bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of the Founder's Ethical Legacy on Organizational Climate: Empirical Evidence from South Korea
Authors: Park Hun-Joon , Kang Seung-Wan
Published: March 2014

We investigated the relationship between the ethical leadership of the founder of a company and that company's ethical climate as perceived by 4 groups of employees. Surveys were administered to current and former employees of a large Fortune Global 200 steel manufacturer in South Korea.
The total sample (N = 728) consisted of 4 subsamples: 2 comprising retirees and 2 comprising current employees. We found that the ethical leadership of the founder was associated with the company's ethical climate, and that relationship was significant for the 4 subsamples. Theoretical
and managerial implications are discussed.
Firefighters: Prosocial Risk Taking and Time Orientation
Authors: Próchniak Piotr
Published: March 2014

The aim in this study was to identify the time orientation of firefighters. The sample consisted of 71 firefighters (Mage = 35.1 years, SD = 4.8) and 66 social workers, representing a group working in a low-risk environment (Mage = 33.2 years,
SD = 5.9). The participants completed the Temporal Orientation Questionnaire AION-2000. It was found that, in comparison to the control group, firefighters scored higher on future-time perspective and the temporal competences of telic dominance, degree of detail, and use of time.
Self-Presentation Concerns and Physical Activity In Three-generation Families
Authors: Zach Sima , Netz Yael
Published: March 2014

We examined the relationship between social physique anxiety (SPA) and physical activity (PA) in 3-generation families, and also looked at gender differences related to SPA and PA. Self-presentation concerns as related to PA were examined by means of SPA in a sample of 811 participants
from 218 families and spanning 3 generations. Participants assessed their SPA and recorded their PA over 1 week. Gender differences in SPA appeared across 3 generations such that females had higher SPA levels than did males. Significant correlations appeared between girls and mothers, boys
and fathers, husbands and wives, and fathers and their fathers. Nevertheless, PA level was found not to be related to SPA. As correlations were found between parents and their children across 3 generations, changing behavior should be targeted both in schools and in the community.
Social Skills and Life Satisfaction of Lithuanian First- and Senior-Year University Students
Authors: Malinauskas Romualdas , Dumciene Audrone , Lapeniene Dalia
Published: March 2014

We investigated the social skills and life satisfaction levels of a sample of 459 Lithuanian university students. Participants were 234 women and 225 men; 260 of them were first-year students and 199 of them were senior-year students. The participants completed measures of social skills
and satisfaction with life. The results indicated that the women scored higher than did the men for both social skills and life satisfaction. The scores for social skills and life satisfaction of the senior-year students were found to be significantly higher than those of first-year students.
There was a positive correlation between level of social skills and life satisfaction; however, this correlation was weak.
Differential Early Processing for Faces and Characters: N170 Inversion and Mirror Effects
Authors: Zhou Yangen , Liu Xianmin , Zheng Ya , Tang Xiaochen , Zhang Pengcheng , Lu Jiamei
Published: March 2014

In the current study we compared the inversion and mirror effects on the N170 component, an event-related potential related to the neural processing of faces, in Chinese characters and faces. Faces displayed an obvious inversion effect on N170 latency and amplitude, whereas characters
only showed a slight inversion effect on N170 latency. Moreover, both faces and characters were tolerant to mirror reversal for the N170 component despite a robust behavioral mirror cost for characters. These data indicate dissociation between processing faces and characters during the early
perceptual stage.
Exploratory Trial of Intranasal Administration of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 in Japanese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Ueno Hiroaki , Mizuta Masanari , Shiiya Tomomi , Tsuchimochi Wakaba , Noma Kenji , Nakashima Noboru , Fujihara Mitsuteru , Nakazato Masamitsu
Published: March 2014

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of our newly developed nasal glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) compound and injector.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Twenty-six patients with type 2 diabetes were enrolled in this double-blind placebo-controlled study. The nasal compound containing 1.2 mg of human GLP-1 (7–36) amide or placebo was administered immediately before every meal for 2 weeks.

RESULTS

The plasma peak concentration of active GLP-1 was 47.2 pmol/L, and its Tmax was 8.1 min. The early phase of insulin and glucagon secretion were recovered and suppressed, respectively, in the GLP-1 group. Glycoalbumin levels became significantly lower and 1,5-anhydroglucitol levels significantly higher after GLP-1 administration. No marked adverse events were observed after using nasal GLP-1.

CONCLUSIONS

The newly developed nasal GLP-1 compound may be a potential treatment for type 2 diabetes. The long-term application of the drug should be evaluated in future trials.
Interarm Blood Pressure Difference in People With Diabetes: Measurement and Vascular and Mortality Implications
Authors: Clark Christopher E. , Steele Anna M. , Taylor Rod S. , Shore Angela C. , Ukoumunne Obioha C. , Campbell John L.
Published: March 2014

OBJECTIVE

Differences in blood pressure between arms are associated with vascular disease and increased mortality; this has not been reported in diabetes. We explored these associations, and assessed reference standard and pragmatic measurement techniques, in people with diabetes and in nondiabetic controls.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A prospective cohort study in Devon, England, recruited 727 people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and 285 nondiabetic controls. Simultaneous repeated measurements of bilateral blood pressure were made at recruitment. Data were used to inform a pragmatic measurement strategy. Interarm differences were examined for cross-sectional associations with target organ disease and prospective mortality associations (median follow-up 52 months).

