bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An automated algorithm for online detection of fragmented QRS and identification of its various morphologies
Authors: Maheshwari Sidharth , Acharyya Amit , Puddu Paolo Emilio , Mazomenos Evangelos B. , Leekha Gourav , Maharatna Koushik , Schiariti Michele
Published: October 2013

Fragmented QRS (f-QRS) has been proven to be an efficient biomarker for several diseases, including remote and acute myocardial infarction, cardiac sarcoidosis, non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy, etc. It has also been shown to have higher sensitivity and/or specificity values than the conventional markers (e.g. Q-wave, ST-elevation, etc.) which may even regress or disappear with time. Patients with such diseases have to undergo expensive and sometimes invasive tests for diagnosis. Automated detection of f-QRS followed by identification of its various morphologies in addition to the conventional ECG feature (e.g. P, QRS, T amplitude and duration, etc.) extraction will lead to a more reliable diagnosis, therapy and disease prognosis than the state-of-the-art approaches and thereby will be of significant clinical importance for both hospital-based and emerging remote health monitoring environments as well as for implanted ICD devices. An automated algorithm for detection of f-QRS from the ECG and identification of its various morphologies is proposed in this work which, to the best of our knowledge, is the first work of its kind. Using our recently proposed time–domain morphology and gradient-based ECG feature extraction algorithm, the QRS complex is extracted and discrete wavelet transform (DWT) with one level of decomposition, using the ‘Haar’ wavelet, is applied on it to detect the presence of fragmentation. Detailed DWT coefficients were observed to hypothesize the postulates of detection of all types of morphologies as reported in the literature. To model and verify the algorithm, PhysioNet's PTB database was used. Forty patients were randomly selected from the database and their ECG were examined by two experienced cardiologists and the results were compared with those obtained from the algorithm. Out of 40 patients, 31 were considered appropriate for comparison by two cardiologists, and it is shown that 334 out of 372 (89.8%) leads from the chosen 31 patients complied favourably with our proposed algorithm. The sensitivity and specificity values obtained for the detection of f-QRS were 0.897 and 0.899, respectively. Automation will speed up the detection of fragmentation, reducing the human error involved and will allow it to be implemented for hospital-based remote monitoring and ICD devices.
Sound amplification by means of a horn-like roosting structure in Spix's disc-winged bat
Authors: Chaverri Gloriana , Gillam Erin H.
Published: October 2013

While sound is a signal modality widely used by many animals, it is very susceptible to attenuation, hampering effective long-distance communication. A strategy to minimize sound attenuation that has been historically used by humans is to use acoustic horns; to date, no other animal is known to use a similar structure to increase sound intensity. Here, we describe how the use of a roosting structure that resembles an acoustic horn (the tapered tubes that form when new leaves of plants such asHeliconiaorCalatheaspecies start to unfurl) increases sound amplification of the incoming and outgoing social calls used by Spix's disc-winged bat (Thyroptera tricolor) to locate roosts and group members. Our results indicate that incoming calls are significantly amplified as a result of sound waves being increasingly compressed as they move into the narrow end of the leaf. Outgoing calls were faintly amplified, probably as a result of increased sound directionality. Both types of call, however, experienced significant sound distortion, which might explain the patterns of signal recognition previously observed in behavioural experiments. Our study provides the first evidence of the potential role that a roost can play in facilitating acoustic communication in bats.
The gene cutA of Fusarium fujikuroi, encoding a protein of the haloacid dehalogenase family, is involved in osmotic stress and glycerol metabolism
Authors: García-Martínez Jorge , Castrillo Marta , Avalos Javier
Published: October 2013

Survival of micro-organisms in natural habitats depends on their ability to adapt to variations in osmotic conditions. We previously described the genecut-1ofNeurospora crassa, encoding a protein of the haloacid dehalogenase family with an unknown function in the osmotic stress response. Here we report on the functional analysis ofcutA, the orthologous gene in the phytopathogenic fungusFusarium fujikuroi.cutAmRNA levels increased transiently after exposure to 0.68 M NaCl and were reduced upon return to normal osmotic conditions; deletion of the gene resulted in a partial reduction in tolerance to osmotic stress. ΔcutAmutants contained much lower intracellular levels of glycerol than the wild-type, and did not exhibit the increase following hyper-osmotic shock expected from the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) response.cutAis linked and divergently transcribed with the putative glycerol dehydrogenase genegldB, which showed the same regulation by osmotic shock. The intergeniccutA/gldBregulatory region contains putative stress-response elements conserved in other fungi, and both genes shared other regulatory features, such as induction by heat shock and by illumination. Photoinduction was also observed in the HOG response genehogA, and was lost in mutants of the white collar genewcoA. Previous data on glycerol production inAspergillusspp. and features of the predicted CutA protein lead us to propose thatF. fujikuroiproduces glycerol from dihydroxyacetone, and that CutA is the enzyme involved in the synthesis of this precursor by dephosphorylation of dihydroxyacetone-3P.
The host-range tdCE phenotype of Chandipura virus is determined by mutations in the polymerase gene
Authors: Stock Emily L. , Marriott Anthony C. , Easton Andrew J.
Published: October 2013

