bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are CMS G-Code Functional Limitation Severity Modifiers Responsive to Change Across an Episode of Outpatient Rehabilitation?
Authors: Jette Diane U. , Stilphen Mary , Ranganathan Vinoth K. , Jette Alan M.
Published: August 2015

Background

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has mandated rehabilitation professionals to document patients' impairment levels. There is no evidence of responsiveness to change of functional limitation severity modifier codes.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of G-code functional limitation severity modifier codes in determining change in function.

Design

This was a retrospective observational study.

Methods

Patients completed the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) and were assigned G-codes, with severity modifiers based on AM-PAC scores at initial and follow-up visits. Patients were classified as having AM-PAC scores in the upper or lower range for each severity modifier, and sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for change in severity modifier level and odds of changing by one severity modifier level using a change in AM-PAC score of at least 1 minimal detectable change at the 95% confidence interval (MDC95) as the standard were determined.

Results

Sensitivity and specificity of change in severity modifier in determining change in function were dependent on patients' initial AM-PAC scores. Improvement in severity modifier level was 2.2 to 4.5 times more likely with scores at the higher end of the range within a severity modifier level than with scores in the lower end of the range. Decline in severity modifier level was 2.7 to 4.8 times more likely with scores at the lower end of the range within a severity modifier than with scores in the higher end of the range.

Limitations

Data were from one health care system, and most patients had orthopedic conditions. The MDC95 for AM-PAC tool may not be the best standard for defining functional change.

Conclusions

The G-code functional limitation severity modifier system may not be valid for determining change in function and is not recommended for determining if patients have changed over the course of outpatient therapy.
Design and application of a core genome multilocus sequence typing scheme for investigation of Legionnaires' disease incidents
Authors: Moran-Gilad J , Prior K , Yakunin E , Harrison T  G , Underwood A , Lazarovitch T , Valinsky L , Lück C , Krux F , Agmon V , Grotto I , Harmsen D
Published: August 2015

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Targeted vaccination of teenagers following continued rapid endemic expansion of a single meningococcal group W clone (sequence type 11 clonal complex), United Kingdom 2015
Authors: Campbell H , Saliba V , Borrow R , Ramsay M , Ladhani S N
Published: August 2015

Since the epidemiological year 2009/10, the United Kingdom has experienced a year-on-year increase in meningococcal group W (MenW) disease due to rapid expansion of a single endemic hyper-virulent strain belonging to sequence type 11 clonal complex (cc). This strain was identified among cases diagnosed across all regions and was not linked to travel abroad. Consequently, an adolescent MenACWY conjugate vaccination programme for 13-18 year-olds will be introduced in August 2015, with priority given to 17-18 year-olds (school leavers).
Future directions for the European influenza reference laboratory network in influenza surveillance
Authors: Goddard N , Rebelo-de-Andrade H , Meijer A , McCauley J , Daniels R , Zambon M
Published: August 2015

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Louse-borne relapsing fever (Borrelia recurrentis) in asylum seekers from Eritrea, the Netherlands, July 2015
Authors: Wilting K R , Stienstra Y , Sinha B , Braks M , Cornish D , Grundmann H
Published: August 2015

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Increased prevalence of influenza B/Victoria lineage viruses during early stages of the 2015 influenza season in New South Wales, Australia: implications for vaccination and planning
Authors: Jennings Z , Carter I , McPhie K , Kok J , Dwyer D E
Published: August 2015

During the early weeks of the 2015 Australian influenza season, influenza B accounted for 67% (821/1,234) of all positive influenza tests in New South Wales. Of 81 successive influenza B viruses characterised, 33 (41%) were from children aged?<?16 years; 23/81 (28%) belonged to the B/Victoria lineage. This lineage is not contained in the southern hemisphere's 2015 trivalent influenza vaccine. The significant B/Victoria lineage activity in the southern hemisphere suggests that the quadrivalent vaccine should be considered for the northern hemisphere.
Detection of influenza A(H3N2) virus in children with suspected mumps during winter 2014/15 in England
Authors: Thompson C I , Ellis J , Galiano M , Ramsay M , Brown K E , Zambon M
Published: August 2015

Influenza A(H3N2) virus was detected in oral fluid from 16/107 children (aged 2 to 12 years) with a clinical diagnosis of mumps, who were sampled between December 2014 and February 2015 in England, during the peak of the 2014/15 influenza season. Sequence analysis of an A(H3N2) virus from a child with suspected mumps showed the virus was similar to other circulating A(H3N2) viruses detected in winter 2014/15, which were antigenically drifted from the A(H3N2) vaccine strain.
Louse-borne relapsing fever (Borrelia recurrentis) in an Eritrean refugee arriving in Switzerland, August 2015
Authors: Goldenberger D , Claas G J , Bloch-Infanger C , Breidthardt T , Suter B , Martínez M , Neumayr A , Blaich A , Egli A , Osthoff M
Published: August 2015

