bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Steps Measured by Pedometry and the Relationship to Adiposity in College Women
Authors: Bailey Bruce Wayne , Borup Pamela , Tucker Larry , LeCheminant James , Allen Matthew , Hebbert Whitney
Published: November 2014

Background:

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between steps per day and adiposity among college women.

Methods:

This study was cross-sectional and included women ages 18–25. Participants wore a pedometer for 7 consecutive days. Body composition was assessed using air-displacement plethysmography. Height, weight, and waist and hip circumferences were assessed.

Results:

The women took 10,119 ± 2836 steps per day. When divided into quartiles by steps, the top 2 quartiles of women in the study had significantly lower BMI, percent body fat, and waist and hip circumferences than the bottom quartile of women (P ≤ .05). Percent body fat was different between the bottom 2 quartiles and the top 2 quartiles (P ≤ .05). The odds of having a body fat of greater than 32% were reduced by 21.9% for every increase of 1,000 steps taken per day (P ≤ .05).

Conclusions:

Steps per day are related to body composition in young adult women, but this relationship weakens with progressively higher step counts. A reasonable recommendation for steps in young adult women that is associated with the lowest BMIs and body fat seems to be between 10,000–12,000 steps per day.
‘Is It Worth It?’ A Qualitative Study of the Beliefs of Overweight and Obese Physically Active Children
Authors: Lewis Kiara , Fraser Claire , Manby Martin
Published: November 2014

Background:

The specific circumstances and contexts that may affect overweight and obese children’s participation in physical activity have thus far been given little attention. The qualitative study discussed in this paper explores the experiences of overweight and obese children and young people who have successfully increased their activity levels.

Methods:

The study sample was recruited from a community health and fitness scheme for children aged 5 to 16, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) at or above the 91st centile. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 58 children and young people. Data were analyzed using template analysis.

Results:

The children increased their feelings of capability to undertake physical activity, both while on the scheme and in other physical activity settings. They valued the range of ‘noncompetitive’ activities available and the nonthreatening atmosphere created. The ‘emotional’ support offered by the instructors was perceived as being integral to their enjoyment and continued participation.

Conclusions:

Physical activity providers need to be able to generate opportunities which allow children of any weight status to participate without fear of stigmatization or bullying. The findings of the current study suggest that to be effective what we should be focusing on is improving the physical activity experience from the child’s perspective.
Analysis of Physical Activity Mass Media Campaign Design
Authors: Lankford Tina , Wallace Jana , Brown David , Soares Jesus , Epping Jacqueline N. , Fridinger Fred
Published: November 2014

Background:

Mass media campaigns are a necessary tool for public health practitioners to reach large populations and promote healthy behaviors. Most health scholars have concluded that mass media can significantly influence the health behaviors of populations; however the effects of such campaigns are typically modest and may require significant resources. A recent Community Preventive Services Task Force review on stand-alone mass media campaigns concluded there was insufficient evidence to determine their effectiveness in increasing physical activity, partly due to mixed methods and modest and inconsistent effects on levels of physical activity.

Methods:

A secondary analysis was performed on the campaigns evaluated in the Task Force review to determine use of campaign-building principles, channels, and levels of awareness and their impact on campaign outcomes. Each study was analyzed by 2 reviewers for inclusion of campaign building principles.

Results:

Campaigns that included 5 or more campaign principles were more likely to be successful in achieving physical activity outcomes.

Conclusion:

Campaign success is more likely if the campaign building principles (formative research, audience segmentation, message design, channel placement, process evaluation, and theory-based) are used as part of campaign design and planning.
Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Analysis for Efficacy of Ceftaroline Fosamil in Patients with Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections
Authors: Bhavnani Sujata M. , Hammel Jeffrey P. , Van Wart Scott A. , Rubino Christopher M. , Reynolds Daniel K. , Forrest Alan , Drusano George L. , Khariton Tatiana , Friedland H. David , Riccobene Todd A. , Ambrose Paul G.
Published: November 2014

Ceftaroline is a cephalosporin with broad-spectrum
in vitro
activity against pathogens commonly associated with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI), including methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
. Ceftaroline fosamil, the prodrug of ceftaroline, is approved for the treatment of patients with ABSSSI. Using data from the microbiologically evaluable population from two phase 2 and two phase 3 randomized, multicenter, double-blind studies of patients with ABSSSI, an analysis examining the relationship between drug exposure, as measured by the percentage of time during the dosing interval that free-drug steady-state concentrations remain above the MIC (
f
%
T
>MIC), and clinical and microbiological responses was undertaken. The analysis population included 526 patients, of whom 423 had infections associated with
S. aureus
. Clinical and microbiological success percentages were 94.7 and 94.5%, respectively, among all of the patients and 95.3 and 95.7%, respectively, among those with
S. aureus
infections. Univariable analysis based on data from all of the patients and those with
S. aureus
infections demonstrated significant relationships between
f
%
T
>MIC and microbiological response (
P
< 0.001 and
P
= 0.026, respectively). Multivariable logistic regression analyses demonstrated other patient factors in addition to
f
%
T
>MIC to be significant predictors of microbiological response, including age and infection type for all of the patients evaluated and age, infection type, and the presence of diabetes mellitus for patients with
S. aureus
infections. Results of these analyses confirm that a ceftaroline fosamil dosing regimen of 600 mg every 12 h provides exposures associated with the upper plateau of the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationship for efficacy.
Identification of TEM-135 β-Lactamase in Neisseria gonorrhoeae Strains Carrying African and Toronto Plasmids in Argentina
Authors: Gianecini R. , Oviedo C. , Littvik A. , Mendez E. , Piccoli L. , Montibello S. , Galarza P.
Published: November 2014

