bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Walk-in Clinic: Shortness of breath
Authors: Fisher Pam , Glenn Kate
Published: June 2014

Patients express shortness of breath (SOB) in different ways, but do they really mean breathless (Dyspnoea) or do they mean that they are fatigued or that they can't take a deep breath due to pain?

True SOB refers to the symptom of laboured or difficult breathing (Thibodeau, 1992) and may be defined as an undue awarenes of respiratory effort or the need to increase this effort (Ogilvie, 1997).

Pam Fisher and Kate Glenn discuss possible causes, diagnosis and treatment
What is Clinical Governance
Authors: Lawrence-Parr Carole
Published: June 2014

Carole Lawrence-Parr looks at Clinical Governance and the effect it will have on general practice
Facilitating changes in lifestyle
Authors: Docherty Yvonne , Stone Deborah
Published: June 2014

Yvonne Docherty and Deborah Stone describe the development of a short intervention tool to help patients with cardiovascular disease
Presentation and Assessment of COPD
Authors: Tutt Catherine , Jennings Jacquie
Published: June 2014

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an umbrella term which encompasses chronic bronchitis, chronic asthma and emphysema. Until recently, patients with COPD have been underrecognized, undermanaged and undertreated. Health professionals and patients have both had a nihilistic approach to the condition, as the major cause of COPD is smoking. It is often looked upon as a self-inflicted disease, which only the patient can resolve.
Management of COPD
Authors: Roberts June
Published: June 2014

Practice nurses have been at the forefront of the treatment and management of asthma for many years and have improved both morbidity and mortality. However, in practice it is often difficult to make the same improvements for patients with more fixed airflow obstruction. Diagnostic difficulties and lack of clear guidance on how best to manage these patients has led to inappropriate application of asthma guidelines to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Shared Values In A Prison Health Care System
Authors: Norman Ann , Parrish Alan
Published: June 2014

In the first of a new series, Ann Norman and Alan Parrish call for leadership in prison nursing.
Diabetes And The Vegetarian Diet
Authors: Little Jill
Published: June 2014

Some patients with diabetes are, or will wish to become vegetarians. Jill Little discusses the options.
Taking On Board Cruise Health Precautions
Authors: McIntosh Iain
Published: June 2014

The health hazards for shipboard travellers are considered by Dr Iain McIntosh
Assessing and Advising The Higher Risk Traveller
Authors: McIntosh Iain
Published: June 2014

Some travellers are at greater risk of experiencing ill health abroad, as Iain McIntosh explains.
Living Wills and The Practice Nurse
Authors: Dearling Jeremy
Published: June 2014

Health professionals can not ignore patient wishes contained in living wills, as Jeremy Dearling explains.
Alternative ways of using drugs
Authors: Winstock Adam , Strang John
Published: June 2014

Medicine has long been preoccupied with the selective proscription of the various pharmacological agents at its disposal. Until recently, because of technological limitations, the routes of administration and potency of preparations were determined by the form (usually vegetable matter) that the natural product took. Until the industrial revolution, the most common route of drug administration was the oral route — either drinking or chewing, e.g. use of alcohol or chewing of coca leaves by Peruvian Indians.
Book Reviews
Authors: Watkins Anna , Burke Ann
Published: June 2014

The Primary Care Trust Tool Kit. A Workbook for the Health Service and Primary Care Team

Caring for Muslim Patients
Selecting dressings from the Tariff
Authors: Whitehurst Fran
Published: June 2014

Most nurses working in the community are not yet prescribers, and use wound management products prescribed by a GP. In most cases though, choice of dressing is usually left up to the district nurse or practice nurse (Ertl, 1990) and it is therefore important for them to be aware of the complete range of dressings available and of the cost per item.
Eating disorders occur in primary children too
Authors: Fields Rebecca
Published: June 2014

What can you do if you are concerned about a child in your class, and how can schools create a culture that helps protect against eating disorders? We get advice from Beat.
Mammoths, mud houses and the Mesolithic era
Authors: Mynard Steve
Published: June 2014

The new curriculum for history goes way back in time to the Stone, Bronze and Iron ages. Hands-on activities can help you bring the distant past alive, says Steve Mynard.
Be agile with apparatus
Authors: Clarke Jenni
Published: June 2014

Our series on PE for reception and year 1 turns to making the most of apparatus large and small, with practical tips for well-planned lessons that keep children moving.
Inclusive apps offer new freedom of expression
Authors: David Anthony
Published: June 2014

Continuing this series on apps to assist with different areas of learning, Anthony David assesses options to aid communication, which can make a big difference to SEN pupils.
School is their safe place
Authors: Francis-Pester Dawn
Published: June 2014

How can you best support and integrate refugee and asylum seeker pupils? We get advice on welcoming the whole family, effective learning strategies and cultural issues.
Rhythm's gonna get you
Authors: Long Marion
Published: June 2014

Dr Marion Long explains how the natural rhythm of language can be used as a classroom tool to improve literacy levels, particularly among reluctant readers.
Expanding the European novel (1830–1920)
Authors: Artiaga Loïc
Published: June 2014

