bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prediction of body image dissatisfaction in university students by multivariate statistical methods
Authors: Pinto Vinícius Rodrigues Arruda , Melo Laura Fernandes , Bressan Josefina
Published: October 2019

Overweight and obesity are responsible for significant costs of the Brazil’s public health system and can modify the self-perception of the body image, attitudes, cognitions and thoughts. This study intends to propose predictive models to evaluate factors related to body image dissatisfaction among university students. Undergraduate students, with a mean age of 22.4 years, were interviewed in Minas Gerais, Brazil, by means of a behavioral questionnaire and evaluated the body image by scale of figures of silhouettes according to the Brazilian biotype. Contingency analysis pointed out dissatisfaction in 67.1% of the students and the time dedicated to sedentary activities presented significant influence on body image. Female undergraduate students from health science courses with recent weight gain tended to wish smaller silhouettes, while male students wished larger body sizes. Multinomial and logistic regression analyses revealed a good predictive power, but the multinomial regression was more advantageous and effective in demonstrating a satisfactory predictive model comprised of a larger number of variables to explain the body image dissatisfaction.
A Broad Role for Cysteines in Bovine Antibody Diversity
Authors: Haakenson Jeremy K , Deiss Thaddeus C , Warner Gabrielle F , Mwangi Waithaka , Criscitiello Michael F , Smider Vaughn V
Published: October 2019

Ab diversity in most vertebrates results from the assortment of amino acid side chains on CDR loops formed through V(D)J recombination. Cows (Bos taurus) have a low combinatorial diversity potential because of a small number of highly homologous V, D, and J gene segments. Despite this, a subset of the Ab repertoire (∼10%) contains exceptionally long CDR H chain (HC) 3 (H3) regions with a rich diversity of cysteines and disulfide-bonded loops that diversify through a single V-D-J recombination event followed by massive somatic hypermutation. However, the much larger portion of the repertoire, encoding shorter CDR H3s, has not been examined in detail. Analysis of germline gene segments reveals noncanonical cysteines in the HC V regions and significant cysteine content in the HC D regions. Deep sequencing analysis of naturally occurring shorter CDR H3 (<40 aa) Ab genes shows that HC V and HC D regions preferentially combine to form a functional gene with an even number of total cysteines in the final V region, suggesting that disulfide bonds contribute to diversity not only in ultralong CDR H3 bovine Abs but in shorter CDR H3 bovine Abs as well. In addition to germline “hard-coded” cysteines, the bovine Ab repertoire can produce additional cysteine codons through somatic hypermutation, further diversifying the repertoire. Given the limited combinatorial diversity at the bovine Ig loci, this helps to explain how diversity is created in shorter CDR H3 Abs and potentially provides novel structural paratopes in bovine Ab combining sites.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis LprE Suppresses TLR2-Dependent Cathelicidin and Autophagy Expression to Enhance Bacterial Survival in Macrophages
Authors: Padhi Avinash , Pattnaik Kaliprasad , Biswas Mainak , Jagadeb Manaswini , Behera Ananyaashree , Sonawane Avinash
Published: October 2019

Despite representing a very important class of virulence proteins, the role of lipoproteins in the pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the role of putative lipoprotein LprE in the subversion of host immune responses using the M. tuberculosis CDC1551 LprE (LprEMtb) mutant (Mtb∆LprE). We show that deletion of LprEMtb results in reduction of M. tuberculosis virulence in human and mouse macrophages due to upregulation of vitamin D3–responsive cathelicidin expression through the TLR2-dependent p38-MAPK-CYP27B1-VDR signaling pathway. Conversely, episomal expression of LprEMtb in Mycobacterium smegmatis improved bacterial survival. Infection in siTLR2-treated or tlr2−/− macrophages reduced the survival of LprEMtb expressing M. tuberculosis and M. smegmatis because of a surge in the expression of cathelicidin. Infection with the LprEMtb mutant also led to accumulation of autophagy-related proteins (LC3, Atg-5, and Beclin-1) and augmented recruitment of phagosomal (EEA1 and Rab7) and lysosomal (LAMP1) proteins, thereby resulting in the reduction of the bacterial count in macrophages. The inhibition of phago-lysosome fusion by LprEMtb was found to be due to downregulation of IL-12 and IL-22 cytokines. Altogether, our data indicate that LprEMtb is an important virulence factor that plays a crucial role in mycobacterial pathogenesis in the context of innate immunity.
Long-Term Microgliosis Driven by Acute Systemic Inflammation
Authors: Trzeciak Alissa , Lerman Yelena V. , Kim Tae-Hyoun , Kim Ma Rie , Mai Nguyen , Halterman Marc W. , Kim Minsoo
Published: October 2019