RESULTS

We found 8.6% of participants with diabetes and 2.9% of controls had systolic interarm differences ≥10 mmHg. Single pairs of blood pressure measurements had high negative predictive values (97–99%) for excluding interarm differences. Systolic interarm differences ≥10 mmHg in diabetes were associated with peripheral arterial disease (odds ratio [OR] 3.4 [95% CI 1.2–9.3]). Differences ≥15 mmHg were associated with diabetic retinopathy (OR 5.7 [1.5–21.6]) and chronic kidney disease (OR 7.0 [1.7–29.8]). Systolic interarm differences were associated prospectively with increased cardiovascular mortality: hazard ratios 3.5 (1.0–13.0) for ≥10 mmHg and 9.0 (2.0–41.0) for ≥15 mmHg.

CONCLUSIONS

Blood pressure should be measured in both arms during initial assessment in diabetes. Systolic interarm differences can be excluded with a single pair of measurements. In the population with diabetes, systolic differences may be associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality.
Doppler ultrasonographic evaluation of renal arterial resistive and pulsatility indices in overhydrated Beagles
Authors: Lee Seungjun , Park Nohwon , Kim Jaehwan , Eom Ki-Dong
Published: March 2014

Objective—To determine renal arterial resistive index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) and clinical signs of overhydration induced by IV administration of saline (0.9% NaCl) solution and to assess RI and PI as variables for monitoring of dogs to detect overhydration.

Animals—10 clinically normal Beagles.

Procedures—Each dog received saline solution at a maintenance rate (2.5 mL/kg/h) and a rate 3 times that of the maintenance rate (overhydration rate; 7. 5 mL/kg/h). Values of RI and PI were determined with pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasonographic examination of renal interlobar or arcuate arteries before saline solution administration, every hour during 5 hours of administration, and 1 hour after administration was stopped.

Results—No significant changes in RI or PI were detected during administration of saline solution at the maintenance rate. However, RI (starting 1 hour after the beginning of fluid administration [mean ± SD value, 0.589 ± 0.012]) and PI (starting 2 hours after the beginning of fluid administration [value, 0.867 ± 0.052]) were significantly lower during administration at the overhydration rate than they were during administration at the maintenance rate. Clinical signs of overhydration were observed in all dogs starting 4 hours after the beginning of fluid administration at the overhydration rate.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results indicated overhydration of dogs caused significant decreases in RI and PI prior to detection of clinical signs of overhydration. Ultrasonographic determination of renal arterial RI and PI seemed to be a noninvasive and sensitive method for evaluation of overhydration in dogs.
Ultrasonographic evaluation of the thickness of the wall layers in the intestinal tract of dogs
Authors: Gladwin Nicole E. , Penninck Dominique G. , Webster Cynthia R. L.
Published: March 2014

Objective—To ultrasonographically measure the thickness of the individual wall layers of the duodenum, jejunum, and colon of dogs.

Animals—85 dogs with no clinical signs or ultrasonographic evidence of gastrointestinal tract disease.

Procedures—Total wall thickness and thickness of the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, and serosa were measured ultrasonographically in the duodenum, jejunum, and colon of each dog.

Results—The mucosal layer was the thickest layer of the duodenum and jejunum. There was a significant difference in thickness of the mucosal layer between small and large dogs. Mean ± SD thickness of the mucosal layer of the duodenum for small, medium, and large dogs was 2.4 ± 0.5 mm, 2.6 ± 0.6 mm, and 2.8 ± 0.5 mm, respectively. Mean ± SD thickness of the mucosal layer of the jejunum for small, medium, and large dogs was 1.8 ± 0.4 mm, 2.0 ± 0.4 mm, and 2.2 ± 0.5 mm, respectively. The remaining wall layers of the duodenum and jejunum were similar in thickness, and there were no significant differences among small, medium, and large dogs. All layers contributed equally to the total colonic wall thickness. Mean ± SD thickness of the colonic wall for small, medium, and large dogs was 1.5 ± 0.3 mm, 1.4 ± 0.5 mm, and 1.6 ± 0.4 mm, respectively.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Values for thickness of the wall layers of the duodenum, jejunum, and colon of dogs reported here may be useful for assessing gastrointestinal tract diseases primarily targeting a specific wall layer.
Evaluation of a technique for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement in horses
Authors: Toth Balazs , Bertin Francois R. , Miller Margaret A. , Charney Virginia A. , Kritchevsky Janice E.
Published: March 2014

Objective—To develop and assess the short-term feasibility, maintenance, and complications associated with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement in standing horses.

Animals—6 adult horses.