The emerging arbovirus Chandipura virus (CV) has been implicated in epidemics of acute encephalitis in India with high mortality rates. The isolation of temperature-dependent host-range (tdCE) mutants, which are impaired in growth at 39 °C in chick embryo (CE) cells but not in monkey cells, highlights a dependence on undetermined host factors. We have characterized three tdCE mutants, each containing one or more coding mutations in the RNA polymerase gene and two containing additional mutations in the attachment protein gene. Using reverse genetics, we showed that a single amino acid change in the virus polymerase of each mutant was responsible for the host-range specificity. In CE cells at the non-permissive temperature, the discrete cytoplasmic replication complexes seen in mammalian cells or at the permissive temperature in CE cells were absent with the tdCE mutants, consistent with the tdCE lesions causing disruption of the replication complexes in a host-dependent manner.
A pencil rescues impaired performance on a visual discrimination task in patients with medial temporal lobe lesions
Authors: Knutson Ashley R. , Hopkins Ramona O. , Squire Larry R.
Published: October 2013

We tested proposals that medial temporal lobe (MTL) structures support not just memory but certain kinds of visual perception as well. Patients with hippocampal lesions or larger MTL lesions attempted to identify the unique object among twin pairs of objects that had a high degree of feature overlap. Patients were markedly impaired under the more difficult task conditions. However, the deficit was fully rescued when patients used a pencil to draw lines between the twin pairs, thereby eliminating the need to hold material in memory as they worked at each display. The perceptual demands of the task were presumably the same with or without this memory aid. Accordingly, the results suggest that the deficit on this and similar tasks, which involve comparisons across stimuli, are better understood in terms of impaired memory rather than impaired perception.
Spin line groups
Authors: Lazić Nataša , Milivojević Marko , Damnjanović Milan
Published: October 2013

Spin line groups describe the symmetries of spin arrangements in quasi-one-dimensional systems. These groups are derived for the first family of line groups. Among them, magnetic groups are singled out as a special case. Spin arrangements generated by the derived groups are first discussed for single-orbit systems and then the conclusions are extended to multi-orbit cases. The results are illustrated by the examples of a CuO2zigzag chain, a13C nanotube and the hexaferrite Ba2Mg2Fe12O22. Applications to neutron diffraction and classical ground-state determination are indicated.
Framingham Risk Score underestimates cardiovascular disease risk in severe psoriatic patients: Implications in cardiovascular risk factors management and primary prevention of cardiovascular disease
Authors: Torres Tiago , Sales Rita , Vasconcelos Carlos , Martins da Silva Berta , Selores Manuela
Published: October 2013

Severe psoriasis has been associated with increase cardiovascular mortality, due to a higher prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and premature atherosclerosis, as a consequence of its systemic inflammation. Recently, it has been estimated that severe psoriasis may confer an increased 6.2% on long‐term risk of cardiovascular disease based on Framingham Risk Score, which can have practical implications in the treatment of cardiovascular risk factors and primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, as treatment guidelines account for the risk of cardiovascular disease in treatment goals. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the attributable risk of severe psoriasis on long‐term risk of cardiovascular disease and its implication on the correct treatment of cardiovascular risk factors and primary prevention of cardiovascular disease on a real‐world cohort of patients. One hundred severe psoriasis patients without psoriatic arthritis or previous cardiovascular disease were evaluated and it was found that more than half of the patients were reclassified to a higher cardiovascular risk category with important clinical implications on the correct management of their cardiovascular risk factors and primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, as a considerable proportion of patients with hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and coronary heart disease equivalent risk were not being correctly managed.
Anti‐type VII collagen autoantibodies, detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, fluctuate in parallel with clinical severity in patients with epidermolysis bullosa acquisita
Authors: Ito Yoshihiro , Kasai Hiroko , Yoshida Tetsuya , Saleh Marwah A. , Amagai Masayuki , Yamagami Jun
Published: October 2013

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is an autoimmune subepidermal blistering disease caused by autoantibodies against type VII collagen. An enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is currently available to detect autoantibodies in EBA. There have been reports suggesting generically that ELISA indices reflect EBA disease severity; however, there is, as yet, no conclusion as to whether ELISA indices fluctuate with disease activity over time in each EBA patient. This study aimed to investigate whether ELISA titers fluctuate with EBA disease activity and to validate the clinical significance of checking ELISA values in EBA by monitoring type VII collagen ELISA titers and disease severity, evaluated in terms of numbers of blisters and erosions as a clinical score, over time in three Japanese patients with EBA. All three cases in this study, which were treated successfully, showed titers of anti‐type VII collagen autoantibodies detected by ELISA that fluctuated in parallel with disease activity. Especially in case 1, we could determine that the expanding erosions were not due to flare‐ups of EBA because the ELISA indices stayed low, although new lesions continued to appear. In fact, control of infection and nutrition helped the lesions to become epithelialized. In conclusion, we found that repeated ELISA measurements are useful in monitoring disease activity and making decisions in EBA treatment plans.
Self-Interest in Chinese Discourse and Practice: Temporal Distinctions of Self
Authors: Barbalet Jack
Published: October 2013