Severe sepsis, a systemic inflammatory response to infection, is an increasing cause of morbidity in intensive care units. During sepsis, the vasculature is profoundly altered, leading to release of microbial virulence factors and proinflammatory mediators to surrounding tissue, causing severe systemic inflammatory responses and hypoxic injury of multiple organs. To date, multiple studies have explored pathologic conditions in many vital organs, including lungs, liver, and kidneys. Although data suggest that sepsis is emerging as a key driver of chronic brain dysfunction, the immunological consequence of severe inflammatory responses in the brain remain poorly understood. In this study, we used C57BL/6 sepsis mouse models to establish a disease phenotype in which septic mice with various degrees of severity recover. In the early phases of sepsis, monocytes infiltrate the brain with significantly elevated proinflammatory cytokine levels. In recovered animals, monocytes return to vehicle levels, but the number of brain-resident microglia is significantly increased in the cortex, the majority of which remain activated. The increase in microglia number is mainly due to self-proliferation, which is completely abolished in CCR2 knockout mice. Collectively our data suggest that early monocyte infiltration causes permanent changes to microglia during sepsis, which may ultimately dictate the outcome of future infections and neuropathological diseases.
Investigation of Rotor–Airframe Interaction Noise Associated with Small-Scale Rotary-Wing Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Authors: Zawodny Nikolas S. , Boyd Douglas D.
Published: October 2019

In this study, acoustic measurements of a hover condition are taken on isolated rotor–airframe configurations representative of small-scale, rotary-wing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Each rotor–airframe configuration consists of two fixed-pitch blades powered by a brushless
motor, with a simplified airframe geometry intended to represent a generic multicopter arm. In addition to acoustic measurements, computational fluid dynamics–based aeroacoustic predictions are implemented on a subset of the experimentally tested rotor–airframe configurations in
an effort to better understand the noise content of the rotor–airframe systems. Favorable agreements are obtained between acoustic measurements and predictions, based on both time- and frequency-domain postprocessing techniques. Results indicate that close proximity of airframe surfaces
results in the generation of considerable tonal acoustic content in the form of harmonics of the rotor blade passage frequency (BPF). Analysis of the acoustic prediction data shows that the presence of the airframe surfaces can generate noise levels either comparable to or greater than the
rotor blade surfaces under certain rotor tip clearance conditions. Analysis of the on-surface Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings source terms provides insight as to the predicted physical noise-generating mechanisms on the rotor and airframe surfaces.
A Systematic Review of the Use of Google Glass in Graduate Medical Education
Authors: Carrera Joseph F. , Wang Connor C. , Clark William , Southerland Andrew M.
Published: October 2019

Background

Graduate medical education (GME) has emphasized the assessment of trainee competencies and milestones; however, sufficient in-person assessment is often constrained. Using mobile hands-free devices, such as Google Glass (GG) for telemedicine, allows for remote supervision, education, and assessment of residents.

Objective

We reviewed available literature on the use of GG in GME in the clinical learning environment, its use for resident supervision and education, and its clinical utility and technical limitations.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review in accordance with 2009 PRISMA guidelines. Applicable studies were identified through a review of PubMed, MEDLINE, and Web of Science databases for articles published from January 2013 to August 2018. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full-text articles that reported using GG in GME and assessed the quality of the studies. A systematic review of these studies appraised the literature for descriptions of its utility in GME.

Results

Following our search and review process, 37 studies were included. The majority evaluated GG in surgical specialties (n = 23) for the purpose of surgical/procedural skills training or supervision. GG was predominantly used for video teleconferencing, and photo and video capture. Highlighted positive aspects of GG use included point-of-view broadcasting and capacity for 2-way communication. Most studies cited drawbacks that included suboptimal battery life and HIPAA concerns.

Conclusions

GG shows some promise as a device capable of enhancing GME. Studies evaluating GG in GME are limited by small sample sizes and few quantitative data. Overall experience with use of GG in GME is generally positive.
Aerosol vertical mass flux measurements during heavy aerosol pollution episodes at a rural site and an urban site in the Beijing area of the North China Plain
Authors: Yuan Renmin , Zhang Xiaoye , Liu Hao , Gui Yu , Shao Bohao , Tao Xiaoping , Wang Yaqiang , Zhong Junting , Li Yubin , Gao Zhiqiu
Published: October 2019

Abstract. Due to excessive anthropogenic emissions, heavy aerosol pollution episodes
(HPEs) often occur during winter in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) area of
the North China Plain. Extensive observational studies have been carried out
to understand the causes of HPEs; however, few measurements of vertical
aerosol fluxes exist, despite them being the key to understanding vertical
aerosol mixing, specifically during weak turbulence stages in HPEs. In the
winter of 2016 and the spring of 2017 aerosol vertical mass fluxes were
measured by combining large aperture scintillometer (LAS) observations,
surface PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations, and meteorological
observations, including temperature, relative humidity (RH), and visibility,
at a rural site in Gucheng (GC), Hebei Province, and an urban site at the
Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences (CAMS) in Beijing located 100 km
to the northeast. These are based on the light propagation theory and
surface-layer similarity theory. The near-ground aerosol mass flux was
generally lower in winter than in spring and weaker in rural GC than in
urban Beijing. This finding provides direct observational evidence for a
weakened turbulence intensity and low vertical aerosol fluxes in winter and
polluted areas such as GC. The HPEs included a transport stage (TS), an
accumulative stage (AS), and a removal stage (RS). During the HPEs from 25
to 31 January 2017, in Beijing, the mean mass flux decreased
by 51 % from 0.0049 mg m−2 s−1 in RSs to 0.0024 mg m−2 s−1 in the TSs. During the ASs, the mean mass flux decreased
further to 0.00087 mg m−2 s−1, accounting for approximately one-third of
the flux in the TSs. A similar reduction from the TSs to ASs was observed in
the HPE from 16 to 22 December 2016 in GC. It can be seen that
from the TS to the AS, the aerosol vertical turbulent flux decreased, but
the aerosol particle concentration within the surface layer increased, and it is
inferred that in addition to the contribution of regional transport from
upwind areas during the TS, suppression of vertical turbulence mixing
confining aerosols to a shallow boundary layer increased accumulation.
A new parameterization scheme for the real part of the ambient urban aerosol refractive index
Authors: Zhao Gang , Tan Tianyi , Zhao Weilun , Guo Song , Tian Ping , Zhao Chunsheng
Published: October 2019

