bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shear Deformation Behavior of Copper Nanocrystals Under Imposed Hydrostatic Stress
Authors: Tiwari Shreevant , McDowell David L.
Published: June 2015

In this research, we have employed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to computationally explore the effects of hydrostatic stress on the shear deformation behavior of nanocrystalline (NC) Cu, over a range of grain size (5–20 nm) and temperature (10–500 K). Simulated nanocrystals were deformed under shear with superimposed isotropic tensile/compressive hydrostatic stress σ∧ of magnitude up to 5 GPa. The results suggest that the shear strength increases under imposed compressive σ∧, and decreases under imposed tensile σ∧, by around 0.05–0.09 GPa for every GPa of imposed hydrostatic pressure. At 300 K, we computed activation volumes (3.5–9 b3) and activation energies (0.2–0.3 eV), with values agreeing with those reported in previous experimental and theoretical work, notwithstanding the extreme deformation rates imposed in MD simulations. Additionally, we observed that shear deformation under an imposed compressive hydrostatic stress tends to slightly increase both the activation volumes and the energy activation barrier. Finally, no discernible pressure effect could be observed on the distribution of inelastic shear strain.
Hypertension induced by liquorice tea
Authors: Allcock Emily , Cowdery James
Published: June 2015

A 45-year-old woman presented to her general practitioner with a 4-month history of hot flushes, sweating and headaches. On examination, she was found to be hypertensive, and blood tests revealed mild hypokalaemia. While awaiting the results of further investigation into the cause of her elevated blood pressure, the patient conducted her own research and identified liquorice tea as the potential cause of her symptoms. The patient had been drinking up to six cups of liquorice tea per day as a substitute for caffeinated tea and fruit-based infusions. The patient immediately stopped consuming the drink and within 2 weeks her symptoms, hypertension and hypokalaemia had entirely resolved.
A challenging differential diagnosis of optic neuropathy in ED: CSD
Authors: Ak Rohat , Doganay Fatih , Akoglu Ebru Unal , Cimilli Ozturk Tuba
Published: June 2015

Optic neuropathy due to cat scratch disease (CSD) is a rare occurrence associated with macular star formation and is characterised by sudden mostly unilateral painless loss of vision. The aetiological agent in CSD isBartonella henselae. Ocular complications present in up to 10% of patients and include neuroretinitis, conjunctivitis or uveitis. Ocular bartonelosis is usually self-limited. A case of a man patient with neuroretinitis caused byB. henselaeis reported.
Dissecting the unspeakable: a fatal case of aortic dissection
Authors: Dherange Parinita A , Patel Sarah , Singh Nirmal , Suryanarayana Prakash
Published: June 2015

A 47-year-old man with diabetes and hypertension presented with sudden onset of chest pain and subsequently developed expressive aphasia. Brain imaging revealed multiple areas of ischaemic infarcts. Transoesophageal echocardiogram revealed aortic dissection with a free-floating thrombus on the dissection flap, which was the source of emboli. Given the poor prognosis, surgical intervention was not pursued and artificial support was withdrawn. Aortic dissection is a highly fatal condition with varied presentation including heart failure, myocardial infarction, neurological deficits, abdominal pain or acute renal failure. Aortic dissection is a relatively uncommon but catastrophic condition. A high degree of clinical suspicion is required for early and accurate diagnosis since mortality is high and increases by the hour. The mechanism for stroke in our case was due to an artery-to-artery embolism from a thrombus, which developed on the intimal surface of the dissected artery. This is an infrequent complication with a very unique mechanism.
Reliability of leaf relative water content (RWC) measurements after storage: consequences for in situ measurements
Authors: Tanentzap Fallon M. , Stempel Alexandra , Ryser Peter
Published: June 2015

Relative water content (RWC) is widely used to describe plant water status, and is commonly measured gravimetrically. The ephemeral nature of leaf fresh mass poses severe constraints for such measurements in field-grown plants. These constraints can be overcome by transporting the leaves in waterproof containers into the lab. However, even then, leaves lose water, and other changes may happen. The effects of a delay on the measurement of RWC have not been quantified so far. In this study, the influence of duration of storage up to 96 h and storage temperature on RWC and its components was investigated for four species. Alnus incana subsp. rugosa (Du Roi) R.T. Clausen, Impatiens capensis Meerb., and Scirpus microcarpus J.Presl & C.Presl leaves were stored in plastic bags, whereas those of Comptonia peregrina (L.) J.M.Coult. were stored in plastic vials. RWC remained within 5% of the initial value during 24 h cool storage, but after that, larger changes were observed. The effects of storage were species specific, being most pronounced in species poorly protected against desiccation, and under warm conditions. The effects of storage were not only limited to water loss, but also included cellular degradation. In general, storage at 10 °C for 24 h enables measurement of RWC for field-grown plants with accuracy of a few percent, but care has to be taken with species vulnerable to desiccation, possibly requiring faster measurement and a cooler storage temperature.
Extended expression ofMaKN1contributes to the leaf morphology in aquatic forms ofMyriophyllum aquaticum
Authors: Shafiullah M.D. , Lacroix Christian R.
Published: June 2015

Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell.) Verdc. is heterophyllous in nature with highly dissected simple leaves consisting of several lobes. KNOX (KNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEOBOX) genes are believed to have played an important role in the evolution of leaf diversity. Up-regulation of KNOX during leaf primordium initiation can lead to leaf dissection in plants with simple leaves and, if overexpressed, can produce ectopic meristems on leaves. A previous study on KNOX gene expression in the aerial form of this species showed that this gene is expressed in the shoot apical meristem (SAM), as well as in leaf primordia P0 to P8. Based on these results, it was hypothesized that the prolonged expression of the MaKN1 (Myriophyllum aquaticum Knotted1-like homeobox) gene beyond P8, might play an important role in the generation of more lobes, longer lobes, and hydathode formation in the aquatic leaves of M. aquaticum. The technique of in situ hybridization was carried out using a previously sequenced 300 bp fragment of MaKN1 to determine the expression patterns of this gene in the shoot of aquatic forms of the plant. Expression patterns of MaKN1 revealed that the SAM and leaf primordia of aquatic forms of M. aquaticum at levels P0 (youngest) to P4 were distributed throughout these structures. The level of expression of this MaKN1 gene progressively became more localized to lobes in older leaf primordia (levels P5 to P12). Previous studies of aerial forms of this plant showed MaKN1 expression until P8. Our results with aquatic forms show that the highly dissected leaf morphology in aquatic forms was the result of the prolonged expression of MaKN1 beyond P8. This resulted in the formation of elongated and slightly more numerous lobes, and hydathodes in aquatic forms. These findings support the view that KNOX genes are important developmental regulators of leaf morphogenesis and have played an important role in the evolution of leaf forms in the plant kingdom.
On the problem of a vertical gas flow through an orifice with non-standard pressure tappings locations
Authors: Nec Yana , Huculak Greg
Published: June 2015

A comprehensive model was developed to compute the flow rate in a vertical pipe collecting gas in a landfill facility. The model accounts for gravity, viscosity, adjustable orifice diameter and non-standard locations of the pressure tappings, so placed to prevent damage to certain measuring sensors caused by atomized water entrained in the gas and pooling at the orifice plate.
Improving estimates of tree mortality probability using potential growth rate
Authors: Das Adrian J. , Stephenson Nathan L.
Published: June 2015

Tree growth rate is frequently used to estimate mortality probability. Yet, growth metrics can vary in form, and the justification for using one over another is rarely clear. We tested whether a growth index (GI) that scales the realized diameter growth rate against the potential diameter growth rate (PDGR) would give better estimates of mortality probability than other measures. We also tested whether PDGR, being a function of tree size, might better correlate with the baseline mortality probability than direct measurements of size such as diameter or basal area. Using a long-term dataset from the Sierra Nevada, California, U.S.A., as well as existing species-specific estimates of PDGR, we developed growth–mortality models for four common species. For three of the four species, models that included GI, PDGR, or a combination of GI and PDGR were substantially better than models without them. For the fourth species, the models including GI and PDGR performed roughly as well as a model that included only the diameter growth rate. Our results suggest that using PDGR can improve our ability to estimate tree survival probability. However, in the absence of PDGR estimates, the diameter growth rate was the best empirical predictor of mortality, in contrast to assumptions often made in the literature.
ECONOMIC GROWTH EFFECTS OF AN INTERNATIONAL CRISIS
Authors: AFONSO OSCAR , ALVES RUI HENRIQUE
Published: June 2015

We develop a general equilibrium endogenous growth model where final goods are produced in either the exporter sector or the importer sector, in order to analyze the short, medium and long-run growth effects of an external demand shock induced by an international crisis, such as the current one. Depending on the policy response, such a shock might (or might not) severely affect competitiveness, wage inequality, the economic growth rate and the technological-knowledge bias. This bias controls the paths towards the new steady state. The model shows that countries with balanced public finances can accommodate the external shock and that the intervention should be prompt, as the delay is costly. Results appear to be supported by empirical evidence.
IS THERE A KUZNETS' PROCESS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA?
Authors: ABDULLAH ABDUL JABBAR , DOUCOULIAGOS HRISTOS , MANNING ELIZABETH
Published: June 2015

Relatively little is known about the determinants of inequality in Southeast Asia. This paper fills this void by comprehensively testing Kuznets' hypothesis for Southeast Asia. We estimate both unconditional and conditional Kuznets' curves using panel data for 8 countries. The analysis suggests the existence of a Kuznets' curve with respect to per capita income; the path of inequality is non-linear with respect to economic development. There is no evidence of a Kuznets curve with respect to non-agricultural employment. There is some evidence in terms of urbanization, though this is not robust. There is robust evidence on the role of national governments and education in shaping the path of inequality in the region. Government involvement reduces inequality. Education appears to have a non-linear effect on inequality.
BEYOND GENDER: THE IMPACT OF AGE, ETHNICITY, NATIONALITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH ON WOMEN IN THE SINGAPORE ECONOMY
Authors: LIM LINDA Y. C.
Published: June 2015