Procedures—Feasibility of the technique was evaluated in 2 horses. In each of 4 other horses, a PEG tube was maintained for 14 days and used to provide fluid requirements during the latter 7 days, before removal. Following air inflation of the stomach, each PEG tube was placed via a left intercostal approach; proper tube location was ascertained by percutaneous ultrasonography and gastroscopy. The horses underwent physical examinations, CBCs, and peritoneal fluid analyses before and at intervals after tube placement. Seven days after tube removal, horses were euthanized and necropsied.

Results—Placement of a PEG tube was feasible in all 6 horses. The 4 horses assessed long term tolerated water administration through the PEG tube and remained clinically stable throughout the 21-day experiment. However, during the period PEG tubes were in place, significant increases in some peritoneal and hematologic variables were detected. Postmortem evaluation revealed localized peritonitis in 1 horse and body wall inflammation along the PEG tube tracks in 3 additional horses.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Placement and maintenance of a PEG tube were tolerated well by the study horses, although peritoneal and systemic inflammation were detectable. Fluid requirements were adequately met with this technique, which could provide an alternative method for managing chronically dysphagic horses. Nevertheless, further research is warranted to evaluate the feasibility of enteral feeding by use of this approach in horses.
Effect of short-term hyperinsulinemia on the localization and expression of endothelin receptors A and B in lamellar tissue of the forelimbs of horses
Authors: Gauff Felicia C. , Patan-Zugaj Bianca , Licka Theresia F.
Published: March 2014

Objective—To determine the effect of short-term hyperinsulinemia on the localization and expression of endothelin receptor (ETR)-A and ETR-B in lamellar tissue of the forelimbs of horses.

Samples—Distal portion of 15 cadaveric forelimbs from healthy adult horses (1 limb/horse) obtained immediately after slaughter at an abattoir.

Procedures—Each forelimb was assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups (perfused with autologous blood for 10 hours [control perfusion; n = 5], perfused with an insulin [142 ± 81 μU/mL] perfusate for 10 hours [insulinemic perfusion; 5], or not perfused [unperfused control; 5]). Immunohistochemical evaluation of lamellar tissue was performed to assess localization of ETR-A and ETR-B. Expression of ETR-A and ETR-B was measured semiquantitatively on a scale of 0 to 3 (0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, and 3 = high-intensity staining) and quantitatively by means of gray value analysis with imaging software.

Results—In all specimens, ETR-A and ETR-B were localized in endothelium, smooth muscle cells, axons, and keratinocytes. Quantitative expression of ETR-A in the midportion of the primary epidermal lamellae for the insulinemic perfusion group (149 ± 16) was lower than that for the control perfusion group (158 ± 15). Expression of ETR-B in the primary epidermal lamellae tips for the insulinemic perfusion group (140 ± 29) was higher than that for the control perfusion group (114 ± 8).

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Hyperinsulinemia caused significant changes in endothelin receptor expression, which suggested that ETR antagonists might be beneficial for treatment of laminitis in horses.
Construct and Incremental Validity of the Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank in Adult Psychiatric Outpatients
Authors: McCloskey Lawrence C.
Published: March 2014

The expression of positive vs negative attitudes in response to the 40 stems of the Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank (RISB) can be scored and summed to an Overall Adjustment Score (OAS). By extending the validation of the OAS to adult psychiatric outpatients, this study demonstrates for the first time the incremental validity of a personality test over a simple self-rating. The RISB and six tests of adjustment were administered to 41 recent admissions to psychotherapy in two rural clinics. The tests of adjustment were selected to cover the two domains of symptoms vs function and the three methods of interview schedule vs objective inventory vs therapist ratings. Their scores were combined into an adjustment composite. The OAS related strongly to the composite in univariate regression, and moderately in hierarchical regression after covarying demographics, intelligence, social desirability, and self-ratings of adjustment. Construct validity was good, and incremental validity at least fair.
Attentional Switching in Intellectually Gifted and Average Children: Effects on Performance and ERP
Authors: Duan Xiaoju , Shi Jiannong
Published: March 2014

The study compared the performance and brain activity of children who were intellectually gifted or of average intelligence. 13 intellectually gifted (4 girls, 9 boys; M age = 12.0 yr., SD = 0.2) and 13 average children (5 girls, 8 boys; M age = 11.9 yr., SD = 0.3) participated in a task-switching experiment. The children performed a task repeatedly (single-trial blocks) or switched between two different tasks (mixed-trial blocks). Intellectually gifted children performed quicker than the average group for both mixed and single-trial blocks. The electroencephalography P300 amplitude was larger in the mixed compared to the single-trial condition, but this effect was observed only in the gifted children. The results support the notion that gifted children are characterized by a faster maturation that leads to an ‘adultlike’ brain activity.
Factors Associated with Coping Mechanisms among Egyptian Patients with End Stage Renal Disease and on Haemodialysis
Authors: Soliman Hussein , Mawgoud Mona Ahmed Abdel
Published: March 2014

