bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Behavioural and arousal‐related influences on breathing in humans
Authors: Shea SA
Published: December 2014

This review has described the many behavioural and arousal‐related influences on breathing and the extent of these influences in humans. The chief examples have included the effect on breathing of altered mental activity, wakefulness and sleep, and learned respiratory responses. Determining the precise neurological mechanisms underlying these effects represents a difficult challenge to respiratory physiologists who seek to understand the respiratory control system of awake behaving humans. Nevertheless, insight into the various forebrain and brainstem inputs to respiratory muscles has been gained by studies of breathing during particular behaviours (when either voluntary or reflex breathing predominates) or in particular neurological patients (in whom either voluntary or reflex breathing is defective). With developments in brain imaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, it may soon be possible to determine more precisely the various anatomical sources and timing of the motor commands to breathe during different behaviours, states of arousal and sleep.
Basolateral D‐glucose transport activity along the crypt‐villus axis in rat jejunum and upregulation induced by gastric inhibitory peptide and glucagon‐like peptide−2
Authors: Cheeseman CI , O'Neill D
Published: December 2014

Phloridzin‐insensitive D‐glucose uptake into enterocytes isolated sequentially from along the crypt‐villus axis showed the majority of transport activity to reside in cells from the upper third of the villus. In contrast, total postnuclear glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) protein content of the cells was high even close to the crypt and was almost constant for the upper 80% of the villi. A 4 h lumenal perfusion in vivo with 100 mM D‐glucose prior to harvesting the enterocytes produced a 2‐ to 3‐fold increase in phloridzin‐insensitive D‐glucose uptake which extended down 70% of the villus. Vascular infusion in vivo with either 800 pM gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) or glucagon‐like peptide‐2 (GLP‐2) prior to harvesting enterocytes produced the same response as lumenal glucose, while glucagon like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) had no effect. Inclusion of 30 microM brefeldin A (BFA), an inhibitor of protein trafficking, in the lumenal perfusate produced a small, but not significant, increase in the control uptake profile along the villus in isolated enterocytes. However, BFA significantly reduced the upregulation induced by lumenal glucose and vascular GIP and blocked the stimulation produced by vascular GLP‐2. Biotinylation of surface proteins and isolation with protein A indicated that there was no change in the membrane abundance of GLUT2 after GLP‐2 treatment. These results are discussed in relation to the role of gastrointestinal peptide hormones in controlling intestinal hexose transport and the possibility of protein trafficking being involved in mediating the upregulation of GLUT2 activity in the enterocyte basolateral membrane.
Probabilistic Analysis to Quantify Optical Performance and Error Budgets for Next Generation Heliostats
Authors: Christian Joshua , Moya Adam , Ho Clifford , Andraka Charles , Yuan James
Published: December 2014

Current heliostats cost ∼$200/m2 of reflective area and are estimated to contribute up to 50% of the total solar power tower plant costs. A drastic overall cost reduction is required in order for concentrated solar thermal power to be economically viable. The Department of Energy has set forth the SunShot initiative targeting a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of $0.06/kWh by the year 2020. The cost of each heliostat must be brought down to an estimated $75/m2 to achieve this rigorous goal. One of the driving aspects of heliostat design and cost are the heliostat optical errors. At the moment, it is relatively unclear about the amount of error that can be present in the system while still maintaining low cost and high optical accuracy. The optical errors present on heliostat mirror surfaces directly influence the plant LCOE by causing beam spillage. This can result in an increase in the number of heliostats, an increased receiver size, and decreased thermal efficiency. Assuming a fixed heliostat cost of $75/m2, the effects of optical errors on LCOE were evaluated within the software delsol. From a probabilistic analysis, beam quality errors (i.e., slope error, alignment errors, etc.) were shown to have more importance on the LCOE than tracking errors. This determination resulted in a realization that the tracking errors and beam quality errors could be combined into a “bundled” root-sum-square (RSS) error value and produce similar results in delsol. A “bundled” error value of 2 mrad resulted in an LCOE of $0.06/kWh. This “bundled” value was the basis for a new optical error budget and is decomposed into five individual errors. These five errors can be used as design specifications for new generation heliostats.
Improvement in Solar Chimney Power Generation by Using a Diffuser Tower
Authors: Okada Shinsuke , Uchida Takanori , Karasudani Takashi , Ohya Yuji
Published: December 2014

The solar chimney prototype, operated in Spain from 1982 to 1989, verified the concept of the solar chimney. The power generation mechanism in this system is to turn the wind turbine placed inside a high rise cylindrical hollow tower by an induced thermal updraft. As long as the thermal updraft is induced inside the tower by the solar radiation, this system can produce electricity. The disadvantage of this system is the low power generation efficiency compared to other solar energy power generation systems. To overcome this disadvantage, we improved the mechanism in order to augment the velocity of the air which flows into the wind turbine. By applying a diffuser tower instead of a cylindrical one, the efficiency of the systems power generation is increased. The mechanism that we investigated was the effect of the diffuser on the solar chimney structure. The inner diameter of the tower expands as the height increases so that the static pressure recovery effect of the diffuser causes a low static pressure region to form at the bottom of the tower. This effect induces greater airflow within the tower. The laboratory experiment, as does the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of the laboratory sized model, shows that the proposed diffuser type tower induces a velocity approximately 1.38–1.44 times greater than the conventional cylindrical type. The wind power generation output is proportional to the cube of the incoming wind velocity into the wind turbine; therefore, approximately 2.6–3.0 times greater power output can be expected from using the diffuser type tower.
Photovoltaics Energy Prediction Under Complex Conditions for a Predictive Energy Management System
Authors: Schmelas Martin , Feldmann Thomas , da Costa Fernandes Jesus , Bollin Elmar
Published: December 2014

