bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum with a Rare Presentation
Authors: Bolvardi Ehsan , Pishbin Elham , Ebrahimi Mohsen , Mahmoudi Gharaee Azadeh , Bagherian Farhad
Published: May 2014

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is an unusual and benign condition in which air is present in mediastinum. A 20-year-old male patient presented to ED with complaint of hoarseness and odynophagia from the day before, after weightlifting. The patient was nonsmoker and denied history of other diseases. On physical examination he had no dyspnea with normal vital signs. Throat examination and pulmonary auscultation were normal and no crepitation was palpable. We could not find subcutaneous emphysema in neck and chest examination. In neck and chest X-ray we found that air is present around the trachea. There was no apparent pneumothorax in CXR. In cervical and chest CT free air was present around trachea and in mediastinum. Subcutaneous emphysema was also evident. But there was no pneumothorax. The patient was admitted and went under close observation, oxygen therapy, and analgesic. The pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema gradually resolved within a week by conservative therapy and he was discharged without any complication. Many different conditions could be trigged because of pneumomediastinum but it is rarely seen in intense physical exertion such as weightlifting and bodybuilding. Two most common symptoms are retrosternal chest pain and dyspnea. But the patient here complained of hoarseness and odynophagia.
Relationship between Stroke Volume and Pulse Pressure during Blood Volume Perturbation: A Mathematical Analysis
Authors: Bighamian Ramin , Hahn Jin-Oh
Published: May 2014

Arterial pulse pressure has been widely used as surrogate of stroke volume, for example, in the guidance of fluid therapy. However, recent experimental investigations suggest that arterial pulse pressure is not linearly proportional to stroke volume. However, mechanisms underlying the relation between the two have not been clearly understood. The goal of this study was to elucidate how arterial pulse pressure and stroke volume respond to a perturbation in the left ventricular blood volume based on a systematic mathematical analysis. Both our mathematical analysis and experimental data showed that the relative change in arterial pulse pressure due to a left ventricular blood volume perturbation was consistently smaller than the corresponding relative change in stroke volume, due to the nonlinear left ventricular pressure-volume relation during diastole that reduces the sensitivity of arterial pulse pressure to perturbations in the left ventricular blood volume. Therefore, arterial pulse pressure must be used with care when used as surrogate of stroke volume in guiding fluid therapy.
Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis: Comparison of the Discriminative Capacity and Construct Validity of Six Composite Indices in a Real World
Authors: Salaffi Fausto , Ciapetti Alessandro , Carotti Marina , Gasparini Stefania , Gutierrez Marwin
Published: May 2014

Objective. To compare, “in a real world,” the performance of the most common composite activity indices in a cohort of PsA patients.Methods. A total of 171 PsA patients were involved. The following variables were evaluated: peripheral joint assessment, patient reported of pain, physician and patient assessments of disease activity, patient general health status, dactylitis digit count, Leeds Enthesitis Index, Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), physical and mental component summary score of the Medical Outcome Survey (SF-36), Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Dermatology Life Quality Index, C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). To measure the disease activity, the Disease Activity Score (DAS28-ESR and DAS28-CRP), Simple Disease Activity Index (SDAI), Composite Psoriatic Disease Activity Index (CPDAI), disease activity in psoriatic arthritis (DAPSA), and Psoriatic Arthritis Disease Activity Score (PASDAS) have been calculated. The criteria for minimal disease activity (MDA) and remission were applied as external criterion.Results. The ROC were similar in all the composite measures. Only the CPDAI showed less discriminative ability. There was a high degree of correlation between all the indices (P<0.0001). The highest correlations were between DAPSA and SDAI (rho = 0.996) and between DAPSA and DAS28-CRP (rho = 0.957). CPDAI, DAPSA, and PASDAS had the most stringent definitions of remission and MDA category. DAS28-ESR and DAS28-CRP had the highest proportions in remission and MDA.Conclusions. Although a good concurrent validity and discriminant capacity of six disease activity indices were observed, the proportions of patients classified in the disease activity levels differed. In particular, the rate of patients in remission was clearly different among the respective indices.
Antibacterial Activity of Murrayaquinone A and 6-Methoxy-3,7-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-carbazole-1,4(9H)-dione
Authors: Chakraborty Biswanath , Chakraborty Suchandra , Saha Chandan
Published: May 2014

The antibacterial activity of Murrayaquinone A (10), a naturally occurring carbazoloquinone alkaloid, and 6-methoxy-3,7-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-carbazole-1,4(9H)-dione (11), a synthetic carbazoloquinone, both obtained during the development of the synthesis of Carbazomycin G, having unique quinone moiety, was studied against Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilisandStaphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coliandPseudomonassp.) bacteria. Compound10showed antibacterial activities against both ofEscherichia coliandStaphylococcus aureuswhereas compound11indicated the activity againstStaphylococcus aureusonly. Both compounds10and11exhibited minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 50 μg mL−1againstStaphylococcus aureus.
Studies on the Existence of Unstable Oscillatory Patterns Bifurcating from Hopf Bifurcations in a Turing Model
Authors: Zhang Yan , Bao Zhenhua
Published: May 2014

