bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A High-speed Verilog HDL Simulation Method using a Lightweight Translator
Authors: Kobayashi Ryohei , Misono Tomohiro , Kise Kenji
Published: January 2017

Designing with Hardware Description Languages (HDLs) is still the de facto standard way to develop FPGA-based custom computing systems, and RTL simulation is an important step in ensuring that the designed hardware behavior meets the design specification. In this paper, we propose a new high-speed Verilog HDL simulation method. It is based on two previously proposed techniques: ArchHDL and Pyverilog. ArchHDL is used as a simulation engine in the method because the RTL simulation provided by ArchHDL can be parallelized with OpenMP. We use Pyverilog to develop a code translator to convert Verilog HDL source code into ArchHDL code, and due to this, the translator can be realized and its implementation is lightweight. We compare the proposed method with Synopsys VCS, and the experimental results show that the RTL simulation behavior and speed are same as that of Synopsys VCS and up to 5.8x better respectively.
An Efficient GPUAccelerated Implementation of Genomic Short Read Mapping with BWAMEM
Authors: Houtgast Ernst Joachim , Sima VladMihai , Bertels Koen , AlArs Zaid
Published: January 2017

Next Generation Sequencing techniques have resulted in an exponential growth in the generation of genetics data, the amount of which will soon rival, if not overtake, other Big Data fields, such as astronomy and streaming video services. To become useful, this data requires processing by a complex pipeline of algorithms, taking multiple days even on large clusters. The mapping stage of such genomics pipelines, which maps the short reads onto a reference genome, takes up a significant portion of execution time. BWA-MEM is the de-facto industry-standard for the mapping stage.

Here, a GPU-accelerated implementation of BWA-MEM is proposed. The Seed Extension phase, one of the three main BWA-MEM algorithm phases that requires between 30%-50% of overall processing time, is offloaded onto the GPU. A thorough design space analysis is presented for an optimized mapping of this phase onto the GPU. The re- sulting systolic-array based implementation obtains a two- fold overall application-level speedup, which is the maximum theoretically achievable speedup. Moreover, this speedup is sustained for systems with up to twenty-two logical cores. Based on the findings, a number of suggestions are made to improve GPU architecture, resulting in potentially greatly increased performance for bioinformatics-class algorithms.
Migration of long-running Tasks between Reconfigurable Resources using Virtualization
Authors: Knodel Oliver , Genssler Paul R. , Spallek Rainer G.
Published: January 2017

Computing performance and scalability are the essential basics in modern data centres. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) provide a promising opportunity to improve performance, security and energy efficiency. Especially background acceleration of computationally complex and long-running tasks is an important field of application. A flexible use of reconfigurable devices within a cloud context requires an abstraction of the actual hardware through virtualization.

In this paper we present an approach inspired by paravirtualized machines for the integration of reconfigurable hardware into cloud services. Using partial reconfiguration our hardware and software framework virtualizes a single physical FPGA to enable multiple independent user designs. Essential components are the management of those virtual user-defined accelerators (vFPGA) and their migration between physical FPGAs to achieve higher system-wide utilization. The migration requires saving and restoring the internal state or context of the vFPGA. We demonstrate the application possibilities and the resource trade-off of our approach by transferring a running design from one physical FPGA to another. Moreover, we present future perspectives for the use of FPGAs in cloud-based environments.
Effects of Stacking Granularity on 3-D Stacked Floating-point Fused Multiply Add Units
Authors: Tada Jubee , Hosokawa Maiki , Egawa Ryusuke , Kobayashi Hiroaki
Published: January 2017

Three-dimensional stacked integrated circuits (3D-SICs) have been expected to overcome the limitations of conventional two-dimensional (2-D) implemented circuits. Since a stacking strategy affects the performance and the power consumption of 3D-SICs, this paper examines two stacking strategies for designing the 3-D stacked floating-point fused multiplyadd (FP-FMA) module which contains four FP-FMA units. Experimental results show that a coarse-grain stacking strategy is suitable for reducing critical path delay of the 3-D stacked FP-FMA module. On the other hand, a fine-grain stacking strategy is suitable for reducing power consumption. The 3-D stacked FP-FMA module which is designed based on a fine-grain stacking strategy achieves an 8.4% critical path delay reduction and an 18% average power reduction compared with the 2-D implementation.
High-Level Synthesis Optimization for Blocked Floating-Point Matrix Multiplication
Authors: D'Hollander Erik H.
Published: January 2017

In the last decade floating-point matrix multiplication on FPGAs has been studied extensively and efficient architectures as well as detailed performance models have been developed. By design these IP cores take a fixed footprint which not necessarily optimizes the use of all available resources. Moreover, the low-level architectures are not easily amenable to a parameterized synthesis. In this paper high-level synthesis is used to fine-tune the configuration parameters in order to achieve the highest performance with maximal resource utilization. An\ exploration strategy is presented to optimize the use of critical resources (DSPs, memory) for any given FPGA. To account for the limited memory size on the FPGA, a blockoriented matrix multiplication is organized such that the block summation is done on the CPU while the block multiplication occurs on the logic fabric simultaneously. The communication overhead between the CPU and the FPGA is minimized by streaming the blocks in a Gray code ordering scheme which maximizes the data reuse for consecutive block matrix product calculations. Using highlevel synthesis optimization, the programmable logic operates at 93% of the theoretical peak performance and the combined CPU-FPGA design achieves 76% of the available hardware processing speed for the floating-point multiplication of 2K by 2K matrices.
FPGA High-level Synthesis versus Overlay
Authors: Lin Colin Yu , Jiang Zhenghong , Fu Cheng , So Hayden Kwok-Hay , Yang Haigang
Published: January 2017

