bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychiatric, Psychological, and Social Determinants of Health in the Nurses’ Health Study Cohorts
Authors: Trudel-Fitzgerald Claudia , Chen Ying , Singh Ankura , Okereke Olivia I. , Kubzansky Laura D.
Published: July 2016

Objectives. To review the contribution of the Nurses’ Health Studies (NHS) on factors that influence mental and physical health.

Methods. Narrative review of all published articles using data from the NHS, the NHS II, and the Growing Up Today Study focusing on mental health conditions (e.g., depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety) and psychosocial resources and stressors (e.g., job strain, interpersonal violence, social relationships, sexual orientation) between 1990 and 2016.

Results. Studies have considered a broad array of determinants (e.g., genes, biomarkers, air pollution) and consequent behavioral and disease-related outcomes (e.g., body weight, smoking, cardiometabolic diseases, cancer, autism). Findings suggest anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, childhood violence, caregiver burden, and job insecurity may increase the risk of coronary heart disease and diabetes, whereas findings with cancer are mixed. This work directly affects public health actions, as demonstrated by recent inclusion of a gender expression measure in state surveys.

Conclusions. The NHS cohorts have produced novel and influential research on the interplay of psychological and social factors with health. Psychological and social variables are important contributors to the maintenance or decline of physical and mental health.
Insights Into Nephrolithiasis From the Nurses’ Health Studies
Authors: Prochaska Megan L. , Taylor Eric N. , Curhan Gary C.
Published: July 2016

Objectives. To review the contributions of the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) I and NHS II to understanding the role of dietary factors, beverages, body size, and urinary factors in the development of kidney stones.

Methods. We conducted a review of kidney stone–related publications of NHS I and NHS II between 1976 and 2016.

Results. Studies using NHS I and NHS II data have demonstrated the importance of many factors in kidney stone formation and were the first to report that higher dietary calcium was associated with a lower risk of incident kidney stones in women. Data from these cohorts were instrumental in emphasizing that nephrolithiasis is a systemic disease and suggesting that a kidney stone or shared risk factors may lead to hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Conclusions. Findings from the NHSs have changed the scientific understanding and the clinical practice of stone prevention and have been incorporated into widely consulted textbooks and the American Urological Association Medical Management of Kidney Stones guidelines.
Colorectal Cancer Epidemiology in the Nurses’ Health Study
Authors: Lee Dong Hoon , Keum NaNa , Giovannucci Edward L.
Published: July 2016

Objectives. To review the contribution of the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) to identifying risk and protective factors for colorectal adenomas and colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods. We performed a narrative review of the publications using the NHS between 1976 and 2016.

Results. Existing epidemiological studies using the NHS have reported that red and processed meat, alcohol, smoking, and obesity were associated with an increased risk of CRC, whereas folate, calcium, vitamin D, aspirin, and physical activity were associated with decreased risk of CRC. Moreover, modifiable factors, such as physical activity, vitamin D, folate, insulin and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1, and diet quality, were identified to be associated with survival among CRC patients. In recent years, molecular pathological epidemiological studies have been actively conducted and have shown refined results by molecular subtypes of CRC.

Conclusions. The NHS has provided new insights into colorectal adenomas, CRC etiology, and pathogenic mechanisms. With its unique strengths, the NHS should continue to contribute to the field of CRC epidemiology and play a major role in public health.
Determinants and Consequences of Obesity
Authors: Hruby Adela , Manson JoAnn E. , Qi Lu , Malik Vasanti S. , Rimm Eric B. , Sun Qi , Willett Walter C. , Hu Frank B.
Published: July 2016

Objectives. To review the contribution of the Nurses’ Health Studies (NHS and NHS II) in addressing hypotheses regarding risk factors for and consequences of obesity.

Methods. Narrative review of the publications of the NHS and NHS II between 1976 and 2016.

Results. Long-term NHS research has shown that weight gain and being overweight or obese are important risk factors for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancers, and premature death. The cohorts have elucidated the role of dietary and lifestyle factors in obesity, especially sugar-sweetened beverages, poor diet quality, physical inactivity, prolonged screen time, short sleep duration or shift work, and built environment characteristics. Genome-wide association and gene–lifestyle interaction studies have shown that genetic factors predispose individuals to obesity but that such susceptibility can be attenuated by healthy lifestyle choices. This research has contributed to evolving clinical and public health guidelines on the importance of limiting weight gain through healthy dietary and lifestyle behaviors.

Conclusions. The NHS cohorts have contributed to our understanding of the risk factors for and consequences of obesity and made a lasting impact on clinical and public health guidelines on obesity prevention.
Prevalence of Salmonella spp. in broiler chicken meat
Authors: Radkowski Mieczysław , Zdrodowska Barbara
Published: July 2016