This paper examines trends in women's labor force participation, sectoral and occupational distribution, and wage incomes relative to men, including by age and education. Since 1980, gender disparities in virtually all categories have substantially narrowed; those remaining result from women's continued disproportionate responsibility for family care, and additional factors affecting women at the highest levels of the labor force and income distribution. There are some areas of concern for women's economic future in Singapore, including the impacts of ageing, foreign labor and immigration, and wage stagnation experienced by low-income families under Singapore's economic development model.
MARKET MECHANISMS TO ALLOCATE HERITAGE CONSERVATION FUND: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY
Authors: CH’NG KEAN SIANG , KHOO SUET LENG
Published: June 2015

The under-provision of efforts in built heritage conservation was due to market failure to allocate cost and benefit efficiently. Conservation agency could facilitate conservation effort, which was considered not beneficial from the point of view of the private owners of the heritage houses, by providing conservation subsidy. In this paper, we conducted three different experimental auctions, namely, (i) discriminative price auction, (ii) uniform price auction, and (iii) random nth price auction to investigate bidding behaviors and efficiency levels in allocating conservation subsidies. Both uniform and random nth price auctions were able to encourage cost revealing bids. Random nth price auction was able to engage the off-margin bidders. However, discriminative price auction was more cost efficient compared to the other two auctions.
The relativity of chiral property
Authors: Delbourgo Robert , Stack Paul D.
Published: June 2015

The standard model ascribes distinct properties to different chiralities of fermions. We show how to incorporate this aspect in an extended space–time-property framework involving two different attributes using a generalized metric which includes gauge fields as well as gravitation. Because the gauge fields are accompanied by coupling constants, all such schemes, including ours, necessitate coupling unification at high energy to ensure universality of gravitational interactions with matter.
Lazy states, discordant states and entangled states for 2-qubit systems
Authors: Xu Jianwei
Published: June 2015

We investigate the lazy states, entangled states and discordant states for 2-qubit systems. We show that many lazy states are discordant, many lazy states are entangled, and many mixed entangled states are not lazy. With these investigations, we provide a laziness-discord-entanglement hierarchy diagram for 2-qubit quantum correlations.
Cosmological moduli and the post-inflationary universe: A critical review
Authors: Kane Gordon , Sinha Kuver , Watson Scott
Published: June 2015

We critically review the role of cosmological moduli in determining the post-inflationary history of the universe. Moduli are ubiquitous in string and M-theory constructions of beyond the Standard Model physics, where they parametrize the geometry of the compactification manifold. For those with masses determined by supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking this leads to their eventual decay slightly before Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) (without spoiling its predictions). This results in a matter dominated phase shortly after inflation ends, which can influence baryon and dark matter genesis, as well as observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and the growth of large-scale structure. Given progress within fundamental theory, and guidance from dark matter and collider experiments, nonthermal histories have emerged as a robust and theoretically well-motivated alternative to a strictly thermal one. We review this approach to the early universe and discuss both the theoretical challenges and the observational implications.
BIOMECHANICAL EFFECT OF TESTING POSITIONS ON HAND GRIP STRENGTH
Authors: EL-SAIS WALAA M. , MOHAMMAD WALAA S.
Published: June 2015

Hand grip strength (HGS) is a useful functional measure of the integrity of the upper extremities, however, many studies have examined it from selected positions (i.e., supine, sitting, standing), with no emphasis on other derived positions that are used in clinical setting. This study’s objective was to evaluate HGS in different body positions that are used in clinical setting by using a standard protocol. The study sample was a convenience sample of 40 healthy male participants with no history of psychiatric, neurological, or upper extremity orthopedic dysfunction. Grip strength in the dominant hand was measured with a Jamar Plus[Formula: see text] digital hand dynamometer in five positions: Supine, prone, side-lying, sitting, and standing. The HGS value in prone position was significantly lower than in standing position ([Formula: see text]) and sitting position ([Formula: see text]). However, no statistically significant difference was found in HGS among the supine, prone, and side-lying positions. Grip strength was moderately correlated with age ([Formula: see text]). This study provides useful evaluation for grip strength in different positions. In identical upper extremity positions, grip strength varies between different body positions. Grip strength is equivalent when tested from the supine, side-lying, or prone positions, thus the position can be adjusted according to the patient’s condition. Finally, age is an important determinant of hand grip evaluation, particularly when standing position is used.
DISEASE SURVEILLANCE IN RESCUED AND ROAD-KILLED WILD-RANGING CARNIVORES IN TAIWAN
Authors: Chiou Hue-Ying , Yeh Kuang-Sheng , Jeng Chian-Ren , Chang Hui-Wen , Chang Li-Jen , Wu Ying-Hui , Chan Fang-Tse , Pang Victor Fei
Published: June 2015

