bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anatomical consideration for safe pericardiocentesis assessed by three‐dimensional computed tomography: Should an anterior or posterior approach be used?
Authors: Teranishi Jin , Okajima Katsunori , Kiuchi Kunihiko , Shimane Akira , Fukuzawa Koji , Kanda Gaku , Yokoi Kiminobu , Yamada Shinichiro , Taniguchi Yasuyo , Yasaka Yoshinori , Kawai Hiroya
Published: April 2014

Background

The efficacy of epicardial catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia has been reported. However, the safest anatomical method for pericardial puncture has not been determined.

Methods

Thirty patients who underwent 3‐dimensional computed tomography (3D‐CT) preceding catheter ablations for atrial fibrillation were enrolled in this study. We used the skin surface 1 cm below the xiphisternum as the puncture site. For the anterior approach, the attainment site was the pericardium of the mid portion of right ventricular anterior site, and for the posterior approach it was the pericardium of the inferior ventricular site. The distance and the angle between the 2 sites were measured using 3D‐CT.

Results

For the anterior approach, the distance was 54±11 mm and the needle angle was 37±11° toward the left scapula and 34±12° towards the back of the body. For the posterior approach, the distance was 56±10 mm and the corresponding needle angles were 60±9° and 86±13°. The distance correlated with BMI for the anterior and posterior approaches (anterior approach: r2=0.43, P<0.001; posterior approach: r2=0.49, P<0.001). Liver existed along the pathway of the posterior approach in 11 (37%) of 30 patients, and through in 2 (18%) of 11 patients. The liver and lung were not located along the pathway of the anterior approach in any patients.

Conclusions

Performing subxiphoid pericardiocentesis is anatomically safer via the anterior approach than via the posterior approach.
Underestimation of the coexistence of iron deficiencies and thalassemia minors: a single institution experience in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Chung‐King , Chen Ling‐Ping , Chang Hsiu‐Lin , Sung Yung‐Chuan
Published: April 2014

Some physicians neglect the possible coexistence of an iron deficiency with a thalassemia minor and do not treat the iron deficiency accordingly. This motivated us to conduct this study. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 3892 patients who visited our clinics and had hemoglobin (Hb) electrophoreses performed in our hematologic laboratory from August 1, 2007 to December 31, 2012. The thalassemia minors were identified by characteristic complete blood count (CBC) parameters obtained from an autoanalyzer and Hb electrophoresis, and some cases were confirmed with molecular tests. Then, we checked iron studies [ferritin and/or serum iron with total iron‐binding capacity (TIBC)] to determine the coexistence of an iron deficiency with a thalassemia minor and a response to iron, if such treatments were given. We found 792 cases with thalassemia minors, and excluded those without iron studies, with 661 cases as our sample. A total of 202/661 cases (31%) also had iron deficiencies. They had lower red blood cell (RBC) counts, Hb, and ferritin levels as compared to those thalassemia minor cases without coexistence of iron deficiencies. We concluded that the thalassemia minor patients did not have iron overload complications in our population. On the contrary, iron deficiencies commonly coexist in the clinical visits. We propose that if Hb < 11.5 g/dL in a case of thalassemia minor, one should screen for iron deficiency simultaneously. The sensitivity is 79.8% and the specificity is 82.6%. Therefore, physicians should be aware of this coexisting condition, and know how to recognize and treat it accordingly.
A geochronologic framework for the Ziegler Reservoir fossil site, Snowmass Village, Colorado
Authors: Mahan Shannon A. , Gray Harrison J. , Pigati Jeffrey S. , Wilson Jim , Lifton Nathaniel A. , Paces James B. , Blaauw Maarten
Published: April 2014

The Ziegler Reservoir fossil site near Snowmass Village, Colorado (USA), provides a unique opportunity to reconstruct high-altitude paleoenvironmental conditions in the Rocky Mountains during the Last Interglacial Period. We used four different techniques to establish a chronological framework for the site. Radiocarbon dating of lake organics, bone collagen, and shell carbonate, andin situcosmogenic10Be and26Al ages on a boulder on the crest of a moraine that impounded the lake suggest that the ages of the sediments that hosted the fossils are between ~140 ka and >45 ka. Uranium-series ages of vertebrate remains generally fall within these bounds, but extremely low uranium concentrations and evidence of open-system behavior limit their utility. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages (n = 18) obtained from fine-grained quartz maintain stratigraphic order, were replicable, and provide reliable ages for the lake sediments. Analysis of the equivalent dose (DE) dispersion of the OSL samples showed that the sediments were fully bleached prior to deposition and low scatter suggests that eolian processes were likely the dominant transport mechanism for fine-grained sediments into the lake. The resulting ages show that the fossil-bearing sediments span the latest part of Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 6, all of MIS 5 and MIS 4, and the earliest part of MIS 3.
Effects of indoor swimming pools on the nasal cytology of pool workers
Authors: Erkul E , Yaz A , Cİngİ C , İnançlI H M , San T , Bal C
Published: April 2014

Objective:

We aimed to evaluate the relationship between swimming pool pollutants and allergic rhinitis in swimming pool workers.

Materials and methods:

Twenty-seven indoor pool workers (group 1) and 49 control subjects (group 2) were enrolled in the study. A skin prick test was performed and a nasal smear was obtained from each subject to evaluate rhinitis.

