bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantification of Uncertainty in Sketches
Authors: Cruz-Lozano Ricardo , Alemayehu Fisseha , Ekwaro-Osire Stephen
Published: June 2016

Design Notebooks (DNBs) can be used to assess the information gathering activities, creativity and individual participation within design groups. Moreover DNBs are the communication tools in the overall design process. For communication purposes, DNBs contain information representations (IRs) such as sketches, symbols, text and equations that usually are imprecisely defined. Imprecise or vague IRs may lead to uncertainty in design communication. This work considered the uncertainty in sketches, one of the most widely used IRs in DNBs. The research question of this study is: Can the uncertainty in sketches be quantified? To answer the research question the following specific aims are formulated: identify the type of uncertainty, assess appropriate uncertainty quantification methods and establish a framework to quantify the uncertainty in sketches. The uncertainty in sketches is found to be mainly an epistemic uncertainty and a modified numerical approach was implemented to quantify it. Using the established framework, the uncertainty in sketches has been quantified and further study is recommended to assess its effect on design communication.
Multidisciplinary Decision Making Methods in an Information Driven Product Development Framework
Authors: Xiao Angran
Published: June 2016

New paradigms and accompanying software systems are necessary to support the integration of system level design and discipline level analysis activities for the implementation of product lifecycle management. An information driven product development framework has been developed to integrate these activities using product information model to represents the associativities among design requirements, product models and design parameters. In this paper, product information model is used to not only integrate all the activities and software packages, but also enable formulating and solving design problems using appropriate solution methods. Two engineering examples are solved using three different methods, Genetic Algorithm, Game Based Decision Making method, and Collaborative Decision Making method. The three methods are compared by the numbers of calls to discipline level analysis models. It was shown that collaborative decision making method is capable of finding satisfying solutions with the least number of calls to the computing expensive analysis models.
The Prevalence of Inappropriate Image Duplication in Biomedical Research Publications
Authors: Bik Elisabeth M. , Casadevall Arturo , Fang Ferric C.
Published: June 2016

Inaccurate data in scientific papers can result from honest error or intentional falsification. This study attempted to determine the percentage of published papers that contain inappropriate image duplication, a specific type of inaccurate data. The images from a total of 20,621 papers published in 40 scientific journals from 1995 to 2014 were visually screened. Overall, 3.8% of published papers contained problematic figures, with at least half exhibiting features suggestive of deliberate manipulation. The prevalence of papers with problematic images has risen markedly during the past decade. Additional papers written by authors of papers with problematic images had an increased likelihood of containing problematic images as well. As this analysis focused only on one type of data, it is likely that the actual prevalence of inaccurate data in the published literature is higher. The marked variation in the frequency of problematic images among journals suggests that journal practices, such as prepublication image screening, influence the quality of the scientific literature.
Understanding CKD among patients with T2DM: prevalence, temporal trends, and treatment patterns—NHANES 2007–2012
Authors: Wu Bingcao , Bell Kelly , Stanford Amy , Kern David M , Tunceli Ozgur , Vupputuri Suma , Kalsekar Iftekhar , Willey Vincent
Published: June 2016

Objective

To describe the estimated prevalence and temporal trends of chronic kidney disease (CKD) treatment patterns, and the association between CKD and potential factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in different demographic subgroups.

Research design and methods

This was a cross-sectional analysis of adults with T2DM based on multiple US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) datasets developed during 2007–2012. CKD severity was defined according to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) 2012 guidelines using the CKD Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation: mild to moderate=stages 1–3a; moderate to kidney failure=stages 3b–5. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the associations between CKD and potential factors.

Results

Of the adult individuals with T2DM (n=2006), age-adjusted CKD prevalence was 38.3% during 2007–2012; 77.5% were mild-to-moderate CKD. The overall age-adjusted prevalence of CKD was 40.2% in 2007–2008, 36.9% in 2009–2010, and 37.6% in 2011–2012. The prevalence of CKD in T2DM was 58.7% in patients aged ≥65 years, 25.7% in patients aged <65 years, 43.5% in African-Americans and Mexican-Americans, and 38.7% in non-Hispanic whites. The use of antidiabetes and antihypertensive medications generally followed treatment guideline recommendations. Older age, higher hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and having hypertension were significantly associated with CKD presence but not increasing severity of CKD.

Conclusions

CKD continued to be prevalent in the T2DM population; prevalence remained fairly consistent over time, suggesting that current efforts to prevent CKD could be improved overall, especially by monitoring certain populations more closely.
No right to food and nutrition in the SDGs: mistake or success?
Authors: Vivero Pol Jose Luis , Schuftan Claudio
Published: June 2016

Although the recently approved Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) explicitly mention access to water, health and education as universally guaranteed human rights, access to affordable and sufficient food is not given such recognition. The SDGs road map assumes that market mechanisms will suffice to secure nutritious and safe food for all. We question how and why the right to food has disappeared from such an international agreement and we will provide insights on the likely causes of this and the options to make good on such a regrettable omission. Analysis of political stances of relevant western stakeholders, such as the United States (US) and the European Union (EU), is also included.
Let's Talk About Sex! - Improving sexual health for patients in stroke rehabilitation
Authors: Guo Meiqi , Bosnyak Stephanie , Bontempo Tiziana , Enns Amie , Fourie Candice , Ismail Farooq , Lo Alex
Published: June 2016

Sexual health contributes greatly to quality of life. Research shows that stroke survivors want to learn and talk about sexual health, but are not given information. In keeping with the Canadian Best Practice Recommendations for Stroke Care, this project aimed to provide all stroke rehabilitation inpatients with the opportunity to discuss sexual health concerns with healthcare providers at West Park Healthcare Centre, a rehabilitation and complex continuing care centre in Toronto. Gap analysis conducted via staff member interviews and retrospective chart reviews showed that close to no patients were given the opportunity to discuss sexual health concerns at baseline.

Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology was used as the project framework. The changes implemented included a reminder system, standardization of care processes for sexual health, patient-centred time points for the delivery of sexual health discussions, and the development of a sexual health supported conversation tool for patients with aphasia. By the end of the ten month project period and after three PDSA cycles, the percentage of patients provided with the opportunity to discuss sexual health during inpatient rehabilitation increased to 80%. This quality improvement project successfully implemented the Canadian Best Practice Recommendations for Stroke Care with respect to sexual health.

Lessons learned included the importance of early baseline data collection and advance planning for tools used in QI projects. Future projects may focus on improving the discussion of sexual health concerns during outpatient stroke rehabilitation.
Exercise-related sudden cardiac arrest in London: incidence, survival and bystander response
Authors: Edwards Melanie J , Fothergill Rachael T
Published: June 2016

Objective

The study aimed to (1) establish the incidence of exercise-related sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in London, (2) investigate survival from exercise-related SCA and (3) examine factors related to survival.

Method

This retrospective observational study examined 2 years’ data from the London Ambulance Service (LAS) cardiac arrest registry for patients in whom resuscitation was attempted following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), a cardiac cause was presumed and the arrest occurred during or within 1 h of exercise.

Results

The incidence of exercise-related SCA in London was estimated to be 0.6 per 100 000 person-years which equated to 0.5% of all OHCA, and 1.5% of all OHCA with presumed cardiac aetiology and resuscitation attempted. The majority of cases were male and the incidence increased from age 40 years. Just under one-third of patients survived to hospital discharge. Survival in the Utstein comparator group (cases with presumed cardiac aetiology, resuscitation attempted, bystander witnessed and a presenting cardiac rhythm of ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia) was higher at 42%. Survival was significantly associated with initial cardiac rhythm (χ2=17.5, df=2, p<0.001) and bystander defibrillation (Fisher's exact test, p<0.05).

Conclusions

Incidence of exercise-related SCA in the general population in London is rare. Survival following exercise-related SCA was considerably higher than survival for all OHCA with presumed cardiac aetiology and resuscitation attempted attended by the LAS during the same period. The major limitation of the study is the likely under identification of cases of exercise-related SCA.
Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS) in patients undergoing heart valve surgery: why should we measure them and which instruments should we use?
Authors: Holmes Charlotte , Briffa Norman
Published: June 2016

Objective

As the population ages, the incidence of heart valve disease (HVD) is increasing. The aim of treatment is to improve prognosis and quality of life. Standard surgical treatment is being superseded by new catheter-based treatments, many of which are as yet unproven. The need for appropriate instruments to measure quality of life in patients receiving treatment for HVD has therefore never been greater.

Methods

In this prospective observational study, a generic instrument, Euroqol, and a disease-specific one (Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire—MLHFQ) were, for the first time, formally tested before and after surgery in 84 patients with HVD who completed their treatment. Patients were interviewed on the night before surgery and 6–12 weeks after being discharged. Instruments were tested for validity, reliability, responsiveness, sensitivity and interpretability.

Results

Both Euroqol and MLHFQ registered significant improvements in patients' health. Tests for validity were significantly positive for both Euroqol and MLHFQ. Tests for reliability and responsiveness were very positive for MLHFQ, less so for EQ-5D. There was a moderate ceiling effect in the postoperative Index scores of Euroqol and a moderate floor effect in MLHFQ.

Conclusions

Both instruments together performed very well in assessing the health of patients undergoing surgical treatment of HVD. As the incidence of HVD increases and therapeutic options increase, measurement of PROMS using these two instruments should become a matter of routine.
Mortality pattern and cause of death in a long-term follow-up of patients with STEMI treated with primary PCI
Authors: Doost Hosseiny Ataollah , Moloi Soniah , Chandrasekhar Jaya , Farshid Ahmad
Published: June 2016

Objective

We aimed to assess the pattern of mortality and cause of death in a cohort of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods

Consecutive patients with STEMI treated with primary PCI during 2006–2013 were evaluated with a mean follow-up of 3.5 years (1–8.4 years). We used hospital and general practice records and mortality data from The Australian National Death Index.

