bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical presentation of childhood leukaemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Clarke Rachel T , Van den Bruel Ann , Bankhead Clare , Mitchell Christopher D , Phillips Bob , Thompson Matthew J
Published: September 2016

Objective

Leukaemia is the most common cancer of childhood, accounting for a third of cases. In order to assist clinicians in its early detection, we systematically reviewed all existing data on its clinical presentation and estimated the frequency of signs and symptoms presenting at or prior to diagnosis.

Design

We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for all studies describing presenting features of leukaemia in children (0–18 years) without date or language restriction, and, when appropriate, meta-analysed data from the included studies.

Results

We screened 12 303 abstracts for eligibility and included 33 studies (n=3084) in the analysis. All were cohort studies without control groups. 95 presenting signs and symptoms were identified and ranked according to frequency. Five features were present in >50% of children: hepatomegaly (64%), splenomegaly (61%), pallor (54%), fever (53%) and bruising (52%). An additional eight features were present in a third to a half of children: recurrent infections (49%), fatigue (46%), limb pain (43%), hepatosplenomegaly (42%), bruising/petechiae (42%), lymphadenopathy (41%), bleeding tendency (38%) and rash (35%). 6% of children were asymptomatic on diagnosis.

Conclusions

Over 50% of children with leukaemia have palpable livers, palpable spleens, pallor, fever or bruising on diagnosis. Abdominal symptoms such as anorexia, weight loss, abdominal pain and abdominal distension are common. Musculoskeletal symptoms such as limp and joint pain also feature prominently. Children with unexplained illness require a thorough history and focused clinical examination, which should include abdominal palpation, palpation for lymphadenopathy and careful scrutiny of the skin. Occurrence of multiple symptoms and signs should alert clinicians to possible leukaemia.
Surgical resection of invasive adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland and wound closure using a vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous free flap
Authors: Andrade João Paulo , Figueiredo Sergio , Matias Julio , Almeida Ana Catarina
Published: September 2016

A 64-year-old man presented with a 3-month history of recurrent conjunctivitis. He was evaluated by an ophthalmologist and submitted to a CT scan that revealed an intraconic mass with invasion of the lateral orbital wall. He was operated, the mass was completely removed (with preservation of the intraorbital structures) and the lateral orbital wall rebuilt. The histopathological analysis revealed an adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland. 4 months later a painful recurrence of the lesion was diagnosed with invasion of the orbital roof and eyelids. After a multidisciplinary discussion and request from the patient, an exenteration of the orbit and removal of the lateral and superior orbital wall and dura mater was performed with the objective of a total resection. The wound and orbit were closed with a vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous free flap to ensure closure.
Successful stabilisation of a type III paediatric tibial eminence fracture using a tensioned wire technique
Authors: Archer Matthew , Parkin Tom , Latimer Mark David
Published: September 2016

We report the case of an 11-year-old boy presenting with a type III tibial eminence fracture. The fracture fragment was reduced arthroscopically. Two 1.6 mm retrograde K-wires were inserted from the tibial metaphysis across the physis and into the fracture fragment using a standard anterior cruciate ligament tibial tunnel guide. Once the wires were clearly visible within the joint the tips were bent over by ∼120°. The wires were then tensioned around a single small fragment screw inserted into the tibial metaphysis. An exceptionally strong fixation was achieved. The boy was mobilised without a brace. The wires were removed at 12 weeks and he returned to full activity at 14 weeks.
Traumatic basilar artery entrapment with patency of pontine perforators and absence of significant brainstem infarction: report of an unusual case
Authors: Kliesch Stefan , Bauknecht Christian , Bohner Georg , Liebig Thomas , Siebert Eberhard
Published: September 2016

We report a rare case of entrapment of the basilar artery into the sphenoid bone caused by a longitudinal fracture of the clivus. Using high resolution three-dimensional flat panel angiography, we show preservation of the basilar artery perforators in spite of severe stenosis of the entrapped segment of the basilar artery. There were no obvious signs and symptoms of posterior fossa stroke clinically or radiographically as far as could be assessed under given clinical circumstances.
Landscape evolution in Africa during the Cenozoic and Quaternary—the legacy and limitations of Lester C. King
Authors: Burke Kevin , Wilkinson M. Justin
Published: September 2016

African landscape evolution since 66 Ma reflects interactions among parts of the Earth system from the Core to the Biosphere. We stress changes in those interactions in three events that have dominated landscape development: (i) a climatic revolution when the circumpolar current and the East Antarctic ice sheet first formed ∼37 Ma; (ii) a tectonic revolution at ∼32 Ma dominated by elevation of ∼30 topographic structural swells continent-wide; and (iii) a second climatic revolution in a Northern Hemisphere cooling event (at ∼2.7 Ma) that triggered Sahara desert initiation and the beginning of glacial cycles in the Northern Hemisphere (∼2.15 Ma). We recognize the following distinct features of the great Afro-Arabian continent (∼40 M km2) that show its relationship to Earth structure and processes: deep mantle structure and dynamics, plate motion with respect to that structure, especially plate-arrest (∼32 Ma). The topographic, erosional, geomorphic, and depositional modifications following that tectonic event were strongly influenced by changes around the continent in oceanic and atmospheric circulation that affected the entire continent. Atmospheric circulation changes since ∼34 Ma have involved zonal winds, the ITCZ, desert formation and destruction, the evolution of the persistent (since ∼35 Ma) Antarctic ice sheet, and since ∼2 Ma of the rapidly cycling Eurasian ice sheets. We explain that a widely supported idea that ancient erosion surfaces have survived at high elevations in Africa is the result of a failure to recognize that the present elevations of the continent’s swells are dynamically maintained, but do not display a thermochronological signature because they are young (less than ∼32 My), so that conduction of heat from shallow convection cells has not yet reached the Earth’s surface.
Holographic dark energy model in Bianchi type VI0 Universe in a scalar–tensor theory of gravitation with hybrid expansion law
Authors: Reddy D.R.K. , Anitha S. , Umadevi S.
Published: September 2016

