bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abnormal Baseline Brain Activity in Patients with Pulsatile Tinnitus: A Resting-State fMRI Study
Authors: Han Lv , Zhaohui Liu , Fei Yan , Ting Li , Pengfei Zhao , Wang Du , Cheng Dong , Pengde Guo , Xiaoyi Han , Xiao Wang , Rui Li , Zhenchang Wang
Published: April 2014

Numerous investigations studying the brain functional activity of the tinnitus patients have indicated that neurological changes are important findings of this kind of disease. However, the pulsatile tinnitus (PT) patients were excluded in previous studies because of the totally different mechanisms of the two subtype tinnitus. The aim of this study is to investigate whether altered baseline brain activity presents in patients with PT using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) technique. The present study used unilateral PT patients (n=42) and age-, sex-, and education-matched normal control subjects (n=42) to investigate the changes in structural and amplitude of low-frequency (ALFF) of the brain. Also, we analyzed the relationships between these changes with clinical data of the PT patients. Compared with normal controls, PT patients did not show any structural changes. PT patients showed significant increased ALFF in the bilateral precuneus, and bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and decreased ALFF in multiple occipital areas. Moreover, the increased THI score and PT duration was correlated with increased ALFF in precuneus and bilateral IFG. The abnormalities of spontaneous brain activity reflected by ALFF measurements in the absence of structural changes may provide insights into the neural reorganization in PT patients.
Conditional Stability for an Inverse Problem of Determining a Space-Dependent Source Coefficient in the Advection-Dispersion Equation with Robin’s Boundary Condition
Authors: Wang Shunqin , Sun Chunlong , Li Gongsheng
Published: April 2014

This paper deals with an inverse problem of determining the space-dependent source coefficient in one-dimensional advection-dispersion equation with Robin’s boundary condition. Data compatibility for the inverse problem is analyzed by which an admissible set for the unknown is set forth. Furthermore, with the help of an integral identity, a conditional Lipschitz stability is established by suitably controlling the solution of an adjoint problem.
Multiscale Distance Coherence Vector Algorithm for Content-Based Image Retrieval
Authors: Jiexian Zeng , Xiupeng Liu , Yu Fei
Published: April 2014

Multiscale distance coherence vector algorithm for content-based image retrieval (CBIR) is proposed due to the same descriptor with different shapes and the shortcomings of antinoise performance of the distance coherence vector algorithm. By this algorithm, the image contour curve is evolved by Gaussian function first, and then the distance coherence vector is, respectively, extracted from the contour of the original image and evolved images. Multiscale distance coherence vector was obtained by reasonable weight distribution of the distance coherence vectors of evolved images contour. This algorithm not only is invariable to translation, rotation, and scaling transformation but also has good performance of antinoise. The experiment results show us that the algorithm has a higher recall rate and precision rate for the retrieval of images polluted by noise.
Synthesis of Flower-Like Cu2ZnSnS4Nanoflakes via a Microwave-Assisted Solvothermal Route
Authors: Long Fei , Mo Shuyi , Zeng Yan , Chi Shangsen , Zou Zhengguang
Published: April 2014

Flower-like Cu2ZnSnS4(CZTS) nanoflakes were synthesized by a facile and fast one-pot solution reaction using copper(II) acetate monohydrate, zinc acetate dihydrate, tin(IV) chloride pentahydrate, and thiourea as starting materials. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman scattering analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) equipped with an energy dispersion X-ray spectrometer (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV-Vis absorption spectra. The XRD patterns shown that the as-synthesized particles were kesterite CZTS and Raman scattering analysis and EDS confirmed that kesterite CZTS was the only phase of product. The results of FESEM and TEM show that the as-synthesized particles were flower-like morphology with the average size of 1~2 μm which are composed of 50 nm thick nanoflakes. UV-Vis absorption spectrum revealed CZTS nanoflakes with a direct band gap of 1.52 eV.
Factors Associated with Neurologists’ Provision of MS Patient Care
Authors: Halpern Michael T. , Teixeira-Poit Stephanie M. , Kane Heather , Frost Corey , Keating Michael , Olmsted Murrey
Published: April 2014

Neurologists are central to providing quality care for individuals with MS. However, neurologist shortages may restrict access to care for MS patients. To examine factors influencing neurologists’ provision of MS care, we surveyed 1,700 US neurologists to assess demographic/practice characteristics, training, and attitudes toward MS care. The study population consisted of 573 respondents: 87 (15.2%) MS subspecialists and 486 (84.8%) “other neurologists,” including subspecialists in other neurology areas (i.e., non-MS) and general neurologists. MS subspecialists indicating they “enjoy interacting with MS patients” had a significantly greater rate of MS patients seen per week. In separate analyses of the “other neurologists” group, the rate of MS patients seen was lower among neurologists in university-based groups or those practicing in major cities; female neurologists; and neurologists who indicated lack of sufficient knowledge regarding MS patient care. Rates of MS patients seen were significantly greater for other neurologists who agreed that MS care involved “ability to improve patient outcomes and quality of life”; “dynamic area with evolving treatment options”; and “enjoy interacting with MS patients.” Understanding factors influencing MS patient care by neurologists and developing policies for appropriate access to care is critical for optimal outcomes among this population.
Decision Tree Classification Model for Popularity Forecast of Chinese Colleges
Authors: Zeng Xiangxiang , Yuan Sisi , Li You , Zou Quan
Published: April 2014