Results

Among 1313 patients (22.5% female) with mean age of 62.3±13.1 years, 181 patients (13.7%) died during long-term follow-up. In the first 7 days, 45 patients (3.4%) died, 76% of these due to cardiogenic shock. Between 7 days and 1 year, another 50 patients died (3.9%), 58% from cardiovascular causes and 22% from cancer. Beyond 1 year, there were 86 deaths with an estimated mean mortality rate of 2.05% per year, 36% of deaths were cardiovascular and 52% non-cardiovascular, including 29% cancer-related deaths. On multivariate analysis, age ≥75 years, history of diabetes, prior PCI, cardiogenic shock, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 and symptom-to-balloon time >360 min were independent predictors of long-term mortality. In 16 patients who died of sudden cardiac death postdischarge, only 4 (25%) had ejection fraction ≤35% and would have been eligible for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

Conclusions

In the era of routine primary PCI, we found a mortality rate of 7.3% at 1 year, and 2.05% per year thereafter. Cause of death was predominantly cardiovascular in the first year and mainly non-cardiovascular after 1 year. Age, diabetes, prior PCI, cardiogenic shock, eGFR <60 and delayed treatment were independent predictors of mortality.
Concurrent cranial and caudal sartorius muscle flaps for reconstruction of an abdominal wall defect after resection of a high‐grade rhabdomyosarcoma in a dog
Authors: Rubinos Carlos , Trinterud Tonje , Demetriou Jackie
Published: June 2016

A five‐year‐old male neutered border collie presented with a soft tissue sarcoma in his right flank. CT revealed that the mass originated from the right rectus abdominis muscle. The mass was removed en bloc with 3 cm lateral margins and full‐thickness abdominal wall resection. A 15 cm diameter full‐thickness defect was created in the right caudal ventrolateral aspect of the abdomen, which was closed in one stage by transposition of the cranial and caudal bellies of the sartorius muscle. The recovery was favourable and the histopathology‐immunohistochemistry results provided a final diagnosis of high‐grade rhabdomyosarcoma and confirmed complete resection of the mass. The dog was fully ambulatory with no evidence of lameness, metastatic disease or recurrence of local disease 12 months postoperatively.
Naturally occurring acquired primary hypothyroidism in a cat due to lymphocytic thyroiditis
Authors: Kent Andrew , Constantino‐Casas Fernando , Herrtage Michael E
Published: June 2016

A five‐year‐old ovariohysterectomised female Bengal cat was presented for investigation of weight gain, despite dietary modification, and a dry, poor quality hair coat with diffuse scaling of the skin. Initial blood testing identified a mild, non‐regenerative anaemia, a mild elevation in serum creatinine concentration and a low serum total thyroxine (T4) concentration. Further thyroid testing also demonstrated low free T4 and elevated serum thyroid‐stimulating hormone concentrations, consistent with a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. The cat was treated with levothyroxine and had a good clinical response, with post‐treatment T4 concentration in the reference interval. The cat was euthanased for an unrelated condition (tracheal lymphoma) six months later, which provided the opportunity for histopathological examination of the thyroid gland. Histopathology was consistent with a bilateral lymphocytic, plasmacytic and neutrophilic thyroiditis. Although rare, naturally occurring acquired hypothyroidism, due to lymphocytic thyroiditis, should be considered as a differential for thyroid dysfunction in cats.
Antioxidant depletion in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane with hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) in low-pH heap leach environment
Authors: Rowe R. Kerry , Abdelaal Fady B.
Published: June 2016

Antioxidant depletion from a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane with hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) immersed in seven different low pH solutions is examined over a 3 year period. The examined solutions had the range of pH (0.5, 1.25, and 2.0) likely to encompass the pH of the leach solutions found in copper, nickel, and uranium heap leach pads. The metal concentration for these solutions is adopted from copper raffinate solutions. Additional solutions are investigated to examine the effects of field practices such as using surfactants in the leach solutions and pre-curing of the ores used to improve the metallurgical response of the ore. For the antioxidants detected by standard oxidative induction time (Std-OIT), there was a depletion to residual value of about 20% of the initial Std-OIT that varied depending on the incubation temperature and pH of the solution whereas decreasing the pH from 2 to 0.5 did not significantly affect the depletion rates of Std-OIT. The antioxidants detected by high-pressure oxidative induction time (HP-OIT) exhibited the fastest depletion in pH = 1.25 with the highest residual values followed by pH 2.0 and the slowest HP-OIT depletion was in pH = 0.5, but with the lowest residual values. Arrhenius modelling is used to predict the length of the antioxidant depletion stage for each solution based on both Std-OIT and HP-OIT.
Diversity of culturable bacteria recovered from Pico Bolívar’s glacial and subglacial environments, at 4950 m, in Venezuelan tropical Andes
Authors: Rondón Johnma , Gómez Wileidy , Ball María M. , Melfo Alejandra , Rengifo Marcos , Balcázar Wilvis , Dávila-Vera Delsy , Balza-Quintero Alirio , Mendoza-Briceño Rosa Virginia , Yarzábal Luis Andrés
Published: June 2016

