bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Fast Response and Recovery Pd Nanoparticles and Ni Thin Film Hydrogen Gas Sensors Based on Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Structure
Authors: Behzadi Pour G. , Fekri Aval L.
Published: June 2017

In this study, two hydrogen sensors with Pd/SiO2/Si and Ni/SiO2/Si structures have been fabricated. Palladium nanoparticles are synthesized and then deposited on the oxide surface using spin coating. Capacitance–voltage curves for the Pd/SiO2/Si sensor at room temperature and for the Ni/SiO2/Si sensor at 140[Formula: see text]C in pure nitrogen and 1% H2–N2 mixture are described. The time required for reaching 90% of the steady-state signal magnitude ([Formula: see text]) for Pd/SiO2/Si capacitor was 1.4[Formula: see text]s and for Ni/SiO2/Si capacitor was 90 s. The time interval for recovery from 90% to 10% of steady-state signal magnitude ([Formula: see text] for Pd/SiO2/Si capacitor was 14[Formula: see text]s and for Ni/SiO2/Si capacitor was 40[Formula: see text]min. For the Pd/SiO2/Si capacitor, the response is 88% and for Ni/SiO2/Si capacitor the response is 29%. Comparison of Pd nanoparticles capacitive- and resistance-based sensors shows that the metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitive is faster and more sensitive than the resistance-based hydrogen gas sensors.
Photodetection-induced relative timing jitter in synchronized time-lens source for coherent Raman scattering microscopy
Authors: Wang Jiaqi , Qiu Ping
Published: June 2017

Synchronized time-lens source is a novel method to generate synchronized optical pulses to mode-locked lasers, and has found widespread applications in coherent Raman scattering microscopy. Relative timing jitter between the mode-locked laser and the synchronized time-lens source is a key parameter for evaluating the synchronization performance of such synchronized laser systems. However, the origins of the relative timing jitter in such systems are not fully determined, which in turn prevents the experimental efforts to optimize the synchronization performance. Here, we demonstrate, through theoretical modeling and numerical simulation, that the photodetection could be one physical origin of the relative timing jitter. Comparison with relative timing jitter due to the intrinsic timing jitter of the mode-locked laser is also demonstrated, revealing different qualitative and quantitative behaviors. Based on the nature of this photodetection-induced timing jitter, we further propose several strategies to reduce the relative timing jitter. Our theoretical results will provide guidelines for optimizing synchronization performance in experiments.
Tetracyclic graphs with maximum second Zagreb index: A simple approach
Authors: Ali Akbar
Published: June 2017

In the chemical graph theory, graph invariants are usually referred to as topological indices. The second Zagreb index (denoted by [Formula: see text]) is one of the most studied topological indices. For [Formula: see text], let [Formula: see text] be the collection of all non-isomorphic connected graphs with [Formula: see text] vertices and [Formula: see text] edges (such graphs are known as tetracyclic graphs). Recently, Habibi et al. [Extremal tetracyclic graphs with respect to the first and second Zagreb indices, Trans. on Combin. 5(4) (2016) 35–55.] characterized the graph having maximum [Formula: see text] value among all members of the collection [Formula: see text]. In this short note, an alternative but relatively simple approach is used for characterizing the aforementioned graph.
Decreasing sintering temperature for BCZT lead-free ceramics prepared via hydrothermal route
Authors: Lu Xiaoyu , Fang Bijun , Zhang Shuai , Yuan Ningyi , Ding Jianning , Zhao Xiangyong , Wang Feifei , Tang Yanxue , Shi Wangzhou , Xu Haiqing , Luo Haosu
Published: June 2017

(Ba[Formula: see text]Ca[Formula: see text])(Zr[Formula: see text]Ti[Formula: see text])O3 (BCZT) lead-free ferroelectric ceramics were prepared at low sintering temperature via a hydrothermal route. The hydrothermal-synthesized BCZT precursor powder presents phase-pure perovskite structure and rather homogenous particles with dozens nanometers, which provides high sintering activity. Pure perovskite BCZT ceramics are synthesized at rather low sintering temperature accompanied by rather uniform microstructure morphology and high relative density. Dielectric peaks of the BCZT ceramics are rather broad, and their dielectric response behavior combines the characteristics of both the normal and relaxor ferroelectrics. The BCZT ceramics exhibit excellent ferroelectricity and promising electric energy density, which can be enhanced further with increasing electric field.
Debating Technology for Dialogical Argument
Authors: Lawrence John , Snaith Mark , Konat Barbara , Budzynska Katarzyna , Reed Chris
Published: June 2017

Debating technologies, a newly emerging strand of research into computational technologies to support human debating, offer a powerful way of providing naturalistic, dialogue-based interaction with complex information spaces. The full potential of debating technologies for dialogical argument can, however, only be realized once key technical and engineering challenges are overcome, namely data structure, data availability, and interoperability between components. Our aim in this article is to show that the Argument Web, a vision for integrated, reusable, semantically rich resources connecting views, opinions, arguments, and debates online, offers a solution to these challenges. Through the use of a running example taken from the domain of citizen dialogue, we demonstrate for the first time that different Argument Web components focusing on sensemaking, engagement, and analytics can work in concert as a suite of debating technologies for rich, complex, dialogical argument.
Resolving Ambiguity in Sentiment Classification
Authors: Deng Shuyuan , Sinha Atish P. , Zhao Huimin
Published: June 2017

