bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing bonebed mapping with GIS technology using the Danek Bonebed (Upper Cretaceous Horseshoe Canyon Formation, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) as a case study
Authors: Bramble Katherine , Burns Michael E. , Currie Philip J.
Published: December 2014

The Danek Bonebed is a monodominant Edmontosaurus bonebed preserving predominantly disarticulated material from the Upper Campanian Horseshoe Canyon Formation within the city limits of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. To date, at least six dinosaur taxa have been identified at the site: Albertosaurus sarcophagus, Chasmosaurinae indet., Dromaeosauridae indet., Edmontosaurus regalis, Ornithomimidae indet., and Troodontidae indet. This bonebed has been used as a case study for creating a digital, searchable bonebed map using a geographic information system (GIS) platform. The original quarry maps produced on site are refined when digitized with new anatomical information gathered during preparation of collected specimens. Each specimen is labeled with the known specimen identification, quarry coordinates, and catalogue number. Creating a digital map of the bonebed allows easier interpretation of data and the ability to share maps to compare specific elements within the bonebed.
Implications of finding a ceratopsian horncore in the Danek bonebed
Authors: Currie Philip J. , Koppelhus Eva B.
Published: December 2014

In connection with the excavation of the Danek Bonebed in 2011, a half-metre long, well preserved right ceratopsian orbital horncore was recovered. The horncore belongs to the taphonomic group of larger, heavier elements from the bonebed. So far, no other ceratopsian elements have been identified from the bonebed. Ceratopsids from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation of southern Alberta include Anchiceratops, Arrhinoceratops, Eotriceratops, and Pachyrhinosaurus. The size, proportions, and gently anterolaterally procurving morphology of the horncore indicates that it is from a chasmosaurine ceratopsid. There is weak morphological information to suggest that it may represent Anchiceratops ornatus, which is the most common chasmosaurine at this stratigraphic level. The base of the specimen has been hollowed out by a sinus system, which in conjunction with its large size indicates it is probably from a mature animal. The rarity of ceratopsian remains in this and other hadrosaur bonebeds suggests horned dinosaurs were excluded from anywhere that was occupied by herds of large numbers of Edmontosaurus.
The first appearance of Troodon in the Upper Cretaceous site of Danek Bonebed, and a reevaluation of troodontid quantitative tooth morphotypes
Authors: Torices Angelica , Funston Gregory F. , Kraichy Shannon T. , Currie Philip J.
Published: December 2014

The systematic position of the small theropod dinosaur Troodon has had a confusing history and has been identified at different times as a lizard, a pachycephalosaurid, and a coelurosaurid. Troodon is now most commonly considered as a sister taxon to Dromeaosauridae, within Maniraptora. This study records the first evidence of Troodon in the Danek bonebed, an organic-rich member of the upper Campanian Horseshoe Canyon Formation. A single tooth (UALVP 55489) was recovered during the 2012 dig season, and it is exceptionally well-preserved. Its discovery prompted a reevaluation of variation within troodontid teeth in Alberta; it is compared here with 110 troodontid teeth from the Dinosaur Park, Horseshoe Canyon, and Wapiti formations. The results show that no distinctive morphotypes can be separated, in contrast to the results of other studies. This suggests that either troodontid teeth are not sufficiently different for identifying different species or that only one troodontid taxon is present in the Campanian of Alberta.
The bivariate power-normal distribution and the bivariate Johnson system bounded distribution in forestry, including height curves
Authors: Mønness Erik
Published: December 2014

A bivariate diameter and height distribution yields a unified model of a forest stand. The bivariate Johnson system bounded distribution and the bivariate power-normal distribution are explored. The power-normal distribution originates from the well-known Box–Cox transformation. As evaluated by the bivariate Kolmogorov–Smirnov distance, the bivariate power-normal distribution seems to be superior to the bivariate Johnson system bounded distribution. The conditional median height given the diameter is a possible height curve and is compared with a simple hyperbolic height curve. Evaluated by the height deviance, the hyperbolic function yields the best height prediction. A close second is the curve generated by a bivariate power-normal distribution. Johnson system bounded distributions suffer from the sigmoid shape of the association between height and diameter. The bivariate power-normal distribution is easy to estimate and has good numerical properties; therefore, it is a good candidate model for use in forest stands.
Due-Window Assignment for a Single Machine Scheduling with Both Deterioration and Positional Effects
Authors: Zhao Chuanli , Tang Hengyong
Published: December 2014

This paper considers a single machine scheduling with both deterioration and positional effects and due-window assignment problem. The job-dependent due-windows are obtained by the common flow allowance criterion. The objective is to schedule the jobs, and the due-windows so as to minimize the sum of earliness, tardiness, and due-window starting time and due-window size costs. We introduce a polynomial solution for the problem. Furthermore, we show how the solutions can be extended to the setting with job rejection.
Postbuckling up to Collapse of Polar Orthotropic Linearly Elastic Rings Subjected to External Pressure
Authors: Asemi Kamran , Kiani Yasser
Published: December 2014