Even though tropical glaciers are retreating rapidly and many will disappear in the next few years, their microbial diversity remains to be studied in depth. In this paper we report on the biodiversity of the culturable fraction of bacteria colonizing Pico Bolívar’s glacier ice and subglacial meltwaters, at ∼4950 m in the Venezuelan Andean Mountains. Microbial cells of diverse morphologies and exhibiting uncompromised membranes were present at densities ranging from 1.5 × 104 to 4.7 × 104 cells/mL in glacier ice and from 4.1 × 105 to 9.6 × 105 cells/mL in subglacial meltwater. Of 89 pure isolates recovered from the samples, the majority were eurypsychrophilic or stenopsychrophilic, according to their temperature range of growth. Following analysis of their 16S rDNA nucleotidic sequence, 54 pure isolates were assigned to 23 phylotypes distributed within 4 different phyla or classes: Beta- and Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Actinobacteria dominated the culturable fraction of glacier ice samples, whereas Proteobacteria were dominant in subglacial meltwater samples. Chloramphenicol and ampicillin resistance was exhibited by 73.07% and 65.38%, respectively, of the subglacial isolates, and nearly 35% of them were multiresistant. Considering the fast rate at which tropical glaciers are melting, this study confirms the urgent need to study the microbial communities immured in such environments.
Variation in the intensity and prevalence of macroparasites in migratory caribou: a quasi-circumpolar study
Authors: Simard Alice-Anne , Kutz Susan , Ducrocq Julie , Beckmen Kimberlee , Brodeur Vincent , Campbell Mitch , Croft Bruno , Cuyler Christine , Davison Tracy , Elkin Brett , Giroux Tina , Kelly Allicia , Russell Don , Taillon Joëlle , Veitch Alasdair , Côté Steeve D.
Published: June 2016

Comparative studies across time and geographical regions are useful to improve our understanding of the health of wildlife populations. Our goal was to study parasitism in migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus (L., 1758)) of North America and Greenland. A total of 1507 caribou were sampled across 12 herds to assess seven of their main helminth and arthropod macroparasites between 1978 and 2010. We sought to determine which factors such as sex, age class, herd size, and season best explained the prevalence and intensity of those parasites. Intensity of warble fly (Hypoderma tarandi (L., 1758)) larvae increased with age for males, whereas the opposite was observed in females. Prevalence of giant liver flukes (Fascioloides magna (Bassi, 1875) Ward, 1917), tapeworm Taenia hydatigena Pallas, 1766, and nose bot fly (Cephenemyia trompe (Modeer, 1786)) larvae was higher in adults than in calves. Prevalence of F. magna and T. hydatigena was higher at high herd size than at lower herd size. Greenland herds had the lowest prevalence of T. hydatigena and of the tapeworm Taenia krabbei Moniez, 1879, a higher intensity of H. tarandi, and a higher prevalence of C. trompe than the other herds. Of the herds from Quebec and Labrador, the Rivière-George herd had a higher prevalence of F. magna than the Rivière-aux-Feuilles herd. Our research provides the first comparative survey of these parasites of caribou across a broad spatial–temporal range.
Regularity of Iterative Hairpin Completions of Crossing (2, 2)-Words
Authors: Shikishima-Tsuji Kayoko
Published: June 2016

Hairpin completion is a formal operation inspired from DNA biochemistry. It is known that the (one step) hairpin completion of a regular language is linear context-free, but not regular in general. Further, it is decidable whether the (one step) hairpin completion of a regular language is regular. However, it is an open question whether the iterated hairpin completion of a regular language is regular, even if it is a singleton. If the word is a non-crossing α-word, there are results, but for crossing words there are no results. In this paper, we give necessary and sufficient conditions that the iterated hairpin completion of a given crossing (2, 2)-α-word in [Formula: see text] is regular.
Hadronic deuteron polarizability contribution to the Lamb shift in muonic deuterium
Authors: Eskin A. V. , Faustov R. N. , Martynenko A. P. , Martynenko F. A.
Published: June 2016

Hadronic deuteron polarizability correction to the Lamb shift of muonic deuterium is calculated on the basis of unitary isobar model and modern experimental data on the structure functions of deep inelastic lepton–deuteron scattering and their parametrizations in the resonance and nonresonance regions.
Effects of heterogeneous traffic with speed limit zone on the car accidents
Authors: Marzoug R. , Lakouari N. , Bentaleb K. , Ez-Zahraouy H. , Benyoussef A.
Published: June 2016

Using the extended Nagel–Schreckenberg (NS) model, we numerically study the impact of the heterogeneity of traffic with speed limit zone (SLZ) on the probability of occurrence of car accidents [Formula: see text]. SLZ in the heterogeneous traffic has an important effect, typically in the mixture velocities case. In the deterministic case, SLZ leads to the appearance of car accidents even in the low densities, in this region [Formula: see text] increases with increasing of fraction of fast vehicles [Formula: see text]. In the nondeterministic case, SLZ decreases the effect of braking probability [Formula: see text] in the low densities. Furthermore, the impact of multi-SLZ on the probability [Formula: see text] is also studied. In contrast with the homogeneous case [X. Li, H. Kuang, Y. Fan and G. Zhang, Int. J. Mod. Phys. C 25 (2014) 1450036], it is found that in the low densities the probability [Formula: see text] without SLZ [Formula: see text] is low than [Formula: see text] with multi-SLZ [Formula: see text]. However, the existence of multi-SLZ in the road decreases the risk of collision in the congestion phase.
First-principles study of Mg(0001)/MgO(1-11) interfaces
Authors: Song Hong-Quan , Zhao Ming , Li Jian-Guo
Published: June 2016