In this paper, we have obtained field equations of Sáez–Ballester (Phys. Lett. A, 113, 467 (1986)) scalar–tensor theory in the presence of two minimally interacting fields; matter and holographic dark energy components in the space–time described by a spatially homogeneous and anisotropic Bianchi type VI0 space–time. We have used the hybrid expansion law, proposed by Akarsu et al. (JCAP, 01, 022 (2014)), to obtain a determinate solution of the field equations. This solution represents a minimally interacting Bianchi type VI0 Sáez–Ballester universe. Physical and kinematical properties of the universe are also studied.
Cucurbita ficifolia (Cucurbitaceae) modulates inflammatory cytokines and IFN-γ in obese mice
Authors: Fortis-Barrera Á. , García-Macedo R. , Almanza-Perez J.C. , Blancas-Flores G. , Zamilpa-Alvarez A. , Flores-Sáenz J.L. , Cruz M. , Román-Ramos R. , Alarcón-Aguilar F.J.
Published: September 2016

This study investigated the effect of aqueous extract of Cucurbita ficifolia Bouché on systemic chronic inflammation in an obesity model induced by monosodium glutamate (MSG) via modulating the expression of adipokines (TNF-α, IL-6, resistin, and adiponectin) and immune-regulatory cytokines (IFN-γ and IL-10). Cucurbita ficifolia extract was administered daily by gavage to lean and MSG-obese mice for 30 days. At the end of treatment, cytokine mRNA expression in adipose tissue was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the protein levels of these cytokines were also quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cucurbita ficifolia extract decreased body mass and inflammation in MSG-obese mice by reducing the expression of TNF-α and IL-6; these decreases were parallel to significant reductions in protein levels. The extract also increased protein levels of IL-10 in lean mice and IFN-γ in both lean and MSG-obese mice. In conclusion, C. ficifolia extract modulates systemic chronic inflammation in MSG-obese mice and could have a beneficial effect on the adaptive immune system in obesity.
Network simulations of optical illusions
Authors: Shinbrot Troy , Lazo Miguel Vivar , Siu Theo
Published: September 2016

We examine a dynamical network model of visual processing that reproduces several aspects of a well-known optical illusion, including subtle dependencies on curvature and scale. The model uses a genetic algorithm to construct the percept of an image, and we show that this percept evolves dynamically so as to produce the illusions reported. We find that the perceived illusions are hardwired into the model architecture and we propose that this approach may serve as an archetype to distinguish behaviors that are due to nature (i.e. a fixed network architecture) from those subject to nurture (that can be plastically altered through learning).
Planning Strategies for Home Health Care Delivery
Authors: Hewitt Mike , Nowak Maciek , Nataraj Nisha
Published: September 2016

In home health care (our motivating application), consistency is representative of the general health care principle of continuity of care, which is often correlated with quality of care. Much of the existing research involving consistency in routing uses planning horizons that are a week or shorter. Yet in many settings the relationship between an organization and its customers lasts much longer. Hence, this paper looks at how one should plan when seeking consistency in routes extends the impact of caregiver-patient assignments. Specifically, the paper examines appropriate planning horizon length and, with an extensive computational study, demonstrates that a long planning horizon can have significant potential for savings in terms of transportation costs and staffing levels. Initially, a deterministic setting is considered, with all patient requests during the planning horizon known a priori, and the routing cost of planning for two to three months is compared with the cost when planning is done on a weekly basis. With uncertainty inherent in planning for such a long time horizon, a methodology is presented that anticipates future patient requests that are unknown at the time of planning. Computational evidence shows that its use is superior to planning on a weekly, rolling horizon basis.
Ranking One Million Simple Paths in Road Networks
Authors: Sedeño-Noda Antonio
Published: September 2016

In this paper, we address the problem of finding the [Formula: see text] best paths connecting a given pair of nodes in a directed graph with arbitrary lengths. We introduce an algorithm to determine the [Formula: see text] best paths in order of length when repeat nodes in the paths are allowed. We obtain an O[Formula: see text] time and O[Formula: see text] space algorithm to implicitly determine the [Formula: see text] shortest paths in a directed graph with [Formula: see text] nodes and [Formula: see text] arcs. Empirical results where the algorithm was used to compute one hundred million paths in USA road networks are reported. A non-trivial modification of the previous algorithm is performed obtaining an O[Formula: see text] time method to compute paths without repeat nodes and to answer the next question: how many paths [Formula: see text] in practice are needed to identify [Formula: see text] simple paths using the previous algorithm? We find that the response is usually O[Formula: see text] based on an experiment computing one million paths in USA road networks. The determination of a theoretical tight bound on [Formula: see text] remains as an open problem.
Design and Implementation of Operation-Reduced LDPC Decoder Based on a Check Node Stopping Scheme
Authors: Lin Cheng-Hung , Huang Tzu-Hsuan , Lin Shu-Yen , Lee Yu-Hsuan
Published: September 2016