Post-buckling and collapse phenomenon of a thick closed ring subjected to external pressure on its outer surface is analyzed in this research. Ring is made of a linearly elastic polar orthotropic material. Constitutive law of linear elasticity under plane stress conditions is used. Virtual work principle is implemented to obtain the governing equations. Unlike the available noncompressible ring theories, a two-dimensional elasticity solution including the complete nonlinear Green strain field is used. The finite element method is used to solve the highly nonlinear coupled equilibrium equations. The well-known Newton–Raphson iterative technique is applied to the matrix representation of the equilibrium equations to trace the post-buckling response of the ring up to the collapse point where two antipodal points on the interior side of the ring are collided with each other. It is shown that, including the complete Green strain field is necessary in accurate estimation of the post-buckling path, especially for higher load levels and collapse load. Furthermore, orthotropic rings under external pressure load follow the bifurcation type of buckling accompanied with a stable post-buckling path.
GIS-Based Noise Simulation Open Source Software: N-GNOIS
Authors: Vijay Ritesh , Sharma A. , Kumar M. , Shende V. , Chakrabarti T. , Gupta Rajesh
Published: December 2014

Geographical information system (GIS)-based noise simulation software (N-GNOIS) has been developed to simulate the noise scenario due to point and mobile sources considering the impact of geographical features and meteorological parameters. These have been addressed in the software through attenuation modules of atmosphere, vegetation and barrier. N-GNOIS is a user friendly, platform-independent and open geospatial consortia (OGC) compliant software. It has been developed using open source technology (QGIS) and open source language (Python). N-GNOIS has unique features like cumulative impact of point and mobile sources, building structure and honking due to traffic. Honking is the most common phenomenon in developing countries and is frequently observed on any type of roads. N-GNOIS also helps in designing physical barrier and vegetation cover to check the propagation of noise and acts as a decision making tool for planning and management of noise component in environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies.
GENDER-DIFFERENCE IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POSTURAL SWAY AND BODY FACTORS DURING QUIET STANDING IN THE ELDERLY
Authors: KIM JI-WON , KWON YU-RI , JEON HYEONG-MIN , EOM GWANG-MOON , CHO YEONG BIN , PARK BYUNG KYU
Published: December 2014

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between postural sway and body factors (height, weight, and base of support) and their possible gender-difference during quiet standing in elderly subjects. A total of 46 elderly subjects (23 men and 23 women) performed quiet standing in feet-together and natural stances on a force platform. As outcome measures, mean distance (MD), total power (TP), and 95% power frequency were derived from the center of pressure (COP) trajectory. Correlations between body factors and outcome measures were investigated in each gender, and the gender-difference of the correlations was identified. Also, stepwise multiple regressions were performed to recognize the major determinants (among body factors) of the outcome measures in each gender. Significant gender-differences were observed in the correlation of the outcome measures with body factors. In case of the feet-together stance, postural sway size (MD and TP) increased with weight in men, but not in women. In case of the natural stance, 95% power frequency of sway increased with base of support (BOS) in men, but not in women. Stepwise multiple regressions revealed that weight in the feet-together stance and BOS in the natural stance were the major determinants of outcome measures, and that their influence on outcome measures differed between genders. Relationships between postural sway and body factors differed between genders in the elderly. These results suggest that elderly men and women may have different postural control strategies related to body factors and the normalization of the postural sway variables by body factors may not be performed in the same way in elderly men and women.
Chaotic dynamics and coexistence in a three species interaction model
Authors: Sáez Eduardo , Stange Eduardo , Szántó Iván , González-Olivares Eduardo , Falconi Manuel
Published: December 2014

This work deals with a three-dimensional system, which describes a food web model consisting of a prey, a specialist predator and a top predator which is generalist as it consumes the other two species. Using tools of dynamical systems we prove that the trajectories of system are bounded and that open subsets of parameters exist, such that the system in the first octant has at most two singularities. For an open subset of the parameters space, the system is shown to have an invariant compact set and this is a topologically transitive attractor set. Finally, we find another open set in the parameters space, such that the system has two limit cycles each contained in different invariant planes. The work is completed with a numeric simulation showing the attractor is a strange attractor.
Zero Divisor Graph for the Ring of Eisenstein Integers Modulo n
Authors: Alkam Osama , Abu Osba Emad
Published: December 2014

Let En be the ring of Eisenstein integers modulo n. In this paper we study the zero divisor graph Γ(En). We find the diameters and girths for such zero divisor graphs and characterize n for which the graph Γ(En) is complete, complete bipartite, bipartite, regular, Eulerian, Hamiltonian, or chordal.
Freeway Travel Speed Calculation Model Based on ETC Transaction Data
Authors: Weng Jiancheng , Yuan Rongliang , Wang Ru , Wang Chang
Published: December 2014