Solar energy converted and fed to the utility grid by photovoltaic modules has increased significantly over the last few years. This trend is expected to continue. Photovoltaics (PV) energy forecasts are thus becoming more and more important. In this paper, the PV energy forecasts are used for a predictive energy management system (PEMS) in a positive energy building. The publication focuses on the development and comparison of different models for daily PV energy prediction taking into account complex shading, caused for example by trees. Three different forecast methods are compared. These are a physical model with local shading measurements, a multilayer perceptron neural network (MLP), and a combination of the physical model and the neural network. The results show that the combination of the physical model and the neural network provides the most accurate forecast values and can improve adaptability. From April to December, the mean percentage error (MPE) of the MLP with physical information is 11.6%. From December to March, the accuracy of the PV predictions decreases to an MPE of 78.8%. This is caused by poorer irradiation forecasts, but mainly by snow coverage of the PV modules.
Efficiency Estimations for Multijunction and Intermediate Band Solar Cells Using Actual Measured Solar Spectra in Japan
Authors: Naitoh Shunya , Okada Yoshitaka
Published: December 2014

An intermediate band solar cell (IBSC) whose equivalent circuit is similar to a multijunction (MJ) solar cell but with an additional parallel diode connection is shown to be more robust to spectral variation than a series-connected MJ solar cell. We have calculated the limiting efficiencies of IBSC and MJ solar cells using the measured solar spectra in Japan. Even though the maximum efficiency of an IBSC is lower than a triple junction (3J) solar cell at airmass (AM)1.5, the IBSC would generate more annual electricity by 1% than 3J cell at 1 sun, if they had been optimized at AM1.5.
Development of Advanced Compressor Airfoils for Heavy-Duty Gas Turbines: Part II — Experimental and Theoretical Analysis
Authors: Küsters Bernhard , Schreiber Helnz-Adolf , Köller Ulf D. , Mönig Reinhard
Published: December 2014

In Part I of this paper a family of numerically optimized subsonic compressor airfoils for heavy-duty gas turbines, covering a wide range of flow properties, is presented. The objective of the optimization was 10 create profiles with a wide low loss incidence range. Therefore, design point and off-design performance had to be considered in an objective function. The special flow conditions in large scale gas turbines have been taken into account by performing the numerical optimization procedure at high Reynolds numbers and high turbulence levels. The objective of Part II is to examine some of the characteristics describing the new airfoils, as well as to prove the reliability of the design process and the flow solver applied.

Therefore, some characteristic members of the new airfoil series have been extensively investigated in the cascade windtunnel of DLR Cologne. Experimental and numerical results show profile Mach number distributions, total pressure losses, flow turning and static pressure rise for the entire incidence range. The design goal with low losses and especially a wide operating range could be confirmed, as well as a mild stall behavior. Boundary layer development, particularly near stall condition, is discussed using surface flow visualization and the results of boundary layer calculations. An additional experimental study, using liquid crystal coating, provides necessary information on suction surface boundary-layer transition at high Reynolds numbers.

Finally, results of Navier-Stokes simulations are presented which enlighten the total pressure loss development and flow turning behavior especially at high incidence in relation to the results of the design tool.
Effects of Variable Inlet Guide Vanes on Small Centrifugal Compressor Performance
Authors: Ishino Minoru , Iwakiri Yuji , Bessho Akinobu , Uchida Hiroshi
Published: December 2014

Variable inlet guide vanes (VIGVs) have been developed for a small centrifugal compressor of automobile turbocharger. The effects of pre-whirl flow generated by VIGVs on compressor performance have been studied experimentally. Furthermore, the flow condition in impeller passage of the compressor with VIGVs has been compared to that of the compressor without VIGVs by using three-dimensional flow analysis. The results of experimental study have shown that pre-whirl flow is advantageous to the efficiency and surge characteristics of compressor. A weak fluid oscillation, which usually occurs in the region of high pressure-ratio and high mass flow rates, has been controlled by using VIGVs. The results of calculation of the viscous compressible flow have shown that the pre-whirl generated by VIGVs is effective in decreasing the area of the reverse flow which occurs at shroud suction side and smoothing the flow distribution between shroud and hub at the impeller exit.
Influence of hydrogen impurities on p-type resistivity in Mg-doped GaN films
Authors: Yang Jing , Zhao Degang , Jiang Desheng , Chen Ping , Zhu Jianjun , Liu Zongshun , Le Lingcong , He Xiaoguang , Li Xiaojing , Zhang Y. T. , Du G. T.
Published: December 2014