In this paper, we propose an operation-reduced low-density parity check (LDPC) decoder design and implementation by stopping reliable operation of check nodes of the iterative two-phase message passing (TPMP) min-sum algorithm (MSA). A check node stopping (CNS) scheme is used to tag reliability of check nodes by detecting the magnitudes of the check node belief messages with a threshold. The operation of reliable check nodes tagged by the CNS scheme can be stopped in the later iterations. The proposed LDPC decoder that employs the CNS scheme can significantly terminate the redundant operations of check nodes and efficiently reduce the power consumption of decoder. From the simulations under WiMAX QC LDPC decoding with high channel quality, the CNS scheme achieves up to 12% stopping rate of check nodes with a loss of coding gain less than 0.1 dB. The WiMAX QC LDPC decoder chip that employs the CNS scheme is implemented by a 90-nm CMOS process. Compared with the LDPC decoder that employs no CNS scheme, the overall power dissipation of the proposed LDPC decoder is decreased by 4.1% with 0.5% area overhead.
From Lab to Venture: Cognitive Factors Influencing Researchers' Decision to Start a Venture
Authors: Angel Ferrero Maria Claudia , Bessière Véronique
Published: September 2016

Research in academic entrepreneurship has gained momentum in the last decades, mainly because of its contribution to technological innovations and national economies. However, little attention has been paid to the cognitive factors influencing the decision by researchers to create a venture. The purpose of this article is to draw on the tenets of entrepreneurial cognition and behavioural decision-making theories to explain why some researchers decide to become entrepreneurs. Our research analyses the difference in cognitive style and risk behaviour between academics that moved from research to spin-off ventures and academics that remain in the laboratory. Our results provide empirical evidence that higher self-efficacy and risk-taking behaviour are positively related to researchers' transition to academic spin-offs, while opportunity recognition skills were not observed to have significant effects. Taken together, these results emphasise the need for further research on cognitive and behavioural factors influencing the decision by researchers to start a venture.
An Accurate Cross-Layer Approach for Online Architectural Vulnerability Estimation
Authors: Wibowo Bagus , Agrawal Abhinav , Stanton Thomas , Tuck James
Published: September 2016

Processor soft-error rates are projected to increase as feature sizes scale down, necessitating the adoption of reliability-enhancing techniques, but power and performance overhead remain a concern of such techniques. Dynamic cross-layer techniques are a promising way to improve the cost-effectiveness of resilient systems. As a foundation for making such a system, we propose a cross-layer approach for estimating the architectural vulnerability of a processor core online that works by combining information from software, compiler, and microarchitectural layers at runtime. The hardware layer combines the metadata from software and compiler layers with microarchitectural measurements to estimate architectural vulnerability online. We describe our design and evaluate it in detail on a set of SPEC CPU 2006 applications. We find that our online AVF estimate is highly accurate with respect to a postmortem AVF analysis, with only 0.46% average absolute error. Also, our design incurs negligible performance impact for SPEC2006 applications and about 1.2% for a Monte Carlo application, requires approximately 1.4% area overhead, and costs about 3.3% more power on average. We compare our technique against two prior online AVF estimation techniques, one using a linear regression to estimate AVF and another based on PVF-HVF; our evaluation finds that our approach, on average, is more accurate. Our case study of a Monte Carlo simulation shows that our AVF estimate can adapt to the inherent resiliency of the algorithm. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach using a dynamic protection scheme that limits vulnerability to soft errors while reducing the energy consumption by an average of 4.8%, and with a target normalized SER of 10%, compared to enabling a simple parity+ECC protection at all times.
Text Stemming
Authors: Singh Jasmeet , Gupta Vishal
Published: September 2016

Stemming is a process in which the variant word forms are mapped to their base form. It is among the basic text pre-processing approaches used in Language Modeling, Natural Language Processing, and Information Retrieval applications. In this article, we present a comprehensive survey of text stemming techniques, evaluation mechanisms, and application domains. The main objective of this survey is to distill the main insights and present a detailed assessment of the current state of the art. The performance of some well-known rule-based and statistical stemming algorithms in different scenarios has been analyzed. In the end, we highlighted some open issues and challenges related to unsupervised statistical text stemming. This research work will help the researchers to select the most suitable text stemming technique in a specific application and will also serve as a guide to identify the areas that need attention from the research community.
The Magellanic Stream: Circumnavigating the Galaxy
Authors: D'Onghia Elena , Fox Andrew J.
Published: September 2016

