bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ocular Rigidity Evaluation After Photorefractive Keratectomy: An Experimental Study
Authors: Kymionis George D. , Diakonis Vasilios F. , Kounis George , Charisis Spyridon , Bouzoukis Dimitrios , Ginis Harilaos , Yoo Sonia , Tsilimbaris Miltiadis , Pallikaris Ioannis G.
Published: February 2019

Purpose:

To evaluate possible changes of the ocular rigidity coefficient in vivo after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in a series of rabbit eyes, using an invasive ocular rigidity measurement device.

Methods:

Sixteen eyes of 8 rabbits were used in this study. One eye from each rabbit underwent PRK for −10.00 diopters (D) in a 5-mm optical zone (92
μ
m) while the fellow eye served as the control. Five weeks later, the rabbits were examined under general anesthesia. The pressure–volume relationship and the ocular rigidity coefficient were determined in all 16 eyes, by injecting 200
μ
L of saline solution (in increments of 4.5
μ
L) through the limbus into the anterior chamber, while the intraocular pressure (IOP) was continually monitored with a transducer, up to a maximum limit of 40 mmHg. Data within an IOP range of 10 to 40 mmHg were used to calculate the ocular rigidity coefficient.

Results:

The preoperative central corneal thickness was comparable (
P
=.73, paired
t
test) in the pre-PRK eyes (mean: 347.5±17.11
μ
m) and control eyes (mean: 349.1±17.46
μ
m). No statistically significant difference was noted in measured ocular rigidity coefficient between eyes treated with PRK and control eyes (mean rigidity coefficient: 0.42±0.12 mmHg/
μ
L [range: 0.23 to 0.56] and 0.47±0.12 mmHg/
μ
L [range: 0.28 to 0.62], respectively, with 95% confidence interval of the difference, lower: −0.10 to upper: 0.015,
P
=.121).

Conclusions:

Photorefractive keratectomy did not significantly alter ocular rigidity measurements in this experimental model. [
J Refract Surg
. 2008;24:173–177.]
Experimental Assessment of Corneal Anisotropy
Authors: Elsheikh Ahmed , Brown Michael , Alhasso Daad , Rama Paolo , Campanelli Marino , Garway-Heath David
Published: February 2019

Purpose:

To determine the variation of corneal biomechanical properties with anatomical orientation.

Methods:

Strip specimens extracted from fresh porcine corneas were tested under uniaxial tension with strain rates representing static and dynamic loading conditions. The specimens were extracted from the vertical, horizontal, and 45° diagonal directions. The load elongation results were used to derive the stress–strain behavior of each specimen. The average behavior for specimens taken in each anatomical direction was determined along with the effect of strain rate. Specimens from a small number of human corneas were included in the study to verify the findings.

Results:

Specimens extracted from the vertical direction of porcine and human corneas demonstrated the highest strength (fracture stress) followed by horizontal then diagonal specimens. Vertical specimens were 10% to 20% stronger than horizontal specimens in porcine and human corneas. At low strain rates (1%/min), vertical specimens displayed similar stiffness (resistance to deformation) to horizontal specimens but greater stiffness than diagonal specimens. On increasing the strain rate to 500%/min, the stiffness behavior matched that of strength with vertical specimens being 10% to 20% stiffer than horizontal specimens in porcine and human corneas.

Conclusions:

The corneal anisotropic behavior is compatible with the preferential orientation of stromal fibrils in the vertical and horizontal directions. Quantifying the effect of this nonuniform fibril organization on corneal anisotropic behavior will be useful in developing numerical models of the cornea for applications where its integrity is compromised such as in simulating refractive surgery procedures. [
J Refract Surg
. 2008;24:178–187.]
Detection of an Abnormally Thick LASIK Flap With Anterior Segment OCT Imaging Prior to Planned LASIK Retreatment Surgery
Authors: Izquierdo Luis , Henriquez Maria A. , Zakrzewski Peter A.
Published: February 2019

Purpose:

To report a case of an abnormally thick flap that was detected with the use of anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) prior to planned LASIK retreatment surgery.