The aim of this study was to identify the serological types of Salmonella most frequently detected in broiler chicken meat from 22 retail stores in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. For the purposes of the study, 200 samples (wings, legs) were taken randomly from meat packed on trays and stored in chilling cabinets in retail stores. Salmonella in chicken meat was detected by a method recommended by the Veterinary Committee, and published in the Polish Standards (PN-EN ISO 6579:2003). Meat was contaminated with Salmonella in 9 (40.9%) out of 22 retail stores where samples were taken. Salmonella was present in 13 (6.5%) out of 200 samples tested. The following serological types were found: S. Enteritidis (76.92%), S. Infantis (15.38%), S. Virchow (7.69%). The serotypes detected in broiler chicken meat were those that occur most frequently in human food poisoning outbreaks in Poland. It is important to monitor the presence of Salmonella in chicken carcasses in retail stores to understand the actual hazard level and to reduce the risk of salmonellosis in humans. In Poland, as well as in other countries, there are no effective methods for the decontamination of chicken carcasses contaminated with Salmonella. A comparison of our results with those from previous studies on the presence of Salmonella in retail stores shows that positive results can be expected from the improvement of hygiene standards in hatcheries, poultry processing plants, and retail stores.
Modelación espacial de la calidad del agua en el río Tapartó, municipio de Andes, Antioquia, Colombia
Authors: Ruiz Toro Julián Andrés , Vélez Macias Fabio De Jesús , Caicedo Quintero Orlando , Aguirre Ramírez Néstor Jaime
Published: July 2016

Con el propósito de evaluar las condiciones ambientales del río Tapartó, se analizó su calidad de agua a partir de resultados obtenidos de la medición de variables hidráulicas, fisicoquímicas, y de los índices de diversidad de Shannon-Weaver (1949), dominancia de Simpson (1949) y equidad de Pielou (1966), y biótico como el BMWP/Col, empleando macroinvertebrados acuáticos, obtenidos a través de muestreos cuantitativos y cualitativos. Para tal efecto, se tomaron muestras en tres estaciones diferentes del río en los meses de febrero, mayo y agosto de 2014. Los resultados presentaron una variación en las dimensiones espacio-temporales, donde las variables que más sobresalieron en relación con este aspecto fueron: nitratos, alcalinidad total, DQO y densidad de los macroinvertebrados acuáticos. Al integrar la información resultante del análisis fisicoquímico y de los macroinvertebrados acuáticos en el modelo espacial, se concluye que en el río Tapartó presenta una calidad de agua entre el rango de buena a ligeramente contaminada.
Revisión de los métodos estadísticos multivariados usados en el análisis de calidad de aguas
Authors: Gómez Miranda Ingry Natalia , Peñuela Mesa Gustavo Antonio
Published: July 2016

En los ecosistemas acuáticos se monitorea el agua para determinar sus variaciones espacio-temporales, generando grandes y complejas matrices de datos que requieren herramientas que ayuden en la interpretación de los mismos, para que los administradores de los recursos hídricos puedan informar a la sociedad el deterioro de estos y tomar medidas correctivas. El presente artículo es una revisión de tema cuyo objetivo es el examen de técnicas estadísticas multivariadas usadas para examinar la variabilidad espacio-temporal de la calidad del agua. En él se presentan diversas técnicas como el análisis factorial, que se usa con el fin de disminuir la dimensionalidad de los datos y construir factores subyacentes o variables latentes que generen las variables observadas, estos factores pueden usarse e interpretarse como índices de calidad del agua construidos a partir de los datos recolectados; también se presenta en análisis de clúster y el análisis discriminante que se usan comúnmente para estudiar la variabilidad espacial, estudiando similaridades entre períodos o estaciones de muestreo, estas tres técnicas se usan comúnmente con fines exploratorios; para objetivos más complejos como el modelamiento y la predicción, se presentan los modelos jerárquicos, de regresión múltiple y de ecuaciones estructurales. Para todos los métodos se presenta su funcionalidad y aplicabilidad y se ilustran usando casos de estudio. Esta revisión describe cómo estos métodos pueden utilizarse con miras a estudiar la calidad del agua con el fin de monitorear espacial y temporalmente la variabilidad de las medidas tomadas.
Modelos de financiamiento al desarrollo para la industrialización del sector agrícola. El caso de la industria agroquímica en México y la empresa estatal Guanos y Fertilizantes (1943-1974)
Authors: Vargas Escobar Natalia , Stezano Pérez Federico Andrés
Published: July 2016

Este artículo se propone analizar la trascendencia del modelo financiero como factor determinante de las implicaciones entre el sector agrícola y el Estado. Tal propuesta toma como referentes empíricos la trayectoria del financiamiento a la industria agroquímica en México y el caso de la creación y expansión de la industria fertilizante, a través de la retrospectiva histórica de la empresa Guanos y Fertilizantes de México (Guanomex). El artículo muestra que una iniciativa como Guanomex solo fue históricamente viable por la presencia de la intervención productiva institucionalizada del Estado a la actividad industrial. Esta intervención estatal toma en México la forma de banca de desarrollo: Nacional Financiera, S.A. (Nafin). Nafin es el actor protagónico que hace posible la creación, el desarrollo y consolidación de Guanomex. Para la construcción del estudio de caso, el trabajo se apoya en evidencia empírica novedosa: fuentes primarias de Nafin y del Export Import Bank de Estados Unidos, agencia pública estadounidense que autorizó, a través de negociaciones con Nafin, la mayor parte de fondos para la industrialización de la producción de fertilizantes en México. El trabajo busca enfatizar especialmente el modelo financiero como factor explicativo de las formas específicas en que se relacionan agricultura y Estado. Esta implicación, discernida desde la intervención financiera, no solo da cuenta de la composición y estructura de la industria agroquímica en México, sino que es también indicativa de la organización, autonomía y, en general, preponderancia del Estado en la configuración sectorial del desarrollo económico. La periodización y el recorte temporal propuestos en este análisis se guían por esta mutua determinación.
Dying to be Read: Gallows Authorship in Late Seventeenth-Century England
Authors: Ezell Margaret J.M.
Published: July 2016