We report an imported case of louse-borne relapsing fever in a young adult Eritrean refugee who presented with fever shortly after arriving in Switzerland. Analysis of blood smears revealed spirochetes identified as Borrelia recurrentis by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We believe that louse-borne relapsing fever may be seen more frequently in Europe as a consequence of a recent increase in refugees from East Africa travelling to Europe under poor hygienic conditions in confined spaces.
Incidence and seroprevalence of tularaemia in Finland, 1995 to 2013: regional epidemics with cyclic pattern
Authors: Rossow H , Ollgren J , Hytönen J , Rissanen H , Huitu O , Henttonen H , Kuusi M , Vapalahti O
Published: August 2015

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Promise and Paradox
Authors: West Martin R. , Kraft Matthew A. , Finn Amy S. , Martin Rebecca E. , Duckworth Angela L. , Gabrieli Christopher F. O. , Gabrieli John D. E.
Published: August 2015

We used self-report surveys to gather information on a broad set of non-cognitive skills from 1,368 eighth graders. At the student level, scales measuring conscientiousness, self-control, grit, and growth mindset are positively correlated with attendance, behavior, and test-score gains between fourth grade and eighth grade. Conscientiousness, self-control, and grit are unrelated to test-score gains at the school level, however, and students attending over-subscribed charter schools score lower on these scales than do students attending district schools. Exploiting admissions lotteries, we find positive impacts of charter school attendance on achievement and attendance but negative impacts on these non-cognitive skills. We provide suggestive evidence that these paradoxical results are driven by reference bias or the tendency for survey responses to be influenced by social context.
Krapp at the Hawk’s Well: Beckett, Yeats, and Joyce
Authors: Lawley Paul
Published: August 2015

abstract:

Starting from the recognized problematic of choice as dramatic determinant in Krapp’s Last Tape (1958), this study scrutinizes the thematic affinity and resemblances in figuration between the Beckett play and another piece about an old man reviewing his life, W.B. Yeats’s Noh-inspired At the Hawk’s Well (1917), which Beckett is known to have admired. In light of the acknowledged (though disputed) autobiographical significance of Krapp’s life-changing “vision,” the linkage between this play and Beckett’s relation to his mentor and greatest influence, James Joyce, is considered. It is argued that the Yeats play acts as a thematic model and artistic buffer that provides vital imaginative space for Beckett in his creative agon with Joyce as precursor.
Unsettling Gertrude Stein: On the Citability of Baroque Gesture inFour Saints in Three Acts
Authors: Cermatori Joseph
Published: August 2015

abstract:

This article focuses on Gertrude Stein’s 1927 opera Four Saints in Three Acts, which takes a pair of baroque saints for its protagonists and which debuted in a 1934 production replete with deliberate citations of baroque stage design, gesture, and visual art – details that have gone almost entirely unacknowledged in the past several decades’ scholarship on Stein. It recovers these forgotten production details by juxtaposing a reading of Stein’s text and performance theories alongside Walter Benjamin’s vision of baroque theatre as articulated in The Origin of German Trauerspiel. Interpreting Stein’s methods within the frame of baroque theatrical allegory, it suggests Stein’s situation within a larger tradition of baroque modernism. It argues that Stein found, within the concept of the baroque, a productive means of challenging norms of representation across a wide array of registers – linguistic, aesthetic, sexual, racial, and historiographic.
The Field ofModern Drama, or Arcadia
Authors: Gobert R. Darren
Published: August 2015

abstract:

This article describes the journal’s field of enquiry as its new editor sees it. Considering details drawn from the rehearsal typescripts and published scripts of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia alongside details drawn from four of the play’s major productions (1993, 1995, 2009, 2011), the article argues that this archive helps us to understand the productive instability of plays in performance and to understand how critics might read them. Tracing its argument alongside those of central proponents of performance theory – e.g., Peggy Phelan, Joseph Roach, Rebecca Schneider – the article concludes that, like the mythical Arcadia, the field of modern drama is nowhere fixed.
Joshua Takano Chambers-Letson, A Race So Different: Performance and Law in Asian America
Authors: Mok Christine
Published: August 2015

ABSTRACT:

To explore “racial exception” as a force of Asian American subject formation, Chambers-Letson moves nimbly across examples drawn from everyday life and transnational geopolitics, tying evidence from visual, legal, sonic, and theatrical sources in discrete case studies.
Una Chaudhuri and Holly Hughes, eds., Animal Acts: Performing Species Today
Authors: Orozco Lourdes
Published: August 2015

ABSTRACT:

Situated at the intersection of animal studies, performance studies, and post-humanism, this volume sets performance at the centre of its investigation of human–animal relations. It moves between performative texts and critical commentaries, reflecting the editors’ commitment to interdisciplinary dialogue.
Elizabeth Maddock Dillon, New World Drama: The Performative Commons in the Atlantic World, 1649–1849
Authors: Shaffer Jason
Published: August 2015

ABSTRACT:

Dillon traces the evolution of popular sovereignty as represented through theatrical depictions of race and economic power between the late-seventeenth and mid-nineteenth centuries in the British Atlantic. The work is impressively detailed and ably synthesizes much of the current scholarship in Atlantic performance history with the author’s own ideas.
Tzachi Zamir, Acts: Theatre, Philosophy, and the Performing Self
Authors: Rokem Freddie
Published: August 2015