Abstract. The refractive index of ambient aerosols, which directly determines the
aerosol optical properties, is widely used in atmospheric models and remote
sensing. Traditionally, the real part of the refractive index (RRI) is
parameterized by the measurement of ambient aerosol main inorganic
components. In this paper, the characteristics of the ambient aerosol RRI
are studied based on field measurements in East China. The results
show that the measured ambient aerosol RRI varies significantly between 1.36
and 1.56. The direct aerosol radiative forcing is estimated to vary by
40 % when the RRI values were varied between 1.36 and 1.56. We find that the
ambient aerosol RRI is highly correlated with the aerosol effective density
(ρeff) rather than the main chemical components.
However, the parameterization of the ambient aerosol RRI by ρeff is not available due to the lack of corresponding
simultaneous field measurements. For the first time, the size-resolved
ambient aerosol RRI and ρeff are measured
simultaneously by our designed measurement system. A new parameterization
scheme for the ambient aerosol RRI using ρeff is
proposed for urban environments. The measured and parameterized RRI
values agree well, with a correlation coefficient of 0.75 and slope of 0.99.
Knowledge of the ambient aerosol RRI would improve our understanding of
ambient aerosol radiative effects.
Methanethiol, dimethyl sulfide and acetone over biologically productive waters in the SW Pacific Ocean
Authors: Lawson Sarah J. , Law Cliff S. , Harvey Mike J. , Bell Tom G. , Walker Carolyn F. , De Bruyn Warren J. , Saltzman Eric S.
Published: October 2019

Abstract. Atmospheric methanethiol (MeSHa), dimethyl sulfide (DMSa) and acetone (acetonea) were measured over biologically productive frontal waters in the remote South West Pacific Ocean in summertime 2012 during the Surface Ocean Aerosol Production (SOAP) voyage. MeSHa mixing ratios varied from below detection limit (
Centennial-scale precipitation anomalies in the southern Altiplano (18° S) suggest an extratropical driver for the South American summer monsoon during the late Holocene
Authors: Jara Ignacio A. , Maldonado Antonio , González Leticia , Hernández Armand , Sáez Alberto , Giralt Santiago , Bao Roberto , Valero-Garcés Blas
Published: October 2019

Abstract. Modern precipitation anomalies in the Altiplano, South America, are closely
linked to the strength of the South American summer monsoon (SASM), which is
influenced by large-scale climate features sourced in the tropics such as
the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and El Niño–Southern
Oscillation (ENSO). However, the timing, direction, and spatial extent of
precipitation changes prior to the instrumental period are still largely
unknown, preventing a better understanding of the long-term drivers of the
SASM and their effects over the Altiplano. Here we present a detailed pollen
reconstruction from a sedimentary sequence covering the period between
4500 and 1000 cal yr BP in Lago Chungará (18∘ S; 4570 m a.s.l.), a
high-elevation lake on the southwestern margin of the Altiplano where
precipitation is delivered almost exclusively during the mature phase of the
SASM over the austral summer. We distinguish three well-defined
centennial-scale anomalies, with dry conditions between 4100–3300 and
1600–1000 cal yr BP and a conspicuous humid interval between 2400 and 1600 cal yr BP, which resulted from the weakening and strengthening of the SASM,
respectively. Comparisons with other climate reconstructions from the
Altiplano, the Atacama Desert, the tropical Andes, and the southwestern
Atlantic coast reveal that – unlike modern climatological controls – past
precipitation anomalies at Lago Chungará were largely decoupled from
north–south shifts in the ITCZ and ENSO. A regionally coherent pattern of
centennial-scale SASM variations and a significant latitudinal gradient in
precipitation responses suggest the contribution of an extratropical
moisture source for the SASM, with significant effects on precipitation
variability in the southern Altiplano.
On the potential of variational calibration for a fully distributed hydrological model: application on a Mediterranean catchment
Authors: Jay-Allemand Maxime , Javelle Pierre , Gejadze Igor , Arnaud Patrick , Malaterre Pierre-Olivier , Fine Jean-Alain , Organde Didier
Published: October 2019

