bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Qualitative exploration of the benefits of group-based memory rehabilitation for people with neurological disabilities: implications for rehabilitation delivery and evaluation
Authors: Chouliara Niki , Lincoln Nadina B
Published: September 2016

Objective

To identify patient-perceived benefits of memory rehabilitation and draw transferrable lessons for the delivery and evaluation of similar interventions for people with neurological disabilities.

Methods

A qualitative study was conducted as part of a pragmatic randomised controlled trial comparing 2 memory rehabilitation approaches with a self-help control group. Postintervention interviews were conducted with 20 participants with a diagnosis of traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis or stroke. Data were analysed using a qualitative content analysis approach.

Results

Participants receiving memory rehabilitation reported that the sessions responded to previously unmet needs for information on brain injury and memory function and developed their insight along with a sense of self-efficacy and control over the management of their memory problems. Although they did not experience major improvements in their memory function per se, they reported that rehabilitation gave them the skills to effectively cope with the residual deficits. Respondents in the control groups did not report similar benefits. The opportunities for interaction offered by the group setting were greatly valued by all respondents. Mixed aetiology groups were received positively; however, marked differences in cognitive performance were frustrating for some participants.

Conclusions

The study highlighted important patient-perceived outcomes that should be considered by researchers and rehabilitation professionals when evaluating the effects of memory rehabilitation. The use of domain-specific outcome measures which reflect these areas is recommended. Qualitative changes in the use of memory aids may be achieved which cannot be captured by frequency indices alone. The benefits of the group-based rehabilitation approach were stressed by participants, suggesting that a combination of group and individual sessions might be a good practice.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN92582254; Results.
Making the journey safe: recognising and responding to severe sepsis in accident and emergency
Authors: Pinnington Sarah , Atterton Brigid , Ingleby Sarah
Published: September 2016

Severe sepsis is a clinical emergency. Despite the nationwide recognition of the sepsis six treatment bundle as the first line emergency treatment for this presentation, compliance in sepsis six provision remains inadequately low. The project goals were to improve compliance with the implementation of the Sepsis Six in patients with severe sepsis and/or septic shock. In improving timely care delivery it was anticipated improvements would be made in relation to patient safety and experience, and reductions in length of stay (LoS) and mortality. The project intended to make the pathway for those presenting with sepsis safe and consistent, where sepsis is recognised and treated in a timely manner according to best practice.

The aim of the project was to understand the what the barriers where to providing safe effective care for the patient presenting with severe sepsis in A&E. Using the Safer Clinical Systems (SCS) tools developed byte Health Foundation and Warwick University, the project team identified the hazards and associated risks in the septic patient pathway. The level of analysis employed enabled the project team to identify the major risks, themes, and factors of influence within this pathway. The analysis identified twenty nine possible interventions, of which six were chosen following option appraisal. Further interventions were recommended to the accident and emergency as part of a business case and further changes in process.

Audits identified all severely septic patients presenting to A&E in October 2014 (n=67) and post intervention in September 2015 (n=93). Compared analysis demonstrated an increase in compliance with the implementation of the sepsis six care bundle from 7% to 41%, a reduction in LoS by 1.9 days and a decrease in 30 day mortality by 50%. Additional audit reviewed the management of 10 septic patients per week for the duration of the project to assess the real time impact of the selected interventions.
BET 1: Screening for delirium within the emergency department
Authors: Beales LK , Mercuri M
Published: September 2016

A shortcut review was carried out to see if the abbreviated mental test score was better than other cognitive screening tools to diagnose delirium in the ED. Fourteen papers were identified reporting on 10 separate ED studies. Only one small study used the abbreviated mental test score and did not compare the diagnostic performance to any other test. There is very little published research on the use of the abbreviated mental test score in the ED setting.
Dynamic landscape of pancreatic carcinogenesis reveals early molecular networks of malignancy
Authors: Kong Bo , Bruns Philipp , Behler Nora A , Chang Ligong , Schlitter Anna Melissa , Cao Jing , Gewies Andreas , Ruland Jürgen , Fritzsche Sina , Valkovskaya Nataliya , Jian Ziying , Regel Ivonne , Raulefs Susanne , Irmler Martin , Beckers Johannes , Friess Helmut , Erkan Mert , Mueller Nikola S , Roth Susanne , Hackert Thilo , Esposito Irene , Theis Fabian J , Kleeff Jörg , Michalski Christoph W
Published: September 2016

Objective

The initial steps of pancreatic regeneration versus carcinogenesis are insufficiently understood. Although a combination of oncogenic Kras and inflammation has been shown to induce malignancy, molecular networks of early carcinogenesis remain poorly defined.

Design

We compared early events during inflammation, regeneration and carcinogenesis on histological and transcriptional levels with a high temporal resolution using a well-established mouse model of pancreatitis and of inflammation-accelerated KrasG12D-driven pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Quantitative expression data were analysed and extensively modelled in silico.