Literature, having become the book-text, drew new power from its ability to convince that it could account for the world and express its changes. But the novel was not only a privileged form for representing the world in the new era of capital. It also became a commodity. This article draw synthetically from two different bodies of research that have produced separate sets of objects and tools over the last twenty years: those concerned with the organization of a global book market, and those concerned with the evolution of popular forms. Following the expansion of the popular novel, this work underline common processes in the making of reading markets, shared imagined references – where classical historical history of literature focuses on national making, and links between the strong points of European culture.
The transnational circulation of comic strips before 1945
Authors: Glaude Benoît , Odaert Olivier
Published: June 2014

The transnational circulation of comic strips began as soon as comics appeared as an art form. Before 1945, the names of the pioneers were rapidly eclipsed by the success of the medium, making it difficult to establish geographic lines of descent, and more generally a ‘genealogy’ of the medium. This article describes a few of the trends at work in the different mechanisms of transnational circulation during the first century of this medium’s history (1830–1945). It focuses on the work of little-known go-betweens – influential in their time but since forgotten, like popular imagery artists in the 1870s, and Martin Branner in the 1920s – which explains apparent gaps and anachronisms in the transnational circulation of comic strips.
The Hound of the Baskervilles: Chronicle of a mediatic success
Authors: Levet Natacha
Published: June 2014

The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of the most famous holmesian stories. Of course, there are many reasons for this extraordinary success, an immediate, lasting and worldwide success. Above all, the publishing and circulation methods of this novel are representative of the twentieth-century media tic culture. Indeed, the novel takes place in a serial process, previously elaborate (the first Holmesian narrative was published in 1887), offering both Holmesian tradition and innovation in its poetic. Arthur Conan Doyle pursues the process of mythification for Sherlock Holmes as a hero. The Hound of the Baskervilles is the most transposed of all the Holmesian stories: origin and result at a time of this durable success.
Translations, adaptations and cross media storytelling in Europe from 1830 to 1930
Authors: Migozzi Jacques
Published: June 2014

Between 1830 and 1930, Europe underwent radical change and entered modernity, by the emersion and expansion of a multimedia and mass culture, crossing linguistic and national boundaries and overturning cultural practices, sparking the imagination of countless individuals and providing new and cosmopolitan icons for the collective imagination. The history and main aspects of this cultural New Deal are first described, to emphasize afterwards that transmedia storytelling and convergence culture could be early observed on a wide European and even intercontinental scale, within the framework of the first multimedia ‘common market’ of European fiction. This argument will be illustrated by drawing from a wide range of examples.
Self-propagating High Temperature Synthesis of TiB2
Authors: Turan Ahmet , Bugdayci Mehmet , Yucel Onuralp
Published: June 2014

Self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) is a very important technique for the synthesis of high technology ceramics, metals and alloys. SHS parameters of TiB
Bredon–Poincaré duality groups
Authors: St. John-Green Simon
Published: June 2014

If G is a group which admits a manifold model for BG then G is a Poincaré duality group. We study a generalisation of Poincaré duality groups, introduced initially by Davis and Leary in [High-Dimensional Manifold Topology,
World Scientific, Singapore (2003), 139–150], motivated by groups G with cocompact manifold models M for E̠G where MH
is a contractible submanifold for all finite subgroups H of G. We give several sources of examples and constructions of these Bredon–Poincaré duality groups, including using the equivariant reflection group trick of Davis and Leary to construct examples of Bredon–Poincaré duality groups arising from actions on manifolds M where the dimensions of the submanifolds MH
are specified. We classify Bredon–Poincaré duality groups in low dimensions, and discuss behaviour under group extensions and graphs of groups.
A Glowworm Swarm Optimization Algorithm for Uninhabited Combat Air Vehicle Path Planning
Authors: Tang Zhonghua , Zhou Yongquan
Published: June 2014

Uninhabited combat air vehicle (UCAV) path planning is a complicated, high-dimension optimization problem. To solve this problem, we present in this article an improved glowworm swarm optimization (GSO) algorithm based on the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, which we call the PGSO algorithm. In PGSO, the mechanism of a glowworm individual was modified via the individual generation mechanism of PSO. Meanwhile, to improve the presented algorithm’s convergence rate and computational accuracy, we reference the idea of parallel hybrid mutation and local search near the global optimal location. To prove the performance of the proposed algorithm, PGSO was compared with 10 other population-based optimization methods. The experiment results show that the proposed approach is more effective in UCAV path planning than most of the other meta-heuristic algorithms.
GIVING ADVICE IN NICARAGUA AND PANAMA
Authors: Platz Ryan
Published: June 2014

While empirical pragmatic research in the Spanish-speaking world has covered most of the Hispanosphere, Central America remains a very underrepresented region. This study serves to fill this gap in the literature by analyzing data collected from eighteen role-plays in Masaya, Nicaragua and Panama City, Panama. In the role-play situation, the interlocutor requests advice from the participant (her best friend) regarding a serious issue in her marriage. The advice-giving strategies are classified according to a categorization adapted from Blum-Kulka’s (1989) request strategy taxonomy, allowing for a pragmatic analysis using Spencer-Oatey’s (2005) Rapport Management approach.