Sentiment analysis has become popular in business intelligence and analytics applications due to the great need for learning insights from the vast amounts of user generated content on the Internet. One major challenge of sentiment analysis, like most text classification tasks, is finding structures from unstructured texts. Existing sentiment analysis techniques employ the supervised learning approach and the lexicon scoring approach, both of which largely rely on the representation of a document as a collection of words and phrases. The semantic ambiguity (i.e., polysemy) of single words and the sparsity of phrases negatively affect the robustness of sentiment analysis, especially in the context of short social media texts. In this study, we propose to represent texts using dependency features. We test the effectiveness of dependency features in supervised sentiment classification. We compare our method with the current standard practice using a labeled data set containing 170,874 microblogging messages. The combination of unigram features and dependency features significantly outperformed other popular types of features.
High-Performance General Functional Regenerating Codes with Near-Optimal Repair Bandwidth
Authors: Liu Qing , Feng Dan , Hu Yuchong , Shi Zhan , Fu Min
Published: June 2017

Erasure codes are widely used in modern distributed storage systems to prevent data loss and server failures. Regenerating codes are a class of erasure codes that trade storage efficiency and computation for repair bandwidth reduction. However, their nonunified coding parameters and huge computational overhead prohibit their applications. Hence, we first propose a family of General Functional Regenerating (GFR) codes with uncoded repair, balancing storage efficiency and repair bandwidth with general parameters. The GFR codes take advantage of a heuristic repair algorithm, which makes efforts to employ as little repair bandwidth as possible to repair a single failure. Second, we also present a scheduled shift multiplication (SSM) algorithm, which accelerates the matrix product over the Galois field by scheduling the order of coding operations, so encoding and repairing of GFR codes can be executed by fast bitwise shifting and exclusive-OR. Compared to the traditional table-lookup multiplication algorithm, our SSM algorithm gains 1.2 to 2 X speedup in our experimental evaluations, with little effect on the repair success rate.
Lazy Exact Deduplication
Authors: Ma Jingwei , Stones Rebecca J. , Ma Yuxiang , Wang Jingui , Ren Junjie , Wang Gang , Liu Xiaoguang
Published: June 2017

Deduplication aims to reduce duplicate data in storage systems by removing redundant copies of data blocks, which are compared to one another using fingerprints. However, repeated on-disk fingerprint lookups lead to high disk traffic, which results in a bottleneck.

In this article, we propose a “lazy” data deduplication method, which buffers incoming fingerprints that are used to perform on-disk lookups in batches, with the aim of improving subsequent prefetching. In deduplication in general, prefetching is used to improve the cache hit rate by exploiting locality within the incoming fingerprint stream. For lazy deduplication, we design a buffering strategy that preserves locality in order to facilitate prefetching. Furthermore, as the proportion of deduplication time spent on I/O decreases, the proportion spent on fingerprint calculation and chunking increases. Thus, we also utilize parallel approaches (utilizing multiple CPU cores and a graphics processing unit) to further improve the overall performance.

Experimental results indicate that the lazy method improves fingerprint identification performance by over 50% compared with an “eager” method with the same data layout. The GPU improves the hash calculation by a factor of 4.6 and multithreaded chunking by a factor of 4.16. Deduplication performance can be improved by over 45% on SSD and 80% on HDD in the last round on the real datasets.
The Role Clarity Framework to Improve Requirements Gathering
Authors: Taghavi Atefeh , Woo Carson
Published: June 2017

Incorrect and incomplete requirements have been reported as two of the top reasons for information systems (IS) project failures. In order to address these concerns, several IS analysis and design studies have focused on understanding the business needs and organizational factors prior to specifying the requirements. In this research, we add to the existing incremental solutions, such as the work system method and goal-oriented requirements engineering, by proposing the Role Clarity Framework drawn from the theories of“role dynamics”and“goal setting and task performance”in organization studies. The Role Clarity Framework consists of three main concepts related to any organizational role: expectations, activities, and consequences. Based on the interactions among different roles, this framework demonstrates how the business goals and activities of each role, as played out by IS users, are formed and/or changed in the organization. Finally, the Role Clarity Framework helps IS analysts to improve their communication with users and anticipate changes in their requirements, thus improving the gathering of requirements for IS design.
Incremental Layer Assignment for Timing Optimization
Authors: Liu Derong , Yu Bei , Chowdhury Salim , Pan David Z.
Published: June 2017

With VLSI technology nodes scaling into the nanometer regime, interconnect delay plays an increasingly critical role in timing. For layer assignment, most works deal with via counts or total net delays, ignoring critical paths of each net and resulting in potential timing issues. In this article, we propose an incremental layer assignment framework targeting delay optimization in timing the critical path of each net. A set of novel techniques are presented: self-adaptive quadruple partition based on K × K division benefits the runtime; semidefinite programming is utilized for each partition; and the sequential mapping algorithm guarantees integer solutions while satisfying edge capacities; additionally, concurrent mapping offers a global view of assignment and post delay optimization reduces the path timing violations. The effectiveness of our work is verified by ISPD’08 benchmarks.
Technical Report Column
Authors: Kelley Dean
Published: June 2017

Welcome to the Technical Reports Column. If your institution publishes technical reports that you'd like to have included here, please contact me at the email address above.
Computational Geometry Column 65
Authors: Sharir Micha
Published: June 2017