Results

We defined three distinctive phases—termed inflammation, regeneration and refinement—following induction of moderate acute pancreatitis in wild-type mice. These corresponded to different waves of proliferation of mesenchymal, progenitor-like and acinar cells. Pancreas regeneration required a coordinated transition of proliferation between progenitor-like and acinar cells. In mice harbouring an oncogenic Kras mutation and challenged with pancreatitis, there was an extended inflammatory phase and a parallel, continuous proliferation of mesenchymal, progenitor-like and acinar cells. Analysis of high-resolution transcriptional data from wild-type animals revealed that organ regeneration relied on a complex interaction of a gene network that normally governs acinar cell homeostasis, exocrine specification and intercellular signalling. In mice with oncogenic Kras, a specific carcinogenic signature was found, which was preserved in full-blown mouse pancreas cancer.

Conclusions

These data define a transcriptional signature of early pancreatic carcinogenesis and a molecular network driving formation of preneoplastic lesions, which allows for more targeted biomarker development in order to detect cancer earlier in patients with pancreatitis.
Road traffic injuries in Baghdad from 2003 to 2014: results of a randomised household cluster survey
Authors: Stewart Barclay T , Lafta Riyadh , Cherewick Megan , Esa Al Shatari Sahar A , Flaxman Abraham D , Hagopian Amy , Galway Lindsay P , Takaro Tim K , Burnham Gilbert , Kushner Adam L , Mock Charles
Published: September 2016

Introduction

Around 50 million people are killed or left disabled on the world's roads each year; most are in middle-income cities. In addition to this background risk, Baghdad has been plagued by decades of insecurity that undermine injury prevention strategies. This study aimed to determine death and disability and household consequences of road traffic injuries (RTIs) in postinvasion Baghdad.

Methods

A two-stage, cluster-randomised, community-based household survey was performed in May 2014 to determine the civilian burden of injury from 2003 to 2014 in Baghdad. In addition to questions about household member death, households were interviewed regarding crash specifics, healthcare required, disability, relatedness to conflict and resultant financial hardship.

Results

Nine hundred households, totalling 5148 individuals, were interviewed. There were 86 RTIs (16% of all reported injuries) that resulted in 8 deaths (9% of RTIs). Serious RTIs increased in the decade postinvasion and were estimated to be 26 341 in 2013 (350 per 100 000 persons). 53% of RTIs involved pedestrians, motorcyclists or bicyclists. 51% of families directly affected by a RTI reported a significant decline in household income or suffered food insecurity.

Conclusions

RTIs were extremely common and have increased in Baghdad. Young adults, pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicyclists were the most frequently injured or killed by RTCs. There is a large burden of road injury, and the families of road injury victims suffered considerably from lost wages, often resulting in household food insecurity. Ongoing conflict may worsen RTI risk and undermine efforts to reduce road traffic death and disability.
Development and in-use evaluation of a novel Luminex MicroPlex microsphere-based (TRIOL) assay for simultaneous identification ofMycobacterium tuberculosisand detection of first-line and second-line anti-tuberculous drug resistance in China
Authors: Yin Feifei , Chan Jasper Fuk-Woo , Zhu Qixuan , Fu Ruijia , Chen Jonathan Hon-Kwan , Choi Garnet Kwan-Yue , Tee Kah-Meng , Li Lihua , Qian Shiuyun , Yam Wing-Cheong , Lu Gang , Yuen Kwok-Yung
Published: September 2016

Aims

Rapid and accurate diagnostic assays with simultaneous microbial identification and drug resistance detection are essential for optimising treatment and control of tuberculosis.

Methods

We developed a novel multiplex (TRIOL, Tuberculosis-Rifampicin-Isoniazid-Ofloxacin-Luminex) assay using the Luminex xMAP system that simultaneously identifiesMycobacterium tuberculosisand detects resistance to first-line and second-line anti-tuberculous drugs, and compared its performance with that by PCR sequencing, using phenotypic drug susceptibility testing as the gold standard.

Results

Identification ofM. tuberculosisby the TRIOL assay was highly sensitive (100%) and specific (100%). The overall drug-specific specificities were excellent (100%). The overall sensitivity of the TRIOL assay was lower than that of the PCR-sequencing assays (72.4% vs 82.8%) because of a lower sensitivity of detecting rifampicin resistance (71.4% vs 92.9%). The sensitivity of detecting isoniazid and ofloxacin resistance was as good as the PCR-sequencing assays. Importantly, the TRIOL assay did not miss any mutations that were included in the assay. All of the resistant isolates that were missed had uncommon mutations or unknown resistance mechanisms that were not included in the assay.

Conclusions

The TRIOL assay has higher throughput, lower cost and is less labour intensive than the PCR-sequencing assays. The TRIOL assay is advantageous in having the capability to detect resistance to multiple drugs and an open-architecture system that allows addition of more specific primers to detect uncommon mutations. Inclusion of additional primers for the identification of non-tuberculous mycobacteria, spoligotyping and improvement of rifampicin resistance detection would enhance the use of the TRIOL assay in future clinical and epidemiological studies.
Selection of helical braided flow diverter stents based on hemodynamic performance and mechanical properties
Authors: Suzuki Takashi , Takao Hiroyuki , Fujimura Soichiro , Dahmani Chihebeddine , Ishibashi Toshihiro , Mamori Hiroya , Fukushima Naoya , Yamamoto Makoto , Murayama Yuichi
Published: September 2016

Background

Although flow diversion is a promising procedure for the treatment of aneurysms, complications have been reported and it remains poorly understood. The occurrence of adverse outcomes is known to depend on both the mechanical properties and flow reduction effects of the flow diverter stent.