ABSTRACT:

Zamir’s Acts takes up the trope of the philosopher entering and reflecting on the world of the theatre. Focusing on the work of actors, it proposes that the emotional and psychological price of acting may be high and difficult to justify ethically.
Learning from the Dramaturg: Suzan-Lori Parks’s The America Play in the Literature Classroom
Authors: Bean Heidi R.
Published: August 2015

abstract:

This essay offers the strategy of “dramaturgical arousal” as a pedagogical model for engaging with drama in the literature classroom. Using Mark Bly’s ground-breaking dramaturgical work on Suzan-Lori Parks’s The America Play, including the theatre program he produced for its Yale Repertory premiere, as well as the play’s co-collaborative mobilization of text and performance, “Learning from the Dramaturg” offers a new way of rethinking the often fraught divide between text and theatre. Just as Parks’s jazz poetics performatively riff on the historical record, so too does Bly’s work co-performatively riff on the play, producing collaborative engagements that are more generative than evaluative. Fostering greater critical awareness of the ways in which the differing codes of textuality and performance produce their audiences, these collaborations model fresh encounters that fruitfully blur the distinctions between drama/literature and performance/theatre.
Sensitivity and specificity of intrathecal fluorescein and white light excitation for detecting intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid leak in endoscopic skull base surgery: a prospective study
Authors: Raza Shaan M. , Banu Matei A. , Donaldson Angela , Patel Kunal S. , Anand Vijay K. , Schwartz Theodore H.
Published: August 2015

OBJECT

The intraoperative detection of CSF leaks during endonasal endoscopic skull base surgery is critical to preventing postoperative CSF leaks. Intrathecal fluorescein (ITF) has been used at varying doses to aid in the detection of intraoperative CSF leaks. However, the sensitivity and specificity of ITF at certain dosages is unknown.

METHODS

A prospective database of all endoscopic endonasal procedures was reviewed. All patients received 25 mg ITF diluted in 10 ml CSF and were pretreated with dexamethasone and Benadryl. Immediately after surgery, the operating surgeon prospectively noted if there was an intraoperative CSF leak and fluorescein was identified. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive power of ITF for detecting intraoperative CSF leak were calculated. Factors correlating with postoperative CSF leak were determined.

RESULTS

Of 419 patients, 35.8% of patients did not show a CSF leak. Fluorescein-tinted CSF (true positive) was noted in 59.7% of patients and 0 false positives were encountered. CSF without fluorescein staining (false negative) was noted in 4.5% of patients. The sensitivity and specificity of ITF were 92.9% and 100%, respectively. The negative and positive predictive values were 88.8% and 100%, respectively. Postoperative CSF leaks only occurred in true positives at a rate of 2.8%.

CONCLUSIONS

ITF is extremely specific and very sensitive for detecting intraoperative CSF leaks. Although false negatives can occur, these patients do not appear to be at risk for postoperative CSF leak. The use of ITF may help surgeons prevent postoperative CSF leaks by intraoperatively detecting and confirming a watertight repair.
Default mode network connectivity in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus
Authors: Khoo Hui Ming , Kishima Haruhiko , Tani Naoki , Oshino Satoru , Maruo Tomoyuki , Hosomi Koichi , Yanagisawa Takufumi , Kazui Hiroaki , Watanabe Yoshiyuki , Shimokawa Toshio , Aso Toshihiko , Kawaguchi Atsushi , Yamashita Fumio , Saitoh Youichi , Yoshimine Toshiki
Published: August 2015

OBJECT

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a neurological disorder characterized by gait disturbance, cognitive impairment, and incontinence. It is unclear whether the pathophysiology of iNPH is associated with alterations in the default mode network (DMN). The authors investigated alterations in the DMN of patients with iNPH and sought to determine whether a relationship exists between the resting-state functional connectivity of the DMN and a patient’s clinical symptoms.

METHODS

Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) was performed in 16 preoperative patients with iNPH and 15 neurologically healthy control subjects of a similar age. Independent component and dual-regression analyses were used to quantify DMN connectivity. The patients’ clinical symptoms were rated according to the iNPH grading scale (iNPHGS). Each of their specific clinical symptoms were rated according to the cognitive, gait, and urinary continence domains of iNPHGS, and neurocognitive status was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination, Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), and Trail Making Test Part A. The strength of DMN connectivity was compared between patients and controls, and the correlation between DMN connectivity and iNPHGS was examined using both region of interest (ROI)-based analysis and voxel-based analysis. The correlation between DMN connectivity and each of the specific clinical symptoms, as well as neurocognitive status, was examined using voxel-based analysis.