Real-time traffic flow operation condition of freeway gradually becomes the critical information for the freeway users and managers. In fact, electronic toll collection (ETC) transaction data effectively records operational information of vehicles on freeway, which provides a new method to estimate the travel speed of freeway. First, the paper analyzed the structure of ETC transaction data and presented the data preprocess procedure. Then, a dual-level travel speed calculation model was established under different levels of sample sizes. In order to ensure a sufficient sample size, ETC data of different enter-leave toll plazas pairs which contain more than one road segment were used to calculate the travel speed of every road segment. The reduction coefficientαand reliable weightθfor sample vehicle speed were introduced in the model. Finally, the model was verified by the special designed field experiments which were conducted on several freeways in Beijing at different time periods. The experiments results demonstrated that the average relative error was about 6.5% which means that the freeway travel speed could be estimated by the proposed model accurately. The proposed model is helpful to promote the level of the freeway operation monitoring and the freeway management, as well as to provide useful information for the freeway travelers.
Impact of Medical and Surgical Treatment of Endometriosis on the Cure of Endometriosis and Pain
Authors: Mettler Liselotte , Ruprai R. , Alkatout Ibrahim
Published: December 2014

This endometriosis study evaluates three different treatment strategies (hormonal medication, surgical, or combined treatment) and discusses the influence of endometriosis on the cure of this disease and pain relief. Four hundred and fifty patients with genital endometriosis, aged 18–44 years, were randomly distributed to three treatment groups at the first laparoscopy. They were reevaluated at a second-look laparoscopy (D 426/10), one to two months after the three-month hormonal therapy for groups 1 and 3 and five to six months later for group 2 (surgical treatment alone). Outcome data focussed on the recurrence of symptoms and pain. The three treatment options independent of the initial endoscopic endometriosis classification (EEC) stage including deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) achieved an overall cure rate of 50% or higher. The highest cure rate of 60% was achieved by the combined treatment, 55% by the exclusively hormonal therapy, and 50% by the exclusively surgical treatment. An overall pregnancy rate between 55% and 65% was achieved with no significant difference in relation to the therapeutical option.
Epibulbar Osseous Choristoma
Authors: Bicer Tolga , Soylemez Hasan
Published: December 2014

The topic of this case report is a rare subconjuctival osseous choristoma that corresponded to the left lateral sunconjunctiva and canthus. A 20-year-old man was asymptomatic when he arrived for the examination. His full ophthalmic examination was normal. Orbital computerized tomography was concordant with osseous lesion. Osseous choristomas are the rarest forms of ocular choristomas, they are usually being defined as sporadic, and they are found at the superior temporal region of the episclera. In our case, choristoma was in the lateral canthus of the left eye. We had administered surgical excision by reason of the patient’s cosmetic requirement. We had noted that the lesion was adherent to conjunctiva but not to the sclera and the muscles. After surgical treatment, we saw mature heterotrophic osseous tissue in subconjunctival area and Haversian canals in compact bone tissue.
Young’s Modulus of Polycrystalline Titania Microspheres Determined by In Situ Nanoindentation and Finite Element Modeling
Authors: Hao Peida , Liu Yanping , Du Yuanming , Zhang Yuefei
Published: December 2014

In situ nanoindentation was employed to probe the mechanical properties of individual polycrystalline titania (TiO2) microspheres. The force‐displacement curves captured by a hybrid scanning electron microscope/scanning probe microscope (SEM/SPM) system were analyzed based on Hertz’s theory of contact mechanics. However, the deformation mechanisms of the nano/microspheres in the nanoindentation tests are not very clear. Finite element simulation was employed to investigate the deformation of spheres at the nanoscale under the pressure of an AFM tip. Then a revised method for the calculation of Young’s modulus of the microspheres was presented based on the deformation mechanisms of the spheres and Hertz’s theory. Meanwhile, a new force‐displacement curve was reproduced by finite element simulation with the new calculation, and it was compared with the curve obtained by the nanoindentation experiment. The results of the comparison show that utilization of this revised model produces more accurate results. The calculated results showed that Young’s modulus of a polycrystalline TiO2 microsphere was approximately 30% larger than that of the bulk counterpart.
Performance Analysis ofγ-Radiation Test Monitor Using Monocrystalline n+pp++ Silicon Solar Cell: CsI(Tl) Scintillator
Authors: Ibrahim Ali Abd El-Salam , El-Aasser Mostafa Abd El-Fattah
Published: December 2014

The silicon solar cells are largely insensitive to gamma-radiation because the radiation passes through solar cells without imparting all of its energy. In order to enhance the sensitivity to radiation, the solar cells are coupled to CsI(Tl) scintillator. With the help of n+pp++ PESC monocrystalline silicon solar cells and CsI(Tl) scintillators, a gamma-radiation test monitor (TM) is developed. Due to safety concerns, a convenience relatively intense60Co gamma-source is used as a suitable substitute for spent fuel. Two designs made of two representative arrays of monocrystalline solar cells are suggested. The induced current and voltage generated by these solar cells are measured. The temperature dependence of the induced current and the angular characteristic of the TM, for both designs, are presented. In comparison to conventional gamma-ray sensors, the Si solar cells exhibited better performance than the conventional types. Design II is found to be more efficient than I and superior performance for all of the measured parameters is obtained.
Inhibitory Effect of a Hot‐Water Extract of Leaves of Japanese Big‐Leaf Magnolia (Magnolia obovata) on Rotavirus‐Induced Diarrhea in Mouse Pups
Authors: Kawahara Takeshi , Tomono Takuma , Hamauzu Yasunori , Tanaka Katsumi , Yasui Hisako
Published: December 2014