Abstract. Flash flood alerts in metropolitan France are provided by SCHAPI (Service Central Hydrométéorologique et d’Appui à la Prévision des Inondations) through the Vigicrues Flash service, which is designed to work in ungauged catchments. The AIGA method implemented in Vigicrues Flash is designed for flood forecasting on small- and medium-scale watersheds. It is based on a distributed hydrological model accounting for spatial variability of the rainfall and the catchment properties, based on the radar rainfall observation inputs. Calibration of distributed parameters describing these properties with high resolution is difficult, both technically (in terms of the estimation method), and because of the identifiability issues. Indeed, the number of parameters to be calibrated is much greater than the number of spatial locations where the discharge observations are usually available. However, the flood propagation is a dynamic process, so observations have also a temporal dimension. This must be larger enough to comprise a representative set of events. In order to fully benefit from using the AIGA method, we consider its hydrological model (GRD) in combination with the variational estimation (data assimilation) method. In this method, the optimal set of parameters is found by minimizing the objective function which includes the misfit between the observed and predicted values and some additional constraints. The minimization process requires the gradient of the cost function with respect to all control parameters, which is efficiently computed using the adjoint model. The variational estimation method is scalable, fast converging, and offers a convenient framework for introducing additional constraints relevant to hydrology. It can be used both for calibrating the parameters and estimating the initial state of the hydrological system for short range forecasting (in a manner used in weather forecasting). The study area is the Gardon d’Anduze watershed where four gauging stations are available. In numerical experiments, the benefits of using the distributed against the uniform calibration are analysed in terms of the model predictive performance. Distributed calibration shows encouraging results with better model prediction at gauged and ungauged locations.
Identifying a transition climate zone in an arid river basin using the evaporative stress index
Authors: Liu Yongqiang , Hao Lu , Zhou Decheng , Pan Cen , Liu Peilong , Xiong Zhe , Sun Ge
Published: October 2019

Abstract. Aridity indices have been widely used in climate
classification. However, there is
not enough evidence for their ability in identifying the multiple climate
types in areas with
complex topography and landscape, especially in those areas with a
transition climate. This
study compares a traditional meteorological aridity index (AI), defined as the
ratio of precipitation (P) to potential evapotranspiration (PET), with a
hydrological aridity index, the
evaporative stress index (ESI) defined as the ratio of actual
evapotranspiration (AET) to PET
in the Heihe River Basin (HRB) of arid northwestern China. PET was estimated
using the
Penman–Monteith and Hamon methods. The aridity indices were calculated using
the high-resolution climate data simulated with a regional climate model for the
period of 1980–2010.
The climate classified by AI shows a climate type for the upper basin and a
second type for the middle and lower basin, while three different climate
types are found using ESI, each for one
river basin, indicating that only ESI is able to identify a transition climate
zone in the middle
basin. The difference between the two indices is also seen in the
interannual variability and
extreme dry/wet events. The magnitude of variability in the middle basin
is close to that in
the lower basin for AI, but different for ESI. AI had a larger magnitude of the
relative interannual
variability and a greater decreasing rate from 1980 to 2010 than ESI, suggesting the
role of local
hydrological processes in moderating extreme climate events. Thus, the
hydrological aridity
index is better than the meteorological aridity index for climate
classification in the arid Heihe
River Basin.
Assessment of the physical vulnerability of buildings affected by slow-moving landslides
Authors: Chen Qin , Chen Lixia , Gui Lei , Yin Kunlong , Shrestha Dhruba Pikha , Du Juan , Cao Xuelian
Published: October 2019

Abstract. Physical vulnerability is a difficult fundamental issue in the risk assessment of slow-moving landslides. We aim to develop a method to analyze the physical vulnerability of buildings affected by slow-moving landslides. We calculate the landslide residual force on the buildings' foundation and the landslide safety factor where the buildings are located using the GEOSTUDIO code and landslide residual thrust method. Further, using Timoshenko's deep beam theory, we analyze the physical response of buildings to understand potential inclination. By applying the modified Weibull function, we fit the physical vulnerability function based on the relation between damage degree and landslide intensity. We simulate three rainfall scenarios by employing the Pearson type III distribution model to evaluate changes in the landslide's residual thrust and corresponding buildings' damage degree. To obtain the contributions of the buildings' characteristics to physical vulnerability, we conduct sensitivity analysis, demonstrating that the building length, foundation depth, and building width are the most critical factors. Two physical vulnerability curve sets are separately generated for four building lengths and five building foundation depths. The proposed method can be applied to establish the physical vulnerability of landslides. The established physical vulnerability curves are used for the quantitative risk assessment of slow-moving landslides.
Architec(x)tures, introduction & préface du dossier « Transferts et confrontations transatlantiques » sous forme de rapport de conférence
Authors: Woodward Servanne
Published: October 2019

Concernant l’architecture projetée par la fiction textuelle, Béatrice Didier a inauguré l’étude architecturale des textes. Ce numéro complète celui de L’espace public de la sphère domestique, avec l’introduction de Thierry Belleguic, «Planning for Privacy» de Reed Benhamou, «Une chambre a soi» par Marie Laure Girou Swiderski, «Jean-Philippe Rameau» par Lane HelIer, «Chardin's Domestic Rhetoric and the Poetics of the Private and Public Sphere» d’Heather McPherson, «Violence and Persecution in the Drawing-Room», d’Antoinette Sol, «Woman, Æsthetics and Natural History » d’Anne-Marie Link, dont les articles peuvent être consultés à https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/frenchebooks/2/