A concept of self-interest, through which different interests relate to distinct temporal phases of selves, is examined by considering the operation of self-interest in a context in which it is frequently held to be absent. Chinese culture, frequently described as collectivist, developed intellectual traditions in which self-interest is assumed. Chinese sociologists affirm the centrality of self-interest for understanding social relationships and practices. Confucian antipathy to selfishness relates to admonishment of satisfaction of the interests of present selves against those of past selves. Variable institutional selection of distinct temporal phases of self is core to understanding major differences between Confucianism and Daoism and their respective conceptions of self-interest.
Isokinetic muscle performance of the hip and ankle muscles in women with fibromyalgia
Authors: Yetişgin Alparslan , Tiftik Tülay , Kara Murat , Karabay İlkay , Akkuş Selami , Ersöz Murat
Published: October 2013

Objective

To compare isokinetic muscle performances of a proximal (hip) and a distal (ankle) muscle of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients with those of age‐ and body mass index (BMI)‐matched healthy subjects.

Methods

Thirty female patients with FMS (mean age: 41.5 ± 6.7 years [range, 27–54]) and 30 age‐ (mean age: 40.6 ± 6.0 years [range, 27–54]) and BMI‐matched female healthy controls were consecutively enrolled. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the subjects were recorded. Isokinetic measurements of hip and ankle flexion and extension at angular velocities of 60°/s and 180°/s, peak torques, flexor‐extensor torque ratios, muscle fatigue resistance values and average power were obtained.

Results

Mean disease duration of FMS patients was 2.4 ± 1.9 years. Mean weight, height and BMI values were 70.4 ± 12.5 kg, 159.5 ± 6.0 cm and 27.7 ± 4.7 kg/m² (FMS patients) and 69.3 ± 10.1 kg, 161.7 ± 6.2 cm and 26.6 ± 4.3 kg/m² (control subjects), respectively (all P > 0.05). All isokinetic values were statistically decreased in the FMS group when compared with the control group, except for the peak torques at angular velocity of 180°/s on flexion of the hip and extension of the ankle and the total work and average power on extension of the ankle. We did not find any correlation between isokinetic values and disease related parameters of FMS patients.

Conclusions

In the light of our results, we may conclude that muscle strength and muscle fatigue seem to decrease in FMS patients' both proximal and distal lower extremity muscles.
Comparison of Intravenous Lipid Emulsion, Bicarbonate, and Tailored Liposomes in Rabbit Clomipramine Toxicity
Authors: Cave Grant , Harvey Martyn , Shaw Tom , Damitz Robert , Chauhan Anuj
Published: October 2013

Objectives

Liposome (LIP)‐like lipid dispersions have emerged as useful detoxification vehicles in vitro. The authors compare resuscitation with tailored LIPs, 20% intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE), and sodium bicarbonate (BIC), in a rabbit model of clomipramine toxicity.

Methods

Sedated, instrumented New Zealand white rabbits underwent clomipramine infusion at 3.2 mg/kg/min to 50% baseline mean arterial pressure (MAP) and then at 1.6 mg/kg/min for 30 minutes. BIC (3 mL/kg 8.4%), ILE (3 mL/kg 20%), or LIP (24 mg/kg) were infused as rescue treatments at toxicity and were repeated at 10 minutes (n = 5 in each group).

Results

Thirty‐minute MAP was greatest in ILE‐treated animals: 61 mm Hg ILE (interquartile range [IQR] = 49 to 64 mm Hg), 43 mm Hg LIP (IQR = 36.5 to 49 mm Hg), and 10 mm Hg BIC (IQR = 10 to 44 mm Hg; all p = 0.02). Two of the five BIC‐treated animals survived to 30 minutes, compared with all five of the ILE‐treated animals and all five of the LIP‐treated animals (p = 0.044).

Conclusions

Both ILE and LIPs improved hemodynamic recovery compared with bicarbonate in clomipramine‐induced cardiotoxicity in rabbits. Greater 30‐minute MAP was observed in the ILE group.
Intravenous Lipid Emulsion Does Not Reverse Dabigatran‐induced Anticoagulation in a Rat Model
Authors: Blum Jared , Carreiro Stephanie , Hack Jason B.
Published: October 2013

Objectives

The anticoagulant dabigatran has no reversal agent and may cause life‐threatening bleeding in patients with trauma or closed‐space hemorrhage. Intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) is thought to create a lipid compartment in serum that sequesters lipophilic drugs. Dabigatran is lipophilic, and its anticoagulant effects are concentration dependent. The study objective was to determine if ILE therapy reverses dabigatran's anticoagulant effects.