The leaf of Japanese big‐leaf magnolia (Magnolia obovata Thunb.) has long been used as a natural packaging material for traditional foods in Japan. However, many of the physiological functions of the leaves against oral infection and resultant illness remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of a hot‐water extract of the leaves of Magnolia obovata on diarrhea induced by rotavirus (RV), a major cause of acute diarrhea. RV strain SA11 was mixed with the M. obovata leaf extract and inoculated orally to neonatal BALB/c mouse pups. Simultaneous inoculation of SA11 with the extract significantly decreased the incidence of diarrhea. In addition, the extract significantly inhibited cytopathic effects and mRNA expression of viral proteins in SA11‐infected MA104 cells. Two flavonoid glycosides, quercitrin and rutin, were strongly suggested to be major anti‐RV agents in the extract by serial solvent extraction and reversed‐phase HPLC‐ESI‐MS analysis. Our results suggest that the hot‐water extract of M. obovata leaves can be used as a medicine or food additive to prevent and ameliorate RV‐induced diarrhea in individuals that may have difficulty in benefitting from the RV vaccines.
A Cost Effective and Preventive Approach to Avoid Integration Faults Caused by Mistakes in Distribution of Software Components
Authors: Chaves Luciano Lucindo
Published: December 2014

In distributed software and hardware environments, ensuring proper operation of software is a challenge. The complexity of distributed systems increases the number of integration faults resulting from configuration errors in the distribution of components. Therefore, the main contribution of this work is a change in perspective, where integration faults (in the context of mistakes in distribution of components) are prevented rather than being dealt with through postmortem approaches. To this purpose, this paper proposes a preventive, low cost, minimally intrusive, and reusable approach. The generation of hash tags and a built-in version control for the application are at the core of the solution. Prior to deployment, the tag generator creates a list of components along with their respective tags, which will be a part of the deployment package. During production and execution of the application, on demand, the version control compares the tag list with the components of the user station and shows the discrepancies. The approach was applied to a complex application of a large company and was proven to be successful by avoiding integration faults and reducing the diagnosis time by 65%.
Radio Numbers of Certain m-Distant Trees
Authors: Kola Srinivasa Rao , Panigrahi Pratima
Published: December 2014

Radio coloring of a graph G with diameter d is an assignment f of positive integers to the vertices of G such that |f(u)-f(v)|≥1+d-d(u,v), where u and v are any two distinct vertices of G and d(u,v) is the distance between u and v. The number max {f(u):u∈V(G)} is called the span of f. The minimum of spans over all radio colorings of G is called radio number of G, denoted by rn(G). An m-distant tree T is a tree in which there is a path P of maximum length such that every vertex in V(T)∖V(P) is at the most distance m from P. This path P is called a central path. For every tree T, there is an integer m such that T is a m-distant tree. In this paper, we determine the radio number of some m-distant trees for any positive integer m≥2, and as a consequence of it, we find the radio number of a class of 1-distant trees (or caterpillars).
Software Component Selection Based on Quality Criteria Using the Analytic Network Process
Authors: Nazir Shah , Anwar Sajid , Khan Sher Afzal , Shahzad Sara , Ali Muhammad , Amin Rohul , Nawaz Muhammad , Lazaridis Pavlos , Cosmas John
Published: December 2014

Component based software development (CBSD) endeavors to deliver cost-effective and quality software systems through the selection and integration of commercially available software components. CBSD emphasizes the design and development of software systems using preexisting components. Software component reusability is an indispensable part of component based software development life cycle (CBSDLC), which consumes a significant amount of organization’s resources, that is, time and effort. It is convenient in component based software system (CBSS) to select the most suitable and appropriate software components that provide all the required functionalities. Selecting the most appropriate components is crucial for the success of the entire system. However, decisions regarding software component reusability are often made in an ad hoc manner, which ultimately results in schedule delay and lowers the entire quality system. In this paper, we have discussed the analytic network process (ANP) method for software component selection. The methodology is explained and assessed using a real life case study.
Variability in the Branching Pattern of the Internal Iliac Artery in Indian Population and Its Clinical Importance
Authors: Sakthivelavan Sumathilatha , Aristotle Sharmila , Sivanandan Anandarani , Sendiladibban Sakthivelavan , Felicia Jebakani Christilda
Published: December 2014

Internal iliac artery (IIA) is one of the terminal branches of the common iliac artery and is the prime artery of pelvis. The artery has many parietal and visceral branches and hence the variations are frequently noted. The larger branches, namely, the inferior gluteal artery, the superior gluteal artery, and the internal pudendal artery, show sufficient regularity in their patterns of origin to allow typing. The variability of the IIA and its branching pattern were studied by dissecting sixty-eight male pelvic halves (34 right and 34 left) and forty-eight female pelvic halves (24 right and 24 left sides). In significant number of specimens, IIA terminated without dividing into 2 trunks as against the usual description. There was also considerable interchange of branches between the 2 terminal divisions. The patterns of branching noted were grouped as per Adachi’s classification. The incidence was noted to be as follows: type Ia in 60.6%, type Ib in 2.6%, type IIa in 15.8%, and type III in 21%. The other types were not observed in this study. Conclusion. Interventions in the pelvic region must take into account the variability of the IIA and its branches that can modify the expected relations and may lead to undesired hemorrhagic or embolic accidents.
A Rare Case of Pulmonary Atresia with Ventricular Septal Defect with a Right Sided Aortic Arch and a Calcified Pulmonary AVM Presenting in an Adult without Cyanosis
Authors: Kulkarni Devendra V. , Hegde Rahul G. , Balani Ankit , Joshi Anagha R.
Published: December 2014

Pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (PA-VSD) with pulmonary arterial supply arising from the aorta representing large MAPCAs associated with a right sided aortic arch is an uncommon anomaly. Most of the patients succumb to severe respiratory compromise or congestive cardiac failure very early. We report the clinical details and imaging findings of a case of PA-VSD with a right sided aortic arch and a calcified pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in a 21-year-old postpartum female with no previous episodes of cyanosis who was diagnosed as having a cardiac anomaly on echocardiography when she presented with breathlessness during the 8th month of the pregnancy.
Interocular Shift of Visual Attention Enhances Stereopsis and Visual Acuities of Anisometropic Amblyopes beyond the Critical Period of Visual Development: A Novel Approach
Authors: Huang Liwen , Sun Xinghuai , Luo Gang , Liu Shuai , Liu Rui , Mansouri Behzad , Wong Vicky wing lai , Wen Wen , Liu Hong , Wang Ai-Hou
Published: December 2014

Aims.Increasing evidence shows that imbalanced suppressive drive prior to binocular combination may be the key factor in amblyopia. We described a novel binocular approach, interocular shift of visual attention (ISVA), for treatment of amblyopia in adult patients.Methods.Visual stimuli were presented anaglyphically on a computer screen. A square target resembling Landolt C had 2 openings, one in red and one in cyan color. Through blue-red goggles, each eye could only see one of the two openings. The patient was required to report the location of the opening presented to the amblyopic eye. It started at an opening size of 800 sec of arc, went up and down in 160 sec of arc step, and stopped when reaching the 5th reversals. Ten patients with anisometropic amblyopia older than age 14 (average age: 26.7) were recruited and received ISVA treatment for 6 weeks, with 2 training sessions per day.Results.Both Titmus stereopsis (z=-2.809, P=0.005) and Random-dot stereopsis(z=-2.317, P=0.018)were significantly improved. Average improvement in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.74 line(t=5.842, P<0.001).Conclusions.The ISVA treatment may be effective in treating amblyopia and restoring stereoscopic function.
Recent Advances in IR and UV/VIS Spectroscopic Characterization of the C76 and C84 Isomers of D2 Symmetry
Authors: Jovanović Tamara , Koruga Đuro , Jovančićević Branimir
Published: December 2014

The stable isomers of the higher fullerenes C76 and C84 with D2 symmetry as well as the basic fullerenes C60 and C70 were isolated from carbon soot and characterized by the new and advanced methods, techniques, and processes. The validity of several semiempirical, ab initio, and DFT theoretical calculations in predicting the general pattern of IR absorption and the vibrational frequencies, as well as the molecular electronic structure of the C76 and C84 isomers of D2 symmetry, is confirmed, based on recent experimental results. An excellent correlation was found between the previously reported theoretical data and the recently obtained experimental results for these molecules over the relevant spectral range for the identification of fullerenes. These results indicate that there are no errors in the calculations in the significant spectral regions, the assumptions that were based on previous comparisons with partial experimental results. Isolated fullerenes are important for their applications in electronic and optical devices, solar cells, optical limiting, sensors, polymers, nanophotonic materials, diagnostic and therapeutic agents, health and environment protection, and so forth.
Actinomyces odontolyticus: Rare Etiology for Purulent Pericarditis
Authors: Mack Ryan , Slicker Kipp , Ghamande Shekhar , Surani Salim R.
Published: December 2014

Purulent pericarditis is one of the most common causes of cardiac tamponade and if left untreated has a mortality of 100%.Staphylococcus aureusandStreptococcus pneumoniahave been implicated as the main etiology of purulent pericardial effusion followed by fungi and anaerobic sources.Actinomyces odontolyticuspericardial involvement has been reported in the literature only once. To our knowledge, this is the first fatal case ofA. odontolyticuspurulent pericarditis in the absence of periodontal disease.
Endoscopic Stenting and Clipping for Anastomotic Stricture and Persistent Tracheoesophageal Fistula after Surgical Repair of Esophageal Atresia in an Infant
Authors: Benatta Mohammed Amine , Benaired Amine , Khelifaoui Ahmed
Published: December 2014

Anastomotic stricture (AS) and recurrent tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) are two complications of surgical repair of esophageal atresia (EA). Therapeutic endoscopic modalities include stenting, tissue glue, and clipping for TEF and endoscopic balloon dilation bougienage and stenting for esophageal strictures. We report herein a two-month infant with both EA and TEF who benefited from a surgical repair for EA, at the third day of life. Two months later he experienced deglutition disorders and recurrent chest infections. The esophagogram showed an AS and a TEF confirmed with blue methylene test at bronchoscopy. A partially covered self-expanding metal type biliary was endoscopically placed. Ten weeks later the stent was removed. This allows for easy passage of the endoscope in the gastric cavity but a persistent recurrent fistula was noted. Instillation of contrast demonstrated a fully dilated stricture but with a persistent TEF. Then we proceeded to placement of several endoclips at the fistula site. The esophagogram confirmed the TEF was obliterated. At 12 months of follow-up, he was asymptomatic. Stenting was effective to alleviate the stricture but failed to treat the TEF. At our knowledge this is the second case of successful use of endoclips placement to obliterate recurrent TEF after surgical repair of EA in children.
On the Analysis of Numerical Methods for Nonstandard Volterra Integral Equation
Authors: Mamba H. S. , Khumalo M.
Published: December 2014

