bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of fungicides in controlling botrytis gray mold of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)
Authors: Shahiduzzaman M
Published: October 2015

A field experiment was carried out at Regional Pulses Research Station (RPRS), Madaripur during Rabi season of 2011-12 and 2012-13 to evaluate the most effective fungicides in controlling Botrytis Gray Mold (BGM) of Chickpea. Five different fungicides e.g. Propiconazole (Tilt 250 EC), Carbendazim (Bavistin DF), Fenamidone+Mancozeb (Secure 600 WG), Difenoconazole (Score 250 EC), Tebuconazole (Folicure 250 EC) were evaluated under natural condition. Results revealed that among the five fungicides Fenamidone+Mancozeb (Secure 600WG) sprayed at the rate of 1g/L with 7 days interval gave the lowest BGM score of 3.80 and 4.00 in 1-9 scale during 2011-12 and 2012-13 and produced highest yield of 1547 and 1443 kg/ha, respectively. Besides, the highest BGM was scored by the untreated control plot (6.26 and 6.33) and produced the lowest yield of 988 and 853 kg/ha during the two consecutive years.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 40(3): 391-398, September 2015
Response of lentil to bio and chemical fertilizers at farmers field
Authors: Bhuiyan MAH , Islam MS , Ahmed MS
Published: October 2015

Field trials were carried out at the Farming System Research & Development site, Hatgavindapur, Faridpur, On-Farm Research Division of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute during rabi seasons of 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 with the objectives to evaluate the response of lentil to Rhizobium biofertilizer and to reduce the use of N-fertilizer under farmers field condition. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. Unit plot size was 4 m x 5 m. Four fertilizer treatments viz. T1: 24-22-42-20-5 kg N-P-K-S-Zn ha-1, T2: 50-22-42-20-5 kg N-P-K-S-Zn ha-1, T3: 0-22-42-20-5 kg N- P-K-S-Zn ha-1 + Rhizobium Inoculum and T4: Farmers practices were studied. Farmers practice was 25-18-21-0-0 kg N-P-K-S-Zn ha-1. BARI Masur-4 and peat based rhizobial inoculum (strain BARI RLc-102) @ 1.5 kg ha-1 were used. Result revealed that application of Rhizobium biofertilizer along with PKSZn chemical fertilizers produced the highest nodule number (11.62 plant-1) and nodule weight (11.94 mg plant-1), and the seed yield 1.44 t ha-1. The seed yield was higher in T3 treatments (N0P22K42S20Zn5 + Inoculum) than T1 (N24P22K42S20Zn5) and T2 (N50P22K42S20Zn5) treatments. No variation was observed in seed yield in treatments T1, T2 and T3 but significantly different from farmers practice. Farmers practice showed the lowest yield. Economic analysis revealed that T3 treatment i.e. PKSZn plus Rhizobium inoculum gave the highest 5.36 benefit cost ratio (BCR) followed by T1 4.68 and T2 3.61. It is evident from the experiment that application of biofertilizer can be used as substitute of nitrogenous fertilizer for higher yield of lentil at farmers field in Faridpur.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 40(3): 501-506, September 2015
Thyroid disorders in Bangladesh- Past, Present and Future
Authors: Ansari Md Abdul Jalil
Published: October 2015

Abstract not availableJ Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 23, No.2, October, 2014, Page 151-152
Evaluation of Infection In First Three Months of Renal Transplant  A Hospital Based Study
Authors: Islam Md Nazrul , Akter Mursheda , Bhuiyan Ferdous Kamal , Ahmed Parvez Iftekhar , Rahman Md Mostafizur , Arefin Md Shakib uz Zaman , Rashid Harun Ur
Published: October 2015

Background:The success of renal transplantation depends on a compromise between achieving sufficient immunosuppression to avoid rejection of the graft and maintaining a sufficient level of immuno competence to protect the recipient from infection. This study was undertaken to findout the prevalence of infection of renal allograft, to determine cause of infection, isolation of organism, antibiotic sensitivity and to evaluation of fate of infection within first three months of post transplant period.Methods: All the subjects of this study had received live related renal transplantation. Triple immunosuppressive therapy was started day before transplantation. Before enrollment in this study, all base line investigations of recipient and donor were done. All the patients were investigated at 3rd, 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th day, end of 2nd and 3rd month and whenever infection was suspected any time within first 3 months of transplantation. Patients of primary graft failure were excluded from this study. Results were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (mean ± SD).Fisher exact test or chi-square tests were performed for data analysis. All analysis were done using SPSS windows package and p value <0.05 were considered significant.Results:In the present study, 71% patients had suffered from infection within first 3 months of post transplant period. Among them 71% occurred during hospital stay. Infection rate was 62% at the first month followed by 25% in 2nd month and 13% at 3rd month. Ninty six percent causes were bacterial infection and 4% were viral infection. Bacterial infection included urinary tract infection (79%), respiratory tract infection (6%), septicaemia (7%) and wound infection (4%). During follow up, most of the UTI were of bacterial origin, male and female had suffered from similar incidence of UTI (72% vs 69%), that was statistically insignificant (p=NS). Most of the episodes of UTI (90%) were associated with bacteriuria caused by E.coli.Conclusion: In the present study showed that, infection was the most common complication within first 3 months of transplant patient. UTI was the most common and remains major cause of morbidity of renal transplant recipients.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 23, No.2, October, 2014, Page 153-156
Equilibration and Increase of Hemoglobin Concentration after One Unit Whole Blood Transfusion among Patients Not Actively Bleeding
Authors: Hoque Md Mazharul , Adnan Sheikh Daud , Karim Shanaz , Mamun Mohd Abdullah Al , Nandy Subir , Faruki Musanna Al , Mahmud Khurshid , Islam Kashfia
Published: October 2015