Results indicate strong similarities between participants from Nicaragua and Panama, both electing to respect all components of the association principle and to violate the equity principle, especially its autonomy control component. In this advice-giving context between best friends, both groups prefer to impose their opinions and suggestions rather than respect the person’s right to be treated fairly, as well as to maintain a rapport-enhancing orientation rather than preserve their right to associate with others. The results show similarities with other research on directives in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela and Spain, cultures typically associated with less mitigation, positive politeness, conventional indirectness and high involvement
THE ROLE OF LEARNER SUBJECTIVITY AND KOREAN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS’ PRAGMATIC CHOICES
Authors: Eslami Zohreh R. , Kim Heekyoung , Wright Katherine L. , Burlbaw Lynn M.
Published: June 2014

The main goal of this study was to identify factors motivating pragmatic transfer in advanced learners of English. Based on a cross-cultural comparison of requesting behavior between Koreans and Americans, this study determined the impact of individual subjective motives on pragmatic language choice. Two different groups of subjects participated in this study: 30 Korean participants (KK) and 30 American college students (AE). Data were collected by using a Discourse Completion Task (DCT). Korean (KK) participants provided the data for Korean (KK) and English versions of DCT (KE). Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with 13 Korean ESL learners who showed the most and least amount of pragmatic transfer. Findings showed evidence of pragmatic transfer in the request responses given by Korean ESL learners in their requestive strategies, level of directness, and perspectives of head acts. The interview data revealed that Korean students were conscious of differing rules for making requests. Learners’ judgment of L2 pragmatic norms, perception of their own language, and their attitudes of the target language influence language use. Furthermore, findings showed that purpose of learning English, different types of motivation, and the length of intended residence contribute to the extent of pragmatic transfer
WHERE ARE YOU FROM? – OR THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE FOR IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION
Authors: Waldhubel Noémie
Published: June 2014

The aim of this paper is to show the importance of intercultural competence for identity construction in a globalized world. Pedagogical, as well as methodological approaches are given to show how intercultural competence is implemented by Ethnologie in Schule und Erwachsenenbildung, a Germany-based NGO.
The Overseas Chinese Democracy Movement after Thirty Years
Authors: Chen Jie
Published: June 2014

The overseas Chinese democracy movement, sustained by exiled Chinese dissidents in the West, has just reached its 30th anniversary. Despite a widely held view that it has declined and failed irrevocably from its moral and political height during the first half of the 1990s, new trends have emerged.
China’s Influence on Taiwan’s Media
Authors: Hsu Chien-Jung
Published: June 2014

The warming cross-Taiwan Strait relationship has allowed China greater opportunities to influence Taiwan’s media. Three interrelated strategies—greater economic control over media outlets, pressure exerted on media owners, and the purchase of influential advertisements—have led to growing concerns about the erosion of press freedoms in Taiwan.
Habit, Home, Threshold
Authors: Chawla Devika
Published: June 2014

This essay is an experiment that attends to the habit of tea as both subject and object. A coalescence of habit as threshold as home. In an assemblage of encounters, I hear, I sense, I smell, I taste, and I show how my habit (of tea) is a trestle—both a transport and a transaction in which I arrive and depart multiple times, every day. Consider these words a kind of searching (and finding), a cartographic tracing, a constellation—of habit, of home, of threshold—a plotting to find and arrive home.
Bacterial meningitis as a first presentation of pituitary macroprolactinoma
Authors: Margari Niki , Page Simon
Published: June 2014

A 56-year-old man was brought to the Emergency Department after being found collapsed at his office with a reduced level of consciousness. From clinical examination and initial investigations, he was diagnosed as having bacterial meningitis and was promptly commenced on empirical i.v. antibiotics. Computed tomography of the brain revealed a parenchymal mass at the base of the skull and subsequent magnetic resonance imaging of the head 4 days later confirmed a large soft tissue mass, which extended through to the cavernous sinus. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) following lumbar puncture confirmed pneumococcal meningitis and antibiotics were continued for 2 weeks in total. During the admission, hormone profiling revealed a grossly elevated prolactin. When coupled with the initial results of the brain imaging, this result helped to confirm a macroprolactinoma that was invading the postnasal space. A final diagnosis of pneumococcal meningitis secondary to invading prolactinoma was made. The patient was started on cabergoline and was followed up in the outpatient clinic upon discharge. He made a full recovery from the meningitis. Over the next few months, prolactin levels returned to be normal and the prolactinoma shrank significantly in size. The patient remains on cabergoline that will most likely be continued indefinitely.

Learning points

Bacterial meningitis is a rare first presentation of pituitary macroprolactinoma.

Patients with invasive macroprolactinoma do not always present with CSF leakage.

Prompt treatment with antibiotics and a dopamine agonist is of great importance for a favourable outcome.

Close monitoring of the patient for signs of raised intracranial pressure is essential in the management of macroprolactinoma.

Note the risk of CSF leakage after initiation of dopamine agonist therapy irrespective of concomitant meningitis in macroprolactinoma.
Subclinical hypothyroidism represents an additional risk factor for coronary artery calcification, especially in subjects with intermediate and high cardiovascular risk scores
Authors: Silva Nathalie , Santos Olga , Morais Felipe , Gottlieb Ilan , Hadlich Macelo , Rothstein Tamara , Tauil Milena , Veras Nathalia , Vaisman Mario , Teixeira Patricia de Fátima
Published: June 2014

Objective

Several studies have suggested an association between subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and increased cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in asymptomatic patients with SCH by measuring the coronary artery calcium score (CACS).

Design

A total of 222 asymptomatic subjects (103 SCH and 119 euthyroid (EU)), who were between the ages of 35 and 65 years and had no previous history of CAD, were enrolled for this cross-sectional analysis.

Methods

The criteria for SCH included a confirmed normal serum free thyroxine and high TSH levels. Lipid profile, Framingham risk score (FRS) and CACS analyses were performed for all subjects.