Objective

To clarify the possibility of designing a flow diverter stent considering both hemodynamic performance and mechanical properties.

Materials and methods

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted based on an ideal aneurysm model with flow diverters. Structural analyses of two flow diverter models exhibiting similar flow reduction effects were performed, and the radial stiffness and longitudinal flexibility were compared.

Results

In CFD simulations, two stents–Pore2-d35 (26.77° weave angle when fully expanded, 35 μm wire thickness) and Pore3-d50 (36.65°, 50 μm respectively)–demonstrated similar flow reduction rates (68.5% spatial-averaged velocity reduction rate, 85.0% area-averaged wall shear stress reduction rate for Pore2-d35, and 68.6%, 85.4%, respectively, for Pore3-d50). However, Pore3-d50 exhibited greater radial stiffness than Pore2-d35 (40.0 vs 21.0 mN/m at a 3.5 mm outer diameter) and less longitudinal flexibility (0.903 vs 0.104 N·mm bending moments at 90°). These measurements indicate that changing the wire thickness and weave angle allows adjustment of the mechanical properties while maintaining the same degree of flow reduction effects.

Conclusions

The combination of CFD and structural analysis can provide promising solutions for an optimized stent. Stents exhibiting different mechanical properties but the same flow reduction effects could be designed by varying both the weave angle and wire thickness.
The effects of opioids on the endocrine system: an overview
Authors: Ali Koddus , Raphael Jon , Khan Salim , Labib Mourad , Duarte Rui
Published: September 2016

Opioids commonly used for pain relief may lead to hypogonadism, which is characterised by suppression of production of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) resulting in inadequate production of sex hormones. The aim of this narrative review was to highlight the effects of opioids on the endocrine system and the development of hypogonadism. MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library were searched for relevant articles investigating hypogonadism in patients undertaking opioid therapy by using a combination of both indexing and free-text terms. The suppression of GnRH leading to a decrease in sex hormones has been described as the principal mechanism of opioid-induced hypogonadism. However, there is no consensus on the threshold for the clinical diagnosis of hypogonadism. Evidence indicates that chronic opioid use can lead to hypogonadism. Clinicians should be aware of symptomatology associated with hypogonadism and should regularly monitor patients with appropriate laboratory investigations.
The mechanism of d-metal ion sorption from aqueous media and chelating sites structures of modified heterocyclic biopolymers
Authors: Kozlov V.A. , Nikiforova T.E. , Islyaikin M.К. , Koifman O.I.
Published: September 2016

Sorption of d-metal ions (Cu2+, Fe2+, and Ni2+) from aqueous media using modified heterocyclic biopolymers takes place with the participation of sorption sites, with the following acidic groups: α-hydroxycarboxylic (monobasic, bidentate), hydroxamic (monobasic, bidentate), and aldehyde bisulphite (dibasic) in the form of chelate metal complexes, whose structures were determined through the use of computational quantum chemistry on some modeled compounds. Ion exchange mechanism of the components of hetero-phase system in electroneutral, molecular form reflects the implementation of the general laws of thermodynamics: Gibbs’ phase rule, law of mass action, law of equivalent proportions, and law of conservation of charge at electroneutrality of phases. Sorbents functional groups act as sorption sites whose filling goes in accordance with their amount, denticity, basicity and ability of metal cations to complex formation and solvation. The amount and the nature of acid sorption sites of sorbents permits the comparison of their initial and maximum sorption abilities.
Optical enrichment in enzyme-catalyzed resolution of 1-aryl-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediols
Authors: Mukherjee Chandrani , Mohapatra Prabhu P. , Youssef Dani , Jha Amitabh
Published: September 2016

Novozym® 435 efficiently catalyzed the chemo-, regio-, and enantioselective transesterification of 1-aryl-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediols in different organic solvents with vinyl acetate as the acetyl donor at room temperature. This enzyme-catalyzed chemical transformation method provides an efficient route for optically enriched propanediol derivatives.
Systematic study of diphoton resonance at 750 GeV from sgoldstino
Authors: Ding Ran , Fan Yizhou , Huang Li , Li Chuang , Li Tianjun , Raza Shabbar , Zhu Bin
Published: September 2016