Results:

When the groups were compared in terms of epithelial cells, group 1 had significantly more epithelial cells than group 2. When the groups were compared with regard to eosinophils, group 1 had significantly more eosinophils than group 2. The skin prick test results for both groups were not significantly different.

Conclusion:

Indoor pool workers showed severe symptoms of rhinitis and eosinophilic nasal cytology, likely due to chlorine. Nasal cytology is an easy-to-administer diagnostic test and can be used to follow up rhinitis in indoor pool workers, along with nasal endoscopy, a detailed clinical history and a skin prick test.
“The Chief Characteristical Mark of the True Church”: John Locke's Theology of Toleration and His Case for Civil Religion
Authors: Herold Aaron L.
Published: April 2014

This essay argues that Locke'sReasonableness of Christianityprovides a morally robust argument for religious pluralism—one which avoids the pitfalls of relativism and official neutrality by elucidating the need for a civil religion of toleration. The work thus contains Locke's friendly critique of his more radical Enlightenment contemporaries who had openly debunked the Bible. This critique is friendly, I argue, because Locke ultimately agrees with Spinoza and Hobbes about revelation, miracles, and religion's psychological causes. While Locke joined these thinkers in a common project to make Christianity less sacrificial and friendlier to enlightened selfishness, his analysis also reveals the need to retain some of its self-abnegating spirit in liberalism's service. But Locke has difficulty accounting for that spirit itself, and this problem in one of liberalism's original theorists may help explain the dissatisfactions and anxieties troubling tolerant societies today.
Bad Education: Pity, Moral Learning, and the Limits of Rousseauan Friendship
Authors: Warner John
Published: April 2014

Despite a recent resurgence of interest in friendship and a seemingly inexhaustible fascination with Rousseau, scholars have neglected Rousseau's conception of friendship. The work that does exist emphasizes friendship's ability to inculcate virtue, and moors Rousseau to the classical notion that friendship catalyzes ethical improvement. However, Rousseau lowers the aim of friendship by decoupling it from the process of moral learning and putting limits on the degree of intimacy between friends. The argument is made in four steps. First, Rousseau's theory of friendship differs from its relevant predecessors in both origin and end. Second, the effort to ground friendship in pity bounds emotional intimacy, since pity introduces elements of character difference as well as sameness. Third, Rousseauan friendship fails to catalyze virtue and is successful instead in providing consolation. Finally, the essay considers the function of friendship in a Rousseauan polity.
The Psychological Dangers of Positive Liberty: Reconstructing a Neglected Undercurrent in Isaiah Berlin's “Two Concepts of Liberty”
Authors: Gustavsson Gina
Published: April 2014

Berlin is often taken to have exaggerated his case against positive liberty, since contrary to what he seems to argue, several versions of it do not logically justify coercion. A more historical interpretation of his warnings may save him from this accusation, yet on the other hand suggests his message is of little relevance for contemporary liberalism. In contrast to both these approaches, this essay considers a third and largely neglected aspect of “Two Concepts of Liberty,” that speaks more directly to the challenges facing liberalism today: Berlin's warning that positive liberty invites the specific kind of coercion that parades as liberation, and that it does so according to a psychologically predictable pattern. After reconstructing this undercurrent in Berlin's critique of positive liberty, this essay also considers the relevance of Berlin's warnings to contemporary European debates on banning the Muslim veil in the name of liberation.
Atatürk and After: Three Perspectives on Political Change in Turkey
Authors: Kissane Bill
Published: April 2014

The retaking of Gezi Park by the Turkish police began on June 11, 2013. The government's aim was to “clear banners from the Atatürk Cultural Centre and the statue of Atatürk.” The center, built in Istanbul's Taksim square in the 1960s, in order to advertise the Western identity of the new Republic, after a military coup, is eventually to be replaced as part of urban redevelopment schemes. Whether Atatürk's general legacy is secure in contemporary Turkey is open to debate. The electoral victory of the AKP party in 2002 had weakened the ability of the secular elite to prevent change. Many Gezi Park protestors saw the AKP's legislation as a growing threat to their lifestyles. Yet the AKP's victory was also seen as a vindication of democracy, and it look little time before a “Turkish model” began to be promoted for the Middle East. The Gezi Park protests raise the question of what really has changed since 2002. This article discusses three books. The first studies Atatürk's ideas. The second, focused more on popular culture, traces changes in identities. The third discusses change in the state-society relationship. The concluding section relates them to the question of democracy in Turkey.
Budgeting and implementing fiscal policy in Italy
Authors: Cepparulo Alessandra , Gastaldi Francesca , Giuriato Luisa , Sacchi Agnese
Published: April 2014

Forecast errors in budgetary variables are frequent. When systematic, they are a source of concern, as they signal misconduct in fiscal policymaking, undermine the government’s credibility and compromise long-term fiscal sustainability. This paper analyses the characteristics of fiscal forecasting and implementation errors in Italy usingreal-timedata over the period 1998–2009. Several empirical methods are applied in order to identify the features of policymakers’ behaviour in preparing and implementing annual fiscal policy and to discover potential determinants in the formation of the implementation errors. Our results show that implemented budgetary plans systematically fall short one year ahead of ambitious planned adjustments for the main public finance aggregates. Fiscal illusion dominates revenue and GDP forecasting, and preliminary data releases are severely biased estimators of the final data, especially for expenditures. The role of the parliamentary session in driving a severe expenditure drift is confirmed.
New evidence for a Roman fort and vicus at Mizda (Tripolitania)
Authors: Schimmer Florian
Published: April 2014