The Magellanic Clouds are surrounded by an extended network of gaseous structures. Chief among these is the Magellanic Stream, an interwoven tail of filaments trailing the Clouds in their orbit around the Milky Way. When considered in tandem with its Leading Arm, the Stream stretches over 200° on the sky. The Stream is thought to represent the result of tidal interactions between the Clouds and ram-pressure forces exerted by the Galactic corona, and its kinematic properties reflect the dynamical history of the pair of dwarf galaxies closest to the Milky Way. The Stream is a benchmark for hydrodynamical simulations of accreting gas and cloud/corona interactions. If the Stream survives these interactions and arrives safely in the Galactic disk, its cargo of over a billion solar masses of gas has the potential to maintain or elevate the Galactic star-formation rate. In this article, we review the current state of knowledge of the Stream, including its chemical composition, physical conditions, origin, and fate. We also review the dynamics of the Magellanic System, including the proper motions and orbital history of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, the first-passage and second-passage scenarios, and the evidence for a Magellanic Group of galaxies.
Gravitational Instabilities in Circumstellar Disks
Authors: Kratter Kaitlin , Lodato Giuseppe
Published: September 2016

Star and planet formation are the complex outcomes of gravitational collapse and angular momentum transport mediated by protostellar and protoplanetary disks. In this review, we focus on the role of gravitational instability in this process. We begin with a brief overview of the observational evidence for massive disks that might be subject to gravitational instability and then highlight the diverse ways in which the instability manifests itself in protostellar and protoplanetary disks: the generation of spiral arms, small-scale turbulence-like density fluctuations, and fragmentation of the disk itself. We present the analytic theory that describes the linear growth phase of the instability supplemented with a survey of numerical simulations that aim to capture the nonlinear evolution. We emphasize the role of thermodynamics and large-scale infall in controlling the outcome of the instability. Despite apparent controversies in the literature, we show a remarkable level of agreement between analytic predictions and numerical results. In the next part of our review, we focus on the astrophysical consequences of the instability. We show that the disks most likely to be gravitationally unstable are young and relatively massive compared with their host star, Md/M*≥0.1. They will develop quasi-stable spiral arms that process infall from the background cloud. Although instability is less likely at later times, once infall becomes less important, the manifestations of the instability are more varied. In this regime, the disk thermodynamics, often regulated by stellar irradiation, dictates the development and evolution of the instability. In some cases the instability may lead to fragmentation into bound companions. These companions are more likely to be brown dwarfs or stars than planetary mass objects. Finally, we highlight open questions related to the development of a turbulent cascade in thin disks and the role of mode-mode coupling in setting the maximum angular momentum transport rate in thick disks.
Semaphorin 3A Shifts Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cells towards Osteogenic Phenotype and Promotes Bone Regeneration In Vivo
Authors: Liu Xiangwei , Tan Naiwen , Zhou Yuchao , Zhou Xueying , Chen Hui , Wei Hongbo , Chen Ji , Xu Xiaoru , Zhang Sijia , Yang Guodong , Song Yingliang
Published: September 2016

Adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) are considered as the promising seed cells for bone regeneration. However, the lower osteogenic differentiation capacity limits its therapeutic efficacy. Identification of the key molecules governing the differences between ASCs and BMSCs would shed light on manipulation of ASCs towards osteogenic phenotype. In this study, we screened semaphorin family members in ASCs and BMSCs and identified Sema3A as an osteogenic semaphorin that was significantly and predominantly expressed in BMSCs. The analyses in vitro showed that the overexpression of Sema3A in ASCs significantly enhanced the expression of bone‐related genes and extracellular matrix calcium deposition, while decreasing the expression of adipose‐related genes and thus lipid droplet formation, resembling a BMSCs phenotype. Furthermore, Sema3A modified ASCs were then engrafted into poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA) scaffolds to repair the critical‐sized calvarial defects in rat model. As expected, Sema3A modified ASCs encapsulation significantly promoted new bone formation with higher bone volume fraction and bone mineral density. Additionally, Sema3A was found to simultaneously increase multiple Wnt related genes and thus activating Wnt pathway. Taken together, our study here identifies Sema3A as a critical gene for osteogenic phenotype and reveals that Sema3A‐modified ASCs would serve as a promising candidate for bettering bone defect repair.
Pressure Prediction of Electronic, Anisotropic Elastic, Optical, and Thermal Properties of Quaternary (M2/3Ti1/3)3AlC2(M = Cr, Mo, and Ti)
Authors: Sun Liang , Gao Yimin , Liu Yangzhen , Wang Guoliang , Wang Yiran , Zhai Wenyan , Wang Wen
Published: September 2016

The electronic, mechanical, anisotropic elastic, optical, and thermal properties of quaternary (M2/3Ti1/3)3AlC2(M = Cr, Mo, and Ti) under different pressure are systematically investigated by first-principles calculations. The bonding characteristics of these compounds are the mixture of metallic and covalent bonds. With an increase of pressure, the heights of total density of states (TDOS) for these compounds decrease at Fermi level. The highest volume compressibility among three compounds is Mo2TiAlC2for its smallest relative volume decline. The relative bond lengths are decreasing when the pressure increases. The bulk and shear modulus of the one doped with Cr or Mo are larger than those of Ti3AlC2with pressure increasing. With an increase of pressure, the anisotropy of these compounds also increases. Moreover, Mo2TiAlC2has the biggest anisotropy among the three compounds. The results of optical functions indicate that the reflectivity of the three compounds is high in visible-ultraviolet region up to ~10.5 eV under ambient pressure and increasing constantly when under pressure. Mo2TiAlC2has the highest loss function. The calculated sound velocity and Debye temperature show that they all increase with pressure.CVof the three compounds is also calculated.
Applications of Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography in Cornea and Ocular Surface Diseases
Authors: Han Sang Beom , Liu Yu-Chi , Noriega Karim Mohamed , Mehta Jodhbir S.
Published: September 2016