We consider the numerical solutions of a class of nonlinear (nonstandard) Volterra integral equation. We prove the existence and uniqueness of the one point collocation solutions and the solution by the repeated trapezoidal rule for the nonlinear Volterra integral equation. We analyze the convergence of the collocation methods and the repeated trapezoidal rule. Numerical experiments are used to illustrate theoretical results.
Effect of the Polydispersity of RBCs on the Recovery Rate of RBCs during the Removal of CPAs
Authors: Qiao Heyuan , Ding Weiping , Ma Yuncong , Sun Sijie , Gao Dayong
Published: December 2014

In the process of removing cryoprotectants from cryopreserved blood, the theoretically optimal operating condition, which is based on the assumption that the distribution of red blood cells is uniform, is often used to reduce or even avoid the hypotonic damage to cells. However, due to the polydispersity of cells, the optimal condition is actually not reliable. In this study, based on the discrete concept developed in our previous work, the effect of the polydispersity on the recovery rate of cells in the dilution-filtration system was statistically investigated by assigning three random parameters, isotonic cell volume, cell surface area, and osmotically inactive cell volume, to cells in small units of blood. The results show that, due to the polydispersity, the real recovery rate deviates from the ideal value that is based on uniform distribution. The deviation significantly increases with the standard errors of cell parameters, and it can be also magnified by high cryoprotectant concentrations. Under the effect of polydispersity, the uniform distribution-based optimized blood or diluent flow rate is not perfect. In practice, one should adopt a more conservative blood or diluent flow rate so that the hypotonic damage to cells can be further reduced.
Knee Lymphocutaneous Fistula Secondary to Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Pérez-de la Fuente T. , Sandoval E. , Alonso-Burgos A. , García-Pardo L. , Cárcamo C. , Caballero O.
Published: December 2014

Lower limb lymphorrhea secondary to a surgical procedure is a rare but difficult-to-solve complication. In lower limb, this entity is frequently associated with vascular procedures around the inguinal area. We report on a case of a knee lymphocutaneous fistula secondary to a knee revision arthroplasty. To our knowledge, no previous reports regarding this complication have been published.
Subarrayed Antenna Array Synthesis Using Ternary Adjusting Method
Authors: He Guolong , Zhan Yafeng , Pei Yukui , Wu Bin
Published: December 2014

Ternary adjusting method is proposed and combined with particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm for subarrayed antenna array synthesis. Ternary variables are introduced to represent element adjustments between adjacent subarrays. Compared to previous methods, rounding-off operations are not required any longer, and the equation constraint of the fixed total element number is also removed, which effectively reduces the complexity of implementation while obtaining improved topology exploration capability simultaneously.
Pyruvic Oxime Nitrification and Copper and Nickel Resistance by aCupriavidus pauculus, an Active Heterotrophic Nitrifier-Denitrifier
Authors: Ramirez Miguel , Obrzydowski Jennifer , Ayers Mary , Virparia Sonia , Wang Meijing , Stefan Kurtis , Linchangco Richard , Castignetti Domenic
Published: December 2014

Heterotrophic nitrifiers synthesize nitrogenous gasses when nitrifying ammonium ion. ACupriavidus pauculus, previously thought anAlcaligenessp. and noted as an active heterotrophic nitrifier-denitrifier, was examined for its ability to produce nitrogen gas (N2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) while heterotrophically nitrifying the organic substrate pyruvic oxime [CH3–C(NOH)–COOH]. Neither N2nor N2O were produced. Nucleotide and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the organism is a member of a genus (Cupriavidus) known for its resistance to metals and its metabolism of xenobiotics. The microbe (aCupriavidus pauculusdesignated asC. pauculusstrain UM1) was examined for its ability to perform heterotrophic nitrification in the presence of Cu2+and Ni2+and to metabolize the xenobiotic phenol. The bacterium heterotrophically nitrified well when either 1 mM Cu2+or 0.5 mM Ni2+was present in either enriched or minimal medium. The organism also used phenol as a sole carbon source in either the presence or absence of 1 mM Cu2+or 0.5 mM Ni2+. The ability of this isolate to perform a number of different metabolisms, its noteworthy resistance to copper and nickel, and its potential use as a bioremediation agent are discussed.
Screening of Trace Elements in Hair of the Female Population with Different Types of Cancers in Wielkopolska Region of Poland
Authors: Czerny Bogusław , Krupka Krzysztof , Ożarowski Marcin , Seremak-Mrozikiewicz Agnieszka
Published: December 2014