This column is devoted to a review of the recent dramatic developments on many fronts of combinatorial (and computational) geometry, caused by the introduction of techniques from algebra and algebraic geometry, pioneered by Guth and Katz about 10 years ago. We review topics such as incidences, distinct and repeated distances, joints, polynomials vanishing on grids, range searching, repeated configurations, and eliminating depth cycles for lines and triangles. We also discuss briey the new algebraic machinery, and give a few examples of the way it is applied.
Map4k4 impairs energy metabolism in endothelial cells and promotes insulin resistance in obesity
Authors: Roth Flach Rachel J. , DiStefano Marina T. , Danai Laura V. , Senol-Cosar Ozlem , Yawe Joseph C. , Kelly Mark , Garcia Menendez Lorena , Czech Michael P.
Published: June 2017

The blood vasculature responds to insulin, influencing hemodynamic changes in the periphery, which promotes tissue nutrient and oxygen delivery and thus metabolic function. The lymphatic vasculature regulates fluid and lipid homeostasis, and impaired lymphatic function can contribute to atherosclerosis and obesity. Recent studies have suggested a role for endothelial cell (EC) mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 4 (Map4k4) in developmental angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis as well as atherosclerosis. Here, we show that inducible EC Map4k4 deletion in adult mice ameliorates metabolic dysfunction in obesity despite the development of chylous ascites and a concomitant striking increase in adipose tissue lymphocyte content. Despite these defects, animals lacking endothelial Map4k4 were protected from skeletal muscle microvascular rarefaction in obesity, and primary ECs lacking Map4k4 displayed reduced senescence and increased metabolic capacity. Thus endothelial Map4k4 has complex and opposing functions in the blood and lymphatic endothelium postdevelopment. Whereas blood endothelial Map4k4 promotes vascular dysfunction and impairs glucose homeostasis in adult animals, lymphatic endothelial Map4k4 is required to maintain lymphatic vascular integrity and regulate immune cell trafficking in obesity.
Quantitative Estimation of Organic Matter Content in Arid Soil Using Vis-NIR Spectroscopy Preprocessed by Fractional Derivative
Authors: Wang Jingzhe , Tiyip Tashpolat , Ding Jianli , Zhang Dong , Liu Wei , Wang Fei
Published: June 2017

Soil organic matter (SOM) content is an important index to measure the level of soil function and soil quality. However, conventional studies on estimation of SOM content concerned about the classic integer derivative of spectral data, while the fractional derivative information was ignored. In this research, a total of 103 soil samples were collected in the Ebinur Lake basin, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China. After measuring the Vis-NIR (visible and near-infrared) spectroscopy and SOM content indoor, the raw reflectance and absorbance were treated by fractional derivative from 0 to 2nd order (order interval 0.2). Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was applied for model calibration, and five commonly used precision indices were used to assess the performance of these 22 models. The results showed that with the rise of order, these parameters showed the increasing or decreasing trends with vibration and reached the optimal values at the fractional order. A most robust model was calibrated based on 1.8 order derivative of R, with the lowest RMSEC (3.35 g kg−1) and RMSEP (2.70 g kg−1) and highest Rc2 (0.92), Rp2 (0.91), and RPD (3.42 > 3.0). This model had excellent predictive performance of estimating SOM content in the study area.
Ocular Image and Haemodynamic Features Associated with Different Gradings of Ipsilateral Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis
Authors: Wang Hui , Li Hongyang , Zhang Xiaojie , Qiu Lanyan , Wang Zhenchang , Wang Yanling
Published: June 2017

Objectives. To analyse the changes of ocular haemodynamics and morphology in Chinese patients with internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis in the current study. Methods. A retrospective case-control study was conducted with 219 patients. The haemodynamic characteristics, the calibre of retinal vessels, and the subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFChT) were compared. We analysed the correlations with the degree of ipsilateral ICA stenosis. Results. There were no significant differences among the groups in the central retinal artery equivalent (CRAE), central retinal vein equivalent (CRVE), and AVR (p=0.073, p=0.188, and p=0.738, resp.). The peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end diastolic velocity (EDV) in the central retinal artery (CRA) and the posterior ciliary artery (PCA) were significantly lower than normal eyes (p<0.001). The outer retinal layer thickness and SFChT values of the ICA stenosis groups were significantly lower than normal eyes (p=0.030 and p<0.001, resp.). Conclusion. The PSV and EDV in CRA and PCA and the SFChT and outer retinal layer thickness of ICA eyes were significantly lower than normal eyes. ICA stenosis may impact choroidal haemodynamics, and decreased choroidal circulation might affect the discordance of the SFChT and the outer retinal layer thickness.
A Rare Cause of Upper Airway Obstruction in a Child
Authors: Ahmed H. , Ndiaye C. , Barry M. W. , Thiongane Aliou , Mbaye A. , Zemene Y. , Ndiaye I. C.
Published: June 2017

Ventricular band cyst is a rare condition in children but can result in severe upper airway obstruction with laryngeal dyspnea or death. The diagnosis should be considered in any stridor in children with previous history of intubation or respiratory infections. We report a case of a 4-year-old girl, received in an array of severe respiratory distress, emergency endoscopy was done, and a large ventricular tape band cyst obstructing the air way was found. Complete excision was made, and postoperative prophylaxis tracheotomy was done. The postoperative course was uneventful with improvement of clinical and endoscopic signs.
Flavonoids in Different Parts of Lysimachia clethroides Duby Extracted by Ionic Liquid: Analysis by HPLC and Antioxidant Activity Assay
Authors: Wei Jin-feng , Zhang Zhi-juan , Cui Li-li , Kang Wen-yi
Published: June 2017

