bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decisions and repercussions of second victim experiences for mothers in medicine (SAVE DR MoM)
Authors: Gupta Kiran , Lisker Sarah , Rivadeneira Natalie A , Mangurian Christina , Linos Eleni , Sarkar Urmimala
Published: February 2019

Background

The second victim effect is defined as emotional distress experienced by providers involved in mistakes. This study characterises events contributing to the second victim effect among a diverse sample of physician mothers, describes the impact on both provider and patient and seeks to determine the association between experiencing a mistake and burnout.

Methods

In this mixed-methods study, an anonymous, cross-sectional survey was posted to an online network of over 65 000 physician mothers on 17 June 2016. Self-reported involvement in a mistake provided opportunity to describe the error and impact on both provider and patient. Free-text responses were qualitatively coded to identify error types. Hypothesising that making a mistake contributes to burnout, self-reported burnout was examined using a single question. We used logistic regression to estimate the association between involvement in a mistake and burnout, adjusting for practice years, setting and specialty.

Results

5782 members completed the survey for an estimated response rate of 16.5% based on 34956 active users during the survey period. 2859 respondents reported involvement in a mistake (49%), which was associated with higher reported burnout (p<0.0001). 56% of those reporting a mistake provided descriptions. Qualitative analysis revealed that self-reported treatment errors were more common and diagnostic errors were most often reported to result in greater patient harm. Of those involved in a mistake, 82% reported feelings of guilt; 2.2% reported reducing clinical workload, taking leave or leaving the profession.

Conclusions

Physician mothers involved in errors experience negative outcomes and may be at increased risk for burnout. Additional research should focus on strategies to mitigate burnout associated with the second victim effect, particularly among women physicians and those with family responsibilities.
Physical activity and left ventricular trabeculation in the UK Biobank community-based cohort study
Authors: Woodbridge Simon P , Aung Nay , Paiva Jose M , Sanghvi Mihir M , Zemrak Filip , Fung Kenneth , Petersen Steffen E
Published: February 2019

Objective

Vigorous physical activity (PA) in highly trained athletes has been associated with heightened left ventricular (LV) trabeculation extent. It has therefore been hypothesised that LV trabeculation extent may participate in exercise-induced physiological cardiac remodelling. Our cross-sectional observational study aimed to ascertain whether there is a ‘dose–response’ relationship between PA and LV trabeculation extent and whether this could be identified at opposite PA extremes.

Methods

In a cohort of 1030 individuals from the community-based UK Biobank study (male/female ratio: 0.84, mean age: 61 years), PA was measured via total metabolic equivalent of task (MET) min/week and 7-day average acceleration, and trabeculation extent via maximal non-compaction/compaction ratio (NC/C) in long-axis images of cardiovascular magnetic resonance studies. The relationship between PA and NC/C was assessed by multivariate regression (adjusting for potential confounders) as well as between demographic, anthropometric and LV phenotypic parameters and NC/C.

Results

There was no significant linear relationship between PA and NC/C (full adjustment, total MET-min/week: ß=−0.0008, 95% CI −0.039 to –0.037, p=0.97; 7-day average acceleration: ß=−0.047, 95% CI −0.110 to –0.115, p=0.13, per IQR increment in PA), or between extreme PA quintiles (full adjustment, total MET-min/week: ß=−0.026, 95% CI −0.146 to –0.094, p=0.67; 7-day average acceleration: ß=−0.129, 95% CI −0.299 to –0.040, p=0.49), across all adjustment levels. A negative relationship was identified between left ventricular ejection fraction and NC/C, significantly modified by PA (ß difference=−0.006, p=0.03).

Conclusions

In a community-based general population cohort, there was no relationship at, or between, extremes, between PA and NC/C, suggesting that at typical general population PA levels, trabeculation extent is not influenced by PA changes.
Thermodynamic modelling of fluids from surficial to mantle conditions
Authors: Sverjensky Dimitri A.
Published: February 2019

Carbon is subducted to depths where metamorphism liberates water-bearing fluids. The C-bearing fluids facilitate partial melting of the upper mantle, generating magmas that may erupt as arc volcanics. Degassing of the magmas releases CO
2
and other volatile species to the atmosphere. Over geological time, this process contributes to the composition of the atmosphere and planetary habitability. Here I summarize the background needed to carry out theoretical geochemical modelling of fluids and fluid–rock interactions from surficial conditions into the upper mantle. A description of the general criteria for predicting equilibrium and non-equilibrium chemical reactions is followed by a summary of how the thermodynamic activities of species are related to measurable concentrations through standard states and activity coefficients. Specific examples at ambient conditions involving dilute water are detailed. The concept of aqueous speciation and how it can be calculated arises from this discussion. Next, I discuss how to calculate standard Gibbs free energies and aqueous activity coefficients at elevated temperatures and pressures. The revised Helgeson–Kirkham–Flowers equations of state are summarized and the revised predictive correlations for the estimation of equation of state coefficients in the Deep Earth Water (DEW) model are presented. Finally, the DEW model is applied to the solubility and speciation of aqueous aluminium.
Liver-specific knockdown of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4 reveals its key role in VLDL-TG metabolism and phospholipid synthesis in mice fed a high-fat diet
Authors: Singh Amar B. , Kan Chin Fung K. , Kraemer Fredric B. , Sobel Raymond A. , Liu Jingwen
Published: February 2019

Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4 (ACSL4) has a unique substrate specificity for arachidonic acid. Hepatic ACSL4 is coregulated with the phospholipid (PL)-remodeling enzyme lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) acyltransferase 3 by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ to modulate the plasma triglyceride (TG) metabolism. In this study, we investigated the acute effects of hepatic ACSL4 deficiency on lipid metabolism in adult mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Adenovirus-mediated expression of a mouse ACSL4 shRNA (Ad-shAcsl4) in the liver of HFD-fed mice led to a 43% reduction of hepatic arachidonoyl-CoA synthetase activity and a 53% decrease in ACSL4 protein levels compared with mice receiving control adenovirus (Ad-shLacZ). Attenuated ACSL4 expression resulted in a substantial decrease in circulating VLDL-TG levels without affecting plasma cholesterol. Lipidomics profiling revealed that knocking down ACSL4 altered liver PL compositions, with the greatest impact on accumulation of abundant LPC species (LPC 16:0 and LPC 18:0) and lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) species (LPE 16:0 and LPE 18:0). In addition, fasting glucose and insulin levels were higher in Ad-shAcsl4-transduced mice versus control (Ad-shLacZ). Glucose tolerance testing further indicated an insulin-resistant phenotype upon knockdown of ACSL4. These results provide the first in vivo evidence that ACSL4 plays a role in plasma TG and glucose metabolism and hepatic PL synthesis of hyperlipidemic mice.
On the Reactivity of N-tert-Butyl-1,2-Diaminoethane: Synthesis of 1-tert-Butyl-2-Imidazoline, Formation of an Intramolecular Carbamate Salt from the Reaction with CO2, and Generation of a Hydroxyalkyl-Substituted Imidazolinium Salt
Authors: Evans Kieren J. , Potrykus Ben , Mansell Stephen M.
Published: February 2019

N-tert-Butyl-1,2-diaminoethane was shown to react rapidly with atmospheric carbon dioxide to generate the zwitterionic ammonium carbamate salt CO2N(H)C2H4N(H)2tBu (1). Reaction of N-tert-butyl-1,2-diaminoethane with triethylorthoformate gave 1-tert-butyl-2-imidazoline (2) in 24% yield after fractional distillation, and the hydroxyalkyl-tethered imidazolinium salt [HOC(Me)2CH2NC2H4N(CH)tBu][Cl] (3) was synthesised from the sequential reaction of N-tert-butyl-1,2-diaminoethane with isobutylene epoxide, HCl, and triethylorthoformate.
Ipsi- and Contralateral Moxibustion Generate Similar Analgesic Effect on Inflammatory Pain
Authors: Zuo Chuan-Yi , Lv Peng , Zhang Cheng-Shun , Lei Ru-Xue , Zhou Wei , Wu Qiao-Feng , Luo Ling , Tang Yong , Yin Hai-Yan , Yu Shu-Guang
Published: February 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate whether contralateral moxibustion would generate a similar analgesic effect with ipsilateral moxibustion. Contra- and ipsilateral moxibustion were separately applied to Zusanli (ST36) acupoints of inflammatory pain mice. The analgesic effect was evaluated, respectively, by licking/biting time (LBT) of formalin-induced inflammatory pain and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) of complete Freund’s adjuvant- (CFA-) induced inflammatory pain. For formalin-induced pain, compared with formalin group, the total LBT of ipsi- and contralateral moxibustion reduced in both phase I and phase II, but there was no significant difference between ipsi- and contralateral moxibustion. For CFA-induced inflammatory pain, compared with CFA group, TWL of ipsi- and contra-Moxi groups increased immediately after moxibustion intervention; however there was no obvious difference between ipsi- and contralateral moxibustion at any timepoint. It indicated that contralateral moxibustion had a similar analgesic effect with ipsilateral moxibustion in both formalin- and CFA-induced pain. These results suggest that both ipsi- and contralateral moxibustion could be applied for pain relief.
Dynamic Characteristics of Warm Mix Foamed Asphalt Mixture in Seasonal Frozen Area
Authors: Hou Yun , Cai Yanxia , Zang Zhishu , Qian Zhenyu , Zhao Bin
Published: February 2019

In order to study dynamic characteristics of warm mix foamed asphalt mixture in seasonal frozen area, cylinder dynamic modulus test of four kinds of mixture with two gradations and three kinds of asphalt was carried out by UTM-100. Then, the effects of test temperature, loading frequency, and foaming water consumption on dynamic modulus were analyzed. Finally, the compressive resilient modulus trial was made to compare mechanical properties. Results show that dynamic modulus for warm mix foamed asphalt mixture increases with rising temperature and decreased frequency. The inflection points of the dynamic modulus vs frequency curves at low temperature, normal temperature, and high temperature are 2 Hz, 10 Hz, and 15 Hz, respectively. Static modulus of SBS# modified and nonmodified warm mix foamed asphalt mixture is corresponding to the dynamic modulus 0.001 Hz–0.1 Hz and 0.00001 Hz–0.05 Hz. The effect on gradation type on the dynamic modulus of asphalt mixture is AC-20 > AC-13, and the degree of sensitivity of the water consumption to the master curve equation of dynamic modulus under different gradations is AC-13 > AC-20.
Departure Time Choice (DTC) Behavior for Intercity Travel during a Long-Holiday in Bangkok, Thailand
Authors: Chaichannawatik Bhawat , Kanitpong Kunnawee , Limanond Thirayoot
Published: February 2019