One hundred forty-three penicillinase-producingNeisseria gonorrhoeae(PPNG) isolates obtained in Argentina from 2008 and 2012 were examined to detectblaTEM-135genes and to investigate plasmid profiles and multiantigen sequence types. Forty-two PPNG isolates were found to carry TEM-135, and two contained a new TEM derivative characterized as TEM-220. TheblaTEM-135allele was carried by the Toronto/Rio and African plasmids. Molecular epidemiology revealed that twoblaTEM-135isolates were related to previously described isolates from Thailand and China, indicating a common evolutionary origin.
Genomic Epidemiology of Klebsiella pneumoniae in Italy and Novel Insights into the Origin and Global Evolution of Its Resistance to Carbapenem Antibiotics
Authors: Gaiarsa Stefano , Comandatore Francesco , Gaibani Paolo , Corbella Marta , Dalla Valle Claudia , Epis Sara , Scaltriti Erika , Carretto Edoardo , Farina Claudio , Labonia Maria , Landini Maria Paola , Pongolini Stefano , Sambri Vittorio , Bandi Claudio , Marone Piero , Sassera Davide
Published: November 2014

Klebsiella pneumoniae
is at the forefront of antimicrobial resistance for Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, as strains resistant to third-generation cephalosporins and carbapenems are widely reported. The worldwide diffusion of these strains is of great concern due to the high morbidity and mortality often associated with
K. pneumoniae
infections in nosocomial environments. We sequenced the genomes of 89
K. pneumoniae
strains isolated in six Italian hospitals. Strains were selected based on antibiotypes, regardless of multilocus sequence type, to obtain a picture of the epidemiology of
K. pneumoniae
in Italy. Thirty-one strains were carbapenem-resistant
K. pneumoniae
carbapenemase producers, 29 were resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, and 29 were susceptible to the aforementioned antibiotics. The genomes were compared to all of the sequences available in the databases, obtaining a data set of 319 genomes spanning the known diversity of
K. pneumoniae
worldwide. Bioinformatic analyses of this global data set allowed us to construct a whole-species phylogeny, to detect patterns of antibiotic resistance distribution, and to date the differentiation between specific clades of interest. Finally, we detected an ∼1.3-Mb recombination that characterizes all of the isolates of clonal complex 258, the most widespread carbapenem-resistant group of
K. pneumoniae
. The evolution of this complex was modeled, dating the newly detected and the previously reported recombination events. The present study contributes to the understanding of
K. pneumoniae
evolution, providing novel insights into its global genomic characteristics and drawing a dated epidemiological scenario for this pathogen in Italy.
Recombinant ESAT-6-Like Proteins Provoke Protective Immune Responses against Invasive Staphylococcus aureus Disease in a Murine Model
Authors: Zhang Bao Zhong , Hua Yan Hong , Yu Bin , Lau Candy Choi Yi , Cai Jian Piao , Zheng Song Yue , Yam Wing Cheong , Kao Richard Yi Tsun , Sze Kong Hung , Zheng Bo Jian , Yuen Kwok Yung , Huang Jian Dong
Published: November 2014

Staphylococcus aureus
is a common pathogen found in the community and in hospitals. Most notably, methicillin-resistant
S. aureus
is resistant to many antibiotics, which is a growing public health concern. The emergence of drug-resistant strains has prompted the search for alternative treatments, such as immunotherapeutic approaches. To date, most clinical trials of vaccines or of passive immunization against
S. aureus
have ended in failure. In this study, we investigated two ESAT-6-like proteins secreted by
S. aureus
,
S. aureus
EsxA (SaEsxA) and SaEsxB, as possible targets for a vaccine. Mice vaccinated with these purified proteins elicited high titers of anti-SaEsxA and anti-SaEsxB antibodies, but these antibodies could not prevent
S. aureus
infection. On the other hand, recombinant SaEsxA (rSaEsxA) and rSaEsxB could induce Th1- and Th17-biased immune responses in mice. Mice immunized with rSaEsxA and rSaEsxB had significantly improved survival rates when challenged with
S. aureus
compared with the controls. These findings indicate that SaEsxA and SaEsxB are two promising Th1 and Th17 candidate antigens which could be developed into multivalent and serotype-independent vaccines against
S. aureus
infection.
Nappy (diaper) rash: what else besides irritant contact dermatitis?
Authors: Carvalho Vânia Oliveira , Robl Renata , Uber Marjorie , Abagge Kerstin Taniguchi , Marinoni Leide Parolin , Presa Juliana Gomes Loyola
Published: November 2014

Nappy (diaper) rash is a common cutaneous disorder of infancy, and diverse dermatoses may affect this region. To perform a differential diagnosis can be challenging. We present four cases to emphasise the importance of clinical diagnosis.
Do patient-reported outcomes offer a more sensitive method for comparing the outcomes of consultants than mortality? A multilevel analysis of routine data
Authors: Varagunam Mira , Hutchings Andrew , Black Nick
Published: November 2014

Background

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) might be better for comparing consultant surgeons' outcomes than mortality.