Results

The SCH and EU groups were comparable with respect to age, gender, BMI and frequency of diabetes, systemic arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia and smoking. There was no difference in the median CACS between the SCH and EU groups. However, in the subgroup of subjects with intermediate/high FRS (AR10y≥10%), CACS was higher in the SCH subjects compared with EU subjects (EU vs SCH, 0.0 (57.0) vs 23.0 (161.5);P=0.045). Multivariate analysis revealed that the risk for CACS >100 was independently associated with male gender, age >55 years, and the presence of simultaneous SCH and AR10y≥10% (OR=87.5 (CI=2.1–3500);P=0.001). Serum TSH was positively correlated with CACS, especially in intermediate/high FRS subjects (rs=0.301,P=0.045).

Conclusions

It was demonstrated that SCH represents an additional risk factor for CAD, notably in intermediate and high FRS subjects.
Prevalence of unknown thyroid disorders in a Sardinian cohort
Authors: Delitala Alessandro P , Pilia Maria Grazia , Ferreli Liana , Loi Francesco , Curreli Nicolò , Balaci Lenuta , Schlessinger David , Cucca Francesco
Published: June 2014

Objective

To assess thyroid function, the presence of thyroid antibodies, as well as the presence of goiter and/or nodules in subjects without a prior diagnosis of thyroid disorders, in a region with mild to moderate iodine deficiency.

Design and methods

This cross-sectional study is based on data obtained from first and third visits of participants in the Sardinian survey. We performed two different analyses. In one, we assessed the prevalence of unknown thyroid dysfunctions among 6252 subjects who had a medical examination and blood collection for assays of thyrotropin, free thyroxine, and antibodies against thyroperoxidase (AbTPO) and against thyroglobulin (AbTG). In a second analysis, we evaluated the frequency of undiagnosed goiter and nodules among 3377 subjects who had a thyroid ultrasound scan. Subjects were excluded if they had a previous history of thyroid disorders or presence of goiter and/or nodules, or thyroid surgery, or if they were taking drugs that could impair thyroid function.

Results

We found a low prevalence of overt thyroid dysfunction (hyperthyroidism 0.4% and hypothyroidism 0.7%). The rates of subclinical hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism were 4.7 and 2.4% respectively. Almost 16% of participants were positive for at least one antibody and 5.2% for both AbTG and AbTPO. Nodules were detected in 17.4% of subjects and the prevalence of goiter was 22.1%.

Conclusions

Undiagnosed biochemical thyroid dysfunctions, unknown nodules, and goiter were common in subjects living in a mild to moderate iodine-deficient area. In this community, thyroid disorders often go undetected and screening could be reasonable in subjects at a higher risk.
Effect of network structure from different processing conditions on the mechanical property of semi-crystalline polymers
Authors: Dong Xin , McDowell David , Jacob Karl
Published: June 2014

Semi-crystalline structures were prepared from different processing condition. Biaxial oriented melt were crystallized at 375 K and atmospheric pressure for 10 nanoseconds (ns), to generate a lamellar semi-crystalline structure. Similar structures were also prepared from deformation of a cubic amorphous initial structure isothermally at 375 K. For comparison, two different thermostats, the constant stress (NPT) and constant volume (NVT) conditions were applied to the system during 10 ns of crystallization. The semi-crystalline samples shared common morphological features such as in the crystallinity, crystal orientation, lamellae thickness and density distribution, etc. However, during the subsequent uniaxial tensile deformation test of the samples to strain of 0.5, different stress-strain behaviors were demonstrated. By combining the observations of morphologies during deformation tests and analysis of the stress-strain curves, conclusions were made that the effectiveness of the network had a strong influence on the mechanical property and strain hardening behavior. The oriented network from the constant stress crystallization, owing to the taut chains, gave rise to optimal mechanical response with substantial strain-hardening.
Role of Morphology on the Large Coercive Behavior in Co80Ni20Nanowires
Authors: Gaul A. , Ouar N. , Mercone S. , Zighem F. , Schoenstein F. , Leridon B. , Farhat S. , Jouini N.
Published: June 2014

Ferromagnetic metal CoNi-based nano-objects have been synthesized in a polyol media within different elaboration conditions in order to drive their morphology (i.e. enhancing their length-to-diameter ratio ﴾d/L﴿, and changing the diameter d ratio over edge T width ﴾d/L﴿). Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) studies revealed unexpected effects on the Co80Ni20 nano-objects arising from the magnetic field assisted synthesis. This gave us the opportunity to compare this latter to coming from the variation of Ruthenium (III) chloride hydrate nucleating agent concentration. A Co80Ni20 anisotropic particles elaboration was successfully achieved under zero magnetic field assisted synthesis, while an important percentage of isotropic nanoparticles appeared immediately under the application of a small magnetic field (i.e. H > 500 Oe). In the first case we were able to sharply drive both the aspect ratio and head morphology of nanowires (T and ﴾d/T﴿). The good crystallinity and structures symmetry of all our samples have been proved by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern analysis. Magnetic static properties showed a ferromagnetic standard behavior with a coercive field efficiency which was strongly dependent on shape parameters. The magnetic static behavior was studied within a standard Stoner-Wohlfart model as a function of the observed morphologies. Our observations are fully consistent with a shape anisotropy origin behavior of the enhanced coercivity measured as function of the decreasing ﴾d/L﴿ ratio. However, they revealed the presence of contributions to the global effective anisotropy coming from other complex terms then the shape one (i.e. conic head impressiveness, dipolar interactions and magnetocrystalline anisotropy).
Ohmic and rectifying contacts to n-SiC formed by energetic deposition of carbon
Authors: Kracica Masturina , Partridge Jim G. , McCulloch Dougal G. , Leech Patrick W. , Holland Anthony S. , Reeves Geoff K.
Published: June 2014