This study intends to identify factors that influence coping with physical and emotional impacts of haemodialysis on patients in Egypt. A questionnaire was administrated to a random sample of 162 participants, 87 men and 75 women, who had received outpatient treatment in health care clinics in seven Egyptian cities. A regression model was used with four independent variables (view of medical treatment, effect of pain, adjustment to treatment, and satisfaction with life) to explain variance in satisfaction with self and coping. Results show about half the variance in the patients' ability to cope and express satisfaction with the self was explained by the independent variables ( R2=–.55, R2=.45). Implications contributing to adjustment and coping are presented, showing the need to advance medical service and enhance patients' ability to develop effective strategies.
Word and Pseudoword Superiority Effects in a Shallow Orthography Language: The Role of Hemispheric Lateralization
Authors: Ripamonti Enrico , Traficante Daniela , Crippa Franca , Luzzatti Claudio
Published: March 2014

The word superiority effect (WSE) has made it possible to demonstrate the automatic activation of lexical-orthographic entries in reading. The observation of this effect is important since it led to experimental support of the main cognitive reading models. These models were mostly developed on English data, hence the verification in different orthography systems is relevant. The present study tested WSE in Italian, a language in which this effect was predicted to be less constant given the highly consistent correspondence between orthography and phonology. Moreover, the presentation of the items in a lateralized visual field condition allowed testing of assumptions about the roles of the right and left hemispheres in written word recognition and, in particular, on the hemispheric lateralization of lexical processing. Two experiments were conducted with undergraduate students who had to recognize a target letter within a word, pseudoword, or nonword. In Experiment 1, prime and probe letters were in the same letter case, while in Experiment 2 they were in different letter cases. Error rates and reaction times were analyzed with mixed models. The results showed a superiority of pseudowords (pseudoword superiority effect; PSE) over illegal strings with no evidence of a clear superiority of words over pseudowords for both left and right visual field presentations. This suggests that in Italian, the sub-lexical route could play a major role in reading and that this route relies on a visual-perceptual orthographic coding concerning familiarity of letter combinations, which is also available to the right hemisphere.
Co-Witness Auditory Memory Conformity following Discussion: A Misinformation Paradigm
Authors: Mori Kazuo , Kishikawa Takeshi
Published: March 2014

Twenty-four Japanese undergraduate pairs (12 male and 12 female pairs) participated as witnesses to a simulated criminal event. Although the witness pairs watched the same video together, through wireless headphones they experienced two different auditory versions with four differing items without being aware of the discrepancies. After the presentation, the witnesses were led to discuss six items, including two critical ones they had heard differently and another four they had heard in common. Witness memory performance was assessed individually with multiple-choice questionnaires in three sessions: before the discussion, after the discussion, and 1 week later. The results showed that participants tended to conform to their co-witness more often on the discussed items than on the not-discussed items. Source monitoring analyses on the four critical items revealed that even those participants who conformed were mostly cognizant of the source of their information just after the discussion, but they were prone to source-monitoring errors a week later.
Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on the Somatosensory Cortex during Prism Adaptation
Authors: Yoon Hee-Chul , Lee Kyung-Hyun , Huh Dong-Chan , Lee Ji-Hang , Lee Dong-Hyun
Published: March 2014

Although the behavioral characteristics and the neural correlates of prism adaptation processes have been studied extensively, the underlying mechanism is yet to be investigated. Recently, somatosensory suppression was heralded as a mechanism for the sensory re-alignment process accompanying the adaptation. Somatosensory suppression should facilitate the re-alignment process in the proprioceptive system. The shift in the proprioceptive system takes place mostly during a concurrent visual feedback (CVF) condition; during a terminal visual feedback (TVF) condition, the visual system experiences significant adaptation (visual shift), so somatosensory suppression should have minimal functional consequences under TVF. To test this hypothesis, a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) was applied to the primary somatosensory cortex as an artificial somatosensory suppression right after the reaching initiation in CVF and TVF conditions, and changes in adaptation were observed. Because somatosensory suppression is already in effect during CVF, rTMS would cause no significant changes. During TVF with rTMS, however, significantly different patterns of adaptation could be expected when compared to a sham rTMS condition. Young adults ( N = 12) participated in 4 sessions (CVF/TVF, real/sham rTMS); visual, proprioceptive, and total shifts were measured. Movement time and curvature of the reaching movement were measured during the adaptation phase. Results showed that while the total shift was unchanged, the proprioceptive shift increased and the visual shift decreased in the TVF condition when rTMS was delivered. However, the total, proprioceptive, and visual shifts were not influenced by rTMS in the CVF condition. Suppression of proprioception induced by the rTMS could be one of the requisites for successful proprioceptive shift during prism adaptation.
Correlates of the Belief in the Inheritance of Suicide
Authors: Lester David , Voracek Martin , Loibl Lisa Mariella
Published: March 2014

The belief in the inheritance of suicide was not associated with manic-depressive tendencies or religiosity in a sample of 120 college students.
Suicide in Serial Killers
Authors: Lester David , White John
Published: March 2014

In a sample of 248 killers of two victims in America from 1900 to 2005, obtained from an encyclopedia of serial killers by Newton (2006), those completing suicide did not differ in sex, race, or the motive for the killing from those who were arrested.
Removal of landfill leachate toxicity and genotoxicity by two treatment methods
Authors: Brkanac Sandra Radić , Vujčić Valerija , Cvjetko Petra , Baković Vid , Oreščanin Višnja
Published: March 2014