Background: Transfusion is a specialized modality of patient management and lifesaving intervention. The decision to transfuse should be individualized, based on a rational approach and taking into account the hemoglobin value in addition to physiologic variables. The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of increase in haemoglobin levels and the rapidity of equilibration after single unit fresh whole blood transfusion in medical inpatients not actively bleeding among the Bangladeshi population.Methods: The present cross sectional study was conducted at the Department of Transfusion Medicine, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka during the periods of July 2012 to June 2013. Total 100 purposively selected admitted patients in the Department of Medicine of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) undergone blood transfusion were included in the study. Demographic characteristics were obtained from the clinical records and by face to face interview. Haemoglobin concentration was measured before transfusion, after 6 hours and 24 hours of transfusion using standard laboratory method. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 (SPPS Incorporation, Chicago, IL, USA). Comparison between mean values of haemoglobin was compared with students t-test and two-sided P value of 0.05 or less was considered significant.Results: The mean ±SD of the age of the respondents was 24.17±4.96 years with a range of 19 to 45 years and 90.0% were male and 10.0% were female. Previous blood donation history present in 72.0% respondents and absent in 28.0% respondents. Mean±SD of Hb level before, 6 hours and 24 hours after transfusion were 7.64±1.05, 8.03±1.07 and 8.78±1.19 gm/dl respectively. In the present study the mean increase of Hb 6 hours and 24 hours after transfusion were 0.39 gm/dl and 1.14 gm/dl respectively. Comparison between mean Hb level of before transfusion with 6 hours and 24 hours after transfusion revealed a statistically significant difference. Comparison between mean Hb level at 6 hours and 24 hours after transfusion also revealed a statistically significant difference.Conclusion: The study revealed slightly more one gram increase of Hb at 24 hours after transfusion of one unit of whole blood among patients not actively bleeding. There is significant difference between Hb level at 6 hours and 24 hours after transfusion.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 23, No.2, October, 2014, Page 161-166
Management of Postoperative Discitis: A Study On 20 Cases of Prolapsed Lumber Intervertebral Disc (PLID) Operation In A Tertiary Level Hospital in Bangladesh
Authors: Das Sukriti , Mahmood Ehsan , Alam Md Jahangir , Rashid Md Mamunur , Mitra Pijush Kumar
Published: October 2015

Context: The incidence of postoperative discitis is relatively uncommon. The paucity of physical examination findings with a high index of suspicion in any patient presenting with increasing back pain after prolapsed lumber intervertebral disc (PLID) operation gives clue of diagnosis.Purpose: To see the incidence, pathophysiology, laboratory markers and imaging finding of postoperative discitis, at the same time recommendation on treatment strategies with long term clinical outcome of discitis patient in Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), a tertiary level hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh.Methods: In this observational study, 20 patients were recruited who underwent PLID operation in the Department of Neurosurgery, DMCH, Dhaka, from January 2012 to June 2014. After preliminary selection of patients a specific protocol was followed, by taking history, clinical examination, biochemical parameters and neuroimaging. Result of treatment was observed on the basis of symptomatic improvement, with laboratory and imaging findings.Results: The most common etiological agent is staphylococcus aureus. The C-reactive protein is the most sensitive clinical laboratory marker to assess the presence of infection and effectiveness of treatment response. MRI is the imaging modality of choice in the diagnosis of discitis (100%). The majority of patients are managed adequately with culture specific antibiotics and immobilization with good long term outcomes (75%). Operative intervention in those patients who fails to respond to medical treatment (25%).Conclusion: Postoperative discitis is a rare complication after PLID operation. Its diagnosis needs high index of suspicion, appropriate laboratory and imaging studies helps in diagnosis. In the majority of patients antibiotics and spinal immobilization has been shown to produce good long term outcomes. Operative intervention is rarely necessary in patients failing conservative treatment.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 23, No.2, October, 2014, Page 186-190
Different Shapes of The Human Pineal Gland  A Study On 60 Autopsy Cases
Authors: Afroz Halima , Nurunnabi Abu Sadat Mohammad , Rahman Mushfika , Nahar Nurun , Ara Shamim
Published: October 2015

