bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The variability of Baffin Bay seafloor sediment mineralogy: the identification of discrete glacial sediment sources and application to Late Quaternary downcore analysis
Authors: Andrews John T. , Klein Anna J. , Jenner Kimberly A. , Jennings Anne E. , Campbell Calvin
Published: March 2018

Quantitative X-ray diffraction (qXRD) mineralogy of bedrock, ice-rafted, and fluvial clasts, 239 seafloor samples (<2 mm), and samples from two long piston cores were used to (i) define regional patterns and sources within Baffin Bay, (ii) evaluate two areas from west Greenland and east Baffin Island in more detail, and (iii) apply these findings to the interpretation of downcore variations in sediment sources. A sediment-unmixing program is used to define surface regional mineral assemblages and to examine changes in sediment sources in cores HU2013029-77PC (southern Baffin Island slope) and HU2008029-8PC (Davis Strait) during Marine Isotope Stages 1 through 3. Distinct regional patterns are observed in the association between the mineralogy of surface sediments and carbonate and basalt bedrock outcrops. Detailed analysis of seafloor samples from the west Greenland troughs and Baffin Island fjords show regional differences in mineralogy, with sediments derived from the Foxe Fold Belt (north-central Baffin Island) being mineralogically distinct from sediments to the north and south. Grain-size spectra from the west Greenland troughs suggested an association between grain-size spectra and mineral assemblages. Sediment unmixing of qXRD data from the two piston cores shows discrete intervals where one or more mineral sources were dominant. However, chronological control is such that it is unclear whether the various ice streams draining into Baffin Bay behaved synchronously.
Demystifying the scaffolding required for first-year physics student retention: contextualizing content and nurturing physics identity,
Authors: Stiles-Clarke Laura , MacLeod Katarin
Published: March 2018

Graduates of physics degree programs are a critical element in the development of a scientifically literate, economically competitive society as discussed by the National Research Council in 2013 (Adapting to a changing world: Challenges and opportunities in undergraduate physics education. National Academies Press, Washington, D.C. 2013). This qualitative case study invited students at a university in Atlantic Canada to participate in a post-course survey to investigate what influenced them to major or to not major in physics. Sixty students participated in the survey portion of the study, of a possible 121, and the survey data was cross-referenced with data from two student interviews, one professor interview, and one laboratory technician interview. Results indicated that student participants were more likely to choose a physics degree program if they felt that they had enough interest in the subject matter, they had experienced good teaching, and they could see how to apply the degree to a career. In addition, a newly implemented, research-based laboratory curriculum proved beneficial, especially for female students. Fifteen percent of participating students continued into a physics major, which is more than the average of under 10% reported by Nicholson and Mulvey in 2016 (Roster of physics departments with enrollment and degree data, 2013. Focus on: American Institute of Physics. 2016. Available from https://www.aip.org/sites/default/files/statistics/rosters/physrost15.1.pdf ). This study provides a Canadian perspective on the choice to major in physics or not, which had been missing from the literature. Findings from this case could be infused into other first-year physics courses to boost student retention rates.
Using a linked table-based structure to encode self-describing multiparameter spatiotemporal data
Authors: Dunnington Dewey W. , Spooner Ian S.
Published: March 2018

Multiparameter data with both spatial and temporal components are critical to advancing the state of environmental science. These data and data collected in the future are most useful when compared with each other and analyzed together, which is often inhibited by inconsistent data formats and a lack of structured documentation provided by researchers and (or) data repositories. In this paper we describe a linked table-based structure that encodes multiparameter spatiotemporal data and their documentation that is both flexible (able to store a wide variety of data sets) and usable (can easily be viewed, edited, and converted to plottable formats). The format is a collection of five tables (Data, Locations, Params, Data Sets, and Columns), on which restrictions are placed to ensure data are represented consistently from multiple sources. These tables can be stored in a variety of ways including spreadsheet files, comma-separated value (CSV) files, JavaScript object notation (JSON) files, databases, or objects in a software environment such as R or Python. A toolkit for users of R statistical software was also developed to facilitate converting data to and from the data format. We have used this format to combine data from multiple sources with minimal metadata loss and to effectively archive and communicate the results of spatiotemporal studies. We believe that this format and associated discussion of data and data storage will facilitate increased synergies between past, present, and future data sets in the environmental science community.
The Brauer–Picard groups of fusion categories coming from the ADE subfactors
Authors: Edie-Michell Cain
Published: March 2018

We compute the group of Morita auto-equivalences of the even parts of the [Formula: see text] subfactors, and Galois conjugates. To achieve this, we study the braided auto-equivalences of the Drinfeld centers of these categories. We give planar algebra presentations for each of these Drinfeld centers, which we leverage to obtain information about the braided auto-equivalences of the corresponding categories. We also perform the same calculations for the fusion categories constructed from the full [Formula: see text] subfactors.