In her essay “Dying to be Read”, Margaret Ezell’s explores a media configuration of authorship that literally necessitates the “death of the author” as a condition sine qua non: the printed “dying words” of executed men and women in the Restoration period.  The essay examines this type of “gallows literature” of the 1670 and 1680s as a form of “performed narrative” that highlights “the complexity of seventeenth-century authorship practices”.
Quixotic Legacy: The Female Quixote and the Professional Woman Writer
Authors: Wyett Jodi L.
Published: July 2016

This essay argues that Charlotte Lennox’s The Female Quixote or, The Adventures of Arabella (1752) served as a fulcrum in eighteenth-century literary history by providing a figuration of the female quixote for subsequent women novelists who were keen to court absorbed readers on the one hand while countering stereotypes about women's critical failings on the other. The figure of the female quixote proves to be a significant mark of literary professionalism by reifying the spectre of the professional writer’s need for absorbed readers and dramatizing the occasion by which the woman writer demonstrates her own authority, paradoxically allowing both woman novel reader and woman novel writer to lay claim to intellectual authority. Ultimately, the main character Arabella's fictional model potentially echoes more actual eighteenth-century women’s experiences than her adventures at first suggest: the female quixote emerges as less a social outcast or a freak than a figure for women’s commonality, especially their intellectual and ethical ambitions in a world inimical to their interests.
Daniel Cook and Nicolas Seager, eds. The Afterlives of Eighteenth-Century Fiction (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015)
Authors: Simpson Kim
Published: July 2016

A review of The Afterlives of Eighteenth-Century Fiction. Ed. by Daniel Cook and Nicolas Seager. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015. x + 304pp. £65.
Calculation of parameters for the model of an ideal phosphor
Authors: Vejnovic Zdravko , Pavlovic Milos , Hadzic Pavle , Davidovic Milorad
Published: July 2016

Equations for the calculation of kinetic parameters of thermoluminescent
processes are theoretically derived for a model of an ideal phosphor. The
values used in the calculation are obtained from glow curves and the function
that describes the normalized glow curve generated. On the basis of this
function, the equations for activation energy, frequency factor, and
retrapping factor, were derived. All expressions are valid for a general
case, when the filling factor of traps is f0?1. The concept of kinetics order
was used for the calculation of parameters and the parameter of kinetics
order was defined by means of real physical parameters. Results obtained by
the analysis of synthetic curves and experimental glow curves of phosphor
materials provide a deeper understanding of thermoluminescent kinetics.
Theoretical and experimental determination of mass attenuation coefficients of lead-based ceramics and their comparison with simulation
Authors: Vejdani-Noghreiyan Alireza , Aliakbari Elham , Ebrahimi-Khankook Atiyeh , Ghasemifard Mahdi
Published: July 2016

Mass attenuation coefficient of lead-based ceramics have been measured by
experimental methods and compared with theoretical and Monte Carlo simulation
results. Lead-based ceramics were prepared using mixed oxide method and the
X-ray diffraction analysis was done to evaluate the crystal structure of the
produced handmade ceramics. The experimental results show good agreement with
theoretical and simulation results. However at two gamma ray energies, small
differences between experimental and theoretical results have been observed.
By adding other additives to ceramics and observing the changes in the
shielding properties such as flexibility, one can synthesize and optimize
ceramics as a neutron shield.
Radiation hazard of solid metallic tailings in Shangluo, China
Authors: Zhuang Sukai , Lu Xinwei , Li Jiantao , Li Qian
Published: July 2016

The radiation hazards of five kinds of different solid metallic tailings
collected from Shangluo, China were determined on the basis of natural
radioactivity measurements using low background multichannel gamma ray
spectrometry. The activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in the
tailings ranged from 5.1 to 204.3, 3.8 to 28.5, and 289.6 to 762.3 Bq/kg,
respectively. The radium equivalent activities and the external hazard
indexes of all studied metallic tailings were below the internationally
accepted value of 370 Bq/kg and unity, respectively. The internal hazard
index of vanadium tailings exceeded unity, while the internal hazard indexes
of other analyzed metallic tailings were less than unity. The indoor air
absorbed dose rate values for all studied metallic tailings except lead-zinc
tailings and gold tailings were higher than the world population-weighted
average of 84 nGy/h and the annual effective dose values of all metallic
tailings except for vanadium tailings were lower than 1 mSv. The study showed
that vanadium tailings present a radiation hazard and their usage as building
materials should be restricted.
World suicide prevention day
Authors: Dedic Gordana
Published: July 2016

nema
Health and Psychosocial Outcomes of a Telephonic Couples Behavior Change Intervention in Patients With Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Trief Paula M. , Fisher Lawrence , Sandberg Jonathan , Cibula Donald A. , Dimmock Jacqueline , Hessler Danielle M. , Forken Patricia , Weinstock Ruth S.
Published: July 2016

OBJECTIVE

To compare glycemic control and secondary outcomes of a 4-month telephonic couples behavioral intervention to individual intervention, and to education, for adults with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A randomized trial with the following three arms: couples calls (CC) (n = 104); individual calls (IC) (n = 94); and diabetes education (DE) (n = 82). All arms had self-management education (two calls). CC and IC had 10 additional behavior change calls. CC addressed collaboration and relationships/communication. Participants consisted of 280 couples, among whom one partner had type 2 diabetes and an A1C level ≥7.5%. Blinded assessments occurred at 4, 8, and 12 months. The primary outcome was change in A1C; and secondary outcomes were BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, depressive symptoms, diabetes self-efficacy, and diabetes distress.