Energetically-deposited carbon contacts to n-type 6H-SiC have exhibited either insulating, rectifying or ohmic electrical characteristics depending on the average energy of the depositing flux and the substrate temperature. Deposition at room temperature and at a low-medium average energy (<500 eV) has resulted in carbon with a low graphitic content and insulating electrical contacts. With higher average energy and at a moderately elevated temperature (∼100 °C), the higher graphitic content contacts were rectifying with an ideality factor, η, of ∼1.8 and barrier height of ∼0.88 eV. Oriented graphitic carbon deposited at 200 °C with biases exceeding 300 V formed ohmic contacts.
A novel 3C-SiC on Si power Schottky diode design and modelling
Authors: Li Fan , Sharma Yogesh K. , Fisher Craig A. , Jennings Michael R. , Mawby Philip A.
Published: June 2014

Although 3C-SiC has a narrower bandgap than 4H-SiC, it is the only SiC polytype that can be grown directly over large area silicon substrates. It has the potential to provide a more economical choice than 4H-SiC for intermediate power devices, such as inverters for electric vehicles. To fabricate a vertical device on 3C-SiC, the Si substrate is usually removed either by etching or polishing. Neither of these processes is economical nor efficient. In this paper we propose a lateral Schottky diode design for 3C-SiC on Si structure. 2D finite element simulations using ATLAS showed that a breakdown voltage beyond 1200 V can be achieved with a 4 μm thick epilayer. Physical models used for 3C-SiC/Si power devices simulations are introduced. Advantages of lateral 3C-SiC/Si diodes over free standing 3C-SiC are also discussed.
DNA-Assisted Dispersion of Multi-Walled CNTs in Epoxy Polymer Matrix
Authors: Laurenzi Susanna , Sirilli Matteo , Pinna Mirko , Gabriella Santonicola M.
Published: June 2014

The homogeneous dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a polymer matrix is a critical parameter that significantly affects the electrical and mechanical properties of CNT-based composite materials, and represents an important challenge to overcome during the manufacturing process of these materials. In our work we used double-stranded DNA to facilitate the dispersion of multi-walled CNTs in solution prior to the integration in epoxy resin PRIME 20 LV. Composites containing DNA-wrapped CNTs were prepared using sonication at 0.5 wt.% CNT loading and the dispersion level in the composite CNT/PRIME 20 LV was observed under an optical microscope. Nanoindentation experiments were conducted to determine the local mechanical properties of the CNT/PRIME 20 LV composites films after cure, showing a significant improvement in their distribution across the sample surface as a result of the enhanced CNT dispersion by DNA. An electrical test to assess the stability of the CNTs dispersion in the resin was developed by measuring the conductivity of the composite mixture before cure in time. Results of the electrical measurements indicate that the CNT/PRIME 20 LV mixture with DNA-wrapped CNTs is stable for several days after preparation.
Optical properties of nanostructured carbon and gold nanoparticle hybrids
Authors: Li Yuan , Chopra Nitin
Published: June 2014

We report simulation of optical properties of hybrid geometry comprised of multilayer graphene shell encapsulated gold nanoparticles loaded with carbon nanotubes. The discrete dipole approximation (DDA) method was employed. The results indicated that the optical properties of encapsulated gold nanoparticles were not suppressed by the carbon material coating. Furthermore, low scattering effects were also observed. The simulation method helped visualize the near-surface normalized electric field, which is directly related to the intensity of hot spots on the surface of these hybrid nanoarchitectures.
Optical Properties of CdS and CdTe Sensitized ZnO Nanorods
Authors: Pereyra C. J. , Ferrer F. , Marotti R. E. , Gómez C. , Campo L. , Amy L. I. , Martín F. , Leinen D. , Ramos-Barrado J. R. , Dalchiele E. A.
Published: June 2014

Optical properties of ZnO-CdTe electrochemically prepared on a core-shell nanostructure (NS) were studied. Numerical simulations based on effective medium approximation give higher absorption than ZnO-CdS samples and a sensitive dependence on CdTe content. The absorption edges for deep black samples found by transmittance (T(λ)) and diffuse reflectance (Rdiff(λ)) measurements were at 1.33eV and 1.55eV, respectively. A split-off band edge was also found by Rdiff(λ) at ∼2.5eV. The red shift observed in T(λ), previously observed in ZnO-CdS, and may confirm the enhancement of sub-bandgap absorption due to the NS nature of samples.
Efeito do ultrassom terapêutico sobre as propriedades mecânicas do gastrocnêmio em ratos
Authors: Barbosa Hállamo Henrique Saraiva , Nascimento Filho José Humberto do , Nonato Dayanne Terra Tenório , Almeida Magno Jackson Moreno de , Silva Flávio Santos , Abreu Bento João , Vieira Wouber Hérickson de Brito
Published: June 2014