The ATLAS and CMS Collaborations of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have reported an excess of events in diphoton channel with invariant mass of about 750 GeV. With low energy supersymmetry breaking, we systematically consider the sgoldstino scalar S as the new resonance, which is a linear combination of the CP-even scalar [Formula: see text] and CP-odd pseudoscalar [Formula: see text]. Because we show that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] can be degenerated or have large mass splitting, we consider two cases for all the following three scenarios: (1) Single resonance, [Formula: see text] is the 750 GeV resonance decays to a pair of 1 GeV pseudoscalar [Formula: see text] with suitable decay length, these two [Formula: see text] decay into collimated pair of photons which cannot be distinguished at the LHC and may appear as diphotons instead of four photons. (2) Twin resonances, [Formula: see text] with a mass difference of about 40 GeV and both [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] decay into diphoton pairs. For productions, we consider three scenarios: (I) vector-boson fusion; (II) gluon–gluon fusion; (III) [Formula: see text] pair production. In all these scenarios with two kinds of resonances, we find the parameter space that satisfies the diphoton production cross-section from 3 to 13 fb and all the other experimental constraints. And we address the decay width as well. In particular, in the third scenario, we observe that the production cross-section is small but the decay width of [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] can be from 40 to 60 GeV. Even if the 750 GeV diphoton excesses were not confirmed by the ATLAS and CMS experiments, we point out that our proposal can be used to explain the current and future diphoton excesses.
Grassmannian duality and the particle spectrum
Authors: Delbourgo Robert
Published: September 2016

Schemes based on anticommuting scalar coordinates, corresponding to properties, lead to generations of particles naturally. The application of Grassmannian duality cuts down the number of states substantially and is vital for constructing sensible Lagrangians anyhow. We apply duality to all of the subgroups within the classification group [Formula: see text], which encompasses the standard model gauge group, and thereby determine the full state inventory; this includes the definite prediction of quarks with charge [Formula: see text] and other exotic states. Assuming universal gravitational coupling to the gauge fields and parity even property curvature, we also obtain [Formula: see text] which is not far from the experimental value around the [Formula: see text] mass.
Classification and Retrieval of Archaeological Potsherds Using Histograms of Spherical Orientations
Authors: Roman-Rangel Edgar , Jimenez-Badillo Diego , Marchand-Maillet Stephane
Published: September 2016

We address the problem of the statistical description of 3D surfaces with the purpose of automatic classification and retrieval of archaeological potsherds. These are particularly interesting problems in archaeology, as pottery comprises a great volume of findings in archaeological excavations. Indeed, the analysis of potsherds brings relevant cues for understanding the culture of ancient groups. In particular, we develop a new local shape descriptor for 3D surfaces, called the
histogram of spherical orientations
(HoSO), which we use in combination with a bag-of-words approach to compute visual similarity between 3D surfaces. Given a point of interest on a 3D surface, its local shape descriptor (HoSO) captures the distribution of the spherical orientations of its neighboring points. In turn, those spherical orientations are computed with respect to the point of interest itself, both in the azimuth and the zenith axis. The proposed HoSO is invariant to scale transformations and highly robust to rotation and noise. In addition, it is efficient, as it only exploits the information of the position of the 3D points and disregards other types of information like faces or normals. We performed experiments on a set of 3D surfaces representing potsherds from the Teotihuacan civilization and further validations on a set of 3D models of generic objects. Our results show that our methodology is effective for describing 3D models and that it improves classification performance with respect to previous local descriptors.
Interactive 3D Segmentation of Rock-Art by Enhanced Depth Maps and Gradient Preserving Regularization
Authors: Zeppelzauer Matthias , Poier Georg , Seidl Markus , Reinbacher Christian , Schulter Samuel , Breiteneder Christian , Bischof Horst
Published: September 2016

Petroglyphs (rock engravings) have been pecked and engraved by humans into natural rock surfaces thousands of years ago and are among the oldest artifacts that document early human life and culture. Some of these rock engravings have survived until the present and serve today as a unique document of ancient human life. Since petroglyphs are pecked into the surface of natural rocks, they are threatened by environmental factors such as weather and erosion. To document and preserve these valuable artifacts of human history, the 3D digitization of rock surfaces has become a suitable approach due to the development of powerful 3D reconstruction techniques in recent years. The results of 3D reconstruction are huge 3D point clouds which represent the local surface geometry in high resolution. In this article, we present an automatic 3D segmentation approach that is able to extract rock engravings from reconstructed 3D surfaces. To solve this computationally complex problem, we transfer the task of segmentation to the image-space in order to efficiently perform segmentation. Adaptive learning is applied to realize interactive segmentation and a gradient preserving energy minimization assures smooth boundaries for the segmented figures. Our experiments demonstrate the efficiency and the strong segmentation capabilities of the approach. The precise segmentation of petroglyphs from 3D surfaces provides the foundation for compiling large petroglyph databases which can then be indexed and searched automatically.
The Role of Symbiotic Microbes in Insect Invasions
Authors: Lu Min , Hulcr Jiri , Sun Jianghua
Published: September 2016

The number of insect species transported to non-native regions is increasing, and, once established, these invasive insects have serious impacts on the environment and regional economies. Recent research highlights several cases of insect invasions facilitated by symbiotic microbes. Symbioses impact biological invasions, but few reviews have addressed the role of symbiotic microbes in insect invasions. Focusing on the insect–microbial symbiosis, we show the importance of microbial symbionts in determining the pest status of insects at insect–microbial levels, insect–plant–microbial levels, and other multispecific levels. Drawing on examples from different ecosystems, we review the key mechanisms and principles whereby facultative/mutualistic microbes affect insect invasions and coevolve with the invasive insects. We propose a conceptual framework for assessing the role of symbiotic microbes in insect invasions that promises improved risk analyses, spread and impact modeling, and management of invasive insects.
Control of Meiotic Crossovers: From Double-Strand Break Formation to Designation
Authors: Gray Stephen , Cohen Paula E.
Published: September 2016