RESULTS

Patients had a mean age of 56.8 years; 61.6% were male, and 30.4% were minorities. The baseline mean A1C level was 9.1%. Intention-to-treat analyses found significant A1C reductions for all (12 months: CC −0.47%, IC −0.52%, DE −0.57%), with no differences between arms. Preplanned within-arm analyses were stratified by baseline A1C tertiles: lowest tertile (7.5–8.2%), no change from baseline; middle tertile (8.3–9.2%), only CC led to significantly lower A1C level; and highest tertile (≥9.3%), significant improvement for all interventions. For BMI, CC showed significant improvement, and CC and DE led to decreased waist circumference. The IC group showed greater blood pressure improvement. Results for secondary psychosocial outcomes favored the CC group.

CONCLUSIONS

In adults with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, a collaborative couples intervention resulted in significant, lasting improvement in A1C levels, obesity measures, and some psychosocial outcomes. For those with exceedingly high A1C levels, education alone was beneficial, but additional intervention is needed to achieve glycemic targets.
Exploitable Potential, Theoretical Potential, Technical Potential, Storage Potential and Impediments to Development of the Potential: The Nepalese Perspective
Authors: Shrestha Hari Man
Published: July 2016

Exploitable potential is an ultimate derivable of theoretical potential, technical potential and/or storage potential. A number of hurdles come across when a potential site has to be exploited, thus, all theoretically and/or technically available potential cannot actually be developed/ exploited. Nepal is not an exception in this respect. Exploitation of run-of-river schemes has much less hurdle in comparison with storage development. The storage development, particularly the larger scale development, has even international implications, because the benefits of such development spread far beyond the national boundary. In the Nepalese case the downstream country, particularly India, is reluctant to recognize the downstream flow regulation benefits arising from flood-control and dry season flow augmentation. As such the current focus of exploitation of Nepalese hydro-potential should be on run-of-river type development and smaller size storage developments which can easily be materialized without much hurdle, but in a coordinated and well scheduled manner in a way not to hamper the larger storage development at the opportune future dates.HYDRO Nepal JournalJournal of Water, Energy and EnvironmentIssue: 19Page:1-5
Design of Water Distribution System: Appropriateness of Structured System in Large Irrigation Projects in Nepal
Authors: Adhakari Basistha
Published: July 2016

Many large irrigation projects in Nepal operate under command area development works that emphasize on-farm water distribution and management. These projects have specific design characteristics that were planned to comply with available water resources, climatic conditions, soil type, and water distribution technology. The water distribution technologies differ based on the design needs of each individual project and the design preferences of various foreign consulting firms. This article focuses on the issues of planning and designing water distribution systems of large irrigation systems at the irrigation service delivery level. The layout planning of an irrigation system is an important aspect of design for water distribution, typically guided by hierarchical system. This article also highlights the existing canal hierarchy of these systems and their appropriateness for efficient water distribution. Furthermore, the appropriateness of the structured system is also examined in the Sunsari Morang Irrigation Project. The article concluded with some suggestions for planning and designing command area development works of forthcoming large irrigation projects such as the Sikta Irrigation Project, the Babai Irrigation Project, and the Mahakali Irrigation Project Stage-III.HYDRO Nepal JournalJournal of Water, Energy and EnvironmentIssue: 19Page: 25-30
Diversity of Phytoplankton Communities in a Tropical River Basin, Nigeria
Authors: Moruff Adelakun Kehinde , Mu’azu Mu’azu Mohammed , Patric Amali Rosemary , Lawrence Omotayo Olabode
Published: July 2016

Biological assessment is a useful alternative for understanding the ecological quality of aquatic ecosystems because biological communities integrate the environmental effects of water. This work investigates the diversity and abundance of phytoplankton in the Upper Jebba Basin of the Niger River in Nigeria. We sampled phytoplanktons by dragging plankton nets at three stations from March to May 2015 for qualitative and quantitative samples. Qualitative plankton samples were collected by towing 55μm mesh hydrobios plankton nets just below the water surface for five minutes at each sampling station. Quantitative samples, on the other hand, were collected by filtering 100 litres of water fetched with a bucket through a 55μm mesh hydrobios net. Both samples were preserved separately in a 4% buffered formalin solution. A total of 3160 cells/ml of phytoplanktons from taxa were identified in the study. High dominance of Oscillatoria sp., Microcystis sp., Chlorella sp., Pediastrum sp. and Synendra indicate that this lake has high amount of organic waste, polluted predominantly by upstream concerns (i.e., mining, agricultural, and domestic) and should be monitored strictly by relevant agencies in order to additional reduced health hazards caused by these pollutants.HYDRO Nepal JournalJournal of Water, Energy and EnvironmentIssue: 19Page: 52-56
Open angle glaucoma, glaucoma suspect and ocular hypertension in thyroid related immune orbitopathy and other thyroid diseases
Authors: Sultana Saleha , Wadud Syed Abdul , Huda Shabeena , Ahmed Sharfuddin
Published: July 2016