Of particular interest, the even part of the [Formula: see text] subfactor is shown to have Brauer–Picard group [Formula: see text]. We develop combinatorial arguments to compute the underlying algebra objects of these invertible bimodules.
A Solution Framework for Response Surface-Based Multiple Quality Characteristics Optimization
Authors: Bera Sasadhar , Mukherjee Indrajit
Published: March 2018

A common problem generally encountered during manufacturing process improvement involves simultaneous optimization of multiple ‘quality characteristics’ or so-called ‘responses’ and determining the best process operating conditions. Such a problem is also referred to as ‘multiple response optimization (MRO) problem’. The presence of interaction between the responses calls for trade-off solution. The term ‘trade-off’ is an explicit compromised solution considering the bias and variability of the responses around the specified targets. The global exact solution in such types of nonlinear optimization problems is usually unknown, and various trade-off solution approaches (based on process response surface (RS) models or without using process RS models) had been proposed by researchers over the years. Considering the prevalent and preferred solution approaches, the scope of this paper is limited to RS-based solution approaches and similar closely related solution framework for MRO problems. This paper contributes by providing a detailed step-by-step RS-based MRO solution framework. The applicability and steps of the solution framework are also illustrated using a real life in-house pin-on-disc design of experiment study. A critical review on solution approaches with details on inherent characteristic features, assumptions, limitations, application potential in manufacturing and selection norms (indicative of the application potential) of suggested techniques/methods to be adopted for implementation of framework is also provided. To instigate research in this field, scopes for future work are also highlighted at the end.
Lead User Projects in Practice — Results from an Analysis of an Open Innovation Accelerator
Authors: Gutstein Adele , Brem Alexander
Published: March 2018

Earlier research on the lead user method is focused on individual case studies and how the method was applied in a specific context. In this paper, we take a broader approach, analyzing a sample of 24 lead user projects, which included working with 188 lead users. These projects were analyzed regarding their specific processes, resources, challenges, and success factors, using the data of an open innovation intermediary. The key finding is that a refinement and elaboration phase and the integration of designers are crucial success factors which, to date, have not been included in the literature. Moreover, crowdsourcing contests and netnography proved to be of significant value for the need, trend, and lead user identification phases. This paper concludes by discussing theoretical and practical implications, the limitations of this study, and recommendations for future studies.
Chirality and spatially pre-organized multi-porphyrinoids
Authors: Sooambar Chloé , Troiani Vincent , Qiu Hongjin , Fukuzumi Sunichi , Flamigni Lucia , Rein Régis , Solladié Nathalie
Published: March 2018

We report herein that chiral and enantiopure compounds such nucleosides and peptides can pre-organize multi-porphyrinic systems and influence their properties. The first example given concerns star-shaped mutli-porphyrins with chiral and enantiopure nucleosidic linkers. If the configuration is indeed a star-shaped nanomolecule, it appears that the induced conformation is nothing as expected. The four peripheral Zn(II) porphyrins collapse over the free-base central one, inducing totally different photo-physical properties. Despite a minor expected light energy harvesting behavior, the principal capability of this system is to quench the collected light energy and convert it from radiative to non-radiative de-activation. The second example concerns polypeptides with pendant porphyrins. The peptidic backbone confers to the systems, after a certain degree of oligomerization, a 3[Formula: see text] right handed helical conformation which induces cavities within the multi-porphyrinc architecture, ready to welcome guests and render, for example, the complexation of C[Formula: see text] much easier. We thus have constructed novel organic photovoltaic systems using supramolecular complexes of porphyrin–peptide oligomers with fullerene clusters. The composite cluster OTE/SnO[Formula: see text] electrode prepared with (P(ZnP)[Formula: see text] C[Formula: see text], exhibits an impressive incident photon-to-photocurrent efficiency (IPCE) with values reaching as high as 56%. The power conversion efficiency of the (P(H[Formula: see text]P)[Formula: see text] C[Formula: see text] modified electrode reaches 1.6%, which is 40 times higher than the value (0.043%) of the porphyrin monomer (P(H[Formula: see text]P)[Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] C[Formula: see text] modified electrode. Thus, the organization approach between porphyrins and fullerenes with polypeptide structures is promising, and may make it possible to further improve the light energy conversion properties by using a larger number of porphyrins in a polypeptide unit.
New infinite families of congruences for the number of tagged parts over partitions with designated summands
Authors: Adansie Prince , Chern Shane , Xia Ernest X. W.
Published: March 2018

Recently, Lin introduced a new partition function [Formula: see text], which counts the total number of tagged parts over all partitions of [Formula: see text] with designated summands. Lin also proved some congruences modulo [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we shall present two new infinite families of congruences modulo [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text].
Xin Jinping Starts His Second Term with Prospect of Ruling for Life
Authors: CHEN Gang
Published: March 2018

Xi Jinping started his second term as general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and chairman of the Central Military Commission at the 19th Party Congress in October 2017. No heir apparent was installed at the congress, leading to greater speculation that Xi may continue to serve his third term after 2022. In February 2018, the CPC proposed to remove a constitutional clause limiting presidential service to just two terms in office.
Hong Kong Politics in 2017
Authors: LIM Tai Wei
Published: March 2018