Methods:

A 43-year-old man presented 6 years after bilateral LASIK surgery with uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) of 20/20 in the right eye and 20/100 in the left eye, and best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) of 20/20 in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye (refraction −2.25 −1.25 × 131). Anterior segment OCT was performed before LASIK retreatment surgery in the left eye.

Results:

The flap was found to be 394 μm and the residual stromal bed was too thin (152 μm) to allow for safe LASIK retreatment surgery. After waiting 4 months to ensure refractive stability, photorefractive keratectomy was performed. Postoperative UCVA was 20/20 plano.

Conclusions:

The use of anterior segment OCT in the preoperative examination for planned LASIK retreatment surgery provided more reliable data. [
J Refract Surg.
2008;24:197–199.]
Selection of Calf Bedding Sites by Female Elk in the Central Appalachian Mountains
Authors: Duchamp Joseph E. , DeVivo Melia T. , DeBerti Jon M. , Heffernan Lindsey M. , Kougher Jason D. , Larkin Jeffery L.
Published: February 2019

Across eastern North America, Rocky Mountain elk Cervus canadensis nelsoni have been reintroduced to 11 states and provinces that were previously occupied by the extinct eastern elk C. canadensis canadensis. Outside of Kentucky, these elk reintroductions have resulted in small populations, typically numbering fewer than 1,000 elk per state. Limited information is available about the demographics and habitat selection within these small eastern populations. The availability of high-quality habitat during the first weeks of life is important for promoting annual recruitment and the identification of these characteristics should aid in management efforts. We characterized habitat at two spatial scales surrounding the bedding sites of 83 elk calves (≤ 7 d old) in the Pennsylvania Elk Management Area during the annual calving seasons of 2005–2008. A concurrent study found that calves in this area experienced high survival (92%) during the first 4 mo of life, despite occupying an area with high predator densities. At a local scale, bedding sites used by calves were closer to ecotones, had less leaf litter, and had greater density of vegetation below 1 m compared to random sites (n = 82). At a landscape scale, calf habitat surrounding bedding sites had greater density of edges between forest and open vegetation and less coniferous forest compared to random areas. The selected habitats appear to balance the high energetic needs of lactating females at the landscape scale and the need for cover to conceal calves and reduce predation risk at a local scale. Conclusions drawn from our models suggest future habitat management include enhancements of transitional vegetation along ecotones between forest and herbaceous openings that address the needs of both lactating females and recently born calves. We recommend that managers periodically evaluate the availability of calf habitat and calf survival rates. These monitoring activities will provide insight necessary to adaptively manage elk and the habitats driving their population growth to maintain their viability in the central Appalachian Mountains.
Oasis bestiarum. Animals in Dakhleh Oasis rock art (Egypt)
Authors: Polkowski Paweł Lech
Published: February 2019

Les animaux constituent la majeure partie des sujets gravés, relevés par la Petroglyph Unit du Dakhleh Oasis Project, dans l’oasis de Dakhla en Égypte. Cet article est l’occasion d’établir un tour d’horizon des espèces animales identifiables au sein du très riche corpus de figures zoomorphes, qui en compte 1429. Ces gravures sont étudiées ici principalement en termes de technique de production, caractéristiques formelles et chronologie. Leur signification potentielle est intentionnellement laissée de côté. Chaque catégorie de zoomorphe est étudiée individuellement, en commençant par les représentations les plus abondantes qui sont celles de girafes et d’oryx. En conclusion de l’article, la discussion finale permet de resituer l’art animalier de Dakhla dans un contexte plus vaste, et aborde la problématique des restes fauniques. Diverses questions concernant les matériaux analysés sont posées, questions qui sont également d’un intérêt plus large pour l’archéologie du Désert occidental égyptien.
La membrana L-PRF e suoi derivati utili nella chirurgia del wound care/The L-PRF membrane and its derivatives useful in wound care surgery
Authors: Crisci Alessandro , Rescigno Carmela , Crisci Michela
Published: February 2019