Context: The pineal gland has been described as an endocrine or neuroendocrine gland; however, its functions in humans are still to be defined. Different shapes of the human pineal gland have been identified. Due to its small size and different shapes recognition of this gland is much critical. Besides, due to its cellularity it may be mistaken for a neoplasm. Hence, a sound knowledge on different shapes of the pineal gland is essential for neurosurgeons, radiologists and pathologists for better diagnosis and management of pineal disorders.Methods: A descriptive study was done in the Department of Anatomy, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, from July 2009 to June 2010, to see the morphological shape of the human pineal gland. The present study was performed on 60 human pineal glands collected from whole human brains of unclaimed dead bodies that were under postmortem examination in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka. The pineal gland was collected from the brain by meticulous dissection. Then, the shape of the pineal gland was observed under the magnifying glass.Results: In the present study, pea-shaped pineal glands were found 60% in group A, 30% in group B, 5% in both group C and D, while pine cone shaped were found 25% in group A, 37.5% in group B, 25% in group C and 12.5% in group D. Besides, fusiform shaped glands were found 18.2% in group A, 63.6% in group B, 9.1% in both group C and D, where as piriform shaped found 66.7% in group B, and 16.7% in both group C and D. Moreover, cone-shaped glands were found 28.6% in group B, 57.1% in group C and 14.3% in group D.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 23, No.2, October, 2014, Page 211-214
Sensitivity and Specificity of Electroencephalography (EEG) Among Patients Referred to an Electrophysiology Lab in Bangladesh
Authors: Chowdhury Ahmed Hossain , Chowdhury Rajib Nayan , Khan Sharif Uddin , Ghose Swapon Kumar , Wazib Amit , Alam Iftikher , Hasan ATM Hasibul , Shaha Kanol , Mahmud Khurshid , Haque Badrul , Habib Mansur
Published: October 2015

Objective: To measure the changes in electro encephalogram (EEG) along with its sensitivity and specificity with clinical seizure among epilepsy patients referred to an electrophysiology lab in a tertiary care hospital of Bangladesh.Methods: This retrospective chart review was carried out in the electrophysiology laboratory of Dhaka Medical College Hospital from January 2011 to December 2013, which included 1154 patients. EEG was obtained through scalp electrodes following international 10/20 system. Information regarding patients was collected from the laboratory register with the help of a checklist. The EEG findings and clinical seizure events were then compared.Result: Among the 1154 patients, age varied from birth to 75 years. The mean age at presentation was 17±11.4 years and most of the patients were less than 10 years old (44.4%). The male predominated in our study (59.2%). Clinically diagnosed seizure was present in 970 patients (84.1%), among which Generalized tonic clonic seizure (GTCS) was the most common clinical type of seizure, followed by secondary generalized seizure in 19.4% (n=224) and focal seizure in 2% (n=30) patients and 6.8% (n=79) patients had pseudoseizure. Among the abnormal EEG (59%), generalized epileptiform discharge was found in 29%, whereas focal and secondary generalized discharge was found in 30%. The most common site of origin of epileptiform discharge was temporal lobe (28.3%). The overall sensitivity of EEG was 66% (ranged from 62% to 68% with a confidence interval (CI) at 95%) and specificity was 79% (72- 84% at 95% CI). The positive predictive value was 58% (55-61% at 95% CI) and negative predictive value was 41% (38-44% at 95% CI).Conclusion: Our study brings out the fact that EEG has a reasonable sensitivity and specificity as a diagnostic test and the superiority being the higher specificity of EEG.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 23, No.2, October, 2014, Page 215-222
Study on Outcome of Eclampsia Patients in District Hospital in Bangladesh
Authors: Tahmina Hosna Zari , Shahid Asma Rumanaz , Hosna Asma Ul , Alam Ashraful
Published: October 2015

The study was carried out to evaluate the fate and outcome of eclampsia patients and their neonates. This hospital based prospective study was done in Chuadanga Sadar Hospital, a 100 bed secondary health care centre in Chuadanga district in Bangladesh, from January 2007 to December 2009. The number of study population was 50, which include antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum eclampsia. Among them, 70% had spontaneous vaginal delivery, 10% had assisted vaginal delivery and 10% had caesarian section. 86% of the patient have good maternal outcome with the use of anti convulsant therapy. 46% of baby of total population have good neonatal outcome with or without immediate resuscitation. The outcome of eclampsia is satisfactory if immediate treatment is started. Hence, every patient should be admitted in hospital as soon as possible and receive anticonvulsant therapy immediately, even before admission in hospital. Patient should be delivered with special care as a high risk mother and neonatal support should be given to reduce both maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 23, No.2, October, 2014, Page 223-226
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with lower serum adiponectin level in Bangladeshi population
Authors: Eva SN , Mollah GM , Sunyal DK , Zinnat R
Published: October 2015