The effects of hydrogen impurities on p-type resistivity in Mg-doped GaN films were investigated. It was found that hydrogen impurities may have the dual role of passivating MgGa acceptors and passivating donor defects. A decrease in p-type resistivity when O2 is introduced during the postannealing process is attributed to the fact that annealing in an O2-containing environment can enhance the dissociation of MgGa-H complexes as well as the outdiffusion of H atoms from p-GaN films. However, low H concentrations are not necessarily beneficial in Mg-doped GaN films, as H atoms may also be bound at donor species and passivate them, leading to the positive effect of reduced compensation.
Ultrathin polycrystalline 6,13-Bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)-pentacene films
Authors: Jung Min-Cherl , Zhang Dongrong , Nikiforov Gueorgui O. , Lee Michael V. , Joo Shin Tae , Ahn Docheon , Lee Han-Koo , Baik Jaeyoon , Shin Hyun-Joon , Qi Yabing
Published: December 2014

Ultrathin (<6 nm) polycrystalline films of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS-P) are deposited with a two-step spin-coating process. The influence of spin-coating conditions on morphology of the resulting film was examined by atomic force microscopy. Film thickness and RMS surface roughness were in the range of 4.0–6.1 and 0.6–1.1 nm, respectively, except for small holes. Polycrystalline structure was confirmed by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction measurements. Near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure measurements suggested that the plane through aromatic rings of TIPS-P molecules was perpendicular to the substrate surface.
Role of atomic layer deposited aluminum oxide as oxidation barrier for silicon based materials
Authors: Fiorentino Giuseppe , Morana Bruno , Forte Salvatore , Sarro Pasqualina Maria
Published: December 2014

In this paper, the authors study the protective effect against oxidation of a thin layer of atomic layer deposited (ALD) aluminum oxide (Al2O3). Nitrogen doped silicon carbide (poly-SiC:N) based microheaters coated with ALD Al2O3 are used as test structure to investigate the barrier effect of the alumina layers to oxygen and water vapor at very high temperature (up to 1000 °C). Different device sets have been fabricated changing the doping levels, to evaluate possible interaction between the dopants and the alumina layer. The as-deposited alumina layer morphology has been evaluated by means of AFM analysis and compared to an annealed sample (8 h at 1000 °C) to estimate the change in the grain structure and the film density. The coated microheaters are subjected to very long oxidation time in dry and wet environment (up to 8 h at 900 and 1000 °C). By evaluating the electrical resistance variation between uncoated reference devices and the ALD coated devices, the oxide growth on the SiC is estimated. The results show that the ALD alumina coating completely prevents the oxidation of the SiC up to 900 °C in wet environment, while an oxide thickness reduction of 50% is observed at 1000 °C compared to uncoated devices.
Effects of oxygen doping concentration on resistive switching in NiN-based resistive switching memory
Authors: Jeon Dong Su , Park Ju Hyun , Kim Tae Geun
Published: December 2014

In this study, NiN-based resistive switching (RS) random access memory was doped with various concentrations of oxygen, and its uniform set/reset operation and current levels were examined. As compared with undoped RS layers, RS layers deposited with an oxygen flow rate of 5 sccm were more uniform and exhibited higher on/off ratios by forming oxy-nitride. In contrast, RS layers deposited with oxygen flow rates less than 5 sccm showed poor performance due to oxygen acting as a defect. The authors demonstrated that the oxygen doping process can improve the RS characteristics of NiN films and help clarify the RS phenomena associated with these films.
Genome Instability Mediates the Loss of Key Traits by Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 during Laboratory Evolution
Authors: Renda Brian A. , Dasgupta Aurko , Leon Dacia , Barrick Jeffrey E.
Published: December 2014

Acinetobacter baylyi
ADP1 has the potential to be a versatile bacterial host for synthetic biology because it is naturally transformable. To examine the genetic reliability of this desirable trait and to understand the potential stability of other engineered capabilities, we propagated ADP1 for 1,000 generations of growth in rich nutrient broth and analyzed the genetic changes that evolved by whole-genome sequencing. Substantially reduced transformability and increased cellular aggregation evolved during the experiment. New insertions of IS
1236
transposable elements and IS
1236
-mediated deletions led to these phenotypes in most cases and were common overall among the selected mutations. We also observed a 49-kb deletion of a prophage region that removed an integration site, which has been used for genome engineering, from every evolved genome. The comparatively low rates of these three classes of mutations in lineages that were propagated with reduced selection for 7,500 generations indicate that they increase ADP1 fitness under common laboratory growth conditions. Our results suggest that eliminating transposable elements and other genetic failure modes that affect key organismal traits is essential for improving the reliability of metabolic engineering and genome editing in undomesticated microbial hosts, such as
Acinetobacter baylyi
ADP1.
Quantitative diagenetic analyses of Edmontosaurus regalis (Dinosauria: Hadrosauridae) postcranial elements from the Danek Bonebed, Upper Cretaceous Horseshoe Canyon Formation, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: implications for allometric studies of fossil organisms
Authors: Baert Mackenzie , Burns Michael E. , Currie Philip J.
Published: December 2014