Leachates from active and closed municipal solid waste landfills can be a major source of contamination to groundwater and surface waters. In the present study the toxic and genotoxic potential of leachate from an old sanitary landfill prior to and following chemical and electrochemical treatments were assessed using Lemna, Allium, and comet tests. Photosynthetic pigments, malondialdehyde (indicator of lipid peroxidation) and antioxidant enzyme activities were evaluated as additional indicators of toxicity in duckweed. Following duckweed exposure to 25 % dilution of landfill leachate, growth rate and photosynthetic pigments content significantly decreased while lipid peroxidation increased despite stimulation of antioxidative defence mechanisms. Diluted leachate induced DNA strand breaks in duckweed cells as evidenced by the comet assay. Regarding the Allium test, untreated leachate caused inhibition of Allium cepa cell division and induction of mitotic and chromosomal aberrations. Although both water treatments completely reduced genotoxicity of leachate, the electrochemical method was found to be more efficient in removing toxic substances present in landfill leachate and thus more suitable for treating such leachates prior to their discharge into the environment. As landfill leachates pose a risk to human health and environment in general due to their (geno)toxicity, the present study demonstrates that the ecotoxicity/genotoxicity assays should be used in leachate risk assessment together with physicochemical analysis.
Metal bioaccumulation in common carp and rudd from the Topolnitsa reservoir, Bulgaria
Authors: Yancheva Vesela , Stoyanova Stela , Velcheva Iliana , Petrova Slaveya , Georgieva Elenka
Published: March 2014

Concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) were determined in water samples and five fish organs (gills, liver, kidney, spleen, and muscle) of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) and common rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus L.) from the Topolnitsa reservoir (Bulgaria) in three seasons (spring, summer, and autumn). This water ecosystem is located in a copper mining and metallurgical region. Water metal concentrations were significantly higher in the summer than in the spring (p<0.05). Moreover, As, Cd, Cu, and Zn concentrations were higher than the national limits. Qualitative factors “element” and “fish organ” had a stronger influence on metal bioaccumulation than the factors “season” and “fish species”. In fish, the highest metal levels were detected in the liver, spleen, kidney and gills, and the lowest in the dorsal muscle. Tissue levels were higher in the summer, but in general they were similar between the two Cyprinid fish. Fish muscles had the lowest metal levels at all times, but As and Pb exceeded the national and international standards. Therefore, we would not recommend fish consumption from Topolnitsa, as continuous metal contamination of the reservoir may seem to present human health risk.
GSTP1, GSTM1 and GSTT1 genetic polymorphisms and total serum GST concentration in stable male COPD
Authors: Žuntar Irena , Petlevski Roberta , Dodig Slavica , Popović-Grle Sanja
Published: March 2014

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that glutathione- S-transferase (GST) genotypes were associated with COPD. GSTP1, GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes were determined by DNA methods and GST activity spectrophotometrically in older male Caucasian Croats (non- -smokers, ex-smokers, and smokers) with stable COPD (n = 30) and sex/age matched controls (n = 60). The distribution of GSTP1 genotypes and alleles in controls vs. COPD showed a statistical difference (p < 0.05). The odds ratio of CC/CT+TT (wild type GSTP1 exon 6 vs. joint heterozygous and mutant homozygous GSTP1 exon 6) was 10.000 and statistically different (p = 0.002). In this study, the GSTP1 mutant genotype of exon 5 (GG), as well as GSTP1 mutant and heterozygous genotypes of exon 6 (TT and CT), were suggested to be genetic contributors to COPD susceptibility. Null GSTM1, null GSTT1 and joint GSTM1/GSTT1 null genotypes were not disease associated. Serum GST was not associated with GST genotypes and COPD or smoking history in our study subjects. Conclusions drawn from the study should be further supported and clarified by studies with larger sample sizes.
High throughput microwell spectrophotometric assay for olmesartan medoxomil in tablets based on its charge-transfer reaction with DDQ
Authors: Darwish Ibrahim A. , Wani Tanveer A. , Khalil Nasr Y. , Abdel-Rahman Hamdy M.
Published: March 2014