We revisit a homogeneous reaction-diffusion Turing model subject to the Neumann boundary conditions in the one-dimensional spatial domain. With the help of the Hopf bifurcation theory applicable to the reaction-diffusion equations, we are capable of proving the existence of Hopf bifurcations, which suggests the existence of spatially homogeneous and nonhomogeneous periodic solutions of this particular system. In particular, we also prove that the spatial homogeneous periodic solutions bifurcating from the smallest Hopf bifurcation point of the system are always unstable. This together with the instability results of the spatially nonhomogeneous periodic solutions by Yi et al., 2009, indicates that, in this model, all the oscillatory patterns from Hopf bifurcations are unstable.
Phage Therapy: Eco-Physiological Pharmacology
Authors: Abedon Stephen T.
Published: May 2014

Bacterial virus use as antibacterial agents, in the guise of what is commonly known as phage therapy, is an inherently physiological, ecological, and also pharmacological process. Physiologically we can consider metabolic properties of phage infections of bacteria and variation in those properties as a function of preexisting bacterial states. In addition, there are patient responses to pathogenesis, patient responses to phage infections of pathogens, and also patient responses to phage virions alone. Ecologically, we can consider phage propagation, densities, distribution (within bodies), impact on body-associated microbiota (as ecological communities), and modification of the functioning of body “ecosystems” more generally. These ecological and physiological components in many ways represent different perspectives on otherwise equivalent phenomena. Comparable to drugs, one also can view phages during phage therapy in pharmacological terms. The relatively unique status of phages within the context of phage therapy as essentially replicating antimicrobials can therefore result in a confluence of perspectives, many of which can be useful towards gaining a better mechanistic appreciation of phage therapy, as I consider here. Pharmacology more generally may be viewed as a discipline that lies at an interface between organism-associated phenomena, as considered by physiology, and environmental interactions as considered by ecology.
Usability Study of a Wireless Monitoring System among Alzheimer’s Disease Elderly Population
Authors: Abbate Stefano , Avvenuti Marco , Light Janet
Published: May 2014

Healthcare technologies are slowly entering into our daily lives, replacing old devices and techniques with newer intelligent ones. Although they are meant to help people, the reaction and willingness to use such new devices by the people can be unexpected, especially among the elderly. We conducted a usability study of a fall monitoring system in a long-term nursing home. The subjects were the elderly with advanced Alzheimer’s disease. The study presented here highlights some of the challenges faced in the use of wearable devices and the lessons learned. The results gave us useful insights, leading to ergonomics and aesthetics modifications to our wearable systems that significantly improved their usability and acceptance. New evaluating metrics were designed for the performance evaluation of usability and acceptability.
Experimental and Numerical Investigations of Heat Transfer Characteristics for Impinging Swirl Flow
Authors: Salman Sami D. , Kadhum Abdul Amir H. , Takriff Mohd S. , Mohamad Abu Bakar
Published: May 2014

This paper reports experimental and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling studies to investigate the effect of the swirl intensity on the heat transfer characteristics of conventional and swirl impingement air jets at a constant nozzle-to-plate distance ( L = 2 D). The experiments were performed using classical twisted tape inserts in a nozzle jet with three twist ratios ( y = 2.93, 3.91, and 4.89) and Reynolds numbers that varied from 4000 to 16000. The results indicate that the radial uniformity of Nusselt number (Nu) of swirl impingement air jets (SIJ) depended on the values of the swirl intensity and the air Reynolds number. The results also revealed that the SIJ that was fitted with an insert of y = 4.89, which corresponds to the swirl number Sw = 0.671, provided much more uniform local heat transfer distribution on the surface. The CFD-predicted results help to explain the experimental measurements in terms of the turbulence intensity. Furthermore, the predicted and measured local Nusselt numbers were consistent with each other.
HS1,2 Ig Enhancer Alleles Association to AIDS Progression in a Pediatric Cohort Infected with a Monophyletic HIV-Strain
Authors: Montesano Carla , Giambra Vincenzo , Frezza Domenico , Palma Paolo , Serone Eliseo , Gattinara Guido Castelli , Mattei Maurizio , Mancino Giorgio , Colizzi Vittorio , Amicosante Massimo
Published: May 2014

Alteration in the humoral immune response has been observed during HIV infection. The polymorphisms of enhancer HS1,2, member of the 3′ regulatory region of the Ig heavy chain cluster, may play a role in the variation of the humoral response leading to pathological conditions. To assess the role of the HS1,2 polymorphic variants in the progression of AIDS, the HS1,2-A allelic frequencies were investigated in a cohort of HIV infected pediatric subjects from a nosocomial outbreak with a monophyletic strain of HIV. From a total group of 418 HIV infected children in the outbreak cohort, 42 nonprogressors and 31 progressors without bias due to antiretroviral therapy were evaluated. HS1,2 allele *1 has been associated with nonprogressors (allelic frequency: 51.19% versus 33.87% in progressors, OR 0.5, andP=0.0437), while allele *2 has been associated with progression (allelic frequency: 48.39% versus 30.95% in nonprogressors, OR 2.1, andP=0.0393). Further, only subjects carrying allele *2 in absence of allele *1, either in homozygous condition for allele *2 [nonprogressors 2/42 (4.76%), Progressors 7/31 (22.58%), OR 5.8, andP=0.0315]or in combination with other allelic variants [nonprogressors 7/42 (16.67%), Progressors 13/31 (41.93%), OR 3.61, andP=0.0321], have been associated with HIV progression to AIDS. In conclusion, while the HS1,2 allele *1 has a protective effect on HIV progression when present, allele *2 is associated with progression toward AIDS when allele *1 is absent.
Mathematical Analysis for the Optimization of a Design in a Facultative Pond: Indicator Organism and Organic Matter
Authors: Martínez Facundo Cortés , Cansino Alejandro Treviño , García María Aracelia Alcorta , Kalashnikov Vyacheslav , Rojas Ramón Luévanos
Published: May 2014

Stabilization ponds are easy to operate and their maintenance is simple. Treatment is carried out naturally and they are recommended in developing countries. The main disadvantage of these systems is the large land area they occupy. The aim of this study was to perform an optimization in the design and cost of a facultative pond, considering a mathematical analysis of the traditional methodology to determine the model constraints (fecal coliforms and organic matter). Matlab optimization toolbox was used for nonlinear programming. A facultative pond with the traditional method was designed and then the optimization system was applied. Both analyses meet the treated water quality requirements for the discharge to the receiving bodies. The results show a reduction of hydraulic retention time by 4.82 days, and a decrease in the area of 17.9 percent over the traditional method. A sensitivity analysis of the mathematical model is included. It is recommended to realize a full‐scale study in order to verify the results of the optimization.
Lithium Enhances Axonal Regeneration in Peripheral Nerve by Inhibiting Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3βActivation
Authors: Su Huanxing , Yuan Qiuju , Qin Dajiang , Yang Xiaoying , Wong Wai-Man , So Kwok-Fai , Wu Wutian
Published: May 2014

Brachial plexus injury often involves traumatic root avulsion resulting in permanent paralysis of the innervated muscles. The lack of sufficient regeneration from spinal motoneurons to the peripheral nerve (PN) is considered to be one of the major causes of the unsatisfactory outcome of various surgical interventions for repair of the devastating injury. The present study was undertaken to investigate potential inhibitory signals which influence axonal regeneration after root avulsion injury. The results of the study showed that root avulsion triggered GSK-3βactivation in the injured motoneurons and remaining axons in the ventral funiculus. Systemic application of a clinical dose of lithium suppressed activated GSK-3βin the lesioned spinal cord to the normal level and induced extensive axonal regeneration into replanted ventral roots. Our study suggests that GSK-3βactivity is involved in negative regulation for axonal elongation and regeneration and lithium, the specific GSK-3βinhibitor, enhances motoneuron regeneration from CNS to PNS.
Monitoring Drug and Antidrug Levels: A Rational Approach in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Treated with Biologic Agents Who Experience Inadequate Response While Being on a Stable Biologic Treatment
Authors: Mazilu Diana , Opriş Daniela , Gainaru Cecilia , Iliuta Mihaela , Apetrei Natalia , Luca Giorgiana , Borangiu Andreea , Gudu Tania , Peltea Alexandra , Groseanu Laura , Constantinescu Cosmin , Saulescu Ioana , Bojinca Violeta , Balanescu Andra , Predeteanu Denisa , Ionescu Ruxandra
Published: May 2014

Clinical response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with biologic agents can be influenced by their pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity. The present study evaluated the concordance between serum drug and antidrug levels as well as the clinical response in RA patients treated with biological agents who experience their first disease exacerbation while being on a stable biologic treatment. 154 RA patients treated with rituximab (RTX), infliximab (IFX), adalimumab (ADL), or etanercept (ETN) were included. DAS28, SDAI, and EULAR response were assessed at baseline and reevaluated at precise time intervals. At the time of their first sign of inadequate response, patients were tested for both serum drug level and antidrug antibodies level. At the next reevaluation, patients retreated with RTX that had detectable drug level had a better EULAR response (P=0.038) with lower DAS28 and SDAI scores (P=0.01andP=0.03). The same tendency was observed in patients treated with IFX and ETN regarding EULAR response (P=0.002andP=0.023), DAS28 score (P=0.002andP=0.003), and SDAI score (P=0.001andP=0.026). Detectable biologic drug levels correlated with a better clinical response in patients experiencing their first RA inadequate response while being on a stable biologic treatment with RTX, IFX, and ETN.
A New Subband Adaptive Filtering Algorithm for Sparse System Identification with Impulsive Noise
Authors: Choi Young-Seok
Published: May 2014

This paper presents a novel subband adaptive filter (SAF) for system identification where an impulse response is sparse and disturbed with an impulsive noise. Benefiting from the uses ofl1-norm optimization andl0-norm penalty of the weight vector in the cost function, the proposedl0-norm sign SAF (l0-SSAF) achieves both robustness against impulsive noise and remarkably improved convergence behavior more than the classical adaptive filters. Simulation results in the system identification scenario confirm that the proposedl0-norm SSAF is not only more robust but also faster and more accurate than its counterparts in the sparse system identification in the presence of impulsive noise.
A New Method of 3D Facial Expression Animation
Authors: Sun Shuo , Ge Chunbao
Published: May 2014

Animating expressive facial animation is a very challenging topic within the graphics community. In this paper, we introduce a novel ERI (expression ratio image) driving framework based on SVR and MPEG-4 for automatic 3D facial expression animation. Through using the method of support vector regression (SVR), the framework can learn and forecast the regression relationship between the facial animation parameters (FAPs) and the parameters of expression ratio image. Firstly, we build a 3D face animation system driven by FAP. Secondly, through using the method of principle component analysis (PCA), we generate the parameter sets of eigen-ERI space, which will rebuild reasonable expression ratio image. Then we learn a model with the support vector regression mapping, and facial animation parameters can be synthesized quickly with the parameters of eigen-ERI. Finally, we implement our 3D face animation system driving by the result of FAP and it works effectively.
Comparative Study of Heavy Metals in Dried and Fluid Milk in Peshawar by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry
Authors: Lutfullah Ghosia , Khan Abid Ali , Amjad Azra Yasmeen , Perveen Sajida
Published: May 2014

Various essential and toxic heavy metals (Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni) contents in various types of dried (infant formulaandpowdered) and fluid (freshandprocessed) cow milk were assessed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The milk samples were collected from local markets of different parts of Peshawar city, Pakistan. Heavy metal concentrations varied significantly depending upon the type of milk. The heavy metal concentrations in most of the samples were within normal and permissible ranges. It was observed that the samples contained considerable amounts of calcium, while magnesium levels were well above the required levels. The results also revealed that copper levels were slightly lower than the permissible limits. The concentration of zinc in dried milk samples was greater than the values for the liquid milk types. Infant milk formulae had higher iron levels as compared to other milk samples because of the added constituents. Significant differences were observed in the mean values of manganese and cadmium in different types of milk. The toxic metals were within the acceptable limits and did not show significant levels leading to toxicity.
Emotion Identification Using Extremely Low Frequency Components of Speech Feature Contours
Authors: Lin Chang-Hong , Liao Wei-Kai , Hsieh Wen-Chi , Liao Wei-Jiun , Wang Jia-Ching
Published: May 2014

The investigations of emotional speech identification can be divided into two main parts, features and classifiers. In this paper, how to extract an effective speech feature set for the emotional speech identification is addressed. In our speech feature set, we use not only statistical analysis of frame-based acoustical features, but also the approximated speech feature contours, which are obtained by extracting extremely low frequency components to speech feature contours. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to the approximated speech feature contours so that an efficient representation of approximated contours can be derived. The proposed speech feature set is fed into support vector machines (SVMs) to perform multiclass emotion identification. The experimental results demonstrate the performance of the proposed system with 82.26% identification rate.
Midgut Malrotation Causing Intermittent Intestinal Obstruction in a Young Adult
Authors: Bektasoglu Huseyin Kazim , Idiz Ufuk Oguz , Hasbahceci Mustafa , Yardimci Erkan , Firat Yurdakul Deniz , Karatepe Oguzhan , Muslumanoglu Mahmut
Published: May 2014

Midgut malrotation is a congenital anomaly of intestinal rotation and fixation that is generally seen in neonatal population. Adult cases are rarely reported. Early diagnosis is crucial to avoid life threatening complications. Here, we present an adulthood case of midgut volvulus as a rare cause of acute abdomen.
Finger Length Ratios in Serbian Transsexuals
Authors: Vujović Svetlana , Popović Srdjan , Mrvošević Marojević Ljiljana , Ivović Miomira , Tančić-Gajić Milina , Stojanović Miloš , Marina Ljiljana V. , Barać Marija , Barać Branko , Kovačević Milena , Duišin Dragana , Barišić Jasmina , Djordjević Miroslav L. , Micić Dragan
Published: May 2014

Atypical prenatal hormone exposure could be a factor in the development of transsexualism. There is evidence that the 2nd and 4th digit ratio (2D : 4D) associates negatively with prenatal testosterone and positively with estrogens. The aim was to assess the difference in 2D : 4D between female to male transsexuals (FMT) and male to female transsexuals (MFT) and controls. We examined 42 MFT, 38 FMT, and 45 control males and 48 control females. Precise measurements were made by X-rays at the ventral surface of both hands from the basal crease of the digit to the tip using vernier calliper. Control male and female patients had larger 2D : 4D of the right hand when compared to the left hand. Control male’s left hand ratio was lower than in control female’s left hand. There was no difference in 2D : 4D between MFT and control males. MFT showed similar 2D : 4D of the right hand with control women indicating possible influencing factor in embryogenesis and consequently finger length changes. FMT showed the lowest 2D : 4D of the left hand when compared to the control males and females. Results of our study go in favour of the biological aetiology of transsexualism.
Online Estimation of ARW Coefficient of Fiber Optic Gyro
Authors: Li Yang , Hu Baiqing , Qin Fangjun , Li Kailong
Published: May 2014

As a standard method for noise analysis of fiber optic gyro (FOG), Allan variance has too large offline computational burden and data storages to be applied to online estimation. To overcome the barriers, the state space model is firstly established for FOG. Then the Sage‐husa adaptive Kalman filter (SHAKF) is introduced in this field. Through recursive calculation of measurement noise covariance matrix, SHAKF can avoid the storage of large amounts of history data. However, the precision and stability of this method are still the primary matters that needed to be addressed. Based on this point, a new online method for estimation of the coefficient of angular random walk is proposed. In the method, estimator of measurement noise is constructed by the recursive form of Allan variance at the shortest sampling time. Then the estimator is embedded into the SHAKF framework resulting in a new adaptive filter. The estimations of measurement noise variance and Kalman filter are independent of each other in this method. Therefore, it can address the problem of filtering divergence and precision degrading effectively. Test results of both digital simulation and experimental data of FOG verify the validity and feasibility of the proposed method.
Startup Characteristics of a Centrifugal Pump Delivering Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow
Authors: Zhang Yu-Liang , Xiao Jun-Jian , Yu Jian-Ping , Ji Ying-Yu
Published: May 2014

The transient performance of centrifugal pumps during the startup period has drawn more and more attention in recent years due to urgent engineering needs. In order to make certain the transient startup characteristics of a high specific-speed prototype centrifugal pump delivering the gas-liquid two-phase flow, the transient flows inside the pump are numerically simulated during the startup period using the dynamic slip region method in this paper. The results show that the difference in heads mainly focuses on the later stage of the startup period when the pump is used to transmit the pure water and the gas-liquid two-phase flow, respectively. The existence of the gas phase makes the head less than that of delivering pure water. The nondimensional head coefficient is very high at the very beginning of the startup period and then quickly drops to a stable value. The continuous variation of the attack angle at the leading edges of blades is the main reason for evolution of the internal flow field during the startup period.
Robustness Analysis of Floating-Point Programs by Self-Composition
Authors: Chen Liqian , Jiang Jiahong , Yin Banghu , Dong Wei , Wang Ji
Published: May 2014

Robustness is a key property for critical systems that run in uncertain environments, to ensure that small input perturbations can cause only small output changes. Current critical systems often involve lots of floating-point computations which are inexact. Robustness analysis of floating-point programs needs to consider both the uncertain inputs and the inexact computation. In this paper, we propose to leverage the idea of self-composition to transform the robustness analysis problem into a reachability problem, which enables the use of standard reachability analysis techniques such as software model checking and symbolic execution for robustness analysis. To handle floating-point arithmetic, we employ an abstraction that encompasses the effect of rounding and that can encompass all rounding modes. It converts floating-point expressions into linear expressions with interval coefficients in exact real arithmetic. On this basis, we employ interval linear programming to compute the maximum output change or maximum allowed input perturbation for the abstracted programs. Preliminary experimental results of our prototype implementation are encouraging.
Stability and Hopf Bifurcation Analysis of a Vector-Borne Disease with Time Delay
Authors: Chen Yuanyuan , Bi Ya-Qing
Published: May 2014

A delay-differential modelling of vector-borne is investigated. Its dynamics are studied in terms of local analysis and Hopf bifurcation theory, and its linear stability and Hopf bifurcation are demonstrated by studying the characteristic equation. The stability and direction of Hopf bifurcation are determined by applying the normal form theory and the center manifold argument.
Genetic and Environmental Influences on the Allocation of Adolescent Leisure Time Activities
Authors: Haberstick Brett C. , Zeiger Joanna S. , Corley Robin P.
Published: May 2014

There is a growing recognition of the importance of the out-of-school activities in which adolescents choose to participate. Youth activities vary widely in terms of specific activities and in time devoted to them but can generally be grouped by the type and total duration spent per type. We collected leisure time information using a 17-item leisure time questionnaire in a large sample of same- and opposite-sex adolescent twin pairs(N=2847). Using both univariate and multivariate genetic models, we sought to determine the type and magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on the allocation of time toward different leisure times. Results indicated that both genetic and shared and nonshared environmental influences were important contributors to individual differences in physical, social, intellectual, family, and passive activities such as watching television. The magnitude of these influences differed between males and females. Environmental influences were the primary factors contributing to the covariation of different leisure time activities. Our results suggest the importance of heritable influences on the allocation of leisure time activity by adolescents and highlight the importance of environmental experiences in these choices.
Stress‐Strain Analysis in TiN Nanocoating Deposited on Polymer with respect to Au Nanointerlayer
Authors: Kopernik Magdalena , Milenin Andrzej , Kąc Sławomir , Wróbel Mirosław
Published: May 2014

The multiscale analysis in the authors’ finite element code confirmed possibility of fracture, because of not sufficiently high level of compressive residual stress in the TiN deposited by physical deposition method and varied mechanical properties of the thin film and substrate. The residual stress cannot be identified by X‐ray technique for amorphous polymer and layer with domains of crystalline TiN. It is assumed that the buffer biocompatible thin film of Au in the TiN/Bionate II material system will alter the evolution of residual stress and, therefore, will allow to determine the residual stress in profilometry studies, and helps to improve toughness of the connection between TiN and Bionate II. The introduction of Au nanocoating in the material system results in bending of the sample and a compressive residual stress in the TiN coating. Results of finite element simulation show improvement of connection between the polymer and TiN, and an increase of compressive residual stress in the coating by introduction of Au nanointerlayer results in reduction of stress and strain in the substrate (close to the boundary between substrate and coating).
Numerical Method Using Cubic Trigonometric B-Spline Technique for Nonclassical Diffusion Problems
Authors: Abbas Muhammad , Majid Ahmad Abd. , Ismail Ahmad Izani Md. , Rashid Abdur
Published: May 2014

A new two-time level implicit technique based on cubic trigonometric B-spline is proposed for the approximate solution of a nonclassical diffusion problem with nonlocal boundary constraints. The standard finite difference approach is applied to discretize the time derivative while cubic trigonometric B-spline is utilized as an interpolating function in the space dimension. The technique is shown to be unconditionally stable using the von Neumann method. Several numerical examples are discussed to exhibit the feasibility and capability of the technique. TheL2andL∞error norms are also computed at different times for different space size steps to assess the performance of the proposed technique. The technique requires smaller computational time than several other methods and the numerical results are found to be in good agreement with known solutions and with existing schemes in the literature.
Study of Modern Nano Enhanced Techniques for Removal of Dyes and Metals
Authors: Batool Samavia , Akib Shatirah , Ahmad Mushtaq , Balkhair Khaled S. , Ashraf Muhammad Aqeel
Published: May 2014

Industrial effluent often contains the significant amount of hexavalent chromium and synthetic dyes. The discharge of wastewater without proper treatment into water streams consequently enters the soil and disturbs the aquatic and terrestrial life. A range of wastewater treatment technologies have been proposed which can efficiently reduce both Cr(VI) and azo dyes simultaneously to less toxic form such as biodegradation, biosorption, adsorption, bioaccumulation, and nanotechnology. Rate of simultaneous reduction of Cr(VI) and azo dyes can be enhanced by combining different treatment techniques. Utilization of synergistic treatment is receiving much attention due to its enhanced efficiency to remove Cr(VI) and azo dye simultaneously. This review evaluates the removal methods for simultaneous removal of Cr(VI) and azo dyes by nanomicrobiology, surface engineered nanoparticles, and nanophotocatalyst. Sorption mechanism of biochar for heavy metals and organic contaminants is also discussed. Potential microbial strains capable of simultaneous removal of Cr(VI) and azo dyes have been summarized in some details as well.
Distance Measurement for the Indoor WSN Nodes Using WTR Method
Authors: Zhang Zheng , Zhu Junxiao , Ruan Jiabiao , Song Gangbing
Published: May 2014

Time reversal (TR), which leads various multipath signals to focus spatiotemporally on arbitrarily complex propagation environments, can resist signal multipath delay and attenuation which is caused by inhomogeneous complex environments. In this paper, the windowed time reversal (WTR) method for distance measurement between the wireless sensor network (WSN) nodes is proposed based on TR. In the WTR, the main lobe of the channel response is captured by a window. WTR not only takes advantage of the spatiotemporal focus features of TR, but also compensates the multipath effect to eliminate various factors from the environment. WTR can recover the favorable symmetry of the main lobe of channel response, thereby accurately measuring the times-of-arrival (TOA) of the electromagnetic wave and distance between WSN nodes. By analyzing the characteristics of the time reversal operator, the theoretical basis of the WTR is given in this paper. An algorithm for node distance measurement with WTR in indoor environments is described and a large number of simulations with various environments are carried out. The errors for the proposed WTR have been analyzed. Simulation results show that ranging errors by WTR are less than 1% no matter how many obstacles are in the indoor environment.
AmalgamScope: Merging Annotations Data across the Human Genome
Authors: Tsiliki Georgia , Tsaramirsis Konstantinos , Kossida Sophia
Published: May 2014

The past years have shown an enormous advancement in sequencing and array-based technologies, producing supplementary or alternative views of the genome stored in various formats and databases. Their sheer volume and different data scope pose a challenge to jointly visualize and integrate diverse data types. We present AmalgamScope a new interactive software tool focusing on assisting scientists with the annotation of the human genome and particularly the integration of the annotation files from multiple data types, using gene identifiers and genomic coordinates. Supported platforms include next-generation sequencing and microarray technologies. The available features of AmalgamScope range from the annotation of diverse data types across the human genome to integration of the data based on the annotational information and visualization of the merged files within chromosomal regions or the whole genome. Additionally, users can define custom transcriptome library files for any species and use the file exchanging distant server options of the tool.
Multiband Microwave Imaging Analysis of Ionosphere and Troposphere Refraction for Spaceborne SAR
Authors: Zhang Fan , Li Guojun , Li Wei , Hu Wei
Published: May 2014

Ionosphere has different stratification at the different height. Troposphere has different refractivity at the different height. When microwave signals transmit through the ionosphere and the troposphere, the real propagation path is not an ideal straight line, but a slightly curved straight line. For the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system, the actual distance errors will result in phase errors, which impact range section and azimuth section of SAR raw data. Consequently, the imaging precision has been decreased by imprecise slant range history. In this paper, we simulate the propagation path between satellite and the target according to Snell's law and analyze how the ionospheric and tropospheric refraction impact the spaceborne SAR imaging performance at L-band and X-band. The simulation results show that the two refraction effects should be compensated in low frequency band for better image focusing performance.
May Renal Resistive Index Be an Early Predictive Tool of Postoperative Complications in Major Surgery? Preliminary Results
Authors: Giustiniano Enrico , Meco Massimo , Morenghi Emanuela , Ruggieri Nadia , Cosseta Daniele , Cirri Silvia , Difrancesco Orazio , Zito Paola Cosma , Gollo Yari , Raimondi Ferdinando
Published: May 2014

Background.Patients who undergo high-risk surgery represent a large amount of post-operative ICU-admissions. These patients are at high risk of experiencing postoperative complications. Renal Resistive Index was found to be related with renal dysfunction, hypertension, and posttraumatic hemorrhagic shock, probably due to vasoconstriction. We explored whether Renal Resistive Index (RRI), measured after awakening from general anesthesia, could have any relationship with postoperative complications.Methods.In our observational, stratified dual-center trial, we enrolled patients who underwent general anesthesia for high-risk major surgery. After awakening in recovery room (or during awakening period in subjects submitted to cardiac surgery) we measured RRI by echo-color-Doppler method. Primary endpoint was the association of altered RRI (>0.70) and outcome during the first postoperative week.Results.205 patients were enrolled: 60 (29.3%) showed RRI > 0.70. The total rate of adverse event was 27 (18.6%) in RRI ≤ 0.7 group and 19 (31.7%) in RRI > 0.7 group (P=0.042). Significant correlation between RRI > 0.70 and complications resulted in pneumonia (P=0.016), septic shock (P=0.003), and acute renal failure (P=0.001) subgroups. Patients with RRI > 0.7 showed longer ICU stay (P=0.001) and lasting of mechanical ventilation (P=0.004). These results were confirmed in cardiothoracic surgery subgroup. RRI > 0.7 duplicates triplicates the risk of complications, both in general (OR 2.03 93 95% CI 1.02–4.02,P=0.044) and in cardiothoracic (OR 2.62 95% CI 1.11–6.16,P=0.027) population. Furthermore, we found RRI > 0.70 was associated with a triplicate risk of postoperative septic shock (OR 3.04, CI 95% 1.5–7.01;P=0.002).
Modelling Arterial Pressure Waveforms Using Gaussian Functions and Two-Stage Particle Swarm Optimizer
Authors: Liu Chengyu , Zhuang Tao , Zhao Lina , Chang Faliang , Liu Changchun , Wei Shoushui , Li Qiqiang , Zheng Dingchang
Published: May 2014

Changes of arterial pressure waveform characteristics have been accepted as risk indicators of cardiovascular diseases. Waveform modelling using Gaussian functions has been used to decompose arterial pressure pulses into different numbers of subwaves and hence quantify waveform characteristics. However, the fitting accuracy and computation efficiency of current modelling approaches need to be improved. This study aimed to develop a novel two-stage particle swarm optimizer (TSPSO) to determine optimal parameters of Gaussian functions. The evaluation was performed on carotid and radial artery pressure waveforms (CAPW and RAPW) which were simultaneously recorded from twenty normal volunteers. The fitting accuracy and calculation efficiency of our TSPSO were compared with three published optimization methods: the Nelder-Mead, the modified PSO (MPSO), and the dynamic multiswarm particle swarm optimizer (DMS-PSO). The results showed that TSPSO achieved the best fitting accuracy with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.1% for CAPW and 1.0% for RAPW, in comparison with 4.2% and 4.1% for Nelder-Mead, 2.0% and 1.9% for MPSO, and 1.2% and 1.1% for DMS-PSO. In addition, to achieve target MAE of 2.0%, the computation time of TSPSO was only 1.5 s, which was only 20% and 30% of that for MPSO and DMS-PSO, respectively.
Inactivation of p53 Is Insufficient to Allow B Cells and B-Cell Lymphomas to Survive Without Dicer
Authors: Adams Clare M. , Eischen Christine M.
Published: May 2014

Inactivation of p53, the master regulator of cellular stress and damage signals, often allows cells that should die or senesce to live. Loss of Dicer, an RNase III–like enzyme critical in microRNA biogenesis, causes embryonic lethality and activation of the p53 pathway. Several nonhematopoietic cell types that contain inactivated p53 have been shown to survive Dicer deletion, suggesting that p53 loss may protect cells from the negative consequences of Dicer deletion. However, here, we report that loss of p53 did not provide a survival advantage to B cells, as they underwent rapid apoptosis upon Dicer deletion. Moreover, a deficiency in p53 neither rescued the Dicer deletion-induced delay in Myc-driven B-cell lymphomagenesis, nor allowed a single B-cell lymphoma to develop with biallelic deletion of Dicer. A p53 deficiency did, however, restore the pre-B/B-cell phenotype and CD19 surface expression of the lymphomas that emerged in conditional Dicer knockout Eμ-myc transgenic mice. Moreover, p53 loss in transformed B cells did not confer protection from apoptosis, as Dicer deletion in established p53-null B-cell lymphomas induced apoptosis, and all of the 1,260 B-cell lymphoma clones analyzed that survived Cre-mediated Dicer deletion retained at least one allele of Dicer. Moreover, Dicer deletion in lymphomas in vivo reduced tumor burden and prolonged survival. Therefore, inactivation of p53 is insufficient to allow untransformed B cells and B-cell lymphomas to survive without Dicer, presenting a potential therapeutic opportunity for the treatment of B-cell lymphomas. Cancer Res; 74(14); 3923–34. ©2014 AACR.
Decline in Physical Activity Level in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study Cohort
Authors: Wilson Carmen L. , Stratton Kayla , Leisenring Wendy L. , Oeffinger Kevin C. , Nathan Paul C. , Wasilewski-Masker Karen , Hudson Melissa M. , Castellino Sharon M. , Stovall Marilyn , Armstrong Gregory T. , Brinkman Tara M. , Krull Kevin R. , Robison Leslie L. , Ness Kirsten K.
Published: May 2014

Background: We aimed to identify demographic and health-related predictors of declining physical activity levels over a four-year period among participants in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

Methods: Analyses included 7,287 ≥5-year childhood cancer survivors and 2,107 siblings who completed multiple follow-up questionnaires. Participants were classified as active if they met the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for physical activity. Generalized linear models were used to compare participants whose physical activity levels declined from active to inactive over the study to those who remained active. In addition, selected chronic conditions (CTCAE v4.03 Grade 3 and 4) were evaluated as risk factors in an analysis limited to survivors only.

Results: The median age at last follow-up among survivors and siblings was 36 (range, 21–58) and 38 (range, 21–62) years, respectively. The rate of decline did not accelerate over time among survivors when compared with siblings. Factors that predicted declining activity included body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 [RR = 1.32; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.19–1.46, P < 0.01], not completing high school (RR = 1.31; 95% CI, 1.08–1.60, P < 0.01), and female sex (RR = 1.33; 95% CI, 1.22–1.44, P < 0.01). Declining physical activity levels were associated with the presence of chronic musculoskeletal conditions (P = 0.034), but not with the presence of cardiac (P = 0.10), respiratory (P = 0.92), or neurologic conditions (P = 0.21).

Conclusions: Interventions designed to maximize physical activity should target female, obese, and less educated survivors. Survivors with chronic musculoskeletal conditions should be monitored, counseled, and/or referred for physical therapy.

Impact: Clinicians should be aware of low activity levels among subpopulations of childhood cancer survivors, which may heighten their risk for chronic illness. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(8); 1619–27. ©2014 AACR.
Increased Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability on Perfusion Computed Tomography Predicts Hemorrhagic Transformation in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Ozkul-Wermester Ozlem , Guegan-Massardier Evelyne , Triquenot Aude , Borden Alaina , Perot Guillaume , Gérardin Emmanuel
Published: May 2014

Background/Purpose: Perfusion computed tomography (CT) is capable of measuring the permeability surface product (PS). PS reflects the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, involved in the pathophysiology of hemorrhagic transformation (HT) of ischemic stroke. The aim of our study was to determine if an increased PS can predict HT. Methods: A total of 86 patients with ischemic stroke were included. They underwent multimodality CT, including the measurement of PS. We compared the clinical and radiological characteristics of patients who developed HT to those who did not, using univariate analysis. Multivariate regression analyses were then used to determine HT predictors. Results: HT was observed in 27 patients (31%). Infarct PS was significantly associated with HT (p = 0.047), as were atrial fibrillation (p = 0.03), admission National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score (p = 0.02), infarct volume (p = 0.0004), presence of large-vessel occlusion (p = 0.0005) and a poorer collateral status (p = 0.003). Using logistic regression modeling, an infarct PS >0.84 ml/100 g/min was an independent predictor of HT (OR 28, 95% CI 1.75-452.98; p = 0.02). Other independent predictors of HT were infarct volume and a history of atrial fibrillation. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that infarct PS can be a predictor of HT and may help clinicians to improve patient care around thrombolysis decisions in the acute phase of ischemic stroke.
Detection of Antiranibizumab Antibodies among Patients with Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Leveziel Nicolas , Pelat Thibaut , Watier Hervé , Thullier Philippe , Souied Eric H.
Published: May 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study was to detect immune responses induced by intravitreal injection (IVT) of ranibizumab in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in real life conditions. Methods: An ELISA protocol from blood samples, following 2 different steps, was used to detect antibodies directed against the variable regions of ranibizumab. Results: Among 91 patients included, 46 received more than 10 IVTs, 36 had received 10 IVTs or fewer, and 9 were treatment naïve. Specific antiranibizumab immunoglobulins G were detected in 14/82 treated patients (17.1%). No immunization was detected among naïve patients. For patients with 10 or fewer previous IVTs, immunization against ranibizumab was detected in 4/36 patients (11.1%) whereas immunization was observed in 10/46 patients (21.7%) with more IVTs (p = 0.20). Conclusions: Immunization against ranibizumab can be detected in 17% of treated patients. Further clinical studies are needed to investigate the relationship between specific immunization to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor antibodies and response or resistance to ranibizumab treatments.