RESULTS

Both ROI-based and voxel-based analyses revealed reduced DMN connectivity in patients with iNPH. ROI-based analysis showed increased DMN connectivity with worsening clinical symptoms of iNPH. Consistently, voxel-based analyses revealed that DMN connectivity correlated positively with the iNPHGS score, as well as the cognitive and urinary continence domain scores, and negatively with the FAB score. The significant peak in correlation in each case was localized to the precuneus.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to establish alterations in the DMN of patients with iNPH. DMN connectivity may be a useful indicator of the severity of clinical symptoms in patients with iNPH.
A case of dural arteriovenous fistula draining to the diploic vein presenting with intracerebral hemorrhage
Authors: Yako Rie , Masuo Osamu , Kubo Kenji , Nishimura Yasuhiko , Nakao Naoyuki
Published: August 2015

The authors report an unusual case of a dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF) draining only to the diploic vein and causing intracerebral hemorrhage. A 62-year-old woman presented with disturbance of consciousness and left hemiparesis. Brain CT scanning on admission showed a right frontal subcortical hemorrhage. Digital subtraction angiography revealed an arteriovenous shunt located in the region around the pterion, which connected the frontal branch of the right middle meningeal artery with the anterior temporal diploic vein and drained into cortical veins in a retrograde manner through the falcine vein. The dAVF was successfully obliterated by percutaneous transarterial embolization with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate. The mechanism of retrograde cortical venous reflux causing intracerebral hemorrhage is discussed.
A case of secondary somatosensory epilepsy with a left deep parietal opercular lesion: successful tumor resection using a transsubcentral gyral approach during awake surgery
Authors: Maesawa Satoshi , Fujii Masazumi , Futamura Miyako , Hayashi Yuichiro , Iijima Kentaro , Wakabayashi Toshihiko
Published: August 2015

Few studies have examined the clinical characteristics of patients with lesions in the deep parietal operculum facing the sylvian fissure, the region recognized as the secondary somatosensory area (SII). Moreover, surgical approaches in this region are challenging. In this paper the authors report on a patient presenting with SII epilepsy with a tumor in the left deep parietal operculum. The patient was a 24-year-old man who suffered daily partial seizures with extremely uncomfortable dysesthesia and/or occasional pain on his right side. MRI revealed a tumor in the medial aspect of the anterior transverse parietal gyrus, surrounding the posterior insular point. Long-term video electroencephalography monitoring with scalp electrodes failed to show relevant changes to seizures. Resection with cortical and subcortical mapping under awake conditions was performed. A negative response to stimulation was observed at the subcentral gyrus during language and somatosensory tasks; thus, the transcortical approach (specifically, a transsubcentral gyral approach) was used through this region. Subcortical stimulation at the medial aspect of the anterior parietal gyrus and the posterior insula around the posterior insular point elicited strong dysesthesia and pain in his right side, similar to manifestation of his seizure. The tumor was completely removed and pathologically diagnosed as pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma. His epilepsy disappeared without neurological deterioration postoperatively. In this case study, 3 points are clinically significant. First, the clinical manifestation of this case was quite rare, although still representative of SII epilepsy. Second, the location of the lesion made surgical removal challenging, and the transsubcentral gyral approach was useful when intraoperative mapping was performed during awake surgery. Third, intraoperative mapping demonstrated that the patient experienced pain with electrical stimulation around the posterior insular point. Thus, this report demonstrated the safe and effective use of the transsubcentral gyral approach during awake surgery to resect deep parietal opercular lesions, clarified electrophysiological characteristics in the SII area, and achieved successful tumor resection with good control of epilepsy.
Reliability and validity of medicine ball toss tests as clinical measures of core strength
Authors: Sell Mallory A. , Abt John P. , Sell Timothy C. , Keenan Karen A. , Allison Katelyn F. , Lovalekar Mita T. , Lephart Scott M.
Published: August 2015

BACKGROUND: Core strengthening is a significant component of training programs utilized to optimize athletic performance, reduce injury, and facilitate return from injury. Reliable and valid clinical measures of core strength are necessary to determine the effectiveness of these programs.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to determine the reliability and validity of three medicine ball toss tests (MBTs).

METHODS: A total of 20 healthy, physically active individuals participated. Session one included isokinetic strength testing (trunk flexion/extension, and right/left rotation) and MBTs (forward, backward, and right/left rotation); session two included only the MBTs. Average peak torque during strength testing and the average distance of three MBTs in each direction were analyzed. Intraclass correlations were calculated to determine the reliability of the MBTs between sessions, while validity between MBTs and strength was assessed though Pearson correlations.

RESULTS: Significant ICCs were observed between forward, backward, and right/left rotation MBTs (ICC = 0.835; ICC = 0.835; ICC = 0.870; ICC = 0.909; p< 0.001, respectively). No significant correlations were observed between the MBTs and corresponding measures of strength.

CONCLUSION: Results illustrate that MBTs have excellent reliability but are not related to isokinetic strength as measured by average peak torque. This lack of relationship may be due to differences in muscles examined, contraction type, and/or motion performed.
Use of a variable-cam for strength training of the elbow flexors
Authors: Staniszewski Michaƚ , Urbanik Czesƚaw , Mastalerz Andrzej , Lutosƚawska Grażyna , Iwańska Dagmara , Madej Anna , Karczewska Magdalena , Tkaczyk Joanna
Published: August 2015

BACKGROUND: Muscle strength depends among other factors on its length, i.e., the angular position of the joint it spans. However, these relationship is often neglected in the construction of training machines.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to verify the effectiveness of a variable-cam during strength training.