Methods

Twenty rats were selected at random, 10 in the ILE group and 10 in a normal saline (NS) control group. Animals had a baseline tail bleeding time (T0), followed by oral dabigatran administration (15 mg/kg). At 45 minutes (T45), a second tail bleed time measurement was performed, followed by a 7‐minute infusion of 15 mL/kg ILE or NS. A final 60‐minute (T60) bleed time measurement was obtained. An ILE‐only group of five animals had bleeding times assessed prior to (T0) and 15 minutes after (T15) ILE therapy. A mixed‐effect repeated‐measures analysis of variance modeling the effect of time, group, and the interaction of group and time on bleed times was conducted.

Results

There was a significant within‐subject change in bleeding time across the assessment points (F(2,36) = 33; p < 0.001), but there were no effect of group (F(1,18) = 1.42, p = 0.25) or an interaction between group and assessment point on mean bleeding time (F(2,36) = 0.59, p = 56). Between T0 and T45, average bleeding times increased from 109.5 seconds (95% confidence interval [CI] = 94 to 125 seconds) to 231.8 seconds (95% CI = 193 to 271 seconds; p < 0.0001) for both the ILE group and the NS control group. Between T45 and T60, bleeding times in the ILE group decreased by 31.5 seconds (95% CI = –77 to 14 seconds) and by 6 seconds (95% CI = –67 to 55 seconds) in the NS group (p = 0.46). In the five ILE‐only animals, the average bleeding time at T0 was 114 seconds (95% CI = 62 to 166 seconds), which increased significantly at T15 to 237 seconds (95% CI = 161 to 313 seconds; p = 0.02).

Conclusions

The anticoagulant effects of dabigatran are not reversed with ILE therapy. Although ILE itself significantly prolonged bleeding times, when administered to dabigatran‐anticoagulated rats, bleeding times did not change significantly. There may be a complex interaction of ILE with dabigatran that this study was not able to elucidate.
Jumps and Trading Activity in Interest Rate Futures Markets: The Response to Macroeconomic Announcements
Authors: Bjursell Johan , H. K. Wang George , I. Webb Robert
Published: October 2013

We apply nonparametric statistical procedures to extract jumps around scheduled macroeconomic news in U.S. Treasury bond, U.S. Treasury note and Eurodollar futures prices from 2001 to 2004. Volatility and trading activity during announcement days with jumps versus no jumps are also analyzed with computerized trade reconstruction (CTR) and time and sales high frequency data. Several interesting results are obtained. First, while jumps often occur during announcement periods, many jumps cannot be associated with macroeconomic news releases. Second, volatility and trading volume are higher during announcement days with jumps than announcement days without jumps. Furthermore, volatility returns to the pre‐announcement level faster following scheduled news releases with jumps than after announcements without jumps. Third, we find that price and trading volume are adjusting simultaneously in the first 1‐minute interval following the announcement. Thus our results do not confirm that there exists a two‐stage adjustment process for prices and trading volume in interest rate futures following scheduled public news releases.
People, Territory, and Legitimacy in Democratic States
Authors: Espejo Paulina Ochoa
Published: October 2013

Who are the people who should govern themselves in a democracy? This is the famous boundary problem to which this article offers a new approach. Most democrats, even nationalists and cosmopolitans, delimit the demos by relying on territorial jurisdictions. However, territory is not explicit in their arguments. This article urges democrats to recognize territory's normative importance rather than overlook the role it already plays in their theories. Acknowledging territory is a risky, yet promising, strategy. Risky, because it may lead to a vicious circle: one needs well‐defined territorial borders to delimit the people, yet one needs a well‐defined people to establish legitimate territorial borders. Promising, because it forces democrats to scrutinize implicit assumptions and find new resources for dealing with the vicious circle. The article describes four possible tacks by which theorists could navigate the waters of people, territory, and legitimacy in democracies: asserting, circumventing, solving, and dissolving the circle.
Correlation of morphological markers of chromosomal instability in fine needle aspiration cytology with grade of breast cancer
Authors: Verma S. , Dey P.
Published: October 2013

Objective

The aim of the present study was to investigate morphological markers of chromosomal instability (CI) in relation to cytological grade of breast cancer in fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) specimens.

Methods

Herein we selected 55 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma diagnosed on FNAC. Representative haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)‐stained smears were chosen to count chromatin bridges, multipolar mitoses per smear, and micronuclei and nuclear budding per 1000 carcinoma cells. The cases were also graded by two independent observers as grade I, II and III. The CI markers were correlated with the grade of breast carcinomas.