Concernant les articles du dossier « Transferts et confrontations transatlantiques », il s’agit d’articles sélectionnés par rapport à la conférence de Toulon sur ce thème, et qui a eu lieu dans les locaux de cette université les 28-29 mars, 2019, sous l’égide de l’UFR Lettres, Langues et Sciences Humaines de Toulon, avec le concours du laboratoire Babel (EA26491) et en collaboration avec LERMA (EA853, Aix-Marseille Université), le GRIC (EA4314), Université Le Havre-Normandie, l’Université de Western Ontario, et ouvert par Xavier Leroux, directeur de l’UFR Lettres, Langues et Sciences Humaines, de l’Université de Toulon ; le numéro suivant aura une suite de ce dossier pour les articles en anglais.
Development of the Oral Reading Skills and Comprehension Test-II (SOBAT®-II) for Assessment of Turkish Children with Specific Learning Disabilities: Pilot Study Results
Authors: Melekoğlu Macid Ayhan , Erden Hatice Gülsen , Çakıroğlu Orhan
Published: October 2019

In the process of screening and evaluating children with reading difficulties, and planning, monitoring, and evaluating reading improvement interventions for those children, standard reading tests are usually not used in Turkey. The first version of the Oral Reading Skills and Comprehension Test (SOBAT®) was developed by Prof. Dr. H. Gülsen ERDEN, and the validity and reliability studies of SOBAT® were conducted between 2002 and 2012. To expand to include children between the ages of 7 and 14, and form the parallel form of the test, A and B, a research project supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBİTAK) completed between 2013 and 2015. The purpose of this paper is to share the pilot study findings of the project. A total of 232 tests were conducted within the scope of the pilot study.
An Analysis of Stock Return Transmission in North and Latin America
Authors: Tsuji Chikashi
Published: October 2019

This study empirically examines the return transmission effects between the four North and Latin American stock markets in the US, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico. More specifically, applying a standard vector autoregression (VAR) model, we obtain the following interesting findings. First, (1) the return transmission effects between the four North and Latin American stock markets became much tighter in our second subsample period. Second, (2) in particular, US and Mexican stock markets are strong return transmitters in the recent period. Furthermore, (3) both in our first and second subsample periods, Brazilian stock returns do not transmit to the other three stock returns, although the other three North and Latin American stock markets affect the Brazilian stock market.
Serial T-SPOT.TB in household contacts of tuberculosis patients: a 6-year observational study in China
Authors: Zhang H-C. , Ruan Q-L. , Wu J. , Zhang S. , Yu S-L. , Wang S. , Gao Y. , Wang F-F. , Shao L-Y. , Zhang W-H.
Published: October 2019

BACKGROUND: Screening tuberculosis (TB) contacts is a priority for TB control; however, it remains inadequate in most regions of China.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the progression of latent TB infection (LTBI) using the interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) in contacts
of active TB patients.DESIGN: This longitudinal prospective observational study included 159 household contacts aged ≥14 years without preventive treatment who were followed up for 6 years to compare their conversion and reversion rates using the T-SPOT®.TB
IGRA to diagnose LTBI.RESULTS: Among the 159 household contacts, LTBI positivity was 47.5%. Age was independently associated with LTBI (OR 3.6, 95%CI 1.81–7.14; P = 0.00). T-SPOT.TB conversion rates were respectively 29.4% and 18.8% at 3- and 6-year follow-up.
The reversion rates were 9.4% of contacts during the 3-year follow-up period, which increased to 38.2% at the 6-year follow-up. A decreasing trend in spot-forming cells on T-SPOT.TB was observed in most patients at the 6-year follow-up.CONCLUSION: LTBI prevalence among household
contacts was relatively high, particularly in elderly patients. Furthermore, serial IGRA testing was highly dynamic; however, this overall trend gradually decreased over time, even if preventive therapy was not prescribed.
To be or not to be hospitalised with tuberculosis in Portugal
Authors: Galego M. A. , Santos J. V. , Viana J. , Freitas A. , Duarte R.
Published: October 2019