Background: The eye changes associated with thyroid disease are referred to as Thyroid related Orbitopathy. A well described association exist between open angle glaucoma and thyroid related orbitopathy, the possible relationship between open angle glaucoma and either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism without orbitopathy is variable.Objective: To observe the relation of open angle glaucoma (OAG), glaucoma suspect (GS) and ocular hypertension(OHT) between Thyroid related immune orbitopathy (TRIO) and other thyroid diseases (toxic multinodular goiter and hypothyroidism).Method: With purposive type of sampling technique 40 patients of Graves' disease disease in Group-A and 40 patients of other thyroid diseases in Group-B which was subdivided into 20 patients of toxic multinodular goiter in Group-B 1, 20 patients of hypothyroidism in Group-B2 were selected in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) for this cross sectional study. The diagnosis of Graves' disease, toxic multinodular goiter and hypothyroidism were carried out by history, clinical examination and clinical test in endocrinology department. All the patients underwent complete ocular examinations, measuring of intraocular pressure (IOP), fundus examination, visual field analysis, gonioscopy and exophthalmometry.Result: The OAG, GS and OHT was 7.5% (3 cases), 5.0% (2 cases) and 17.5% (7 cases) respectively in Group-A. In contrast OAG, GS was 5% (lease), 5% (1 case) respectively in Group-Bl, only 5% (1 case) OAG in Group-B2. There was no incidence of OHT in Group-B (B1+B2). Although the occurrence of OAG and GS were higher in Group-A than Group-B, this difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). However OHT was more common in Group-A than Group-B and is statistically significant (p<0.05). Among the 12 patients with OAG, GS and OHT in Group-A, 11 had ?22mm exophthalmos. In Group-A, ?22mm exophthalmos in 60% cases, in contrast none of Group-B have ?22mm.Conclusion: The occurrence of OHT was higher in thyroid related immune orbitopathy than other thyroid diseases.
Sturge Weber Syndrome
Authors: Moly Kazi Nilufar , Ahsan S.M. Abu , Lslam Md. Shafiqul
Published: July 2016

Sturge weber syndrome is a rare sporadic condition of mesodermal phacomatosis, also called encephalotrigeminal angio­matosis (synonyms : fourth phacomatosis or mother spot), is a neurocutaneous disorder with angiomas that involve the leptomeninges (leptomeningeal angiomas) and the skin of the face (purple colored flat cutaneous haemangiomas ), typically in the ophthalmic (V1) and maxillary (V2) distributions of the trigeminal nerve. The hallmark of sturge weber syndrome is a facial cutaneous venous dilation, also referred to as a nevus flammeus or port wine stain (PWS). Because of the rarity, we report here a one & half year old male child who presented with features of the Sturge Weber Syndrome on both side of face.
Thyroid hormone profile in apparently healthy pregnant women attending in a tertiary care hospital of Bangladesh
Authors: Khan Murshed Ahamed , Hasanat M.A. , Alam Md. Jahangir , Hossain Md. Anwar , Saleh Ahmed Abu , Fariduddin Md.
Published: July 2016

Background: Thyroid dysfunction is not uncommon in pregnancy. It should be evaluated for better outcome of pregnancy.Objective: To observe the thyroid hormone profile in apparently euthyroid pregnant women of any trimester. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated 350 pregnant women irrespective of gestational age [(age 24±4, m±SDyr; 1st trimester = 101, 2nd trimester=111, 3rd trimester=138) for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and for free thyroxine (FT4)] to assess their thyroid function during pregnancy following the criteria of American Thyroid Association (ATA).Results: Most of the mothers were housewifes (93.1 %, 326/350) of whom 46.6% were primigravida. About 63% mother had associated goiter, 58% (204/350) were euthyroid and 41 % (142/350) were subclinical hypothyroid (SCH). Frequency of goiter (63% vs. 62%, euthyroid vs. dysfunction) was not significantly different between dysfunction and normal groups. FT4 significantly correlated with gestational age (r= - 0.131, p=0.014) and TSH level (r= - 0.612, p< 0.001).Conclusion: It is concluded that many of the apparently euthyroid pregnant mother have dysfunction as defined by ATA reference ranges for TSH and FT4. Simple screening for thyroid function may have greater implication for better pregnancy outcome.
Management of traumatic spinal column injury: A tertiary hospital experience
Authors: Ahsan Md. Kamrul , Sakeb Najmus , Zaman Naznin , Nur E Jannat Syeda
Published: July 2016