By means of first-principles density-functional calculations, we studied the surface energy of a nonstoichiometric MgO(1-11) slab, the interfacial energy and interfacial bonding characteristics of Mg-terminated and O-terminated Mg/MgO(1-11) interfaces with three stacking-site (TOP, HCP and FCC sites) models, and the effect of the thickness of Mg films on the O-terminated MgO(1-11) surface. The results indicate that the surface energies of the nonstoichiometric MgO(1-11) slab and interfacial energies of Mg/Mg(1-11) interface depend on Mg chemical potential. We found that the Mg-terminated MgO(1-11) surface is more stable than the O-terminated MgO(1-11) surface at high Mg chemical potential, and Mg/MgO(1-11) with FCC stacking-site model is the most stable configuration in the Mg/MgO(1-11) interfaces. The results of the electronic structure reveals that the interfacial bonding of Mg-terminated interface with FCC site model mainly consists of metallic bond and of the O-terminated interface with FCC site model is mainly ionic with a small degree of [Formula: see text]-type covalent bond. Although the interfacial energy of Mg-terminated Mg/MgO interface with FCC stacking-site model is slightly higher than that of O-terminated Mg/MgO interface, the molten Mg would epitaxially grow on the FCC sites of the Mg-terminated MgO(1-11) surface because of the high evaporation pressure of Mg at high temperature.
Towards Slime Mould Based Computer
Authors: Schumann Andrew
Published: June 2016

In this paper, I theoretically summarize, which behavioral possibilities the plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum has in order to be considered the medium of computation. I show that plasmodia can be represented as a natural implementation of different abstract automata: cellular automata, Kolmogorov–Uspensky machines, Schönhage’s storage modification machines, random-access machines. As a programming language for simulating Physarum plasmodium behavior, process calculus can be used.
Shape-Based Pedestrian Segmentation in Still Images
Authors: Jacques Julio Cezar Silveira , Musse Soraia Raupp
Published: June 2016

Pedestrian segmentation is a problem of considerable practical interest. In this work we present an extended version of our shape-based model for pedestrian segmentation, which can also be used to give an initial guess of the 2D pedestrians pose/orientation. The proposed model is initialized by a bounding-box of the person under analysis, which can be estimated by a person detector. The basic idea of the proposed model is to create a graph around the detected person, based on a scale invariant shape model and the estimated contour is given by a path in the graph that maximizes certain boundary energy. In practice, such energy should be large in the boundary between the foreground/background. To cope with pose/shape variations, the final estimate is given by a selection scheme, which takes into consideration the individual estimate given by different generated graphs. Experimental results indicated that the proposed technique works well in non trivial images, with comparable accuracy to the state-of-the-art.
Impact of climate factors on contact rate of vector-borne diseases: Case study of malaria
Authors: Dangbé Ezekiel , Perasso Antoine , Irépran Damakoa , Békollé David
Published: June 2016

Climate change influences more and more of our activities. These changes led to environmental changes which has in turn affected the spatial and temporal distribution of the incidence of vector-borne diseases. To establish the impact of climate on contact rate of vector-borne diseases, we examine the variation of prevalence of diseases according to season. In this paper, the goal is to establish that the basic reproductive number [Formula: see text] depends on the duration of transmission period and the date of the first conta-mination case that was declared ([Formula: see text]) in the specific case of malaria. We described the dynamics of transmission of malaria by using non-autonomous differential equations. We analyzed the stability of endemic equilibrium (EE) and disease-free equilibrium (DFE). We prove that the persistence of disease depends on minimum and maximum values of contact rate of vector-borne diseases.
Polymer Fluid Dynamics: Continuum and Molecular Approaches
Authors: Bird R.B. , Giacomin A.J.
Published: June 2016

To solve problems in polymer fluid dynamics, one needs the equations of continuity, motion, and energy. The last two equations contain the stress tensor and the heat-flux vector for the material. There are two ways to formulate the stress tensor: (a) One can write a continuum expression for the stress tensor in terms of kinematic tensors, or (b) one can select a molecular model that represents the polymer molecule and then develop an expression for the stress tensor from kinetic theory. The advantage of the kinetic theory approach is that one gets information about the relation between the molecular structure of the polymers and the rheological properties. We restrict the discussion primarily to the simplest stress tensor expressions or constitutive equations containing from two to four adjustable parameters, although we do indicate how these formulations may be extended to give more complicated expressions. We also explore how these simplest expressions are recovered as special cases of a more general framework, the Oldroyd 8-constant model. Studying the simplest models allows us to discover which types of empiricisms or molecular models seem to be worth investigating further. We also explore equivalences between continuum and molecular approaches. We restrict the discussion to several types of simple flows, such as shearing flows and extensional flows, which are of greatest importance in industrial operations. Furthermore, if these simple flows cannot be well described by continuum or molecular models, then it is not necessary to lavish time and energy to apply them to more complex flow problems.
A single session of neuromuscular electrical stimulation does not augment postprandial muscle protein accretion
Authors: Dirks Marlou L. , Wall Benjamin T. , Kramer Irene Fleur , Zorenc Antoine H. , Goessens Joy P. B. , Gijsen Annemie P. , van Loon Luc J. C.
Published: June 2016