The existence of a Roman military fort at the town of Mizda, about 150 km south of Tripoli, has long been assumed, in spite of scarce archaeological indications. A field survey, conducted recently in the area around the old town of Mizda, yielded an assemblage of pottery dating to the mid and late Roman periods. The pottery provides the first unequivocal evidence for a Roman settlement around (and beneath) the old town, most probably in the form of a fort and vicus.
New fieldwork at the Severan fort ofMyd(…)/Gheriat el-Garbia on thelimes Tripolitanus
Authors: Mackensen Michael
Published: April 2014

The most outstanding oasis fort of thelimes Tripolitanus, Myd(---)/Gheriat el-Garbia, saw the deployment of various military units between AD 198/201 and 275/80. Archaeological research in 2009/10 focussed on the fortifications, particularly the main and rear gates, the northern angle tower and interval towers 2 and 4 as well as the curtain wall at its south corner. The towers of theporta praetoriahave been reconstructed theoretically with three storeys, at an overall height ofc.12.5 m. Of the headquarters building two of the rear rooms, including the shrine, were excavated. A monumental inscription of a length ofc.9.0 m and corresponding architectural elements suggest the existence of agromabuilding. Completely unexpected by archaeologists as well as ancient historians and rather spectacular is a late Roman reoccupation of the military site: after a hiatus ofc.80+ years building activities were undertaken within the fort and repairs and the blocking of the main gate could be observed and probably attributed to the deployment of a unit oflimitaneibetween AD 360/80 (at the earliest) and 430/55. The reoccupied fort might be identified with the so far unknowncastra Madensia, where themilites munificeswere garrisoned (Notitia Dignitatum Occ.31, 30). Further evidence of occupation, possibly of a Libyan chieftain and his tribe, has been assigned to the second half of the fifth century, continuing thereafter until AD 540+.
Desert Migrations Project XVI: Radiocarbon Dates from the Murzuq Region, Southern Libya
Authors: Sterry Martin , Mattingly David , Higham Tom
Published: April 2014

This article concerns a series of 20 samples submitted for AMS radiocarbon dating from historic sites in the Libyan Sahara. The sites had been identified initially from remote sensing analysis, then visited on the ground in 2011 and organic samples suitable for a dating programme obtained. With the help of an award from the NERC-AHRC National Radiocarbon Facility, this initial suite of dates has been provided. The results are important in several ways. They demonstrate very clearly that settlement in this hyper-arid desert landscape reached its densest pattern in the late Garamantian era, broadly the fourth-fifth centuries AD. In the Islamic era that followed, though the overall population appears less dense, our dates throw light on several possible phases of settlement renewal.
DMP XIII: Reconnaissance Survey of Archaeological Sites in the Murzuq Area
Authors: Sterry Martin , Mattingly David , Ahmed Muftah , Savage Toby , White Kevin , Wilson Andrew
Published: April 2014

Reconnaissance survey in the Murzuq area, some 150 km south-east of Jarma, was carried out as part of the 2011 field programme of the Desert Migrations Project, with separate funding from the Leverhulme Trust for this element of work entitled the ‘Peopling the Desert Project’. This survey was designed to provide field verification of details of settlement systems identified and mapped from high-resolution satellite images in an area ofc. 600 km2immediately east of the oasis town of Murzuq. Examination of high-resolution QuickBird and Ikonos satellite imagery has permitted identification of a large dossier of more than 200 sites (fortified buildings known asqsur, other settlements, cemeteries, wells, fields/gardens and linear irrigation works called foggaras). The majority of these sites have never been previously noted or mapped and the date of the sites was unknown at the outset, though they clearly pertained to the historic periods. While further study of the finds and scientific dating evidence is required, the initial results of the brief field visit have major implications for our understanding of Garamantian and early Islamic settlement in south-eastern Fazzan.
DMP XIV: Prehistoric sites in the Wadi Barjuj, Fazzan, Libyan Sahara
Authors: Lahr Marta Mirazón , Foley Robert , Crivellaro Federica , Fernandez José Maillo , Wilshaw Alex , Copsey Ben , Rivera Frances , Mattingly David
Published: April 2014