To establish methods for simultaneous determination of isoquercitrin, astragalin in leaves, quercetin, and kaempferol in flowers of Lysimachia clethroides Duby, respectively, the methods were ultrasound-assisted extraction combined with RP-HPLC, and ionic liquid was used as the extraction solvent. Meanwhile, the antioxidant activity of the different extracts of L. clethroides was evaluated. Purospher STAR RP-C18 column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm) was used for analysis. The flow rate was 0.6 mL·min−1, and the column temperature was 25°C. The detection wavelength was 360 nm. The mobile phases a and b consisted of acetonitrile-0.4% phosphoric acid (18 : 82, v/v), methanol (A), and 0.4% phosphoric acid (B), respectively. Linear ranges were 0.068~1.64, 0.060~1.44, 0.0080~0.19, and 0.0077~0.18 μg for isoquercitrin, astragalin, quercetin, and kaempferol, respectively. The average recoveries of the four constituents were 99.17%, 98.39%, 100.68%, and 98.81%, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was detected by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP. Under the optimized conditions, all the test solutions showed a certain antioxidant activity and the ionic liquid extracts were better than that of extract of methanol. Ionic liquid used as the extraction solvent had the potential to extract active ingredients efficiently from L. clethroides, and this method improved the antioxidant activity with accurate and reliable results.
Collocation Method Based on Genocchi Operational Matrix for Solving Generalized Fractional Pantograph Equations
Authors: Isah Abdulnasir , Phang Chang , Phang Piau
Published: June 2017

An effective collocation method based on Genocchi operational matrix for solving generalized fractional pantograph equations with initial and boundary conditions is presented. Using the properties of Genocchi polynomials, we derive a new Genocchi delay operational matrix which we used together with the Genocchi operational matrix of fractional derivative to approach the problems. The error upper bound for the Genocchi operational matrix of fractional derivative is also shown. Collocation method based on these operational matrices is applied to reduce the generalized fractional pantograph equations to a system of algebraic equations. The comparison of the numerical results with some existing methods shows that the present method is an excellent mathematical tool for finding the numerical solutions of generalized fractional pantograph equations.
Arctic-Mid-Latitude Linkages in a Nonlinear Quasi-Geostrophic Atmospheric Model
Authors: Handorf Dörthe , Dethloff Klaus , Erxleben Sabine , Jaiser Ralf , Kurgansky Michael V.
Published: June 2017

A quasi-geostrophic three-level T63 model of the wintertime atmospheric circulation of the Northern Hemisphere has been applied to investigate the impact of Arctic amplification (increase in surface air temperatures and loss of Arctic sea ice during the last 15 years) on the mid-latitude large-scale atmospheric circulation. The model demonstrates a mid-latitude response to an Arctic diabatic heating anomaly. A clear shift towards a negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation (AO−) during low sea-ice-cover conditions occurs, connected with weakening of mid-latitude westerlies over the Atlantic and colder winters over Northern Eurasia. Compared to reanalysis data, there is no clear model response with respect to the Pacific Ocean and North America.
Identification ofTMPRSS3as a Significant Contributor to Autosomal Recessive Hearing Loss in the Chinese Population
Authors: Gao Xue , Huang Sha-Sha , Yuan Yong-Yi , Xu Jin-Cao , Gu Ping , Bai Dan , Kang Dong-Yang , Han Ming-Yu , Wang Guo-Jian , Zhang Mei-Guang , Li Jia , Dai Pu
Published: June 2017

Hereditary hearing loss is characterized by a high degree of genetic heterogeneity. Mutations in theTMPRSS3(transmembrane protease, serine 3) gene cause prelingual (DFNB10) or postlingual (DFNB8) deafness. In our previous study, three pathogenic mutations inTMPRSS3were identified in one Chinese family. To evaluate the importance ofTMPRSS3mutations in recessive deafness among the Chinese, we screened 150 autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL) families and identified 6 that carried seven causativeTMPRSS3mutations, including five novel mutations (c.809T>A, c.1151T>G, c.1204G>A, c.1244T>C, and c.1250G>A) and two previously reported mutations (c.323-6G>A and c.916G>A). Each of the five novel mutations was classified as severe, by both age of onset and severity of hearing loss. Together with our previous study, six families were found to share one pathogenic mutation (c.916G>A, p.Ala306Thr). To determine whether this mutation arose from a common ancestor, we analyzed six short tandem repeat (STR) markers spanning theTMPRSS3gene. In four families, we observed linkage disequilibrium between p.Ala306Thr and STR markers. Our results indicate that mutations inTMPRSS3account for about 4.6% (7/151) of Chinese ARNSHL cases lacking mutations inSLC26A4orGJB2and that the recurrentTMPRSS3mutation p.Ala306Thr is likely to be a founder mutation.
Protective and Predisposing Morphological Factors in Suprascapular Nerve Entrapment Syndrome: A Fundamental Review Based on Recent Observations
Authors: Łabętowicz Piotr , Synder Marek , Wojciechowski Mariusz , Orczyk Krzysztof , Jezierski Hubert , Topol Mirosław , Polguj Michał
Published: June 2017