Results

Out of 55 carcinomas, nine were grade I, nine grade II and 37 grade III. While none of the grade I carcinomas showed chromosomal bridges, the number per smear was 0.4 (± 0.7) and 3.1 (± 2.5) for grade II and III carcinomas, respectively. No multipolar mitoses were observed in grade I or II carcinomas; the number per smear was 3.7 (±3.0) in grade III carcinomas. The mean number per 1000 malignant cells of micronuclei was 1.2 (±1.7), 3.7 (±2.1) and 12.2 (±5.1) and of nuclear buds was 2.3 (±3.2), 4.7 (±2.1) and 12.4 (±4.7) in grade I, II and III carcinomas, respectively. There was a significant increase in the mean numbers of chromatin bridges, micronuclei and nuclear buds in grade I, II and III carcinomas (anova test; P < 0.001).

Conclusion

This is the first study of four morphological markers of CI in FNAC smears of breast cancer. This study establishes strong correlation of these markers with other criteria for cytological grading.
Concepts of functioning and health important to children with an obstetric brachial plexus injury: a qualitative study using focus groups
Authors: Sarac Cigdem , Bastiaansen Evelien , Van der Holst Menno , Malessy Martijn J A , Nelissen Rob G H H , Vliet Vlieland Thea P M
Published: October 2013

Aims

The aims of this study were to explore and understand the perspectives of children with an obstetric brachial plexus injury (OBPI) regarding functioning and health, and to create an overview of problems and difficulties that patients encounter in daily life.

Method

We conducted a focus group study with 48 children (25 male, 23 female), aged 8 to 18 years, with an OBPI. Eleven open‐ended questions regarding problems or difficulties in daily life were asked in group sessions with 4 to 7 children within the same age range. These group sessions were tape‐recorded and transcribed verbatim. All problems and difficulties mentioned in each focus group were linked to corresponding categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health – Children & Youth Version (ICF‐CY).

Results

Eight focus groups were conducted. A total of 143 unique ICF‐CY categories were identified. Of these categories, 61 (43%) were related to the ICF‐CY component ‘activities and participation’, 31 (22%) were related to ‘body functions’, 29 (20%) were related to ‘environmental factors’, and 22 (15%) were related to ‘body structures’.

Interpretation

This study shows that children with OBPI experience difficulties in all areas of functioning, as well as in both environmental and personal factors.
N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor antibody‐associated movement disorder without encephalopathy
Authors: Hacohen Yael , Dlamini Nomazulu , Hedderly Tammy , Hughes Elaine , Woods Martin , Vincent Angela , Lim Ming
Published: October 2013

N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antibody encephalitis is a well‐recognized clinico‐immunological syndrome that presents with a movement disorder, cognitive decline, psychiatric symptoms, and epileptic seizures. A pure monosymptomatic presentation is rare; however, some patients present predominantly with a movement disorder in the absence of encephalopathy. Here, we describe three paediatric patients with an NMDAR antibody‐mediated movement disorder: a 5‐year‐old female with acute onset hemichorea, a 10‐year‐old female with generalized chorea, and a 12‐year‐old male with abdominal myoclonus. These patients did not develop the characteristic encephalopathy syndrome seen in NMDAR encephalitis, but all three had other associated subtle cognitive deficits. The patients demonstrated good responses to immunotherapy.
Different subsets of newborn granule cells: a possible role in epileptogenesis?
Authors: Bielefeld Pascal , van Vliet Erwin A. , Gorter Jan A. , Lucassen Paul J. , Fitzsimons Carlos P.
Published: October 2013

Several factors, including epileptic seizures, can strongly stimulate ongoing neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus. Although adult‐born granule cells generated after seizure activity have different physiological properties from their normal counterparts, they integrate into the existing, mature network of the adult hippocampal dentate gyrus. However, the exact role of the neurogenic response during epilepsy and its possible involvement in epileptogenesis have remained elusive. Here, we discuss recent studies shedding new light on the interplay between epilepsy and neurogenesis, and try to explain discrepancies in this literature by proposing seizure severity‐dependent induction of two subsets of newborn cells with different properties. We hypothesise that a low seizure intensity would stimulate neurogenesis to a ‘physiological plasticity’ level and have few pathological consequences. In contrast, a high initial seizure intensity may induce a specific subset of altered and/or ectopically located new granule cells with different electrophysiological properties that could initiate hyperexcitatory recurrent networks that could, in turn, contribute to chronic epilepsy. This hypothesis may clarify previously contradictory data in the literature, and could thereby aid in our understanding of the role of neurogenesis in epileptogenesis, and open up promising avenues for therapeutic intervention.
Simulating effects of changing climate andCO2emissions on soil carbon pools at the Hubbard Brook experimental forest
Authors: Dib Alain E. , Johnson Chris E. , Driscoll Charles T. , Fahey Timothy J. , Hayhoe Katharine
Published: October 2013