To promote FPGA to a wider user community and to increase design productivity, two new design methodologies, namely FPGA high-level synthesis (HLS) and FPGA overlay, are presented to use a high-level design abstraction. To make clear distinguish features of each design methodology, we make an comparison of a state-of-the-art FPGA HLS tool, Vivado HLS, and an FPGA overlay tool, ArchSyn, on two computation intensive kernels, matrix-matrix multiplication and fast Fourier transform.

In the comparison, FPGA overlay shows an overwhelming superiority in computation performance, which is 8X to 39X faster than FPGA HLS. However, FPGA HLS exhibits its advantages in dynamic power consumption metric. It achieves up to 17X lower power consumption than FPGA overlay. Power- and energy-efficiency are another two essential metrics evaluating trade-offs between performance and power consumption. As demonstrated with evaluation results, FPGA overlay is averagely 3.5X better in powerefficiency for FFT kernel, and achieves up to 2 orders of magnitude better energy-efficiency than FPGA HLS.
The Superposition-Traffic Game
Authors: Hota Ashish R. , Honnappa Harsha , Sundaram Shreyas
Published: January 2017

We consider a queuing game where a set of sources or players strategically send jobs to a single shared server. The traffic sources have disparate coefficients of variation of the interarrival times, and the sources are strategic in their choice of mean inter-arrival times (or the arrival rates). For every job completion, each player receives a benefit that potentially depends on the number of other players using the server (capturing network effects due to using the same server). However, the players experience a delay due to their jobs waiting in the queue. Assuming the service times have a general distribution with a finite second moment, we model the delay experienced by the superposed traffic using a Brownian approximation.

In our first contribution, we show that the total rate of job arrivals at a Nash equilibrium with n sources is larger when the sources have heterogeneous coefficients of variation, while the average delay experienced by a job is smaller, compared to the equilibrium with an equal number of homogeneous sources. In the second contribution, we characterize the equilibrium behavior of the queuing system when the number of homogeneous sources scales to infinity in terms of the rate of growth of the benefits due to network effects.
Active dissection of privacy policies
Authors: Bigrigg Karen J. , Bigrigg Michael W.
Published: January 2017

When teaching about privacy, the worst thing that could happen is for an entire audience to have never read a privacy policy. Forcing people to read a privacy policy is a passive activity that provides no retention of the material. This paper presents a means to actively engage users in the dissection of a privacy policy via content analysis.
Encoding for access
Authors: Liao Han-Teng
Published: January 2017

The ideals and practical value of Unicode have been clouded at times by local perceptions within individual countries of the Unicode Consortium mission, making Unicode adoption slow and incomplete in these countries. This paper presents a case study of the scenario in Myanmar, where the early success of the incumbent popular encoding/font standard called Zawgyi may impede the digital potential of the country. It first examines the successes and issues of Zawgyi. It then explains why it should be phased out as soon as possible as the legacy standard so as to save the future cost of not using Unicode and to achieve the full digital potential in several aspects of Myanmar society, including but not limited to accurate transcripts for law enforcement agency statements, fundamental data exchange at both regional and global levels for ecommerce, and for inclusive digital archive curation.
Curcumin Ameliorates Diabetic Nephropathy by Suppressing NLRP3 Inflammasome Signaling
Authors: Lu Miaomiao , Yin Nanchang , Liu Wei , Cui Xiangfei , Chen Shuo , Wang Ermin
Published: January 2017

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, partly because of the lack of effective treatments for DN. Curcumin has been shown to exert strong antifibrotic effects in DN, but the underlying mechanisms are not well characterized. In this study, we sought to determine the effects of curcumin on diabetic renal disease in db/db mice and characterize the underlying mechanism of action. We administered curcumin to db/db mice for 16 weeks. In comparison to mock-treated db/db mice, curcumin-treated mice showed diminished renal hypertrophy, reduced mesangial matrix expansion, and a lower level of albuminuria. Furthermore, the upregulated protein and mRNA expressions of collagen IV and fibronectin in the renal cortices of the db/db mice were inhibited by curcumin treatment. Additionally, curcumin treatment was associated with significant reductions in mature interleukin-1β, cleaved caspase-1, and NLRP3 protein levels in the renal cortices of db/db mice as well as in HK-2 cells exposed to high glucose concentration. In summary, curcumin, a potent antifibrotic agent, is a promising treatment for DN, and its renoprotective effects appear to be mediated by the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activity.
A Removal of Eye Movement and Blink Artifacts from EEG Data Using Morphological Component Analysis
Authors: Singh Balbir , Wagatsuma Hiroaki
Published: January 2017