INTRODUÇÃO: Apesar de algumas controvérsias quanto à sua utilização, o ultrassom terapêutico (UST) é um recurso comumente aplicado na reabilitação desportiva para aceleração do reparo tecidual de lesões musculares. Sabe-se que lesões musculares influenciam negativamente as propriedades mecânicas da musculatura estriada esquelética e algumas evidências demonstram que o UST poderia ter efeitos benéficos sobre o reparo muscular e, consequentemente, sobre suas propriedades mecânicas.OBJETIVO: Analisar o efeito do UST no reparo tecidual por meio das propriedades mecânicas musculares de ratos após trauma por criolesão.MÉTODOS: Foram utilizados no estudo 30 ratos da linhagem Wistar, os quais foram divididos em três grupos: grupo controle intacto (GC), grupo lesionado sem tratamento (GL), e grupo lesionado e estimulado com UST (frequência de 1 MHz; intensidade de 0,5 W/cm2; ciclo de trabalho de 50%; por quatro minutos diários), durante sete dias consecutivos (GLUST). As propriedades mecânicas obtidas através de ensaio mecânico de tração foram avaliadas em uma máquina universal de ensaios.RESULTADOS: Foram analisados estatisticamente, com nível de significância de 95% (P<0,05). Após sete sessões de tratamento, houve melhora estatisticamente significativa nas propriedades mecânicas de carga no limite de proporcionalidade, carga no limite máximo e resiliência para o GLUST em relação ao GL (p<0,05).CONCLUSÃO: O UST foi eficaz no processo de reparo tecidual, conferindo ao tecido muscular maior resistência à tração e absorção de energia.
Nível de atividade física e acúmulo de tempo sentado em estudantes de medicina
Authors: Raddi Leandro Luiz de Oliveira , Silva Júnior João Pedro da , Ferrari Gerson Luis de Moraes , Oliveira Luís Carlos de , Matsudo Victor Keihan Rodrigues
Published: June 2014

OBJETIVO: Verificar, no período de dez anos, o comportamento do nível de atividade física e do acúmulo de tempo sentado em estudantes de Medicina.MÉTODOS: A amostra foi composta por 186 estudantes do terceiro ano em 2000-2001 (grupo I) e em 2011 (grupo II) com média de idade de 21,23 ± 1,38 anos. Os dados do nível de atividade física e do tempo sentado foram coletados através do questionário IPAQ (versões curta e longa). Os questionários foram aplicados individualmente e foram autopreenchidos.ANÁLISE ESTATÍSTICA: Os resultados foram descritos através de frequência e porcentagem do nível de atividade física e média e desvio padrão para o acúmulo de tempo sentado. A comparação foi feita através do teste do qui-quadrado e do teste t para amostras independentes, sendo o nível de significância adotado de p < 0,05.RESULTADOS: No período de dez anos foi encontrada uma diminuição acentuada e significante de 27,4% entre os indivíduos que atingiram as recomendações no grupo I (75,2%) em relação aos que atingiram no grupo II (47,8%). O acúmulo de tempo sentado não apresentou diferenças significantes, sendo as médias encontradas de =8,92 e =8,72 horas para dias de semana e de =7,27 e =7,70 horas para dias do fim de semana.CONCLUSÃO: Após dez anos, os estudantes de medicina apresentaram menor nível de atividade física sendo que não houve mudança no acúmulo de tempo sentado.
Efeito do treinamento de força nas variáveis cardiovasculares em adolescentes com sobrepeso
Authors: Miranda João Marcelo de Queiroz , Dias Leandro da Costa , Mostarda Cristiano Teixeira , Angelis Kátia De , Figueira Junior Aylton José , Wichi Rogério Brandão
Published: June 2014

OBJETIVO: O presente estudo teve por objetivo avaliar as respostas agudas cardiorrespiratórias e autonômicas induzidas por uma sessão de exercício físico resistido em adolescentes com sobrepeso.MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 17 adolescentes do sexo masculino divididos em grupo controle (GC, n=9) e grupo sobrepeso (GSO, n=7). Todos foram submetidos a uma sessão exercícios resistidos para diferentes grupos musculares, realizados com sobrecarga de 60% da força máxima, com um intervalo de 45 segundos entre as séries e 90 segundos entre cada exercício. Antes, durante e após a sessão de exercícios os seguintes parâmetros foram avaliados: frequência cardíaca (FC), pressão arterial sistólica (PAS), pressão arterial diastólica (PAD) e variabilidade da frequência cardíaca (VFC).RESULTADOS: Foi observado comportamento semelhante em ambos os grupos da PAS e PAD. A PAS aumentou durante o exercício e a PAD diminuiu. Ambas retornaram aos valores basais durante a recuperação. A FC aumentou durante a sessão de exercício nos dois grupos, porém, apenas no GSO houve retorno aos valores de repouso. Os índices da VFC no domínio do tempo (VAR RR e RMSSD) se comportaram de maneira semelhante frente ao exercício nos dois grupos, porém, no índice SDNN apenas o GSO retornou aos valores de repouso. A VFC no domínio da frequência apresentou comportamento semelhante em ambos os grupos.CONCLUSÕES: sugere-se que o aumento do nível de atividade física em indivíduos com sobrepeso pode prevenir as alterações autonômicas que estão associadas ao aumento do peso corporal e conferir efeito protetor ao sistema cardiovascular.
Surgical treatment of subcostal incisional hernia with polypropylene mesh - analysis of late results
Authors: Peres Marco Antonio de Oliveira , Aguiar Herberti Rosique , Andreollo Nelson Adami
Published: June 2014

