authenticate raw milk from their reconstituted counterparts. First, the explanatory principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to visualize the relationship between raw and reconstituted milk samples. However, the degree of separation between two sample classes was not significant according to direct observation of the scores plot, indicating FTIR spectra may contain complicated chemical information. Second, partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) that incorporate additional class membership information as modelling input was further calculated. The PLS-DA scores yielded clear separation between two classes of samples. Additionally, possible components from the model loading were studied, and the PLS-DA model was validated internally under the model population analysis framework, as well as externally using an independent test set. This study gave insights into the authentication of milk using FTIR spectroscopy with chemometrics techniques.
Additive Manufacturing Applications on Flexible Actuators for Active Orthoses and Medical Devices
Authors: Antonelli Michele Gabrio , Beomonte Zobel Pierluigi , Durante Francesco , Raparelli Terenziano
Published: March 2019

This paper describes the results of research projects developed at the University of L’Aquila by the research group of the authors in the field of biomedical engineering, which have seen an important use of additive manufacturing technologies in the prototyping step and, in some cases, also for the realization of preindustrialization prototypes. For these projects, commercial 3D printers and technologies such as fused deposition modelling (FDM) were used; the most commonly used polymers in these technologies are acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA). The research projects concern the development of innovative actuators, such as pneumatic muscles and soft pneumatic actuators (SPAs), the development of active orthoses, such as a lower limb orthosis and, finally, the development of a variable-stiffness grasper to be used in natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). The main aspects of these research projects are described in the paper, highlighting the technologies used such as the finite element analysis and additive manufacturing.
Comparative Analysis between Three Different Lumbar Decompression Techniques (Microscopic, Tubular, and Endoscopic) in Lumbar Canal and Lateral Recess Stenosis: Preliminary Report
Authors: Lee Chul-Woo , Yoon Kang-Jun , Ha Sang-Soo
Published: March 2019

Purpose. The purpose of our study is to compare the results of spinal decompression using the full-endoscopic interlaminar technique, tubular retractor, and a conventional microsurgical laminotomy technique and evaluate the advantages and clinical feasibility of minimally invasive spinal (MIS) lumbar decompression technique in the lumbar canal and lateral recess stenosis. Methods. The authors retrospectively reviewed clinical and radiological data from 270 patients who received microsurgical (group E: 72 patients), tubular (group T: 34 patients), or full-endoscopic decompression surgery (group E: 164 patients) for their lumbar canal and lateral recess stenosis from June 2016 to August 2017. Clinical (VAS, ODI, and Mcnab criteria), radiologic (spinal canal diameter, segmental dynamic angle, and disc height), and surgical outcome parameters (CPK level, Operative time, blood loss, and hospital stay) were evaluated pre- and postoperatively and compared among the three groups by means of statistical analysis. Failed cases and complications were reviewed in all groups. Results. The mean follow-up period was 6.38 months. The Overall clinical success rate was 89.4%. All groups showed favorable clinical outcome. The clinical and radiologic results were similar in all groups. Regarding surgical outcome, group E showed longer operation time than group M and T (group E: 84.17 minutes/level, group M: 52.22 minutes/level, and group T: 66.12 minutes/level) (p<0.05). However, groups E and T showed minimal surgical invasiveness compared with group M. Groups E and T showed less immediate postoperative back pain (VAS) (group E: 3.13, group M: 4.28, group T: 3.54) (p<0.05), less increase of serum CPK enzyme (group E: 66.38 IU/L, group M: 120 IU/L, and group T: 137.5 IU/L) (p<0.05), and shorter hospital stay (group E: 2.12 days, group M: 4.85 days, and group T: 2.83 days) (p<0.05). The rates of complications and revisions were not significantly different among the three groups. Conclusions. MIS decompression technique is clinically feasible and safe to treat the lumbar canal and lateral recess stenosis, and it has many surgical advantages such as less muscle trauma, minimal postoperative back pain, and fast recovery of the patient compared to traditional open microscopic technique.
Automated Orbital Transfer and Hovering Control Using Artificial Potential
Authors: Wang Xun , Wang Zhaokui , Zhang Yulin
Published: March 2019