EEG signals contain a large amount of ocular artifacts with different time-frequency properties mixing together in EEGs of interest. The artifact removal has been substantially dealt with by existing decomposition methods known as PCA and ICA based on the orthogonality of signal vectors or statistical independence of signal components. We focused on the signal morphology and proposed a systematic decomposition method to identify the type of signal components on the basis of sparsity in the time-frequency domain based on Morphological Component Analysis (MCA), which provides a way of reconstruction that guarantees accuracy in reconstruction by using multiple bases in accordance with the concept of “dictionary.” MCA was applied to decompose the real EEG signal and clarified the best combination of dictionaries for this purpose. In our proposed semirealistic biological signal analysis with iEEGs recorded from the brain intracranially, those signals were successfully decomposed into original types by a linear expansion of waveforms, such as redundant transforms: UDWT, DCT, LDCT, DST, and DIRAC. Our result demonstrated that the most suitable combination for EEG data analysis was UDWT, DST, and DIRAC to represent the baseline envelope, multifrequency wave-forms, and spiking activities individually as representative types of EEG morphologies.
Improved QRD-M Detection Algorithm for Generalized Spatial Modulation Scheme
Authors: Jing Xiaorong , Wang Mingyue , Zhou Wei , Liu Hongqing
Published: January 2017

Generalized spatial modulation (GSM) is a spectral and energy efficient multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission scheme. It will lead to imperfect detection performance with relatively high computational complexity by directly applying the original QR-decomposition with M algorithm (QRD-M) to the GSM scheme. In this paper an improved QRD-M algorithm is proposed for GSM signal detection, which achieves near-optimal performance but with relatively low complexity. Based on the QRD, the improved algorithm firstly transforms the maximum likelihood (ML) detection of the GSM signals into searching an inverted tree structure. Then, in the searching process of the M branches, the branches corresponding to the illegitimate transmit antenna combinations (TACs) and related to invalid number of active antennas are cut in order to improve the validity of the resultant branches at each level by taking advantage of characteristics of GSM signals. Simulation results show that the improved QRD-M detection algorithm provides similar performance to maximum likelihood (ML) with the reduced computational complexity compared to the original QRD-M algorithm, and the optimal value of parameter M of the improved QRD-M algorithm for detection of the GSM scheme is equal to modulation order plus one.
Reported Male Circumcision Practices in a Muslim-Majority Setting
Authors: Anwer Abdul Wahid , Samad Lubna , Iftikhar Sundus , Baig-Ansari Naila
Published: January 2017

Introduction. Male circumcision is a recommended practice in Muslim tradition. It is important to ensure that this procedure is performed as safely as possible in these communities.Methods. Five hundred adult men and women with at least one male child less than 18 years were interviewed in Karachi, Pakistan, regarding details of their child’s circumcision. The survey focused on actual and perceived delays in circumcision and perceptions about appropriate age and reasons and benefits and complications of the procedure. Circumcisions done after two months of age were defined as delayed.Results. Religious requirement was the primary reason for circumcision in 92.6% of children. However, 89.6% of respondents were of the opinion that circumcision had medical benefits as well. Half of the children (54.1%) had delayed circumcision (range 2.5 months to 13 years), even though 81.2% of parents were of the opinion that circumcisions should be done within 60 days of birth. Facility-delivered babies had less delay in circumcisions (49.1%) as compared to home-delivered babies (60.5%).Conclusion. Understanding the perceptions and practices around male circumcision can help guide national strategies for designing and implementing safe circumcision programs in Muslim-majority settings, with the potential to benefit an annual birth cohort of 20–25 million boys worldwide.
A Production Planning Model for Make‐to‐Order Foundry Flow Shop with Capacity Constraint
Authors: Li Xixing , Guo Shunsheng , Liu Yi , Du Baigang , Wang Lei
Published: January 2017

The mode of production in the modern manufacturing enterprise mainly prefers to MTO (Make‐to‐Order); how to reasonably arrange the production plan has become a very common and urgent problem for enterprises’ managers to improve inner production reformation in the competitive market environment. In this paper, a mathematical model of production planning is proposed to maximize the profit with capacity constraint. Four kinds of cost factors (material cost, process cost, delay cost, and facility occupy cost) are considered in the proposed model. Different factors not only result in different profit but also result in different satisfaction degrees of customers. Particularly, the delay cost and facility occupy cost cannot reach the minimum at the same time; the two objectives are interactional. This paper presents a mathematical model based on the actual production process of a foundry flow shop. An improved genetic algorithm (IGA) is proposed to solve the biobjective problem of the model. Also, the gene encoding and decoding, the definition of fitness function, and genetic operators have been illustrated. In addition, the proposed algorithm is used to solve the production planning problem of a foundry flow shop in a casting enterprise. And comparisons with other recently published algorithms show the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Uptake of 18F-FET and 18F-FCH in Human Glioblastoma T98G Cell Line after Irradiation with Photons or Carbon Ions
Authors: Pasi Francesca , Persico Marco Giovanni , Buroni Federica Eleonora , Aprile Carlo , Hodolic Marina , Corbella Franco , Nano Rosanna , Facoetti Angelica , Lodola Lorenzo
Published: January 2017