The study describes the development and validation of a new microwell-based spectrophotometric assay for determination of olmesartan medoxomil (OLM) in tablets. The formation of a colored charge-transfer (CT) complex between OLM as an n-electron donor and 2,3-dichloro- -5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) as a p-electron acceptor was investigated, and employed as the basis for the development of the new assay. The proposed assay was conducted in 96-microwell plates. The absorbance of the colored-CT complex was measured at 460 nm with a microplate reader. Optimum conditions of the reaction and the analytical procedures of the assay were established. Under the optimum conditions, a linear relationship with a good correlation coefficient was found between the absorbance and the concentration of OLM in the range of 2-200 μg per well. The limits of detection and quantitation were 0.53 and 1.61 μg per well, respectively. No interference was observed from the excipients present in OLM tablets or from hydrochlorothiazide and amlodipine besylate that were co-formulated with OLM in some of its formulations. The assay was successfully applied to the analysis of OLM in tablets with good accuracy and precision. The assay described herein has a great practical value in the routine analysis of OLM in quality control laboratories, since it has a high throughput property and consumes low volumes of organic solvent. It thus offers a reduction in the exposure of analysts to the toxic effects of organic solvents, as well as a reduction in the cost of analysis.
Fast real-time monitoring of entacapone crystallization and characterization of polymorphs via Raman spectroscopy, statistics and SWAXS
Authors: Jednačak Tomislav , Hodzic Aden , Scheibelhofer Otto , Marijan Marijan , Khinast Johannes G. , Novak Predrag
Published: March 2014

Crystallization of the drug entacapone from binary solvent mixtures was monitored in situ using a Raman optical probe. The recorded Raman spectra and statistical analysis, which included the principal components method and indirect hard modeling made it possible to estimate the starting point of crystallization, to assess crystallization temperatures and to provide information on the polymorphic content of the mixture. It was established that crystallization temperatures were proportional to the volume content of the solvent in mixtures. The samples were also evaluated off-line via Raman spectroscopy and SWAXS. The collected data showed the presence of forms b and g in all solvent mixtures. In a toluene/methanol 30:70 mixture, in addition to forms b and g, at least one of the forms A, D or a was also indicated by SWAXS. The results have shown that the presence of a particular polymorph is strongly dependent on the nature and portion of the solvent in the binary solvent mixture.
CNS and bladder (short review for clinicians)
Authors: Tadić Staša
Published: March 2014

Symptoms of bladder dysfunction are significant public health problem due to their prevalence, morbidity and treatment costs. Most stem from bladder control problem which is governed by the brain, yet we know little about CNS and bladder. Advances in brain imaging technology have brought new insight in how brain works in different bladder diseases and opened new possibilities to study lower urinary tract. Thus, it is important for urologists and clinicians alike to get informed about basic concepts of brain-bladder control. The aim of this article is to review basic neuroanatomy of central continence control based on the results of recent brain imaging studies in patients with symptoms of impaired bladder control.
New drugs for osteoporosis therapy: a review of the clinical trials phase 2 and 3
Authors: Tadić Ivana , Tasić Ljiljana , Vujašinović Stupar Nada , Ilić Katarina , Stevanović Dejan
Published: March 2014

Osteoporosis is a chronic disease with increasing incidence that predominantly occurs in female population. There are evidences that bisphosphonates, selective estrogen receptor modulators, denosumab, teriparatide and strontium renalate, prevent vertebral fractures while alendronate, risedronate, zoledronic acid, denosumab and strontium renalate prevent hip fractures. Although these drugs are effective in osteoporosis treatment, their use is limited by their side-effects and low-adherence. The aim of this review article was to compare efficacy of new drugs for osteoporosis currently in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials. After reviewing 57 articles available on PubMed and Scopus databases that evaluated efficacy of osteoporosis medications, 10 papers, that fulfilled the review criteria, were selected for the analysis. Finally, the efficacy of five drugs was compared. Efficacy was evaluated by the values of bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers (BTM). In all the analyzed articles the BMD increased and changes of BTM were noted. The highest increase of lumbar BMD from the baseline values was achieved after six months of subcutaneous application of 20 μg/day teriparatide (11.3%). The lowest increase of BMD in the same region was recorded after six months of risedronate therapy 100 mg per os once monthly (2.1%). From ten selected articles, only one has reported data about fracture risk.
Epidemiological characteristics of carriers of antibody against hepatitis C virus in the population of Nišava district
Authors: Kostić Marina , Kocić Biljana , Popović Dragonjić Lidija
Published: March 2014

The aim of the paper was to determine the disease trends and characteristics of anti-HCV antibody carrier status for the purpose of better prevention and disease control.

The materials used were annual reports, reports of diseases and deaths from infectious diseases, and epidemiological surveys of the Public Health Institute Niš in the period from 2002 to 2011 in the Nišava District. A descriptive epidemiological method was used. Rates were non-standardized and were calculated per 100.000 residents.

There was an upward trend (y=-5.4+8.21 x±R²=0.53) of HCV carriers. Most carriers were male (68.34%), from urban areas (81.66%), aged 37.75±SD 16.80 years on the average, and unemployed (39.45%) (out of which the inmates of the Correctional Facility in Niš making up 26.11%). More than half of the registered carriers (59.05%) were not able to report the precise mode of transmission. Then followed hemodialysis patients (15.83%), injecting drug users (11.06%), blood donors (4.77%), pregnant women (3.52%), mother-to-child transmission cases (2.26%), and health professionals (0.75%). There were 14.82% of hospitalized cases. In 4.52%, a coinfection with hepatitis B virus was found.