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noncontact technology that produces high-resolution cross-sectional images of ocular tissues. Anterior segment OCT (AS-OCT) enables the precise visualization of anterior segment structure; thus, it can be used in various corneal and ocular surface disorders. In this review, the authors will discuss the application of AS-OCT for diagnosis and management of various corneal and ocular surface disorders. Use of AS-OCT for anterior segment surgery and postoperative management will also be discussed. In addition, application of the device for research using human data and animal models will be introduced.
Dietary Phytochemicals: Natural Swords Combating Inflammation and Oxidation‐Mediated Degenerative Diseases
Authors: Islam Md. Asiful , Alam Fahmida , Solayman Md. , Khalil Md. Ibrahim , Kamal Mohammad Amjad , Gan Siew Hua
Published: September 2016

Cumulatively, degenerative disease is one of the most fatal groups of diseases, and it contributes to the mortality and poor quality of life in the world while increasing the economic burden of the sufferers. Oxidative stress and inflammation are the major pathogenic causes of degenerative diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), diabetes mellitus (DM), and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although a number of synthetic medications are used to treat these diseases, none of the current regimens are completely safe. Phytochemicals (polyphenols, carotenoids, anthocyanins, alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, and terpenes) from natural products such as dietary fruits, vegetables, and spices are potential sources of alternative medications to attenuate the oxidative stress and inflammation associated with degenerative diseases. Based on in vitro, in vivo, and clinical trials, some of these active compounds have shown good promise for development into novel agents for treating RA, DM, and CVD by targeting oxidative stress and inflammation. In this review, phytochemicals from natural products with the potential of ameliorating degenerative disease involving the bone, metabolism, and the heart are described.
Assessment of Seasonal and Annual Rainfall Trends and Variability in Sharjah City, UAE
Authors: Merabtene Tarek , Siddique Mohsin , Shanableh Abdallah
Published: September 2016

Although a few studies on rainfall spatial and temporal variability in the UAE have been carried out, evidence of the impact of climate change on rainfall trends has not been reported. This study aims at assessing the significance of long-term rainfall trends and temporal variability at Sharjah City, UAE. Annual rainfall and seasonal rainfall extending over a period of 81 years (1934–2014) recorded at Sharjah International Airport have been analyzed. To this end, several parametric and nonparametric statistical measures have been applied following systematic data quality assessment. The analyses revealed that the annual rainfall trend decreased from −3 mm to −9.4 mm per decade over the study periods. The decreasing annual rainfall trend is mainly driven by the significant drop in winter rainfall, particularly during the period from 1977 to 2014. The results also indicate that high probability extreme events have shifted toward low frequency (12.7 years) with significant variations in monthly rainfall patterns and periodicity. The findings of the present study suggest reevaluating the derivation of design rainfall for infrastructure of Sharjah City and urge developing an integrated framework for its water resources planning and risk under climate change impacts scenarios.
Experimental and Numerical Investigations of Fretting Fatigue Behavior for Steel Q235 Single-Lap Bolted Joints
Authors: Xu Yazhou , Sun Zhen , Zhang Yuqing
Published: September 2016

This work aims to investigate the fretting fatigue life and failure mode of steel Q235B plates in single-lap bolted joints. Ten specimens were prepared and tested to fit theS-Ncurve. SEM (scanning electron microscope) was then employed to observe fatigue crack surfaces and identify crack initiation, crack propagation, and transient fracture zones. Moreover, a FEM model was established to simulate the stress and displacement fields. The normal contact stress, tangential contact stress, and relative slipping displacement at the critical fretting zone were used to calculate FFD values and assess fretting fatigue crack initiation sites, which were in good agreement with SEM observations. Experimental results confirmed the fretting fatigue failure mode for these specimens. It was found that the crack initiation resulted from wear regions at the contact surfaces between plates, and fretting fatigue cracks occurred at a certain distance away from hole edges. The proposed FFD-Nrelationship is an alternative approach to evaluate fretting fatigue life of steel plates in bolted joints.
Assessing a Metacognitive Account of Associative Memory Impairments in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
Authors: Illman Nathan A. , Kemp Steven , Souchay Céline , Morris Robin G. , Moulin Chris J. A.
Published: September 2016

Previous research has pointed to a deficit in associative recognition in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Associative recognition tasks require discrimination between various combinations of words which have and have not been seen previously (such as old-old or old-new pairs). People with TLE tend to respond to rearranged old-old pairs as if they are “intact” old-old pairs, which has been interpreted as a failure to use a recollection strategy to overcome the familiarity of two recombined words into a new pairing. We examined this specific deficit in the context of metacognition, using postdecision confidence judgements at test. We expected that TLE patients would show inappropriate levels of confidence for associative recognition. Although TLE patients reported lower confidence levels in their responses overall, they were sensitive to the difficulty of varying pair types in their judgements and gave significantly higher confidence ratings for their correct answers. We conclude that a strategic deficit is not at play in the associative recognition of people with TLE, insofar as they are able to monitor the status of their memory system. This adds to a growing body of research suggesting that recollection is impaired in TLE, but not metacognition.
Lebesgue Constant Using Sinc Points
Authors: Youssef Maha , El-Sharkawy Hany A. , Baumann Gerd
Published: September 2016