Objectives

To describe variation in outcomes between consultants, compare the number of outlying consultants according to different measures, explore the effect that the hospital in which a consultant works has on their outcomes and determine the scope for improving outcomes by reducing variation between consultants.

Method

Consultants performing hip replacement (n=948), knee replacement (1130) and hernia repair (974) in National Health Service hospitals in England in 2009–2012; disease-specific and generic PROMs and complications; fixed-effects and multilevel models to assess consultant outcomes, were all compared. Influence of patient factors and hospital factors was assessed.

Results

Fixed-effects models showed that most consultants are ‘as or better than expected’. However, unlike with mortality, some consultants are more than three SDs ‘worse than expected’ according to disease-specific PROMs (2.4% for hip and 1.2% for knee replacement), generic PROMs (1.2% and 1.0%) and incidence of complications (1.8% and 0.8%). The proportion of consultants worse than expected is less with random-effects models. Controlling for hospital factors reduced the proportion further. After controlling for known patient characteristics, consultants and hospitals contribute little towards variation in patient outcomes.

Conclusions

PROMs offer a more appropriate and sensitive method for comparing consultants’ outcomes. The influence of hospitals must be considered to ensure comparisons are meaningful. Improvements will be achieved by shifting the distribution of consultants rather than by reducing variation between them.
Heuristic procedure for the optimization of speed consistency in the geometric design of single-lane roundabouts
Authors: Rubio-Martín Juan Luis , Jurado-Piña Rafael , Pardillo-Mayora José Maria
Published: November 2014

This article presents a heuristic procedure for the optimization of speed consistency in the geometric design of single-lane roundabouts. The procedure is based on a real-code genetic algorithm that supports the optimization of roundabouts with any number of intersection legs and any angle between legs. The proposed methodology provides great flexibility to the design process, since it allows introducing the position of the centre of the roundabout, the inscribed circle diameter, the central island diameter, and the splitter island length as problem decision variables. The objective function may be formulated using any functional form, without the restrictions that are inherent in linear programming techniques. This flexibility renders the model highly suitable for solving the design problems that are often encountered in professional practice.
A Clifford algebra-based grand unification program of gravity and the Standard Model: a review study
Authors: Castro Carlos
Published: November 2014

A Clifford Cl(5, C) unified gauge field theory formulation of conformal gravity and U(4) × U(4) × U(4) Yang–Mills in 4D, is reviewed along with its implications for the Pati–Salam (PS) group SU(4) × SU(2)L × SU(2)R, and trinification grand unified theory models of three fermion generations based on the group SU(3)C × SU(3)L × SU(3)R. We proceed with a brief review of a unification program of 4D gravity and SU(3) × SU(2) × U(1) Yang–Mills emerging from 8D pure quaternionic gravity. A realization of E8 in terms of the Cl(16) = Cl(8) ⊗ Cl(8) generators follows, as a preamble to F. Smith’s E8 and Cl(16) = Cl(8) ⊗ Cl(8) unification model in 8D. The study of chiral fermions and instanton backgrounds in CP2 and CP3 related to the problem of obtaining three fermion generations is thoroughly studied. We continue with the evaluation of the coupling constants and particle masses based on the geometry of bounded complex homogeneous domains and geometric probability theory. An analysis of neutrino masses, Cabbibo–Kobayashi–Maskawa quark-mixing matrix parameters, and neutrino-mixing matrix parameters follows. We finalize with some concluding remarks about other proposals for the unification of gravity and the Standard Model, like string, M, and F theories and noncommutative and nonassociative geometry.
Species and size-selective predation by raccoons (Procyon lotor) preying on introduced intertidal clams
Authors: Simmons Brandi L. , Sterling Jenifer , Watson Jane C.
Published: November 2014

Raccoons (Procyon lotor (L., 1758)) are known for their dietary plasticity and ability to exploit new resources. We studied raccoons preying on introduced intertidal clams and hypothesized that raccoons maximized energetic profit by foraging selectively. Raccoons discarded Manila clams (Venerupis philippinarum (A. Adams and Reeve, 1850)) but selected large varnish clams (Nuttallia obscurata (Reeve, 1857)), although varnish and Manila clam densities did not differ significantly and small varnish clams were more abundant than large ones. We determined the energy content of different-sized varnish and Manila clams by subtracting the cost of cracking a clam from its soft-tissue energy. Varnish clams with less shell mass than Manila clams required less energy to open, but for their size Manila clams were more profitable. We suggest that raccoons, limited to preying on clams when the tide is low and at risk feeding on an open beach, select varnish clams because they need less handling, but maximize profit by selecting large clams. Our calculations indicate that a raccoon eating large varnish clams could obtain up to 8.4% of its daily basal metabolic needs in 10 min, making varnish clams a potentially valuable new prey resource.
Detailed study for 16O → 12C + α and 12C → 11B + p spectroscopic factors
Authors: Hamada Sh. , Burtebayev N. , Amangeldi N.
Published: November 2014