Background: Trauma is the leading cause of disability in the first four decades of life and third most common cause of death. Spinal trauma poses considerable threats to survival and quality of life.Objective: Aims of this study is to assess the demographics, mode of trauma, hospital stay, complications, neurological improvement and mortality.Methods: Retrospective Cross sectional analysis of the records of spinal injury patients admitted in the Spine Unit of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital from October 2003 to December 2013 was carried out. The demo­graphics, mode of trauma, involved vertebral level, co-morbid factors; neurological status and its improvement by Ameri­can Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Score, duration of hospital stay and complications during hospital stay was assessed. Results were analyzed by SPSS.Results: Out of 1288 patients admitted, 192(14.90%) patients(range, 8-72 years) sustained spinal injuries and most (63.02%)of them were young (range, 21-40 years). Male to female ratio was 5:1. Cervical spine was most commonly ( 44.66%) affected followed by lumbar (35 .41 % ), thoracic (13 .54% ), thoraco-lumbar (06.25%) and Cervico-thoracic (03.13%) region. Fracture through intervertebral disc was most common in cervical spine. Among the common causes were road traffic accidents (44.47%), fall from height (29.69%), heavy weight bearing (14.58%) and assault with gunshot (07.29%). Paraparesis was most frequent (51.05%) clinical presentation followed by quadriparesis (45.83%). Significant number of patients (83.33%) required operative treatment (p<0.05) and 09.89% were managed conservatively. Mortality rate (03.64%) was insignificant (p>0.05%) and 03.12% patient refused to take treatment. Of these patients, 77.01 % had shown neurological improvement of at least one grade according to ASIA Score.Conclusion: Wide varieties of patients are encountered and managed varying from conservative to surgery. Carefully selected treatment provides the utmost outcome and reduces mortality.
Strengthening the Energy Policy Making Process and Sustainability Outcomes in the OECD through Policy Design
Authors: Chapman Andrew , McLellan Benjamin , Tezuka Tetsuo
Published: July 2016

This study investigates the nature of the energy policy making process and policy priorities within the OECD in order to identify opportunities for improvement in these processes and to improve sustainability outcomes. The Qualitative Content Analysis methodology is used, investigating governance and energy policy making alongside energy policy goals and priorities within eight OECD nations. A congruous energy policy making process (policy cycle) is discovered across the assessed nations, including the responsible bodies for each stage of the policy cycle and the current energy policy priorities. A key weakness was identified as a disconnect between the early stages of the policy cycle, issue identification and policy tool formulation, and the latter stages of implementation and evaluation. This weakness has meant that the social aspects of sustainability goals have been less developed than environmental and economic aspects and a heavy burden has been placed on the evaluation phase, risking a break down in the policy cycle. An additional “policy design” stage is proposed including a sustainability evaluation process prior to decision making and implementation, in order to remedy these identified shortcomings.
Analysis of Kinematics of Flapping Wing UAV Using OptiTrack Systems
Authors: Rongfa Matthew , Pantuphag Teppatat , Srigrarom Sutthiphong
Published: July 2016

An analysis of the kinematics of a flapping membrane wing using experimental kinematic data is presented. This motion capture technique tracks the positon of the retroreflective marker(s) placed on the left wing of a 1.3-m-wingspan ornithopter. The time-varying three-dimensional data of the wing kinematics were recorded for a single frequency. The wing shape data was then plotted on a two-dimensional plane to understand the wing dynamic behaviour of an ornithopter. Specifically, the wing tip path, leading edge bending, wing membrane shape, local twist, stroke angle and wing velocity were analyzed. As the three characteristic angles can be expressed in the Fourier series as a function of time, the kinematics of the wing can be computationally generated for the aerodynamic study of flapping flight through the Fourier coefficients presented. Analysis of the ornithopter wing showed how the ornithopter closely mimics the flight motions of birds despite several physical limitations.
Color Reduction in an Authenticate Live 3D Point Cloud Video Streaming System
Authors: Sultani Zainab , Al-Tuma Rana , Wefel Sandro
Published: July 2016

In this paper, an authenticate live 3D point cloud video streaming system is presented, using a low cost 3D sensor camera, the Microsoft Kinect. The proposed system is implemented on a client-server network infrastructure. The live 3D video is captured from the Kinect RGB-D sensor, then a 3D point cloud is generated and processed. Filtering and compression are used to handle the spatial and temporal redundancies. A color histogram based conditional filter is designed to reduce the color information for each frame based on the mean and standard deviation. In addition to the designed filter, a statistical outlier removal filter is used. A certificate-based authentication is used where the client will verify the identity of the server during the handshake process. The processed 3D point cloud video is live streamed over a TCP/IP protocol to the client. The system is evaluated in terms of: compression ratio, total bytes per points, peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), and Structural Similarity (SSIM) index. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed video streaming system have a best case with SSIM 0.859, PSNR of 26.6 dB and with average compression ratio of 8.42 while the best average compression ratio case is about 15.43 with PSNR 18.5128 dB of and SSIM 0.7936.
Swiss Needle Cast in Western Oregon Douglas-Fir Plantations: 20‐Year Monitoring Results
Authors: Ritóková Gabriela , Shaw David , Filip Greg , Kanaskie Alan , Browning John , Norlander Danny
Published: July 2016