Lebesgue constant for Lagrange approximation at Sinc points will be examined. We introduce a new barycentric form for Lagrange approximation at Sinc points. Using Thiele’s algorithm we show that the Lebesgue constant grows logarithmically as the number of interpolation Sinc points increases. A comparison between the obtained upper bound of Lebesgue constant using Sinc points and other upper bounds for different set of points, like equidistant and Chebyshev points, is introduced.
Laparoscopic versus Open Omental Patch Repair for Early Presentation of Perforated Peptic Ulcer: Matched Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Lee Daniel Jin Keat , Ye MaDong , Sun Keith Haozhe , Shelat Vishalkumar G. , Koura Aaryan
Published: September 2016

Introduction.The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes between laparoscopic and open omental patch repair (LOPR versus OR) in patients with similar presentation of perforated peptic ulcer (PPU). The secondary aim was to evaluate the outcomes according to the severity of peritonitis.Methods.All patients who underwent omental patch repair at two university-affiliated institutes between January 2010 and December 2014 were reviewed. Matched cohort between LOPR and OR groups was achieved by only including patients that had ulcer perforation <2 cm in size and symptoms occurring <48 hours. Outcome measures were defined in accordance with length of stay (LOS), postoperative complications, and mortality.Results.148 patients met the predefined inclusion criteria with LOPR performed in 40 patients. Outcome measures consistently support laparoscopic approach but only length of hospital stay (LOS) achieved statistical significance (LOPR 4 days versus OR 5 days,p<0.01). In a subgroup analysis of patients with MPI score >21, LOPR is also shown to benefit, particularly resulting in significant shorter LOS (4 days versus 11 days,p<0.01).Conclusion.LOPR offers improved short-term outcomes in patients who present within 48 hours and with perforation size <2 cm. LOPR also proved to be more beneficial in high MPI cases.
Development and Performance Assessment of the High-Performance Shrinkage Reducing Agent for Concrete
Authors: Han Hyung Sub , Kim Jong Kyu , Wook Jung Yong
Published: September 2016

To develop a high-performance shrinkage reducing agent, this study investigated several shrinkage reducing materials and supplements for those materials. Fluidity and air content were satisfactory for the various shrinkage reducing materials. The decrease in viscosity was the lowest for glycol-based materials. The decrease in drying shrinkage was most prominent for mixtures containing glycol-based materials. In particular, mixtures containing G2 achieved a 40% decrease in the amount of drying shrinkage. Most shrinkage reducing materials had weaker level of compressive strength than that of the plain mixture. When 3% triethanolamine was used for early strength improvement, the strength was enhanced by 158% compared to that of the plain mixture on day 1; enhancement values were 135% on day 7 and 113% on day 28. To assess the performance of the developed high-performance shrinkage reducing agent and to determine the optimal amount, 2.0% shrinkage reducing agent was set as 40% of the value of the plain mixture. While the effect was more prominent at higher amounts, to prevent deterioration of the compressive strength and the other physical properties, the recommended amount is less than 2.0%.
New Perspectives in the Treatment of Advanced Gastric Cancer: S-1 as a Novel Oral 5-FU Therapy in Combination with Cisplatin
Authors: Mahlberg Rolf , Lorenzen Sylvie , Thuss-Patience Peter , Heinemann Volker , Pfeiffer Per , Möhler Markus
Published: September 2016

Oral fluoropyrimidines have been available for more than 10 years. Capecitabine is well established in treating solid tumors in Europe. S-1 (Teysuno®), an oral formulation containing the 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) prodrug tegafur and the two enzyme modulators gimeracil and oteracil, has not been available in non-Asia countries until recently. In Japan, S-1 in combination with cisplatin is the recommended first-line treatment in patients with gastric cancer. In Europe, the first trials with S-1 were disappointing due to high unacceptable incidences of adverse events. Pharmacokinetic studies showed differences in Asian and Caucasian patients; therefore, a new non-Asian study program was initiated, which led to the pivotal phase 3 trial First-Line Advanced Gastric Cancer Study (FLAGS). In FLAGS, 1,053 patients with advanced gastric cancer from 24 non-Asian countries were enrolled. S-1 plus cisplatin showed no overall survival (OS) benefit when compared to 5-FU plus cisplatin. The primary endpoint superior OS was not met but better tolerability was shown. A post hoc noninferiority OS and safety analysis showed that S-1 plus cisplatin has the same efficacy as 5-FU plus cisplatin but a more favorable safety profile. This led to the approval of S-1 in combination with cisplatin in gastric cancer in Europe in 2011. This article reviews the mode of action of S-1, pivotal study results from an EU point of view, and future perspectives.
Comparative Efficacy and Acceptability of Anti-TNF-Alpha Therapy in Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Mixed-Treatments Comparison
Authors: Wang Yehua , Wang Haibo , Jiang Jian , Zhao Deyong , Liu Yong
Published: September 2016