On‐orbit servicing for GEO targets has attracted great attention due to particular significance. In this study, the GEO nearby flying is considered, which denotes that the servicing spacecraft approaches GEO targets within tens of meters. Based on the analysis of differential spherical Earth gravity, J2 perturbation, third‐body perturbation, and solar radiation pressure (SRP) between two spacecraft, a relative dynamics of GEO nearby flying is built, in which the differential SRP has great influence on relative motion. Therein, considering the differential SRP, an analytical solution to relative dynamics is obtained, which is an extension to CW equation’s solution. Based on the derived relative dynamics, a novel control method utilizing feedback compensation and artificial potential is developed for spacecraft orbital transfer and hovering at the desired position. During orbital transfer, a bounded space is constrained with maximum and minimum relative distance between two spacecraft. An improved repulsive potential based on Gauss function is designed to drive the servicer off the bound and guarantee the potential value converge to zero at the desired position. Meanwhile, a novel attractive potential about relative distance that drives the servicer to the desired position and to hover with high accuracy against perturbations is designed. Besides, a velocity potential with variable gain is designed to ensure that the servicer achieve the desired position without overshoot. The stability of the system is proved with Lyapunov theory, and the feasibility of the proposed control law is verified through numerical simulations with obvious advantages.
Postoperative Hardware-Related Infection from Kytococcus schroeteri: Its Association with Prosthetic Material and Hematological Malignancies—A Report of a Case and Review of Existing Literature
Authors: Shah Aditya S. , Vijayvargiya Prakhar , Jung Sarah , Wilson John W.
Published: March 2019

Introduction. Kytococcus schroeteri is an infrequently isolated Gram-positive coccus often encountered as a commensal bacterium. Only eighteen cases of human infection associated with this organism have been previously reported. Most of these cases involved patients with implanted prosthetic materials or patients with immunosuppressive conditions. It has been described in prosthetic valve endocarditis and in select patients with hematologic diseases but only one prior report as being involved in osteoarticular infections. Case Presentation. We describe a case of postsurgical osteoarticular hardware-related infection by K. schroeteri and discuss a possible association with implanted prosthetic material. Conclusion. Other clinical presentations of K. schroeteri, including reported infection syndromes, antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, and treatment outcomes, are also reviewed.
EBOC: Ensemble-Based Ordinal Classification in Transportation
Authors: Yıldırım Pelin , Birant Ulaş K. , Birant Derya
Published: March 2019

Learning the latent patterns of historical data in an efficient way to model the behaviour of a system is a major need for making right decisions. For this purpose, machine learning solution has already begun its promising marks in transportation as well as in many areas such as marketing, finance, education, and health. However, many classification algorithms in the literature assume that the target attribute values in the datasets are unordered, so they lose inherent order between the class values. To overcome the problem, this study proposes a novel ensemble-based ordinal classification (EBOC) approach which suggests bagging and boosting (AdaBoost algorithm) methods as a solution for ordinal classification problem in transportation sector. This article also compares the proposed EBOC approach with ordinal class classifier and traditional tree-based classification algorithms (i.e., C4.5 decision tree, RandomTree, and REPTree) in terms of accuracy. The results indicate that the proposed EBOC approach achieves better classification performance than the conventional solutions.
Prevalence, Intensity of Soil-Transmitted Helminths, and Factors Associated with Infection: Importance in Control Program with Ivermectin and Albendazole in Eastern Côte d’Ivoire
Authors: Loukouri Agodio , Méité Aboulaye , Kouadio Olivier K. , Djè Norbert N. , Trayé-Bi Gotré , Koudou Benjamin G. , N’Goran Eliézer K.
Published: March 2019

Evaluation of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) and implementation of additional interventions are required in the region of a filariasis control program, given that antifilariasis drugs also have a beneficial effect on STHs. Thus, this study determines the extensive epidemiology of STHs to improve their successful control. Stool samples were analyzed using the Kato-Katz method. Chi-squared and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to measure differences in infection rates and intensities, respectively, and logistic regression identified the risks of infection. The main intestinal helminths (A. lumbricoides, hookworm [N. americanus],S. mansoni,andT. trichiura) were found in the population. The overall prevalence of STHs was 19.5%. The prevalence of hookworm, the predominant species, ranged from 2% (n=6) to 28% (n=97). The overall prevalence of the other intestinal helminths was less than 6% (n=18). Intensity of hookworm was mostly light with a range from 1.6% (n=5) to 25.9% (n=90). However, the intensity of the species was significantly greater in Soribadougou compared to the other localities. Heavy infection was found in old children and adults but not in young children. Open defecation (OR=3.23, p≤0.05), dog/cat raising (OR=1.94, p≤0.05), farming (OR=14.10, p≤0.05), and irrigated culture (OR=3.23, p≤0.05) were positively associated with hookworm. It was observed that the participants missed the follow-up examinations due to trip (32.7%) or misunderstanding (15%) and lack of information (11.8%) of the purpose of the survey. Thus, to sustain the control of STHs, the MDA program should target the entire community and add education about the use of toilets, best practices of farming, and dog/cat raising.
Interleukin-6 Producing Pheochromocytoma: A Rare Cause of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome
Authors: Carvalho Cunha Nelson , Gomes Leonor , Saraiva Joana , Paiva Isabel
Published: March 2019