The objective of this study was to investigate the causes of death and potential diseases carried by the wild-ranging carnivores in Taiwan through a government-supported disease survey program. During the period of August 2011 to January 2015, a total of 51 carcasses from rescued but dead or road-killed carnivores were necropsied for histopathology, molecular and immunological assays, microbiology, and parasitology. The cases included 31 Taiwan ferret badgers (TWFBs) (Melogale moschata subaurantiaca), 12 masked palm civets (MPCs) (Paguma larvate taivana), 5 small Chinese civets (SCCs) (Viverricula indica pallida), and 3 crab-eating mongooses (CEMs) (Herpestes urva). Zoonotic rabies and fatal canine distemper were diagnosed in four TWFBs and three MPCs, respectively. A high prevalence rate of lungworm infestation (23/31; 74.2%) was observed in TWFBs. In addition, a unique fatal Staphylococcus hyicus pneumonia and a fatal heavy systemic sarcopic mange infestation were diagnosed in a TWFB and a suckling MPC kid, respectively. Road traffic accidents and stray dog-associated killing were the most common etiologies for the death of wild-ranging carnivores.
A Dynamic Adaptive Wavelet Method for Solution of the Schrodinger Equation
Authors: Behera Ratikanta , Mehra Mani
Published: June 2015

In this paper, we present a dynamically adaptive wavelet method for solving Schrodinger equation on one-dimensional, two-dimensional and on the sphere. Solving one-dimensional and two-dimensional Schrodinger equations are based on Daubechies wavelet with finite difference method on an arbitrary grid, and for spherical Schrodinger equation is based on spherical wavelet over an optimal spherical geodesic grid. The method is applied to the solution of Schrodinger equation for computational efficiency and achieve accuracy with controlling spatial grid adaptation — high resolution computations are performed only in regions where a solution varies greatly (i.e., near steep gradients, or near-singularities) and a much coarser grid where the solution varies slowly. Thereupon the dynamic adaptive wavelet method is useful to analyze local structure of solution with very less number of computational cost than any other methods. The prowess and computational efficiency of the adaptive wavelet method is demonstrated for the solution of Schrodinger equation on one-dimensional, two-dimensional and on the sphere.
Modeling and simulation of the spread of H1N1 flu with periodic vaccination
Authors: Moneim Islam A.
Published: June 2015

Influenza H1N1 has been found to exhibit oscillatory levels of incidence in large populations. Clear peaks for influenza H1N1 are observed in several countries including Vietnam each year [M. F. Boni, B. H. Manh, P. Q. Thai, J. Farrar, T. Hien, N. T. Hien, N. Van Kinh and P. Horby, Modelling the progression of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) in Vietnam and the opportunities for reassortment with other influenza viruses, BMC Med. 7 (2009) 43, Doi: 10.1186/1741-7015-7-43]. So it is important to study seasonal forces and factors which can affect the transmission of this disease. This paper studies an SIRS epidemic model with seasonal vaccination rate. This SIRS model has a unique disease-free solution (DFS). The value R0, the basic reproduction number is obtained when the vaccination is a periodic function. Stability results for the DFS are obtained when R0 < 1. The disease persists in the population and remains endemic if R0 > 1. Also when R0 > 1 existence of a nonzero periodic solution is proved. These results obtained for our model when the vaccination strategy is a non-constant time-dependent function.
THE ROLE OF THE FOREST IN AN INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT MODEL OF THE CLIMATE AND THE ECONOMY
Authors: ERIKSSON MATHILDA
Published: June 2015

This paper develops the FOR-DICE model to explore the potential role of the global forest in reducing climate change. It presents a basic framework for assessing the boreal, tropical, and temperate forests as both a source of renewable energy and a resource to sequester and store carbon. The focus of the paper is to explore whether climate policies should focus on increasing the forest biomass, to sequester and store carbon, or on increasing the use of the forest biomass as a source of energy, to substitute fossil fuels. The paper shows that the global forest can play an important role in reducing atmospheric carbon. The main finding at the global level is that it is better to increase the forest biomass rather than increase the use of forest bioenergy. The reason for this is that the decrease in forest carbon stock created by increased bioenergy harvests is not offset by avoided fossil fuel emissions. This finding suggests that setting high bioenergy targets, without considering the dynamics of the forest stock and the efficiency of bioenergy, will be detrimental to climate change mitigation.
Usage of Probabilistic and General Regression Neural Network for Early Detection and Prevention of Oral Cancer
Authors: Sharma Neha , Om Hari
Published: June 2015

In India, the oral cancers are usually presented in advanced stage of malignancy. It is critical to ascertain the diagnosis in order to initiate most advantageous treatment of the suspicious lesions. The main hurdle in appropriate treatment and control of oral cancer is identification and risk assessment of early disease in the community in a cost‐effective fashion. The objective of this research is to design a data mining model using probabilistic neural network and general regression neural network (PNN/GRNN) for early detection and prevention of oral malignancy. The model is built using the oral cancer database which has 35 attributes and 1025 records. All the attributes pertaining to clinical symptoms and history are considered to classify malignant and non‐malignant cases. Subsequently, the model attempts to predict particular type of cancer, its stage and extent with the help of attributes pertaining to symptoms, gross examination and investigations. Also, the model envisages anticipating the survivability of a patient on the basis of treatment and follow‐up details. Finally, the performance of the PNN/GRNN model is compared with that of other classification models. The classification accuracy of PNN/GRNN model is 80% and hence is better for early detection and prevention of the oral cancer.
An Accurate Thermoviscoelastic Rheological Model for Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Based on Fractional Calculus
Authors: Paggi Marco , Sapora Alberto
Published: June 2015