METHODS: Thirty-two men divided into two groups participated in an 8-week intensive strength training of elbow flexors. One group (C) trained on a machine with a cam developed in the shape corresponding to the strength change characteristics of flexor muscles as a function of the angular position in the elbow joint. The second group (D) trained on a machine with a disc plate. The effects of the training were evaluated on the basis of changes in the value of PT measured under isokinetic conditions, anthropometric parameters, and CK activity.

RESULTS: After the end of the training, a significant increase in the values of the PT and anthropometric parameters were observed only in group C. Weekly changes of CK activity appeared only in the group exercising with a cam, while in the group exercising on the machine with a disc plate, the two-day rest turned out to be too short for the elimination of the CK molecules from the blood to occur.

CONCLUSIONS: Strength training using a machine with a muscle-specific adjusted cam is especially effective in the case of the elbow flexors.
Differences of activation pattern and damage in elbow flexor muscle after isokinetic eccentric contractions
Authors: Tsuchiya Yosuke , Kikuchi Naoki , Shirato Minayuki , Ochi Eisuke
Published: August 2015

BACKGROUND: Eccentric contractions (ECC)-induced muscle damage and activation pattern are not fully understood.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the activation level and damage in each muscle and site after ECC.

METHODS: Eleven men performed 30 isokinetic ECC of the elbow flexors. Maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) torque, range of motion of the elbow joint (ROM), delayed onset muscle soreness(DOMS), transverse relaxation time (T2), and cross-sectional area (CSA) were measured immediately before, immediately after, and 1, 3, 5 days after ECC.

RESULTS: MVC and ROM significantly decreased while DOMS significantly increased until 3 days after ECC. The CSA of the brachialis significantly increased after ECC. The T2 in biceps brachii and middle and distal brachialis increased significantly at post (p< 0.01) day 1 (middle; p< 0.01, distal; biceps brachii, p< 0.05, brachialis, p< 0.01), and day 3 (middle; p< 0.01, distal; biceps brachii, p< 0.05, brachialis, p< 0.01). In addition, after 5 days only the distal brachialis has shown a significant increase(p< 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: Following maximal ECC the activation pattern and muscle damage differ among the elbow flexors depending upon the individual muscle and site of recording.
Eccentric resistance training of the knee extensor muscle: Training programs and neuromuscular adaptations
Authors: Baroni Bruno Manfredini , Pinto Ronei Silveira , Herzog Walter , Vaz Marco Aurélio
Published: August 2015

PURPOSE: This review is aimed at describing the methods used in knee extensor eccentric resistance training in healthy subjects and at evaluating the adaptations in strength, activation and structure of this muscle group.

METHODS: Seventy-five studies were carefully analyzed and 30 are considered in this review.

RESULTS: Training programs comprised of 1-4 sessions per week for a period ranging from four to 20 weeks with isokinetic dynamometers or conventional strength training machines were considered. Isokinetic eccentric training programs included 1-6 sets of 6-12 repetitions, while isotonic eccentric training programs consisted of 3-7 sets of 5-10 repetitions. Eccentric strength gains per training session (0.45-3.42%) were typically found to be greater compared to isometric (0.08-1.30%) and concentric (0.23-1.44%) strength gains. Quadriceps activation was improved in tests performed eccentrically and isometrically, but there is poor evidence of increased concentric activation and reduced co-activation of antagonistic muscles. Regarding muscle structure, significant hypertrophic responses have been demonstrated through increases in anatomical/physiological cross-sectional area, muscle thickness and fiber diameter. Most studies measuring muscle architectural changes reported increased fascicle lengths without changes in pennation angle. Adaptations in fiber type distribution were inconsistent.

CONCLUSIONS: Strength gains following knee extensor eccentric training are caused by neural and structural adaptations, and may contribute to physical fitness in healthy populations and health improvement in patients.
Analyzing usage: Visualizing end-user workflows to drive product development
Authors: Montagano Pierre
Published: August 2015

Abstract

This article illustrates the importance of harvesting usage analytics to improve user experience on a platform. In the shift from print to digital, user engagement has replaced content as the key contributor of growth. Visualizing end-user workflows through a content platform allows organizations to understand what features contribute to higher engagement or just clutter the interface and negatively affect usage.
Effect of Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea L.) on Dyslipidemia in Young Adult
Authors: Akter Hasina , Jahan Nasim , Sultana Nayma
Published: August 2015