Suprascapular nerve entrapment syndrome (SNES) is a neuropathy caused by compression of the nerve along its course. The most common compression sites include the suprascapular notch and the spinoglenoid notch. The aim of this article was to review the anatomical factors influencing the occurrence of SNES in the light of the newest reports. Potential predisposing morphological factors include a V-shaped, narrow, or “deep” suprascapular notch; a band-shaped, bifurcated, or completely ossified superior transverse scapular ligament (STSL); particular arrangements of the suprascapular nerve and vessels at the suprascapular notch. A very recent report indicates structures at the suprascapular notch region that may protect from SNES, such as the suprascapular notch veins (SNV). The role of the anterior coracoscapular ligament (ACSL) is still not clear. While some studies indicate that it may predispose for SNES, the newest study proposes a protective function. Knowledge of these variations is essential for arthroscopic and other surgical procedures of this area in order to avoid iatrogenic injury of the suprascapular nerve or unexpected bleeding from the suprascapular vessels running alongside the STSL.
Enhanced Internet Mobility and Privacy Using Public Cloud
Authors: Zhang Ping , Durresi Mimoza , Durresi Arjan
Published: June 2017

Internet mobile users are concerned more and more about their privacy nowadays as both researches and real world incidents show that leaking of communication and location privacy can lead to serious consequence, and many research works have been done to anonymize individual user from aggregated location data. However, just the communication itself between the mobile users and their peers or website could collect considerable privacy of the mobile users, such as location history, to other parties. In this paper, we investigated the potential privacy risk of mobile Internet users and proposed a scalable system built on top of public cloud services that can hide mobile user’s network location and traffic from communication peers. This system creates a dynamic distributed proxy network for each mobile user to minimize performance overhead and operation cost.
Bilevel Traffic Evacuation Model and Algorithm Design for Large‐Scale Activities
Authors: Bao Danwen , Gu Jiayu , Jia Junhua
Published: June 2017

This paper establishes a bilevel planning model with one master and multiple slaves to solve traffic evacuation problems. The minimum evacuation network saturation and shortest evacuation time are used as the objective functions for the upper‐ and lower‐level models, respectively. The optimizing conditions of this model are also analyzed. An improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) method is proposed by introducing an electromagnetism‐like mechanism to solve the bilevel model and enhance its convergence efficiency. A case study is carried out using the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center. The results indicate that, for large‐scale activities, the average evacuation time of the classic model is shorter but the road saturation distribution is more uneven. Thus, the overall evacuation efficiency of the network is not high. For induced emergencies, the evacuation time of the bilevel planning model is shortened. When the audience arrival rate is increased from 50% to 100%, the evacuation time is shortened from 22% to 35%, indicating that the optimization effect of the bilevel planning model is more effective compared to the classic model. Therefore, the model and algorithm presented in this paper can provide a theoretical basis for the traffic‐induced evacuation decision making of large‐scale activities.
Comparison of Joint Loading in Badminton Lunging between Professional and Amateur Badminton Players
Authors: Fu Lin , Ren Feng , Baker Julien S.
Published: June 2017

The knee and ankle are the two most injured joints associated with the sport of badminton. This study evaluates biomechanical factors between professional and amateur badminton players using an injury mechanism model. The aim of this study was to investigate the kinematic motion and kinetic loading differences of the right knee and ankle while performing a maximal right lunge. Amateur players exhibited greater ankle range of motion (p<0.05,r=0.89) and inversion joint moment (p<0.05,r=0.54) in the frontal plane as well as greater internal joint rotation moment (p<0.05,r=0.28) in the horizontal plane. In contrast, professional badminton players presented a greater knee joint moment in the sagittal (p<0.05,r=0.59) and frontal (p<0.05,r=0.37) planes, which may be associated with increased knee ligamentous injury risk. To avoid injury, the players need to forcefully extend the knee with internal rotation, strengthen the muscles around the ankle ligament, and maximise joint coordination during training. The injuries recorded and the forces responsible for the injuries seem to have developed during training activity. Training programmes and injury prevention strategies for badminton players should account for these findings to reduce potential injury to the ankle and knee.
Impact of Pharmacist Counselling on Clozapine Knowledge
Authors: Ní Dhubhlaing Ciara , Young Ailish , Sahm Laura J.
Published: June 2017

Clozapine is the only antipsychotic with evidence for efficacy in treatment of resistant schizophrenia but it carries a high side effect burden. Patient information is provided but may be poorly retained. This study aims to examine the impact of pharmacist counselling upon patient knowledge of clozapine. Outpatients, aged 18 years and over, attending St. Patrick’s University Hospital, Dublin, participated in this study between June and August 2015. The intervention consisted of pharmacist counselling on two occasions one month apart. Knowledge was assessed using a 28-point checklist devised from the currently available clozapine patient information sources, at baseline and after each counselling session. Ethics approval was obtained. Twenty-five participants (40% female; mean age 45.1 years, SD 9.82; 64% unemployed, 28% smokers) showed an improvement in knowledge scores of clozapine from baseline to postcounselling on each occasion with an overall improvement in knowledge score, from baseline to postcounselling at one month, of 39.43%; p<0.001. This study adds to the evidence that interventions involving pharmacist counselling can improve patient knowledge, whilst the specific knowledge gained relating to recognition of side effects may help patients towards more empowerment regarding their treatment.
An Obstructing Small Bowel Phytobezoar in an Elderly Female Nigerian: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Balogun O. S. , Osinowo A. O. , Afolayan M. O. , Adesanya A. A.
Published: June 2017