The thermoviscoelastic rheological properties of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) used to embed solar cells have to be accurately described to assess the deformation and the stress state of photovoltaic (PV) modules and their durability. In the present work, considering the stress as dependent on a noninteger derivative of the strain, a two-parameter model is proposed to approximate the power-law relation between the relaxation modulus and time for a given temperature level. Experimental validation with EVA uniaxial relaxation data at different constant temperatures proves the great advantage of the proposed approach over classical rheological models based on exponential solutions.
Conditional Moment Closure Modelling of a Lifted H2/N2Turbulent Jet Flame Using the Presumed Mapping Function Approach
Authors: El Sayed Ahmad , Fraser Roydon A.
Published: June 2015

A lifted hydrogen/nitrogen turbulent jet flame issuing into a vitiated coflow is investigated using the conditional moment closure (CMC) supplemented by the presumed mapping function (PMF) approach for the modelling of conditional mixing and velocity statistics. Using a prescribed reference field, the PMF approach yields a presumed probability density function (PDF) for the mixture fraction, which is then used in closing the conditional scalar dissipation rate (CSDR) and conditional velocity in a fully consistent manner. These closures are applied to a lifted flame and the findings are compared to previous results obtained usingβ-PDF-based closures over a range of coflow temperatures (Tc). The PMF results are in line with those of theβ-PDF and compare well to measurements. The transport budgets in mixture fraction and physical spaces and the radical history ahead of the stabilisation height indicate that the stabilisation mechanism is susceptible toTc. As in the previousβ-PDF calculations, autoignition around the “most reactive” mixture fraction remains the controlling mechanism for sufficiently highTc. Departure from theβ-PDF predictions is observed whenTcis decreased as PMF predicts stabilisation by means of premixed flame propagation. This conclusion is based on the observation that lean mixtures are heated by downstream burning mixtures in a preheat zone developing ahead of the stabilization height. The spurious sources, which stem from inconsistent CSDR modelling, are further investigated. The findings reveal that their effect is small but nonnegligible, most notably within the flame zone.
Severe Osteomyelitis and Septic Arthritis due toSerratia marcescensin an Immunocompetent Patient
Authors: Hadid Hiba , Usman Muhammad , Thapa Sudeep
Published: June 2015

Septic arthritis and osteomyelitis due toSerratia marcescensin immunocompetent patients without risk factors are extremely rare. Here, we report a case of septic arthritis and severe adjacent osteomyelitis of the tibia due toSerratia marcescensin a diabetic community-dweller patient. The patient had no contact with healthcare workers or facilities and had no chronic disease except for poorly controlled diabetes. Without predisposing risk factors, this type of infection is extremely rare, even in diabetics.
Action Planning Mediates Guidance of Visual Attention from Working Memory
Authors: Feldmann-Wüstefeld Tobias , Schubö Anna
Published: June 2015

Visual search is impaired when a salient task-irrelevant stimulus is presented together with the target. Recent research has shown that this attentional capture effect is enhanced when the salient stimulus matches working memory (WM) content, arguing in favor of attention guidance from WM. Visual attention was also shown to be closely coupled with action planning. Preparing a movement renders action-relevant perceptual dimensions more salient and thus increases search efficiency for stimuli sharing that dimension. The present study aimed at revealing common underlying mechanisms for selective attention, WM, and action planning. Participants both prepared a specific movement (grasping or pointing) and memorized a color hue. Before the movement was executed towards an object of the memorized color, a visual search task (additional singleton) was performed. Results showed that distraction from target was more pronounced when the additional singleton had a memorized color. This WM-guided attention deployment was more pronounced when participants prepared a grasping movement. We argue that preparing a grasping movement mediates attention guidance from WM content by enhancing representations of memory content that matches the distractor shape (i.e., circles), thus encouraging attentional capture by circle distractors of the memorized color. We conclude that templates for visual search, action planning, and WM compete for resources and thus cause interferences.
Serum Cystatin C for the Diagnosis of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Admitted in the Emergency Department
Authors: Bongiovanni Cristina , Magrini Laura , Salerno Gerardo , Gori Chiara Serena , Cardelli Patrizia , Hur Mina , Buggi Marco , Di Somma Salvatore
Published: June 2015

Background. Early diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) at emergency department (ED) is a challenging issue. Current diagnostic criteria for AKI poorly recognize early renal dysfunction and may cause delayed diagnosis. We evaluated the use of serum cystatin C (CysC) for the early and accurate diagnosis of AKI in patients hospitalized from the ED.Methods. In a total of 198 patients (105 males and 93 females), serum CysC, serum creatinine (sCr), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were calculated at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours after presentation to the ED. We compared two groups according to the presence or absence of AKI.Results. Serial assessment of CysC, sCr, and eGFR was not a strong, reliable tool to distinguish AKI from non-AKI. CysC > 1.44 mg/L at admission, both alone (Odds Ratio = 5.04; 95%CI 2.20–11.52;P<0.0002) and in combination with sCr and eGFR (Odds Ratio = 5.71; 95%CI 1.86–17.55;P<0.002), was a strong predictor for the risk of AKI.Conclusions. Serial assessment of CysC is not superior to sCr and eGFR in distinguishing AKI from non-AKI. Admission CysC, both alone and in combination with sCr and eGFR, could be considered a powerful tool for the prediction of AKI in ED patients.
Changes in the Composition of AromatherapeuticCitrusOils during Evaporation
Authors: Francis George W. , Bui Yen Thuy Hoang
Published: June 2015