Background: Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) antagonists, namely, golimumab, adalimumab, infliximab, etanercept and certolizumab have been prescribed to alleviate and treat ankylosing spondylitis (AS). However, the lack of comparative evidence does not enable us to make constructive recommendations particularly for AS patient populations. Methods: Eligible controlled trials regarding the above 5 anti-TNFα therapies were searched electronically through PubMed, Embase and Cochrane until April 1, 2015. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated and compared for efficacy (ASAS20, ASAS40, ASAS5/6 responses and ASAS partial remission) and acceptability (serious adverse effects (SAE)) among the anti-TNFα reagents. Results: Totally, 25 trials with 2989 participants were incorporated in this mixed treatment comparison. All the 5 TNFα blockers achieved better ASAS20, ASAS40, ASAS5/6 and ASAS-PR responses than the placebo. Furthermore, there was no significant distinction existed among inter-drug comparisons, except that unfavorable effects induced by certolizumab seemed to be less severe than those by etanercept (OR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.05-0.93). Apart from that, etanercept was estimated to arrive at the most favorable ASAS20 response (90.6%) and SAE (83.6%), while infliximab seemed to accomplish the best ASAS40 (83.6%) and ASAS-PR responses (77.3%). In addition, adalimumab was estimated to rank the highest ASAS5/6 response (75.0%). Conclusions: Etanercept, infliximab and adalimumab might be prioritized among the commonly recognized 5 anti-TNFα therapies specific for AS patients, though existing evidence did not suffice to confirm significant superiority among the above 5 anti-TNFα reagent.
Correlation of Lipid Profile and Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in 10-14 Year Old Children
Authors: Habiba Nusrath M. , Fulda Kimberly G. , Basha Riyaz , Shah Deep , Fernando Shane , Nguyen Bao , Xiong Yi , Franks Susan F. , Matches Sarah J. , Magie Richard D. , Bowman W. Paul
Published: September 2016

Background/Aims: The role of lipid profile in predicting the risk of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in children is not clearly established. Our aim is to screen non-diabetic children aged 10-14 years for risk of developing T2DM and evaluate the association of abnormal lipids and socioeconomic status (SES). Methods: Data on race/ethnicity, family history, body mass index percentile, blood pressure and presence of neck pigmentation (acanthosis nigricans) were collected from 149 non-diabetic children. Using these factors, children were classified into low risk (<3 risk factors) and high risk (>3 risk factors) groups. Logistic regression model and chi-square tests were used to evaluate the association of blood lipid profile and demographic variables. Independent t-test was used to compare the ratio of Total Cholesterol (TC) and High Density Lipids (HDL) with T2DM risk. Results: 60% of children were at high risk for developing T2DM. HDL (p<0.001), triglycerides (p=0.02) and TC/HDL ratio (p<.001) were significantly abnormal in high risk group. Low SES showed a marginal association with high risk group. There were no gender or age differences between high and low risk groups. Conclusions: The significant determinants associated with high risk group were modifiable factors providing an opportunity for early intervention and prevention.
Protective Effect of 2-Dodecyl-6-Methoxycyclohexa-2, 5-Diene-1, 4-Dione, Isolated from Averrhoa Carambola L., Against Palmitic Acid-Induced Inflammation and Apoptosis in Min6 Cells by Inhibiting the TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Authors: Xie Qiuqiao , Zhang Shijun , Chen Chunxia , Li Juman , Wei Xiaojie , Xu Xiaohui , Xuan Feifei , Chen Ning , Pham Thithaihoa , Qin Ni , He Junhui , Ye Fangxing , Huang Wansu , Huang Renbin , Wen Qingwei
Published: September 2016

Background/Aims: Studies have demonstrated that 2-dodecyl-6-methoxycyclohexa-2, 5-diene-1, 4-dione (DMDD), isolated from the roots of Averrhoa carambola L., has significant therapeutic potential for the treatment of diabetes. However, the protective effect of DMDD against pancreatic beta cell dysfunction has never been reported. We investigated whether DMDD protected against palmitic acid-induced dysfunction in pancreatic β-cell line Min6 cells by attenuating the inflammatory response and apoptosis and to shed light on its possible mechanism. Methods: Cell viability was assessed by CCK-8. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion levels and inflammatory cytokines levels were examined by ELISA. Apoptosis was assessed by Annexin V-FITC/PI Flow cytometry assay, Hoechst 33342/PI double-staining assay, and Transmission electron microscopy assay. Relative quantitative real-time PCR and western blot were used to determine the expressions of genes and proteins. Results: Cell viability and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion levels were increased in DMDD-pretreated Min6 cells. DMDD inhibited inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α and MCP-1 generations in palmitic acid (PA)-induced Min6 cells. Moreover, DMDD protected against PA-induced Min6 cells apoptosis and the expression of Cleaved-Caspase-3, -8 and -9 were down-regulated and the Bcl-2/Bax ratio was increased in DMDD-pretreated Min6 cells. In addition, the expression of TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB were down-regulated in DMDD-pretreated Min6 cells and TAK-242-pretreated group cells. Conclusions: DMDD protected Min6 cells against PA-induced dysfunction by attenuating the inflammatory response and apoptosis, and its mechanism of this protection was associated with inhibiting the TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB signaling pathway.
Rutin Acid Ameliorates Neural Apoptosis Induced by Traumatic Brain Injury via Mitochondrial Pathways in Mice
Authors: Zhai Xiaofu , Ding Ying , Wang Qi , Zhang Hao , Li Fayin
Published: September 2016