Il crescente settore multidisciplinare dell’ingegneria tissutale mira a rigenerare, migliorare o sostituire in modo prevedibile i tessuti danneggiati o mancanti per una varietà di condizioni causate da traumi, malattie e vecchiaia. Per garantire che i metodi per l’ingegneria tissutale siano ampiamente applicabili in ambito clinico, è necessario modificarli in modo da renderli prontamente disponibili e relativamente facili da usare nella routine clinica quotidiana. Pertanto, i passaggi tra la preparazione e l’applicazione devono essere ridotti al minimo e ottimizzati per renderli pratici e l’implementazione realistica. L’obiettivo generale di sviluppare concentrati piastrinici di origine naturale può essere prodotto vicino al paziente e accelerare il processo di impianto essendo finanziariamente realistico per il paziente e per il sistema sanitario. La fibrina ricca di piastrine (PRF) e i suoi derivati sono stati utilizzati in un’ampia varietà di campi medici per la rigenerazione dei tessuti molli. In conclusione, i risultati della presente revisione sistematica evidenziano gli effetti positivi del PRF sulla guarigione delle ferite dopo terapia rigenerativa per la gestione di vari difetti dei tessuti molli riscontrabili nel wound care.

Growing multidisciplinary field of tissue engineering aims to regenerate, improve or replace predictably damaged or missing tissues for a variety of conditions caused by trauma, disease and old age. To ensure that tissue engineering methods are widely applicable in the clinical setting, it is necessary to modify them in such a way that they are readily available and relatively easy to use in daily clinical routine. Therefore, the steps between preparation and application must be minimized and optimized to make them realistic implementation. General objective of developing platelet concentrates of natural origin can be produced close to the patient and accelerate the implantation process, being financially realistic for the patient and the health system. Fibrin rich in platelets and leukocytes (PRF) and its derivatives have been used in a wide variety of medical fields for soft tissue regeneration. In conclusion, the results of this systematic review highlight the positive effects of PRF on wound healing after regenerative therapy for the management of various soft tissue defects found in wound care.
Challenges to and Resources for Participation in Interprofessional Collaborative Practice: Perceptions of Collegiate Athletic Trainers
Authors: Manspeaker Sarah A. , Hankemeier Dorice A.
Published: February 2019

Context

Health care systems are increasing their emphasis on interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) as a necessary component to patient care. However, information regarding the challenges athletic trainers (ATs) perceive with respect to participating in IPCP is lacking.

Objective

To describe collegiate ATs' perceptions of challenges to and resources for participation in IPCP.

Design

Qualitative study.

Setting

College and university.

Patients or Other Participants

The response rate was 8% (513 ATs [234 men, 278 women, 1 preferred not to disclose sex], years in clinical practice = 10.69 ± 9.33).

Data Collection and Analysis

Responses to survey-based, open-ended questions were collected through Qualtrics. A general inductive qualitative approach was used to analyze data and establish relevant themes and categories for responses. Multianalyst coding and an external auditor confirmed coding saturation and assisted in triangulation.

Results

Challenges were reported in the areas of needing a defined IPCP team structure, respect for all involved health care parties, and concerns when continuity of care was compromised. Communication was reported as both a perceived challenge and a resource. Specific resources seen as beneficial to effective participation in IPCP included communication mechanisms such as shared patient health records and educational opportunities with individuals from other health care professions.

Conclusions

As ATs become more integrated into IPCP, they need to accurately describe and advocate their roles, understand the roles of others, and be open to the dynamic needs of team-based care. Development of continuing interprofessional education opportunities for all relevant members of the health care team can help to delineate roles more effectively and provide more streamlined care with the goal of improving patient outcomes.
Creation order in sapiential theology: An ecological-evolutionary perspective on cosmological responsibility
Authors: Geyser-Fouche Ananda , Serfontein Bernice
Published: February 2019

This study explores humans’ ecological responsibility, firstly from an evolutionary perspective and then by emphasising especially the order and creation theology in the Old Testament wisdom literature. Ultimately, these entities will be connected. The following aspects will be addressed: cosmology, ecology, evolutionary biology and order in the wisdom literature. These concepts are seen by many as exclusive towards each other, but this article will endeavour to portray them as interlocutors in dialogue with each other.
Cacti and cells
Authors: Losev Ivan
Published: February 2019