The loss of muscle mass and strength that occurs with aging, termed sarcopenia, has been (at least partly) attributed to an impaired muscle protein synthetic response to food intake. Previously, we showed that neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) can stimulate fasting muscle protein synthesis rates and prevent muscle atrophy during disuse. We hypothesized that NMES prior to protein ingestion would increase postprandial muscle protein accretion. Eighteen healthy elderly (69 ± 1 yr) males participated in this study. After a 70-min unilateral NMES protocol was performed, subjects ingested 20 g of intrinsically l-[1-13C]phenylalanine-labeled casein. Plasma samples and muscle biopsies were collected to assess postprandial mixed muscle and myofibrillar protein accretion as well as associated myocellular signaling during a 4-h postprandial period in both the control (CON) and stimulated (NMES) leg. Protein ingestion resulted in rapid increases in both plasma phenylalanine concentrations and l-[1-13C]phenylalanine enrichments, which remained elevated during the entire 4-h postprandial period ( P < 0.05). Mixed-muscle protein-bound l-[1-13C]phenylalanine enrichments increased significantly over time following protein ingestion, with no differences between the CON (0.0164 ± 0.0019 MPE) and NMES (0.0164 ± 0.0019 MPE) leg ( P > 0.05). In agreement, no differences were observed in the postprandial rise in myofibrillar protein bound l-[1-13C]phenylalanine enrichments between the CON and NMES legs (0.0115 ± 0.0014 vs. 0.0133 ± 0.0013 MPE, respectively, P > 0.05). Significant increases in mTOR and P70S6K phosphorylation status were observed in the NMES-stimulated leg only ( P < 0.05). We conclude that a single session of NMES prior to food intake does not augment postprandial muscle protein accretion in healthy older men.
Exaggerated sympathoexcitatory reflexes develop with changes in the rostral ventrolateral medulla in obese Zucker rats
Authors: Huber Domitila A. , Schreihofer Ann M.
Published: June 2016

Obesity leads to altered autonomic reflexes that reduce stability of mean arterial pressure (MAP). Sympathoinhibitory reflexes such as baroreflexes are impaired, but reflexes that raise MAP appear to be augmented. In obese Zucker rats (OZR) sciatic nerve stimulation evokes larger increases in MAP by unknown mechanisms. We sought to determine the autonomic underpinnings of this enhanced somatic pressor reflex and whether other sympathoexcitatory reflexes are augmented. We also determined whether their final common pathway, glutamatergic activation of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), was enhanced in male OZR compared with lean Zucker rats (LZR). Sciatic nerve stimulation or activation of the nasopharyngeal reflex evoked larger rises in splanchnic sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) (79% and 45% larger in OZR, respectively; P < 0.05) and MAP in urethane-anesthetized, ventilated, paralyzed adult OZR compared with LZR. After elimination of baroreflex feedback by pharmacological prevention of changes in MAP and heart rate, these two sympathoexcitatory reflexes were still exaggerated in OZR (167% and 69% larger, respectively, P < 0.05). In adult OZR microinjections of glutamate, AMPA, or NMDA into the RVLM produced larger rises in SNA (∼61% larger in OZR, P < 0.05 for each drug) and MAP, but stimulation of axonal fibers in the upper thoracic spinal cord yielded equivalent responses in OZR and LZR. In juvenile OZR and LZR, sympathoexcitatory reflexes and physiological responses to RVLM activation were comparable. These data suggest that the ability of glutamate to activate the RVLM becomes enhanced in adult OZR and may contribute to the development of exaggerated sympathoexcitatory responses independent of impaired baroreflexes.
Interleukin-6 inhibition attenuates hypertension and associated renal damage in Dahl salt-sensitive rats
Authors: Hashmat Shireen , Rudemiller Nathan , Lund Hayley , Abais-Battad Justine M. , Van Why Scott , Mattson David L.
Published: June 2016

Immune cells in the kidney are implicated in the development of hypertension and renal damage in the Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rat. Interestingly, interleukin 6 (IL-6) mRNA is 54-fold higher in T-lymphocytes isolated from the kidney compared with circulating T-lymphocytes. The present experiments assessed the role of IL-6 in the development of SS hypertension by treating rats ( n = 13–14/group) with an IL-6 neutralizing antibody or normal IgG during an 11-day period of high-salt (4.0% NaCl chow) intake. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) and urine albumin excretion rates (Ualb) were not different between the groups fed low salt (0.4% NaCl). Following 11 days of drug treatment and high salt, however, the rats receiving anti-IL-6 demonstrated a 47% reduction of IL-6 in the renal medulla compared with control SS. Moreover, the increase in MAP following 11 days of high-NaCl intake was significantly attenuated in SS administered anti-IL-6 compared with the control group (138 ± 3 vs. 149 ± 3 mmHg) as was the salt-induced increase in Ualb and glomerular and tubular damage. To investigate potential mechanisms of action, a flow cytometric analysis of immune cells in the kidney ( n = 8–9/group) demonstrated that the total number of monocytes and macrophages was significantly lower in the treatment vs. the control group. The total number of T- and B-lymphocytes in the kidneys was not different between groups. These studies indicate that IL-6 production may participate in the development of SS hypertension and end-organ damage by mediating increased infiltration or proliferation of macrophages into the kidney.
Integrating Genomic Data Sets for Knowledge Discovery: An Informed Approach to Management of Captive Endangered Species
Authors: Irizarry Kristopher J. L. , Bryant Doug , Kalish Jordan , Eng Curtis , Schmidt Peggy L. , Barrett Gini , Barr Margaret C.
Published: June 2016