The differential diagnosis between recurrence of gliomas or brain metastases and this phenomenon is important in order to choose the best therapy and predict the prognosis but is still a big problem for physicians. The new emerging MRI, CT, and PET diagnostic modalities still lack sufficient accuracy. Radiolabeled choline and amino acids have been reported to show great tumor specificity. ​We studied the uptake kinetics of [18F]fluoromethyl-choline (FCH) and O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (FET) by the T98G human glioblastoma cells from 20 to 120 min after irradiation either with photons at 2-10-20 Gy or with carbon ions at 2 Gy (at the National Centre for Oncological Hadrontherapy (CNAO), Pavia, Italy). We also evaluated the cell death and morphology changes induced by radiation treatment. Both FET and FCH are able to trace tumor behavior in terms of higher uptake for increased doses of radiation treatment, due to the upregulation of cells attempts to repair nonlethal damage. Our data suggest that both FCH and FET could be useful to analyze the metabolic pathways of glioblastoma cells before and after radiotherapy. Physicians will have to consider the different kinetics pathways of uptake concerning the two radiopharmaceuticals.
Internet of Things (IoT) Platform for Structure Health Monitoring
Authors: Abdelgawad Ahmed , Yelamarthi Kumar
Published: January 2017

Increase in the demand for reliable structural health information led to the development of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). Prediction of upcoming accidents and estimation of useful life span of a structure are facilitated through SHM. While data sensing is the core of any SHM, tracking the data anytime anywhere is a prevailing challenge. With the advancement in information technology, the concept of Internet of Things (IoT) has made it possible to integrate SHM with Internet to track data anytime anywhere. In this paper, a SHM platform embedded with IoT is proposed to detect the size and location of damage in structures. The proposed platform consists of a Wi-Fi module, a Raspberry Pi, an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC), a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC), a buffer, and piezoelectric (PZT) sensors. The piezoelectric sensors are mounted as a pair in the structure. Data collected from the piezoelectric sensors will be used to detect the size and location of damage using a proposed mathematical model. Implemented on a Raspberry Pi, the proposed mathematical model will estimate the size and location of structural damage, if any, and upload the data to Internet. This data will be stored and can be checked remotely from any mobile device. The system has been validated using a real test bed in the lab.
Research Method of Tyre Contact Characteristics Based on Modal Analysis
Authors: Li Bo , Bei Shaoyi , Zhao Jingbo
Published: January 2017

Tyre is the only connecting part between the vehicle and the road, which provides all the vehicle driving, steering, and braking force. Accuracy tyre dynamics models are increasingly needed. Because of the structure nonlinear and complexity of contact state, how to establish effective tyre model is always the difficulty of vehicle dynamics modeling. Based on the idea of modal parameters modeling, establish the quantitative static tyre model in the vertical direction and research the effects of modal root and tread model on this method. With the tyre vertical load on the road, research the pressure and deformation features in the tyre contact patch and the interrelation between the horizontal load distribution, contact length, and sinking amount. Use the iterative method to establish tyres static vertical model on the horizontal road. The theoretical calculation and experiment results indicate the relation curves of vertical force distribution and sinking amount, vertical load, and length of contact patch and show good agreement on the qualitative and quantitative aspects.
Coronary-Cameral Fistula Connecting the Left Anterior Descending Artery and the First Obtuse Marginal Artery to the Left Ventricle: A Rare Finding
Authors: Minhas Abdul Mannan Khan , Ul Haq Ehtesham , Awan Ahmed Arslan Yousuf , Khan Arshad Ameer , Qureshi Ghazanfar , Balakrishna Pragathi
Published: January 2017

Coronary-cameral fistulas are rare congenital malformations, often incidentally found during cardiac catheterizations. The majority of these fistulas are congenital in nature but can be acquired secondary to trauma or invasive cardiac procedures. These fistulas most commonly originate in the right coronary artery and terminate into the right ventricle and least frequently drain into the left ventricle. Depending upon their size and location, coronary-cameral fistulas can lead to congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, and bacterial endocarditis. We describe a case of 49-year-old woman who presented with worsening exertional dyspnea and leg swelling. Transthoracic echocardiogram revealed an ejection fraction of 35%. Cardiac catheterization demonstrated a fistula connecting the left anterior descending artery and the first obtuse marginal artery to the left ventricle. In this report, the authors provide a concise review on coronary fistulas, complications, and management options.
Differential Calculus onN-Graded Manifolds
Authors: Sardanashvily G. , Wachowski W.
Published: January 2017

The differential calculus, including formalism of linear differential operators and the Chevalley–Eilenberg differential calculus, overN-graded commutative rings and onN-graded manifolds is developed. This is a straightforward generalization of the conventional differential calculus over commutative rings and also is the case of the differential calculus over Grassmann algebras and onZ2-graded manifolds. We follow the notion of anN-graded manifold as a local-ringed space whose body is a smooth manifoldZ. A key point is that the graded derivation module of the structure ring of graded functions on anN-graded manifold is the structure ring of global sections of a certain smooth vector bundle over its bodyZ. Accordingly, the Chevalley–Eilenberg differential calculus on anN-graded manifold provides it with the de Rham complex of graded differential forms. This fact enables us to extend the differential calculus onN-graded manifolds to formalism of nonlinear differential operators, by analogy with that on smooth manifolds, in terms of graded jet manifolds ofN-graded bundles.
Psychological Distress in Healthy Low-Risk First-Time Mothers during the Postpartum Period: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Murphey Christina , Carter Patricia , Price Larry R. , Champion Jane Dimmitt , Nichols Francine
Published: January 2017