SETTING: In Portugal, as in other countries, tuberculosis (TB) is considered a disease that should be managed on an ambulatory basis. However, hospitalisation remains important to manage some at-risk groups and complications.OBJECTIVE: To identify the possible risk
factors associated with hospitalisations in TB patients in Portugal.DESIGN: Data extraction through two national databases (one for registration of TB cases and the other with hospitalisation information in public health facilities) between 2007 and 2013. Univariate and multivariate
analysis of demographic and clinical variables was performed.RESULTS: We identified 4421 hospitalisations. Chronic diseases, cancer, substance abuse, a higher social/economic risk, extra-pulmonary TB, lung cavitary disease and previous uncompleted treatment were more frequent among
hospitalised patients. Human immunodeficiency virus coinfection, cancer, alcohol abuse, extra-pulmonary TB and uncompleted previous TB treatment were the most important predictors of hospitalisation with TB. The hospitalisation rate among TB patients in Portugal was lower when compared with
other countries with lower and higher incidences.CONCLUSION: Immune dysfunctions and progression of chronic diseases are associated with more severe forms of TB and frequent adverse effects which can be sufficiently severe to necessitate hospital admission. Despite having an intermediate
TB incidence, the hospitalisation rate in Portugal is not higher than that of other countries.
Gatifloxacin is superior to levofloxacin and moxifloxacin in shorter treatment regimens for multidrug-resistant TB
Authors: Van Deun A. , Decroo T. , Kuaban C. , Noeske J. , Piubello A. , Aung K. J. M. , Rieder H. L.
Published: October 2019

SETTING: Data were collected from patients starting one of the shorter treatment regimens (STRs) for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Bangladesh, Niger or Cameroon.OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effect of either a gatifloxacin (GFX), moxifloxacin (MFX) or levofloxacin
(LVX) based STR on bacteriological effectiveness.DESIGN: Retrospective study of prospectively collected data.RESULTS: Among 1530 patients, bacteriological effectiveness was 96.7% overall. Stratified by treatment with a GFX-, LVX- or MFX-based regimen effectiveness was
respectively 97.5%, 95.5% and 94.7%. Compared to those on a GFX-based regimen, the estimated summary odds ratio of having an adverse outcome was more than double (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.09–3.90) in patients treated with either an LVX-based or MFX-based regimen. After adjusting for initial
resistance, patients treated with an LVX-based regimen and MFX-based regimen had respectively a 4.5- and 8.4-fold times larger odds of an adverse bacteriological outcome. None among 859 patients at risk treated with a GFX-based compared to at least 4 of 228 among those on an MFX-based regimen
acquired fluoroquinolone resistance.CONCLUSION: GFX-based regimens had superior bacteriological effectiveness than MFX-based or LVX-based regimens. As GFX is currently unavailable in most MDR-TB programs, its reintroduction should be prioritised.
The Impact of International and European Law on the Development of Environmental Protection Through Criminal Law in Poland
Authors: Łyżwa Rafał
Published: October 2019

The issue of environmental protection through criminal law is primarily associated with the fight against the most serious attacks on the environment. The progressive degradation of natural ecosystems, which is an important consequence of the development of human civilisation, has shown that one of the most important challenges of modern man is to provide the environment with adequate and effective protection. It should be emphasized that although the main burden of such protection is implemented through administrative law and to a lesser degree through civil law instruments, the use of criminal law
in environmental protection as an ultima ratio of this protection has proved to be absolutely necessary. Legal regulations regarding the criminal law protection of the environment in Poland have gone a long way in terms of development. It should be emphasized, however, that the shape and development of criminal law protection of the environment in Poland has been significantly influenced by European legislation, which was obviously related to Poland’s accession to the European Union in 2004 and international law, in particular the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, signed on March 3, 1973 in Washington, DC, and the Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, which was opened for signature in Basel on March 22, 1989. The article presents the most important issues related to the impact of European and international law on the development of environmental protection through criminal law in Poland.
Enviromental Protection in the Constitution of Belarus
Authors: Shupitskaya Aksana
Published: October 2019

Constitutional principles and norms are the basis of the environmental policy of the Belarusian state at the present stage of its existence. They determine the limits, intensity, methods of its implementation, the degree of participation in the implementation of environmental policy of both the state bodies and civil society institutions. The scientific methods of cognition used in the research include analysis, synthesis, abstraction and comparative method. The study concluded that environmental protection in the Republic of Belarus is a set of measures, a system of state, international and public measures for the rational use,
protection and restoration of natural resources, protection of the environment from pollution and destruction in order to create the most favourable conditions for the existence of human society, to meet the material and cultural needs of both living and future generations based on the constitutional principles and norms. Environmental protection can be considered as an independent constitutional principle underlying the modern policy of the Belarusian state.
Transakcje (nie)bezpieczne, czyli jak zostać podejrzanym o przestępstwo (pospolite) wskutek zastosowania split paymentu
Authors: Modzelewski Witold
Published: October 2019

W artykule poruszono problemy, które mogą wynikać z pominięcia mechanizmu podzielonej płatności. Opisano również, możliwe negatywne konsekwencje dla podatnika związane z zastosowaniem mechanizmu, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem sankcji wynikłych z kodeksu karnego oraz kodeksu karnego skarbowego.
Rules of Cooperation Between the State Fire Service and Selected Institutions Under the Conditions of CBRN Threats, Including Biological Ones — Analysis
of Polish Solutions
Authors: Kogut Bogusław , Mika Janusz , Ratusznyj Roman
Published: October 2019