Background. Cancer constitutes a major health problem worldwide. Thus, search for reliable and practical markers of the disease process remains the key issue of the diagnostic process.Objectives. The study aims at linking the trace element status of an organism, assessed by hair analysis, with the occurrence of cancer diseases.Material and Methods. Hair samples were collected from 299 patients with cancer diseases confirmed by a histopathological test and from 100 controls. Cancer patients were divided into three groups, depending on cancer type: hormone-dependent cancer, cancer of the alimentary tract, and cancer with high glycolytic activity. Mineral element analysis of hair was performed using an atomic emission spectrophotometer with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).Results. Statistically significantly lower concentrations of selenium, zinc, copper, germanium and boron, iron, and magnesium were observed in the three groups of cancer patients. Disturbance in the axis glucose-insulin and changes in concentrations of heavy metals and toxic elements were also noted.Conclusions. It seems safe to conclude that our results confirmed usefulness of hair element analysis in screening tests for the assessment of the biomarker of various cancer diseases in a female population.
ISP‐Friendly Data Scheduling by Advanced Locality‐Aware Network Coding for P2P Distribution Cloud
Authors: Li Yanjun , Zhang Guoqing , Zhang Guoqiang
Published: December 2014

Peer‐to‐peer (P2P) file distribution imposes increasingly heavy traffic burden on the Internet service providers (ISPs). The vast volume of traffic pushes up ISPs’ costs in routing and investment and degrades their networks performance. Building ISP‐friendly P2P is therefore of critical importance for ISPs and P2P services. So far most efforts in this area focused on improving the locality‐awareness of P2P applications, for example, to construct overlay networks with better knowledge of the underlying network topology. There is, however, growing recognition that data scheduling algorithms also play an effective role in P2P traffic reduction. In this paper, we introduce the advanced locality‐aware network coding (ALANC) for P2P file distribution. This data scheduling algorithm completely avoids the transmission of linearly dependent data blocks, which is a notable problem of previous network coding algorithms. Our simulation results show that, in comparison to other algorithms, ALANC not only significantly reduces interdomain P2P traffic, but also remarkably improves both the application‐level performance (for P2P services) and the network‐level performance (for ISP networks). For example, ALANC is 30% faster in distributing data blocks and it reduces the average traffic load on the underlying links by 40%. We show that ALANC holds the above gains when the tit‐for‐tat incentive mechanism is introduced or the overlay topology changes dynamically.
FL118 Induces p53-Dependent Senescence in Colorectal Cancer Cells by Promoting Degradation of MdmX
Authors: Ling Xiang , Xu Chao , Fan Chuandong , Zhong Kai , Li Fengzhi , Wang Xinjiang
Published: December 2014

Anticancer agent FL118 was recently identified in screening of small-molecule inhibitors of human survivin expression. Although FL118 is a camptothecin analogue, its antitumor potency is much superior to other FDA-approved camptothecin analogues (irinotecan and topotecan). The mechanism of action (MOA) underlying the antitumor effects of FL118 remains to be fully elucidated. Here, we report that FL118 activates tumor suppressor p53 as a novel MOA in p53 wild-type cancer cells. Our studies show that this MOA involves an induction of proteasomal degradation of MdmX, a critical negative regulator of p53, in a manner largely independent of ATM-dependent DNA damage signaling pathway but dependent on E3-competent Mdm2. FL118 inhibits p53 polyubiquitination and monoubiquitination by Mdm2–MdmX E3 complex in cells and in cell-free systems. In contrast, FL118 stimulates Mdm2-mediated MdmX ubiquitination. Coimmunoprecipitation revealed that FL118 slightly decreases Mdm2–p53 interactions and moderately increases Mdm2–MdmX interactions, suggesting a change of targeting specificity of Mdm2–MdmX E3 complex from p53 to MdmX, resulting in accelerated MdmX degradation. As a result, p53 ubiquitination by Mdm2–MdmX E3 complex is reduced, which in turn activates p53 signaling. Activation of the p53 pathway by FL118 induces p53-dependent senescence in colorectal cancer cells. However, in the absence of p53 or in the presence of MdmX overexpression, FL118 promotes p53-independent apoptosis. These two distinct cellular consequences collectively contribute to the potent effects of FL118 to inhibit clonogenic potential of colon cancer cells. This study identifies a potential application of FL118 as an MdmX inhibitor for targeted therapies. Cancer Res; 74(24); 7487–97. ©2014 AACR.
DataSHIELD: An Ethically Robust Solution to Multiple-Site Individual-Level Data Analysis
Authors: Budin-Ljøsne Isabelle , Burton Paul , Isaeva Julia , Gaye Amadou , Turner Andrew , Murtagh Madeleine J. , Wallace Susan , Ferretti Vincent , Harris Jennifer R.
Published: December 2014