Psychological distress, defined as depression, anxiety, and insomnia in this study, can occur following the birth of a baby as new mothers, in addition to marked physiological changes, are faced with adapting to new roles and responsibilities. We investigated the cooccurrence of stress, depression, anxiety, and insomnia in mothers during the postpartum period; tested the feasibility of study methods and procedures for use in this population; and identified new mothers interest in using cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) as an intervention for reducing psychological distress. We recruited healthy, low-risk, English speaking first-time mothers, ages 18–32 years, with healthy babies (N=33), within 12 months of an uncomplicated birth. Participants completed the PSS, HAM-D14, HAM-A17, and PSQI19. No problems were encountered with study procedures. Mothers reported a high interest (4.9) in the potential use of CES to treat or prevent the occurrence of psychological distress. All participants (N=33) reported moderate levels of depression and anxiety, while 75.8% (n=25) reported insomnia. PSS scores were within the norms for healthy women. Further research is recommended to investigate if our findings can be replicated or if different patterns of associations emerge. Implications for clinical practice are addressed.
Cerebral Salt-Wasting Syndrome Caused by Minor Head Injury
Authors: Fukuoka Toshiki , Tsurumi Yuko , Tsurumi Arihito
Published: January 2017

A 34-year-old woman was admitted to hospital after sustaining a head injury in a motor vehicle accident (day 1). No signs of neurological deficit, skull fracture, brain contusion, or intracranial bleeding were evident. She was discharged without symptoms on day 4. However, headache and nausea worsened on day 8, at which time serum sodium level was noted to be 121 mEq/L. Treatment with sodium chloride was initiated, but serum sodium decreased to 116 mEq/L on day 9. Body weight decreased in proportion to the decrease in serum sodium. Cerebral salt-wasting syndrome was diagnosed. This case represents the first illustration of severe hyponatremia related to cerebral salt-wasting syndrome caused by a minor head injury.
Role of Helicobacter pylori Eradication Therapy on Platelet Recovery in Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura
Authors: Sheema Khan , Ikramdin Ujjan , Arshi Naz , Farah Naz , Imran Sheikh
Published: January 2017

Background. Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a bleeding disorder in which the immune system destroys native platelets. In this condition an autoantibody is generated against a platelet antigen. ITP affects women more often than men and is more common in children than adults. Objective. To assess the effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy (HPET) on platelet count in Helicobacter pylori associated chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (chronic ITP) in adult. Materials and Methods. It is an interventional prospective study conducted at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, from 2014 to 2015. A set of 85 patients diagnosed with chronic ITP were included in the study via convenient sampling. Patients with platelets count < 100 × 109/L for >3 months were selected. They were posed to first-line investigations which comprised complete blood count (CBC) and peripheral blood smear examination followed by second-line tests including bone marrow examination and Helicobacter pylori stool specific antigen (HpSA-EIA). Standard H. pylori eradication therapy was offered and the patients were assessed at regular intervals for 6 months. Results. Of the 85 study patients, 32 (37.6%) were male and 53 (62.3%) were female. Mean ages of H. pylori positive and negative subjects were 43.89 ± 7.06 and 44.75 ± 7.91 years, respectively. Bone marrow examination confirmed the diagnosis and excluded other related BM disorders. H. pylori stool antigen (HpSA) was detected in 34 (40%) patients and hence regarded as H. pylori positive; the rest were negative. Treatment with eradication therapy significantly improved the mean platelet counts from 48.56±21.7 × 109/l to 94.2±26.8 × 109/l. Conclusion. We concluded that the anti-H. pylori eradication therapy improves blood platelet counts in chronic immune thrombocytopenia.
Preparation of TiO2 Nanotubes Loaded on Polyurethane Membrane and Research on Their Photocatalytic Properties
Authors: Lin Longli , Wu Qijun , Gong Xun , Zhang Yu
Published: January 2017

To solve the problem of separation and recovery of photocatalyst in water, the modification of TiO2 was studied as well as its immobilization and photocatalytic properties. To improve surface properties, TiO2 nanotubes were synthesized by a hydrothermal method and silylated by silane coupling agents to introduce a certain functional group. Supported on polyurethane (PU) membrane, TiO2 nanotubes were prepared to produce immobilized PU/TiO2. Catalysts were characterized and identified by means of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results showed that silylated TiO2 nanotubes were well grafted on the surface of the activated PU membrane. With a 300 W high pressure mercury lamp as light source, the photocatalytic activity and stability of immobilized PU/TiO2 were investigated with degrading methyl orange. It was showed that the target is degraded by immobilized PU/TiO2 with high activation and the catalytic performance is stable for a long time if catalyst is washed with ethanol.
Hydrogen Sulfide Promotes Learning and Memory and Suppresses Proinflammatory Cytokines in Repetitive Febrile Seizures
Authors: Zhuang Fei , Zhou Xuhong , Li Hong , Yang Xiaochun , Dong Zewu , Zhou Wendi , Chen Jian
Published: January 2017