Background: Dyslipidemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Lipid lowering drugs are available in modern medicine but prolong use of these drugs may produce some side effects. Peanut due to some of its active component can improve lipid profile.Objective: To observe the effects of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) on dyslipidemia in young adults.Methods: This prospective interventional study was carried out in the Department of Physiology, Sir Salimullah Medical College (SSMC), Dhaka between 1st July 2013 and 30th June 2014. For this purpose 30 dyslipidemic young adults of both sexes with aged 30 to 40 years were included in this study and they were selected from Out Patient Department of Medicine of Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital, Dhaka. They were studied three times i,e before supplementation with peanut (BSP), after 4 weeks supplementation with peanut (4 wks AP) and after 8 weeks supplementation with peanut (8 wks AP). For assessing lipid profile TAG, LDL-C, TC and HDL-C of all subjects were estimated by enzymatic method. The statistical analysis was done by using paired samplet test as applicable.Results: In this study, the mean serum TAG, LDL-C and TC levels were significantly decreased after 8 weeks supplementation with peanut in comparison to those of after 4 weeks and before supplementation with peanut. However, these levels were also decreased after 4 weeks supplementation than those of before supplementation but it was significant only for TC (p<0.05) and LDL-C (p<0.001). Whereas, the mean serum HDL-C level was significantly (p<0.001) increased after 8 weeks supplementation when compared to those of after 4 weeks and before supplementation of peanut.Conclusion: The present study revealed that, peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) has effect on improvement of lipid profile by lowering serum TAG, LDL-C, TC levels and by increasing serum HDL-C level. This lipid lowering effects of peanut may be due to its high Mg+2 content and other active components of peanut.Bangladesh Soc Physiol. 2015, June; 10(1): 11-16
Effect of Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill on FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC%
Authors: Islam Farhana , Jahan Nasim , Sultana Nayma
Published: August 2015

Background: Combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP) is the most commonly used contraceptive method in Bangladesh. This COCP may have some effects on different organs including lungs.Objective: To observe the effects of combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP) on FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/ FVC% in apparently healthy women receiving COCP.Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out in the Department of Physiology, Sir Salimullah Medical College (SSMC), Dhaka between July 2013 and June 2014. A total 30 apparently healthy young women, age ranged 20 to 30 years were included in this study who were combined oral contraceptive pill users (COCP-U) for at least 6 months. Thirty age and BMI matched combined oral contraceptive pill nonusers (COCP-NU) were taken as control. FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC% of all the subjects were measured by digital spirometer. Statistical analysis was done by Independent sample t test.Results: FVC (p<0.001), FEV1 (p<0.001) were significantly higher whereas, FEV1/FVC% (p<0.05) was significantly lower in COCP-U than those of COCP-NU. Moreover, the mean serum estrogen (p<0.001) and progesterone (p<0.05) levels were also significantly higher in COCP-U in comparison to those of COCP-NU.Conclusion: From the result of this study it can be concluded that COCP have beneficial effects on some pulmonary function parameters.Bangladesh Soc Physiol. 2015, June; 10(1): 21-25
Coagulation Impairment in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Karim Fayeza , Akter Qazi Shamima , Jahan Shamima , Khanom Afruza , Haque Samira , Yeasmin Tania , Siddika Tashfia , Sinha Susmita
Published: August 2015

Background: Complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) includes coagulation impairment. Hypercoagulable state in patient with DM may accelerate thromboembolic risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD).Objective: To assess Prothrombin Time and Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time in type 2 diabetes mellitus for observing their coagubility status.Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka from July 2013 to June 2014. One hundred male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus aged 40-60 years and one hundred age, BMI matched healthy subjects were included as control in this study. Patients were selected from BIRDEM, Dhaka. Prothrombin Time (PT), Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT) were estimated by auto analyzer. For statistical analysis unpaired studentt test was used.Results: In this study PT and APTT were significantly (P<0.001) lower in diabetes mellitus than those of control group.Conclusion: From this study, it may be concluded that diabetic patients are prone to develop coagulation impairment.Bangladesh Soc Physiol. 2015, June; 10(1): 26-29
Study of root characters, leaf yield and yield components of mulberry under high and low soil moisture
Authors: Paul N. K. , Quaiyyum M. A.
Published: August 2015

Root characters, leaf yield and yield components of five mulberry varieties inrelation to soil moisture i.e. well-watered, water- stress and water logging wasstudied in pot condition. Lower root length with higher dry weight were observedin the well-watered plants, on the other hand, shorter root length with lower dryweight was in the waterlogged plants compared to the water-stressed plants. Wellwatered plants had the highest, water-stressed plants had the lowest andwaterlogged plants had the intermediate values for plant height and fresh stemweight. All the leaves of the waterlogged plants were shed at 90 days afterplanting. The water-stressed plants had higher shoot-root ratio followed by thewell-water and waterlogged plants.
Post-cyclone livelihood status and strategies in coastal Bangladesh
Authors: Paul Shitangshu Kumar
Published: August 2015

The objective of this paper is to assess post-cyclone livelihood capitals status, identify major livelihood groups, adversity and crisis, and present the livelihood strategies of coastal households. Based on a questionnaire survey at household level, a total 331 out of 792 households are selected through simple random sampling from three purposively selected villages in the central coast of Bangladesh. Both descriptive and inferential statistics are used to analyse data. The present study identifies wage labour, fisher and farmer as major livelihood groups. Among the three villages, Island reveals less livelihood capitals than inland and shoreline. Although natural capital of Island is relatively higher, however, scarcity of other capitals hinders proper utilization of the potentials of such capital. Social capital of Island is significantly lower than other two villages, which unveils relatively lesser social coherence of Islanders, and which is most important to survive in post-cyclone situation. Likewise, among the livelihood groups, wage labourer owes less livelihood capitals than farmer and fishermen. Majority of the households irrespective of their village locations identifies recurrent cyclones and induced storm surges as major adversities which significantly destroys their livelihoods. Therefore, households in study villages diversify income sources wherever possible and most importantly while face the crisis. In general, livelihoods of Islanders and Shoreline villagers, wage labourer and fish fry collectors are most vulnerable to any cyclone events. Hence, thepresent study advocates for identifying vulnerable locations and livelihood groups, and livelihood capitals building for such groups and promoting coordinated disaster risk reduction programs to mitigate cyclone impacts and providing assistance for rebuilding post-cyclone livelihoods.
Effect of irrigation and sowing method on yield and yield attributes of mustard
Authors: Hossain M. B. , Alam M. S. , Ripon M. A.
Published: August 2015