The  aim  of  the  observational  case  control  study  was  to  find  out  the  association  of  type  2  diabetes  mellitus  (T2DM)  with  serum  adiponectin  level  in  Bangladeshi  population.  This  was  conducted  in  the  Biomedical  Research  Group,  Research  Division,  Bangladesh  Institute  of  Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM), Dhaka,  Bangladesh.  Sixty six T2DM subjects and seventy four healthy control subjects were included.  Diabetes  was  diagnosed  and  classified  as  per  World  Health  Organization  criteria.  Serum  adiponectin was measured by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. Serum  glucose  was  measured  by  glucose-oxidase  method;  serum  insulin  was  measured  by  chemiluminescence- based ELISA technique. The insulin secretory capacity (HOMA%B), insulin  sensitivity  (HOMA%S)  &  insulin  resistance  (HOMA-IR)  were  assayed  by  homeostasis  model  assessment method. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS Windows version 11.5. The  median  (range)  fasting  serum  insulin  of  control  and T2DM subjects  were  14.7  (1.9-45.9)  and  18.1 (4.1-42.8), respectively. The median (range) serum adiponectin (?g/ml) of the control and  T2DM  subjects  were  8.7  (0.8-16.0)  and  6.2  (1.1-22.4).  The  serum  adiponectin  of  T2DM  was  significantly lower than the control subjects (p < 0.001). The median (range) HOMA%B values  of control and T2DM subjects were 160.1 (33.4-493.4) and 100.5 (17.7-349.3), respectively. The  median  HOMA%B  of  T2DM  subjects  was  significantly  lower  than  the  control  subjects  (p  <  0.001).  The  median  (range)  HOMA%S  values  of  control  and  T2DM  subjects  were  44.2  (9.8-339.4)  and  32.8  (14.3-154.7),  respectively.  The  median  HOMA%S  of  T2DM  group  was  significantly lower than the control subjects (p < 0.05). The median (range) HOMA-IR of control  and T2DM subjects were 3.5 (0.5-11.4) and 5.8 (1.0-28.3), respectively. The median HOMA-IR  of T2DM subjects was significantly higher than the control subjects (p < 0.001). The results of  the  study  suggest  that  T2DM  subjects  have  both  insulin  secretory  defects,  insulin  resistance  and associated with lower serum adiponectin level in Bangladeshi population.Mediscope Vol. 2, No. 2: July 2015, Pages 16-21
A comparison of drug treatment outcome of irritable bowel syndrome patients with and without education: a randomized controlled study
Authors: Paik B , Sarker Sk , Chowdhury PK , Ahmed MS
Published: October 2015

The objective of the prospective randomized controlled comparative study to explore about the role of education in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a chronic continuous or remittent gastrointestinal illness characterized by frequent unexplained symptoms that include abdominal pain, bloating and bowel disturbance. The patients who fulfilled the set criteria of this study and had normal physical examination were considered to undergo screening investigations (Hb%, TC, DC, ESR, blood glucose, serum TSH, stool for R/M/E and short colonoscopy or double contrast barium enema) to exclude any organic disease. In order to administer the same pharmacological treatment only diarrhea predominant patients without any organic disease were recruited for the present study. The number of recruited patients was 80. Of them, 40 patients were given only pharmacological management with Mebeverine Hydrochloride 135 mg thrice daily half an hour before meal and Amitryptyline 10 mg at night for 6 months, and the other 40 patients were given education by a structured and planned educational class for 1 hr in addition to the same pharmacological treatment. In both groups, changes of symptoms and quality of life of the patients were assessed by using a valid IBS related quality of life (IBS-QOL) instrument. The results showed that significant improvement occurred in both the groups of patients at 1 month and 6 months in respect to their baseline IBS-QOL score. But the improvement was not significantly higher in the group with education in comparison to the group without education. Therefore, it can be concluded that the educational class had no extra impact on drug treatment protocol for IBS used in the present study.Mediscope Vol. 2, No. 2: July 2015, Pages 22-27
Residual analysis of selected pesticides in cucumber and spinach collected from local markets of Mymensingh sadar
Authors: Islam MA , Islam MZ , Hossain MK
Published: October 2015

To explore the chemical contamination of vegetables available in local market of Mymensingh this research work undertaken for detection and quantification of the presence of pesticides. Standard pesticides and GC (Gas Chromatography) were used to confirm their retention times and area of eluted peaks. By comparing the retention times of standards and samples, confirmation of residual presence of pesticides were studied. A result revealed that residue of a fungicide (Common Name: Mancozeb, a.i: Symoxanil 72 wp) was found in one Cucumber sample out of three where 50 ppm quantified. On the other hand, out of 3 spinach samples, 1 of them showed presence of a insecticide (Common name: imidachloropid; a.i.: imidachloropid 20 SL) residues, which quantified as 35 ppm. Residual quantity determined in cucumber sample of BAUSesh More and spinach sample of Kewatkhali market, Mymensingh. To clarify the existing scenario in respect of all pesticide residues in vegetable sample, it would be necessary to develop all facilities for a modern analytical laboratories and skilled manpower. It may be useful for creating awareness about the available vegetables in consumers and farmers community.Progressive Agriculture 26:38-44, 2015
Storage diseases of onion under variable conditions
Authors: Mahmud MS , Monjil MS
Published: October 2015