Objective: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), as a novel gasotransmitter, plays important roles in a number of physiological and pathological processes. Its effectiveness has been demonstrated in different types of brain disorders but not in repetitive febrile seizure (febrile status epilepticus; FSE) models. This study aims to test whether a donor of H2S sodium sulfhydrate (NaHS) is also effective for FSE in rats. Methods: FSE was induced in rat pups on postnatal day 10 in water at 45.0 ± 0.1°C for 10 consecutive days with or without preadministration of NaHS. Following evaluation of the latency and duration of hyperthermic seizures, impairment in learning and memory was measured by the Morris water maze test. Moreover, alterations of the microglial response and the production of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α were calculated in the hippocampus. Results: We found that NaHS significantly increased the latency and decreased the duration of hyperthermic seizures. Furthermore, NaHS-treated pups showed less impairment in learning and memory. In addition, NaHS inhibited FSE-induced microglial responses and suppressed the production of IL-1β and TNF-α in the hippocampus. Conclusion: NaHS appears to be effective for the treatment of FSE in infants and children, in part due to its anti-inflammatory action.
Comparison of “Lesion-by-Lesion” and Field Photodynamic Therapy in the Prevention of Actinic Keratoses: A Randomized, Split-Face, Single-Blind Pilot Study
Authors: Seubring Inge , Groenewoud Joannes M. M. , Gerritsen Marie-Jeanne P.
Published: January 2017

Background: Actinic keratoses (AKs) are often treated separately, lesion by lesion. However, in the past years, AKs have been described as a field disease and not limited to single clinically apparent lesions. Treatment should therefore target an area of field change which may reduce the risk of development of further AKs, second tumours, and local recurrence. Objective: The primary objective was to determine the number of new lesions at 9 months after methyl aminolevulinate photodynamic therapy (MAL-PDT). Secondary objectives were to determine the number of new lesions at 3 and 6 months after treatment and the percentage reduction of AKs from baseline at 3, 6, and 9 months after MAL-PDT. Methods: This was a single-centre, prospective, randomized, split-face, investigator-blinded pilot study with a study duration of 1 year. The study population comprised patients with AKs on the face or scalp, with a maximum of 10 AKs on each side. One side was treated with 1 session of “lesion-by-lesion” MAL-PDT (LT side) and the other side with 1 session of field MAL-PDT (FT side). Results: At 9 months the FT demonstrated significantly fewer new lesions. At every time point during the follow-up, we found a significant reduction in the number of AKs in the LT as well as in the FT sides. After 3 and 6 months we did not observe significant differences between the sides. However, after 9 months, the LT area showed significantly fewer remaining AKs, whereas the FT area demonstrated significantly fewer new lesions. Conclusions: Field treatment results in significantly fewer new AK lesions compared with lesion-by-lesion treatment.
Clinicopathological Features and Therapeutic Responses of Chinese Patients with Advanced Lung Adenocarcinoma Harboring an Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase Rearrangement
Authors: Lin Danxia , Zeng De , Chen Chen , Wu Xiao , Wang Miaojun , Chen Jiongyu , Lin Hui , Qiu Xihui
Published: January 2017

Background: Presence of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement is an indication for crizotinib in the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. Here, we sought to elucidate the association between clinicopathological features and ALK rearrangement status in Chinese patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma harboring an ALK rearrangement. Patients and Methods:ALK rearrangement status was determined using immunohistochemistry (IHC) in tumor tissues from 120 patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma, and further assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay. The associations between ALK rearrangement status and clinicopathological features were analyzed. Results: According to IHC testing, the ALK-positive rate among the advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients was 6.67% (8/120). FISH validation found 5 patients with ALK rearrangement among the 8 IHC-positive cases. No significant difference was observed regarding age, sex, or smoking status between FISH-positive and -negative patients (p > 0.05). None of the 5 FISH-positive patients benefited from first-line chemotherapy. Conclusion: IHC can be used as a reliable method for ALK rearrangement screening in patients with lung adenocarcinoma, but further FISH validation is imperative. Presence of ALK rearrangement predicts a more aggressive biological behavior of the tumor and might be indicative of poor response to chemotherapy.
Assessment of Whole-Exome Sequence Data in Attempted Suicide within a Bipolar Disorder Cohort
Authors: Monson Eric T. , Pirooznia Mehdi , Parla Jennifer , Kramer Melissa , Goes Fernando S. , Gaine Marie E. , Gaynor Sophia C. , de Klerk Kelly , Jancic Dubravka , Karchin Rachel , McCombie W. Richard , Zandi Peter P. , Potash James B. , Willour Virginia L.
Published: January 2017

Suicidal behavior is a complex and devastating phenotype with a heritable component that has not been fully explained by existing common genetic variant analyses. This study represents the first large-scale DNA sequencing project designed to assess the role of rare functional genetic variation in suicidal behavior risk. To accomplish this, whole-exome sequencing data for ∼19,000 genes were generated for 387 bipolar disorder subjects with a history of suicide attempt and 631 bipolar disorder subjects with no prior suicide attempts. Rare functional variants were assessed in all exome genes as well as pathways hypothesized to contribute to suicidal behavior risk. No result survived conservative Bonferroni correction, though many suggestive findings have arisen that merit additional attention. In addition, nominal support for past associations in genes, such as BDNF, and pathways, such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, was also observed. Finally, a novel pathway was identified that is driven by aldehyde dehydrogenase genes. Ultimately, this investigation explores variation left largely untouched by existing efforts in suicidal behavior, providing a wealth of novel information to add to future investigations, such as meta-analyses.
Impaired Mitochondrial Respiration in Large Cerebral Arteries of Rats with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Merdzo Ivan , Rutkai Ibolya , Sure Venkata N.L.R. , McNulty Catherine A. , Katakam Prasad V.G. , Busija David W.
Published: January 2017