For fossil assemblages, quantitative size and shape studies are often complicated by diagenetic distortion. Different vertebrate elements, although subjected to similar burial stresses, exhibit deformations based upon their original shapes; this hypothesis is tested here by quantitatively comparing deformed humeri and femora from the Danek Bonebed (a monodominant Edmontosaurus regalis bonebed from the upper Campanian Horseshoe Canyon Formation in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) with samples of undeformed humeri and femora from modern and fossil assemblages. Analyses suggest that at the Danek Bonebed a strong relationship exists between element length and circumference despite being distorted by crushing deformation. Major and minor axes of the midshaft cross section, however, were not uniformly distorted. Although their anatomical position did not change, the major axis became longer relative to the minor axis in distorted specimens. A regression based on the undeformed humeri was not able to accurately predict circumference in the Danek humeri. Further study might quantify the deformation of other bones in the Danek Bonebed and could be extended to other assemblages and genera. Caution should be taken when conducting studies in which diagenetic crushing may have altered morphological features of fossil vertebrate remains.
Testing MOND on Earth
Authors: Ignatiev A.Yu.
Published: December 2014

MOND is one of the most popular alternatives to dark matter (DM). While efforts to directly detect DM in laboratories have been steadily pursued over the years, the proposed Earth-based tests of MOND are still in their infancy. Some proposals that recently appeared in the literature are briefly reviewed, and it is argued that collaborative efforts of theorists and experimenters are needed to move forward in this exciting new area. Possible future directions are outlined.
A noncommutative coupled dispersionless system, Darboux transformation and explicit solutions
Authors: Mushahid Nosheen , ul Hassan Mahmood
Published: December 2014

A noncommutative generalization of coupled dispersionless system has been presented. It has been shown that the system is equivalent to integrable noncommutative sine-Gordon equation. The Darboux transformation of the noncommutative coupled dispersionless system has been studied and it has been shown that the multisoliton solutions can be expressed in terms of quasideterminants. The quasideterminant solutions of the system reduce to the determinant solutions of the commutative coupled dispersionless system in the commutative limit.
The origin of thermal component in the transverse momentum spectra in high energy hadronic processes
Authors: Bylinkin Alexander A. , Kharzeev Dmitri E. , Rostovtsev Andrei A.
Published: December 2014

The transverse momentum spectra of hadrons produced in high energy collisions can be decomposed into two components: the exponential ("thermal") and the power ("hard") ones. Recently, the H1 Collaboration has discovered that the relative strength of these two components in Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS) depends drastically upon the global structure of the event — namely, the exponential component is absent in the diffractive events characterized by a rapidity gap. We discuss the possible origin of this effect and speculate that it is linked to confinement. Specifically, we argue that the thermal component is due to the effective event horizon introduced by the confining string, in analogy to the Hawking–Unruh effect. In diffractive events, the t-channel exchange is color-singlet and there is no fragmenting string — so the thermal component is absent. The slope of the soft component of the hadron spectrum in this picture is determined by the saturation momentum that drives the deceleration in the color field, and thus the Hawking–Unruh temperature. We analyze the data on nondiffractive pp collisions and find that the slope of the thermal component of the hadron spectrum is indeed proportional to the saturation momentum.
INFORMATION AND OPTIMAL INVESTMENT IN DEFAULTABLE ASSETS
Authors: DI NUNNO GIULIA , SJURSEN STEFFEN
Published: December 2014

We study optimal investment in an asset subject to risk of default for investors that rely on different levels of information. The price dynamics can include noises both from a Wiener process and a Poisson random measure with infinite activity. The default events are modeled via a counting process in line with large part of the literature in credit risk. In order to deal with both cases of inside and partial information we consider the framework of the anticipating calculus of forward integration. This does not require a priori assumptions typical of the framework of enlargement of filtrations. We find necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a locally maximizing portfolio of the expected utility at terminal time. We consider a large class of utility functions. In addition we show that the existence of the solution implies the semi-martingale property of the noises driving the stock. Some discussion on unicity of the maxima is included.
Distributed Filtering-Based Autonomous Navigation System of UAV
Authors: Zhao Long , Wang Ding , Huang Baoqi , Xie Lihua
Published: December 2014

In this paper, we propose a systematic framework for the autonomous navigation system based on distributed filtering for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The proposed framework consists of the design and algorithm of the autonomous navigation. Therein, the camera mounted on the UAV functions as a navigation sensor targeted for navigation and positioning. In order to reduce the computational complexity and exclude the risk caused by Global Positioning System (GPS) outage, an autonomous navigation system based on distributed filtering is designed and realized. When GPS is available by monitoring the GPS integrity, sensor information from Strapdown Inertial Navigation System (SINS) and GPS is fused using a 7-state Conventional Kalman Filter (CKF) to estimate the full UAV state (position, velocity and attitude); when GPS is unavailable, sensor information from gyroscopes, accelerometers and magnetometer is fused using a 4-state Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to estimate the attitude and heading of the UAV, and sensor information from SINS and vision positioning system is fused using a 7-state Incoordinate Interval Kalman Filter (IIKF) to estimate the position and velocity of the UAV. In addition, the second-order vertical channel damping loop is adopted to fuse measurements from a barometer with those of SINS, which suppresses the divergence of the vertical channel error and makes the altitude information calculated by SINS trustable. Both ground and flight experiments of the autonomous navigation system have been carried out. The test results show that the system can provide stabilized attitude information in long durations, and can realize the automatic flight control of UAV.
Emodin Augments Cisplatin Cytotoxicity in Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer Cells via ROS-Dependent MRP1 Downregulation
Authors: Ma Jun , Yang Jie , Wang Chao , Zhang Nan , Dong Ying , Wang Chengjie , Wang Yu , Lin Xinjian
Published: December 2014