Small bowel obstruction secondary to phytobezoars is an unusual presentation in surgery. We present a case of an elderly female patient with an insidious onset of abdominal pain, abdominal distension, and bilious vomiting diagnosed radiologically to be small bowel obstruction. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a trapped mass of vegetable matter in the distal ileum. She had enterotomy with primary closure for removal of obstructing ileal phytobezoars. Her postoperative recovery was uneventful.
Extensive Bone Marrow Necrosis: Initial Presentation in Sickle Cell Anemia—A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Alsafwani Sameera A. , Al-Saeed Abdulwahed , Bukhamsin Rehab
Published: June 2017

Bone marrow necrosis (BMN) is a rare clinical entity that was first described in an autopsy of a sickle cell disease (SCD) patient and is defined as ill-defined necrotic cells in an amorphous eosinophilic background with preservation of cortical bone. The pathophysiology of BMN is not well known; however, occlusion of the bone marrow microcirculation with subsequent hypoxia and cell injury has been thought to be common underlying features. Malignancy has been identified to be the primary cause in 90% of the cases whereas SCD was found in only 2%. In this report we present an unusual case of SCD with late onset of the disease whose initial presentation was extensive BMN. The patient was not known previously to have SCD, when suddenly she presented with severe cytopenias and marked elevation in serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Bone marrow examination was done to exclude bone marrow infiltration, and BMN with dilated marrow sinuses full of irreversibly sickled cells were the unexpected findings. Patients with a mild SCD phenotype are at high risk of BMN. Thus, a high index of suspicion must be borne in mind, particularly in an area of high SCD prevalence, to recognize and prevent this catastrophic complication.
Investigating Optical Properties of One-Dimensional Photonic Crystals Containing Semiconductor Quantum Wells
Authors: Mokhtarnejad Mahshid , Asgari Morteza , Sabatyan Arash
Published: June 2017

This study examined MQWs made of InGaAs/GaAs, InAlAs/InP, and InGaAs/InP in terms of their band structure and reflectivity. We also demonstrated that the reflectivity of MQWs under normal incident was at maximum, while both using a strong pump and changing incident angle reduced it. Reflectivity of the structure for a weak probe pulse depends on polarization, intensity of the pump pulse, and delay between the probe pulse and the pump pulse. So this system can be used as an ultrafast all-optical switch which is inspected by the transfer matrix method. After studying the band structure of the one-dimensional photonic crystal, the optical stark effect (OSE) was considered on it. Due to the OSE on virtual exciton levels, the switching time can be in the order of picoseconds. Moreover, it is demonstrated that, by introducing errors in width of barrier and well as well as by inserting defect, the reflectivity is reduced. Thus, by employing the mechanism of stark effect MQWs band-gaps can be easily controlled which is useful in designing MWQ based optical switches and filters. By comparing the results, we observe that the reflectivity of MWQ containing 200 periods of InAlAs/InP quantum wells shows the maximum reflectivity of 96%.
An Efficient Channel Access Scheme for Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Hussain Syed Asad , Iqbal Muddesar , Saeed Atif , Raza Imran , Raza Hassan , Ali Amjad , Bashir Ali Kashif , Baig Adeel
Published: June 2017

Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) are getting more popularity due to the potential Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) technology. It provides many efficient network services such as safety warnings (collision warning), entertainment (video and voice), maps based guidance, and emergency information. VANETs most commonly use Road Side Units (RSUs) and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) referred to as Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) mode for data accessing. IEEE 802.11p standard which was originally designed for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) is modified to address such type of communication. However, IEEE 802.11p uses Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) for communication between wireless nodes. Therefore, it does not perform well for high mobility networks such as VANETs. Moreover, in RSU mode timely provision of data/services under high density of vehicles is challenging. In this paper, we propose a RSU-based efficient channel access scheme for VANETs under high traffic and mobility. In the proposed scheme, the contention window is dynamically varied according to the times (deadlines) the vehicles are going to leave the RSU range. The vehicles with shorter time deadlines are served first and vice versa. Simulation is performed by using the Network Simulator (NS-3) v. 3.6. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme performs better in terms of throughput, backoff rate, RSU response time, and fairness.
Detection of Secondary Causes and Coexisting Diseases in Hypertensive Patients: OSA and PA Are the Common Causes Associated with Hypertension
Authors: Wang Lei , Li Nanfang , Yao Xiaoguang , Chang Guijuan , Zhang Delian , Heizhati Mulalibieke , Wang Menghui , Luo Qin , Kong Jianqiong
Published: June 2017