Prospective students generally select their preferred college on the basis of popularity. Thus, this study uses survey data to build decision tree models for forecasting the popularity of a number of Chinese colleges in each district. We first extract a feature called “popularity change ratio” from existing data and then use a simplified but efficient algorithm based on “gain ratio” for decision tree construction. The final model is evaluated using common evaluation methods. This research is the first of its type in the educational field and represents a novel use of decision tree models with time series attributes for forecasting the popularity of Chinese colleges. Experimental analyses demonstrated encouraging results, proving the practical viability of the approach.
Subconjunctival and Orbital Silicone Oil Granuloma (Siliconoma) Complicating Intravitreal Silicone Oil Tamponade
Authors: Lee Jung Hye , Kim Yoon-Duck , Woo Kyung In , Kong Mingui
Published: April 2014

A 30-year-old male, who underwent previous pars plana vitrectomy and silicone oil tamponade due to endogenous endophthalmitis originated from Klebsiella liver abscess, was referred for evisceration. At 2 months after vitrectomy with silicon oil tamponade, conjunctival chemosis and ocular pain were aggravated. Diffuse eyelid swelling and large subconjunctival mass with lipid droplets were noted. On MRI examination, subconjunctival mass and intra- and extraconal orbital mass around superior rectus muscle were observed. Excision of subconjunctival and orbital mass was performed. Histopathologic examination showed multiple silicone oil vacuoles surrounded by foreign body giant cells and fibrosis, which confirmed silicone oil granuloma. In a patient with suspicious melting sclera in diseases such as endophthalmitis, large silicone oil granuloma may be complicated in a rapid fashion after intravitreal silicone oil tamponade due to silicone oil leakage.
Gaining Surgical Access for Repositioning the Inferior Alveolar Neurovascular Bundle
Authors: Al-Siweedi Saif Yousif Abdullah , Nambiar P. , Shanmuhasuntharam P. , Ngeow W. C.
Published: April 2014

This study is aimed at determining anatomical landmarks that can be used to gain access to the inferior alveolar neurovascular (IAN) bundle. Scanned CBCT (i-CAT machine) data of sixty patients and reconstructions performed using the SimPlant dental implant software were reviewed. Outcome variables were the linear distances of the mandibular canal to the inferior border and the buccal cortex of the mandible, measured immediately at the mental foramen (D1) and at 10, 20, 30, and 40 mm (D2–D5) distal to it. Predictor variables were age, ethnicity, and gender of subjects. Apicobasal assessment of the canal reveals that it is curving downward towards the inferior mandibular border until 20 mm (D3) distal to the mental foramen where it then curves upwards, making an elliptic-arc curve. The mandibular canal also forms a buccolingually oriented elliptic arc in relation to the buccal cortex. Variations due to age, ethnicity, and gender were evident and this study provides an accurate anatomic zone for gaining surgical access to the IAN bundle. The findings indicate that the buccal cortex-IAN distance was greatest at D3. Therefore, sites between D2 and D5 can be used as favorable landmarks to access the IAN bundle with the least complications to the patient.
Topology Optimization and Performance Calculation for Control Arms of a Suspension
Authors: Tang Liang , Wu Jie , Liu Jinhao , Jiang Cuicui , Shangguan Wen-Bin
Published: April 2014

Control Arm (CA) of a suspension plays an important role in the automotive ride comfort and handling stability. In this paper, the topology optimization model including ball joints and bushing for topology optimization of an aluminium CA is established, where a ball joint is simplified as rigid elements and the elastic properties of a rubber bushing are estimated using Mooney-Rivlin constitutive law. A method for treating with multiple loads in topology optimization of CA is presented. Inertia relief theory is employed in the FEA model of the CA in order to simulate the large displacement motion characteristics of the CA. A CA is designed based on the topology optimization results, and the strength, natural frequency, and rigidity of the optimized CA are calculated. The calculated results show that the performances of the optimized CA with the proposed model meet the predetermined requirements.
Some New Formulae for Genocchi Numbers and Polynomials Involving Bernoulli and Euler Polynomials
Authors: Araci Serkan , Acikgoz Mehmet , Şen Erdoğan
Published: April 2014

We give some new formulae for product of two Genocchi polynomials including Euler polynomials and Bernoulli polynomials. Moreover, we derive some applications for Genocchi polynomials to study a matrix formulation.
Research of Macroscopic Regularities of Heat and Mass Transfer at the Ignition Condition of a Liquid High-Energy Material by an Immersed Source with a Limited Energy Capacity
Authors: Glushkov Dmitrii O. , Kuznetsov Genii V. , Strizhak Pavel A.
Published: April 2014