The intracellular level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is closely associated with chemosensitivity of cancer cells. Overexpression of ATP binding cassette transporter MRP1 is correlated with resistance to platinum drugs. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that emodin, a potent ROS generator, may increase sensitivity of cisplatin-(cDDP-) resistant ovarian carcinoma cells to cDDP cytotoxicity via ROS-mediated suppression of MRP1 expression. Using the isogenic pair of the human ovarian carcinoma cell line COC1 and its cDDP resistant variant COC1/DDP, we found that ROS level in the cDDP-sensitive ovarian cancer cells was significantly higher than that in the cDDP-resistant cells. Emodin enhanced ROS production in COC1/DDP cells and consequently sensitized them to cDDP-induced apoptosis. These effects were reversed by addition of the antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). Cotreatment with emodin and cDDP inhibited the tumor growthin vivoby increasing tumor cell apoptosis. The emodin-enhanced cDDP cytotoxicity was attributable to downregulation of multidrug resistance-related protein 1 (MRP1) expression. Together, these results suggest that emodin could act as an adjunct to enhance the anticancer effect of cDDP likely through ROS-related downregulation of MRP1 expression, and may be of therapeutic potential in cDDP-refractory ovarian carcinomas.
Fever of Unknown Origin in a Patient with Confirmed West Nile Virus Meningoencephalitis
Authors: Sabre Alexander , Farricielli Laurie
Published: December 2014

West Nile Virus (WNV), an RNA arbovirus and member of the Japanese encephalitis virus antigenic complex, causes a wide range of clinical symptoms, from asymptomatic to encephalitis and meningitis. Nearly all human infections of WNV are due to mosquito bites with birds being the primary amplifying hosts. Advanced age is the most important risk factor for neurological disease leading most often to poor prognosis in those afflicted. We report a case of WNV meningoencephalitis in a 93-year-old Caucasian male who presented with fever of unknown origin (FUO) and nuchal rigidity that rapidly decompensated within 24 h to a persistent altered mental state during inpatient stay. The patient’s ELISA antibody titers confirmed pathogenesis of disease by WNV; he given supportive measures and advanced to an excellent recovery. In regard to the approach of FUO, it is important to remain impartial yet insightful to all elements when determining pathogenesis in atypical presentation.
Haemorrhagic Lumbar Juxtafacet Cyst with Ligamentum Flavum Involvement
Authors: Ghent Finn , Davidson Trent , Mobbs Ralph Jasper
Published: December 2014

Juxtafacet cysts are an uncommon cause of radiculopathy. They occur most frequently in the lumbar region, and their distribution across the spine correlates with mobility. Haemorrhagic complications are rare and may occur in the absence of any provocation, although there is some association with anticoagulation and trauma. We present a case of acute radiculopathy due to an L5/S1 juxtafacet cyst with unprovoked haemorrhage which was found to extend into ligamentum flavum. The patient underwent uncomplicated microscope assisted decompression with excellent results. The demographics, presentation, aetiology, and management of juxtafacet cysts are discussed.
Management of Late Onset Perthes: Evaluation of Distraction by External Fixator—5-Year Follow-Up
Authors: Singh Ajai , Srivastava Rajeshwar N. , Shukla Prashant , Pushkar Amit , Ali Sabir
Published: December 2014

Background. Hip distraction in Perthes’ disease unloads the joint, which negates the harmful effect of the stresses on the articular surfaces, which may promote the sound healing of the area of necrosis. We have examined the effect of arthrodiastasis on the preservation of the femoral head in older children with Perthes’ disease.Methods and Materials. Twelve children with age more than 8 years with Perthes’ disease of less than one year were treated with hip distraction by a hinged monolateral external fixator.Observation and Results. Mean duration of distraction was 13.9 days. These children were evaluated by clinicoradiological parameters for a mean period of 32.4 months. There was a significant improvement in the range of movements and mean epiphyseal index, but the change in the percentage of uncovered head femur was insignificant. There was significant improvement in Harris Hip score.Conclusions. Hip distraction by hinged monolateral external fixator seems to be a valid treatment option in cases with Perthes’ disease in the selected group of patients, where poor results are expected from conventional treatment.
Laparoscopic Appendectomy versus Mini-Incision Appendectomy in Patients with Lower Body Mass Index and Noncomplicated Appendicitis
Authors: Özsan İsmail , Karabuğa Türker , Yoldaş Ömer , Alpdoğan Özcan , Aydın Ünal
Published: December 2014