Hong Kong is highlighting its position as a “super-connector” to China in the Belt and Road Initiative. Premier Li Keqiang’s Five-Year Plan unfurled in March 2016 noted that Beijing will be augmenting Hong Kong’s economic position. Many expect the central government’s policies towards Hong Kong in the post-19th Party Congress era to remain unchanged since the broad directions to managing Hong Kong have already been laid down.
Taiwan’s Economy in 2017: Boosted by Apple’s Great Appetite
Authors: CHIANG Min-Hua
Published: March 2018

The strong global demand for new information and communication technology devices had pushed Taiwan’s economic growth rate in 2017 to 2.84%, from 1.41% in 2016. The improving global economy, growth in minimum wage and rising government expenditure are encouraging factors in the near term. Taiwan’s future economic outlook hinges on its technological capability vis-à-vis other regional peers, close production relations with global multinational firms and adaptation to other new consumption products.
Detecting Eating Episodes by Tracking Jawbone Movements with a Non-Contact Wearable Sensor
Authors: Chun Keum San , Bhattacharya Sarnab , Thomaz Edison
Published: March 2018

Eating is one of the most fundamental human activities, and because of the important role it plays in our lives, it has been extensively studied. However, an objective and usable method for dietary intake tracking remains unrealized despite numerous efforts by researchers over the last decade. In this work, we present a new wearable computing approach for detecting eating episodes. Using a novel multimodal sensing strategy combining accelerometer and range sensing, the approach centers on a discreet and lightweight instrumented necklace that captures head and jawbone movements without direct contact with the skin. An evaluation of the system with 32 participants comprised of three phases resulted in eating episodes detected with 95.2% precision and 81.9% recall in controlled studies and 78.2% precision and 72.5% recall in the free-living study. This research add technical contributions to the fields of wearable computing, human activity recognition, and mobile health.
Anatomy of a Vulnerable Fitness Tracking System
Authors: Classen Jiska , Wegemer Daniel , Patras Paul , Spink Tom , Hollick Matthias
Published: March 2018

Fitbit fitness trackers record sensitive personal information, including daily step counts, heart rate profiles, and locations visited. By design, these devices gather and upload activity data to a cloud service, which provides aggregate statistics to mobile app users. The same principles govern numerous other Internet-of-Things (IoT) services that target different applications. As a market leader, Fitbit has developed perhaps the most secure wearables architecture that guards communication with end-to-end encryption. In this article, we analyze the complete Fitbit ecosystem and, despite the brand's continuous efforts to harden its products, we demonstrate a series of vulnerabilities with potentially severe implications to user privacy and device security. We employ a range of techniques, such as protocol analysis, software decompiling, and both static and dynamic embedded code analysis, to reverse engineer previously undocumented communication semantics, the official smartphone app, and the tracker firmware. Through this interplay and in-depth analysis, we reveal how attackers can exploit the Fitbit protocol to extract private information from victims without leaving a trace, and wirelessly flash malware without user consent. We demonstrate that users can tamper with both the app and firmware to selfishly manipulate records or circumvent Fitbit's walled garden business model, making the case for an independent, user-controlled, and more secure ecosystem. Finally, based on the insights gained, we make specific design recommendations that can not only mitigate the identified vulnerabilities, but are also broadly applicable to securing future wearable system architectures.
What Makes Smartphone Use Meaningful or Meaningless?
Authors: Lukoff Kai , Yu Cissy , Kientz Julie , Hiniker Alexis
Published: March 2018

Prior research indicates that many people wish to limit aspects of their smartphone use. Why is it that certain smartphone use feels so meaningless? We examined this question by using interviews, the experience sampling method, and mobile logging of 86,402 sessions of app use. One motivation for use (habitual use to pass the time) and two types of use (entertainment and passive social media) were associated with a lower sense of meaningfulness. In interviews, participants reported feeling a loss of autonomy when using their phone in these ways. These reports were corroborated by experience sampling data showing that motivation to achieve a specific purpose declined over the course of app use, particularly for passive social media and entertainment usage. In interviews, participants pointed out that even when smartphone use itself was meaningless, it could sometimes still be meaningful in the context of broader life as a 'micro escape' from negative situations. We discuss implications for how mobile apps can be used and designed to reduce meaningless experiences.
Measuring Interaction Proxemics with Wearable Light Tags
Authors: Montanari Alessandro , Tian Zhao , Francu Elena , Lucas Benjamin , Jones Brian , Zhou Xia , Mascolo Cecilia
Published: March 2018

The proxemics of social interactions (e.g., body distance, relative orientation) influences many aspects of our everyday life: from patients' reactions to interaction with physicians, successes in job interviews, to effective teamwork. Traditionally, interaction proxemics has been studied via questionnaires and participant observations, imposing high burden on users, low scalability and precision, and often biases.