We carried out a numerical and experimental investigation of heat and mass transfer at the ignition condition of a liquid high-energy material by a typical immersed source with a limited energy capacity, being a small, intensely heated metallic particle. The numerical research is made on the basis of a model taking into account a group of interrelated physicochemical processes (thermal conductivity, diffusion, convection, mixing, and radiative heat transfer) with phase transitions (evaporation of the liquid and crystallization of the particle's material). We established such terminal conditions for the immersion energy source that prevent inflammation of the high-energy material.
Occult Hepatitis B Virus Infection among HIV Positive Patients in Nigeria
Authors: Opaleye Oluyinka Oladele , Oluremi Adeolu Sunday , Atiba Adetona Babatunde , Adewumi Moses Olubusuyi , Mabayoje Olatunji Victor , Donbraye Emmanuel , Ojurongbe Olusola , Olowe O. Adekunle
Published: April 2014

HIV has been known to interfere with the natural history of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. In this study we investigate the prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) among HIV-infected individuals in Nigeria. Overall, 1200 archived HIV positive samples were screened for detectable HBsAg using rapid technique, in Ikole Ekiti Specialist Hospital. The HBsAg negative samples were tested for HBsAg, anti-HBc, and anti-HCV by ELISA. Polymerase chain reaction was used for HBV DNA amplification and CD4 counts were analyzed by cytometry. Nine hundred and eighty of the HIV samples were HBsAg negative. HBV DNA was detected in 21/188 (11.2%) of patients without detectable HBsAg. CD4 count for the patients ranged from 2 to 2,140 cells/μL of blood (mean = 490 cells/μL of blood). HCV coinfection was detected only in 3/188 (1.6%) of the HIV-infected patients (P>0.05). Twenty-eight (29.2%) of the 96 HIV samples screened were positive for anti-HBc. Averagely the HBV viral load was <50 copies/mL in the OBI samples examined by quantitative PCR. The prevalence of OBI was significantly high among HIV-infected patients. These findings highlight the significance of nucleic acid testing in HBV diagnosis in HIV patients.
Numerical Simulation of Liquid Sloshing Problem under Resonant Excitation
Authors: Gui Fu-kun , Jiang Sheng-chao
Published: April 2014

Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the fluid resonance in partially filled rectangular tank based on the OpenFOAM package of viscous fluid model. The numerical model was validated by the available theoretical, numerical, and experimental data. The study was mainly focused on the large amplitude sloshing motion and the corresponding impact force around the resonant condition. It was found that, for the 2D situation, the double pressure peaks happened near to the side walls around the still water level. And they were corresponding to the local free surface rising up and set-down, respectively. The impulsive loads on the tank corner with extreme magnitudes were observed as the free surface impacted the ceiling. The 3D numerical results showed that the free surface amplitudes along the side walls varied diversely, depending on the direction and frequency of the external excitation. The characteristics of the pressure around the still water level and tank ceiling were also presented. According to the computational results, it was found that the 2D numerical model can predict the impact loads near the still water level as accurately as 3D model. However, the impulsive pressure near the tank ceiling corner was remarkably underestimated.
Cloning, Sequencing, andIn SilicoAnalysis ofβ-Propeller PhytaseBacillus licheniformisStrain PB-13
Authors: Kumar Vinod , Singh Gopal , Sangwan Punesh , Verma A. K. , Agrawal Sanjeev
Published: April 2014

β-Propeller phytases (BPPhy) are widely distributed in nature and play a major role in phytate-phosphorus cycling. In the present study, a BPPhy gene fromBacillus licheniformisstrain was expressed inE. coliwith a phytase activity of 1.15 U/mL and specific activity of 0.92 U/mg proteins. The expressed enzyme represented a full length ORF “PhyPB13” of 381 amino acid residues and differs by 3 residues from the closest similar existing BPPhy sequences. The PhyPB13 sequence was characterizedin silicousing various bioinformatic tools to better understand structural, functional, and evolutionary aspects of BPPhy class by multiple sequence alignment and homology search, phylogenetic tree construction, variation in biochemical features, and distribution of motifs and superfamilies. In all sequences, conserved sites were observed toward their N-terminus and C-terminus. Cysteine was not present in the sequence. Overall, three major clusters were observed in phylogenetic tree with variation in biophysical characteristics. A total of 10 motifs were reported with motif “1” observed in all 44 protein sequences and might be used for diversity and expression analysis of BPPhy enzymes. This study revealed important sequence features of BPPhy and pave a way for determining catalytic mechanism and selection of phytase with desirable characteristics.
Evaluation of the Macular, Peripapillary Nerve Fiber Layer and Choroid Thickness Changes in Behçet’s Disease with Spectral-Domain OCT
Authors: Ataş Mustafa , Yuvacı İsa , Demircan Süleyman , Güler Emel , Altunel Orhan , Pangal Emine , Göktaş Altan , Sütbeyaz Serap , Zararsız Gökmen
Published: April 2014