Onion (Allium cepa L.) is an important and familiar spice as well as vegetable crop throughout the world. Storage rot due to various diseases caused by bulb rotting fungi is a major constrain for storing onion year-round in Bangladesh. The fungi associated with onion collected from different markets of Mymensingh, Naogaon and Sathkhira districts of Bangladesh were studied aiming to record the incidence of storage diseases as well as storage variability and conditions on disease incidence of onion. Disease incidence was recorded from storage of the retailers in two local varieties of onion,viz.,Taherpuri, Faridpuri and one Indian variety Pusa Red. Initially, infected onion bulbs were found maximum in Faridpuri and minimum amount was found in Pusa Red. Month-wise disease incidence showed that highest number of infected onion bulbs was found in Pusa Red and lowest number of infected bulbs was found in Taherpuri. Similarly highest disease incidence (%) was recorded in Pusa Red and lowest disease incidence (%) was recorded in Therpuri. Among the different markets average number of fungal infected bulbs was highest in the samples collected from Dhamoirhat bazaar of Naogaon district and lowest in the samples collected from Natun bazaar of Mymensingh district. Highest infected bulbs were found in onions stored in cold room (6°C) followed by Free floor and Bamboo basket. Lowest infected bulbs were found in onions stored in dried sands followed by net-bag and jute bag. Thus, the fungal diseases in storage are higher in large sized onion bulbs than indigenous small sized onions and in cold room (6°C) than net-bag or jute bag.Progressive Agriculture 26:45-50, 2015
Optimization of Variable Stiffness Laminates and Sandwiches Undergoing Impulsive Dynamic Loading
Authors: Icardi Ugo , Sola Federico
Published: October 2015

This paper, which deals with variable stiffness composites, is aimed at showing the effects of optimization on the response characteristics and stress fields of these materials. A new optimization technique that has recently been developed is used to find spatially variable distributions of stiffness properties at any point, which minimize the interlaminar stresses without significant stiffness loss. After solving the Euler–Lagrange equations obtained by the strain energy extremization with varying the stiffness properties, curvilinear paths of fibres are found in closed form that modify natural frequencies, improve dynamic response and aid in recovery of critical interlaminar stresses. In the current version of the optimization technique, a more realistic description of the optimized shear coefficients is provided in order to accurately describe local effects. As a structural model, a zig-zag model with variable through-the-thickness kinematics is adopted, which is able to adapt itself to variations in solutions, thus providing accurate results from constitutive equations. This model is adopted because an accurate description of strain energy is mandatory for an effective application of the optimization procedure proposed. The numerical results show that the optimization procedure effectively recovers the stress concentrations while simultaneously improving the dynamic response of laminates and sandwiches.
Performance of Northwest Washington Heirloom Dry Bean Varieties in Organic Production
Authors: Miles Carol , Atterberry Kelly , Brouwer Brook
Published: October 2015

This two-year study compared nine northwest Washington dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) heirloom (H) varieties with 11 standard (S) commercial varieties in matching market classes using organic, non-irrigated production practices. Heirloom and standard varieties differed in days to harvest (DTH) (110 DTH and 113 DTH, respectively), while both days to harvest (113 DTH and 110 DTH) and yield (2268 kg∙ha−1 and 1625 kg∙ha−1) were greater in 2013 than in 2014. Varieties with the shortest DTH both years were “Bale” (H), “Coco” (H), “Decker” (H), “Ireland Creek Annie” (H and S), “Kring” (H) and “Rockwell” (H). Varieties that had the highest yield both years were “Eclipse” (S), “Lariat” (S) and “Youngquist Brown” (H). Only “Eclipse” (S) had the shortest cooking time both years, while “Rockwell” (H), “Silver Cloud” (S) and “Soldier” (S) had short cooking times in 2013, and “Orca” (S) and “Youngquist Brown” (H) had short cooking time in 2014. Varieties with the highest protein content both years were “Calypso” (S), “Coco” (S) and “Silver Cloud” (S). Further research should investigate yield of early maturing standard varieties, with a focus on color-patterned beans that are attractive for local markets.
Radiation Balance of Urban Materials and Their Thermal Impact in Semi-Desert Region: Mexicali, México Study Case
Authors: Santillán-Soto Néstor , García-Cueto Rafael , Haro-Rincón Zalia , Ojeda-Benítez Sara , Quintero-Núñez Margarito , Velázquez-Limón Nicolás
Published: October 2015

Net radiation is an essential forcing of climate in the lower layers of Earth’s atmosphere. In this paper, radiation balance is measured in clay soil and green grass, and is compared with three urban materials. These materials: asphalt, concrete and white painted elastomeric polystyrene roofing sheet are widely used in Mexicali, Baja California, México. This study was carried out during August of 2011, the hottest time of the year. The 24-hour average values of net radiation found were: 137.2 W·m−2 for asphalt, 119.1 for concrete, 104.6 for clay soil, 152 for green grass and 29.2 for the polystyrene insulation. The latter two types of materials are likely to be the most effective in reducing urban heat island effects. This variation in the radiation balance has widespread implications for human living conditions, as land cover change tends to be towards surfaces that have higher levels of net radiation.
Hypermethylation of MAPK13 Promoter in Oesophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Is Associated with Loss of p38δ MAPK Expression
Authors: O' Callaghan Carol , Fanning Liam , Barry Orla
Published: October 2015