In this paper we present Protractor, a novel wearable technology for measuring interaction proxemics as part of non-verbal behavior cues with fine granularity. Protractor employs near-infrared light to monitor both the distance and relative body orientation of interacting users. We leverage the characteristics of near-infrared light (i.e., line-of-sight propagation) to accurately and reliably identify interactions; a pair of collocated photodiodes aid the inference of relative interaction angle and distance. We achieve robustness against temporary blockage of the light channel (e.g., by the user's hand or clothes) by designing sensor fusion algorithms that exploit inertial sensors to obviate the absence of light tracking results.

We fabricated Protractor tags and conducted real-world experiments. Results show its accuracy in tracking body distances and relative angles. The framework achieves less than 6° error 95% of the time for measuring relative body orientation and 2.3-cm - 4.9-cm mean error in estimating interaction distance. We deployed Protractor tags to track user's non-verbal behaviors when conducting collaborative group tasks. Results with 64 participants show that distance and angle data from Protractor tags can help assess individual's task role with 84.9% accuracy, and identify task timeline with 93.2% accuracy.
RF-Kinect
Authors: Wang Chuyu , Liu Jian , Chen Yingying , Xie Lei , Liu Hong Bo , Lu Sanclu
Published: March 2018

The rising popularity of electronic devices with gesture recognition capabilities makes the gesture-based human-computer interaction more attractive. Along this direction, tracking the body movement in 3D space is desirable to further facilitate behavior recognition in various scenarios. Existing solutions attempt to track the body movement based on computer version or wearable sensors, but they are either dependent on the light or incurring high energy consumption. This paper presents RF-Kinect, a training-free system which tracks the body movement in 3D space by analyzing the phase information of wearable RFID tags attached on the limb. Instead of locating each tag independently in 3D space to recover the body postures, RF-Kinect treats each limb as a whole, and estimates the corresponding orientations through extracting two types of phase features, Phase Difference between Tags (PDT) on the same part of a limb and Phase Difference between Antennas (PDA) of the same tag. It then reconstructs the body posture based on the determined orientation of limbs grounded on the human body geometric model, and exploits Kalman filter to smooth the body movement results, which is the temporal sequence of the body postures. The real experiments with 5 volunteers show that RF-Kinect achieves 8.7° angle error for determining the orientation of limbs and 4.4cm relative position error for the position estimation of joints compared with Kinect 2.0 testbed.
A Review of Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty in Hemodialysis Fistula
Authors: Bountouris Ioannis , Kritikou Georgia , Degermetzoglou Nikolaos , Avgerinos Konstantinos Ioannis
Published: March 2018

The number of patients in dialysis increases every year. In this review, we will evaluate the role of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) according to patency of arteriovenous fistula and grafts. The main indication of PΤΑ is stenosis > 50% or obstruction of the vascular lumen of an arteriovenous fistula and graft. It is usually performed under local anesthesia. The infection rate is as low as the number of complications. Fistula can be used in dialysis in the same day without the need for a central venous catheter. Primary patency is >50% in the first year while primary assisted patency is 80–90% in the same time period. Repeated PTA is as durable as the primary PTA. An early PTA carries a risk of new interventions. Cutting balloon can be used as a second-line method. Stents and covered stents are kept for the management of complications and central outflow venous stenosis. PTA is the treatment of choice for stenosis or obstruction of dialysis fistulas. Repeated PTA may be needed for better patency. Drug eluting balloon may become the future in PTA of dialysis fistula, but more trials are needed.
On Using a Mobile Application to Support Teledermatology: A Case Study in an Underprivileged Area in Colombia
Authors: Sáenz Juan Pablo , Novoa Mónica Paola , Correal Darío , Eapen Bell Raj
Published: March 2018

Background. The use of mobile applications in dermatology to support remote diagnosis is gaining acceptance, particularly in rural areas, where dermatology services are commonly managed by healthcare personnel with no specialty training. Moreover, ontologies—sets of concepts that represent knowledge in a given domain—are increasingly being used to support medical diagnosis. A specific case is ONTODerm: an ontology to aid dermatological diagnosis. However, there is little information on the combined use of mobile applications and ontologies as support solutions in dermatology. Objective. Assessing the reliability of ONTODerm as a tool to support remote dermatological diagnosis when used together with a mobile dermatological application in underprivileged areas. Methods. A mobile application that allows characterization of skin lesions was developed, and the information about the lesions was sent to ONTODerm. An exploratory study was conducted in a remote area without access to a dermatologist. A total of 64 dermatological queries were recorded in the application and consulted with ONTODerm. Later, an experienced dermatologist evaluated the characterization and diagnosis of each query to determine the accuracy of the system. Results. The results showed that the probability of obtaining a correct diagnosis was between 64.4% and 85.6% with a confidence interval of 95%. A higher accuracy rate was obtained when the skin lesion occurred on the face or when its border was categorized as poorly demarcated. Conclusions. This study demonstrates the implementation of a teledermatology strategy based on mobile applications and domain ontology-driven knowledge base to provide timely assistance to healthcare professionals. This approach was found to be pertinent in the Colombian rural context, particularly in forest regions, where dermatology specialists are not available. The results of this article do not represent a final validation of the proposed approach; they suggest how the ontology can be improved to effectively support medical staff in marginalized regions.
A Case of Progressive Stroke on Posterior Circulation with Transient Bilateral Oculomotor Palsy
Authors: Takahashi Chiaki
Published: March 2018