Purpose. To assess the macular, choroid, and peripapillary nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) in Behçet’s disease (BD) patients with and without ocular involvement by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and compare these findings with healthy controls.Design. Eighty patients with BD and 40 healthy controls who were followed up at the Uveitis and Retina Clinic of the Kayseri Research and Education Hospital in Turkey were enrolled in this prospective study.Subjects and Controls. The patients with BD were divided into two groups according to the presence of ocular involvement. Group 1 consisted of 40 eyes of 40 patients with ocular involvement and group 2 consisted of 40 eyes of 40 patients without ocular involvement.Methods. All of the patients and controls underwent macular, choroid, and peripapillary nerve fiber layer thickness analysis with Spectralis domain OCT (Spectralis OCT Heidelberg Engineering, Dossenheim, Germany).Main Outcome Measures. The differences in macular, choroid, and peripapillary nerve fiber layer thicknesses between groups were analyzed statistically.Results. Macular thickness was thinner in patients with BD than in the control group; this result was statistically significant (P= 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in thickness between RNFL analysis of the patients with BD and control subjects. However, the BD patients with ocular involvement had statistically significant thinning in RNFL compared with BD patients without ocular involvement. Although the choroid was thicker in patients with BD than in the control group, it did not reach a statistically significant level (P= 0.382).Conclusions. BD with ocular involvement may be associated with decreased macular and RNFL thickness measured with spectral-domain OCT.
Expression of TPM1κ, a Novel Sarcomeric Isoform of theTPM1Gene, in Mouse Heart and Skeletal Muscle
Authors: Dube Syamalima , Panebianco Lauren , Matoq Amr A. , Chionuma Henry N. , Denz Christopher R. , Poiesz Bernard J. , Dube Dipak K.
Published: April 2014

We have investigated the expression of TPM1αand TPM1κin mouse striated muscles. TPM1αand TMP1κwere amplified from the cDNA of mouse heart by using conventional RT-PCR. We have cloned the PCR amplified DNA and determined the nucleotide sequences. Deduced amino acid sequences show that there are three amino acid changes in mouse exon 2a when compared with the human TPM1κ. However, the deduced amino acid sequences of human TPM1αand mouse TPM1αare identical. Conventional RT-PCR data as well as qRT-PCR data, calculating both absolute copy number and relative expression, revealed that the expression of TPM1κis significantly lower compared to TPM1αin both mouse heart and skeletal muscle. It was also found that the expression level of TPM1κtranscripts in mouse heart is higher than it is in skeletal muscle. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the expression of TPM1κin mammalian skeletal muscle.
The Existence of Solution for ak-Dimensional System of Multiterm Fractional Integrodifferential Equations with Antiperiodic Boundary Value Problems
Authors: Baleanu Dumitru , Nazemi Sayyedeh Zahra , Rezapour Shahram
Published: April 2014

There are many published papers about fractional integrodifferential equations and system of fractional differential equations. The goal of this paper is to show that we can investigate more complicated ones by using an appropriate basic theory. In this way, we prove the existence and uniqueness of solution for ak-dimensional system of multiterm fractional integrodifferential equations with antiperiodic boundary conditions by applying some standard fixed point results. An illustrative example is also presented.
Design of a T Factor Based RBFNC for a Flight Control System
Authors: Mohanty C. S. , Khuntia P. S. , Mitra D.
Published: April 2014

This paper presents the design of modified radial basic function neural controller (MRBFNC) for the pitch control of an aircraft to obtain the desired pitch angel as required by the pilot while maneuvering an aircraft. In this design, the parameters of radial basis function neural controller (RBFNC) are optimized by implementing a feedback mechanism which is controlled by a tuning factor “α” (T factor). For a given input, the response of the RBFN controller is tuned by using T factor for better performance of the aircraft pitch control system. The proposed system is demonstrated under different condition (absence and presence of sensor noise). The simulation results show that MRBFNC performs better, in terms of settling time and rise time for both conditions, than the conventional RBFNC. It is also seen that, as the value of the T factor increases, the aircraft pitch control system performs better and settles quickly to its reference trajectory. A comparison between MRBFNC and conventional RBFNC is also established to discuss the superiority of the former techniques.
Hierarchical Velocity Control Based on Differential Flatness for a DC/DC Buck Converter‐DC Motor System
Authors: Silva-Ortigoza R. , Márquez-Sánchez C. , Carrizosa-Corral F. , Antonio-Cruz M. , Alba-Martínez J. M. , Saldaña-González G.
Published: April 2014

This paper presents a hierarchical controller that carries out the angular velocity trajectory tracking task for a DC motor driven by a DC/DC Buck converter. The high level control is related to the DC motor and the low level control is dedicated to the DC/DC Buck converter; both controls are designed via differential flatness. The high level control provides a desired voltage profile for the DC motor to achieve the tracking of a desired angular velocity trajectory. Then, a low level control is designed to ensure that the output voltage of the DC/DC Buck converter tracks the voltage profile imposed by the high level control. In order to experimentally verify the hierarchical controller performance, a DS1104 electronic board from dSPACE and Matlab‐Simulink are used. The switched implementation of the hierarchical average controller is accomplished by means of pulse width modulation. Experimental results of the hierarchical controller for the velocity trajectory tracking task show good performance and robustness against the uncertainties associated with different system parameters.
Decision of Multimodal Transportation Scheme Based on Swarm Intelligence
Authors: Lei Kai , Zhu Xiaoning , Hou Jianfei , Huang Wencheng
Published: April 2014