We have measured the angular distributions for 16 O elastically scattered on 12 C nuclei at energy 28 MeV and also for 12 C ion beam elastically scattered on 11 B target nuclei at energy 18 MeV. These measurements were performed in the cyclotron DC-60 INP NNC RK. Calculations were performed using both empirical Woods–Saxon and double folding optical model potentials. Both elastic scattering and transfer reaction were taken into consideration. We have extracted the spectroscopic factors for the configurations 16 O → 12 C + α and 12 C → 11 B + p and compared them with other calculated or extracted values at different energies from literature. The extracted spectroscopic factor for the configuration 12 C → 11 B + p from the current work is in the range 2.7–3.1, which is very close to Cohen–Kurath prediction. While for the configuration 16 O → 12 C + α, spectroscopic factors show fluctuation with energy which could be due to the well-known resonant-like behavior observed in 16 O + 12 C excitation function.
Fragment mass identification and related aspects in the decay of 40Ca* and 39K* nuclei
Authors: Kaur Gurvinder , Sharma Manoj K.
Published: November 2014

The dynamics involved in the decay of light mass nuclei formed in asymmetric channels 12 C + 28 Si , 11 B + 28 Si and 12 C + 27 Al have been investigated using the dynamical cluster-decay model (DCM). In reference to the experimentally measured charge particle cross-sections, the fragment masses contributing towards the decay of 40 Ca * and 39 K * nuclei have been identified using spherical choice of fragmentation. Also, the role of entrance channel has been investigated by studying the decay of 39 K * nuclear system formed in two different reactions at same excitation energy. The behavior of fragmentation potential, preformation probability, penetrability and emission time, is analyzed to figure out the favorable mass fragments, their relative emergence and the entrance channel effects observed in the decay of light mass nuclei. In addition to this, the cross-sections for the light particles (LPs) and heavier charge fragments have been estimated for the compound nucleus (CN) decay. Besides this, one of the noncompound nucleus (nCN) process, deep inelastic collision (DIC) has been addressed in context of DCM approach for the first time. The cross-sections obtained in framework of DCM for both CN and nCN processes are found to have nice agreement with the available experimental data.
Estimations of fission barrier heights for Ra, Ac, Rf and Db nuclei by neural networks
Authors: Akkoyun Serkan , Bayram Tuncay
Published: November 2014

Accurate information about the fission barrier is important for studying of the fission process. Fission barrier is needed for discovering the island of stability in superheavy region and searching of the superheavy elements. Furthermore, the astrophysical r-process is closely related to the fission barrier of the neutron-rich nuclei. In this study, by using artificial neural network (ANN) method, we have estimated the fission barrier heights of the Rf , Db , Ra and Ac nuclei covering 230 isotopes. For inner barrier calculation, we have used Rf and Db nuclei and the barrier heights have been determined between nearly 1 MeV and 7 MeV. The related mean square error value has been obtained as 0.108 MeV. For outer barrier calculation, we have used Ra and Ac nuclei and the heights have been determined between nearly 8 MeV and 28 MeV. The related mean square error has been obtained as 0.407. The results of this study indicate that ANN is capable for the estimations of inner and outer fission barrier heights.
STAIR Codes
Authors: Li Mingqiang , Lee Patrick P. C.
Published: November 2014

Practical storage systems often adopt erasure codes to tolerate device failures and sector failures, both of which are prevalent in the field. However, traditional erasure codes employ device-level redundancy to protect against sector failures, and hence incur significant space overhead. Recent sector-disk (SD) codes are available only for limited configurations. By making a relaxed but practical assumption, we construct a general family of erasure codes called
STAIR codes
, which efficiently and provably tolerate both device and sector failures without any restriction on the size of a storage array and the numbers of tolerable device failures and sector failures. We propose the
upstairs encoding
and
downstairs encoding
methods, which provide complementary performance advantages for different configurations. We conduct extensive experiments on STAIR codes in terms of space saving, encoding/decoding speed, and update cost. We demonstrate that STAIR codes not only improve space efficiency over traditional erasure codes, but also provide better computational efficiency than SD codes based on our special code construction. Finally, we present analytical models that characterize the reliability of STAIR codes, and show that the support of a wider range of configurations by STAIR codes is critical for tolerating sector failure bursts discovered in the field.
p38 MAPK activation upregulates proinflammatory pathways in skeletal muscle cells from insulin-resistant type 2 diabetic patients
Authors: Brown Audrey E. , Palsgaard Jane , Borup Rehannah , Avery Peter , Gunn David A. , De Meyts Pierre , Yeaman Stephen J. , Walker Mark
Published: November 2014