Infarction located in the midbrain and pons presents various ophthalmic symptoms, because of the damage of the nuclei that control the movement of internal and external ocular and palpebral muscles. We experienced a case which presented with rare ocular symptoms and course. A 61-year-old man presented with left hemiparesis and dysarthria, bilateral ptosis, and bilateral impaired eyeball movement: right eyeball movement was totally impaired and left could only perform slight adduction. MRI showed fresh stroke in the right thalamus, cerebral crus, and posterior lobe and cuneate lesion on bilateral paramedian portion of the midbrain. MRA showed occlusion in the P1 area of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA). Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) showed findings of a patent foramen ovale (PFO). These findings suggested cardioembolic stroke as a cause of PCA occlusion and we prescribed rivaroxaban. The patient’s eyeball and eyelid movement, only on the left side, was improved imperfectly 2 weeks later. We thought that neurological findings and course of this case may have arisen from dysfunction of the oculomotor nucleus and oculomotor fascicles, and MLF results from the presence of the lesion in paramedian midbrain and pons.
Metastatic Prostate Cancer Manifesting as Cholestatic Jaundice: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Ravindranathan Deepak , Hitron Emilie Elise , Russler Greta Anne , Xue Yue , Bilen Mehmet Asim
Published: March 2018

A paraneoplastic syndrome can often present as the first manifestation of an underlying malignancy. We report a patient who presented with cholestatic jaundice as a paraneoplastic syndrome from his newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer. He received initial treatment with androgen deprivation therapy followed by six cycles of docetaxel resulting in resolution of his cholestatic process, normalization of liver enzyme levels, and excellent biochemical and radiographic response. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of metastatic prostate cancer with cholestatic jaundice as a paraneoplastic phenomenon to be safely treated with androgen deprivation therapy and upfront docetaxel, reflecting the latest shift in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer.
Effects of Transplanted Heparin-Poloxamer Hydrogel Combining Dental Pulp Stem Cells and bFGF on Spinal Cord Injury Repair
Authors: Luo Lihua , Albashari Abdullkhaleg Ali , Wang Xiaoyan , Jin Ling , Zhang Yanni , Zheng Lina , Xia Jianjian , Xu Helin , Zhao Yingzheng , Xiao Jian , He Yan , Ye Qingsong
Published: March 2018

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of serious traumatic diseases of the central nervous system and has no effective treatment because of its complicated pathophysiology. Tissue engineering strategy which contains scaffolds, cells, and growth factors can provide a promising treatment for SCI. Hydrogel that has 3D network structure and biomimetic microenvironment can support cellular growth and embed biological macromolecules for sustaining release. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), derived from cranial neural crest, possess mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) characteristics and have an ability to provide neuroprotective and neurotrophic properties for SCI treatment. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is able to promote cell survival and proliferation and also has beneficial effect on neural regeneration and functional recovery after SCI. Herein, a thermosensitive heparin-poloxamer (HP) hydrogel containing DPSCs and bFGF was prepared, and the effects of HP-bFGF-DPSCs on neuron restoration after SCI were evaluated by functional recovery tests, western blotting, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), histology evaluation, and immunohistochemistry. The results suggested that transplanted HP hydrogel containing DPSCs and bFGF had a significant impact on spinal cord repair and regeneration and may provide a promising strategy for neuron repair, functional recovery, and tissue regeneration after SCI.
Prenatally Diagnosed Isolated Coronary Arterial Fistula Leading to Severe Complications at Birth
Authors: Wacker-Gussmann A. , Esser T. , Lobmaier S. M. , Vogt M. O. , Ostermayer E. , Oberhoffer R.
Published: March 2018

Prenatal diagnosis of a huge coronary artery fistula between the left coronary artery and the right ventricle was made by Doppler echocardiography at 22 weeks of gestation. Progression of the dilated fistula was monitored throughout pregnancy. The size of the fistula increased enormously up to 11 mm. Death occurred at birth. Monitoring of these fetuses is essential as severe complications can occur during pregnancy or at birth.
Sustained Regression of Hydroxycarbamide Induced Actinic Keratoses after Switching to Anagrelide
Authors: Gaitanis Georgios , Gougopoulou Dora , Kapsali Eleni , Bassukas Ioannis D.
Published: March 2018