Swiss needle cast (SNC), a foliar disease specific to Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), is caused by an endemic Ascomycete fungus (Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii). In the late 1980s and early 1990s significant symptoms began to appear in coastal Oregon, and these have been associated with the planting of Douglas-fir in the Sitka spruce zone, leaf wetness during potential spore dispersal in May–August, and mild winter temperature. The first annual aerial survey was initiated in 1996 and has continued through 2015, which indicates a significant increase in area of visible symptoms from the air, increasing from 53,050 ha in 1996 to 238,705 ha in 2015. Monitoring plots in the NW Oregon Coast Range verified impacts of SNC on tree growth and productivity, with growth reductions averaging about 23% in the epidemic area linked to needle retention. A series of monitoring plots was set up in the western Cascade Mountains of Oregon and 590 10–23-year old Douglas-fir trees in 59 stands were tracked for 10 years, measured in 2001, 2006, and 2011. No measureable growth impacts were noted in this region of Oregon. A new plot network is being installed throughout the Oregon and southwest Washington coastal ranges as a means of monitoring future disease impact and providing framework for additional studies.
Olives and Bone: A Green Osteoporosis Prevention Option
Authors: Chin Kok-Yong , Ima-Nirwana Soelaiman
Published: July 2016

Skeletal degeneration due to aging, also known as osteoporosis, is a major health problem worldwide. Certain dietary components confer protection to our skeletal system against osteoporosis. Consumption of olives, olive oil and olive polyphenols has been shown to improve bone health. This review aims to summarize the current evidence from cellular, animal and human studies on the skeletal protective effects of olives, olive oil and olive polyphenols. Animal studies showed that supplementation of olives, olive oil or olive polyphenols could improve skeletal health assessed via bone mineral density, bone biomechanical strength and bone turnover markers in ovariectomized rats, especially those with inflammation. The beneficial effects of olive oil and olive polyphenols could be attributed to their ability to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. However, variations in the bone protective, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects between studies were noted. Cellular studies demonstrated that olive polyphenols enhanced proliferation of pre-osteoblasts, differentiation of osteoblasts and decreased the formation of osteoclast-like cells. However, the exact molecular pathways for its bone health promoting effects are yet to be clearly elucidated. Human studies revealed that daily consumption of olive oil could prevent the decline in bone mineral density and improve bone turnover markers. As a conclusion, olives, olive oil and its polyphenols are potential dietary interventions to prevent osteoporosis among the elderly.
Seasonality and Trend Forecasting of Tuberculosis Prevalence Data in Eastern Cape, South Africa, Using a Hybrid Model
Authors: Azeez Adeboye , Obaromi Davies , Odeyemi Akinwumi , Ndege James , Muntabayi Ruffin
Published: July 2016

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a deadly infectious disease caused by Mycobacteria tuberculosis. Tuberculosis as a chronic and highly infectious disease is prevalent in almost every part of the globe. More than 95% of TB mortality occurs in low/middle income countries. In 2014, approximately 10 million people were diagnosed with active TB and two million died from the disease. In this study, our aim is to compare the predictive powers of the seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) and neural network auto-regression (SARIMA-NNAR) models of TB incidence and analyse its seasonality in South Africa. Methods: TB incidence cases data from January 2010 to December 2015 were extracted from the Eastern Cape Health facility report of the electronic Tuberculosis Register (ERT.Net). A SARIMA model and a combined model of SARIMA model and a neural network auto-regression (SARIMA-NNAR) model were used in analysing and predicting the TB data from 2010 to 2015. Simulation performance parameters of mean square error (MSE), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), mean percent error (MPE), mean absolute scaled error (MASE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) were applied to assess the better performance of prediction between the models. Results: Though practically, both models could predict TB incidence, the combined model displayed better performance. For the combined model, the Akaike information criterion (AIC), second-order AIC (AICc) and Bayesian information criterion (BIC) are 288.56, 308.31 and 299.09 respectively, which were lower than the SARIMA model with corresponding values of 329.02, 327.20 and 341.99, respectively. The seasonality trend of TB incidence was forecast to have a slightly increased seasonal TB incidence trend from the SARIMA-NNAR model compared to the single model. Conclusions: The combined model indicated a better TB incidence forecasting with a lower AICc. The model also indicates the need for resolute intervention to reduce infectious disease transmission with co-infection with HIV and other concomitant diseases, and also at festival peak periods.
Effects of Carboxylates on the Performance of Zn Electrode
Authors: Li Yongli , Hu Zhuan , Kan Jinqing
Published: July 2016

Zinc is widely used as a negative electrode material for batteries due to its excellent electrochemical properties. Zinc is prone to corrosion and the formation of zinc dendrites cause short circuits of the battery, which leads to reduced battery capacity and shortens the battery’s life, hindering its use in weak acidic electrolytes (for example, aqueous Zn-polyaniline batteries). The effects of carboxylates (sodium formate, sodium acetate, sodium propionate, sodium butyrate, sodium valerate, disodium malonate, and disodium succinate) and their concentrations on zinc electrode performance were studied with electrochemical methods to improve the zinc electrode activity for long-life Zn-polyaniline batteries. It was found that the ability of inhibiting corrosion of the zinc electrode is better in the aqueous electrolyte containing 0.2 M disodium malonate. The charge/discharge performance of a Zn-polyaniline battery electrodeposited with polyaniline on a carbon substrate is carried out in the aqueous electrolyte. the results show that the initial discharge specific capacity of the polyaniline in the Zn-polyaniline battery is as high as 131.1 mAh·g−1, and maintains a discharge specific capacity of 114.8 mAh·g−1 and a coulombic efficiency over 92% after 100 cycles at a charge/discharge current density of 1 A·g−1 in the voltage range of 1.5–0.7 V.
Comparison of a Powdered, Acidified Liquid, and Non-Acidified Liquid Human Milk Fortifier on Clinical Outcomes in Premature Infants
Authors: Thoene Melissa , Lyden Elizabeth , Weishaar Kara , Elliott Elizabeth , Wu Ruomei , White Katelyn , Timm Hayley , Anderson-Berry Ann
Published: July 2016