Background: DataSHIELD (Data Aggregation Through Anonymous Summary-statistics from Harmonised Individual levEL Databases) has been proposed to facilitate the co-analysis of individual-level data from multiple studies without physically sharing the data. In a previous paper, we investigated whether DataSHIELD could protect participant confidentiality in accordance with UK law. In this follow-up paper, we investigate whether DataSHIELD addresses a broader range of ethics-related data-sharing concerns. Methods: Ethics-related data-sharing concerns of Institutional Review Boards, ethics experts, international research consortia and research participants were identified through a literature search and systematically examined at a multidisciplinary workshop to determine whether DataSHIELD proposes mechanisms which can address these concerns. Results: DataSHIELD addresses several ethics-related data-sharing concerns related to privacy, confidentiality, and the protection of the research participant's rights while sharing data and after the data have been shared. The data remain entirely under the direct management of the study that collected them. Data processing commands are strictly supervised, and the data are queried in a protected environment. Issues related to the return of individual research results when data are shared are eliminated; the responsibility for return remains at the study of origin. Conclusion: DataSHIELD can provide an innovative and robust solution for addressing commonly encountered ethics-related data-sharing concerns.
Challenges in Clinical Diagnosis of Williams-Beuren Syndrome in Sub-Saharan Africans: Case Reports from Cameroon
Authors: Tekendo-Ngongang Cedrik , Dahoun Sophie , Nguefack Seraphin , Gimelli Stefania , Sloan-Béna Frédérique , Wonkam Ambroise
Published: December 2014

Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is a rare neurodevelopmental condition caused by a recurrent chromosomal microdeletion involving about 28 contiguous genes at 7q11.23. Most patients display a specific congenital heart defect, characteristic facial features, a particular behavior, and intellectual disability. Cases from sub-Saharan Africa have been seldom reported. The present study describes 3 Cameroonian patients affected by WBS, aged 19 months, 13 and 14 years, in whom the diagnosis was confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). The first patient presented with a congenital heart defect, the second and third with learning difficulties as well as developmental and behavioral issues. In the latter 2 cases, the facial phenotypes were similar to those of the unaffected population with the same ethnic background. However, the cardiovascular anomalies and friendly behavioral attitudes led to suspicion of WBS. FISH revealed the deletion of the WBS critical region in the first patient, and array-CGH detected a heterozygous ∼1.4-Mb deletion in the 7q11.23 region in the second and third patient. This preliminary report suggests that for sub-Saharan Africans clinical suspicion of WBS could be mostly based on behavioral phenotype and structural heart defects, and less on the classical facial dysmorphic signs.
Clinical Prediction Scores for Type 1 Cardiorenal Syndrome Derived and Validated in Chinese Cohorts
Authors: Cheng Hong , Chen Yi-pu
Published: December 2014

Type 1 cardiorenal syndrome is one of the major diseases threatening human life in China. The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) associated with acute heart failure (AHF), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), cardiac surgery, and coronary angiography has been reported to be 32.2, 14.7, 40.2, and 4.5%, respectively. In the past 2 years, we derived and validated 4 risk scores for the prediction of AKI associated with the above acute heart diseases as well as for examination and treatment in Chinese cohorts. A univariable comparison and a subsequent multivariate logistic regression analysis of the potential predictive variables of AKI in the derivation set were conducted and used to establish the prediction scores, which were then verified in the validation set. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistic test were performed to assess the discrimination and calibration of the prediction scores, respectively. These 4 prediction scores all showed adequate discrimination (area under the ROC curve, ≥0.70) and good calibration (p > 0.05). Both Forman's risk score (for AKI associated with AHF) and Mehran's risk score (for AKI associated with coronary angiography) are widely applied around the world. The external validation of these 2 risk scores was performed in our patients, but their discriminative power was quite low (area under the ROC curve, 0.65 and 0.57, respectively). Therefore, these prediction scores derived from Chinese cohorts might be more accurate than those derived from different races when they are applied in Chinese patients. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
Cardiac, Inflammatory and Metabolic Parameters: Hemodialysis versus Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Lai Silvia , Molfino Alessio , Russo Gaspare Elios , Testorio Massimo , Galani Alessandro , Innico Georgie , Frassetti Nicla , Pistolesi Valentina , Morabito Santo , Rossi Fanelli Filippo
Published: December 2014

Introduction: Mortality in dialysis patients is higher than in the general population, and cardiovascular disease represents the leading cause of death. Hypertension and volume overload are important risk factors for the development of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Other factors are mainly represented by hyperparathyroidism, vascular calcification, arterial stiffness and inflammation. The aim of this study was to compare blood pressure (BP) and metabolic parameters with cardiovascular changes [cardiothoracic ratio (CTR), aortic arch calcification (AAC) and LV mass index (LVMI)] between PD and HD patients. Materials and Methods: 45 patients (23 HD and 22 PD patients) were enrolled. BP measurements, echocardiography and chest X-ray were performed in each patient to determine the LVMI and to evaluate the CTR and AAC. Inflammatory indexes, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and arterial blood gas analysis were also evaluated. Results: LVMI was higher in PD than HD patients (139 ± 19 vs. 104 ± 22; p = 0.04). In PD patients, a significant correlation between iPTH, C-reactive protein and the presence of LVH was observed (r = 0.70, p = 0.04; r = 0.70, p = 0.03, respectively). The CTR was increased in PD patients as compared to HD patients, while no significant differences in cardiac calcifications were determined. Conclusions: Our data indicate that HD patients present more effective BP control than PD patients. Adequate fluid and metabolic control are necessary to assess the adequacy of BP, which is strongly correlated with the increase in LVMI and with the increased CTR in dialysis patients. PD is a home therapy and allows a better quality of life, but PD patients may present a further increased cardiovascular risk if not adequately monitored. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel