bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Usefulness of thoracic CT to diagnose tuberculosis disease in patients younger than 4 years of age
Authors: Garrido J. Batlles , Alías Hernández I. , Bonillo Perales A. , Rubí Ruiz T. , González Jiménez Y. , González‐Ripoll Garzón M. , Moriana Maldonado J. , González de Rojas J.D. , Martínez Lirola M. , Fornovi Vives J.J. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractBackgroundThere is controversy over the need of using thoracic CT (TCT) systematically for differentiating disease from tuberculosis infection in young children. This distinction is important when making a diagnosis of TB as the treatment changes from a single drug to a multidurug regimen with reported side‐effects.AimTo determine the usefulness of using TCT to diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in patients younger than 4 years of age who have TB infection (IBI).Materials and MethodsAfter the simultaneous detection of four cases of PTB in children who attended the same class, a study on the contact among workers and children was carried out. One hundred sixteen children younger than 4 years and 20 adults were included. The tuberculin skin test (TST) was performed on all of them. CHEST XR (CXR) and TCT were performed on children with positive TST and three samples of gastric acid were taken. CXR and sputum testing were performed on adults with positive TST.ResultsTST was positive in 28 children (24.1%). In 92.8% of children with positive TST and normal CXR, TCT showed features compatible with PTB. Out of the 28 children with positive TST, 27 (96.4%) were diagnosed with PTB and only one with latent TBI (4%).ConclusionsIn children younger than 4‐year old with positive TST and normal CXR, it would be advisable to perform a TCT since the findings could change the diagnosis from TBI to TB disease. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2012. 47:895–902. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Introducing proxy zero‐knowledge proof and utilization in anonymous credential systems
Authors: Jannati Hoda , Salmasizadeh Mahmoud , Mohajeri Javad , Moradi Amir 
Published: April 2012

ABSTRACTIn pseudonym systems, users by means of pseudonyms anonymously interact with organizations to obtain credentials. The credential scheme constructed by Lysyanskaya and Camenisch is among the most complete credential systems, in which “all‐or‐nothing” sharing scheme is used to prevent users sharing their credentials. If a user cannot directly show a credential issued by an organization, she or he has to give her or his own secret key to someone else as a proxy; afterward, the proxy can show the credential on behalf of the user. Thus, according to the all‐or‐nothing property of the system, having the user's secret key, the proxy can use all credentials of the user for itself. To solve this problem, in this paper, we present proxy zero‐knowledge proof and utilize it in Lysyanskaya and Camenisch anonymous credential system. In our proposed system, instead of giving the secret key to the proxy, the user generates a proxy key based on the desired credential particularly for the proxy. Therefore, the proxy neither is the owner of the user's credential nor uses his or her other credentials. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
EMUSIM: an integrated emulation and simulation environment for modeling, evaluation, and validation of performance of Cloud computing applications
Authors: Calheiros Rodrigo N. , Netto Marco A.S. , De Rose César A.F. , Buyya Rajkumar 
Published: April 2012

SUMMARYCloud computing allows the deployment and delivery of application services for users worldwide. Software as a Service providers with limited upfront budget can take advantage of Cloud computing and lease the required capacity in a pay‐as‐you‐go basis, which also enables flexible and dynamic resource allocation according to service demand. One key challenge potential Cloud customers have before renting resources is to know how their services will behave in a set of resources and the costs involved when growing and shrinking their resource pool. Most of the studies in this area rely on simulation‐based experiments, which consider simplified modeling of applications and computing environment. In order to better predict service's behavior on Cloud platforms, we developed an integrated architecture that is based on both simulation and emulation. The proposed architecture, named EMUSIM, automatically extracts information from application behavior via emulation and then uses this information to generate the corresponding simulation model. We performed experiments using an image processing application as a case study and found that EMUSIM was able to accurately model such application via emulation and use the model to supply information about its potential performance in a Cloud provider. We also discuss our experience using EMUSIM for deploying applications in a real public Cloud provider. EMUSIM is based on an open source software stack and therefore it can be extended for analysis behavior of several other applications. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
FiRePat—Finding Regulatory Patterns between sRNAs and Genes
Authors: Mohorianu Irina , Lopez‐Gomollon Sara , Schwach Frank , Dalmay Tamas , Moulton Vincent 
Published: April 2012

AbstractSmall RNAs are regulatory RNA fragments which, through RNA silencing, can regulate the expression of genes. Because sRNAs are negative regulators it is generally assumed that expression profiles of sRNAs and their targets are negatively correlated. Recently, examples of positive correlation between the expression of sRNAs and their targets have been discovered. At the moment, it is not known how many sRNA‐target pairs are positively and negatively correlated, and it is also not clear in what situations (e.g., under which treatments) any of these correlations can be observed. To determine this, one of the first steps is to develop tools to carry out a genome wide characterization of covariation of expression levels of sRNAs and genes. We present FiRePat—Finding Regulatory Patterns—an unsupervised data mining tool applicable to large datasets, typically produced by high throughput sequencing of sRNAs and mRNAs or microarray experiments, that detects sRNA‐gene pairs with correlated expression levels. The method consists of three steps: first, we select differentially expressed sRNAs and genes; second, we compute the correlation between sRNA and gene series for all possible sRNA–gene pairs; and third, we cluster the sRNA or gene expression series, simultaneously inducing clusters in the other series. Potential uses of FiRePat are presented using publicly available sRNA and mRNA datasets for both plants and animals. The standard output of FiRePat, a list of correlated pairs formed with sRNAs and mRNAs, can be used to investigate the cause and consequences of the respective expression patterns. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.This article is categorized under:

Algorithmic Development > Biological Data Mining
Effect of Chronic Anal Fissure Components on Isosorbide Dinitrate Treatment
Authors: Arslan K. , Erenoğlu B. , Doğru O. , Kökçam S. , Turan E. , Atay A. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractBackgroundChronic anal fissure is diagnosed in the presence of persistent symptoms: The classic triad includes a linear mucosal tear exposing the internal sphincter fibers, hypertrophied anal papilla, and a sentinel skin tag. Thus, chronic anal fissure can be divided into three components: the fissure itself; hypertrophied anal papilla; the sentinel skin tag. Not every chronic anal fissure has all three components; some have two components, and others present with only a persistent fissure. The success rate of medical treatment for chronic anal fissure is reported as 42–86 %. In this study, we intended to observe the effect of said components on healing with isosorbide dinitrate treatment.MethodsA total of 105 patients with chronic anal fissures were admitted and were divided into three groups. Patients in group I had a single component (only the fissure with a linear mucosal tear exposing the internal sphincter fibers); group II had two components (skin tag or hypertrophied papilla in addition to the fissure); group III had all three components (fissure, skin tag, hypertrophied papilla). Isosorbide dinitrate 0.25 % was applied three times a day.ResultsThe success rates in the study groups were 93, 74, and 64 %, respectively. The success rate was significantly higher for group I than for groups II and III.ConclusionsChronic anal fissure components should be considered when evaluating the success rates of studies reporting the results of various medical treatments. The number of components seems to be an important factor that affects the results of isosorbide dinitrate treatment.
Low Docosahexaenoic Acid Content in Plasma Phospholipids is Associated with Increased Non‐alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in China
Authors: Zheng Ju‐Sheng , Xu Amei , Huang Tao , Yu Xiaomei , Li Duo 
Published: April 2012

AbstractA large proportion of the Chinese population is now at risk of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aimed to investigate the relationship between plasma phospholipids (PL) fatty acids and the risk of NAFLD. One hundred NAFLD patients and 100 healthy subjects were recruited in Hangzhou, China. Plasma PL and selected biochemical and hematological parameters were analyzed by using standard methods. Stepwise logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors of NAFLD. Plasma PL total saturated fatty acid (SFA), C20:3n‐6, serum alanine aminotransferase, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and body mass index were independent risk factors of NAFLD. The risk of NAFLD was significantly increased with higher quartiles of plasma PL total SFA (P for trend = 0.028) and C20:3n‐6 (P for trend <0.001); plasma PL docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n‐3) was significantly lower in NAFLD patients than in controls (P = 0.032) and the OR of NAFLD in the highest quartile of C22:6n‐3 was 0.41 (95 % CI = 0.17–0.97) compared with the lowest quartile. In conclusion, plasma PL total SFA and C20:3n‐6 are positively correlated with the risk of NAFLD, while C22:6n‐3 is negatively correlated with the risk of NAFLD.
Comparison of secondary signs as shown by unenhanced helical computed tomography in patients with uric acid or calcium ureteral stones
Authors: Chou Yii‐Her , Chou Wei‐Po , Liu Mu‐En , Li Wei‐Ming , Li Ching‐Chia , Liu Chia‐Chu , Juan Yung‐Shun , Pan Shu‐Ching 
Published: April 2012

AbstractUnenhanced helical computed tomography (UHCT) has evolved into a well‐accepted diagnostic method in patients with suspected ureterolithiasis. UHCT not only shows stones within the lumen of the ureter, it also permits evaluation of the secondary signs associated with ureteral obstruction from stones. However, there we could find no data on how secondary signs might differ in relation to different compositions of ureteral stones. In this study, we compared the degree of secondary signs revealed by UHCT in uric acid stone formers and in patients forming calcium stones. We enrolled 117 patients with ureteral stones who underwent UHCT examination and Fourier transform infra‐red analysis of stone samples. Clinical data were collected as follows: age, sex, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), urine pH, and radiological data on secondary signs apparent on UHCT. The uric acid stone formers had significantly lower urine pH and eGFR in comparison to calcium stone formers, and on UHCT they also had a higher percentage of the secondary signs, including rim sign (78.9% vs. 60.2%), hydroureter (94.7% vs. 89.8%), perirenal stranding (84.2% vs. 59.2%) and kidney density difference (73.7% vs. 50.0%). The radiological difference was statistically significant for perirenal stranding (p = 0.041). In conclusion, we found that UHCT scanning reveals secondary signs to be more frequent in patients with uric acid ureteral stones than in patients with calcium stones, a tendency that might result from an acidic urine environment.
Ancient harbors and Holocene morphogenesis of the Ras Ibn Hani peninsula (Syria)
Authors: Marriner Nick , Goiran Jean-Philippe , Geyer Bernard , Matoïan Valérie , al-Maqdissi Michel , Leconte Marion , Carbonel Pierre 
Published: April 2012

AbstractRas Ibn Hani peninsula, a wave-dominated tombolo (800 × 1000 m) on the Syrian coast, provides evidence for significant Holocene changes that can be linked to geological inheritance, rising post-glacial sea level, sediment supply and human impacts. Initial development of Ras Ibn Hani's coastal system began ~ 8000 years ago when shallow marine environments formed in a context of rising post-glacial sea level. Following relative sea-level stabilization ~ 6000 cal yr BP, beach facies trace the gradual formation of a wave-dominated sandbank fronted by a ~ 2300 × ~ 500 m palaeo-island whose environmental potentiality was attractive to Bronze Age societies. A particularly rapid phase of tombolo accretion is observed after ~ 3500 cal yr BP characterised by a two- to fourfold increase in sedimentation rates. This is consistent with (i) a pulse in sediment supply probably driven by Bronze Age/Iron Age soil erosion in local catchments, and (ii) positive feedback mechanisms linked to regionally attested neotectonics. Archaeological remains and radiocarbon datings confirm that the subaerial tombolo was probably in place by the Late Bronze Age. These data fit tightly with other eastern Mediterranean tombolo systems suggesting that there is a great deal of predictability to their geology and stratigraphy at the regional scale.
Boundary-element method for the prediction of performance of flapping foils with leading-edge separation
Authors: Pan Yulin , Dong Xiaoxia , Zhu Qiang , Yue Dick K. P. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractA numerical model based on a boundary-element method is developed to predict the performance of flapping foils for the general cases where vorticities are shed near the leading edge as well as from the trailing edge. The shed vorticities are modelled as desingularized thin shear layers which propagate with the local flow velocity. Special treatments are developed to model the unsteady and alternating leading-edge separation (LES), which is a main element of difficulty for theoretical and numerical analyses of general flapping foils. The present method is compared with existing experiments where it is shown that the inclusion of LES significantly improves the prediction of thrust and efficiency, obtaining excellent agreement with measurements over a broad range of flapping frequencies (Strouhal number) and motion amplitudes (maximum angle of attack). It is found that the neglect of LES leads to substantial over-prediction of the thrust (and efficiency). The effects of LES on thrust generation in terms of the circulation around the foil, the steady and unsteady thrust components, and the vortex-induced pressure on the foil are elucidated. The efficiency and robustness of the method render it suitable for design optimization which generally requires large numbers of performance evaluations. To illustrate this, we present a sample problem of designing the flapping motion, with the inclusion of higher harmonic components, to maximize the efficiency under specified thrust. When optimal higher harmonic motions are included, the performance of the flapping foil is appreciably improved, mitigating the adverse effects of LES vortex on the performance.
Two-way coupled stochastic model for dispersion of inertial particles in turbulence
Authors: Pai Madhusudan G. , Subramaniam Shankar 
Published: April 2012