Background. Since the control rate of blood pressure is lower in mainland China, the aim of this study is to investigate the proportion of secondary causes and coexisting diseases of hypertension in hypertensive patients.Methods. Data on consecutive patients with hypertension who visited the Hypertension Center. Diseases were detected using an established strict screening protocol.Results. Detection rate of secondary causes and coexisting diseases of hypertension was 39.5% among 3003 hypertensive patients. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was the most common, accounting for 24.7% of patients, followed by primary aldosteronism (PA) (5.8%) and PA + OSA (4.9%). Endocrine hypertension accounted for 12.1% of patients, including 10.7% of patients with PA, 1.1% with hypothyroidism, 0.1% with pheochromocytoma, 0.1% with Cushing’s syndrome, and 0.1% with hyperthyroidism, respectively. Those who smoke, those who are obese, and those who have diabetes accounted for 31.3%, 27.5%, and 16.6% of total patients, respectively. There were overlapping conditions in secondary causes and coexisting diseases of hypertension. OSA was the most common in each age- and BMI-stratified group.Conclusion. Findings from the current study suggest an increasing frequency of secondary forms of hypertension, highlighting the burden of OSA and PA in hypertensive patients.
A New Generalization on Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality
Authors: Yin Songting
Published: June 2017

We extend the well-known Cauchy-Schwarz inequality involving any number of real or complex functions and also give a necessary and sufficient condition for the equality. This is another generalized version of the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality.
Transoral Robotic Surgery Total Laryngectomy: Evaluation of Functional and Survival Outcomes in a Retrospective Case Series at a Single Institution
Authors: Krishnan Giri , Krishnan Suren
Published: June 2017

Background: Transoral robotic surgery total laryngectomy (TORS-TL) is a minimally invasive endoscopic surgical approach which can theoretically minimise the morbidity of large external incisions and limit dissection of tissue planes so as to reduce the risk of pharyngocutaneous fistulae related to poor tissue healing secondary to radiation soft tissue injury or malnutrition. The purpose of this paper was to report our experience with this uncommon surgical approach. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted at a single institution to evaluate the functional and survival outcomes of a series of patients who underwent TORS-TL. Results: TORS-TL was performed on 5 patients. Two patients had total laryngectomy for recurrent aspiration secondary to neurological disorders, 1 patient had an adenoid cystic carcinoma of the subglottis, 1 patient had a low-grade subglottic chondrosarcoma, and 1 patient had a T2 local recurrence of glottic squamous cell carcinoma following treatment with primary chemoradiotherapy. Conclusions: TORS-TL is a feasible and safe treatment option with possible advantages for carefully selected patients in experienced hands.
Clinical Usefulness of Somatostatin Receptor Scintigraphy in Japanese Patients with Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors
Authors: Hasegawa Sho , Kobayashi Noritoshi , Tokuhisa Motohiko , Goto Ayumu , Takano Shoko , Takada Yuuki , Kaneta Tomohiro , Mori Ryutaro , Matsuyama Ryusei , Endo Itaru , Yamanaka Shoji , Nakajima Atsushi , Inoue Tomio , Ichikawa Yasushi
Published: June 2017

Background/Aims: Somatostatin receptor (SSTR) scintigraphy (SRS) is the standard imaging modality for evaluation of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (GEP-NET) in Western countries. However, this modality was not approved in Japan until recently. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of SRS for detecting GEP-NET in Japanese patients. Methods: Japanese patients with advanced GEP-NET were enrolled and evaluated by the SRS and CT. We also compared SRS and immunohistochemical expression of SSTR type 2a (SSTR2a). Results: We enrolled 16 patients and the primary sites were the pancreas in 9, the stomach in 1, the small intestine in 2, the colon in 3, and unknown in 1. SRS showed positive findings in 3 (100%) of grade 1 (G1) and in 12 (92.3%) of grade 2 (G2) lesions. In the liver, SRS and CT detected lesions in 13 and 14 cases, respectively. The concordance rate of SSTR2a expression with SRS findings was 93.8% in the whole body and 92.9% in the liver. Conclusions: SRS could detect almost all of G1 and G2. SRS could be useful to detect lesions, with a high concordance rate with CT and pathological findings. We confirmed that SRS is a useful and reliable modality for Japanese patients.
Associations of Polyethylenimine-Coated AN69ST Membrane in Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy with the Intensive Care Outcomes: Observations from a Claims Database from Japan
Authors: Doi Kent , Iwagami Masao , Yoshida Emiko , Marshall Mark R.
Published: June 2017

Background/Aims: Polyethylenimine-coated polyacrylonitrile (AN69ST) membrane is expected to improve the outcomes of critically ill patients treated by continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Methods: Using a Japanese health insurance claim database, we identified adult patients receiving CRRT in intensive care units (ICUs) from April 2014 to October 2015. We used a multivariable logistic regression model to assess in-hospital mortality and Fine and Gray's proportional subhazards model to assess the ICU length of stay (ICU-LOS) accounting for the competing risks. Results: Of 2,469 ICU patients, 156 were treated by AN69ST membrane. Crude in-hospital mortality was 50.0% in the AN69ST group and 54.0% in the non-AN69ST group. Adjusted odds ratio (OR) of AN69ST membrane use for in-hospital mortality was 0.65 (95% CI 0.45-0.93). The use of AN69ST membrane was also independently associated with shorter ICU-LOS. Conclusion: This retrospective observational study suggested that CRRT with AN69ST membrane might be associated with better in-hospital outcomes.
Conversation Circles as a Reflection Strategy, Knowledge and Mobilization: Experiences of the Federal University of Paraíba
Authors: Bregalda Marília Meyer , Pereira Beatriz Prado , Antiquera Daniel De Campos , Souza Joana Rostirolla Batista de
Published: June 2017