The experiment was carried out at Agronomy Field laboratory, Department ofAgronomy and Agricultural Extension, university of Rajshahi, to study the effect of irrigation and sowing method on yield and yield attributes of mustard. The experiment consists of two factors i) irrigation viz. no irrigation (I0), one irrigation (I1)and two irrigations (I2) ii) sowing method viz. line sowing method (M1) and broadcasting method (M2). A split- plot design was used for the experiment by assigning the irrigation on the main plots and sowing method to the sub plots with three replications. Irrigation had significant effect on all the yield and yield contributing characters. The highest plant height, number of branches plant-1, filled siliqua plant-1, sliqua length, number of seed siliqua-1, 1000-seed weight and stover yield were obtained from I2 (two irrigations) and consequently it produced the highest seed yield. Sowing method also had significant influence on almost all the yield and yield contributing characters. All the yield contributing characters except number of unfilled siliqua plant-1were found best at line sowing method (M1) and consequently it produced the highest seed yield. However it could be noted from the study that the combination of two irrigations with line sowing method is better to get higher yield of mustard.
Lithic artefacts, coastal change and the availability of flint pebble resources on Colonsay, Inner Hebrides
Authors: Finlay Nyree , Graham Jardine The Late W.
Published: August 2015

Over a 25-year period from 1978 to 2003 fieldwork undertaken for the investigation of coastal change on Colonsay discovered lithic artefacts in various locations. Significant new mound sites on the west coast of the island were identified; one is the first shell midden on Colonsay contemporaneous with those on neighbouring Oronsay. This article presents evidence of Mesolithic and undated prehistoric activity integrated with shore-line reconstruction in several locations on Colonsay. The availability of flint resources is also explored in relation to surveys of raised- and modern-beach deposits on Colonsay and adjacent islands and summary data on flint beach pebbles presented.
Technological adaptation in Grooved Ware pottery from the Ness of Brodgar, Orkney, or how to make your cordons stick
Authors: Towers Roy , Card Nick
Published: August 2015

This paper describes a hitherto unidentified adaptation in Grooved Ware pottery at the Ness of Brodgar, Orkney ( Fig. 1 ). The technological technique adopted appears designed to cope with a common problem of Grooved Ware potters at the Ness: that of detached cordons, where applied decorative cordons on the exterior surface of the vessels are knocked off or simply fall off. The evidence shows that, in the case of one large pottery deposit from the site, some vessel exteriors were specially prepared in order to ensure cordon adhesion. The Ness of Brodgar site is introduced, issues surrounding pottery production and applied decoration in the Late Neolithic, particularly in Orkney, are noted and the problem-solving sherds are described. The paper is illustrated in part by the use of Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI).
The excavation of two short cist burials at Broomlands, Kelso
Authors: McLaren Dawn , Wilson Donald , Melikian Melissa , Hunter Fraser , Troalen Lore
Published: August 2015

Two stone-built short cists were excavated in Broomlands, Kelso, by AOC Archaeology Group under the Historic Scotland Call-off Contract for Human Remains.

A single poorly preserved adult inhumation was recovered from one cist, along with a small intrusive disc-shaped perforated oil shale object. The inhumation was dated to 2340–2120 cal BC. The second cist contained heavily damaged and fragmentary unburnt bones from two adults. Radiocarbon dates suggest one individual, the principal interment in the cist, dates to 2030–1750 BC and the second individual was interred much later, between 930 and 800 cal BC.
Julia Twigg (2013). Fashion and Age. Dress, the Body and Later Life. London: Bloomsbury, 174 pp. ISBN 978 1 8748 8696 5 (paperback)
Authors: Oró Piqueras Maricel
Published: August 2015

Abstract not Available.
Expanding the Applicability of a Third Order Newton-Type Method Free of Bilinear Operators
Authors: Amat Sergio , Busquier Sonia , Bermúdez Concepción , Magreñán Ángel
Published: August 2015

This paper is devoted to the semilocal convergence, using centered hypotheses, of a third order Newton-type method in a Banach space setting. The method is free of bilinear operators and then interesting for the solution of systems of equations. Without imposing any type of Fréchet differentiability on the operator, a variant using divided differences is also analyzed. A variant of the method using only divided differences is also presented.
Comparative Study of DE, PSO and GA for Position Domain PID Controller Tuning
Authors: Ouyang Puren , Pano Vangjel
Published: August 2015