Rutin reportedly conveys many beneficial effects, including neuroprotection in brain injury. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are still not well understood. This study investigates the effect of rutin on potential mechanisms for neuroprotective effects, using the weight-drop model of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in male mice treated either with rutin or a vehicle via intraperitoneal injection 30 min after TBI. After euthanasia and 24 h after TBI, all mice were examined by tests, including neurologic scores, blood-brain barrier permeability, brain water content and neuronal cell death in the cerebral cortex. Results indicate that the levels of cytochrome c, malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were restored by rutin treatment. Rutin treatment resulted in the downregulation of caspase-3 expression in a reduced number of positive cells under terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay, and also the improved survival of neurons. Furthermore, pretreatment levels of MDA were restored, while Bcl-2-associated X protein translocation to mitochondria and cytochrome c release into cytosol were reduced by rutin treatment. Our results demonstrate that rutin improves neurological outcome by protecting neural cells against apoptosis via mechanisms that involve the mitochondria following TBI.
Spontaneous Resolution of Spinal Epidural Hematoma Resulting from Domestic Child Abuse: Case Report
Authors: Rangwala Shivani D. , Birk Daniel M. , Tobin Matthew K. , Hahn Yoon S. , Nikas Demetrios C.
Published: September 2016

Nonaccidental head injury, as seen in domestic child abuse cases, is often associated with spinal injury, and spinal subdural hematoma is the most frequent diagnosis. While spinal epidural hematomas are a rare occurrence, the incidence of spontaneous epidural hematomas occurring in nonaccidental head injury patients is even lower. Epidural hematomas often result in acute focal neurological deficits necessitating emergent neurosurgical intervention. In patients without focal neurological deficits, conservative management may allow for spontaneous resolution of the epidural hematoma. The authors present the case of a 2-year-old boy with a large spinal epidural hematoma resulting after an event of nonaccidental injury, specifically, domestic child abuse. This patient exhibited no focal neurological deficits and was managed conservatively without surgical clot evacuation. On a follow-up visit, repeat imaging studies demonstrated a stable resolution of spinal epidural hematoma, providing further support for the safety of conservative management in these patients.
On Peptides and Altered Peptide Ligands: From Origin, Mode of Action and Design to Clinical Application (Immunotherapy)
Authors: Candia Martín , Kratzer Bernhard , Pickl Winfried F.
Published: September 2016

T lymphocytes equipped with clonotypic T cell antigen receptors (TCR) recognize immunogenic peptides only when presented in the context of their own major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Peptide loading to MHC molecules occurs in intracellular compartments (ER for class I and MIIC for class II molecules) and relies on the interaction of the respective peptides and peptide binding pockets on MHC molecules. Those peptide residues not engaged in MHC binding point towards the TCR screening for possible peptide MHC complex binding partners. Natural or intentional modification of both MHC binding registers and TCR interacting residues of peptides - leading to the formation of altered peptide ligands (APLs) - might alter the way peptides interact with TCRs and hence influence subsequent T cell activation events, and consequently T cell effector functions. This review article summarizes how APLs were detected and first described, current concepts of how APLs modify T cellular signaling, which biological mechanisms might force the generation of APLs in vivo, and how peptides and APLs might be used for the benefit of patients suffering from allergic or autoimmune diseases.
Familial Influences on Mismatch Negativity and Its Association with Plasma Glutamate Level: A Magnetoencephalographic Study in Twins
Authors: Nishimura Yukika , Kawakubo Yuki , Suga Motomu , Hashimoto Kenji , Takei Yuichi , Takei Kunio , Inoue Hideyuki , Yumoto Masato , Takizawa Ryu , Kasai Kiyoto
Published: September 2016

Mismatch negativity (MMN) or its magnetic counterpart (magnetic mismatch negativity; MMNm) is regarded as a promising biomarker for schizophrenia. Previous electroencephalographic studies of MMN have demonstrated a moderate-to-high heritability for MMN amplitudes. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-dependent glutamatergic neurotransmission is implicated in MMN generation. We hypothesized that the differences between identical twins in MMNm variables might be associated with differences in plasma levels of amino acids involved in glutamatergic neurotransmission. Thirty-three pairs of monozygotic (MZ) and 10 pairs of dizygotic (DZ) twins underwent MMNm recording. The MMNm in response to tone duration changes, tone frequency changes, and phonemic changes was recorded using 204-channel magnetoencephalography. Of these, 26 MZ and 7 DZ twin pairs underwent blood sampling for determination of plasma amino acid levels. MMNm peak strength showed relatively high correlations in both MZ and DZ twin pairs. The differences in MMNm latencies tended to correlate with the differences in plasma amino acid levels within MZ pairs, while no significant correlation was observed after the Bonferroni correction. We observed a familial trait in MMNm strength. The differences in MMN latency in MZ twins might be influenced by changes in glutamate levels and glutamate-glutamine cycling; however, the results need to be replicated.