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been suggested as a potential underlying cause of pathological conditions associated with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). We have previously shown that mitochondrial respiration and mitochondrial protein levels were similar in the large cerebral arteries of insulin-resistant Zucker obese rats and their lean controls. In this study, we extend our investigations into the mitochondrial dynamics of the cerebral vasculature of 14-week-old Zucker diabetic fatty obese (ZDFO) rats with early T2DM. Body weight and blood glucose levels were significantly higher in the ZDFO group, and basal mitochondrial respiration and proton leak were significantly decreased in the large cerebral arteries of the ZDFO rats compared with the lean controls (ZDFL). The expression of the mitochondrial proteins total manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) were significantly lower in the cerebral microvessels, and acetylated MnSOD levels were significantly reduced in the large arteries of the ZDFO group. Additionally, superoxide production was significantly increased in the microvessels of the ZDFO group. Despite evidence of increased oxidative stress in ZDFO, exogenous SOD was not able to restore mitochondrial respiration in the ZDFO rats. Our results show, for the first time, that mitochondrial respiration and protein levels are compromised during the early stages of T2DM.
Examination of Anomalous World Experience: A Report on Reliability
Authors: Conerty Joseph , Skodlar Borut , Pienkos Elizabeth , Zadravek Tina , Byrom Greg , Sass Louis
Published: January 2017

Background: The EAWE (Examination of Anomalous World Experience) is a newly developed, semi-structured interview that aims to capture anomalies of subjectivity, common in schizophrenia spectrum disorders, that pertain to experiences of the lived world, including space, time, people, language, atmosphere, and certain existential attitudes. By contrast, previous empirical studies of subjective experience in schizophrenia have focused largely on disturbances in self-experience. Aim: To assess the reliability of the EAWE, including internal consistency and interrater reliability. Sampling and Methods: In the course of developing the EAWE, two distinct studies were conducted, one in the United States and the other in Slovenia. Thirteen patients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum or mood disorders were recruited for the US study. Fifteen such patients were recruited for the Slovenian study. Two live interviewers conducted the EAWE in the US. The Slovenian interviews were completed by one live interviewer with a second rater reviewing audiorecordings of the interview. Internal consistency and interrater reliability were calculated independently for each study, utilizing Cronbach's α, Spearman's ρ, and Cohen's κ. Results: Each study yielded high internal consistency (Cronbach's α >0.82) and high interrater reliability for total EAWE scores (ρ > 0.83; average κ values were at least 0.78 for each study, with EAWE domain-specific κ not lower than 0.73). Conclusion: The EAWE, containing world-oriented inquiries into anomalies in subjective experience, has adequate reliability for use in a clinical or research setting.
Review of Decision-Making in Game Tasks in Elderly Participants with Alzheimer Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: de Siqueira Alaise Silva Santos , Yokomizo Juliana Emy , Jacob-Filho Wilson , Yassuda Mônica Sanches , Aprahamian Ivan
Published: January 2017

Background: Changes in decision-making (DM) have recently been investigated in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). DM is highly relevant to everyday functioning and autonomy. It relies on several cognitive abilities, such as semantic and episodic memory, as well as aspects of executive functioning. We conducted a systematic review of DM in older adults with MCI and AD. Summary: Only 5 studies whose main objective was to evaluate the DM performance were selected. The results extracted indicated that DM in ambiguity and in at-risk situations are both impaired in probable AD patients. MCI patients have difficulty making advantageous decisions under ambiguity and at risk, similar to patients with probable AD but they are less impaired. Key Messages: DM deficits may be a predictor of cognitive impairment and conversion to dementia and its potential clinical value should be further explored in longitudinal studies involving direct comparison between MCI and AD patients.
Volksheilkunde in der Region Schaffhausen - Forschung macht Schule
Authors: Ammann Christine , Dal Cero Maja
Published: January 2017

Im Rahmen einer Abschlussarbeit einer Mittelschule wurde ethnobotanisches Wissen über Heilpflanzen in der Region Schaffhausen dokumentiert. Dazu wurden 50 Personen, die in der Landwirtschaft tätig sind, zur Anwendung von pflanzlichen Hausmitteln befragt. Es zeigte sich, dass rund 90 Pflanzen regelmässig angewendet werden - hauptsächlich in Form von Tee und äusserlich als Wickel. Hauptanwendungsgebiete für die Heilpflanzen im privaten Umfeld sind Atemwegsbeschwerden, Erkältungen sowie Verdauungs- und Hautbeschwerden. Die Resultate sind vergleichbar mit anderen ethnobotanischen Studien bei Laien und Heilpflanzenexperten in der Schweiz. Es zeigt sich, dass forschungsnahes Lernen zu Arzneipflanzen in der Mittelschule (Gymnasium, Fachmittelschule) mehrere positive Effekte miteinander verbindet: 1) Hohe Motivation bei den Lernenden zur wissenschaftlichen Auseinandersetzung mit einem selbstgewählten Thema; 2) nachhaltiger Effekt in der Gesundheitsbildung, da exemplarisch an einem alltagsrelevanten Thema gelernt wird; 3) Dokumentation von lokalem Arzneipflanzenwissen im Sinne einer Vorstudie für weitere Projekte.
A Complete Response Case in a Patient with Multiple Lung Metastases of Rectal Cancer Treated with Bevacizumab plus XELIRI Therapy
Authors: Hashida Hiroki , Satake Hironaga , Kaihara Satoshi
Published: January 2017