AbstractTurbulent two-phase flows are characterized by the presence of multiple time and length scales. Of particular interest in flows with non-negligible interphase momentum coupling are the time scales associated with interphase turbulent kinetic energy transfer (TKE) and inertial particle dispersion. Point-particle direct numerical simulations (DNS) of homogeneous turbulent flows laden with sub-Kolmogorov size particles report that the time scale associated with the interphase TKE transfer behaves differently with Stokes number than the time scale associated with particle dispersion. Here, the Stokes number is defined as the ratio of the particle momentum response time scale to the Kolmogorov time scale of turbulence. In this study, we propose a two-way coupled stochastic model (CSM), which is a system of two coupled Langevin equations for the fluctuating velocities in each phase. The basis for the model is the Eulerian–Eulerian probability density function formalism for two-phase flows that was established in Pai & Subramaniam (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 628, 2009, pp. 181–228). This new model possesses the unique capability ofsimultaneouslycapturing the disparate dependence of the time scales associated with interphase TKE transfer and particle dispersion on Stokes number. This is ascertained by comparing predicted trends of statistics of turbulent kinetic energy and particle dispersion in both phases from CSM, for varying Stokes number and mass loading, with point-particle DNS datasets of homogeneous particle-laden flows.
Rights Offerings, Subscription Period, Shareholder Takeup, and Liquidity
Authors: Balachandran Balasingham , Faff Robert , Theobald Michael , van Zijl Tony 
Published: April 2012

AbstractWe examine the role of shareholder takeup in rights offerings on the subscription period price reaction and liquidity. Our results indicate that takeup information is reflected in price adjustments over the subscription period and that quality-related information disclosed on the rights announcement date further impacts prices in this period. Higher shareholder takeup improves liquidity. We do find some evidence of inefficiencies in the adjustment process over the subscription period that, in part, is consistent with a model where markets are characterized by overconfident investors and that also articulates with takeup information arriving in the market.
Evidence-Based Practice Application: A Goal for Anaesthetic and Recovery Nurses
Authors: Brady Joni M. 
Published: April 2012

AbstractHistorically speaking, nursing actions were often based on opinions or habits with very little scientific evidence available to guide practice. The nursing process has been widely employed in basic nursing education programmes for several decades. The subsequent addition of the critical thinking component has enabled the practitioner to apply reasoning and formulate appropriate judgments about his/her patient's needs. Although many nurses lack formal education in research and evidence-based practice (EBP), frontline practitioners occupy a perfect position to stimulate and impact adoption of EBP in practice. Incorporation of EBP education and guided instruction in the EBP process for anaesthetic and recovery nurses can only serve to sustain its primary goal of combining the best available evidence with skilled professional opinion to achieve safe and sound practice at the bedside.
Homers regulate calcium entry and aggregation in human platelets: a role for Homers in the association between STIM1 and Orai1
Authors: Jardin Isaac , Albarrán Letizia , Bermejo Nuria , Salido Ginés M. , Rosado Juan A. 
Published: April 2012