The loss of tumour suppressor gene function is a hallmark of malignant transformation and can occur by a variety of genetic and/or epigenetic alterations. We have previously characterised p38δ mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) as a tumour suppressor in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OESCC) and outlined how loss of p38δ MAPK expression promotes increased proliferation and migration, as well as reduced chemosensitivity. Our aim was to investigate the underlying molecular causes of loss of p38δ MAPK expression in OESCC. Sequence analysis of DNA from p38δ MAPK positive and p38δ MAPK negative OESCC cell lines was used to investigate potential loss of function causing mutations. Epigenetic control of p38δ expression in OESCC was examined using methylation-specific PCR and sequencing of bisulfite-converted DNA. We did not identify any mutations in the MAPK13 sequence in OESCC cell lines which lack p38δ MAPK expression. However, we identified a differential pattern of methylation between p38δ MAPK positive and p38δ MAPK negative cell lines. We outline here for the first time differential MAPK13 promoter methylation in OESCC. Our results suggest that epigenetic alterations are responsible, in part, for the suppression of p38δ MAPK expression and promotion of tumourigenesis in OESCC.
Information Dynamics in the Interaction between a Prey and a Predator Fish
Authors: Hu Feng , Nie Li-Juan , Fu Shi-Jian
Published: October 2015

Accessing information efficiently is vital for animals to make the optimal decisions, and it is particularly important when they are facing predators. Yet until now, very few quantitative conclusions have been drawn about the information dynamics in the interaction between animals due to the lack of appropriate theoretic measures. Here, we employ transfer entropy (TE), a new information-theoretic and model-free measure, to explore the information dynamics in the interaction between a predator and a prey fish. We conduct experiments in which a predator and a prey fish are confined in separate parts of an arena, but can communicate with each other visually and tactilely. TE is calculated on the pair’s coarse-grained state of the trajectories. We find that the prey’s TE is generally significantly bigger than the predator’s during trials, which indicates that the dominant information is transmitted from predator to prey. We then demonstrate that the direction of information flow is irrelevant to the parameters used in the coarse-grained procedures. We further calculate the prey’s TE at different distances between it and the predator. The resulted figure shows that there is a high plateau in the mid-range of the distance and that drops quickly at both the near and the far ends. This result reflects that there is a sensitive space zone where the prey is highly vigilant of the predator’s position.
Quantifying Emergent Behavior of Autonomous Robots
Authors: Martius Georg , Olbrich Eckehard
Published: October 2015

Quantifying behaviors of robots which were generated autonomously from task-independent objective functions is an important prerequisite for objective comparisons of algorithms and movements of animals. The temporal sequence of such a behavior can be considered as a time series and hence complexity measures developed for time series are natural candidates for its quantification. The predictive information and the excess entropy are such complexity measures. They measure the amount of information the past contains about the future and thus quantify the nonrandom structure in the temporal sequence. However, when using these measures for systems with continuous states one has to deal with the fact that their values will depend on the resolution with which the systems states are observed. For deterministic systems both measures will diverge with increasing resolution. We therefore propose a new decomposition of the excess entropy in resolution dependent and resolution independent parts and discuss how they depend on the dimensionality of the dynamics, correlations and the noise level. For the practical estimation we propose to use estimates based on the correlation integral instead of the direct estimation of the mutual information based on next neighbor statistics because the latter allows less control of the scale dependencies. Using our algorithm we are able to show how autonomous learning generates behavior of increasing complexity with increasing learning duration.
Numerical Analysis on the Optimization of Hydraulic Fracture Networks
Authors: Zhang Zhaobin , Li Xiao , Yuan Weina , He Jianming , Li Guanfang , Wu Yusong
Published: October 2015

The clear understanding of hydraulic fracture network complexity and the optimization of fracture network configuration are important to the hydraulic fracturing treatment of shale gas reservoirs. For the prediction of hydraulic fracture network configuration, one of the problems is the accurate representation of natural fractures. In this work, a real natural fracture network is reconstructed from shale samples. Moreover, a virtual fracture system is proposed to simulate the large number of small fractures that are difficult to identify. A numerical model based on the displacement discontinuity method is developed to simulate the fluid-rock coupling system. A dimensionless stress difference that is normalized by rock strength is proposed to quantify the anisotropy of crustal stress. The hydraulic fracturing processes under different stress conditions are simulated. The most complex fracture configurations are obtained when the maximum principle stress direction is perpendicular to the principle natural fracture direction. In contrast, the worst results are obtained when these two directions are parallel to each other. Moreover, the side effects of the unfavorable geological conditions caused by crustal stress anisotropy can be partly suppressed by increasing the viscous effect of the fluid.
Integrating Auto-Associative Neural Networks with Hotelling T2 Control Charts for Wind Turbine Fault Detection
Authors: Yang Hsu-Hao , Huang Mei-Ling , Yang Shih-Wei
Published: October 2015