In this paper, some basic concepts of multimodal transportation and swarm intelligence were described and reviewed and analyzed related literatures of multimodal transportation scheme decision and swarm intelligence methods application areas. Then, this paper established a multimodal transportation scheme decision optimization mathematical model based on transportation costs, transportation time, and transportation risks, explained relevant parameters and the constraints of the model in detail, and used the weight coefficient to transform the multiobjective optimization problems into a single objective optimization transportation scheme decision problem. Then, this paper is proposed by combining particle swarm optimization algorithm and ant colony algorithm (PSACO) to solve the combinatorial optimization problem of multimodal transportation scheme decision for the first time; this algorithm effectively combines the advantages of particle swarm optimization algorithm and ant colony algorithm. The solution shows that the PSACO algorithm has two algorithms’ advantages and makes up their own problems; PSACO algorithm is better than ant colony algorithm in time efficiency and its accuracy is better than that of the particle swarm optimization algorithm, which is proved to be an effective heuristic algorithm to solve the problem about multimodal transportation scheme decision, and it can provide economical, reasonable, and safe transportation plan reference for the transportation decision makers.
Sorption of Ammonium Ions onto Natural and Modified Egyptian Kaolinites: Kinetic and Equilibrium Studies
Authors: El-Shafey Ola I. , Fathy Nady A. , El-Nabarawy Thoria A.
Published: April 2014

Thermally activated, acid-activated, and acid-leached of thermally activated kaolinites were prepared from the Egyptian ore. The physical and chemical properties were studied using N2sorption at −196°C, FTIR, SEM, and the total surface acidity. The sorption ofNH4+ions on the investigated sorbents was controlled with the solution pH, sorbent dosage, and initial concentration ofNH4+solution. Kinetic and equilibriumNH4+sorption at 30°C were employed. Four kinetic models were applied to the kinetic sorption data; pseudo-second-order, Elovich, and intraparticle diffusion models fitted well the kinetic data whereas pseudo-first-order model was less applicable. Elovich parameters refer to physical sorption type ofNH4+on nonuniform sites and the intraparticle diffusion controls the sorption ofNH4+by kaolinites to a small extent. The equilibrium sorption data followed Langmuir and D-R models; the negative value ofΔGindicates a spontaneous sorption and the mean sorption energy obtained shows also physical sorption. The sorption capacities of nonactivated and activated Egyptian kaolinites towardsNH4+sorption (10.87–45.45 mg·g−1) were good sorbents as compared with those uptaken by other clays reported in the literature and proved to be more active besides being less expensive and highly available.
Separation Transformation and a Class of Exact Solutions to the Higher-Dimensional Klein-Gordon-Zakharov Equation
Authors: Chen Jing , Liu Ling , Liu Li
Published: April 2014

The separation transformation method is extended to then+1-dimensional Klein-Gordon-Zakharov equation describing the interaction of the Langmuir wave and the ion acoustic wave in plasma. We first reduce then+1-dimensional Klein-Gordon-Zakharov equation to a set of partial differential equations and two nonlinear ordinary differential equations of the separation variables. Then the general solutions of the set of partial differential equations are given and the two nonlinear ordinary differential equations are solved by extendedF-expansion method. Finally, some new exact solutions of then+1-dimensional Klein-Gordon-Zakharov equation are proposed explicitly by combining the separation transformation with the exact solutions of the separation variables. It is shown that, for the case ofn≥2, there is an arbitrary function in every exact solution, which may reveal more nontrivial nonlinear structures in the high-dimensional Klein-Gordon-Zakharov equation.
Intervention Completion Rates among African Americans in a Randomized Effectiveness Trial for Diet and Physical Activity Changes
Authors: Halbert Chanita Hughes , Bellamy Scarlett , Briggs Vanessa , Bowman Marjorie , Delmoor Ernestine , Johnson Jerry C. , Kumanyika Shiriki , Melvin Cathy , Purnell Joseph , Rogers Rodney , Weathers Benita
Published: April 2014

Background: The intervention completion rate is an important metric in behavioral and intervention research; trials with limited intervention completion rates may have reduced internal validity. We examined intervention completion rates among 530 African Americans who had been randomized to an integrated (INT) or disease-specific (DSE) risk education protocol as part of a comparative effectiveness trial from September 2009 to August 2012.

Methods: The interventions were developed by an academic-community partnership using community-based participatory research. Intervention completion rates were determined based on attendance at all four intervention sessions. Intervention completers were participants who completed all four sessions and noncompleters were those who did not complete any session or only completed one to three sessions following randomization.