The composition of some commercialCitrusoils, lemon, sweet orange, and tangerine, designated for aromatherapy, was examined before and after partial evaporation in a stream of nitrogen. The intact oils contained the expected mixtures of mono- and sesquiterpenes, with hydrocarbons dominating and lesser amounts of oxygenated analogues making up the remainder. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to follow alterations in the relative amounts of the various components present as evaporation proceeded. Changes were marked, and in particular more volatile components present in the intact oils rapidly disappeared. Thus the balance of content was shifted away from monoterpene hydrocarbons towards the analogous alcohols and carbonyl compounds. The results of this differential evaporation are discussed and possible consequences for aromatherapy use are noted. The case of lemon oil was especially interesting as the relative amount of citral, a known sensitizer, remaining as time elapsed represented an increasing percentage of the total oil.
Effects of Hangeshashinto on Growth of Oral Microorganisms
Authors: Fukamachi Haruka , Matsumoto Chinami , Omiya Yuji , Arimoto Takafumi , Morisaki Hirobumi , Kataoka Hideo , Kadena Miki , Funatsu Takahiro , Fukutake Masato , Kase Yoshio , Kuwata Hirotaka
Published: June 2015

Oral mucositis (OM) in cancer patients induced by chemotherapy or radiotherapy has a significant impact on quality of life, and causes considerable morbidity. Oral microorganisms are likely to intensify the inflammatory process and aggravate the formation of ulcers. Hangeshashinto (HST), a Japanese kampo medicine, has been reported to be effective when used as a gargle for the treatment of OM. To clarify the effects of HST on oral microorganisms, we assessed its antimicrobial activity against 27 microbial species, including 19 oral bacteria and one fungus. HST extract inhibited the growth of Gram-negative bacteria, includingFusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Porphyromonas endodontalis, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella melaninogenica, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola,andPorphyromonas asaccharolytica,though inhibitory effects were less pronounced for Gram-positive bacteria and the fungal strain. We then investigated the effects of antibacterial activities on 15 purified ingredients of HST and determined that baicalein, berberine, coptisine,[6]-shogaol, and homogentisic acid actively inhibited the growth of these bacteria. These findings showed that HST inhibits the growth of specific Gram-negative periodontopathogenic bacteria, which are significant pathogens in OM, without disturbing the normal oral flora. Our data suggest that HST may be a useful treatment for OM in patients undergoing anticancer treatment.
An Empirical Study on Hidden Tag Problem
Authors: Li Rui , Ding Han , Li Shaoping , Wang Xing , Liu Hui , Zhao Jizhong
Published: June 2015

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) techniques are widely used in many ubiquitous applications. The most important usage of RFID techniques is to read the tags within a reader's interrogation area such that the objects attached with those tags can be identified. In real practice, it is common that a tag is physically in the interrogation range but cannot be read by the reader, due to the multipath effect and other interference. This phenomenon, namely, the hidden tag problem, is a big challenge to achieve high identification rate. To address this problem, most prior works depend on empirical or measurement-based methods to tune the transmission power for readers. Such a case-by-case solution is impractical for generic implementation. In this paper, we theoretically and experimentally explore the reasons why hidden tag problem occurs. To alleviate its impact, we propose a unified and measurable model to formulate this problem and its impact. Different from previous works, our solution is generic and fully compatible with existing EPC C1G2 protocol. The analysis and measurement based on our model can help to design and deploy RFID systems with high identification rate.
Wavelet Domain Multidictionary Learning for Single Image Super-Resolution
Authors: Wu Xiaomin , Fan Jiulun , Xu Jian , Wang Yanzi
Published: June 2015

Image super-resolution (SR) aims at recovering the high-frequency (HF) details of a high-resolution (HR) image according to the given low-resolution (LR) image and some priors about natural images. Learning the relationship of the LR image and its corresponding HF details to guide the reconstruction of the HR image is needed. In order to alleviate the uncertainty in HF detail prediction, the HR and LR images are usually decomposed into 4 subbands after 1-level discrete wavelet transformation (DWT), including an approximation subband and three detail subbands. From our observation, we found the approximation subbands of the HR image and the corresponding bicubic interpolated image are very similar but the respective detail subbands are different. Therefore, an algorithm to learn 4 coupled principal component analysis (PCA) dictionaries to describe the relationship between the approximation subband and the detail subbands is proposed in this paper. Comparisons with various state-of-the-art methods by experiments showed that our proposed algorithm is superior to some related works.
Incidental Chylous Ascites at the Time of Cesarean Section
Authors: Thompson Kida A. , Al Khabbaz Antoun
Published: June 2015

Chylous ascites has multiple etiologies including malignancies, liver cirrhosis, intraperitoneal infections, and trauma. It is rarely reported in pregnancy. We report a case of chylous ascites noted at the time of cesarean section performed at 35 weeks of gestation on a patient with preeclampsia and suspected placental abruption. The diagnosis and treatment of chylous ascites as well as the pregnancy outcome are presented. A literature review of chylous ascites in pregnancy is discussed as well.
Time Domain Similarity of Lightweight Parameters Based Soil Respiration Sensor Network Deployment
Authors: Wang Guoying , Mo Lufeng , Zhao Jizhong , Zhang Chaoqi
Published: June 2015

Deployment is a basic and key issue for all kinds of wireless sensor networks applications. Most of existing researches on deployment problem of wireless sensor network are on generic network level and not for specific application scenarios and also do not utilize any domain knowledge of practical applications. Focusing on the problem of limited number of sensing nodes in soil respiration sensor networks, using domain knowledge such as some lightweight parameters (temperature, humidity, etc.) influencing soil respiration and soil respiration having a day-periodic trend, we proposed a deployment method, TimSim, for soil respiration sensor network based on time domain similarity of lightweight parameters. Lightweight parameters data from positions in the region to be monitored are collected before the deployment of soil respiration sensing nodes, and then time domain similarities of lightweight data among different positions are analyzed, according to which these positions are divided into some groups. A representative position in each group is chosen to deploy a soil respiration sensing node. The experimental results show that TimSim method can place nodes to proper positions so as to monitor regional soil respiration carbon flux effectively with a smaller estimation error than uniform and random deployment methods.
Coalitional Game Theory for Cooperative Interference Management in Femtocell Networks
Authors: Shi Yuanyuan , Zhu Gang , Lin Siyu , Ding Jianwen , Xu Shengfeng
Published: June 2015

Dense deployment of femtocells can cause serious intra-tier interference in femtocell networks. In this paper, a new cooperative interference management approach which allows the femtocell user equipment (FUE) to merge into cooperative groups, that is, coalitions, for the uplink transmissions in a femtocell network is proposed, so as to reduce the intra-tier interference and improve the system performance. Taking into account the power cost for cooperation, we claim that all the FUEs are impossible to merge together, and we formulate the proposed cooperative problem as a coalitional game in partition form with an externality due to the interference between the formed coalitions. To get the solution, a novel distributed coalition formation algorithm that takes advantage of the characteristics of femtocell network and allows the FUEs to interact and individually decide on which coalitions to participate in is proposed. Furthermore, we analyze the convergence and stability of the proposed algorithm. Simulations are conducted to illustrate the behavior and the performance of the proposed coalition formation algorithm among FUEs. Results show that the proposed algorithm can improve the system performance with much lower complexity than some previously proposed coalition formation algorithms.
Serum Chemerin Levels in relation to Osteoporosis and Bone Mineral Density: A Case-Control Study
Authors: He Jing , Li Ji-Chun , Xie Hua , Xu Zhong-Hua , Sun Ya-Wen , Shan Qiao
Published: June 2015

Background. To evaluate serum chemerin levels in patients with osteoporosis and healthy controls and to investigate the relationship between serum chemerin levels and bone mineral density (BMD).Methods. An age- and gender-matched case-control study was conducted. Pearson’s correlation test was performed to investigate the relationship between serum chemerin levels and BMD.Results. There were 93 patients included in the osteoporosis group and 93 matched controls. Serum chemerin level was significantly higher in patients with osteoporosis (87.27±5.80 ng/mL) than patients in control (71.13±5.12 ng/mL) (P<0.01). There was a negative correlation between femoral bone mineral density and chemerin in both groups (R=-0.395,P<0.01in osteoporosis group;R=-0.680,P<0.01in control) and also a negative correlation between lumbar bone mineral density with chemerin in both groups (R=-0.306,P<0.01in osteoporosis group;R=-0.362,P<0.01in control).Conclusions. Patients with osteoporosis presented a higher level of serum chemerin, which witnessed an inverse correlation with BMD. Further studies are needed to explore the role of chemerin in the pathophysiology of osteoporosis.
Two-Dimensional DOA Estimation in Compressed Sensing with Compressive-Reduced Dimension-lp-MUSIC
Authors: Si Weijian , Qu Xinggen , Liu Lutao , Qu Zhiyu
Published: June 2015

This paper presents a novel two-dimensional (2D) direction of arrival (DOA) estimation method in compressed sensing (CS) to remove the estimation failure problem and achieve superior performance. The proposed method separates the steering vector into two parts to construct two corresponding noise subspaces by introducing electric angles. Then, electric angles are estimated based on the constructed noise subspaces. In order to estimate the azimuth and elevation angles in terms of estimates of electric angles, arc-tangent operations are exploited. The arc-tangent is a one-to-one function and allows the value of the argument to be larger than unity so that the proposed method never fails. The proposed method can avoid pair matching to reduce the computational complexity and extend the number of snapshots to improve performance. Simulation results show that the proposed method can avoid estimation failure occurrence and has superior performance as compared to existing methods.
Bone Mechanical Properties and Mineral Density in Response to Cessation of Jumping Exercise and Honey Supplementation in Young Female Rats
Authors: Tavafzadeh Somayeh Sadat , Ooi Foong Kiew , Chen Chee Keong , Sulaiman Siti Amrah , Hung Leong Kim
Published: June 2015

This study investigated effects of cessation of exercise and honey supplementation on bone properties in young female rats. Eighty-four 12-week-old Sprague-Dawley female rats were divided into 7 groups: 16S, 16J, 16H, 16JH, 8J8S, 8H8S, and 8JH8S (8 = 8 weeks, 16 = 16 weeks, S = sedentary without honey supplementation, H = honey supplementation, and J = jumping exercise). Jumping exercise consisted of 40 jumps/day for 5 days/week. Honey was given to the rats at a dosage of 1 g/kg body weight/rat/day via force feeding for 7 days/week. Jumping exercise and honey supplementation were terminated for 8 weeks in 8J8S, 8H8S, and 8JH8S groups. After 8 weeks of cessation of exercise and honey supplementation, tibial energy, proximal total bone density, midshaft cortical moment of inertia, and cortical area were significantly higher in 8JH8S as compared to 16S. Continuous sixteen weeks of combined jumping and honey resulted in significant greater tibial maximum force, energy, proximal total bone density, proximal trabecular bone density, midshaft cortical bone density, cortical area, and midshaft cortical moment of inertia in 16JH as compared to 16S. These findings showed that the beneficial effects of 8 weeks of combined exercise and honey supplementation still can be observed after 8 weeks of the cessation and exercise and supplementation.
Estrogen Receptor Expression in 21-Gene Recurrence Score Predicts Increased Late Recurrence for Estrogen-Positive/HER2-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Dowsett Mitch , Sestak Ivana , Buus Richard , Lopez-Knowles Elena , Mallon Elizabeth , Howell Anthony , Forbes John F. , Buzdar Aman , Cuzick Jack
Published: June 2015

Purpose: To identify the individual genes or gene modules that lead to the OncoptypeDx 21-gene recurrence score's reduced performance after 5 years and thereby identify indices of residual risk that may guide selection of patients for extended adjuvant therapy.

Experimental Design: We conducted a retrospective assessment of the relationship between (i) the individual genes and gene modules of the Recurrence Score and (ii) early (0–5 years) and late (5–10 years) recurrence rates in 1,125 postmenopausal patients with primary estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer treated with anastrozole or tamoxifen in the Arimidex, Tamoxifen, Alone or Combined (ATAC) randomized clinical trial.

Results: In the HER2-negative population (n = 1,009), estimates of recurrence risk were similar between years 0–5 and 5–10 for proliferation and invasion modules but markedly different for the estrogen module and genes within it (all split at the median): for low estrogen module, annual recurrence rates were similar across the two time windows (2.06% vs. 2.46%, respectively); for high estrogen module, annual rates were 1.14% versus 2.72%, respectively (Pinteraction = 0.004). Estrogen receptor transcript levels showed inverse prediction across the time windows: HR, 0.88 (0.73–1.07) and 1.19 (0.99–1.43), respectively (Pinteraction = 0.03). Similar time-, module-, and estrogen-dependent relationships were seen for distant recurrence.

Conclusions: Patients with tumors with high estrogen receptor transcript levels benefit most from 5 years' endocrine therapy but show increased recurrence rates after 5 years and may benefit from extended therapy. Improved prognostic profiles may be created by considering period of treatment and follow-up time. Clin Cancer Res; 21(12); 2763–70. ©2015 AACR.
HPV Serum Antibodies as Predictors of Survival and Disease Progression in Patients with HPV-Positive Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx
Authors: Dahlstrom Kristina R. , Anderson Karen S. , Cheng Julia N. , Chowell Diego , Li Guojun , Posner Marshall , Sturgis Erich M.
Published: June 2015

Purpose: Oropharyngeal carcinoma positive for human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) has a significantly better prognosis than oropharyngeal carcinoma unrelated to HPV. Within HPV16-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma, biomarkers of prognosis are urgently needed to individualize care. We hypothesized that serum antibodies specific to HPV16, the major HPV type causing oropharyngeal carcinoma, have biologic relevance and are potential biomarkers for improved prognosis among patients with HPV16-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma.

Experimental Design: IgG antibodies to the HPV16 antigens E1, E4-E7, L1, L2, and the N-terminal and C-terminal fragments of E2 (NE2, CE2) were quantified using a custom programmable enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Sera were obtained at diagnosis from 209 oropharyngeal carcinoma patients (96 HPV16-positive). The ratios of median fluorescent intensity (MFI) for each antigen to MFI for control GST protein were determined. Kaplan–Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to determine survival differences between groups. ROC curves were used to determine the best combination of E antibodies to predict disease recurrence.

Results: E1, NE2, and E6 antibody positivity were all strongly associated with improved overall and progression-free survival in the entire cohort and in patients with known HPV16-positive tumors (P < 0.05). For both overall and progression-free survival among HPV-positive patients, hazard ratios were 0.2 for NE2, 0.3 for E1, and 0.3 for E6 antibody positivity.

Conclusions: We identified three HPV16-specific antibodies that are associated with improved overall and progression-free survival in patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal carcinoma. These results suggest that differential serologic responses in patients may reflect differential biologic processes within the host and tumor and may have prognostic value. Clin Cancer Res; 21(12); 2861–9. ©2015 AACR.