Homer is a family of cytoplasmic adaptor proteins that play different roles in cell function, including the regulation of G-protein-coupled receptors. These proteins contain an Ena (Enabled)/VASP (vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein) homology 1 domain that binds to the PPXXF sequence motif, which is present in different Ca2+-handling proteins such as IP3 (inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate) receptors and TRPC (transient receptor potential canonical) channels. In the present study we show evidence for a role of Homer proteins in the STIM1 (stromal interaction molecule 1)–Orai1 association, as well as in the TRPC1–IP3RII (type II IP3 receptor) interaction, which might be of relevance in platelet function. Treatment of human platelets with thapsigargin or thrombin results in a Ca2+-independent association of Homer1 with TRPC1 and IP3RII. In addition, thapsigargin and thrombin enhanced the association of Homer1 with STIM1 and Orai1 in a Ca2+-dependent manner. Interference with Homer function by introduction of the synthetic PPKKFR peptide into cells, which emulates the proline-rich sequences of the PPXXF motif, reduced STIM1–Orai1 and TRPC1– IP3RII associations, as compared with the introduction of the inactive PPKKRR peptide. The PPKKFR peptide attenuates thrombin-evoked Ca2+ entry and the maintenance of thapsigargin-induced store-operated Ca2+ entry. Finally, the PPKKFR peptide attenuated thrombin-induced platelet aggregation. The findings of the present study support an important role for Homer proteins in thrombin-stimulated platelet function, which is likely to be mediated by the support of agonist-induced Ca2+ entry.
Octahydriodo diborane (B
2
H
8
) and its protonated cations containing five-, six-, and seven-coordinate boron atoms
Authors: Olah George A. , Surya Prakash G. K. , Rasul Golam 
Published: April 2012

Structures of octahydriodo diborane (B
2
H
8
) 1 and its protonated
3
, diprotonated
5
, triprotonated
6
, and tetraprotonated
7
ions were found to be calculationally viable minima at the MP2/cc-pVTZ level of theory. Each structure contains two-electron three-center (2e-3c) bonds. The protonation of
1
to form
3
was found to be strongly exothermic by 176.0 kcal/mol. Subsequent protonation of
3
to form
5
was also found to be exothermic by 28.4 kcal/mol. Further protonation of
5
to form
6
was, however, computed to be endothermic by 122.0 kcal/mol whereas protonation of
6
to form
7
was again highly endothermic by 238.8 kcal/mol. Deprotonation barriers of the ions were also computed.
A GENERAL CIRCULATION MODEL FOR GASEOUS EXOPLANETS WITH DOUBLE-GRAY RADIATIVE TRANSFER
Authors: Rauscher Emily , Menou Kristen 
Published: April 2012

ABSTRACT
We present a new version of our code for modeling the atmospheric circulation on gaseous exoplanets, now employing a “double-gray” radiative transfer scheme, which self-consistently solves for fluxes and heating throughout the atmosphere, including the emerging (observable) infrared flux. We separate the radiation into infrared and optical components, each with its own absorption coefficient, and solve standard two-stream radiative transfer equations. We use a constant optical absorption coefficient, while the infrared coefficient can scale as a power law with pressure; however, for simplicity, the results shown in this paper use a constant infrared coefficient. Here we describe our new code in detail and demonstrate its utility by presenting a generic hot Jupiter model. We discuss issues related to modeling the deepest pressures of the atmosphere and describe our use of the diffusion approximation for radiative fluxes at high optical depths. In addition, we present new models using a simple form for magnetic drag on the atmosphere. We calculate emitted thermal phase curves and find that our drag-free model has the brightest region of the atmosphere offset by ∼12° from the substellar point and a minimum flux that is 17% of the maximum, while the model with the strongest magnetic drag has an offset of only ∼2° and a ratio of 13%. Finally, we calculate rates of numerical loss of kinetic energy at ∼15% for every model except for our strong-drag model, where there is no measurable loss; we speculate that this is due to the much decreased wind speeds in that model.