Meiosis, the mechanism of creating haploid gametes, is a complex cellular process observed across sexually reproducing organisms. Fundamental to meiosis is the process of homologous recombination, whereby DNA double-strand breaks are introduced into the genome and are subsequently repaired to generate either noncrossovers or crossovers. Although homologous recombination is essential for chromosome pairing during prophase I, the resulting crossovers are critical for maintaining homolog interactions and enabling accurate segregation at the first meiotic division. Thus, the placement, timing, and frequency of crossover formation must be exquisitely controlled. In this review, we discuss the proteins involved in crossover formation, the process of their formation and designation, and the rules governing crossovers, all within the context of the important landmarks of prophase I. We draw together crossover designation data across organisms, analyze their evolutionary divergence, and propose a universal model for crossover regulation.
Intestinal and Hepatocellular Transporters: Therapeutic Effects and Drug Interactions of Herbal Supplements
Authors: Stieger Bruno , Mahdi Zainab M. , Jäger Walter
Published: September 2016

Herbal supplements are generally considered safe; however, drug disposition is influenced by the interactions of herbal supplements and food constituents with transport and metabolic processes. Although the interference of herbal supplements with drug metabolism has been studied extensively, knowledge of how they interact with the drug transport processes is less advanced. Therefore, we describe here specific examples of experimental and human interaction studies of herbal supplement components with drug transporters addressing, for example, organic anion transporting polypeptides or P-glycoprotein, as such interactions may lead to severe side effects and altered drug efficacy. Hence, it is clearly necessary to increase the awareness of the clinical relevance of the interference of herbal supplements with the drug transport processes.
Interactions With Robots: The Truths We Reveal About Ourselves
Authors: Broadbent Elizabeth
Published: September 2016

In movies, robots are often extremely humanlike. Although these robots are not yet reality, robots are currently being used in healthcare, education, and business. Robots provide benefits such as relieving loneliness and enabling communication. Engineers are trying to build robots that look and behave like humans and thus need comprehensive knowledge not only of technology but also of human cognition, emotion, and behavior. This need is driving engineers to study human behavior toward other humans and toward robots, leading to greater understanding of how humans think, feel, and behave in these contexts, including our tendencies for mindless social behaviors, anthropomorphism, uncanny feelings toward robots, and the formation of emotional attachments. However, in considering the increased use of robots, many people have concerns about deception, privacy, job loss, safety, and the loss of human relationships. Human–robot interaction is a fascinating field and one in which psychologists have much to contribute, both to the development of robots and to the study of human behavior.
Changes in Testosterone Levels and Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin Levels in Extremely Obese Men after Bariatric Surgery
Authors: Boonchaya-anant Patchaya , Laichuthai Nitchakarn , Suwannasrisuk Preaw , Houngngam Natnicha , Udomsawaengsup Suthep , Snabboon Thiti
Published: September 2016

Objective.Obesity is a risk factor for hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in men. Weight loss has been shown to improve hypogonadism in obese men. This study evaluated the early changes in sex hormones profile after bariatric surgery.Methods.This is a prospective study including 29 morbidly obese men. Main outcomes were changes in serum levels of total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (cFT), SHBG, estradiol, adiponectin, and leptin at 1 and 6 months after surgery.Results.The mean age of patients was 31 ± 8 years and the mean BMI was 56.8 ± 11.7 kg/m2. Fifteen patients underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and 14 patients underwent sleeve gastrectomy. At baseline, 22 patients (75.9%) had either low TT levels (<10.4 nmol/L) or low cFT levels (<225 pmol/L). Total testosterone and SHBG levels increased significantly at 1 month after surgery (p≤0.001). At 6 months after surgery, TT and cFT increased significantly (p≤0.001) and 22 patients (75.9%) had normalized TT and cFT levels. There were no changes in estradiol levels at either 1 month or 6 months after surgery.Conclusions. Increases in TT and SHBG levels occurred early at 1 month after bariatric surgery while improvements in cFT levels were observed at 6 months after bariatric surgery.
Shear Behavior of Frozen Rock-Soil Mixture
Authors: Qi Changqing , Li Liuyang , Wei Jihong , Liu Jin
Published: September 2016