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results of subcostal incisional hernia repair using polypropylene mesh, the technical aspects of musculo-aponeurotic reconstruction, routine fixation of supra-aponeurotic mesh and follow-up for five years.METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study that assessed 24 patients undergoing subcostal incisional hernia repair with use of polypropylene mesh; 15 patients (62.5%) were female; ages ranged from 33 to 82, and 79.1% had comorbidities.RESULTS: Early complications: three cases (12.5%) of wound infection, three cases (12.5%) of seroma, one case (4.1%) of hematoma; and one case (4.1%) of wound dehiscence. Late complications occurred in one case (4.1%) of hernia recurrence attributed to technical failure in the fixation of the mesh and in one case (4.1%) of chronic pain. There were no cases of exposure or rejection of the mesh.CONCLUSION: The subcostal incisional hernia, though not very relevant, requires adequate surgical treatment. Its surgical correction involves rebuilding the muscle-aponeurotic defect, supra-aponeurotic fixation of polypropylene mesh, with less complexity and lower rates of complications and recurrences.
A análise da eficiência no setor bancário: modelo de fronteira estocástica com dados em painel para a banca portuguesa
Authors: Martins Francisco Vitorino da Silva , Ribeiro Maria Clara Dias Pinto
Published: June 2014

O objetivo deste estudo é a análise da eficiência produtiva sobre os custos bancários, tendo por base a banca portuguesa. Nesta investigação adotou-se a abordagem de intermediação na conceItualização da empresa bancária. Incluem-se na análise da eficiência os custos financeiros além dos operacionais. A especificação custo adotada é a forma funcional Fourier devido ao caráter multiproduto da empresa bancária. A amostra corresponde à quase totalidade dos bancos portugueses com dados não consolidados em painel. O estudo da ineficiência é elaborado recorrendo ao modelo estocástico da curva fronteira. A taxa de ineficiência média estimada é de cerca de 4%. Em síntese, o processo de concentração, ainda inacabado, do sector bancário português, parece justificar- se pela possibilidade de diminuição da ineficiência-X.
O sistema brasileiro de instituições financeiras subnacionais para o desenvolvimento: um panorama
Authors: Araujo Victor Leonardo de , Pires Murilo José de Souza , Silva Márcio Francisco da , Castro Diego Afonso de
Published: June 2014

O objetivo deste trabalho é oferecer um panorama sobre a experiência brasileira recente com o sistema composto das instituições financeiras públicas que chamaremos de "subnacionais", voltadas para o financiamento do desenvolvimento: um banco regional de desenvolvimento, três bancos estaduais de desenvolvimento e 13 agências estaduais de fomento. Em geral, esse sistema é débil, possui fontes de funding pouco diversificadas e depende do BNDES e dos governos estaduais. As operações de crédito oriundas das instituições financeiras subnacionais para o desenvolvimento (IFDs-SN) são qualitativamente distintas das dos bancos públicos federais brasileiros. Salvo o setor comercial, em todos os demais as operações de crédito cresceram a taxas inferiores à média do Sistema Financeiro Nacional (SFN) ou mesmo dos bancos públicos, à exceção do ano de 2009, revelando que as IFDs-SN contribuíram para a ação anticíclica implementada pelos bancos públicos brasileiros após a crise financeira internacional.
Sentidos de prática pedagógica na produção brasileira sobre formação inicial de professores de ciências (2000-2010)
Authors: Fernandes Priscila Correia , Munford Danusa , Ferreira Marcia Serra
Published: June 2014

No presente trabalho, pretendemos propor um quadro analítico para caracterizar os sentidos de prática construídos no campo de pesquisa da formação de professores, a partir da análise da produção sobre formação de professores de ciências no Brasil. Nossa investigação ancora-se na perspectiva de que o contexto da pesquisa científica sobre formação de professores constrói significados, os quais são reproduzidos e ressignificados nos cotidianos escolares, nos percursos formativos de professores de ciências e licenciandos, nas concepções de sucesso e fracasso da escola. Nosso trabalho, portanto, tem o potencial de contribuir para compreendermos como são estruturadas visões sobre o professor em formação e sobre sua prática. A partir dos modelos de ação propostos por Jürgen Habermas, desenvolvemos uma análise de como o objeto de estudo prática pedagógica é construído nos textos de artigos publicados em periódicos nacionaisQualis A de educação em ciências no período de 2000-2010. Os resultados de nossas análises indicam que há uma tendência a compreender a prática como ação estratégica direcionada ao mundo dos objetos escolares, seus métodos e seus materiais. A prática como ação comunicativa, a qual se direciona à escola como pertencente, simultaneamente, aos mundos objetivo, dramático e das normas, é sensivelmente presente nos devires da prática pedagógica.
Functional and Aesthetic Rehabilitation of a Geriatric Patient with Cleft Palate: A Case Report
Authors: Gupta Lokendra , Aparna I.N. , Dhanasekar B. , Khanna Gagan , Lingeshwar D. , Agarwal Priyanka
Published: June 2014

Cleft palate defect with complete edentulism in elderly patients presents a prosthodontic challenge for complete denture fabrication. Such large defects are very difficult to restore by surgical intervention and have direct consequence on such functions as mastication and speech, on aesthetics, and on the patient's mental attitude. This article describes a case report in which a 76-year-old female patient underwent restoration with a closed hollow bulb obturator for a large cleft palate defect.
Fluidisation behaviour of struvite recovered from wastewater
Authors: Rahaman Md. Saifur , Mavinic Donald S. , Ellis Naoko
Published: June 2014