Results: Seventy-three percent of participants were intervention completers and 27% were noncompleters. There were no differences in intervention completion based on randomization to INT (72%) or DSE (75%), sociodemographic factors, or body mass index (BMI) in the total sample. Different factors were associated significantly with intervention completion within study groups. Among participants randomized to INT, the odds of intervention completion were greater with higher levels of intrinsic motivation, less exposure to information about diet and cardiovascular disease, and greater BMI. Among participants randomized to DSE, the odds of completing the intervention were associated significantly with older age and greater dietary self-efficacy.

Conclusions: Many African Americans are likely to complete risk education interventions.

Impact: Psychologic characteristics should be considered when determining intervention completion rates following randomization in behavioral and intervention trials. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(7); 1306–13. ©2014 AACR.
Prospective Examination of Objectively Assessed Physical Activity and Sedentary Time after Breast Cancer Treatment: Sitting on the Crest of the Teachable Moment
Authors: Sabiston Catherine M. , Brunet Jennifer , Vallance Jeff K. , Meterissian Sarkis
Published: April 2014

Background: This study prospectively examined patterns of objectively assessed sedentary time and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during a 1-year period following completion of primary treatment among breast cancer survivors. The potential moderating effect of weight status on sedentary and MVPA time was also examined.

Methods: Breast cancer survivors [n = 177; M(SD)age = 54.9 (11.1) years, 85% White/Caucasian; 82% stage I or II cancer; M(SD)time since treatment = 3.5 (2.4) months] who were recruited into a convenience sample had weight, height, and waist circumference measured and wore Actigraph GT3X accelerometers for 1 week every 3 months for 1 year. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA.

Results: Survivors spent nearly 78% of their day sedentary across all time points compared with less than 2% of their day engaged in MVPA. Sedentary time remained fairly stable over 12 months, whereas MVPA levels significantly decreased. Survivors with an overweight body mass index and unhealthy waist-to-height ratio engaged in significantly less MVPA than healthy weight survivors, with significant waist-to-height ratio moderator effects for both sedentary and MVPA.

Conclusions: Sedentary time remains high in the first year following treatment for breast cancer, and MVPA decreases. These trends are more pronounced for survivors who are overweight, with stronger effects noted when waist-to-height ratio was examined compared with body mass index.

Impact: These findings suggest that breast cancer survivors may be doing very little to improve their lifestyle behaviors following a cancer diagnosis and treatments. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(7); 1324–30. ©2014 AACR.
Evidence that the Lung Adenocarcinoma EML4-ALK Fusion Gene Is not Caused by Exposure to Secondhand Tobacco Smoke During Childhood
Authors: Ryan Bríd M. , Wang Yi , Jen Jin , Yi Eunhee S. , Olivo-Marston Susan , Yang Ping , Harris Curtis C.
Published: April 2014

Background: The EML4-ALK fusion gene is more frequently found in younger, never smoking patients with lung cancer. Meanwhile, never smokers exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) during childhood are diagnosed at a younger age compared with never smoking patients with lung cancer who are not exposed. We, therefore, hypothesized that SHS, which can induce DNA damage, is associated with the EML4-ALK fusion gene.

Methods: We compared the frequency of the EML4-ALK fusion gene among 197 never smoker patients with lung cancer with and without a history of exposure to SHS during childhood at Mayo Clinic.

Results: The EML4-ALK fusion gene was detected in 33% of cases from never smokers with a history of SHS exposure during childhood, whereas 47% of never smoking lung cancer cases without a history of childhood SHS exposure tested positive for the fusion gene.

Conclusions: The EML4-ALK fusion gene is not enriched in tumors from individuals exposed to SHS during childhood.

Impact: These data suggest that childhood exposure to SHS is not a significant etiologic cause of the EML4-ALK fusion gene in lung cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(7); 1432–4. ©2014 AACR.
Adenosine Stress Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance With Variable-Density Spiral Pulse Sequences Accurately Detects Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Salerno Michael , Taylor Angela , Yang Yang , Kuruvilla Sujith , Ragosta Michael , Meyer Craig H. , Kramer Christopher M.
Published: April 2014

Background—

Adenosine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance perfusion imaging can be limited by motion-induced dark-rim artifacts, which may be mistaken for true perfusion abnormalities. A high-resolution variable-density spiral pulse sequence with a novel density compensation strategy has been shown to reduce dark-rim artifacts in first-pass perfusion imaging. We aimed to assess the clinical performance of adenosine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance using this new perfusion sequence to detect obstructive coronary artery disease.

Methods and Results—

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance perfusion imaging was performed during adenosine stress (140 μg/kg per minute) and at rest on a Siemens 1.5-T Avanto scanner in 41 subjects with chest pain scheduled for coronary angiography. Perfusion images were acquired during injection of 0.1 mmol/kg Gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentacetate at 3 short-axis locations using a saturation recovery interleaved variable-density spiral pulse sequence. Significant stenosis was defined as >50% by quantitative coronary angiography. Two blinded reviewers evaluated the perfusion images for the presence of adenosine-induced perfusion abnormalities and assessed image quality using a 5-point scale (1 [poor] to 5 [excellent]). The prevalence of obstructive coronary artery disease by quantitative coronary angiography was 68%. The average sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 89%, 85%, and 88%, respectively, with a positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 93% and 79%, respectively. The average image quality score was 4.4±0.7, with only 1 study with more than mild dark-rim artifacts. There was good inter-reader reliability with a κ statistic of 0.67.