Many endangered captive populations exhibit reduced genetic diversity resulting in health issues that impact reproductive fitness and quality of life. Numerous cost effective genomic sequencing and genotyping technologies provide unparalleled opportunity for incorporating genomics knowledge in management of endangered species. Genomic data, such as sequence data, transcriptome data, and genotyping data, provide critical information about a captive population that, when leveraged correctly, can be utilized to maximize population genetic variation while simultaneously reducing unintended introduction or propagation of undesirable phenotypes. Current approaches aimed at managing endangered captive populations utilize species survival plans (SSPs) that rely upon mean kinship estimates to maximize genetic diversity while simultaneously avoiding artificial selection in the breeding program. However, as genomic resources increase for each endangered species, the potential knowledge available for management also increases. Unlike model organisms in which considerable scientific resources are used to experimentally validate genotype-phenotype relationships, endangered species typically lack the necessary sample sizes and economic resources required for such studies. Even so, in the absence of experimentally verified genetic discoveries, genomics data still provides value. In fact, bioinformatics and comparative genomics approaches offer mechanisms for translating these raw genomics data sets into integrated knowledge that enable an informed approach to endangered species management.
Knowledge about Danger Signs of Obstetric Complications and Associated Factors among Postnatal Mothers of Mechekel District Health Centers, East Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia, 2014
Authors: Amenu Gedefa , Mulaw Zerfu , Seyoum Tewodros , Bayu Hinsermu
Published: June 2016

Background. Developing countries like Ethiopia contributed highest level of maternal mortality due to obstetric complications. Women awareness of obstetric danger sign to recognize complications to seek medical care early is the first intervention in an effort to decrease maternal death.Objective. To assess knowledge about danger signs of obstetric complications and associated factors among postnatal mothers at Mechekel district health centers, East Gojjam zone, Northwest Ethiopia, 2014.Methods. An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from August to October, 2014, in Mechekel district health centers. Systematic random sampling was used to select four hundred eleven study participants. A pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were entered to Epi Info version 3.5.3 and exported to SPSS 20.0 for further analysis. Descriptive and summary statistics were done. Logistic regression analyses were used to see the association of different variables. Odds ratios and 95% confidence interval were computed to determine the presence and strength of association.Results. According to this study, 55.1% participants were knowledgeable about danger signs of obstetric complications. Maternal and husband educational level ((AOR = 1.977, 95% CI: 1.052, 3.716) and (AOR = 3.163, 95% CI: 1.860, 5.3770), resp.), family monthly income ≥ 1500 (AOR = 2.954, 95% CI: 1.289, 6.770), being multipara (AOR = 7.463, 95% CI: 1.301, 12.800), ANC follow-up during last pregnancy (AOR = 2.184, 95% CI: 1.137, 4.196), and place of last delivery (AOR = 1.955, 95% CI: 1.214, 3.150) were variables found to be significantly associated with women’s knowledge on danger signs of obstetric complications.Conclusion. Significant proportion of respondents were not knowledgeable about obstetric danger signs and factors like educational status, place of last delivery, and antenatal follow-up were found to be associated.
Mechanical Properties of ZTA: Correlation with Structural Properties and Influence of Ageing
Authors: Exare C. , Kiat J.-M. , Guiblin N. , Petricek V.
Published: June 2016

We report the mechanical and thermal properties of industrial Zirconia Toughened Alumina (ZTA) composites for different compositions of zirconia and yttria, paying a special attention to possible ageing. As a result a correlation between the structural properties and the in-fine performances is obtained; in particular, depending on mechanical properties expected by the customer, optimum composites compositions are indicated.
Time Domain Waveform Inversion for theQModel Based on the First-Order Viscoacoustic Wave Equations
Authors: Zhang Guowei , Gao Jinghuai
Published: June 2016

Propagating seismic waves are dispersed and attenuated in the subsurface due to the conversion of elastic energy into heat. The absorptive property of a medium can be described by the quality factorQ. In this study, the first-order pressure-velocity viscoacoustic wave equations based on the standard linear solid model are used to incorporate the effect ofQ. For theQmodel inversion, an iterative procedure is then proposed by minimizing an objective function that measures the misfit energy between the observed data and the modeled data. The adjoint method is applied to derive the gradients of the objective function with respect to the model parameters, that is, bulk modulus, density, andQ-related parameterτ. Numerical tests on the crosswell recording geometry indicate the feasibility of the proposed approach for theQanomaly estimation.
Evaluation of Culture Conditions to Obtain Fatty Acids from Saline Microalgae Species:Dunaliella salina,Sinecosyfissp., andChroomonassp.
Authors: Castilla Casadiego D. A. , Albis Arrieta A. R. , Angulo Mercado E. R. , Cervera Cahuana S. J. , Baquero Noriega K. S. , Suárez Escobar A. F. , Morales Avendaño E. D.
Published: June 2016