We previously compared infant outcomes between a powdered human milk fortifier (P-HMF) vs. acidified liquid HMF (AL-HMF). A non-acidified liquid HMF (NAL-HMF) is now commercially available. The purpose of this study is to compare growth and outcomes of premature infants receiving P-HMF, AL-HMF or NAL-HMF. An Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved retrospective chart review compared infant outcomes (born < 2000 g) who received one of three HMF. Growth, enteral nutrition, laboratory and demographic data were compared. 120 infants were included (P-HMF = 46, AL-HMF = 23, NAL-HMF = 51). AL-HMF infants grew slower in g/day (median 23.66 vs. P-HMF 31.27, NAL-HMF 31.74 (p < 0.05)) and in g/kg/day, median 10.59 vs. 15.37, 14.03 (p < 0.0001). AL-HMF vs. NAL-HMF infants were smaller at 36 weeks gestational age (median 2046 vs. 2404 g, p < 0.05). However AL-HMF infants received more daily calories (p = 0.21) and protein (p < 0.0001), mean 129 cal/kg, 4.2 g protein/kg vs. P-HMF 117 cal/kg, 3.7 g protein/kg , NAL-HMF 120 cal/kg, 4.0 g protein/kg. AL-HMF infants exhibited lower carbon dioxide levels after day of life 14 and 30 (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0038). Three AL-HMF infants (13%) developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) vs. no infants in the remaining groups (p = 0.0056). A NAL-HMF is the most optimal choice for premature human milk-fed infants in a high acuity neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Superpixel-Based Classification Using K Distribution and Spatial Context for Polarimetric SAR Images
Authors: Xu Qiao , Chen Qihao , Yang Shuai , Liu Xiuguo
Published: July 2016

Classification techniques play an important role in the analysis of polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) images. PolSAR image classification is widely used in the fields of information extraction and scene interpretation or is performed as a preprocessing step for further applications. However, inherent speckle noise of PolSAR images hinders its application on further classification. A novel supervised superpixel-based classification method is proposed in this study to suppress the influence of speckle noise on PolSAR images for the purpose of obtaining accurate and consistent classification results. This method combines statistical information with spatial context information based on the stochastic expectation maximization (SEM) algorithm. First, a modified simple linear iterative clustering (SLIC) algorithm is utilized to generate superpixels as classification elements. Second, class posterior probabilities of superpixels are calculated by a K distribution in iterations of SEM. Then, a neighborhood function is defined to express the spatial relationship among adjacent superpixels quantitatively, and the class posterior probabilities are updated by this predefined neighborhood function in a probabilistic label relaxation (PLR) procedure. The final classification result is obtained by the maximum a posteriori decision rule. A simulated image, a spaceborne RADARSAT-2 image, and an airborne AIRSAR image are used to evaluate the proposed method, and the classification accuracy of our proposed method is 99.28%, 93.16% and 89.70%, respectively. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method obtains more accurate and consistent results than other methods.
Effects of Straw Incorporation on Soil Nutrients, Enzymes, and Aggregate Stability in Tobacco Fields of China
Authors: Zhang Jiguang , Bo Guodong , Zhang Zhongfeng , Kong Fanyu , Wang Yi , Shen Guoming
Published: July 2016

To determine the effects of straw incorporation on soil nutrients, enzyme activity, and aggregates in tobacco fields, we conducted experiments with different amounts of wheat and maize straw in Zhucheng area of southeast Shandong province for three years (2010–2012). In the final year of experiment (2012), straw incorporation increased soil organic carbon (SOC) and related parameters, and improved soil enzyme activity proportionally with the amount of straw added, except for catalase when maize straw was used. And maize straw incorporation was more effective than wheat straw in the tobacco field. The percentage of aggregates >2 mm increased with straw incorporation when measured by either dry or wet sieving. The mean weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD) in straw incorporation treatments were higher than those in the no-straw control (CK). Maize straw increased soil aggregate stability more than wheat straw with the same incorporation amount. Alkaline phosphatase was significantly and negatively correlated with soil pH. Sucrase and urease were both significantly and positively correlated with soil alkali-hydrolysable N. Catalase was significantly but negatively correlated with soil extractable K (EK). The MWD and GMD by dry sieving had significantly positive correlations with SOC, total N, total K, and EK, but only significantly correlated with EK by wet sieving. Therefore, soil nutrients, metabolic enzyme activity, and aggregate stability might be increased by increasing the SOC content through the maize or wheat straw incorporation. Moreover, incorporation of maize straw at 7500 kg·hm−2 was the best choice to enhance soil fertility in the tobacco area of Eastern China.