Skeletal muscle is the key site of peripheral insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake is decreased in differentiated diabetic cultured myotubes, which is in keeping with a retained genetic/epigenetic defect of insulin action. We investigated differences in gene expression during differentiation between diabetic and control muscle cell cultures. Microarray analysis was performed using skeletal muscle cell cultures established from type 2 diabetic patients with a family history of type 2 diabetes and clinical evidence of marked insulin resistance and nondiabetic control subjects with no family history of diabetes. Genes and pathways upregulated with differentiation in the diabetic cultures, compared with controls, were identified using Gene Spring and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. Gene sets upregulated in diabetic myotubes were associated predominantly with inflammation. p38 MAPK was identified as a key regulator of the expression of these proinflammatory gene sets, and p38 MAPK activation was found to be increased in the diabetic vs. control myotubes. Although inhibition of p38 MAPK activity decreased cytokine gene expression from the cultured diabetic myotubes significantly, it did not improve insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. Increased cytokine expression driven by increased p38 MAPK activation is a key feature of cultured myotubes derived from insulin-resistant type 2 diabetic patients. p38 MAPK inhibition decreased cytokine expression but did not affect the retained defect of impaired insulin action in the diabetic muscle cells.
ErbB4 as a Potential Molecular Target in the Treatment of Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancers
Authors: Zhao Ke , Chen Bao-Jun , Chen Zhi-Guo
Published: November 2014

ErbB4 is an important member of ErbB subfamily of tyrosine kinases receptor with overexpression in several tumors; however its biological role in esophageal cancer is poorly understood till date. The main objective of this study was to examine whether miRNA-140-5p could target and control ErbB4 expression at transcriptional level. The ErbB4 expressions in different cell lines were evaluated by western blotting and luciferase assay. Moreover, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell invasion studies were investigated using MTT, flow cytometry, and transwell assays. miRNA-140-5p remarkably downregulated the ErbB4 expression in EC9706 and TE-1A cell lines. Furthermore, miRNA-140-5p transfected cell significantly controlled the cell proliferation and enhanced the apoptosis of multiple cells. Additionally, miRNA-140-5p had marked effect on the DNA synthesis and caspase 3/7 activity in comparison to control cells. Specifically, miRNA-140-5p inhibited/repressed the cancer cell invasion and migration in a sign to have important biological role in esophageal carcinomas. Taken together, miRNA-140-5p could act as a potential molecular target in ErbB4 overexpressing ESCC cell lines paving the way for effective esophageal cancer treatment.
The Clinicopathologic Importance of Serum Lactic Dehydrogenase in Patients with Gastric Cancer
Authors: Zhao Zhi , Han Fanghai , Yang Shibin , Hua Lixin , Wu Jianhai , Zhan Wenhua
Published: November 2014

Background. To explore possible correlation between serum lactate dehydrogenase (SLDH) levels and gastric cancer.Materials and Methods. We retrospectively reviewed 365 patients with gastric cancer. The correlation of SLDH levels with clinicopathologic features and survival rate was studied.Results. SLDH levels were closely associated with the pathological (p) T stage (P=0.011), metastasis (P=0.012), pTNM stage (P=0.001), and recurrence (P=0.012). Moreover, we found a significant SLDH level difference among Borrmann type (P=0.027), pT stage (P=0.004), lymph node metastasis (P=0.027), metastasis (P<0.001), pTNM stage (P=0.006), and recurrence (P=0.002). In addition, we detected a significant SLDH level difference between alive and dead subgroups (P=0.001). In addition, both univariate analysis and multivariate analysis showed that high SLDH levels were independent prognostic factor. For the subgroup with normal LDH (median point of 157.0 U/L), we detected that the subset with SLDH levels ≥157 U/L (158–245 U/L) showed poorer OS (P=0.005) and DFS (P=0.01) than that of ≤157 subgroup.Conclusions. Our results suggest that high SLDH level could be an independent poor prognostic biomarker. Gastric cancer patients with relative high SLDH level (158–245 U/L) were prone to develop a shorter OS and DFS.
A Novel Artificial Immune Algorithm for Spatial Clustering with Obstacle Constraint and Its Applications
Authors: Sun Liping , Luo Yonglong , Ding Xintao , Zhang Ji
Published: November 2014

An important component of a spatial clustering algorithm is the distance measure between sample points in object space. In this paper, the traditional Euclidean distance measure is replaced with innovative obstacle distance measure for spatial clustering under obstacle constraints. Firstly, we present a path searching algorithm to approximate the obstacle distance between two points for dealing with obstacles and facilitators. Taking obstacle distance as similarity metric, we subsequently propose the artificial immune clustering with obstacle entity (AICOE) algorithm for clustering spatial point data in the presence of obstacles and facilitators. Finally, the paper presents a comparative analysis of AICOE algorithm and the classical clustering algorithms. Our clustering model based on artificial immune system is also applied to the case of public facility location problem in order to establish the practical applicability of our approach. By using the clone selection principle and updating the cluster centers based on the elite antibodies, the AICOE algorithm is able to achieve the global optimum and better clustering effect.
Variations in Stable Carbon Isotope Composition and Leaf Traits ofPicea schrenkianavar.tianschanicaalong an Altitude Gradient in Tianshan Mountains, Northwest China
Authors: Zhang Huiwen , Ma Jianying , Sun Wei , Chen Fahu
Published: November 2014