This paper reports on the fifth season of fieldwork for the Palaeoanthropology part of the Desert Migrations Project. Previous seasons established an extensive archaeological map based on a wide survey of the rich record along the edges of the Ubari Sand Sea, a small area of the Messak Settafet, the Wadi al-Ajal, the Wadi ash-Shati and the Wadi Barjuj. These surveys, complemented with small excavations, demonstrated a deep prehistory to the Fazzan, with Mode 1 technologies, Acheulean, Mode 3 (classic Levallois, large blade technologies, and Aterian), and Late Stone Age and Neolithic assemblages, some with pottery and grinding stones. The focus of the 2011 season was the Wadi Barjuj. This is an extensive wadi system to the South of the Messak, running along the northern edge of the Murzuq Sand Sea, and draining towards the east. Geomorphologically, it comprises old channel cut and fill gravels, usually finely graded, with areas of ancient lacustrine duricrusts, some of which are elevated significantly above the landscape. Surveys, complementing those of 2008, revealed a particularly rich and extensive Holocene series of sites, with microliths, pottery and grinding stones. These sites indicate a dense early Holocene occupation which seems associated with both hunter-gatherers and pastoralists. In addition, there was a low frequency of MSA lithics (compared to other survey areas), although one extremely rich site (BJJ4) had a very large number of water-worn, highly diagnostic small bifaces, characteristics of some Africa MSA traditions. Acheulean was relatively rare. One restricted locality (BJJ6) provided further evidence for a Mode 1 presence in the region, similar to that reported earlier from the Messak and Wadi ash-Shati (Mirazón Lahr et al. 2009, 2010). The context for the finds suggests that at various points during the Pleistocene the Wadi Barjuj was a low lying, swampy and/or lacustrine region, possibly riverine at times, and attractive to hominin populations because of its relatively rich resource base. This paper describes the localities and finds underpinning these conclusions.
Cyrene Papers: The Final Report. Richard Norton's Exploration of the Northern Necropolis of Cyrene (24 October 1910 – 4 May 1911): From Archives to Archaeological Contexts
Authors: Santucci Anna , Uhlenbrock J.P.
Published: April 2014

The rock-cut tombs of Cyrene's Northern Necropolis have survived to the present day in a pitifully ruinous state because of the looting that has taken place since antiquity and because of their frequent re-use as dwellings or stables. An important archive of typewritten reports, photographs, sketches, and correspondence pertaining to this necropolis is preserved principally in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and documents the first officially-sanctioned archaeological excavation at Cyrene. This was conducted by an American archaeological mission lead by Richard Norton from October 1910 to the end of April 1911 and was jointly sponsored by the Archaeological Institute of America and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The documents, particularly those that chronicle the excavation of four tombs and their associated finds, represent an important resource for our understanding of the history of the exploration of this necropolis. They not only offer information on individual monuments, but they also illustrate the typological range of artefacts selected for funerary ritual from the late Classical period into the second century AD, but principally during the Hellenistic period. Additionally, the documents reveal particular funerary practices, such as the successive re-use of tombs that took place at least from the late Hellenistic period onwards.
Emperor's Dream to King's Folly: The Provenance of the Antiquities from Lepcis Magna Incorporated into the ‘Ruins’ at Virginia Water (part 2)
Authors: Lane Andrew
Published: April 2014

In the grounds of Windsor Great Park stands an elaborate folly in the form of an idealised classical ruin. Built at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the ruins are constructed almost entirely from reused material. This includes an important assemblage of antiquities from the Roman site of Lepcis Magna, in Libya. Whilst the origin of the collection has never been forgotten, there has been no attempt to establish the provenance of the individual elements. Through a process of comparison, this article establishes where most of the antiquities originated. Increasing our knowledge of both this important folly and the collection of incorporated antiquities, this article also explores the nature of Warrington's work at Lepcis Magna.
Innate Cosmopolitan Dialectics at the ICJ: Changing Perceptions of International Community, the Role of the Court, and the Legacy of Judge Álvarez
Authors: GORDON GEOFFREY
Published: April 2014

Traditional conceptions of the international community have come under stress in a time of expanding international public order. Various initiatives purport to observe a reconceived international community from a variety of perspectives: transnational, administrative, pluralist, constitutional, etc. The perspectives on this changing dynamic evidenced by the International Court of Justice, however, have been largely neglected. But as the principal judicial institution tasked with representing the diversity of legal perspectives in the world, the Court represents an important forum by which to understand the changing appreciation of international community. While decisions of the Court have been restrained, an active discourse has been carried forward among individual judges. I look at part of that discourse, organized around one perspective, which I refer to as innate cosmopolitanism, introduced to the forum of the ICJ by the opinions of Judge Álvarez. The innate cosmopolitan perspective reflects an idea of the international community as an autonomous collectivity, enjoying a will, interests, or ends of its own, independent of constituent states. The application of that perspective under international law is put most to test in matters of international security, in particular where the interest in a discrete, global public order runs up against the right to self-defence vested in states. The innate cosmopolitan perspective has not, in these cases, achieved a controlling position – but, over time, it has been part of a dialectical process showing a change in the appreciation of international community before the Court, and a changing perception from the bench of the role of the Court in that community.
Changing patterns and widening of antibiotic resistance inShigellaspp. over a decade (2000–2011), Andaman Islands, India
Authors: BHATTACHARYA D. , BHATTACHARYA H. , SAYI D. S. , BHARADWAJ A. P. , SINGHANIA M. , SUGUNAN A. P. , ROY S.
Published: April 2014