Hydroxycarbamide (HC) is the first-line treatment for certain myeloproliferative neoplasms, such as polycythemia vera and essential thrombocytosis (ET). In a subset of these patients long-term treatment with HC can result in the development of confluent actinic keratoses (AK) followed by invasive keratinocytic carcinomas (“squamous dysplasia”), preferentially on sun-exposed skin. Discontinuation or dose reduction of HC may result in partial improvement. A 59-year-old farmer after 14 years on HC (2 gr/d) and acetylsalicylic acid (100 mg/d) for ET, was referred for numerous, hyperkeratotic AK on face, scalp, and hands that could not be controlled with repeated (N=15) cryosurgery sessions in the previous 3 years. Acitretin (0.32 mg/kg daily) and topical treatments (cryosurgery with ingenol mebutate) were initiated with only marginal improvement after 3 months. Acitretin dose was doubled and HC was switched to anagrelide (0.5 mg twice daily). Within a month the AK load regressed significantly and, at 3 months follow-up, complete clinical remission was achieved and acitretin was discontinued. Twenty months later the patient is clear from AK. In conclusion, the impressive and sustainable AK remission under anagrelide draws attention to a possible role of the phosphodiesterase 3 pathway, the major pharmacological target of anagrelide, as a potential therapeutic target for keratinocytic cancers.
Role of Nanotechnology in Cosmeceuticals: A Review of Recent Advances
Authors: Kaul Shreya , Gulati Neha , Verma Deepali , Mukherjee Siddhartha , Nagaich Upendra
Published: March 2018

Nanotechnology manifests the progression in the arena of research and development, by increasing the efficacy of the product through delivery of innovative solutions. To overcome certain drawbacks associated with the traditional products, application of nanotechnology is escalating in the area of cosmeceuticals. Cosmeceuticals are regarded as the fastest growing segment of the personal care industry and the use has risen drastically over the years. Nanocosmeceuticals used for skin, hair, nail, and lip care, for conditions like wrinkles, photoaging, hyperpigmentation, dandruff, and hair damage, have come into widespread use. Novel nanocarriers like liposomes, niosomes, nanoemulsions, microemulsion, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carrier, and nanospheres have replaced the usage of conventional delivery system. These novel nanocarriers have advantages of enhanced skin penetration, controlled and sustained drug release, higher stability, site specific targeting, and high entrapment efficiency. However, nanotoxicological researches have indicated concern regarding the impact of increased use of nanoparticles in cosmeceuticals as there are possibilities of nanoparticles to penetrate through skin and cause health hazards. This review on nanotechnology used in cosmeceuticals highlights the various novel carriers used for the delivery of cosmeceuticals, their positive and negative aspects, marketed formulations, toxicity, and regulations of nanocosmeceuticals.
A Role for Postoperative Negative Pressure Wound Therapy in Multitissue Hand Injuries
Authors: Shim Hyung Sup , Choi Ji Seon , Kim Sang Wha
Published: March 2018

In this study, we compared outcomes in patients with acute hand injury, who were managed with or without negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) after reconstructive surgery. All of the patients who sustained acute and multitissue injuries of the hand were identified. After reconstructive surgery, a conventional dressing was applied in Group 1 and NPWT was applied in Group 2. The dressing and NPWT were changed every 3 days. The mean age and Hand Injury Severity Scoring System score of both groups were not significantly different. Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) scores were evaluated 1 month after all the sutures were removed and 1 year postoperatively, which were both significantly lower in Group 2. Applying NPWT to the hand promoted wound healing by reducing edema, stabilizing the wound, and providing immobilization in a functional position. Early wound healing and decreased complications enabled early rehabilitation, which led to successful functional recovery, both objectively and subjectively.
Isolated Superior Mesenteric Vein Tumor Thrombus in a Patient with Gastric Cancer
Authors: Özcan Barış , Çevener Metin , Kargı Ayşegül , Özdoğan Mustafa , Gürkan Alihan
Published: March 2018

Tumor thrombus in the portal vein can rarely originate from gastric cancer via hematogenous spread, with only few case reports published in the literature. Isolated superior mesenteric vein tumor thrombus in gastric cancer has not been previously reported. A 61-year-old male patient who had undergone distal gastrectomy and gastroenterostomy for gastric ulcer 20 years ago was diagnosed with an obstructive tumor originating from the gastroenterostomy anastomosis site on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy that was performed for complaints of fatigue, oral feeding problems, and anemia. The PET-CT imaging revealed a hypermetabolic mass in the gastroenterostomy region along with hypermetabolic suspected tumor thrombus in the superior mesenteric vein (SMV). A suspected tumor thrombus with contrast enhancement that completely obstructed the SMV was detected on triphasic abdominal computed tomography. Decision for surgery was made due to gastric tumor obstruction. Firstly, lesions suspected with tumor thrombus were extirpated from the SMV and sent to frozen section. Then, it was completely recanalized. A locally advanced tumor originating from the gastroenterostomy anastomosis site that totally obliterated the lumen was observed on surgical exploration. After proving tumor thrombus by frozen, near-total gastrectomy was performed for palliative purposes. Histopathologic examination of the specimen showed gastric invasive adenocarcinoma and tumor thrombi in the SMV (T4N2M1). The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy, and he is at his 22nd-month follow-up with extensive hepatic metastases and intra-abdominal disease. It should be kept in mind that gastric cancer may lead to portal vein tumor thrombus or that it may rarely be associated with an isolated SMV tumor thrombus, both of which are associated with poor prognosis.
Theoretical and Experimental Comparison Results of Dual-Channel 3D Quasi-Optical Network System between Frequency Selective Surface and Wire Grid Polarizer
Authors: Wang Hai , Liu Xiaoming , Yu Junsheng , Lu Zejian , Chen Xiaodong
Published: March 2018