The use of the saline microalgae,Dunaliella salina, Sinecosyfissp., andChroomonassp., was explored as an alternative source for the production of fatty acids using fertilizer and glycerol as culture media. The nutrient medium used contained “Nutrifoliar,” a commercial fertilizer, and/or glycerol, in natural sea water. The microalgae were placed in cultures with different conditions. The parameters that favored the largest production of fatty acids were 24 hours of agitation and illumination, 1620 L/day of air supply, 2.25 L of air/min, and a temperature of 32°C using “Nutrifoliar” as the culture media. Results indicated that, from 3 g of microalgae in wet base ofChroomonassp., 54.43 mg of oil was produced. The chromatographic characterization of oil obtained revealed the presence of essential fatty acids such as 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid (omega-3) and 4,7,10-hexadecatrienoic acid (omega-6) from the speciesDunaliella salina.On the other hand, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (omega-6) and cis-11-eicosenoic acid (omega-9) were identified from the speciesChroomonassp. The temperature variations played an important role in the velocity of growth or the production of the algae biomass, the amount of oil, and the ability to produce fatty acids.
A New Technique for Integrating MEMS-Based Low-Cost IMU and GPS in Vehicular Navigation
Authors: Navidi Neda , Landry René Jr. , Cheng Jianhua , Gingras Denis
Published: June 2016

In providing acceptable navigational solutions, Location-Based Services (LBS) in land navigation rely mostly on integration of Global Positioning System (GPS) and Inertial Navigation System (INS) measurements for accuracy and robustness. The GPS/INS integrated system can provide better land-navigation solutions than the ones any standalone system can provide. Low-cost Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), based on Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) technology, revolutionized the land-navigation system by virtue of their low-cost miniaturization and widespread availability. However, their accuracy is strongly affected by their inherent systematic and stochastic errors, which depend mainly on environmental conditions. The environmental noise and nonlinearities prevent obtaining optimal localization estimates in Land Vehicular Navigation (LVN) while using traditional Kalman Filters (KF). The main goal of this paper is to effectively eliminate stochastic errors of MEMS-based IMUs. The proposed solution is divided into two main components: (1) improving noise cancellation, using advanced stochastic error models in MEMS-based IMUs based on combined Autoregressive Processes (ARP) and first-order Gauss-Markov Process (1GMP), and (2) modeling the low-cost GPS/INS integration, using a hybrid Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) and Second-Order Extended Kalman Filter (SOEKF). The results obtained show that the proposed methods perform better than the traditional techniques do in different stochastic and dynamic situations.
Monocyte Differentiation towards Protumor Activity Does Not Correlate with M1 or M2 Phenotypes
Authors: Chimal-Ramírez G. Karina , Espinoza-Sánchez Nancy Adriana , Chávez-Sánchez Luis , Arriaga-Pizano Lourdes , Fuentes-Pananá Ezequiel M.
Published: June 2016

Macrophages facilitate breast cancer progression. Macrophages were initially classified as M1 or M2 based on their distinct metabolic programs and then expanded to include antitumoral (M1) and protumoral (M2) activities. However, it is still uncertain what markers define the pro- and antitumoral phenotypes and what conditions lead to their formation. In this study, monocytic cell lines and primary monocytes were subjected to commonly reported protocols of M1/M2 polarization and conditions known to engage monocytes into protumoral functions. The results showed that only IDO enzyme and CD86 M1 markers were upregulated correlating with M1 polarization. TNF-α, CCR7, IL-10, arginase I, CD36, and CD163 were expressed indistinguishably from M1 or M2 polarization. Similarly, protumoral engaging resulted in upregulation of both M1 and M2 markers, with conditioned media from the most aggressive breast cancer cell line promoting the greatest changes. In spite of the mixed phenotype, M1-polarized macrophages exhibited the highest expression/secretion of inflammatory mediators, many of which have previously been associated with breast cancer aggressiveness. These data argue that although the existence of protumoral macrophages is unquestionable, their associated phenotypes and the precise conditions driving their formation are still unclear, and those conditions may need both M1 and M2 stimuli.
On Elasticity Measurement in Cloud Computing
Authors: Ai Wei , Li Kenli , Lan Shenglin , Zhang Fan , Mei Jing , Li Keqin , Buyya Rajkumar
Published: June 2016

Elasticity is the foundation of cloud performance and can be considered as a great advantage and a key benefit of cloud computing. However, there is no clear, concise, and formal definition of elasticity measurement, and thus no effective approach to elasticity quantification has been developed so far. Existing work on elasticity lack of solid and technical way of defining elasticity measurement and definitions of elasticity metrics have not been accurate enough to capture the essence of elasticity measurement. In this paper, we present a new definition of elasticity measurement and propose a quantifying and measuring method using a continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) model, which is easy to use for precise calculation of elasticity value of a cloud computing platform. Our numerical results demonstrate the basic parameters affecting elasticity as measured by the proposed measurement approach. Furthermore, our simulation and experimental results validate that the proposed measurement approach is not only correct but also robust and is effective in computing and comparing the elasticity of cloud platforms. Our research in this paper makes significant contribution to quantitative measurement of elasticity in cloud computing.