Time-of-day (TOD) or departure time choice (DTC) has become an interesting issue over two decades. Many researches have intensely focused on time-of-day or departure time choice study, especially workday departures. However, the travel behavior during long-holiday/intercity travel has received relatively little attention in previous studies. This paper shows the characteristics of long-holiday intercity travel patterns based on 2012 New Year data collected in Thailand with a specific focus on departure time choice of car commuters due to traffic congestion occurring during the beginning of festivals. 590 interview data were analyzed to provide more understanding of general characteristics of DTC behavior for intercity travel at the beginning of a Bangkok long-holiday. Moreover, the Multinomial Logit Model (MNL) was used to find the car-based DTC model. The results showed that travelers tend to travel at the peak period when the parameters of personal and household are not so significant, in contrast to the trip-related characteristics and holiday variables that play important roles in traveler decision on departure time choice. Finally, some policies to distribute travel demand and reduce the repeatable traffic congestion at the beginning of festivals are recommended.
Study of Urban System Spatial Interaction Based on Microblog Data: A Case of Huaihe River Basin, China
Authors: Fan Yong , Yao Juhui , He Zongyi , He Biao , Li Minmin
Published: February 2019

The spatial interaction of urban system has been an hot research issue in the field of urban research. In this paper, user’s microblog spatial information data were used to discern the spatial structure of an urban area. Firstly, Sina Weibo microblog data for 2011–2015 were used to establish a thematic database of cities along the Huaihe River Basin, China. Secondly, network connectivity, inflow, and outflow of three indicator systems were analyzed. Finally, combining this database with socioeconomic data, experimental verification and comparative analysis were carried out. The study found that the urban spatial relation in the Huaihe River Basin has the following characteristics: the spatial difference of urban size distribution is obvious; urban layout presents a stratified aggregation phenomenon; and the high-grade cities lead the city’s interaction. The research shows that this method of data mining for urban interaction in the Huaihe River Basin is valid and that this research into urban spatial patterns of river basins is applicable to other areas.
Characteristics of Intestinal Microecology during Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Based Therapy for Mouse Acute Liver Injury
Authors: Dong Xiaotian , Feng Xudong , Liu Jingqi , Xu Yanping , Pan Qiaoling , Ling Zongxin , Yu Jiong , Yang Jinfeng , Li Lanjuan , Cao Hongcui
Published: February 2019

Background. The mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation to protect against acute liver injury have been well studied within the liver. However, the associated changes in the intestinal microbiota during this process are poorly understood.Methods. In this study, compact bone-derived MSCs were injected into mice after carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) administration. Potential curative effect of MSC was evaluated by survival rate and biochemical and pathological results. Overall structural changes of microbial communities and alterations in the intestinal microbiota were assessed by sequenced 16S rRNA amplicon libraries from the contents of the cecum and colon.Results. MSCs significantly reduced the serum levels of aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase and improved the histopathology and survival rate. Lower expression and discontinuous staining of zonula occludens, as well as disrupted tight junctions, were observed in CCl4-treated mice at 48 h compared with MSC-transplanted mice. Moreover, MSC transplantation to the liver leads to intestinal microbiota changes that were reflected in the decreased abundance of BacteroidetesS24-7andBacteroidaceaeand increased abundance of FirmicutesClostridiales,Ruminococcaceae, andLactobacillusat the initial time point compared with that in CCl4-treated mice. In addition, phylogenetic investigation of communities by the reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) based on the Greengenes database revealed functional biomarkers of MSC-transplanted mice involved in cell motility, signal transduction, membrane transport, transcription, and metabolism of lipids, cofactors, vitamins, terpenoids, and polyketides, as well as xenobiotics.Conclusion. The initial alterations in the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, which resulted from MSC infusion to the liver, maintain intestinal mucosal biology and homeostasis that may be beneficial to liver repair.
CXCR4-Overexpressing Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Enhance Protection against Radiation-Induced Lung Injury
Authors: Zhang Chunyang , Zhu Yan , Wang Ji , Hou Lisheng , Li Wei , An Huaijie
Published: February 2019

Less quantity of transplanted mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) influences the therapeutic effects on radiation-induced lung injury (RILI). Previous studies have demonstrated that MSCs overexpressing Chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 4 (CXCR4) could increase the quantity of transplanted cells to local tissues. In the present study, we conducted overexpressing CXCR4 human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (HUMSC) therapy for RILI. C57BL mice received single dose of thoracic irradiation with 13 Gy of X-rays and then were administered saline, control HUMSCs, or CXCR4-overexpressing HUMSCs via tail vein. Transfection with CXCR4 enhanced the quantity of transplanted HUMSCs in the radiation-induced injured lung tissues. CXCR4-overexpressing HUMSCs not only improved histopathological changes but also decreased the radiation-induced expression of SDF-1, TGF-β1,α-SMA, and collagen I and inhibited the radiation-induced decreased expression of E-cadherin. Transplanted CXCR4-overexpressing HUMSCs also could express pro-SP-C, indicated adopting the feature of ATII. These finding suggests that CXCR4-overexpressing HUMSCs enhance the protection against RILI and may be a promising strategy for RILI treatment.
Extended ForUML for Automatic Generation of UML Sequence Diagrams from Object-Oriented Fortran
Authors: Nanthaamornphong Aziz , Leatongkam Anawat
Published: February 2019

Recently, reverse engineering has become widely recognized as a valuable process for extracting system abstractions and design information from existing software. This study focuses on ForUML, a reverse engineering tool developed to extract UML diagrams from modern object-oriented Fortran programs. Generally, Fortran is used to implement scientific and engineering software in various domains, such as weather forecasting, astrophysics, and engineering design. However, methods for visualizing the existing design of object-oriented Fortran software are lacking. UML diagrams of Fortran software would be beneficial to scientists and engineers in explaining the structure and behavior of their programs at a higher level of abstraction than the source code itself. UML diagrams can enhance discussions within development teams and with the broader scientific community. The first version of ForUML produces only UML class diagrams. Class diagrams provide a useful window into the static structure of a program, including the structure and components of each class and the relationships between classes. However, class diagrams lack the temporal information required to understand class behavior and interactions between classes. UML sequence diagrams provide this important algorithmic information. Therefore, herein, an extension for ForUML to extract UML sequence diagrams from the Fortran code is proposed, and this capability is provided using a widely used open-source platform. This study argues that the proposed extension will enable the visualization of object-oriented Fortran software behavior and algorithmic structure and thereby enhance the development, maintenance practices, decision processes, and communications in scientific and engineering software communities worldwide.
A Qualitative Approach to Determine the Areas of Highest Inflow and Infiltration in Underground Infrastructure for Urban Area
Authors: Thapa J. B. , Jung J. K. , Yovichin R. D.
Published: February 2019

Inflow and infiltration (I&I) is an unavoidable problem which affects underground infrastructures such as water mains, sewer lines, and storm water systems. The additional water and intruded debris, due to I&I, can hinder the flow capacity of the pipe network. However, with proper management, such problems can be minimized or controlled. By using a qualitative approach to determine the areas susceptible to I&I, application of geographic information system (GIS) can minimize cost and time. The results found can highlight the most I&I vulnerable areas, which can be used for underground infrastructure management. In this study, maps of Youngstown’s sewer lines and surrounding areas were generated and used. Pipe age, an empirical operating coefficient, sewer classifications, and soil hydraulics were the parameters used to identify each pipe segments. The results of this study show that majority of pipelines from downtown and south side of the city were determined to be in very poor conditions. The method used in this study reduces the scale of work, by generating a map, indicating areas with highest susceptibility.
Hunting the Pertinency of Bloom Filter in Computer Networking and Beyond: A Survey
Authors: Patgiri Ripon , Nayak Sabuzima , Borgohain Samir Kumar
Published: February 2019

Bloom filter is a probabilistic data structure to filter a membership of a set. Bloom filter returns “true” or “false” with an error tolerance depending on the presence of the element in the set. Bloom filter is used to boost up the performance of a system using small space overhead. It is extensively used since its inception. The Bloom filter has met wide area of applications. Bloom filter is used in entire computing field irrespective of application and research domain. Bloom filter poses (i) high adaptability, (ii) low memory space overhead as compared to hashing algorithms, (iii) high scalability, and (iv) high performance. In this article, we uncover the application area of Bloom filter in computer networking and its related domain.
Canadians’ Dietary Intake from 2007 to 2011 and across Different Sociodemographic/Lifestyle Factors Using the Canadian Health Measures Survey Cycles 1 and 2
Authors: Hosseini Zeinab , Whiting Susan J. , Vatanparast Hassan
Published: February 2019

Background. Nutrition is an important factor that impacts health, yet in Canada, there have been only a few surveys reflecting dietary intakes. The Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) is a national survey that includes both food intake data as targeted questions and objective health measures. The aim of this research was to determine how food group intake data reported in CHMS is related to food group intakes from Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) (2004). A secondary objective was to examine the dietary status of Canadians across sociodemographic levels. Methods. The CHMS Cycles 1 and 2 food group intake data (meat and alternatives; milk products; grains; vegetables and fruits; dietary fat consumption; and beverages) of Canadians (6–79 years, n=11,387) were descriptively compared to previously reported intake of Canadians from CCHS 2.2 in 2004. Further, Canadians’ food intakes were assessed across sociodemographic characteristics. Results. The CHMS dietary intake data from vegetables and fruits and from milk products groups were similar to the dietary intake reported from CCHS 2.2. For the other food groups, the difference in intakes suggested CHMS data by FFQ were not complete. However, similar patterns in food intakes with regards to age/sex and income were observed in both surveys. Conclusion. Not all food groups measured in CHMS provide complete dietary intake data as compared to CCHS 2.2, yet CHMS food group intakes provide valuable information when it comes to evaluating dietary intake across different population groups.
Ficolins and the Recognition of Pathogenic Microorganisms: An Overview of the Innate Immune Response and Contribution of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms
Authors: Bidula Stefan , Sexton Darren W. , Schelenz Silke
Published: February 2019

Ficolins are innate pattern recognition receptors (PRR) and play integral roles within the innate immune response to numerous pathogens throughout the circulation, as well as within organs. Pathogens are primarily removed by direct opsonisation following the recognition of cell surface carbohydrates and other immunostimulatory molecules or via the activation of the lectin complement pathway, which results in the deposition of C3b and the recruitment of phagocytes. In recent years, there have been a number of studies implicating ficolins in the recognition and removal of numerous bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic pathogens. Moreover, there has been expanding evidence highlighting that mutations within these key immune proteins, or the possession of particular haplotypes, enhance susceptibility to colonization by pathogens and dysfunctional immune responses. This review will therefore encompass previous knowledge on the role of ficolins in the recognition of bacterial and viral pathogens, while acknowledging the recent advances in the immune response to fungal and parasitic infections. Additionally, we will explore the various genetic susceptibility factors that predispose individuals to infection.
Effect of Cyclic Expansion-Extrusion Process on Microstructure, Deformation and Dynamic Recrystallization Mechanisms, and Texture Evolution of AZ80 Magnesium Alloy
Authors: Xue Yong , Chen Shuaishuai , Liu Haijun , Zhang Zhimin , Ren Luying , Bai Bing
Published: February 2019

The microstructure, deformation mechanisms, dynamic recrystallization (DRX) behavior, and texture evolution of AZ80 magnesium alloy were investigated by three-pass cyclic expansion-extrusion (CEE) tests. Optical microscopy (OM), electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to study microstructure, grain orientation, DRX mechanism, and texture evolution. The results show that the grain sizes decrease continuously with the increase of CEE pass. The grain refinement effect of the first pass is the most remarkable, and there appear a large number of twins. After three-pass CEE, a well-distributed structure with fine equiaxed grains is obtained. With the increase of CEE pass, the deformation mechanism changes from twinning to slipping and the DRX mechanism changes mainly from twinning-induced dynamic recrystallization (TDRX) to rotation dynamic recrystallization (RDRX) and then to continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX). The grain misorientation between the new grains and matrix grains deceases gradually, and a relatively small angle misorientation is obtained after three-pass CEE. Grain misorientations of the first two passes are attributed to TDRX and RDRX behaviors, respectively. The grain refinement changes the deformation and DRX mechanisms of CEE process, which leads the (0002) basal texture intensity first decrease and then increase suddenly. Eventually, the extremely strong basal texture is formed after three-pass CEE.
Application of PCR and Microscopy to Detect Helicobacter pylori in Gastric Biopsy Specimen among Acid Peptic Disorders at Tertiary Care Centre in Eastern Nepal
Authors: Pokhrel Nayanum , Khanal Basudha , Rai Keshav , Subedi Manish , Bhattarai Narayan Raj
Published: February 2019

Background. Helicobacter pylori infection is most prevalent in developing countries. It is an etiological agent of peptic ulcer, gastric adenocarcinoma, and mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Despite the development of different assays to confirm H. pylori infection, the diagnosis of infection is challenged by precision of the applied assay. Hence, the aim of this study was to understand the diagnostic accuracy of PCR and microscopy to detect the H. pylori in the gastric antrum biopsy specimen from gastric disorder patients. Methods. A total of 52 patients with gastric disorders underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with biopsy. The H. pylori infection in gastric biopsies was identified after examination by microscopy and 23S rRNA specific PCR. The agreement between two test results were analysed by McNemar’s test and Kappa coefficient. Result. H. pylori infection was confirmed in 9 (17.30%) patients by both assays, 6.25% in antral gastritis, 22.22% in gastric ulcer, 100% in gastric ulcer with duodenitis, 50% in gastric ulcer with duodenal ulcer, and 33.33% in severe erosive duodenitis with antral gastritis. Out of nine H. pylori infection confirmed patients, 3 patients were confirmed by microscopy and 8 patients by PCR. In case of two patients, both microscopy and PCR assay confirmed the H. pylori infection. The agreement between two test results was 86.54% and disagreed by 13.46% (p value > 0.05). Conclusion. We found that PCR assay to detect H. pylori is more sensitive than microscopy. However, we advocate for the combination of both assays to increase the strength of diagnostic accuracy due to the absence of the gold standard assay for H. pylori infection.
Right-Sided Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator System Implantation in a Patient with Complex Congenital Heart Disease and Dextrocardia: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Al-Ghamdi Bandar
Published: February 2019

Patients with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) and low left ventricular ejection fraction are at an increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Prevention of SCD by subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD) implantation may represent a valuable option in certain CHD patients. Patients with CHD and dextrocardia pose a challenge in S-ICD system implantation, and nonstandard device placement may be required. Furthermore, electrocardiogram (ECG) screening prior to S-ICD implantation in CHD patients has significant limitations. This case represents the placement of a S-ICD system on the right side of the chest in a 26-year-old male with severe biventricular failure and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia following multiple corrective surgeries of situs inversus totalis, double-outlet right ventricle with a ventricular septal defect, and pulmonary atresia. The use of S-ICDs in a CHD population and in particular CHD patients with dextrocardia and right-sided S-ICD implantation is briefly discussed.
Gitelman Syndrome: A Rare Cause of Seizure Disorder and a Systematic Review
Authors: Shahzad Muhammad Asim , Mukhtar Maryam , Ahmed Asrar , Ullah Waqas , Saeed Rehan , Hamid Mohsin
Published: February 2019

Gitelman syndrome is one of the few inherited causes of metabolic alkalosis due to salt losing tubulopathy. It is caused by tubular defects at the level of distal convoluted tubules, mimicking a thiazide-like tumor. It usually presents in late childhood or in teenage as nonspecific weakness, fatigability, polyuria, and polydipsia but very rarely with seizures. It is classically associated with hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, hypocalciuria, hyperreninemia, and hyperaldosteronism. However, less frequently, it can present with normal magnesium levels. It is even rarer to find normomagnesemic patients of GS who develop seizures as the main complication since hypomagnesemia is considered the principal etiology of abnormal foci of seizure-related brain activity in GS cases. Interestingly, patients with GS are oftentimes diagnosed during pregnancy when the classic electrolyte pattern consistent with GS is noticed. Our case presents GS with normal serum magnesium in a patient, with seizures being the main clinical presentation. We also did a comprehensive literature review of 122 reported cases to show the prevalence of normal magnesium in GS cases and an overview of clinical and biochemical variability in GS. We suggest that further studies and in-depth analysis are required to understand the pathophysiology of seizures in GS patients with both normal and low magnesium levels.
Efficiency of Multiparticulate Delivery Systems Loaded with Flufenamic Acid Designed for Burn Wound Healing Applications
Authors: Dinescu Sorina , Ignat Simona Rebeca , Lazar Andreea Daniela , Marin Ștefania , Danilă Elena , Marin Maria M. , Udeanu Denisa Ioana , Ghica Mihaela Violeta , Albu-Kaya Mădălina G. , Costache Marieta
Published: February 2019

Burns are soft tissue injuries that require particular care for wound healing. Current tissue engineering approaches are aimed at identifying the most efficient treatment combinations to restore the tissue properties and function by using adapted scaffolds or delivery platforms for tissue repair and regeneration by triggering molecules. To reduce the inflammation associated with skin burns, the addition of an anti-inflammatory factor in these scaffolds would greatly increase the quality of the therapy. Therefore, this study is aimed at obtaining and validating a novel multiparticulate system based on a collagen matrix with controlled delivery of flufenamic acid anti-inflammatory drug for burn wound healing applications. In this work, we have characterized the properties and biocompatibility of these multiparticulate drug delivery systems (MDDS) and we have demonstrated their efficiency against burns and soft tissue lesions, particularly when the drug was microencapsulated, and thus with a controlled release. This study contributes to the advancement in therapy of burns and burn wound healing applications.
Simulating the Performance of Al0.3Ga0.7As/InP/Ge Multijunction Solar Cells under Variation of Spectral Irradiance and Temperature
Authors: Sumaryada Tony , Rohaeni Siti , Damayanti Nurlia Eka , Syafutra Heriyanto , Hardhienata Hendradi
Published: February 2019

The effect of spectral irradiance and temperature variation on the performance of the mechanically stacked Al0.3Ga0.7As/InP/Ge multijunction solar cells was investigated using a simulation approach. The incoming and transmitted spectra of each subcell were simulated by using MATLAB codes, while PC1D software did the power-producing simulations. The incoming solar radiation on the first subcell was a multiplication of AM1.5d spectrum with the value of spectral irradiance multiplication factor (SIMF) 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 150, and 200 suns. Each set of simulation was done at 25°C, 50°C, 75°C, and 100°C. The simulation results have shown a linear behavior of the open-circuit voltage and the efficiency of the solar cells upon variation of temperature, while the nonlinear response of the solar cells performance was obtained due to the change of SIMF. The simulation results also suggest that the spectral irradiance exposure at 100 suns and the operating temperature of 25°C give the highest efficiency.
The Effect of Buddleja officinalis Maxim Eye Drops on Morphology and Apoptosis in Lacrimal Gland of Experimental Dry Eye Rabbit Model
Authors: Qin Genyan , Zhou Yasha , Peng Jun , Zhang Youwei , Peng Xiaofang , Peng Qinghua , Yang Yijing
Published: February 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Buddleja officinalis Maxim eye drops on morphology and apoptosis in lacrimal glands of the experimental dry eye rabbit model. A total of thirty-six male rabbits were divided into six study groups, consisting of the control group and the dry eye rabbit model group (without any treatment), the dry eye rabbit model group treated with testosterone, and the dry eye rabbit model group treated with different concentrations of Buddleja officinalis Maxim eye drops (1.0 mg/ml, 1.5 mg/ml and 3.0 mg/ml). The lacrimal glands were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry. Buddleja officinalis Maxim eye drops can improve the morphological structure of the lacrimal gland in the dry eye model of castrated rabbits. The average optical density values of PI3K, Akt, and caspase-9 protein in the lacrimal gland tissue of the 3 mg/ml Buddleja officinalis Maxim eye drops group were significantly different from those in the model group (P<0.01) and similar to the testosterone control group and the control group (P>0.05). Buddleja officinalis Maxim eye drops can improve the morphological structure of the lacrimal gland in the dry eye model of castrated rabbits.
A Case of Refractory Hypothyroidism due to Poor Compliance Treated with the Weekly Intravenous and Oral Levothyroxine Administration
Authors: Nakano Yujiro , Hashimoto Koshi , Ohkiba Noriaki , Okuma Hideyuki , Minami Isao , Takahashi Hiromitsu , Tanaka Yuji , Yoshimoto Takanobu , Yamada Tetsuya
Published: February 2019

Refractory hypothyroidism is caused by decreased gut absorption, increased metabolism, and poor compliance. Previous studies suggested that the weekly oral, suppository, or intramuscular administration of levothyroxine (LT4) is an effective treatment for refractory hypothyroidism. However, limited information is currently available on treatment involving the weekly intravenous administration of LT4. We managed a case of refractory hypothyroidism due to poor compliance, for which, by weekly intravenous LT4 administration, LT4 was intravenously administered weekly at a dose of 300 μg without any adverse effects such as acute ischemic heart diseases or liver dysfunction and effectively maintained the euthyroid status for 14 months. The weekly oral administration of LT4 (700 μg) was also safely performed and was as effective as its intravenous administration. We herein present precise clinical course of the present case including pharmacokinetic data during the weekly intravenous and oral administration of LT4 and discuss the safety and efficacy of the treatments.
Public Transport Driver Identification System Using Histogram of Acceleration Data
Authors: Virojboonkiate Nuttun , Chanakitkarnchok Adsadawut , Vateekul Peerapon , Rojviboonchai Kultida
Published: February 2019

This paper introduces a driver identification system architecture for public transport which utilizes only acceleration sensor data. The system architecture consists of three main modules which are the data collection, data preprocessing, and driver identification module. Data were collected from real operation of campus shuttle buses. In the data preprocessing module, a filtering module is proposed to remove the inactive period of the public transport data. To extract the unique behavior of the driver, a histogram of acceleration sensor data is proposed as a main feature of driver identification. The performance of our system is evaluated in many important aspects, considering axis of acceleration, sliding window size, number of drivers, classifier algorithms, and driving period. Additionally, the case study of impostor detection is implemented by modifying the driver identification module to identify a car thief or carjacking. Our driver identification system can achieve up to 99% accuracy and the impostor detection system can achieve the F1 score of 0.87. As a result, our system architecture can be used as a guideline for implementing the real driver identification system and further driver identification researches.
Embedded Parallelism Enabling Ultralow-Power Zigbee Voice Communications
Authors: Meliones A. , Touloupis E. , Perello J.
Published: February 2019

Short-range wireless technologies are known to transmit voice, audio, image, and video messages in real time. Energy consumption and transmission reach are critical in such networks, especially for portable and power autonomous devices. The purpose of the Voice over Zigbee technology is to provide a competitive offering that excels in these performance aspects. Due to the CSMA-CA mechanism implemented in the 802.15.4 layer, a well-designed strategy must be considered in Zigbee to create a robust, reliable, and full-duplex conversation. In past efforts, we proved that the radio channel of Zigbee has enough bandwidth to support a full-duplex conversation with narrow-band voice codecs. Our embedded implementation of the Speex voice codec targeted the development of a low-cost, ultralow-power, long-range wireless headset using Zigbee technology to transmit voice in full-duplex mode for use with leading PC VoIP programs. Furthermore, we presented the real environment performance evaluation and power consumption tests involving the developed headset prototype. Talk time is comparable to Bluetooth including at the power budget, the codec processing, and analogue audio interface, but its deep-sleep lifetime more than doubles the Bluetooth performance. This was one of the very few successful efforts to port a voice codec on an ultralow-power DSP for use with power sensitive Zigbee applications, which is highly cited in the literature, proving additionally that using an open-source codec can deliver similar voice quality, reducing the total system cost. The current paper elaborates on the embedded parallelism of the Speex implementation and the exploitation of the DSP architectural parallelism which critically enabled the Voice over Zigbee application on the ultralow-power DSP platform. Another significant contribution of this work is towards understanding and resolving the challenges faced when trying to achieve good quality transmission of media over constrained devices and networks. The way to new ultralow-power voice-related Zigbee and constrained network applications is open.
Secondary Metabolites Profiling of Acinetobacter baumannii Associated with Chili (Capsicum annuum L.) Leaves and Concentration Dependent Antioxidant and Prooxidant Properties
Authors: Monowar Tahmina , Rahman Md. Sayedur , Bhore Subhash J. , Raju Gunasunderi , Sathasivam Kathiresan V.
Published: February 2019

Secondary bioactive compounds of endophytes are inevitable biomolecules of therapeutical importance. In the present study, secondary metabolites profiling of an endophytic bacterial strain, Acinetobacter baumannii, were explored using GC-MS study. Presence of antioxidant substances and antioxidant properties in chloroform (CHL), diethyl ether (DEE), and ethyl acetate (EA) crude extracts of the endophytic bacteria were studied. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, and ferrous ion chelating assay were evaluated. A total of 74 compounds were identified from the GC-MS analysis of the EA extract representing mostly alkane compounds followed by phenols, carboxylic acids, aromatic heterocyclic compounds, ketones, aromatic esters, aromatic benzenes, and alkenes. Among the two phenolic compounds, namely, phenol, 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)- and phenol, 3,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-, the former was found in abundance (11.56%) while the latter was found in smaller quantity (0.14%). Moreover, the endophytic bacteria was found to possess a number of metal ions including Fe(II) and Cu(II) as 1307.13 ± 2.35 ppb and 42.38 ± 0.352 ppb, respectively. The extracts exhibited concentration dependent antioxidant and prooxidant properties at high and low concentrations, respectively. The presence of phenolic compounds and metal ions was believed to play an important role in the antioxidant and prooxidant potentials of the extracts. Further studies are suggested for exploring the untapped resource of endophytic bacteria for the development of novel therapeutic agents.
TDSRC: A Task-Distributing System of Crowdsourcing Based on Social Relation Cognition
Authors: Peng Zhenlong , Gui Xiaolin , An Jian , Gui Ruowei , Ji Yali
Published: February 2019

Crowdsourcing significantly augments the creativity of the public and has become an indispensable component of many problem-solving pipelines. The main challenge, however, is the effective identification of malicious participators while distributing crowdsourcing tasks. In this paper, we propose a novel task-distributing system named Task-Distributing system of crowdsourcing based on Social Relation Cognition (TDSRC) to select qualified participators. First, we divided the tasks into categories according to task themes. Then, we constructed and calculated the Abilities Set (AS), Abilities Values (AVs), and the Friends’ Abilities Matrix (FAM) by using the historical interactive texts between a given task publisher (requester) and its friends. When a requester distributes a task, TDSRC can generate the candidate participators’ sequence based on the task needs and FAM. Finally, the best-matched friends in the sequence are selected as the task receivers (solvers), thus producing a personal FAM to disseminate the tasks. The experimental results indicate that (1) the proposed system can accurately and effectively discover the requester’s friends’ abilities and select appropriate solvers and (2) the natural trust relationship in the social network reduces fraudsters and enhances the quality of crowdsourcing services.
Synthesis, Solvatochromic Performance, pH Sensing, Dyeing Ability, and Antimicrobial Activity of Novel Hydrazone Dyestuffs
Authors: Khattab Tawfik A. , Allam Ahmed A. , Othman Sarah I. , Bin-Jumah May , Al-Harbi Hanan M. , Fouda Moustafa M. G.
Published: February 2019

New tricyanofuran intramolecular charge transfer dyes comprising the hydrazone group were prepared and fully characterized in order to study their possible solvatochromism, dyeing ability, and antimicrobial activity. The preparation of the hydrazone dyes was achieved in relatively good yields starting from different aromatic amines. The hydrazone functional group was presented via the azo-coupling reaction of the tricyanofuran compound by the properly substituted diazonium chloride. Chemical structures of the prepared hydrazones were confirmed via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H- and 13C-NMR), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and elemental analysis (C, H, and N). The UV-visible absorption spectra of the produced sensor colorants displayed interesting solvatochromism in solvents with a different polarity, which was found to be affected by the substituents bonded to the aromatic hydrazone moiety. The pH molecular switching was investigated through tuning the intramolecular charge transfer stimulated by the reversible deprotonation/protonation process in acetonitrile solution showing color change from yellow to purple. The produced disperse dyestuffs were employed for dyeing polyester fibers to introduce acceptable color strength and colorfastness properties. Moreover, the dyes verified a weak to moderate antimicrobial activity against some selected pathogens, including S. aureus, E. coli, and Candida albicans.
Effect of Pore-Water Salinity on the Electrical Resistivity of Partially Saturated Compacted Clay Liners
Authors: Lu Yi , Abuel-Naga Hossam , Al Rashid Qais , Hasan Md Farhad
Published: February 2019

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of pore-water salinity on the electrical resistivity (ER) of different compacted clay liners (CCLs) in terms of its mineralogical composition. For this purpose, an experimental programme was conducted where ERs of different kaolin-dominant CCL specimens, reconstituted using water having different concentrations of NaCl (0 M, 0.5 M, and 1.0 M), were measured. The kaolin-dominant CCL specimens tested in this study include pure kaolin, three different kaolin-bentonite mixtures, and three different kaolin-sand mixtures. The experimental results show that the ERs of CCL specimens decrease as the salt concentrations in pore water, moisture content, and dry density increase. At constant density and moisture content, the test results also indicate that increasing the sand content in kaolin-dominant CCL specimens increases its ER regardless of the water salinity level. This behaviour could be attributed to the lower surface conduction of sand compared to kaolin. However, at constant density and moisture content, increasing the bentonite content in kaolin-dominant CCL specimens decreases its ER in the distilled water environment as surface conduction of bentonite is higher compared to that of kaolin. On the contrary, in saltwater environments, ER increases as the bentonite content increases. This behaviour could be explained in terms of the expected aggregated microstructure of bentonite in the saltwater environment that could reduce the number and area of interparticle contacts, and consequently, increase the ER of CCL specimens.