This paper presents a novel methodology to detect a set of more suitable attributes that may potentially contribute to emerging faults of a wind turbine. The set of attributes were selected from one-year historical data for analysis. The methodology uses the k-means clustering method to process outlier data and verifies the clustering results by comparing quartiles of boxplots, and applies the auto-associative neural networks to implement the residual approach that transforms the data to be approximately normally distributed. Hotelling T2 multivariate quality control charts are constructed for monitoring the turbine’s performance and relative contribution of each attribute is calculated for the data points out of upper limits to determine the set of potential attributes. A case using the historical data and the alarm log is given and illustrates that our methodology has the advantage of detecting a set of susceptible attributes at the same time compared with only one independent attribute is monitored.
COBRA-Seq: Sensitive and Quantitative Methylome Profiling
Authors: Varinli Hilal , Statham Aaron , Clark Susan , Molloy Peter , Ross Jason
Published: October 2015

Combined Bisulfite Restriction Analysis (COBRA) quantifies DNA methylation at a specific locus. It does so via digestion of PCR amplicons produced from bisulfite-treated DNA, using a restriction enzyme that contains a cytosine within its recognition sequence, such as TaqI. Here, we introduce COBRA-seq, a genome wide reduced methylome method that requires minimal DNA input (0.1–1.0 mg) and can either use PCR or linear amplification to amplify the sequencing library. Variants of COBRA-seq can be used to explore CpG-depleted as well as CpG-rich regions in vertebrate DNA. The choice of enzyme influences enrichment for specific genomic features, such as CpG-rich promoters and CpG islands, or enrichment for less CpG dense regions such as enhancers. COBRA-seq coupled with linear amplification has the additional advantage of reduced PCR bias by producing full length fragments at high abundance. Unlike other reduced representative methylome methods, COBRA-seq has great flexibility in the choice of enzyme and can be multiplexed and tuned, to reduce sequencing costs and to interrogate different numbers of sites. Moreover, COBRA-seq is applicable to non-model organisms without the reference genome and compatible with the investigation of non-CpG methylation by using restriction enzymes containing CpA, CpT, and CpC in their recognition site.
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Medical Students: Letter from China
Authors: Liu Mengxue , Jiang Chengsheng , Donovan Connor , Wen Yufeng , Sun Wenjie
Published: October 2015

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the knowledge of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) among Chinese medical students. Methods: A structured questionnaire on MERS was conducted among 214 medical students in China. Results: The average correction of the single question varied from 36.0% to 89.7%. There is a significant difference on MERS knowledge among different majors of medical students (p < 0.05). Management students scored significantly higher than students of other majors (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Chinese medical students had good knowledge of MERS. The MERS knowledge score varied among students of different majors. Education on disease control should be included in the school curriculum.
On the Science-Policy Bridge: Do Spatial Heat Vulnerability Assessment Studies Influence Policy?
Authors: Wolf Tanja , Chuang Wen-Ching , McGregor Glenn
Published: October 2015

Human vulnerability to heat varies at a range of spatial scales, especially within cities where there can be noticeable intra-urban differences in heat risk factors. Mapping and visualizing intra-urban heat vulnerability offers opportunities for presenting information to support decision-making. For example the visualization of the spatial variation of heat vulnerability has the potential to enable local governments to identify hot spots of vulnerability and allocate resources and increase assistance to people in areas of greatest need. Recently there has been a proliferation of heat vulnerability mapping studies, all of which, to varying degrees, justify the process of vulnerability mapping in a policy context. However, to date, there has not been a systematic review of the extent to which the results of vulnerability mapping studies have been applied in decision-making. Accordingly we undertook a comprehensive review of 37 recently published papers that use geospatial techniques for assessing human vulnerability to heat. In addition, we conducted an anonymous survey of the lead authors of the 37 papers in order to establish the level of interaction between the researchers as science information producers and local authorities as information users. Both paper review and author survey results show that heat vulnerability mapping has been used in an attempt to communicate policy recommendations, raise awareness and induce institutional networking and learning, but has not as yet had a substantive influence on policymaking or preventive action.
Level and Contamination Assessment of Soil along an Expressway in an Ecologically Valuable Area in Central Poland
Authors: Radziemska Maja , Fronczyk Joanna
Published: October 2015

Express roads are a potential source of heavy metal contamination in the surrounding environment. The Warsaw Expressway (E30) is one of the busiest roads in the capital of Poland and cuts through the ecologically valuable area (Mazowiecki Natural Landscape Park). Soil samples were collected at distances of 0.5, 4.5 and 25 m from the expressway. The concentrations of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) were determined in the soils by the flame atomic absorption spectrometry method (FAAS). Soils located in the direct proximity of the analyzed stretch of road were found to have the highest values of pH and electrical conductivity (EC), which decreased along with an increase in the distance from the expressway. The contents of Cd, Cu and Zn were found to be higher than Polish national averages, whereas the average values of Ni and Pb were not exceeded. The pollution level was estimated based on the geo-accumulation index (Igeo), and the pollution index (PI). The results of Igeo and PI indexes revealed the following orders: Cu < Zn < Ni < Cd < Pb and Cu < Ni < Cd < Zn < Pb, and comparison with geochemical background values showed higher concentration of zinc, lead and cadmium.
Focusing on the Environment to Improve Youth Participation: Experiences and Perspectives of Occupational Therapists
Authors: Anaby Dana , Law Mary , Teplicky Rachel , Turner Laura
Published: October 2015