Laparoscopic appendectomy has become favored over open surgical methods for its association with decreased postoperative pain, more rapid return to daily activities, and improved cosmetic results. Mini-incision appendectomy was being performed in our clinic for a long time especially in patients with noncomplicated appendicitis and in patients with appropriate body mass index. Although laparoscopy presents obvious advantages especially for obese patients and young women, with respect to the results of our study, mini-incision appendectomy seems to be an alternative for selected patient groups.
Mini-Implants: New Possibilities in Interdisciplinary Treatment Approaches
Authors: Sebastian Biju
Published: December 2014

The introduction of mini-implants has broadened the range of tooth movements possible by fixed appliance therapy alone. The limits of fixed orthodontic treatment have become more a matter of facial appearance than anchorage. Many complex cases which would previously have required surgery or functional appliances can now be treated with fixed appliance therapy using mini-implants. A mutilated dentition case where mini-implants were used to provide anchorage for intrusion of molars and retraction of anterior teeth is reported here to illustrate this point.
A Novel Subnanosecond Monocycle Pulse Generator for UWB Radar Applications
Authors: Xia Xinfan , Liu Lihua , Ye Shengbo , Guan Hongfei , Fang Guangyou
Published: December 2014

A novel ultra-wideband (UWB) monocycle pulse generator with good performance is designed and demonstrated in this paper. It contains a power supply circuit, a pulse drive circuit, a unique pulse forming circuit, and a novel monopolar-to-monocycle pulse transition circuit. The drive circuit employs wideband bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and linear power amplifier transistor to produce a high amplitude drive pulse, and the pulse forming circuit uses the transition characteristics of step recovery diode (SRD) effectively to produce a negative narrow pulse. At last, the monocycle pulse forming circuit utilizes a novel inductanceLshort-circuited stub to generate the monocycle pulse directly. Measurement results show that the waveform of the generated monocycle pulses is over 76 V in peak-to-peak amplitude and 3.2 ns in pulse full-width. These characteristics of the monocycle pulse are advantageous for obtaining long detection range and high resolution, when it is applied to ultra-wideband radar applications.
Clostridium difficilewith Moxifloxacin/Clindamycin Resistance in Vegetables in Ohio, USA, and Prevalence Meta-Analysis
Authors: Rodriguez-Palacios Alex , Ilic Sanja , LeJeune Jeffrey T.
Published: December 2014

We (i) determined the prevalence ofClostridium difficileand their antimicrobial resistance to six antimicrobial classes, in a variety of fresh vegetables sold in retail in Ohio, USA, and (ii) conducted cumulative meta-analysis of reported prevalence in vegetables since the 1990s. Six antimicrobial classes were tested for their relevance as risk factors forC. difficileinfections (CDIs) (clindamycin, moxifloxacin) or their clinical priority as exhaustive therapeutic options (metronidazole, vancomycin, linezolid, and tigecycline). By using an enrichment protocol we isolatedC. difficilefrom three of 125 vegetable products (2.4%). All isolates were toxigenic, and originated from 4.6% of 65 vegetables cultivated above the ground (n=3; outer leaves of iceberg lettuce, green pepper, and eggplant). Root vegetables yielded noC. difficile. TheC. difficileisolates belonged to two PCR ribotypes, one with an unusual antimicrobial resistance for moxifloxacin and clindamycin (lettuce and pepper; 027-like, A+B+CDT+;tcdC18 bp deletion); the other PCR ribotype (eggplant, A+B+CDT−; classictcdC) was susceptible to all antimicrobials. Results of the cumulative weighted meta-analysis (6 studies) indicate that the prevalence ofC. difficilein vegetables is 2.1% and homogeneous(P<0.001)since the first report in 1996 (2.4%). The present study is the first report of the isolation ofC. difficilefrom retail vegetables in the USA. Of public health relevance, antimicrobial resistance to moxifloxacin/clindamycin (a bacterial-associated risk factor for severe CDIs) was identified on the surface of vegetables that are consumed raw.
Heterogeneous Expression of Chondroitin Sulfate Glycosaminoglycans and Versican Proteoglycan during Early Development of Rathke’s Pouch
Authors: Iyengar Sheelah , Capehart Anthony A.
Published: December 2014

While much is known regarding morphogenetic factors involved in specification and differentiation of Rathke’s pouch, less attention has been given to extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions involved in its formation. The present research investigated localization of two different chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans (CS-GAGs), TC2 and d1C4, and versican CS-proteoglycan (PG) to identify additional ECM molecules involved in formation of the pituitary rudiment. Immunohistochemical evaluation of anterior pituitary primordia between HH15 and HH28 showed these ECM molecules prevalent in basement membrane and surrounding ECM underlying Rathke’s epithelia and to a lesser extent between pouch epithelial cells. TC2/d1C4 CS-GAGs and versican showed changing and heterogeneous localization during pouch development that suggested specific roles in cell-ECM interaction during pituitary morphogenesis. TC2 antigen colocalized with versican at early stages in an asymmetric pattern, with particularly strong staining between ventral diencephalon and roof of Rathke’s pouch while d1C4 CS-GAG encompassed the entire pouch by HH22 indicating association with a different CSPG. The heparan sulfate proteoglycan, perlecan, used to verify basement membrane structure, was a consistent component of Rathke’s pouch. Data show a dynamic and heterogeneous pattern of CS-GAG and versican expression during early chick Rathke’s pouch development that suggests new possibilities for ECM function in its establishment and growth.
Evaluation of Suspected Aspirated Beverage Can Pull Tab: Radiographs May Not Be Enough
Authors: Kotsenas Amy L. , Campeau Norbert G. , Oeckler Richard A. , Kuzo Ronald S.
Published: December 2014