A comprehensive characterisation of struvite particles produced from the Edmonton, AB, Canada, wastewater treatment plant was performed. The characterisation of struvite particles included the determination of intrinsic static parameters such as size, density, shape and morphology, as well as the determination of their dynamic behaviour in relation to liquid flow; this included terminal settling velocity, minimum fluidisation velocity and bed expansion characteristics for both monosized and multiparticle systems. The different sizes of struvite particles possessed almost identical dry densities and a nearly spheroidal shape. A very good correlation between average experimental terminal velocities and those predicted by the existing correlations was observed. A correlation reported in the literature was found to provide conservative values of the minimum fluidisation velocity (Umf) for all size groups, with an average deviation of 10%. The expansion characteristics of the monodispersed struvite particle bed were well represented by the Richardson–Zaki relationship, and the expansion index for the struvite particles could be correlated with the particle Reynolds number at terminal settling velocities. Finally, for a multiparticle system, the bed expansion behaviour for struvite particles was better predicted by the serial model than by the average model.
Advances in Geosteering Technology: From Simple to Complex Solutions
Authors: Pitcher J. , Clegg N. , Burinda C. , Cook R. , Knutson C. , Scott M. , Løseth T.
Published: June 2014

The industry today is challenged to maximize recovery from existing assets, requiring increasingly complex and challenging reservoirs to be drilled and geosteered. Consequently, reservoir management efforts aimed at maximizing production through optimal wellbore placement require increasingly sophisticated geosteering capabilities.

In geologically simple reservoirs, conventional geosteering techniques use simple logging-while-drilling (LWD) sensors to help wellsite geologists place wells in the optimal productive zones. As geological complexity increases, more sophisticated techniques and tools are required to assist a team effort in placing the well. These tools and techniques require the integration of structure maps, LWD measurements and interpretation, and wellbore survey information to determine the location of the wellbore within the reservoir and the structure of the reservoir. This analysis then leads to the decision process about where to steer the well to meet the required objectives.

This paper discusses the use of an advanced geosteering system that uses all available geosteering technology, from the simple systems to the advanced sensors, in complex reservoir situations. The planning and execution of well placement jobs performed with this technology in several diverse reservoirs are explained. This paper also provides details about simple geosteering systems through advanced well placement techniques, based on the latest LWD technology, as well as lessons learned, pitfalls to avoid, and best practices and challenges in using these systems. Field examples are included to demonstrate the application of this technology for well placement.
Hydrophobic Associative Copolymer with Favorable Properties for the Application in Polymer Flooding
Authors: Reichenbach-Klinke Roland , Langlotz Björn , Wenzke Benjamin , Spindler Christian , Brodt Gregor
Published: June 2014

A new thickener based on associative properties and its application in polymer flooding is discussed. The new thickener is an anionic, water-soluble copolymer containing pendant associative groups. These associative groups are based on a novel chemistry (patent application filed).

The viscosity of the new copolymer shows superior behavior compared to existing technologies like partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (PHPA), especially at elevated temperature and in presence of salt respectively divalent ions. A viscosity of 33 mPas at 60°C could be obtained by adding 900 ppm of the new copolymer to synthetic sea water. In comparison, with a high molecular weight standard partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (PHPA) a value of only 3 mPas was reached.

Moreover, the new polymer shows good resistance to shear during injection.

Core flood experiments were run to prove that the new associative thickening polymer is applicable in the field. These data show injectivity into a 2 Darcy core. Moreover the apparent viscosity of the polymer flood in the core outperforms the values found with commonly used polymers by far. The residual resistance factor indicates low adsorption onto sandstone.
The Multiscale Finite Volume Method on Unstructured Grids
Authors: Møyner Olav , Lie Knut-Andreas
Published: June 2014

Finding a pressure solution for large-scale reservoirs that takes into account fine-scale heterogeneities can be very computationally intensive. One way of reducing the workload is to employ multiscale methods that capture local geological variations using a set of reusable basis functions. One of these methods, the multiscale finite-volume (MsFV) method is well studied for 2D Cartesian grids, but has not been implemented for stratigraphic and unstructured grids with faults in 3D. With reservoirs and other geological structures spanning several kilometers, running simulations on the meter scale can be prohibitively expensive in terms of time and hardware requirements. Multiscale methods are a possible solution to this problem, and extending the MsFV method to realistic grids is a step on the way towards fast and accurate solutions for large-scale reservoirs.

We present a MsFV solver along with a coarse partitioning algorithm that can handle stratigraphic grids with faults and wells. The solver is an alternative to traditional upscaling methods, but can also be used for accelerating fine-scale simulations. Approximate solutions computed by the new MsFV solver are compared with fine-scale solutions computed by a standard two-point scheme for grids with realistic permeability and geometries. The results show that the MsFV method is suitable for solving realistic permeabilities, but can fail for highly anisotropic systems. The implementation is a suitable framework for further experimentation with partitioning algorithms and MsFV variants. To achieve better precision, the implementation can use the MsFV method as a preconditioner for Arnoldi iterations using GMRES, or for smoothing cycles using Dirichlet Multiplicative Schwarz (DMS).