To understand the morphological and physiological responses of leaves to changes in altitudinal gradients, we examined ten morphological and physiological characteristics in one-year-old needles ofPicea schrenkianavar.tianschanicaat ten points along an altitudinal gradient from 1420 to 2300 m a.s.l. on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains in northwest China. Our results indicated that LA, SD, LPC, and LKC increased linearly with increasing elevation, whereas leafδ13C, LNC, Chla + b, LDMC, LMA, and Nareavaried nonlinearly with changes in altitude. With elevation below 2100 m, LNC, Narea, and Chla + b increased, while LDMC and LMA decreased with increasing altitude. When altitude was above 2100 m, these properties showed the opposite patterns. Leafδ13C was positively correlated with Nareaand LNC and negatively correlated with SD and LA, suggesting that leafδ13C was indirectly controlled by physiological and morphological adjustments along altitudinal gradients. Based on the observed maximum values in LNC, Narea, Chla + b, and LA and the minimum values in LMA and LDMC at the elevation of 2100 m, suggesting higher photosynthetic capacity and greater potential for fast growth under superior optimum zone, we concluded that the best growing elevation forP. schrenkianavar.tianschanicain the Tianshan Mountains was approximately 2100 m.
Aberrant Expression of MicroRNA-15a and MicroRNA-16 Synergistically Associates with Tumor Progression and Prognosis in Patients with Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Xiao Guangfa , Tang Huihuan , Wei Wei , Li Jian , Ji Liandong , Ge Jie
Published: November 2014

The aim of this study was to reveal the associations of microRNA miR-15a and miR-16 dysregulation with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer. As a result, we found that miR-15a and miR-16 expression, detected by quantitative real time-PCR, were both significantly downregulated in colorectal cancer tissues compared with adjacent colorectal mucosa (bothP<0.001). Particularly, the expression levels of miR-15a in colorectal cancer tissues were positively correlated with those of miR-16 significantly (Spearman correlation coefficientr=0.652,P<0.001). In addition, miR-15a and/or miR-16 downregulation were all significantly associated with advanced TNM stage (allP<0.05), poorly histological grade (allP<0.05), and positive lymph node metastasis (allP<0.05). Moreover, the survival analysis identified miR-15a expression, miR-16 expression, and miR-15a/miR-16 combination as independent predictors of both unfavorable overall survival and disease-free survival. Interestingly, the prognostic value of miR-15a/miR-16 combination was more significant than miR-15a or miR-16 expression alone. Collectively, the aberrant expression of miR-15a and miR-16 could be used to stratify patients with aggressive tumor progression of colorectal cancer. The combined pattern of miR-15a and miR-16 downregulation has a significant value for distinguishing patients with a worse prognosis of colorectal cancer after surgery.
Identification of the Related Substances in Ampicillin Capsule by Rapid Resolution Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Zhang Lei , Cheng Xian Long , Liu Yang , Liang Miao , Dong Honghuan , Lv Beiran , Yang Wenning , Luo Zhiqiang , Tang Mingmin
Published: November 2014

Rapid Resolution Liquid Chromatography coupled with Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry (RRLC-ESI-MSn) was used to separate and identify related substances in ampicillin capsule. The fragmentation behaviors of related substances were used to identify their chemical structures. Finally, a total of 13 related substances in ampicillin capsule were identified, including four identified components for the first time and three groups of isomers on the basis of the exact mass, fragmentation behaviors, retention time, and chemical structures in the literature. This study avoided time-consuming and complex chemosynthesis of related substances of ampicillin and the results could be useful for the quality control of ampicillin capsule to guarantee its safety in clinic. In the meantime, it provided a good example for the rapid identification of chemical structures of related substances of drugs.
Intelligent Diagnosis Method for Centrifugal Pump System Using Vibration Signal and Support Vector Machine
Authors: Xue Hongtao , Li Zhongxing , Wang Huaqing , Chen Peng
Published: November 2014

This paper proposed an intelligent diagnosis method for a centrifugal pump system using statistic filter, support vector machine (SVM), possibility theory, and Dempster-Shafer theory (DST) on the basis of the vibration signals, to diagnose frequent faults in the centrifugal pump at an early stage, such as cavitation, impeller unbalance, and shaft misalignment. Firstly, statistic filter is used to extract the feature signals of pump faults from the measured vibration signals across an optimum frequency region, and nondimensional symptom parameters (NSPs) are defined to represent the feature signals for distinguishing fault types. Secondly, the optimal classification hyperplane for distinguishing two states is obtained by SVM and NSPs, and its function is defined as synthetic symptom parameter (SSP) in order to increase the diagnosis’ sensitivity. Finally, the possibility functions of the SSP are used to construct a sequential fuzzy diagnosis for fault detection and fault-type identification by possibility theory and DST. The proposed method has been applied to detect the faults of the centrifugal pump, and the efficiency of the method has been verified using practical examples.
Monitoring Spruce Budworm with Light Traps: The Effect of Trap Position
Authors: Rhainds Marc , Kettela Edward G.
Published: November 2014

Daily records of adult spruce budworms,Choristoneura fumiferana(Clemens) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), captured at light traps at multiple locations in New Brunswick in the 1970s, are analyzed in relation to the physical position of light traps (tree canopies or forest clearings). Captures at light traps deployed in tree canopies were 4–400 times greater than those in forest clearings, especially for males. The phenology of captures (median date or duration of flight period) did not differ in relation to trap location. Captures of both males and females in tree canopies were highly correlated with egg densities, whereas no significant relationship was observed for either sex in forest clearings. Monitoring programs for spruce budworm adults using light traps should be standardized by deploying traps in tree canopies.
Hyers-Ulam Stability of Third Order Euler’s Differential Equations
Authors: Tripathy A. K. , Satapathy A.
Published: November 2014