Carbon (C) sequestration in forest biomass and soils may help decrease regional C footprints and mitigate future climate change. The efficacy of these practices must be verified by monitoring and by approved calculation methods (i.e., models) to be credible in C markets. Two widely used soil organic matter models –CENTURYand RothC – were used to project changes inSOCpools after clear‐cutting disturbance, as well as under a range of future climate and atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) scenarios. Data from the temperate, predominantly deciduous Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) in New Hampshire, USA, were used to parameterize and validate the models. Clear‐cutting simulations demonstrated that both models can effectively simulate soil C dynamics in the northern hardwood forest when adequately parameterized. The minimum postharvestSOCpredicted by RothC occurred in postharvest year 14 and was within 1.5% of the observed minimum, which occurred in year 8.CENTURYpredicted the postharvest minimumSOCto occur in year 45, at a value 6.9% greater than the observed minimum; the slow response of both models to disturbance suggests that they may overestimate the time required to reach new steady‐state conditions. Four climate change scenarios were used to simulate future changes inSOCpools. Climate‐change simulations predicted increases inSOCby as much as 7% at the end of this century, partially offsetting futureCO2emissions. This sequestration was the product of enhanced forest productivity, and associated litter input to the soil, due to increased temperature, precipitation andCO2. The simulations also suggested that considerable losses ofSOC(8–30%) could occur if forest vegetation atHBEFdoes not respond to changes in climate andCO2levels. Therefore, the source/sink behavior of temperate forest soils likely depends on the degree to which forest growth is stimulated by new climate andCO2conditions.
Microhabitats reduce animal's exposure to climate extremes
Authors: Scheffers Brett R. , Edwards David P. , Diesmos Arvin , Williams Stephen E. , Evans Theodore A.
Published: October 2013

Extreme weather events, such as unusually hot or dry conditions, can cause death by exceeding physiological limits, and so cause loss of population. Survival will depend on whether or not susceptible organisms can find refuges that buffer extreme conditions. Microhabitats offer different microclimates to those found within the wider ecosystem, but do these microhabitats effectively buffer extreme climate events relative to the physiological requirements of the animals that frequent them? We collected temperature data from four common microhabitats (soil, tree holes, epiphytes, and vegetation) located from the ground to canopy in primary rainforests in the Philippines. Ambient temperatures were monitored from outside of each microhabitat and from the upper forest canopy, which represent our macrohabitat controls. We measured the critical thermal maxima (CTmax) of frog and lizard species, which are thermally sensitive and inhabit our microhabitats. Microhabitats reduced mean temperature by 1–2 °C and reduced the duration of extreme temperature exposure by 14–31 times. Microhabitat temperatures were below the CTmax of inhabitant frogs and lizards, whereas macrohabitats consistently contained lethal temperatures. Microhabitat temperatures increased by 0.11–0.66 °C for every 1 °C increase in macrohabitat temperature, and this nonuniformity in temperature change influenced our forecasts of vulnerability for animal communities under climate change. Assuming uniform increases of 6 °C, microhabitats decreased the vulnerability of communities by up to 32‐fold, whereas under nonuniform increases of 0.66 to 3.96 °C, microhabitats decreased the vulnerability of communities by up to 108‐fold. Microhabitats have extraordinary potential to buffer climate and likely reduce mortality during extreme climate events. These results suggest that predicted changes in distribution due to mortality and habitat shifts that are derived from macroclimatic samples and that assume uniform changes in microclimates relative to macroclimates may be overly pessimistic. Nevertheless, even nonuniform temperature increases within buffered microhabitats would still threaten frogs and lizards.
Can mandibular bone resorption predict hip fracture in elderly women? A systematic review of diagnostic test accuracy
Authors: Devlin Hugh , Whelton Christopher
Published: October 2013

Objectives

The aim of this systematic review was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the mandibular cortical width measurements and porosity in detecting hip osteoporosis.

Background

All of the included studies used measurements on panoramic radiographs.

Materials and methods

Studies were included if they compared the radiographic measurements (or index tests) with central dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) of the hip as the reference standard. A measure of diagnostic accuracy such as sensitivity and specificity or area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was also required for inclusion.

Results

Seven studies were identified. Meta‐analysis was not possible because of the heterogeneity of the studies. The studies all demonstrated moderate diagnostic accuracy.

Conclusion

If a patient with a thin or porous mandibular cortex is identified by a chance radiographic finding, additional clinical risk factors need to be considered and the patient referred for further investigation with DXA where necessary.
Application of D‐optimal experimental design method to optimize the formulation of O/W cosmetic emulsions
Authors: Djuris J. , Vasiljevic D. , Jokic S. , Ibric S.
Published: October 2013

Synopsis

Objective

This study investigates the application of D‐optimal mixture experimental design in optimization of O/W cosmetic emulsions. Cetearyl glucoside was used as a natural, biodegradable non‐ionic emulsifier in the relatively low concentration (1%), and the mixture of co‐emulsifiers (stearic acid, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol and glyceryl stearate) was used to stabilize the formulations.

Methods

To determine the optimal composition of co‐emulsifiers mixture, D‐optimal mixture experimental design was used. Prepared emulsions were characterized with rheological measurements, centrifugation test, specific conductivity and pH value measurements.