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) can be a rare manifestation of pheochromocytoma, since this adrenal tumor may produce cytokines and other hormones or neuropeptides besides catecholamines. We report the case of a 53-year-old female patient with a pheochromocytoma that presented with fever and weight loss of 5% in one month along with normocytic anemia, thrombocytosis, leukocytosis, and elevated C-reactive protein. In this setting, interleukin-6 (IL-6) was requested and was elevated [26.7ng/L (<7.0)]. She also presented biochemical evidence of ACTH-independent cortisol production without overt Cushing syndrome. After adrenalectomy, the inflammatory syndrome resolved and all biochemical parameters normalized, including IL-6 and ACTH. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of IL6-producing pheochromocytoma along with autonomous cortisol production.
Cosine‐Trapezoidal Soft‐Starting Control Strategy for a Belt Conveyor
Authors: Ji Jianhua , Miao Changyun , Li Xianguo
Published: March 2019

To improve the soft‐starting performance of a belt conveyor, a cosine‐trapezoidal soft‐starting control strategy is proposed. With this strategy, the speed curve for soft‐starting is S‐shaped, continuous, and smooth. The acceleration and jerk are also continuous and smooth without discontinuities. The time‐interval ratio of the horizontal and cosine curves can be changed via a single parameter setting, so that the strategy can be modified to meet different practical needs. In this paper, the soft‐starting control strategy of cosine trapezoid is analyzed and simulated based on current international and domestic standards. The results show that compared with the classical soft‐starting control strategy, the cosine‐trapezoidal soft‐starting control strategy enables the belt conveyor to start at its highest efficiency. Moreover, the energy savings are obvious, the safety performance is good, and the controllable performance is excellent.
Impact ofParacoccidioides brasiliensisCoinfection on the Evolution ofSchistosoma mansoni-Induced Granulomatous Liver Injury in Mice
Authors: Araújo Matheus Pereira de , Burger Eva , Dias Novaes Rômulo , Ami Akatuti Amanda , Rodrigues Maria Ângela , Mendes Ana Carolina Silvério Cerqueira , Bani Giulia Maria de Castro , Cardoso Santos Eliziária , Santos Mendonça Andréia Aparecida , Martins Souza Raquel Lopes
Published: March 2019

The pathogensSchistosoma mansoniandParacoccidioides brasiliensisshare common geographic areas, determining infectious diseases with high mortality rates worldwide.Histopathological and immunological changes induced by each pathogen are well understood; however, the host responses toS. mansoniandP. brasiliensiscoinfection are still unknown. Thus, we investigated liver damage and cytokines production in a murine model acutely and chronically coinfected with these pathogens. Fourty male Swiss mice were infected withS. mansoniandP. brasiliensisalone or coinfected. The animals were euthanized with 50 (acute infection) and 120 (chronic infection) days of infection. All infected animals exhibited liver inflammation. Intense granulomatous inflammation was detected in animals infected withS. mansonialone and those coinfected. Productive and involutive granulomas were clearly observed in acute and chronic infections, respectively. Granuloma size was reduced in the acute phase and increased in the chronic phase ofS. mansoniandP. brasiliensiscoinfection, compared with animals infected only withS. mansoni. In the chronic phase of infection, the granulomatous inflammation in coinfected animals was characterized by intense neutrophils accumulation and reduced eosinophils number. IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-5 circulating levels were increased in all infected groups. Coinfected animals presented attenuated IFN-γand IL-4 production in the acute and chronic infections. Taken together, our findings indicate that coinfected animals exhibited a differential modulation of granulomatous inflammation during the acute and chronic phases of infection, which was potentially associated with a divergent profile of cytokines production and migration of neutrophils and eosinophils in response toS. mansoniandP. brasiliensisantigenic stimulation.
Bandgap Engineering of Bilayer Ge/CdS Thin Films via Interlayer Diffusion under Different Annealing Temperatures
Authors: Amin Faheem , Zahra Syedah Afsheen , Sultan Muhammad , Mirza Sajjad Hussain , Azad Fahad
Published: March 2019