O sentido público de universidade diz respeito à sua capacidade de incidir sobre os desafios postos à sociedade, sendo as condições para isso cada vez mais escassas, o que se torna ingrediente para as greves recentes das instituições federais de ensino. Partindo-se da compreensão da greve como instrumento de luta, quatro docentes e um discente da Universidade Federal da Paraíba desenvolveram rodas de conversa, com o objetivo de movimentar a Universidade e potencializar seu senso de coletividade e sua capacidade crítica e criativa. O presente texto apresentará como se deram essas rodas de conversa e de que forma contribuíram para o exercício do papel social da universidade por seus participantes. Foram realizados oito encontros, de julho a novembro de 2015, no período de greve, no departamento de Terapia Ocupacional da Universidade Federal da Paraíba, das quais participaram estudantes, docentes, servidores técnicos e comunidade em geral. Discutiram-se temas socialmente relevantes, como o caráter público da universidade, homofobia, violência contra a mulher negra e assistência estudantil. As rodas propiciaram elementos que foram ao encontro do que acreditamos com relação ao papel social da universidade, com espaços para troca de saberes e para produção coletiva de conhecimento, reflexões e ações socialmente relevantes
Invasive Management Strategies and Antithrombotic Treatments in Patients With Non–ST-Segment–Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome in China
Authors: Yang Qing , Wang Ying , Liu Jing , Liu Jun , Hao Yongchen , Smith Sidney C. , Huo Yong , Fonarow Gregg C. , Ma Changsheng , Ge Junbo , Taubert Kathryn A. , Morgan Louise , Guo Yang , Wang Wei , Zhou Yujie , Zhao Dong
Published: June 2017

Background—

Early invasive strategies and antithrombotic treatments are key treatments of non–ST-segment–elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). Few studies have examined the use of these strategies in patients with NSTE-ACS in China. This study aimed to assess the applications of invasive strategies and antithrombotic treatments in patients with NSTE-ACS and compare their outcomes.

Methods and Results—

A nationwide registry study, Improving CCC (Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China) ACS project, was launched in 2014 as a collaborative study of the American Heart Association and Chinese Society of Cardiology (CSC), with 142 participating hospitals reporting details of clinical management and outcomes of patients with NSTE-ACS. The use of invasive strategies and antithrombotic treatments was examined based on updated guidelines. Major adverse cardiovascular events were analyzed. A total of 9953 patients with NSTE-ACS were enrolled. Angiography was performed in 63.1% of these patients, and 58.2% underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, 40.6% of patients did not undergo early risk assessment, and very-high-risk patients had the lowest proportion of PCI (41.7%). PCI was performed within recommended times in 11.1% of very-high-risk patients and 26.3% of high risk patients. Those who underwent PCI within 2 hours had higher mortality in high-risk and very-high-risk patients who received PCI. Early dual antiplatelet treatment was given in 88.3% of patients.

Conclusions—

There are notable differences between guideline recommendations and the clinical management of patients with NSTE-ACS in China. The reasons for very-high-risk NSTE-ACS patients not undergoing PCI, and the optimal timing of PCI, require further clarification.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT02306616.
Placental Vesicles Carry Active Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase and Their Activity is Reduced in Preeclampsia
Authors: Motta-Mejia Carolina , Kandzija Neva , Zhang Wei , Mhlomi Vuyane , Cerdeira Ana Sofia , Burdujan Alexandra , Tannetta Dionne , Dragovic Rebecca , Sargent Ian L. , Redman Christopher W. , Kishore Uday , Vatish Manu
Published: June 2017

Preeclampsia, a multisystem hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, is associated with increased systemic vascular resistance. Placentae from patients with preeclampsia have reduced levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and, thus, less nitric oxide (NO). Syncytiotrophoblast extracellular vesicles (STBEV), comprising microvesicles (STBMV) and exosomes, carry signals from the syncytiotrophoblast to the mother. We hypothesized that STBEV-bound eNOS (STBEV-eNOS), capable of producing NO, are released into the maternal circulation. Dual-lobe ex vivo placental perfusion and differential centrifugation was used to isolate STBEV from preeclampsia (n=8) and normal pregnancies (NP; n=11). Plasma samples of gestational age–matched preeclampsia and NP (n=6) were used to isolate circulating STBMV. STBEV expressed placental alkaline phosphatase, confirming placental origin. STBEV coexpressed eNOS, but not inducible nitric oxide synthase, confirmed using Western blot, flow cytometry, and immunodepletion. STBEV-eNOS produced NO, which was significantly inhibited by
N
 
G
-nitro-
l
-arginine methyl ester (eNOS inhibitor;
P
<0.05) but not by
N
-(3-(aminomethyl) bezyl) acetamidine) (inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor). STBEV-eNOS catalytic activity was confirmed by visualizing eNOS dimerization. STBEV-eNOS was more abundant in uterine vein compared with peripheral blood, indicating placental origin. STBEV isolated from preeclampsia-perfused placentae had lower levels of STBEV-eNOS (STBMV;
P
<0.05) and overall lower NO activity (STBMV, not significant; syncytiotrophoblast extracellular exosomes,
P
<0.05) compared with those from NP. Circulating plasma STBMV from preeclampsia women had lower STBEV-eNOS expression compared with that from NP women (
P
<0.01). This is the first observation of functional eNOS expressed on STBEV from NP and preeclampsia placentae, as well as in plasma. The lower STBEV-eNOS NO production seen in preeclampsia may contribute to the decreased NO bioavailability in this disease.