Results

All prepared samples appeared as white and homogenous creams, except for one homogenous and viscous lotion co‐stabilized by stearic acid alone. Centrifugation testing revealed some phase separation only in the case of sample co‐stabilized using glyceryl stearate alone. The obtained pH values indicated that all samples expressed mild acid value acceptable for cosmetic preparations. Specific conductivity values are attributed to the multiple phases O/W emulsions with high percentages of fixed water. Results of the rheological measurements have shown that the investigated samples exhibited non‐Newtonian thixotropic behaviour. To determine the influence of each of the co‐emulsifiers on emulsions properties, the obtained results were evaluated by the means of statistical analysis (ANOVA test). On the basis of comparison of statistical parameters for each of the studied responses, mixture reduced quadratic model was selected over the linear model implying that interactions between co‐emulsifiers play the significant role in overall influence of co‐emulsifiers on emulsions properties.

Conclusion

Glyceryl stearate was found to be the dominant co‐emulsifier affecting emulsions properties. Interactions between the glyceryl stearate and other co‐emulsifiers were also found to significantly influence emulsions properties. These findings are especially important as they can be used for development of the product that meets users' requirements, as represented in the study.
The social protection floor and global social governance: Towards policy synergy and cooperation between international organizations
Authors: Deacon Bob
Published: October 2013

This article addresses the influence of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on other international organizations and global agencies which resulted in their endorsement of the Social Protection Floor (SFP) concept. By 2012 the concept had been endorsed by the United Nations in the shape of the UN Chief Executives Board's SPF‐Initiative, the World Bank in its new Social Protection and Labor Strategy and by the G20 at the Cannes Summit. Furthermore the IMF had agreed to work with the ILO to explore the options for creating fiscal space within countries to fund SPFs. Special Rapporteurs for the UN Human Rights Council had also in 2012 called for the setting up of a global fund for social protection to enable poorer countries to develop their floors. By 2012 a new coordinating authority, the Social Protection Inter‐Agency Cooperation Board (SPIAC‐B), had been ushered into existence to facilitate inter‐agency cooperation. This article describes and explains how these developments came about. It asks if the reality of increased global social governance cooperation in the field of social protection is as effective as it seems or whether there are new contradictions, overlapping and competing mandates and policy disagreements at the global level.
The Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202): Completing the standards to close the coverage gap
Authors: Kulke Ursula , Guilbault Emmanuelle Saint‐Pierre
Published: October 2013

In June 2012, the 101st session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) adopted the Recommendation concerning national floors of social protection, 2012 (No. 202). This article explores the linkages between Recommendation No. 202 and the pre‐existing International Labour Organization (ILO) social security standards and its complementarity with these. In response to the questions as to whether the existing ILO social security standards have lost their relevance and whether the new Recommendation has been adopted with a view to replacing the existing ones, the article concludes that its adoption not only complements but also broadens and strengthens the existing international social security code. Together, Recommendation No. 202 and the ILO social security Conventions are viewed as providing a complete and adequate normative framework for the establishment and maintenance of comprehensive social security systems.
Revisiting policies to achieve progress towards universal health coverage in low‐income countries: Realizing the pay‐offs of national social protection floors
Authors: Scheil‐Adlung Xenia
Published: October 2013

Despite progress on extending social health protection coverage, most low‐income countries are still far from achieving universal health coverage and thus key objectives related to improvements in health, such as those aimed at by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), will almost certainly not be realized by 2015. Principally affected are the most vulnerable populations: the rural and urban poor and workers in the informal economy and their families. It is of particular concern that progress might not only remain limited but even be reversed if policies continue to fail to address the root causes of gaps and deficits in health coverage. This article provides evidence that these causes lie both within and beyond the health sector and are strongly related to poverty and other forms of vulnerability. It argues that sustainable progress towards universal health coverage can only be achieved in an adequate time frame when focusing simultaneously on i) extending health coverage and improving access to needed health care; ii) providing income security through income support to those in need; iii) addressing limitations, or the inability to participate, in income generation from work; and iv) implementing coherent policies within and across the social, economic and health sectors that set priorities on poverty alleviation. Such policies can best be implemented in the context of national social protection floors (SPF) that focus on access to at least essential health care and on providing at least basic income security over the life cycle to all in need. Implementing SPFs may result in breaking the mutual linkages between ill health, poverty and other vulnerabilities and achieving sustainable progress towards universal health coverage and other social protection objectives.
Shifting artificial data to detect system failures
Authors: Hwang Wook‐Yeon , Lee Jong‐Seok
Published: October 2013

Multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) is used for simultaneously monitoring several process variables. While small changes to normal operating conditions made by this system may not seriously affect the quality of a product, a system failure will be declared if an observation significantly deviates from the in‐control region before defective units are mass‐produced. Although a number of research works integrating data‐mining algorithms with MSPC have been proposed to effectively manage a large amount of data, this combination may not function for the case of system failures due to the extreme imbalance of data. This research proposes a new approach and employs a classification technique, namely, random forest, which overcomes the class imbalance problem. The proposed method systematically shifts artificial data toward the region of failures to ensure the classifier correctly detects system failures. Numerical experiments show that our method outperforms existing methods in terms of failure detection counts.
Conservation breeding and avian diversity: chances and challenges
Authors: Collar N. J. , Butchart S. H. M.
Published: October 2013

Given the increasingrapprochementbetween aviculture and conservation organizations and the escalating global crisis in species conservation, we enumerate the avian taxa that are subject to, or might most appropriately be considered for, conservation‐breeding programmes. Although the overall total, at 257, is only 2·6% of the extant global avifauna, the role for zoos remains crucial. Of this total, captive breeding is judged ‘Necessary’ or ‘Integral’ to conservation efforts for 45 spp (18%); for the great majority, it is regarded as ‘Precautionary’ or ‘Prudent’ [192 spp (75%)], and for the remainder it is recommended either as a showcase forin situefforts [3 spp (1%) – although this proportion could be larger] or to deflect pressure from wild populations by the market‐driven supply of captive‐bred individuals [17 spp (7%)]. For the 8–21% of these species for which captive populations may not already exist, more detailed assessment is required prior to attempting to establishex situpopulations. Avicultural institutions preparing to rise to these challenges should recognize that: (1) the taking of birds into captivity should not provide an excuse to developers to continue unchecked with whatever activity threatens the species in question; (2) species recovery programmes driven primarily by conservation‐breeding interests may need a more holistic agenda that develops thein situcomponent; (3) success has so far been elusive in several ‘Necessary’ cases (in which failure would lead almost certainly to extinction); (4) a delicate balance is needed between leavingex situmanagement too late and starting it too early; (5) choice of species will depend not only on biological need but also on factors relating to the individual institution; (6) our recommendations are simply toconsiderconservation breeding for the species listed here that are not already in programmes; (7) speed of reaction is of the essence once the decision is clear; (8) new priorities will constantly arise, in some cases deriving from taxonomic revisions.
Is the relationship between algal diversity and biomass in North American lakes consistent with biodiversity experiments?
Authors: Zimmerman Emily K. , Cardinale Bradley J.
Published: October 2013

Over the past few decades, a large body of research has examined how biodiversity loss influences the functioning of ecosystems, as well as the cascading impacts on the goods and services ecosystems provide to humanity. The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functions quantified in prior experiments suggests that initial losses of biodiversity have relatively small impacts on properties like community biomass production; however, beyond some threshold, increasing losses lead to accelerating declines in function. Some have questioned whether a saturating relationship between diversity and community biomass production is an artifact of overly simplified experiments that manipulate diversity in homogeneous conditions over short time‐scales in which niche differences may not be realized. Others have questioned whether even the modest effects of biodiversity observed in experiments would be discernible in natural systems where they could be over‐ridden by the stronger influence of abiotic factors.

Here, we used a biogeographic dataset to assess how the taxonomic richness of aquatic primary producers relates to community biomass in unmanipulated lake ecosystems in the US, and then compared these findings to prior experiments. We used structural equation modeling to evaluate hypotheses about the effects of algal richness on community biomass while accounting for covariance with environmental parameters measured in the USEPA's National Lakes Assessment (NLA), which sampled 1157 freshwater lakes. These analyses converged on a single best‐fit model (χ2= 0.31, p = 0.58) wherein community algal biomass was a function of three explanatory variables – nitrogen, phosphorus, and algal richness. The quantitative magnitude of the algal diversity (x) – biomass (y) relationship in the NLA dataset is statistically greater than that documented in the average biodiversity experiment. It did, however, lie at approximately the 75th percentile of experimental relationships, indicating the diversity–biomass relationship in unmanipulated lakes is within the range that has been characterized experimentally.
Practitioner Review: Maternal mood in pregnancy and child development – implications for child psychology and psychiatry
Authors: O'Connor Thomas G. , Monk Catherine , Fitelson Elizabeth M.
Published: October 2013

Background

The empirical base suggesting a link between prenatal maternal anxiety, stress or depression and cognitive, behavioral, and biological outcomes in the infant and child has increased dramatically in the past 10 years.

Methods

In this review, we consider the relevance of prenatal maternal mood for child mental health practitioners; the empirical base for a likely causal impact of the link between prenatal anxiety, depression, or stress and child outcomes; the degree to which the available evidence is sufficient for informing or altering clinical practice; and the possible role of prenatal interventions for promoting child health and development. A selective review of PubMed, Cochrane Library and other sources was undertaken.

Findings

Clinically significant links between maternal prenatal distress and child behavioral and cognitive outcomes have been reported; predictions to stress physiology, immunology, and neurodevelopment have been reported but the effect sizes and clinical significance is less clear. Several candidate mechanisms have been proposed, with some supporting evidence. Many behavioral treatments for prenatal maternal distress exist, but their application to promoting child health is largely unknown.

Conclusions

Research on maternal prenatal distress is a good example of translational research and offers a strong paradigm for promoting interdisciplinary clinical research on child health and development.