HCV carrier status in the Nišava District showed an upward trend. Low incidence rates might have been the result of underreporting. Since there is no anti-HCV vaccine, it is necessary to focus on the activities of health education of all categories of people at risk, as well as on the service providers in different sectors, risk factors, modes of transmission and protection measures.
A Short Proof of The Hermite’s Formula for Polynomial Interpolation Using Operator Methods
Authors: Stănică Daniel
Published: March 2014

In this paper we present a short proof of the Hermite’s formula for polynomial interpolation using the theory of linear algebra, without using Taylor series expansion as in the classic proof of this formula. In this construction we use a schema of interpolation defined by the inverse of a matrix.
λ-Almost Statistical Convergence of Order α
Authors: Çolak R. , Altin Y. , Et M.
Published: March 2014

In this paper, we introduce the concept λ-almost statistical convergence of order α. Also some relations between λ-almost statistical convergence of order α and strong (V, λ)-almost summability of order α are given. Furthermore some relations between the space [Vαp, λ, f] and Ŝαλ are examined.
Finite Groups with Some Primary Subgroups Weakly τ-Quasinormal
Authors: Li Changwen , Yi Xiaolan
Published: March 2014

A subgroup H of a group G is said to be weakly τ-quasinormal in G if G has a subnormal subgroup T of G such that G = HT and H ∩ T < HτG, where HτG is the subgroup generated by all those subgroups of H which are τ-quasinormal in G. In this paper we investigate the influence of weakly τ-quasinormal subgroups on the p-nilpotency and p-supersolvability of finite groups.
A Tauberian Theorem for a General Summability Method
Authors: Çanak Ibrahim
Published: March 2014

We investigate conditions under which Mϕ summability implies Abel summability and give the generalized Littlewood Tauberian theorem for Mϕ summability method.
A Generalization of Commutativity Theorem for Rings
Authors: Wei Junchao , Fan Zhiyong
Published: March 2014

Let R be a ring with an identity and for each x ∈ SN(R) = {x ∈ R|x ∉ N(R)} and y ∈ R, (xy)k = xkyk for three consecutive positive integers k. It is shown in this note that R is a commutative ring, which generalizes the known theorem belonging to Ligh and Richoux.
Characterizations of Functions with Closed Graph
Authors: Goel Asha , Singh Satbir
Published: March 2014

The nature and usefulness of KC functions in topology have been well established in literature. In this paper, we introduce a new class of functions to be called inversely KC functions and emphasize its utility in characterization of functions with closed graph for the first time. We hereby study the relation between KC functions and Inversely KC functions and investigate various specific conditions under which these functions can be converted into functions having closed graph.
A Multi-Valued Choquet Integral with Respect to a Multisubmeasure
Authors: Sofian-Boca Floarea-Nicoleta
Published: March 2014

Jang, Kim and Kwon introduced a multi-valued Choquet integral for multifunctions with respect to real fuzzy measures and Zhang, Guo and Liu established for this kind of integral some convergence theorems. The aim of this paper is to present another type of set-valued Choquet integral, called by us the Aumann-Choquet integral, for non-negative measurable functions with respect to multisubmeasures taking values in the class of all non-empty,compact and convex sets of ℝ+ on which we use the order relation considered by Guo and Zhang. For this kind of integral, we study some important properties and we prove that if we add some supplementary properties to the multisubmeasure then they are also preserved by the set-valued function defined as Aumann-Choquet integral.
An analytical iterative statistical algorithm for image reconstruction from projections
Authors: Cierniak Robert
Published: March 2014

The main purpose of the paper is to present a statistical model-based iterative approach to the problem of image reconstruction from projections. This originally formulated reconstruction algorithm is based on a maximum likelihood method with an objective adjusted to the probability distribution of measured signals obtained from an x-ray computed tomograph with parallel beam geometry. Various forms of objectives are tested. Experimental results show that an objective that is exactly tailored statistically yields the best results, and that the proposed reconstruction algorithm reconstructs an image with better quality than a conventional algorithm with convolution and back-projection.
Nuclei segmentation for computer-aided diagnosis of breast cancer
Authors: Kowal Marek , Filipczuk Paweł
Published: March 2014

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. The effectiveness of treatment depends on early detection of the disease. Computer-aided diagnosis plays an increasingly important role in this field. Particularly, digital pathology has recently become of interest to a growing number of scientists. This work reports on advances in computer-aided breast cancer diagnosis based on the analysis of cytological images of fine needle biopsies. The task at hand is to classify those as either benign or malignant. We propose a robust segmentation procedure giving satisfactory nuclei separation even when they are densely clustered in the image. Firstly, we determine centers of the nuclei using conditional erosion. The erosion is performed on a binary mask obtained with the use of adaptive thresholding in grayscale and clustering in a color space. Then, we use the multi-label fast marching algorithm initialized with the centers to obtain the final segmentation. A set of 84 features extracted from the nuclei is used in the classification by three different classifiers. The approach was tested on 450 microscopic images of fine needle biopsies obtained from patients of the Regional Hospital in Zielona Góra, Poland. The classification accuracy presented in this paper reaches 100%, which shows that a medical decision support system based on our method would provide accurate diagnostic information.
An optimal sliding mode congestion controller for connection-oriented communication networks with lossy links
Authors: Bartoszewicz Andrzej , Leśniewski Piotr
Published: March 2014