We investigate the Hyers-Ulam stability of third order Euler's differential equations of the form t3y'''+αt2y''+βty'+γy=0 on any open interval I=(a,b), 0<a<b≤∞ or -∞<a<b<0, where α,β, and γ are complex constants.
Influence of Weight Gain Rate on Early Life Nutritional Status and Body Composition of Children
Authors: Vieira Sarah Aparecida , Magalhães Taís Cristina Araújo , Ribeiro Andréia Queiroz , Priore Silvia Eloiza , Franceschini Sylvia do Carmo Castro , Sant’Ana Luciana Ferreira da Rocha
Published: November 2014

Objective. To evaluate the influence of the weight gain rate at 4–6 months on nutritional status and body composition in children between 4 and 7 years of age.Methods. Retrospective cohort study, sample of 257 children. Data collection was performed in two stages, with the first relating to retrospective data of weight gain from birth to the first 4–6 months of life in the patient records. Measurements of weight, height, waist circumference, and body composition in children between ages 4 and 7 years were obtained. Nutritional status was assessed by the BMI/age. Control variables, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, lifestyle, and sociodemographics, were studied. Descriptive analysis and multiple linear regression were performed.Results. In the nutritional status assessment, the prevalence of overweight observed was 24.9%. After adjusting for control variables, it was found that the increase of the WGR at 4–6 months of age explained the occurrence of higher BMI/age, percentage of total body fat, body fat percentage in the android region, and waist circumference in children between 4 and 7 years of age.Conclusion. The increase of the WGR in the first months of life can lead to the occurrence of higher values of parameters of nutritional status and body composition in later life.
Application of Gray Markov SCGM1,1c Model to Prediction of Accidents Deaths in Coal Mining
Authors: Lan Jian-yi , Zhou Ying
Published: November 2014

The prediction of mine accident is the basis of aviation safety assessment and decision making. Gray prediction is suitable for such kinds of system objects with few data, short time, and little fluctuation, and Markov chain theory is just suitable for forecasting stochastic fluctuating dynamic process. Analyzing the coal mine accident human error cause, combining the advantages of both Gray prediction and Markov theory, an amended Gray Markov SCGM1,1c model is proposed. The gray SCGM1,1c model is applied to imitate the development tendency of the mine safety accident, and adopt the amended model to improve prediction accuracy, while Markov prediction is used to predict the fluctuation along the tendency. Finally, the new model is applied to forecast the mine safety accident deaths from 1990 to 2010 in China, and, 2011–2014 coal accidents deaths were predicted. The results show that the new model not only discovers the trend of the mine human error accident death toll but also overcomes the random fluctuation of data affecting precision. It possesses stronger engineering application.
Factors Associated with the Incidence of Local Recurrences of Breast Cancer in Women Who Underwent Conservative Surgery
Authors: Tovar Juliana Rodrigues , Zandonade Eliana , Amorim Maria Helena Costa
Published: November 2014

Conservative surgery is considered the procedure of choice for women who are affected by early stage tumours. The local recurrence of cancer as a consequence of breast tissue conservation is a growing concern. This study aimed to describe the sociodemographic and clinical profiles of women who had local recurrences of breast cancer after conservative surgery and to examine the associations between sociodemographic and clinical variables and the incidence of tumour recurrence in these women. The retrospective cohort included 880 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent conservative surgery between January 2000 and December 2010. Recurrences occurred in 60 patients, and the mean age of the women at diagnosis was 48.8 years. Predictive factors for local recurrence were young age (<39 years) (P=0.028andOR=10.93), surgical margin involvement (P=0.001andOR=3.66), and Her-2 overexpression (P=0.045andOR=1.94). The establishment of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics might help to select optimum treatments, which is a crucial challenge for public health in Brazil, especially with regard to reductions of surgery and hospitalisation expenditures in the Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde—SUS).
Analysis of Hydrogen Generation through Thermochemical Gasification of Coconut Shell Using Thermodynamic Equilibrium Model Considering Char and Tar
Authors: Rupesh Shanmughom , Muraleedharan Chandrasekharan , Arun Palatel
Published: November 2014

This work investigates the potential of coconut shell for air-steam gasification using thermodynamic equilibrium model. A thermodynamic equilibrium model considering tar and realistic char conversion was developed using MATLAB software to predict the product gas composition. After comparing it with experimental results the prediction capability of the model is enhanced by multiplying equilibrium constants with suitable coefficients. The modified model is used to study the effect of key process parameters like temperature, steam to biomass ratio, and equivalence ratio on product gas yield, composition, and heating value of syngas along with gasification efficiency. For a steam to biomass ratio of unity, the maximum mole fraction of hydrogen in the product gas is found to be 36.14% with a lower heating value of 7.49 MJ/Nm3 at a gasification temperature of 1500 K and equivalence ratio of 0.15.
Cyberbullying among University Students: Gendered Experiences, Impacts, and Perspectives
Authors: Faucher Chantal , Jackson Margaret , Cassidy Wanda
Published: November 2014