Conclusions—

Spiral adenosine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance results in high diagnostic accuracy for the detection of obstructive coronary artery disease with excellent image quality and minimal dark-rim artifacts.
Cellular and Molecular Electrophysiology of Atrial Fibrillation Initiation, Maintenance, and Progression
Authors: Heijman Jordi , Voigt Niels , Nattel Stanley , Dobrev Dobromir
Published: April 2014

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinically relevant arrhythmia and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The incidence of AF is expected to continue to rise with the aging of the population. AF is generally considered to be a progressive condition, occurring first in a paroxysmal form, then in persistent, and then long-standing persistent (chronic or permanent) forms. However, not all patients go through every phase, and the time spent in each can vary widely. Research over the past decades has identified a multitude of pathophysiological processes contributing to the initiation, maintenance, and progression of AF. However, many aspects of AF pathophysiology remain incompletely understood. In this review, we discuss the cellular and molecular electrophysiology of AF initiation, maintenance, and progression, predominantly based on recent data obtained in human tissue and animal models. The central role of Ca
2+
-handling abnormalities in both focal ectopic activity and AF substrate progression is discussed, along with the underlying molecular basis. We also deal with the ionic determinants that govern AF initiation and maintenance, as well as the structural remodeling that stabilizes AF-maintaining re-entrant mechanisms and finally makes the arrhythmia refractory to therapy. In addition, we highlight important gaps in our current understanding, particularly with respect to the translation of these concepts to the clinical setting. Ultimately, a comprehensive understanding of AF pathophysiology is expected to foster the development of improved pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapeutic approaches and to greatly improve clinical management.
Effect of Ischemic Postconditioning on Infarct Size in Patients With ST‐Elevation Myocardial Infarction Treated by Primary PCI Results of the POSTEMI (POstconditioning in ST‐Elevation Myocardial Infarction) Randomized Trial
Authors: Limalanathan Shanmuganathan , Andersen Geir Ø. , Kløw Nils‐Einar , Abdelnoor Michael , Hoffmann Pavel , Eritsland Jan
Published: April 2014

Background

Reduction of infarct size by ischemic postconditioning (IPost) has been reported in smaller proof‐of‐concept clinical studies, but has not been confirmed in other smaller studies. The principle needs to be evaluated in larger groups of ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients before being implemented in clinical practice. This study assessed the effect of ischemic postcoditioning (IPost) on infarct size in patients with STEMI treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods and Results

Patients with first‐time STEMI, <6 hours from symptom onset, referred to primary PCI were randomized to IPost or control groups. IPost was administered by 4 cycles of 1‐minute reocclusion and 1‐minute reperfusion, starting 1 minute after opening, followed by stenting. In the control group, stenting was performed immediately after reperfusion. The primary endpoint was infarct size measured by cardiac magnetic resonance after 4 months. A total of 272 patients were randomized. Infarct size (percent of left ventricular mass) after 4 months (median values and interquartile range) was 14.4% (7.7, 24.6) and 13.5% (8.1, 19.3) in the control group and IPost group, respectively (
P
=0.18). No significant impact of IPost was found when controlling for baseline risk factors of infarct size in a multivariate linear regression model (
P
=0.16). The effects of IPost on secondary endpoints, including markers of necrosis, myocardial salvage, and ejection fraction, as well as adverse cardiac events during follow‐up, were consistently neutral.

Conclusions

In contrast to several smaller trials reported previously, we found no significant effects of IPost on infarct size or secondary study outcomes.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
Unique identifier: NCT.No.PO1506.
The development of public accounting transparency in selected Arab countries
Authors: Abushamsieh Khalil , López-Hernández Antonio M. , Ortiz-Rodríguez David
Published: April 2014

The aim of this article is to analyse the level of public financial information disclosed by certain Arab countries in the Middle East, in view of calls for greater transparency and international trends in this respect. Accordingly, we examined the financial reports published online by the selected countries, contrasting them with the financial statements and contents proposed in the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) issued by the International Federation of Accountants. The results show that the Arab countries analysed present a low level of public financial information. They all present similar degrees of compliance with IPSAS 1 and 2. Nonetheless, we can observe that aid-receiving countries are implementing the policies stipulated in the international recommendations in response to the demands of donors and international agencies. Countries with oil revenues experience less pressure to implement the IPSAS.