Mechanical behavior of frozen rock-soil mixture was investigated through direct shear test based on remolded specimens. The peak shear strength of rock-soil mixture increases greatly when it is fully frozen. The shear process goes through four stages including compaction, elastic deformation, plastic yield, and failure. The specimen has slight compaction in vertical direction at the beginning of shear test; then it changes to dilatancy. The temperature and ice content have vital important effect on the shear behavior of frozen rock-soil mixture. Results indicated that the peak shear strength of rock-soil mixture increases with temperature decreasing when temperature ranges from −1°C to −16°C. But the curve has clear inflexion at −5°C. When temperature is higher than this degree, the peak shear strength increases sharply with temperature decreasing. Otherwise, the rise of the peak shear strength with the decrease of temperature becomes gentle. The shear strength of rock-soil mixture goes up first and then down with ice content increasing at −5°C for samples with initial water contents varying from 9% to 14%. The shear strength reaches its peak value at initial water content ranging between 10% and 12% by weight.
Smoothedl0Norm Regularization for Sparse-View X-Ray CT Reconstruction
Authors: Li Ming , Zhang Cheng , Peng Chengtao , Guan Yihui , Xu Pin , Sun Mingshan , Zheng Jian
Published: September 2016

Low-dose computed tomography (CT) reconstruction is a challenging problem in medical imaging. To complement the standard filtered back-projection (FBP) reconstruction, sparse regularization reconstruction gains more and more research attention, as it promises to reduce radiation dose, suppress artifacts, and improve noise properties. In this work, we present an iterative reconstruction approach using improved smoothedl0(SL0) norm regularization which is used to approximatel0norm by a family of continuous functions to fully exploit the sparseness of the image gradient. Due to the excellent sparse representation of the reconstruction signal, the desired tissue details are preserved in the resulting images. To evaluate the performance of the proposed SL0 regularization method, we reconstruct the simulated dataset acquired from the Shepp-Logan phantom and clinical head slice image. Additional experimental verification is also performed with two real datasets from scanned animal experiment. Compared to the referenced FBP reconstruction and the total variation (TV) regularization reconstruction, the results clearly reveal that the presented method has characteristic strengths. In particular, it improves reconstruction quality via reducing noise while preserving anatomical features.
Investigations of Dynamic Behaviors of Face Gear Drives Associated with Pinion Dedendum Fatigue Cracks
Authors: Li Zhengminqing , Liu Shuang , Zhu Rupeng , Xu Xiaodong
Published: September 2016

Face gear dynamics is addressed by many scholars. However, dynamic behaviors of face gear drives associated with pinion dedendum fatigue cracks are yet to be investigated. Thus, in the study, a calculation solution of static transmission errors (STE) of face gear drives associated with pinion dedendum fatigue cracks is constructed, based on the proposed equivalent face gear drives, and a four-degree-of-freedom (DOF) dynamic model of face gear drives is formulated. The dynamic behaviors of an example case of face gear drives associated with pinion dedendum fatigue cracks are investigated. The simulation results indicate natural frequencies of face gear drives would be decreased with pinion dedendum fatigue crack extensions; the relationship between accelerations and velocities of face gear drives, dynamic mesh forces, and vibration accelerations at bearings would also be changed. However, pinion dedendum fatigue cracks of face gear drives are detected difficultly, due to simulation result similarities. Therefore, a determination solution for pinion dedendum fatigue cracks of face gear drives is proposed. The result shows a trend of vibration accelerations at bearings, namely, a first decreasing and then increasing tendency, which could be beneficial to detecting pinion dedendum fatigue cracks of face gear drives. These contributions would improve engineering applications of face gear drives in the future.
Numerical Investigation of Flow Characteristics in the Obstructed Realistic Human Upper Airway
Authors: Liu Xingli , Yan Weiwei , Liu Yang , Choy Yat Sze , Wei Yikun
Published: September 2016

The flow characteristics in the realistic human upper airway (HUA) with obstruction that resulted from pharyngeal collapse were numerically investigated. The 3D anatomically accurate HUA model was reconstructed from CT-scan images of a Chinese male patient (38 years, BMI 25.7). The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with the large eddy simulation (LES) method was applied to simulate the airflow dynamics within the HUA model in both inspiration and expiration processes. The laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) technique was simultaneously adopted to measure the airflow fields in the HUA model for the purpose of testifying the reliability of LES approach. In the simulations, the representative respiration intensities of 16.8 L/min (slight breathing), 30 L/min (moderate breathing), and 60 L/min (severe breathing) were conducted under continuous inspiration and expiration conditions. The airflow velocity field and static pressure field were obtained and discussed in detail. The results indicated the airflow experiences unsteady transitional/turbulent flow in the HUA model under low Reynolds number. The airflow fields cause occurrence of forceful injection phenomenon due to the narrowing of pharynx caused by the respiratory illness in inspiration and expiration. There also exist strong flow separation and back flow inside obstructed HUA owing to the vigorous jet flow effect in the pharynx. The present results would provide theoretical guidance for the treatment of obstructive respiratory disease.
WDARS: A Weighted Data Aggregation Routing Strategy with Minimum Link Cost in Event-Driven WSNs
Authors: Adil Mahdi Omar , Abdul Wahab Ainuddin Wahid , Idris Mohd Yamani Idna , Abu Znaid Ammar , Al-Mayouf Yusor Rafid Bahar , Khan Suleman
Published: September 2016