A 67-year-old male presented to the emergency department with concern for accidental aspiration of an aluminum beverage can pull tab. Neck and chest radiographs did not reveal an aspirated foreign body. Despite ongoing complaint of dysgeusia and adamancy of aspiration by the patient, he was discharged to home without recommendation for further follow-up. Seven months later, a computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest performed as part of an unrelated lung cancer work up confirmed the presence of a left mainstem bronchus metallic foreign body compatible with a pull tab. This case report illustrates the poor negative predictive value of radiographs for a suspected aluminum foreign body and demonstrates the superiority of CT for this purpose. In such presentations it is imperative to have a low threshold for performing further diagnostic evaluation with CT due to the relatively high radiolucency of aluminum.
Humanoid Robot Head Design Based on Uncanny Valley and FACS
Authors: Yan Jizheng , Wang Zhiliang , Yan Yan
Published: December 2014

Emotional robots are always the focus of artificial intelligence (AI), and intelligent control of robot facial expression is a hot research topic. This paper focuses on the design of humanoid robot head, which is divided into three steps to achieve. The first step is to solve the uncanny valley about humanoid robot, to find and avoid the relationship between human being and robot; the second step is to solve the association between human face and robot head; compared with human being and robots, we analyze the similarities and differences and explore the same basis and mechanisms between robot and human analyzing the Facial Action Coding System (FACS), which guides us to achieve humanoid expressions. On the basis of the previous two steps, the third step is to construct a robot head; through a series of experiments we test the robot head, which could show some humanoid expressions; through human-robot interaction, we find people are surprised by the robot head expression and feel happy.
The First Evidence of Lyme Neuroborreliosis in Southern Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Arapovic Jurica , Skocibusic Sinisa , Grgic Svjetlana , Nikolic Jadranka
Published: December 2014

Lyme borreliosis (LB) is caused by the spirocheteBorrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans by ticks of theIxodes ricinuscomplex. It is manifested by a variety of clinical symptoms and affects skin, joints, heart, and nervous system. Neurological manifestations are predictable and usually include meningoencephalitis, facial palsy, or radiculopathy. Recently, a dramatic rise in the number of diagnosed cases of LB has been observed on the global level. Here we show the first case of Lyme neuroborreliosis in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was first presented by erythema chronicum migrans. Unfortunately, it was not recognized or well treated at the primary care medicine. After eight weeks, the patient experienced headache, right facial palsy, and lumbar radiculopathy. After the clinical examination, the neurologist suspected meningoencephalitis and the patient was directed to the Clinic for Infectious Disease of the University Hospital Mostar, where he was admitted. The successful antimicrobial treatment with the 21-day course of ceftriaxone was followed by normalization of neurological status, and then he was discharged from the hospital. This case report represents an alert to all physicians to be aware that LB is present in all parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in the neighboring regions.
Comparison of 0.1% Ropivacaine-Fentanyl with 0.1% Bupivacaine-Fentanyl Epidurally for Labour Analgesia
Authors: Chora Isha , Hussain Akhlak
Published: December 2014

Ropivacaine is an alternative to epidural bupivacaine, with greater selectivity for sensory fibres than motor fibres, thus producing less motor blockade as compared to bupivacaine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Ropivacaine 0.1% when administered epidurally for the relief of labour pain and to compare it with 0.1% bupivacaine, conducted at Rajindra Hospital Patiala, Baba Farid University of Health and Sciences, on 20 parturients after ethical approval from the institutional review board and obtaining written informed consent. Participants were randomly allocated to the two groups (bupivacaine 0.1% (Sensorcaine) + fentanyl 20 μg versus ropivacaine 0.1% (Ropin) + fentanyl 20 μg). It was observed that ropivacaine 0.1% and bupivacaine 0.1%, with fentanyl 20 μg/mL, produced equivalent analgesia for labour. There were no statistically significant differences in the amount of local anaesthetic used, pain scores, sensory levels, motor blockade, labour duration, mode of delivery, and side effects or patient satisfaction amongst the two local anaesthetics using the intermittent top-up technique. We conclude that the combinations of ropivacaine or bupivacaine with fentanyl achieve equally effective and excellent labour analgesia with no motor blockade and without jeopardizing the safety of the mother and foetus and, hence, are recommended for labour analgesia.
Phenomics Research on Coronary Heart Disease Based on Human Phenotype Ontology
Authors: Shi Qi , Gao Kuo , Zhao Huihui , Wang Juan , Zhai Xing , Lu Peng , Chen Jianxin , Wang Wei
Published: December 2014