A dual-channel 3D quasi-optical network (QON) system is analyzed and compared by theoretical and experimental results. It is divided into dual-channel signals by frequency selective surface (FSS) or wire grid polarizer (WGP) for transmitting the 324 GHz signal on the top layer while diverting the 183 GHz signal to the bottom layer. The system structure based on the beam radius is traced by the complex beam parameter and system transfer matrix for deciding the positions of cascade mirrors. The design principles and test results of FSS with perforated hexagonal array and WGP printed on the dielectric substrate are discussed together. In order to evaluate channel performance, the output planar near-fields of QON system are simulated and tested by the four reflections and three transmission results, respectively, where both scalar and vector conversion efficiencies are used to evaluate the quality of output beams. For the distortion phenomenon and energy loss in planar field, the aperture modes of corrugated horn feeds are analyzed by spherical wave expansion (SWE) to explain the asymmetrical pattern characteristic. The cut section of the far-field pattern is also directly measured in the compact antenna test range (CATR), comparing with the far-field patterns that are indirectly obtained based on the principle of near-to-far-field transformation and ideal aperture field integral of quiet zone (QZ). The differences between the near- and far-field test in QON have been compared, and discussion that the corresponding experimental results verify the WGP has better work performance in the good pattern symmetry, high cross-polarization isolation, low energy loss, and side-lobe level.
Stability, Bifurcation, and Quenching Chaos of a Vehicle Suspension System
Authors: Chen Chun-Cheng , Chang Shun-Chang
Published: March 2018

This study investigated the dynamics and control of a nonlinear suspension system using a quarter-car model that is forced by the road profile. Bifurcation analysis used to characterize nonlinear dynamic behavior revealed codimension-two bifurcation and homoclinic orbits. The nonlinear dynamics were determined using bifurcation diagrams, phase portraits, Poincaré maps, frequency spectra, and Lyapunov exponents. The Lyapunov exponent was used to identify the onset of chaotic motion. Finally, state feedback control was used to prevent chaotic motion. The effectiveness of the proposed control method was determined via numerical simulations.
A Comparative Study on Stabilized Finite Element Methods for the Convection-Diffusion-Reaction Problems
Authors: Sendur Ali
Published: March 2018

The disproportionality in the problem parameters of the convection-diffusion-reaction equation may lead to the formation of layer structures in some parts of the problem domain which are difficult to resolve by the standard numerical algorithms. Therefore the use of a stabilized numerical method is inevitable. In this work, we employ and compare three classical stabilized finite element formulations, namely, the Streamline-Upwind Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG), Galerkin/Least-Squares (GLS), and Subgrid Scale (SGS) methods, and a recent Link-Cutting Bubble (LCB) strategy proposed by Brezzi and his coworkers for the numerical solution of the convection-diffusion-reaction equation, especially in the case of small diffusion. On the other hand, we also consider the pseudo residual-free bubble (PRFB) method as another alternative that is based on enlarging the finite element space by a set of appropriate enriching functions. We compare the performances of these stabilized methods on several benchmark problems. Numerical experiments show that the proposed methods are comparable and display good performance, especially in the convection-dominated regime. However, as the problem turns into reaction-dominated case, the PRFB method is slightly better than the other well-known and extensively used stabilized finite element formulations as they start to exhibit oscillations.
Mcredit2: Enhanced High-Performance Xen Scheduler via Dynamic Weight Allocation
Authors: Kang Minsu , Lee Sangjun
Published: March 2018

Generally, operating only a single host on a single server results in hardware underutilization. Thus, hypervisors (e.g., Xen) have been developed to allow several hosts to operate on a single server. The Xen hypervisor provides processor schedulers (e.g., Credit and Credit2 schedulers) to assign processors to each host. The Credit2 scheduler provides work assurance to the domain relative to latency and it evenly assigns processors to each domain. In addition, the Credit2 scheduler can assign a weight value to each host. A greater host weight value allows processors to be assigned to a host for longer periods. However, the Credit2 scheduler shows poorer performance than the basic Credit scheduler, which utilizes idle processors. In this paper, we propose the Mcredit2 scheduler, which improves the Credit2 scheduler. The Credit2 scheduler takes no action when the load on a specific domain causes increased processor usage. The proposed Mcredit2 scheduler allows a domain to quickly process loads by temporarily assigning a greater weight value to a host with high processor usage. In addition, we introduce a processor monitoring tool that visualizes the processor usage.
Beam Synthesis with Low-Bit Reflective Coding Metamaterial Antenna: Theoretical and Experimental Results
Authors: Wu Qinhao , Cheng Yongqiang , Li Xiang , Wang Hongqiang
Published: March 2018