Cyberbullying is an emerging issue in the context of higher education as information and communication technologies (ICT) increasingly become part of daily life in university. This paper presents findings from 1925 student surveys from four Canadian universities. The overall findings are broken down to determine gender similarities and differences that exist between male and female respondents’ backgrounds, ICT usage, experiences with cyberbullying, opinions about the issue, and solutions to the problem. We also examine the continuities between these findings and those of earlier studies on cyberbullying among younger students. Our findings also suggest that gender differences, which do emerge, provide some support for each of the three theoretical frameworks considered for understanding this issue, that is, relational aggression, cognitive-affective deficits, and power and control. However, none of these three models offers a full explanation on its own. The study thus provides information about cyberbullying behaviour at the university level, which has the potential to inform the development of more appropriate policies and intervention programs/solutions to address the gendered nature of this behaviour.
Artificial Neural Network Modelling of Photodegradation in Suspension of Manganese Doped Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles under Visible-Light Irradiation
Authors: Abdollahi Yadollah , Zakaria Azmi , Sairi Nor Asrina , Amin Matori Khamirul , Fard Masoumi Hamid Reza , Sadrolhosseini Amir Reza , Jahangirian Hossein
Published: November 2014

The artificial neural network (ANN) modeling ofm-cresol photodegradation was carried out for determination of the optimum and importance values of the effective variables to achieve the maximum efficiency. The photodegradation was carried out in the suspension of synthesized manganese doped ZnO nanoparticles under visible-light irradiation. The input considered effective variables of the photodegradation were irradiation time, pH, photocatalyst amount, and concentration ofm-cresol while the efficiency was the only response as output. The performed experiments were designed into three data sets such as training, testing, and validation that were randomly splitted by the software’s option. To obtain the optimum topologies, ANN was trained by quick propagation (QP), Incremental Back Propagation (IBP), Batch Back Propagation (BBP), and Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithms for testing data set. The topologies were determined by the indicator of minimized root mean squared error (RMSE) for each algorithm. According to the indicator, the QP-4-8-1, IBP-4-15-1, BBP-4-6-1, and LM-4-10-1 were selected as the optimized topologies. Among the topologies, QP-4-8-1 has presented the minimum RMSE and absolute average deviation as well as maximum R-squared. Therefore, QP-4-8-1 was selected as final model for validation test and navigation of the process. The model was used for determination of the optimum values of the effective variables by a few three-dimensional plots. The optimum points of the variables were confirmed by further validated experiments. Moreover, the model predicted the relative importance of the variables which showed none of them was neglectable in this work.
Study of Track Irregularity Time Series Calibration and Variation Pattern at Unit Section
Authors: Jia Chaolong , Wei Lili , Wang Hanning , Yang Jiulin
Published: November 2014

Focusing on problems existing in track irregularity time series data quality, this paper first presents abnormal data identification, data offset correction algorithm, local outlier data identification, and noise cancellation algorithms. And then proposes track irregularity time series decomposition and reconstruction through the wavelet decomposition and reconstruction approach. Finally, the patterns and features of track irregularity standard deviation data sequence in unit sections are studied, and the changing trend of track irregularity time series is discovered and described.
Analysis of Current Status and Strategies of Retinopathy of Prematurity Screening during 6 Years in Local Regions of China: Implication and Caution
Authors: Chen Lu , Su Ming , Ren Sheng-gang , Hua Hui-lan , Wang Jian-cang , Zheng Wei
Published: November 2014

Purpose. To understand the current status of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening in a province of North China.Methods. We retrospectively analyzed 5651 cases with ROP screening in the Provincial Screening Center of Hebei Province from January 2008 to December 2013.Results. 14.98% of all ROP patients and 1.56% of severe ROP patients required treatment. All the severe ROP patients met the criteria of screening. Severe ROP patients were detected at recommended initial screening time (4–6 weeks after birth). The frequency of other ocular diseases was 8.03%, in which the main disease was fundus hemorrhage. In 2665 more mature and unqualified infants, only 2 retinoblastoma and 2 familial exudative vitreoretinopathy were detected, which indicates the advantage of early diagnosis and treatment based on fundus examination.Conclusions. It is suggested that the standard of GA < 32 weeks and/or BW < 1800 g could be served as the screening criteria in the local region for ROP screening. 4 weeks after birth is the most appropriate time for initial screening.
A Red-Light Running Prevention System Based on Artificial Neural Network and Vehicle Trajectory Data
Authors: Li Pengfei , Li Yan , Guo Xiucheng
Published: November 2014

The high frequency of red-light running and complex driving behaviors at the yellow onset at intersections cannot be explained solely by the dilemma zone and vehicle kinematics. In this paper, the author presented a red-light running prevention system which was based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) to approximate the complex driver behaviors during yellow and all-red clearance and serve as the basis of an innovative red-light running prevention system. The artificial neural network and vehicle trajectory are applied to identify the potential red-light runners. The ANN training time was also acceptable and its predicting accurate rate was over 80%. Lastly, a prototype red-light running prevention system with the trained ANN model was described. This new system can be directly retrofitted into the existing traffic signal systems.