A new discrete-time sliding-mode congestion controller for connection-oriented networks is proposed. Packet losses which may occur during the transmission process are explicitly taken into account. Two control laws are presented, each obtained by minimizing a different cost functional. The first one concentrates on the output variable, whereas in the second one the whole state vector is considered. Weighting factors for adjusting the influence of the control signal and appropriate (state or output) errors are incorporated in both the functionals. The asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system is proved, and the conditions for 100% bottleneck node bandwidth utilization are derived. The performance of the proposed algorithm is verified by computer simulations.
Approximation of a linear dynamic process model using the frequency approach and a non-quadratic measure of the model error
Authors: Janiszowski Krzysztof B
Published: March 2014

The paper presents a novel approach to approximation of a linear transfer function model, based on dynamic properties represented by a frequency response, e.g., determined as a result of discrete-time identification. The approximation is derived for minimization of a non-quadratic performance index. This index can be determined as an exponent or absolute norm of an error. Two algorithms for determination of the approximation coefficients are considered, a batch processing one and a recursive scheme, based on the well-known on-line identification algorithm. The proposed approach is not sensitive to local outliers present in the original frequency response. Application of the approach and its features are presented on examples of two simple dynamic systems.
A differential evolution approach to dimensionality reduction for classification needs
Authors: Martinoyić Goran , Bajer Draźen , Zorić Bruno
Published: March 2014

The feature selection problem often occurs in pattern recognition and, more specifically, classification. Although these patterns could contain a large number of features, some of them could prove to be irrelevant, redundant or even detrimental to classification accuracy. Thus, it is important to remove these kinds of features, which in turn leads to problem dimensionality reduction and could eventually improve the classification accuracy. In this paper an approach to dimensionality reduction based on differential evolution which represents a wrapper and explores the solution space is presented. The solutions, subsets of the whole feature set, are evaluated using the k-nearest neighbour algorithm. High quality solutions found during execution of the differential evolution fill the archive. A final solution is obtained by conducting k-fold crossvalidation on the archive solutions and selecting the best one. Experimental analysis is conducted on several standard test sets. The classification accuracy of the k-nearest neighbour algorithm using the full feature set and the accuracy of the same algorithm using only the subset provided by the proposed approach and some other optimization algorithms which were used as wrappers are compared. The analysis shows that the proposed approach successfully determines good feature subsets which may increase the classification accuracy.
An efficient eigenspace updating scheme for high-dimensional systems
Authors: Gangl Simon , Mongus Domen , Žalik Borut
Published: March 2014

Systems based on principal component analysis have developed from exploratory data analysis in the past to current data processing applications which encode and decode vectors of data using a changing projection space (eigenspace). Linear systems, which need to be solved to obtain a constantly updated eigenspace, have increased significantly in their dimensions during this evolution. The basic scheme used for updating the eigenspace, however, has remained basically the same: (re)computing the eigenspace whenever the error exceeds a predefined threshold. In this paper we propose a computationally efficient eigenspace updating scheme, which specifically supports high-dimensional systems from any domain. The key principle is a prior selection of the vectors used to update the eigenspace in combination with an optimized eigenspace computation. The presented theoretical analysis proves the superior reconstruction capability of the introduced scheme, and further provides an estimate of the achievable compression ratios.
An algorithm for reducing the dimension and size of a sample for data exploration procedures
Authors: Kulczycki Piotr , Lukasik Szymon
Published: March 2014

The paper deals with the issue of reducing the dimension and size of a data set (random sample) for exploratory data analysis procedures. The concept of the algorithm investigated here is based on linear transformation to a space of a smaller dimension, while retaining as much as possible the same distances between particular elements. Elements of the transformation matrix are computed using the metaheuristics of parallel fast simulated annealing. Moreover, elimination of or a decrease in importance is performed on those data set elements which have undergone a significant change in location in relation to the others. The presented method can have universal application in a wide range of data exploration problems, offering flexible customization, possibility of use in a dynamic data environment, and comparable or better performance with regards to the principal component analysis. Its positive features were verified in detail for the domain’s fundamental tasks of clustering, classification and detection of atypical elements (outliers).
Cross-task code reuse in genetic programming applied to visual learning
Authors: Jaśkowski Wojciech , Krawiec Krzysztof , Wieloch Bartosz
Published: March 2014

We propose a method that enables effective code reuse between evolutionary runs that solve a set of related visual learning tasks. We start with introducing a visual learning approach that uses genetic programming individuals to recognize objects. The process of recognition is generative, i.e., requires the learner to restore the shape of the processed object. This method is extended with a code reuse mechanism by introducing a crossbreeding operator that allows importing the genetic material from other evolutionary runs. In the experimental part, we compare the performance of the extended approach to the basic method on a real-world task of handwritten character recognition, and conclude that code reuse leads to better results in terms of fitness and recognition accuracy. Detailed analysis of the crossbred genetic material shows also that code reuse is most profitable when the recognized objects exhibit visual similarity.