Coding metamaterials are the new technology where the aperture coding provides the hardware foundation for the miniaturization of the devices. As a synthetic 2-D plane, metamaterial antennas are composed of subwavelength resonant particles. It can realize real-time control of electromagnetic wave and build multifunction radar array system. We make a detailed explanation of its array structure, working principle, and hardware system. However, it is usually difficult to synthesize flexible beams because the phase value is very limited in this antenna. Two methods are proposed in this paper to demonstrate the beam synthesis based on repetitive coding and convolution, and the distribution of beam pointings is analysed on the basis of this mechanism. Experiments that measure the radiation pattern of this antenna are carried out to verify the simulated results using only 1-bit coding metasurface in a radar system, whose phase value is controlled by pin diode on the surface.
Evaluating the Utility of a Structured Clinical Protocol for Reducing the Impact of Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia in Progressive Neurological Diseases: A Pilot Study
Authors: Ryan Nicholas P. , Scott Laura , McPhee Maryanne , Mathers Susan , Davis Marie-Claire , Maule Roxanne , Fisher Fiona
Published: March 2018

Objectives. Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) cause significant distress to both aged care residents and staff. Despite the high prevalence of BPSD in progressive neurological diseases (PNDs) such as multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease, the utility of a structured clinical protocol for reducing BPSD has not been systematically evaluated in PND populations. Method. Staff (n=51) and individuals with a diagnosis of PND (n=13) were recruited into the study, which aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a PND-specific structured clinical protocol for reducing the impact of BPSD in residential aged care (RAC) and specialist disability accommodation (SDA) facilities. Staff were trained in the clinical protocol through face-to-face workshops, which were followed by 9 weeks of intensive clinical supervision to a subset of staff (“behaviour champions”). Staff and resident outcome measures were administered preintervention and immediately following the intervention. The primary outcome was frequency and severity of BPSD, measured using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home Version (NPI-NH). The secondary outcome was staff coping assessed using the Strain in Dementia Care Scale (SDCS). Results. In SDA, significant reductions in staff ratings of job-related stress were observed alongside a statistically significant decrease in BPSD from T1 to T2. In RAC, there was no significant time effect for BPSD or staff coping; however, a medium effect size was observed for staff job stress. Conclusions. Staff training and clinical support in the use of a structured clinical protocol for managing BPSD were linked to reductions in staff job stress, which may in turn increase staff capacity to identify indicators of resident distress and respond accordingly. Site variation in outcomes may relate to organisational and workforce-level barriers that may be unique to the RAC context and should be systematically addressed in future RCT studies of larger PND samples.
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Breast Cancer Patients by Means of Indocyanine Green Using the Karl Storz VITOM® Fluorescence Camera
Authors: Papathemelis Thomas , Jablonski Evi , Scharl Anton , Hauzenberger Tanja , Gerken Michael , Klinkhammer-Schalke Monika , Hipp Matthias , Scharl Sophia
Published: March 2018

Currently, the use of radioisotope and blue dye for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for axillary staging in breast cancer is common. Recently, indocyanine green (ICG) has been proposed as an alternative sentinel lymph node (SLN) tracking agent. We evaluated the clinical value of ICG as an additional tracer in combination with Technetium99mand as an alternative to Technetium99mfor the identification of SLN in 104 breast cancer patients. 21 patients had at least 1 histologically tumor-positive SLN. All 21 patients were detected by ICG; in one of these 21 sentinel-positive patients, Technetium99mwas unable to identify lymph node involvement. Our results show that ICG is as effective as the radioisotope for SLNB. In addition, as a near-infrared dye, it has the advantages of real-time visualization, lower cost, and wider availability, since no radioactive material needs to be handled. This trial is registered with German Clinical Trial Register Main ID:DRKS00013606.
Effect of Formaldehyde on Human Middle Ear Epithelial Cells
Authors: Kim Shin Hye , Choi Ji-Woong , Suh Myung-Whan , Lee Jun Ho , Oh Seung-Ha , Song Jae-Jun , Park Moo Kyun
Published: March 2018

Formaldehyde (FA) is a familiar indoor air pollutant found in everything from cosmetics to clothing, but its impact on the middle ear is unknown. This study investigated whether FA causes cytotoxicity, inflammation, or induction of apoptosis in human middle ear epithelial cells (HMEECs). Cell viability was investigated using the trypan blue assay and a cell counting kit (CCK-8) in HMEECs treated with FA for 4 or 24 h. The expression of genes encoding the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and mucin (MUC5AC) was analyzed using RT-PCR. Activation of the apoptosis pathway was determined by measuring mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), cytochrome oxidase, caspase-9/Mch6/Apaf 3, and Caspase-Glo® 3/7 activities. The CCK-8 assay and trypan blue assay results showed a reduction in cell viability in FA-treated HMEECs. FA also increased the cellular expression of TNF-α and MUC5AC and reduced the activities of MMP and cytochrome oxidase. Caspase-9 activity increased in cells stimulated for 4 h, as well as caspase-3/7 activity in cells stimulated for 24 h. The decreased cell viability, the induction of inflammation and mucin gene expression, and the activation of the apoptosis pathway together indicate a link between environmental FA exposure and the development of otitis media.