This study is a part of the surveillance study on childhood diarrhoea in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands; here we report the drug resistance pattern of recent isolates ofShigellaspp. (2006–2011) obtained as part of that study and compare it with that ofShigellaisolates obtained earlier during 2000–2005. During 2006–2011, stool samples from paediatric diarrhoea patients were collected and processed for isolation and identification ofShigellaspp. Susceptibility to 22 antimicrobial drugs was tested and minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined for third-generation cephalosporins, quinolones, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid combinations and gentamicin. A wide spectrum of antibiotic resistance was observed in theShigellastrains obtained during 2006–2011. The proportions of resistant strains showed an increase from 2000–2005 to 2006–2011 in 20/22 antibiotics tested. The number of drug resistance patterns increased from 13 in 2000–2005 to 43 in 2006–2011. Resistance to newer generation fluoroquinolones, third-generation cephalosporins and augmentin, which was not observed during 2000–2005, appeared during 2006–2011. The frequency of resistance inShigellaisolates has increased substantially between 2000–2006 and 2006–2011, with a wide spectrum of resistance. At present, the option for antimicrobial therapy in shigellosis in Andaman is limited to a small number of drugs.
Seroepidemiology ofToxoplasma gondiiinfection in free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) of Central Ethiopia
Authors: GEBREMEDHIN E. Z. , TESFAMARYAM G. , YUNUS H. A. , DUGUMA R. , TILAHUN G. , DI MARCO V. , VITALE M.
Published: April 2014

We performed a seroepidemiological study ofToxoplasma gondiiinfection in free-range chickens from October 2012 to May 2013. We used cross-sectional two-stage cluster sampling to collect blood samples from wing veins of 601 chickens from central Ethiopia.T. gondii-specific antibodies were assayed by modified agglutination test (MAT). We collected information about risk factors by questionnaire and used univariable and multivariable logistic regression to assess risk factors. An overall seroprevalence of 30·5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 26·27–34·14] and 54·2% (95% CI 47·06–61·36) was found at animal- and flock-level, respectively. The MAT end titre of seropositive chickens (n = 183) were 1 : 60 in 46, 1 : 180 in 28, 1 : 540 in 29, ⩾1 : 1620 in 48, 1 : 6000 in 22, 1 : 18 000 in five, 1 : 54 000 in one, and ⩾1 : 162 000 in four. Animal-level risk factors identified using multivariable logistic regression model were: midland altitude [odds ratio (OR) 2·53, 95% CI 1·12–5·72], cross and exotic breeds (OR 3·17, 95% CI 1·39–7·23), increased age of chickens (OR 2·32, 95% CI 1·19–4·49), extensive management (OR 6·92, 95% CI 1·34–35·86) and the presence of cats (OR 2·08, 95% CI 1·20–3·61). Similarly, flock-level risk factors were midland altitude (OR 3·62, 95% CI 1·31–9·99) and the presence of cats (OR 1·19–4·94). The knowledge of the local people about the health risk of cats to humans and animals is poor. Housing and management of cats and chickens are also poor. The widespread presence ofT. gondiiinfection in free-range chickens of Central Ethiopia provides suggestive evidence for the high level of contamination of the living environment of people withT. gondiioocysts. Meat from free-range chickens might be an important source of infection for humans. Altitude, breed, age, management and presence of cats are independent predictors of seropositivity. Education of farmers about toxoplasmosis and further studies to elucidate the burden of toxoplasmosis in animals and humans warrants consideration.
Genetic detection of Dobrava-Belgrade hantavirus in the edible dormouse (Glis glis) in central Serbia
Authors: STANOJEVIC M. , NIKOLIC V. , STAJKOVIC N. , STAMENKOVIC G. , BOZOVIC B. , CEKANAC R. , MARUSIC P. , GLIGIC A.
Published: April 2014

Hantaviruses are endemic in the Balkans, particularly in Serbia, where sporadic cases and/or outbreaks of hantaviral human disease have been reported repeatedly, and evidenced serologically. Here, we present genetic detection of Dobrava-Belgrade virus (DOBV) hantaviral sequences in wild rodents trapped in central Serbia. All the animals were pre-screened serologically by indirect immunofluorescence (IF) test and only those with a positive finding of hantaviral antigens were further tested by polymerase chain reaction. Of the total of 104 trapped animals, 20 were found to be IF positive and of those three were positive for hantaviral RNA: one Microtus arvalis for Tula virus, and one each of Apodemus agrarius and Glis glis for DOBV. Phylogenetic analysis of the obtained sequences implies putative DOBV spillover infection of A. agrarius and G. glis from Apodemus flavicollis. However, future investigations should help to identify the most common natural host and geographical distribution of DOBV in its reservoir hosts in Serbia.
Dietary availability in elderly Portuguese households
Authors: Santos Débora M , Rodrigues Sara SP , Oliveira Bruno MPM , de Almeida Maria Daniel V
Published: April 2014

Objective

To identify dietary availability and its time trends in elderly Portuguese households.

Design

A set of four cross-sectional studies based on the Household Budget Surveys was used. The dietary data were described using the daily per capita availability of food and beverages, energy and selected nutrients (macronutrients, different lipid fractions and simple sugars). Differences between elderly household types and time trends were studied.

Setting

Portuguese Household Budget Survey data from 1989/1990, 1994/1995, 2000/2001 and 2005/2006.

Subjects

Households with members aged ≥65 years were selected and categorized as solitary elderly female, solitary elderly male or couple (composed of one elderly female and one elderly male).