The article presents conclusions from the analysis of solutions applied in Poland in the field of implementation of joint projects of the State Fire Service and selected institutions responsible for ensuring the internal security of the state in the field of counteracting CBRN threats, including biological ones. The analysis refers to the binding legal system and the organizational solutions resulting from it. The considered legal order included the provisions of universally binding law and local law. It was assumed that the use of weapons of mass destruction in a terrorist attack might be executed through the contamination of air, water or soil, as well as by disease carriers: infected insects, rodents or people. One of the real methods of performing bioterrorists attacks is to contaminate the air by spraying, for example, biological aerosol. That is since aerosol production equipment is easily accessible, and most biological agents can be easily
transported by air. The objects of such an attack will be primarily places with efficient air conditioning systems, public buildings and metro stations, and all places where people gather including railway stations, airports, shopping centers, sports and cultural facilities, government and public buildings, areas of military concentration, and places of public mass events. The considerations presented in this article refer to issues on a macro and micro scale, which allowed for distinguishing the rules of cooperation and its effectiveness. While endeavoring to objectify the conclusions from the analysis, the article was elaborated by a team of Polish, Czech, and Ukrainian experts.
Terrorism in the Context of Conflicts in the Modern World
Authors: Zubrzycki Waldemar
Published: October 2019

Contrary to popular expectations, armed conflicts persisted after the end of World War II. Some countries are fighting for independence, others for influence, and others are experiencing civil wars. This is determined by cultural, ethnic and religious differences. The modern world is tormented by many conflicts which, despite their regional scope, have an impact on the political and military situation on the entire globe. The functioning of formal borders that do not coincide with national borders, the low sense of nationality compared to ethnicity, poverty and political instability are also conducive to the use of terrorist methods. Terrorism is almost as old as civilisation. However, unlike in the past, today’s terrorists use violence on an unprecedented scale. Terrorism in many cases shows its regional specificity, varying according to the cultural and civilisation area in which it occurs. Reasons for resorting to terrorist methods may be a need for freedom, protection of one’s heritage, sense of harm done by the occupier, a need to express dissatisfaction with the political system or changes being made, or, finally, a mere desire to draw attention to the problems of countries
and societies that have not yet been noticed or have been ignored by public opinion. Religion is also a frequent reason for resorting to terrorism. Contemporary terrorism is represented mainly by extremist Islamic fundamentalism and is based on the clash of two cultures. It is a global threat, and anyone can become its potential victim today. Numerous signals of the emergence of new, hitherto unknown organisations prove that in the future, unfortunately, the escalation of the phenomenon will have to be taken into account.
Position of County Government in the Security Space
Authors: Karpiuk dr hab. Mirosław
Published: October 2019

Security is a very important human need, which is addressed at all levels of local governance both by the central and local government bodies. As regards local government, the scope of tasks involving the provision of security on the local and regional levels has been adjusted to the capabilities (including financial) of individual local government units. Basic tasks are carried out at the municipal district level, supra-municipal tasks — at the county level, and regional tasks — at the provincial level, except that in the province there is a dualism of administration, meaning that administrative authority is shared between a central government-appointed governor, called the provincial governor, and an elected assembly called the regional council. In the case of the county, security-related tasks, as well as the competences relevant to this area, must be clearly defined in the act. At this level of public administration there is no presumption of competence for the benefit of the county authority. The county council performs the public tasks of a supra-municipal character set out by statute rather than the tasks not reserved for other entities. In order to ensure public order and safety of citizens,
as well as fire and flood protection, the legislator authorises the county council to use technical means to record what is happening (CCTV cameras) in the area of public space, with the consent of the area manager or an entity holding a legal title to this area, or on the property and in civil structures constituting the property of the county or organisational units of the county, as well as in the area around such premises and structures, if it is necessary to ensure public order and the safety of citizens or provide fire and flood protection.
MESOZOIC AND CENOZOIC SALT MIGRATION PATHWAYS IN OFFSHORE TEXAS, NORTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO
Authors: BRADSHAW BARRY E. , WATKINS JOEL S.
Published: October 2019

Interpretation of seismic data in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico reveals complex migration pathways of Louann Salt. The salt was originally deposited in Jurassic salt basins distributed checkerboard-fashion across rifted basement. These basins were segmented along strike by northwest-southeast trending strike slip (transfer) faults. During a period of low sedimentation in the Late Cretaceous and Paleogene, salt migrated vertically out of the basins via feeder stocks into regionally coalescing allochthonous canopies. Contemporary evidence of the mother salt layer consists of salt rollers and salt domes rooting at depths of 7,400-10,700 m.

Migration of salt into canopies was probably driven by depositional loading and gravity spreading. The migration began during deposition of Mesozoic carbonates and siliciclastics and continued through the Paleogene. Basins and canopies appear to have been offset systematically to the southeast across the transfer faults.