Gain tuning is very important in order to obtain good performances for a given controller. Contour tracking performance is mainly determined by the selected control gains of a position domain PID controller. In this paper, three popular evolutionary algorithms are utilized to optimize the gains of a position domain PID controller for performance improvement of contour tracking of robotic manipulators. Differential Evolution (DE), Genetic Algorithm (GA), and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) are used to determine the optimal gains of the position domain PID controller, and three distinct fitness functions are also used to quantify the contour tracking performance of each solution set. Simulation results show that DE features the highest performance indexes for both linear and nonlinear contour tracking, while PSO is quite efficient for linear contour tracking. Both algorithms performed consistently better than GA that featured premature convergence in all cases.
“Chickens Are a Lot Smarter than I Originally Thought”: Changes in Student Attitudes to Chickens Following a Chicken Training Class
Authors: Hazel Susan , O'Dwyer Lisel , Ryan Terry
Published: August 2015

A practical class using clicker training of chickens to apply knowledge of how animals learn and practice skills in animal training was added to an undergraduate course. Since attitudes to animals are related to their perceived intelligence, surveys of student attitudes were completed pre- and post- the practical class, to determine if (1) the practical class changed students’ attitudes to chickens and their ability to experience affective states, and (2) any changes were related to previous contact with chickens, training experience or gender. In the post- versus pre-surveys, students agreed more that chickens are easy to teach tricks to, are intelligent, and have individual personalities and disagreed more that they are difficult to train and are slow learners. Following the class, they were more likely to believe chickens experience boredom, frustration and happiness. Females rated the intelligence and ability to experience affective states in chickens more highly than males, although there were shifts in attitude in both genders. This study demonstrated shifts in attitudes following a practical class teaching clicker training in chickens. Similar practical classes may provide an effective method of teaching animal training skills and promoting more positive attitudes to animals.
Research of Integrity and Authentication in OPC UA Communication Using Whirlpool Hash Function
Authors: Wu Kehe , Li Yi , Chen Long , Wang Zhuxiao
Published: August 2015

Currently, the demand for information security of industrial control systems is becoming more and more urgent, but the security model proposed by OPC UA cannot meet the practical requirements of industrial control systems. For this reason, this paper proposes a new security communication model to provide integrity and authentication in OPC UA. This model uses the Whirlpool hash function to check integrity and generates digital signature along with RSA in message transmission. Compared to SHA-1, Whirlpool has a higher calculation speed and lower collision rate. Through this model, terminals in the upper layer can communicate with field devices via a channel with high security and efficiency.
Spatiotemporal Regulation of Nuclear Transport Machinery and Microtubule Organization
Authors: Okada Naoyuki , Sato Masamitsu
Published: August 2015

Spindle microtubules capture and segregate chromosomes and, therefore, their assembly is an essential event in mitosis. To carry out their mission, many key players for microtubule formation need to be strictly orchestrated. Particularly, proteins that assemble the spindle need to be translocated at appropriate sites during mitosis. A small GTPase (hydrolase enzyme of guanosine triphosphate), Ran, controls this translocation. Ran plays many roles in many cellular events: nucleocytoplasmic shuttling through the nuclear envelope, assembly of the mitotic spindle, and reorganization of the nuclear envelope at the mitotic exit. Although these events are seemingly distinct, recent studies demonstrate that the mechanisms underlying these phenomena are substantially the same as explained by molecular interplay of the master regulator Ran, the transport factor importin, and its cargo proteins. Our review focuses on how the transport machinery regulates mitotic progression of cells. We summarize translocation mechanisms governed by Ran and its regulatory proteins, and particularly focus on Ran-GTP targets in fission yeast that promote spindle formation. We also discuss the coordination of the spatial and temporal regulation of proteins from the viewpoint of transport machinery. We propose that the transport machinery is an essential key that couples the spatial and temporal events in cells.
Nickel-Doped Ceria Nanoparticles: The Effect of Annealing on Room Temperature Ferromagnetism
Authors: Bear Joseph , McNaughter Paul , Southern Paul , O’Brien Paul , Dunnill Charles
Published: August 2015

Nickel-doped cerium dioxide nanoparticles exhibit room temperature ferromagnetism due to high oxygen mobility within the doped CeO2 lattice. CeO2 is an excellent doping matrix as it can lose oxygen whilst retaining its structure. This leads to increased oxygen mobility within the fluorite CeO2 lattice, leading to the formation of Ce3+ and Ce4+ species and hence doped ceria shows a high propensity for numerous catalytic processes. Magnetic ceria are important in several applications from magnetic data storage devices to magnetically recoverable catalysts. We investigate the effect doping nickel into a CeO2 lattice has on the room temperature ferromagnetism in monodisperse cerium dioxide nanoparticles synthesised by the thermal decomposition of cerium(III) and nickel(II) oleate metal organic precursors before and after annealing. The composition of nanoparticles pre- and post-anneal were analysed using: TEM (transmission electron microscopy), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), EDS (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) and XRD (X-ray diffraction). Optical and magnetic properties were also studied using UV/Visible spectroscopy and SQUID (superconducting interference device) magnetometry respectively.