Bilayer thin films of Ge/CdS have been deposited on a glass substrate through thermal evaporation method. The obtained Ge/CdS samples were annealed at temperatures up to 400°C to observe the resulting effect on the structural changes in the film. The bandgap of the annealed films was found to increase with increasing annealing temperature which can be attributed to the increased interlayer diffusion. The interlayer diffusion was found to take effect above a temperature of 300°C which was confirmed by the Rutherford backscattering technique. Complementary XPS was done to investigate the surface stoichiometry of the bilayers.
Bilateral Simultaneous Tibial Tubercle Avulsion in an Adolescent Football Player with Previous Bilateral Osgood–Schlatter Disease
Authors: Dalla Rosa Nogales Jaime , Nogales Zafra José Juan
Published: March 2019

Tibial tubercle avulsion fractures are a very uncommon injury, accounting between 0.4 and 2.7% of all epiphyseal injuries. Bilateral lesions are extremely rare with only 20 cases described in the literature. They occur more frequently in male adolescents and during sport activities that require jumping and sprinting, such as football or basketball. We report the case of a 13-year-old boy who sustained simultaneous bilateral tibial avulsion fractures on the background of a previous conservatively managed bilateral Osgood–Schlatter disease.
Body Mass Index Change as a Predictor of Biometric Changes following an Intensive Lifestyle Modification Program
Authors: Drozek David , DeFabio Alexandria , Amstadt Randi , Dogbey Godwin Y.
Published: March 2019

The initial benefits of lifestyle modification programs such as reduction in chronic and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk factors have been well documented. However, such positive effects may deteriorate over time following relapse into inactivity. Timely detection of weight regain leading to the deterioration of the accrued benefits could trigger early resumption of intensive lifestyle intervention. To date, no known cost-effective, noninvasive approach for monitoring long-term outcomes has yet been established. The purpose of this study was to determine if body mass index (BMI) change predicted changes in other CVD biometric markers during an intensive lifestyle modification program. This study was an observational, retrospective review of records of participants from the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP). Biomarker changes of participants in this community-based Intensive Therapeutic Lifestyle Modification Program (ITLMP) offered in Athens, Ohio, a rural Appalachian college town, between April 2011 and June 2017 were reviewed retrospectively. BMI, heart rate (Pulse), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and fasting blood levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides (TG), and glucose (FBS) were monitored before and after program completion. Data were analyzed using a multivariate general linear model. The sample analyzed consisted of 620 participants (mean age of 52.3±13.0 years, 74.5% female). Controlling for age and gender, BMI change significantly predicted 5 out of the 8 biomarker changes measured [Wilk’s λ = 0.939, F(8,526) = 4.29, p <.0001]. Specifically, a 1-point BMI decrease was associated with 4.4 units decrease in TC, 3.2 units in LDL, 5.3 units in TG, 2 units in SBP, and 1 unit in DBP (all p values < .05). These results suggest that change in BMI may be a useful predictor of change in other CVD biomarkers’ outcomes during and after an ITLMP participation. Tracking BMI, therefore, could serve as a proxy measure for identifying regressing biomarker changes following participation in an ITLMP leading to a timelier reassessment and intervention. Future studies evaluating the value of BMI as a surrogate for highlighting overall cardiovascular health are warranted.
A New Type of Eye Movement Model Based on Recurrent Neural Networks for Simulating the Gaze Behavior of Human Reading
Authors: Wang Xiaoming , Zhao Xinbo , Ren Jinchang
Published: March 2019

Traditional eye movement models are based on psychological assumptions and empirical data that are not able to simulate eye movement on previously unseen text data. To address this problem, a new type of eye movement model is presented and tested in this paper. In contrast to conventional psychology‐based eye movement models, ours is based on a recurrent neural network (RNN) to generate a gaze point prediction sequence, by using the combination of convolutional neural networks (CNN), bidirectional long short‐term memory networks (LSTM), and conditional random fields (CRF). The model uses the eye movement data of a reader reading some texts as training data to predict the eye movements of the same reader reading a previously unseen text. A theoretical analysis of the model is presented to show its excellent convergence performance. Experimental results are then presented to demonstrate that the proposed model can achieve similar prediction accuracy while requiring fewer features than current machine learning models.