The environment plays a key role in supporting children’s participation and can serve as a focus of intervention. This study aimed to elicit the perceptions and experiences of occupational therapists who had applied the PREP approach—Pathways and Resources for Engagement and Participation. PREP is a novel 12-week intervention for youth with physical disabilities, aimed at improving participation in leisure community-based activities by modifying aspects of the environment. Using a qualitative post-intervention only design, 12 therapists took part in individual semi-structured interviews, in which the therapists reflected on their experience using PREP to enable participation. A thematic analysis was conducted. Four themes emerged from the data; two of which were informative in nature, describing elements of the PREP intervention that target multi-layered composition of the environment and use strategies that involve leveraging resources and problem solving. The two remaining themes were reflective in nature, illustrating a new take on the Occupational Therapy role and re-positioning the concept of participation in therapy practices. Results emphasize aspects of the environment that can serve as effective targets of intervention, guided by the PREP approach. Findings can broaden the scope and focus of occupational therapy practice by redefining views on participation and the environment.
TARGET2 Imbalances and the ECB as Lender of Last Resort
Authors: Purificato Francesco , Astarita Caterina
Published: October 2015

This paper analyses the issue of the dynamics of the TARGET2 system balances during the sovereign debt crisis, when some countries registered a decisive inflow of the central bank liquidity and others showed an outflow. The dynamics in the TARGET2 are here explained as being due to a fall in the level of confidence in the capacity of the Economic and Monetary Union to survive, rather than to disparities in the level of competitiveness among countries of the Eurozone. This crisis of confidence has to be considered as the consequence of the implicit refusal of the European institutions to create a mechanism working as lender of last resort for the euro area member States; indeed, only when the ECB took this responsibility by launching the Outright Monetary Transactions clear signs of improvement were observed in the sovereign debt crisis.
Early Flood Detection for Rapid Humanitarian Response: Harnessing Near Real-Time Satellite and Twitter Signals
Authors: Jongman Brenden , Wagemaker Jurjen , Romero Beatriz , De Perez Erin
Published: October 2015

Humanitarian organizations have a crucial role in response and relief efforts after floods. The effectiveness of disaster response is contingent on accurate and timely information regarding the location, timing and impacts of the event. Here we show how two near-real-time data sources, satellite observations of water coverage and flood-related social media activity from Twitter, can be used to support rapid disaster response, using case-studies in the Philippines and Pakistan. For these countries we analyze information from disaster response organizations, the Global Flood Detection System (GFDS) satellite flood signal, and flood-related Twitter activity analysis. The results demonstrate that these sources of near-real-time information can be used to gain a quicker understanding of the location, the timing, as well as the causes and impacts of floods. In terms of location, we produce daily impact maps based on both satellite information and social media, which can dynamically and rapidly outline the affected area during a disaster. In terms of timing, the results show that GFDS and/or Twitter signals flagging ongoing or upcoming flooding are regularly available one to several days before the event was reported to humanitarian organizations. In terms of event understanding, we show that both GFDS and social media can be used to detect and understand unexpected or controversial flood events, for example due to the sudden opening of hydropower dams or the breaching of flood protection. The performance of the GFDS and Twitter data for early detection and location mapping is mixed, depending on specific hydrological circumstances (GFDS) and social media penetration (Twitter). Further research is needed to improve the interpretation of the GFDS signal in different situations, and to improve the pre-processing of social media data for operational use.
miR-134 Modulates the Proliferation of Human Cardiomyocyte Progenitor Cells by Targeting Meis2
Authors: Wu Ya-Han , Zhao Hong , Zhou Li-Ping , Zhao Chun-Xia , Wu Yu-Fei , Zhen Li-Xiao , Li Jun , Ge Dong-Xia , Xu Liang , Lin Li , Liu Yi , Liang Dan-Dan , Chen Yi-Han
Published: October 2015

Cardiomyocyte progenitor cells play essential roles in early heart development, which requires highly controlled cellular organization. microRNAs (miRs) are involved in various cell behaviors by post-transcriptional regulation of target genes. However, the roles of miRNAs in human cardiomyocyte progenitor cells (hCMPCs) remain to be elucidated. Our previous study showed that miR-134 was significantly downregulated in heart tissue suffering from congenital heart disease, underlying the potential role of miR-134 in cardiogenesis. In the present work, we showed that the upregulation of miR-134 reduced the proliferation of hCMPCs, as determined by EdU assay and Ki-67 immunostaining, while the inhibition of miR-134 exhibited an opposite effect. Both up- and downregulation of miR-134 expression altered the transcriptional level of cell-cycle genes. We identified Meis2 as the target of miR-134 in the regulation of hCMPC proliferation through bioinformatic prediction, luciferase reporter assay and western blot. The over-expression of Meis2 mitigated the effect of miR-134 on hCMPC proliferation. Moreover, miR-134 did not change the degree of hCMPC differentiation into cardiomyocytes in our model, suggesting that miR-134 is not required in this process. These findings reveal an essential role for miR-134 in cardiomyocyte progenitor cell biology and provide new insights into the physiology and pathology of cardiogenesis.