The characteristics of holistic, dynamics, complexity, and spatial and temporal features enable “Omics” and theories of TCM to interlink with each other. HPO, namely, “characterization,” can be understood as a sorting and generalization of the manifestations shown by people with diseases on the basis of the phenomics. Syndrome is the overall “manifestation” of human body pathological and physiological changes expressed by four diagnostic methods’ information. The four diagnostic methods’ data could be the most objective and direct manifestations of human body under morbid conditions. In this aspect, it is consistent with the connation of “characterization.” Meanwhile, the four diagnostic methods’ data also equip us with features of characterization in HPO. In our study, we compared 107 pieces of four diagnostic methods’ information with the “characterization database” to further analyze data of four diagnostic methods’ characterization in accordance with the common characteristics of four diagnostic methods’ information and characterization and integrated 107 pieces of four diagnostic methods’ data to relevant items in HPO and finished the expansion of characterization information in HPO.
Scalable Fixed Point QRD Core Using Dynamic Partial Reconfiguration
Authors: Prabhu Gayathri R. , Johnson Bibin , Rani J. Sheeba
Published: December 2014

A Givens rotation based scalable QRD core which utilizes an efficient pipelined and unfolded 2D multiply and accumulate (MAC) based systolic array architecture with dynamic partial reconfiguration (DPR) capability is proposed. The square root and inverse square root operations in the Givens rotation algorithm are handled using a modified look-up table (LUT) based Newton-Raphson method, thereby reducing the area by 71% and latency by 50% while operating at a frequency 49% higher than the existing boundary cell architectures. The proposed architecture is implemented on Xilinx Virtex-6 FPGA for any real matrices of sizem×n, where4≤n≤8andm≥nby dynamically inserting or removing the partial modules. The evaluation results demonstrate a significant reduction in latency, area, and power as compared to other existing architectures. The functionality of the proposed core is evaluated for a variable length adaptive equalizer.
Maxillary Overdentures Supported by Four Splinted Direct Metal Laser Sintering Implants: A 3-Year Prospective Clinical Study
Authors: Mangano Francesco , Luongo Fabrizia , Shibli Jamil Awad , Anil Sukumaran , Mangano Carlo
Published: December 2014

Purpose. Nowadays, the advancements in direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) technology allow the fabrication of titanium dental implants. The aim of this study was to evaluate implant survival, complications, and peri-implant marginal bone loss of DMLS implants used to support bar-retained maxillary overdentures.Materials and Methods. Over a 2-year period, 120 implants were placed in the maxilla of 30 patients (18 males, 12 females) to support bar-retained maxillary overdentures (ODs). Each OD was supported by 4 implants splinted by a rigid cobalt-chrome bar. At each annual follow-up session, clinical and radiographic parameters were assessed. The outcome measures were implant failure, biological and prosthetic complications, and peri-implant marginal bone loss (distance between the implant shoulder and the first visible bone-to-implant contact, DIB).Results. The 3-year implant survival rate was 97.4% (implant-based) and 92.9% (patient-based). Three implants failed. The incidence of biological complication was 3.5% (implant-based) and 7.1% (patient-based). The incidence of prosthetic complication was 17.8% (patient-based). No detrimental effects on marginal bone level were evidenced.Conclusions. The use of 4 DMLS titanium implants to support bar-retained maxillary ODs seems to represent a safe and successful procedure. Long-term clinical studies on a larger sample of patients are needed to confirm these results.
Morphological and Molecular Identification of Three Ceriodaphnia Species (Cladocera: Daphniidae) from Australia
Authors: Sharma Pranay
Published: December 2014

Australian Ceriodaphnia (Cladocera: Daphniidae) are examined using morphological attributes and two mitochondrial DNA (COI and 16s) and one nuclear DNA (28s) gene fragments to differentiate the species. The sequence data supports the existence of three species, that is, C. dubia, one reinstated species C. spinata Henry, 1919, and one new species C. sp. 1. Morphological characteristics were also able to accurately separate the three species. Furthermore, genetic analysis of COI sequences from Ceriodaphnia supported three clades. The high degree of correlation between morphological and molecular identification in this study indicates that mitochondrial markers, COI and 16s, are appropriate molecular markers for species discrimination and identification of Ceriodaphnia.
Synthesis of Platinum Nanoparticles from K2PtCl4 Solution Using Bacterial Cellulose Matrix
Authors: Aritonang H. F. , Onggo D. , Ciptati C. , Radiman C. L.
Published: December 2014

Platinum (Pt) nanoparticles have been synthesized from a precursor solution of potassium tetrachloroplatinate (K2PtCl4) using a matrix of bacterial cellulose (BC). The formation of Pt nanoparticles occurs at the surface and the inside of the BC membrane by reducing the precursor solution with a hydrogen gas reductant. The Pt nanoparticles obtained from the variations of precursor concentration, between 3 mM and 30 mM, and the formation of Pt nanoparticles have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). Based on X-ray diffraction patterns, Pt particles have sizes between 6.3 nm and 9.3 nm, and the Pt particle size increases with an increase in precursor concentration. The morphology of the Pt nanoparticles was observed by SEM-EDS and the content of Pt particles inside the membrane is higher than that on the surface of BC membranes. This analysis corresponds to the TGA analysis, but the TGA analysis is more representative in how it describes the content of Pt particles in the BC membrane.