Points for practitioners

The findings of this article may be of interest to public managers in all the selected Arab countries, especially those in the public administrations of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and to consulting companies in the Gulf region. The analysis made of financial legislation and of the IPSAS 1 and 2 indexes for the selected countries may encourage them to initiate a process of financial reforms.
Estrangement, empathic failure, and the provocation of a critical cosmopolitan vision in Caryl Phillips’s The Nature of Blood
Authors: McCluskey Alan Liam
Published: April 2014

The Nature of Blood (1997) is perhaps the most formally experimental novel Caryl Phillips has yet produced, and features an innovative combination of literary devices such as polyphony, defamiliarization, and intertextuality. In this essay, I will argue that an overlooked effect of these techniques is the provocation of a self-reflexive, historically conscious and critical view of human subjectivity that chimes with what Rebecca Walkowitz (2006: 2) calls a “critical cosmopolitan vision”. This is a way of seeing that is suspicious of the prevailing modes of interpretation and understanding that attend a given historical context, and which attempts to look beyond fixed notions of identity and belonging.
The ghost of Annie Palmer: Giving voice to Jamaica’s “white witch of Rose Hall”
Authors: Donahue Jennifer
Published: April 2014

From the renovation of Rose Hall plantation to the investigation of apparitions on Ghost Hunters International, the legend of eighteenth-century plantation owner Annie Palmer continues to thrive. Despite evidence that the legend is thoroughly fabricated, accounts perpetuate a reading of Palmer as Jamaica’s “white witch”. This essay examines the four written versions of the legend– James Castello’s 1868 pamphlet, H. G. de Lisser’s novel (1929), Harold Underhill’s 1968 text, and Mike Henry’s 2006 adaptation. Through a focus on the manipulation of violence, sexuality, and obeah I point to the legend of Palmer as a symbol of resistance and subversion. In doing so, I call for an understanding of Annie as an early figure of female agency.
“Since when has paper any value?”: Reading, materiality, and meaning in M.G. Vassanji’s fiction
Authors: Bookman Ariel
Published: April 2014

Over the last fifteen years scholarship on postcolonial literatures has increasingly turned to readers as the focus of empirical study. While such research has helped make visible the agency of postcolonial readers in global literary exchanges, it has tended to overlook the many ways in which postcolonial subjects’ encounters with texts can exceed or circumvent literal reading. The Asian-African-Canadian novelist M.G. Vassanji has been particularly attuned to the physicality of paper, most definitively in two of his novels set in East Africa, The Gunny Sack (1989) and The Book of Secrets (1994). In this article I analyse how Vassanji’s characters, both literate and illiterate, engage paper’s physical properties to ground their everyday practices of memory, valuation, and interpretation. By attending to paper’s materiality in Vassanji’s work postcolonial studies can situate its own reading practices in the context of material ways of doing things with texts.
Effects of fibre orientation and content on the mechanical, dynamic mechanical and thermal expansion properties of multi-layered glass/carbon fibre-reinforced polymer composites
Authors: Luca Motoc Dana , Ferrandiz Bou Santiago , Balart Gimeno Rafael
Published: April 2014

Multi-layered glass and carbon-reinforced polymer composites may exhibit unique properties comparatively with the benchmark, proven they are being tailored bounded by several requirements. The paper herein approaches issues on the influence of the various contents and orientation of UD carbon fibre constitutive on the mechanical, dynamical and thermal expansion if embedded along with glass fibres in different stacking sequencing within an unsaturated polymer resin. The results show that the architectures with the highest content of carbon fibres (e.g. GF:CF(60:40) – 0° and 90°) provide the best tensile and flexural properties, and behave better under dynamical loading conditions and temperature variations, no matter the orientation directions. In addition, it was shown that a thorough understanding can be attained, with respect to the UD carbon fibre content, and different orientations influence on the overall composite material properties, taking into account the data retrieved from dynamical and thermal expansion runs.
Seedbeds of insurgency
Authors: Jenkins J Craig , Maher Thomas V , Fahrer Chuck
Published: April 2014

Studies of insurgency and collective action are divided between structural and dynamic explanations. Structural theories address the presence of insurgency while dynamic theories focus on the frequency of insurgent actions. Yet prior studies often treat these arguments additively, leaving unclear how structural and dynamic processes affect these different aspects of insurgency. This study addresses this division by using zero-inflated negative binomial regression to examine in a single equation both the presence and the count of Islamist insurgency in Egyptian governorates between 1986 and 1999. We test political economy, moral economy, and cultural clash explanations of the presence of insurgency alongside political dynamics arguments about repression and exclusion to explain the count of attacks. Looking at the structural side of this equation, we find that communities with high rates of poverty, child mortality, cultural conservatism in terms of low contraceptive prevalence, and greater urban density are more likely to support insurgency. Looking at the dynamic side, parliamentary exclusion, security sweeps, and executions affect the count of attacks along with spatial diffusion from neighboring governorates. The culturally conservative region of Upper Egypt, which has a history of social and political marginality and opposition, provided a seedbed of insurgent support but this challenge broke down over time as repression intensified and exclusion was relaxed. These findings underscore the point that the presence of and the intensity of insurgency are distinct and driven by different factors. There are notable methodological and theoretical advantages to distinguishing between presence and count to better understand when and where insurgencies develop and their level of collective action.