It has been reported that many patients with lung metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) underwent chemotherapy with fluorouracil, folinic acid, oxaliplatin, irinotecan, or capecitabine. There is a small number of reports about the capecitabine and irinotecan (XELIRI) plus bevacizumab (BV) therapy for patients with metastatic CRC in Japan. We report a case of successful BV+XELIRI therapy for rectal cancer with multiple lung metastases as first-line chemotherapy. A 53-year-old female presented with advanced rectal cancer and metastatic lung tumors. Following surgery, the patient was treated with XELIRI+BV. After 6 courses, a computed tomography scan showed complete response of the lung metastases. No recurrence has occurred for 3 years after chemotherapy was stopped.
Métodos de conservação de cadáveres humanos utilizados nas faculdades de medicina do Brasil
Authors: Silva Guilherme Rodrigues da , Cortez Pedro Olímpio Barros Cavalcante , Lopes Isabela De Sousa Leal , Teixeira Bruna De Alcobaça Castelo Branco , Leal Noelia Maria de Sousa
Published: January 2017

Introdução: Anatomia é a ciência das estruturas corporais e das relações entre essas estruturas. Uma das metodologias mais antigas para o estudo da Anatomia é a utilização de cadáveres humanos. Diante da dificuldade de aquisição de novos cadáveres nos dias atuais, a conservação dos cadáveres existentes se reveste em um ponto crucial no ensino da Anatomia Humana. Objetivo: Analisar os métodos de conservação de cadáveres humanos mais utilizados nas escolas de Medicina do Brasil. Forma de estudo: Descritivo com abordagem quantitativa. Métodos: A coleta de dados foi realizada através do envio de um questionário online para o endereço eletrônico dos professores responsáveis pela disciplina de Anatomia Humana das 242 faculdades de Medicina do Brasil. Desse universo, foram obtidas 81 respostas. Os dados obtidos foram armazenados e analisados através dos programas GoogleForms® e Microsoft Excel®. Resultado: Os dados obtidos evidenciaram que 96% das Faculdades de Medicina do Brasil utilizam cadáveres humanos nas aulas práticas de Anatomia, das quais 83,3% fazem uso de formolização e 56,4% glicerinação. Constatou-se que a formolização predomina em todas as regiões do país, exceto na região Centro-Oeste. 60,7% das faculdades que utilizam a formolização pretendem mudar o método de conservação, especialmente em virtude da insalubridade do formol. Conclusão: Através dos resultados obtidos na presente pesquisa, conclui-se que a utilização de cadáveres humanos no ensino de Anatomia é adotada pela grande maioria das faculdades brasileiras de Medicina. O método mais utilizado na conservação das peças cadavéricas ainda é a formolização, seguido da glicerinização.
Utilização de oxigenação por membrana extracorpórea (ECMO) no choque cardiogênico refratário: relato de caso e revisão da literatura
Authors: Nakahira Evelyn Sue , Galas Filomena Regina Barbosa Gomes
Published: January 2017

Paciente de 29 anos, do sexo masculino, com miocardiopatia dilatada, evoluiu com insuficiência cardíaca refratária ao tratamento clínico. Para manter parâmetros hemodinâmicos foi necessário utilizar balão intra-aórtico e, posteriormente, instalação de oxigenação por membrana extracorpórea (ECMO) como ponte para transplante cardíaco. A ECMO permitiu estabilização, melhora das disfunções orgânicas de tal forma que o paciente chegasse ao transplante em condições hemodinâmicas adequadas. O paciente foi transplantado, evoluiu hemodinamicamente estável no pós-operatório. Duas semanas após ter saído da unidade de terapia intensiva (UTI), recebeu alta.
Paciente idosa portadora de doença aterosclerótica submetida à cineangiocoronariografia com achado incidental de origem e curso anômalos de artéria coronária esquerda: relato de caso
Authors: Coelho Junior Luilson Geraldo , Almeida Pedro Rodrigo Magalhães Negreiros de , Costa Junior Wesley Lobo , Vasconcelos Dayane Quintino , Barbosa Ana Carolina Albernaz , Silva Vinicius Nunes , Cardoso Leonardo Santos , Figueiredo Estevão Tavares de
Published: January 2017

As anomalias das artérias coronárias são formas relativamente raras de malformação congênita acometendo aproximadamente 1% da população. O paciente portador de anomalia de artéria coronária pode apresentar-se assintomático por um longo período, ou, apresentar de forma súbita um infarto agudo do miocárdio, arritmias graves e até morte súbita. O diagnóstico baseado em história clínica e exame físico muitas vezes não é possível, pois não há alterações clínicas significativas; portanto o uso de exames de imagem é de suma importância, tais como cineangiocoronariografia, angiotomografia e ressonância de artérias coronárias. Relatamos um caso em que uma paciente idosa, hipertensa e tabagista, portadora de doença aterosclerótica apresentou angina instável e foi submetida à cineangiocoronariografia, a qual revelou de maneira incidental, origem e curso anômalos de artéria coronária esquerda.