Realizing the full potential of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) highlights many design issues, particularly the trade-offs concerning multiple conflicting improvements such as maximizing the route overlapping for efficient data aggregation and minimizing the total link cost. While the issues of data aggregation routing protocols and link cost function in a WSNs have been comprehensively considered in the literature, a trade-off improvement between these two has not yet been addressed. In this paper, a comprehensive weight for trade-off between different objectives has been employed, the so-called weighted data aggregation routing strategy (WDARS) which aims to maximize the overlap routes for efficient data aggregation and link cost issues in cluster-based WSNs simultaneously. The proposed methodology is evaluated for energy consumption, network lifetime, throughput, and packet delivery ratio and compared with the InFRA and DRINA. These protocols are cluster-based routing protocols which only aim to maximize the overlap routes for efficient data aggregation. Analysis and simulation results revealed that the WDARS delivered a longer network lifetime with more proficient and reliable performance over other methods.
A Numerical Study of Underground Cavern Stability by Geostress Characteristics
Authors: Li Xiao-Jing , Wang Li-Ge , Yang Wei-Min
Published: September 2016

The stability of underground cavities is of increasing importance considering the predominant cavity locations built up in high mountain and canyon environments. Such cavity locations are characterized by a high initial in situ stress, which results in brittle fracture and deformation of the surrounding rock during cavity construction. This paper presents a numerical study of underground cavern stability considering four factors, namely, mechanical property of surrounding rock, cavern burial depth, lateral pressure coefficient in horizontal direction, and the angle included between plant longitudinal axis and horizontal principal stress. Analytical methods including the key point displacement in side wall, plastic zone volume, and splitting fracture volume are used to characterize the stability of underground cavern. A modified formula to predict side wall displacement is proposed based on prior work, which is applicable to 3D computation model by taking horizontal geostress in two directions into account. Eventually, the optimal layout of underground cavern is put forward under different conditions of geostress field.
Forecasting Daily Volume and Acuity of Patients in the Emergency Department
Authors: Calegari Rafael , Fogliatto Flavio S. , Lucini Filipe R. , Neyeloff Jeruza , Kuchenbecker Ricardo S. , Schaan Beatriz D.
Published: September 2016

This study aimed at analyzing the performance of four forecasting models in predicting the demand for medical care in terms of daily visits in an emergency department (ED) that handles high complexity cases, testing the influence of climatic and calendrical factors on demand behavior. We tested different mathematical models to forecast ED daily visits at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), which is a tertiary care teaching hospital located in Southern Brazil. Model accuracy was evaluated using mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), considering forecasting horizons of 1, 7, 14, 21, and 30 days. The demand time series was stratified according to patient classification using the Manchester Triage System’s (MTS) criteria. Models tested were the simple seasonal exponential smoothing (SS), seasonal multiplicative Holt-Winters (SMHW), seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA), and multivariate autoregressive integrated moving average (MSARIMA). Performance of models varied according to patient classification, such that SS was the best choice when all types of patients were jointly considered, and SARIMA was the most accurate for modeling demands of very urgent (VU) and urgent (U) patients. The MSARIMA models taking into account climatic factors did not improve the performance of the SARIMA models, independent of patient classification.
Line-of-Credit Payment Scheme and Its Impact on the Retailer’s Ordering Policy with Inventory-Level-Dependent Demand
Authors: Jia Tao , Lin Feng , He Zhengwen , Wang Nengmin
Published: September 2016

Practically, the supplier frequently offers the retailer credit period to stimulate his/her ordering quantity. However, such credit-period-only policy may lead to the dilemma that the supplier’s account receivable increases with sale volume during delay period, especially for the item with inventory-level-dependent demand. Thus, a line-of-credit (LOC) payment scheme is usually adopted by the supplier for better controlling account receivables. In this paper, the two-parameter LOC clause is firstly applied to develop an economic order quantity (EOQ) model with inventory-level-dependent demand, aiming to explore its influences on the retailer’s ordering policy. Under this new policy, the retailer will be granted full delay payment if his/her order quantity is below a predetermined quantity. Otherwise, the retailer should make immediate payment for the excess part. After analyzing the relationships among parameters, two distinct cases and several theoretical results can be derived. From numerical examples, two incentives, a longer credit period and a lower rate of the retailer’s capital opportunity cost, should account for the retailer’s excessive ordering policy. And a well-designed LOC clause can be applied to induce the retailer to place an appropriate ordering quantity and ensure the supplier maintains a reasonable account receivable.
Observation of Clouds Using the CSIR Transportable LIDAR: A Case Study over Durban, South Africa
Authors: Shikwambana Lerato , Sivakumar Venkataraman
Published: September 2016

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) transportable Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) was used to collect data over Durban (29.9°S, 30.9°E) during 20–23 November 2012. Aerosol measurements have been carried out in the past over Durban; however, no cloud measurements using LIDAR have ever been performed. Therefore, this study further motivates the continuation of LIDAR for atmospheric research over Durban. Low level clouds were observed on 20–22 November 2012 and high level clouds were observed on 23 November 2012. The low level cloud could be classified as stratocumulus clouds, whereas the high level clouds could be classified as cirrus clouds. Low level cloud layers showed high extinction coefficients values ranging between 0.0009 and 0.0044 m−1, whereas low extinction coefficients for high level clouds were observed at values ranging between 0.000001 and 0.000002 m−1. Optical depth showed a high variability for 20 and 21 November 2012. This indicates a change in the composition and/or thickness of the cloud. For 22 and 23 November 2012, almost similar values of optical depth were observed. Cloud-Aerosol LIDAR and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) revealed high level clouds while the CSIR LIDAR could not. However, the two instruments complement each other well to describe the cloudy condition.
Community-Based Family Literacy Program: Comparing Different Durations and Family Characteristics
Authors: Kim YaeBin , Byington Teresa
Published: September 2016