From Late Oligocene through Late Miocene, large delta systems prograded over the salt canopies. The prograding wedges created pressure gradients that squeezed salt seaward and out of the canopies. The salt then rose to a level near the sea floor where it spread laterally into allochthonous sheets. Loading and spreading combined to displace salt over 100 km onto the Sigsbee slope. Seaward migration of salt created extensive salt withdrawal and basins. Large, laterally continuous growth fault systems bound most basins on their landward margins. Thicknesses of sedimentary units may expand several fold across these faults. Remnants of salt canopies are locally evident in seismic data.
APPLICATION OF SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY TO IMPROVE RESERVOIR MANAGEMENT OF THE MIOCENE LOWER LAGUNILLAS AND LAGUNA MEMBERS, LAGUNILLAS FORMATION, BLOCKS III AND IV, LAKE MARACAIBO, VENEZUELA
Authors: GOMEZ E. , RIPPLE R. A. , MUNOZ M. A. , BRYANT I. D. , DE VILLARROEL H. GAMERO , RONDON L.
Published: October 2019

During the late 1950s hydrocarbons were discovered in the Miocene Lagunillas Formation in Blocks III and IV of the Lake Maracaibo Basin, Venezuela. In ascending order, the Lagunillas is divided into three members: the Lower Lagunillas, Laguna, and Bachaquero. This study focuses primarily on the Lower Lagunillas and Laguna members, which are estimated to contain approximately 2550 MMB OOIP. Overall thickness of the Lower Lagunillas and Laguna members decreases from 630 feet in the southern part of the field to 435 feet along the northern margin. Prior to this study, the Lower Lagunillas and Laguna members were subdivided into six reservoir units for the purpose of reservoir management. However, production and engineering studies showed that this simplistic model, which assumed the six units were homogeneous and in pressure communication, did not adequately address the heterogeneities of the reservoir. A sedimentologic and sequence stratigraphic analysis that integrated eight cores, wireline log suites from 210 wells, and production and pressure data, was undertaken by a team of geoscientists and engineers from GeoQuest and Maraven. The result was a new geological model that contains 29 distinctive, correlatable reservoir layers consisting of 22 sandstones (reservoirs) and 9 shales (barriers). This revised model better explains the historical production performance of the field. Additionally, integration of the new reservoir correlation scheme with production and pressure data, gas chromatography of produced oil samples, and the interpretation of the 3D seismic survey identified several areas where sealing faults have further compartmentalized the reservoir.

The Lower Lagunillas and Laguna members were deposited in a variety of depositional environments ranging from fluvial and fluvial-estuarine to strandplain and fluvial-deltaic. The two members comprise part of a third-order sequence that includes at least part of the overlying Bachaquero Member. The contact of the Lower Lagunillas Member with the underlying La Rosa marine shale (Unit I) is interpreted as a type 1 sequence boundary.

The revised geological model was then utilized in a reservoir simulation of Blocks III and IV. Simulation results indicate that the shales associated with the nine mappable marine flooding surfaces and sealing faults have acted as barriers to vertical and horizontal communication and define reservoir compartments that contain bypassed oil. Recent drilling has supported the revised model and confirmed the importance of the shales and faults in controlling the distribution and movement of fluids. The revised reservoir model has also identified new opportunities to add reserves and significantly improve recovery from the field through infill drilling, horizontal wells, redesign of waterflood patterns, and recompletions.
HIGH RESOLUTION SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY AND ARCHITECTURE OF THE SHANNON SANDSTONE, HARTZOG DRAW FIELD, WYOMING: IMPLICATIONS FOR RESERVOIR MANAGEMENT
Authors: SULLIVAN M.D. , VAN WAGONER J.C. , JENNETTE D.C. , FOSTER M.E. , STUART R.M. , LOVELL R.W. , PEMBERTON S.G.
Published: October 2019

Integration of core data with high resolution sequence stratigraphic well-log correlations from over 300 wells indicates that the elongate sandstone bodies which compose the Upper Cretaceous Shannon Sandstone at Hartzog Draw were deposited by tide-dominated deltas consisting of stacked, upward-coarsening tidal bars. Correlation of regional stratal surfaces suggests that the Shannon Sandstone comprises a sequence set which can be informally subdivided into 3 unconformity-bounded depositional sequences: Copenhagen Blue, Crimson Red, and Canary Yellow. The Copenhagen Blue sequence boundary is a regional unconformity at the base of the Shannon Sandstone which separates distal tidal-bar deposits from offshore mudstones of the Cody Shale. The overlying Crimson Red sequence is the main reservoir interval at Hartzog Draw and is dominated by high reservoir quality, proximal tidal-bar sandstones. The highly erosional Canary Yellow sequence boundary forms the trap at Hartzog Draw by juxtaposing the reservoir sandstones of the Crimson Red sequence with the overlying distal tidal bars to offshore mudstones of the Canary Yellow sequence. Thickness trends within the Shannon Sandstone are interpreted as the product of variable incision associated with southeast-trending incised valleys.

The continuity of reservoir facies within these bar complexes is quite variable depending upon the lateral and vertical association of facies. In a strike orientation, lateral amalgamation of sandstone-prone, proximal bar complexes produces a relatively high degree of lateral continuity. Lateral amalgamation of mud-prone, distal bar complexes, however, produces a relatively low degree of lateral continuity. Bar complexes in a dip direction display a distinct “off lapping,” shingled geometry in the direction of bar accretion and a lower degree of continuity. This is due to depositional thinning, and increasing proportions of interlaminated mud and non-reservoir sandstones in a basinward (southward) direction. Understanding the distribution and depositional trend of the tidal bars therefore allows recognition of areas with potentially higher reservoir quality and targets for future infill drilling.