Results

While cereals, fats/oils, potatoes and sugar/sugar products decreased, an increase occurred in milk/milk products, fruits, bottled water, fruit/vegetable juices and soft drinks (P<0·05). The highest values for foods and beverages were mostly found in couples, while the lowest ones were from solitary males. Exceptions were observed for cereals, eggs, milk/milk products, vegetables, fruits and non-alcoholic beverages, higher in solitary females; and for sugar/sugar products and alcoholic beverages, higher in solitary males. Over time, total energy and carbohydrates decreased while proteins and saturated fatty acids increased (P<0·001). Lipids increased in solitary males and couples (P<0·05). Simple sugars increased in solitary males but decreased in solitary females and couples (P<0·05).

Conclusions

The increases in fruits and vegetables in solitary females accord with a healthier food pattern, but overall imbalances in the macronutrient profile for all elderly households may imply a decreasing diet quality.
Use of a new availability index to evaluate the effect of policy changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) on the food environment in New Orleans
Authors: O’Malley Keelia , Luckett Brian G , Dunaway Lauren Futrell , Bodor J Nicholas , Rose Donald
Published: April 2014

Objective

Changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) occurred in 2009 when supplemental foods offered through the programme were updated to align with current dietary recommendations. The present study reports on a new index developed to monitor the retail environment’s adoption of these new food supply requirements in New Orleans.

Design

A 100-point WIC Availability Index (WIC-AI) was derived from new minimum state stocking requirements for WIC vendors. A sample of supermarkets, medium and small food stores was assessed in 2009 before changes were implemented and in 2010 after revisions had gone into effect. WIC-AI scores were utilized to compare differences in meeting requirements by store type, WIC vendor status and year of measurement.

Setting

Supermarkets, medium and small WIC and non-WIC food stores in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Results

At baseline supermarkets had the highest median WIC-AI score (93·3) followed by medium (69·8) and small food stores (48·0). Small WIC stores had a higher median WIC-AI score at baseline than small non-WIC stores (66·9v. 38·0). Both medium and small WIC stores significantly increased their median WIC-AI scores between 2009 and 2010 (P<0·01). The increased median WIC-AI score in small food stores was largely attributed to increased availability of cereals and grains, juices and fruit, and infant fruit and vegetables.

Conclusions

The WIC-AI is a simple tool useful in summarizing complex food store environment data and may be adapted for use in other states or a national level to inform food policy decisions and direction.
‘How many calories are in my burrito?’ Improving consumers’ understanding of energy (calorie) range information
Authors: Liu Peggy J , Bettman James R , Uhalde Arianna R , Ubel Peter A
Published: April 2014

Objective

Energy (calorie) ranges currently appear on menu boards for customized menu items and will likely appear throughout the USA when menu-labelling legislation is implemented. Consumer welfare advocates have questioned whether energy ranges enable accurate energy estimates. In four studies, we examined: (i) whether energy range information improves energy estimation accuracy; (ii) whether misestimates persist because consumers misinterpret the meaning of the energy range end points; and (iii) whether energy estimates can be made more accurate by providing explicit information about the contents of items at the end points.

Design

Four studies were conducted, all randomized experiments.

Setting

Study 1 took place outside a Chipotle restaurant. Studies 2 to 4 took place online.

Subjects

Participants in study 1 were customers exiting a Chipotle restaurant (n306). Participants in studies 2 (n205), 3 (n290) and 4 (n874) were from an online panel.

Results

Energy ranges reduced energy misestimation across different menu items (studies 1–4). One cause of remaining misestimation was misinterpretation of the low end point’s meaning (study 2). Providing explicit information about the contents of menu items associated with energy range end points further reduced energy misestimation (study 3) across different menu items (study 4).

Conclusions

Energy range information improved energy estimation accuracy and defining the meaning of the end points further improved accuracy. We suggest that when restaurants present energy range information to consumers, they should explicitly define the meaning of the end points.
Mothers’ behaviour contributes to suboptimal iodine status of family members: findings from an iodine-sufficient area
Authors: Nazeri Pantea , Mirmiran Parvin , Asghari Golaleh , Shiva Nilufar , Mehrabi Yadollah , Azizi Fereidoun
Published: April 2014

Objective

Iodine deficiency still remains a major public health concern worldwide despite global progress in its elimination. The aims of the present study were to evaluate dietary iodine status in the mother and one adult member of each family and the association between mothers’ knowledge, attitude and behaviour and the dietary iodine status of adult family members in Tehran.

Design

In this cross-sectional study, 24 h urinary iodine and Na concentrations and the iodine content of household salt were measured. Mothers’ knowledge, attitude and behaviour were assessed using a questionnaire administered in face-to-face interviews.

Setting

Health-care centres from four distinct areas of Tehran.

Subjects

Mother–adult family member pairs aged ≥19 years (n290), enrolled through randomized cluster sampling.

Results

In mothers and adult family members, median 24 h urinary iodine concentration was 73 (interquartile range (IQR) 36–141) µg/l and 70 (IQR 34–131) µg/l, dietary iodine intake was 143 (IQR 28–249) µg/d and 130 (IQR 26–250) µg/d and dietary salt intake was 8·0 (IQR 5·9–10·2) g/d and 7·5 (IQR 5·3–10·0) g/d, respectively. Significant correlations were observed between mothers’ attitude and behaviour and the 24 h urinary iodine concentration, dietary iodine intake and iodine content of salt of adult family members. In multiple analysis, lower quartiles of salt iodine content and salt intake and inappropriate behaviour scores in mothers increased the risk of urinary iodine concentration <100 µg/l in adult family members.