The current study investigated the influence of the community-based family literacy program on parent’s and children’s engagement in family reading practices and language/literacy activities at home. Parent’s and children’s engagement in family reading practices and language/literacy activities based on different family characteristics and the lengths of program attended were compared. Six-week and four-week Family Storyteller Program for Preschoolers series were taught between 2013 and 2015. Three hundred seventy-five parents completed both presurveys and postsurveys. Parents showed promising results in enhancing parents’ and child’s engagement in family reading practices and language/literacy activities at home after participating in the intervention. It was also found that durations of the program and family characteristics were correlated to different outcomes.
Examination of Physicians’ Perception of the Indications of Colorectal Stents in the Management of Malignant Large Bowel Obstruction: A Provincial Survey
Authors: LeBlanc Jean-Frédéric , Martel Myriam , Barkun Alan N.
Published: September 2016

Introduction. Data are conflicting when assessing indications for colorectal self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) in managing acute malignant large bowel obstruction (MLO). In November 2014, European and American Societies published guidelines to aid in understanding which patients might benefit from colorectal stenting. Yet, there remain marked disparities in clinical practice.Methods. A web-based survey was sent to Gastroenterologists and Surgical Specialists across Quebec to assess physicians’ knowledge and adherence to the indications for colonic SEMS placement in the management of MLO using eight clinical scenarios.Results. Out of 112 respondents, 74% preferred surgical intervention in young, healthy individuals with MLO. Advanced age and comorbidities motivated 56.3% (95% CI 47.1–65.5%) of participants to opt for SEMS placement. In palliative settings of patients undergoing chemotherapy including bevacizumab, a minority of respondents followed guidelines, 12.5% (95% CI 6.4–18.6%) for young patients and 25.0% for elderly patients (95% CI 17.0–33.0%). The pooled overall adherence to guidelines was 50.4% (95% CI 40.7–59.3%).Conclusion. This survey suggests that guidelines recommendations are not being implemented by at least half of specialists involved in the care of patients with MLO. Future studies should attempt to identify possible barriers responsible for this impaired knowledge translation and tailored educational initiatives planned accordingly.
Effect of Modification with Various Epoxide Compounds on Mechanical, Thermal, and Coating Properties of Epoxy Resin
Authors: Cerit Alaaddin , Marti Mustafa Esen , Soydal Ulku , Kocaman Suheyla , Ahmetli Gulnare
Published: September 2016

Epoxy resin (ER) was modified with four different epoxide compounds, 4,5-epoxy-4-methyl-pentane-2-on (EMP), 3-phenyl-1,2-epoxypropane (PhEP), 1-chloro-2,3-epoxy-5-(chloromethyl)-5-hexene (CEH), and a fatty acid glycidyl ester (FAGE), to improve its chemical and physical properties. The effects of the addition and amount of these modifiers on mechanical, thermal, and coating properties were investigated. Atomic force microscopy was used to observe the changes obtained with the modification. The influence of the modifying agents on the curing process was monitored through FTIR spectroscopy. The curing degrees of ER and modified ERs (M-ERs) were found to be over 91%. The results showed that tensile strength of ER improved till 30% (wt.) with addition of the modifier content. Modification with EMP and PhEP remarkably enhanced the thermal stability of ER to be highly resistant to the corrosive media.
Synthesis and Controlled Release Behavior of Biodegradable Polymers with Pendant Ibuprofen Group
Authors: Deng Heying , Song Jihua , Elom Akoda Komlan , Xu Junlian , Fan Zhihui , Zheng Chang , Xing Yumeng , Deng Kuilin
Published: September 2016

The continuous use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen frequently leads to some serious side-effects including stomach ulcers and bleeding. In this paper, two kinds of new biocompatible polyesters (PIGB, PIGH) and polyester-amide (PIGA) comprising biodegradable components (L-glutamic acid,1,4-butanediol, and1,6-hexanediol and6-amino hexanol) and ibuprofen as pendant group have been prepared by the melting polycondensation. The chemical structures of the monomer and polymers are characterized by FTIR,1H NMR spectrum, GPC, and contact angle measurements. The drug loading of ibuprofen reaches very high level (35–37%) for PIGB, PIGH, and PIGA carriers. The free ibuprofen molecules are releasedin vitrofrom polymer carriers in a controlled manner without a burst release, different from the release pattern observed in the other drug-encapsulated systems. It is also found that the different hydrophilicity among PIGB, PIGH, and PIGA plays a key role in the time-controlled release of ibuprofen. In addition, the viability of HeLa cells after 48 h of incubation reaches more than 100%, indicating no cytotoxicity for PIGB, PIGH, and PIGA carriers.