Conclusions

The present study showed that mothers’ behaviour, but not knowledge and attitude, was among major contributors to the suboptimal dietary iodine status observed in adult family members.
Description of a teaching method for research education for palliative care healthcare professionals
Authors: Rhondali Wadih , My Thi Nguyen Linh , Peck Michelle , Vallet Fabienne , Daneault Serge , Filbet Marilene
Published: April 2014

Objective:

Despite the rapidly growing availability of palliative care services, there is still much to be done in order to better support clinicians who are starting research programs. Among the barriers identified in the literature, methodological issues and lack of research training programs are often reported. Our aim was to describe an educational research method for healthcare professionals working in palliative care and to report the result of a survey conducted among a three-year sample of students.

Method:

The course was provided for a multidisciplinary group and was open to all healthcare professionals involved in palliative care. It took place over a single session during a full day. We used a 20-question e-survey to assess student outcomes (e.g., satisfaction, current status of their project).

Results:

We received answers from 83 of the 119 students (70%) who took the course. The majority were physicians (n = 62, 75%), followed by nurses (n = 17, 21%). During the class, students assessed the role of the teacher as an information provider (n = 51, 61%), role model (n = 36, 43%), and facilitator (n = 33, 40%), and considered all of these roles as suitable, with a score of 3.9–4.7 out of 5. Participants reported a high level of support from the teacher, with a mean score of 8.2 (SD, 1.7) out of 10, and good overall satisfaction with a mean score of 7.6 (1.8). Finally, 51 participants (77%) were able to start their research project after the class, 27 (41%) to complete it, and 8 (12%) to submit their research to a journal or conference.

Significance of results:

Our results suggest that newer teaching methods such as roleplay, group work, and target acquisition are feasible and effective in a palliative research curriculum. Additional studies are needed to confirm the objective outputs of educational interventions, including research outputs.
Realization and calibration of the MIMO radar MIRA-CLE Ka
Authors: Biallawons Oliver , Klare Jens , Saalmann Olaf
Published: April 2014

This paper presents the technical realization of the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar MIRA-CLE Ka (MIMO radar-configurable in Ka-band). This system is a stationary imaging radar without any mechanical moving parts. It is highly portable, ready to use in only a couple of minutes, and it is able to process one radar image per second during continuous radar measurements in the current stage of development. In addition to the image processing, it is possible to detect changes in range of 0.1 mm in the illuminated scene. The MIMO system operates in Ka band and consists of 16 receive and 16 transmit elements, so that 256 virtual elements are generated during signal processing. The size of the antenna's frontend is about 80 cm in width. Owing to its compact size, flexibility, and realtime capability, the system offers a wide field of applications.
Compact quad-band bandpass filter based on uniform impedance stub-loaded resonators
Authors: Lan Siang-Wen , Weng Min-Hang , Ye Chang-Sin , Hung Cheng-Yuan
Published: April 2014

A new quad-band bandpass filter for Global System for Mobile Communications, Wireless Local Area Network, and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access is designed and fabricated using the stub-loaded resonator (SLR) technology without complex fabrication process, such as via-hole or multi-layer substrate. Owing to the embedded SLR, the proposed quad-mode resonator is compact. Equivalent circuits of the proposed quad-mode resonator are analyzed in detail, and high design freedom is shown because of shifting the passband frequencies individually. Good passband selectivity and isolation of the each passband at 1.8, 2.4, 3.5, and 5.2 GHz can be well achieved due to the transmission zeros appeared near the each passband edges. Experimental results show good agreement with the simulated results.
A SPICE model of an antenna for transmitting
Authors: Gao Xiang , Du Zhengwei
Published: April 2014

A SPICE model of an antenna for transmitting is proposed. This model allows for the calculation of the frequency-domain radiation fields for a range of frequencies in which the model is valid, it also allows for the direct calculation of the time-domain (TD) radiation fields for an arbitrary TD excitation signal, the spectrum of which should be within the modeling range. The model is then verified by two examples, both of them demonstrate its validity. This model can be a part of a complete system-level model for electromagnetic compatibility simulation.
Low SAR reconfigurable multiband planar inverted-F antenna for wireless communication applications
Authors: Soliman Ahmed M. , Elsheakh Dalia M. , Abdallah Esmat A.
Published: April 2014

A low specific absorption rate (SAR) reconfigurable multiband coplanar waveguide fed planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) is presented in this paper. Different numbers of meander-turn-shaped slots are etched on the PIFA radiating plate to excite new resonant frequencies. Extra resonant frequencies are created by increasing the number of meander-turn-shaped slots for different wireless communication applications. A new independent resonant frequency is created by etching a coupled slot within the ground plane for the upper WLAN. A PIN diode switch is used to reconfigure the fundamental resonant frequency from the LTE band 11 to band 8 with a total of 63% size reduction compared with the original PIFA size. Furthermore, the SAR in the human head is investigated using the Hugo voxel model in CST Microwave Studio. The volume of the antenna is 22 × 30 mm2over a 35 × 50 mm2ground plane, which is suitable for handheld devices.
A miniature fractal-based dual-mode dual-band microstrip bandpass filter design
Authors: Alqaisy Mushtaq , Chakrabraty Chandan , Ali Jawad , Alhawari Adam R.H.
Published: April 2014

In this paper, a fractal-based complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR) has been introduced as a defected ground structure (DGS) in the ground plane of a dual-mode microstrip bandpass filter to produce a new compact filter with dual-band response. The conventional double square ring resonator structure is modified such that its inner ring is made with a fractal shape instead of a square. Measured and simulation results show that the resulting filter offers a dual passband response; the higher passband is attributed to the dual-mode microstrip ring structure, whereas the lower passband is as a result of the embedded CSRR DGS structure. In addition, the results show that the position of the lower passband could be varied, to a certain extent, without affecting the position of the higher passband by applying higher fractal iteration levels to the inner split ring. These features, together with the compact size the proposed filter offers, make it suitable for use in a wide variety of dual-band communication applications. Measured results, carried out on filter prototypes, have been found in agreement with those theoretically predicted.
Efficient CO2 fixation by surface Prochlorococcus in the Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Hartmann Manuela , Gomez-Pereira Paola , Grob Carolina , Ostrowski Martin , Scanlan David J , Zubkov Mikhail V
Published: April 2014

Nearly half of the Earth’s surface is covered by the ocean populated by the most abundant photosynthetic organisms on the planet—Prochlorococcus cyanobacteria. However, in the oligotrophic open ocean, the majority of their cells in the top half of the photic layer have levels of photosynthetic pigmentation barely detectable by flow cytometry, suggesting low efficiency of CO2 fixation compared with other phytoplankton living in the same waters. To test the latter assumption, CO2 fixation rates of flow cytometrically sorted 14C-labelled phytoplankton cells were directly compared in surface waters of the open Atlantic Ocean (30°S to 30°N). CO2 fixation rates of Prochlorococcus are at least 1.5–2.0 times higher than CO2 fixation rates of the smallest plastidic protists and Synechococcus cyanobacteria when normalised to photosynthetic pigmentation assessed using cellular red autofluorescence. Therefore, our data indicate that in oligotrophic oceanic surface waters, pigment minimisation allows Prochlorococcus cells to harvest plentiful sunlight more effectively than other phytoplankton.
Composition and enzymatic function of particle-associated and free-living bacteria: a coastal/offshore comparison
Authors: D’Ambrosio Lindsay , Ziervogel Kai , MacGregor Barbara , Teske Andreas , Arnosti Carol
Published: April 2014

We compared the function and composition of free-living and particle-associated microbial communities at an inshore site in coastal North Carolina and across a depth profile on the Blake Ridge (offshore). Hydrolysis rates of six different polysaccharide substrates were compared for particle-associated (>3 μm) and free-living (<3 to 0.2 μm) microbial communities. The 16S rRNA- and rDNA-based clone libraries were produced from the same filters used to measure hydrolysis rates. Particle-associated and free-living communities resembled one another; they also showed similar enzymatic hydrolysis rates and substrate preferences. All six polysaccharides were hydrolyzed inshore. Offshore, only a subset was hydrolyzed in surface water and at depths of 146 and 505 m; just three polysaccharides were hydrolyzed at 505 m. The spectrum of bacterial taxa changed more subtly between inshore and offshore surface waters, but changed greatly with depth offshore. None of the OTUs occurred at all sites: 27 out of the 28 major OTUs defined in this study were found either exclusively in a surface or in a mid-depth/bottom water sample. This distinction was evident with both 16S rRNA and rDNA analyses. At the offshore site, despite the low community overlap, bacterial communities maintained a degree of functional redundancy on the whole bacterial community level with respect to hydrolysis of high-molecular-weight substrates.
Variation in gut microbial communities and its association with pathogen infection in wild bumble bees (Bombus)
Authors: Cariveau Daniel P , Elijah Powell J , Koch Hauke , Winfree Rachael , Moran Nancy A
Published: April 2014

Bacterial gut symbiont communities are critical for the health of many insect species. However, little is known about how microbial communities vary among host species or how they respond to anthropogenic disturbances. Bacterial communities that differ in richness or composition may vary in their ability to provide nutrients or defenses. We used deep sequencing to investigate gut microbiota of three species in the genus Bombus (bumble bees). Bombus are among the most economically and ecologically important non-managed pollinators. Some species have experienced dramatic declines, probably due to pathogens and land-use change. We examined variation within and across bee species and between semi-natural and conventional agricultural habitats. We categorized as ‘core bacteria’ any operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with closest hits to sequences previously found exclusively or primarily in the guts of honey bees and bumble bees (genera Apis and Bombus). Microbial community composition differed among bee species. Richness, defined as number of bacterial OTUs, was highest for B. bimaculatus and B. impatiens. For B. bimaculatus, this was due to high richness of non-core bacteria. We found little effect of habitat on microbial communities. Richness of non-core bacteria was negatively associated with bacterial abundance in individual bees, possibly due to deeper sampling of non-core bacteria in bees with low populations of core bacteria. Infection by the gut parasite Crithidia was negatively associated with abundance of the core bacterium Gilliamella and positively associated with richness of non-core bacteria. Our results indicate that Bombus species have distinctive gut communities, and community-level variation is associated with pathogen infection.