The goal of this paper is to construct an action of the cactus group of a Weyl group

W

on

W

that is nicely compatible with Kazhdan–Lusztig cells. The action is realized by the wall-crossing bijections that are combinatorial shadows of wall-crossing functors on the category

\mathcal O

.
Success of a Resident-Led Safety Council: A Model for Satisfying CLER Pathways to Excellence Patient Safety Goals
Authors: Cohen Sarah P. , Pelletier Jonathan H. , Ladd Jennifer M. , Feeney Colby , Parente Victoria , Shaikh Sophie K.
Published: February 2019

Background 

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) program focuses on aspects of the graduate medical education learning environment, such as patient safety. Data from CLER site visits reveal that many resident physicians do not receive adequate training on patient safety.

Objective 

We evaluated a pediatric resident-led safety council as a method to meet CLER Pathways to Excellence patient safety objectives.

Methods 

The Duke Pediatric Residency Safety Council (PRSC) created an infrastructure for residents to participate in department safety efforts, review safety events, and act as leaders for safety initiatives. Annual surveys were distributed to graduate medical education trainees through the institution's patient safety center and the PRSC. Survey results of safety attitudes were compared over time within the pediatrics program and between pediatrics and nonpediatrics trainees at the institution. Resident-submitted safety reports were tracked through an institutional safety event repository.

Results 

From 2013 to 2017, the percentage of residents who strongly agreed that they could submit a safety report doubled (from 35% [6 of 17] to 73% [22 of 30], P = .011). The average number of safety reports submitted by a pediatrics resident per year did not significantly change during this period (from 3.0 to 3.8, P = .11). In 2017, 90% of pediatrics residents (27 of 30) agreed or strongly agreed that their concerns would be addressed if they entered a safety report.

Conclusions 

The council addressed 5 of the 7 CLER Pathways to Excellence in patient safety.
The intricate relationship between intellectual property exhaustion and free movement of goods in regional organizations: comparing the EU/EEA, NAFTA, and ASEAN
Authors: Calboli Irene
Published: February 2019

This article explores the relationship between national rules on the exhaustion of intellectual property (IP) rights and cross-border trade within regional organizations. In particular, this article compares three distinct approaches adopted by: the European Union (EU); the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA); and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Based on this comparison, this article concludes that in order to effectively promote the free movement of goods, members of regional organizations need to consistently adopt national policies on IP exhaustion that support, at least, a system of regional exhaustion such as currently found in the EU. However, this article also posits that different regional organizations may decide to adopt a variety of approaches on IP exhaustion. These variations may be based on the different stages of national development of the various members of a regional organization or the size of national markets and economic strategies, including their current level of international trade and whether this trade is primarily with other members of the same organization or with third countries. With time, different national approaches on IP exhaustion may change and lead to a higher level of harmonization to promote a full-scale free movement of goods within a regional organization.
Examining Clinical Meaningfulness in Randomized Controlled Trials: Revisiting the Well Elderly II
Authors: Schelly David , Ohl Alisha
Published: February 2019

OBJECTIVE. Randomized controlled trial (RCT) interventions often rely on p values, where statistical significance is assumed to provide evidence of an intervention effect. This study provides a secondary data analysis of the Well Elderly II RCT using multiple approaches that examine clinical meaningfulness.

METHOD. We reanalyzed the Well Elderly II RCT using effect size, standard deviation, standard error of measurement, minimal difference, a fragility index, an assessment of poor scores at baseline, and an analysis with a small subgroup of participants removed.

RESULTS. Although some participants improved on several scales, most stayed the same, and a small subset declined. Omitting a small subgroup of participants led to nonsignificant p values.

CONCLUSION. There is evidence that disparities in baseline scores and regression to the mean may have created the appearance of an intervention effect. Our methods of considering clinical meaningfulness suggest improved approaches to analyzing RCT data.
Comparing variations of peak expiratory flow among healthy adults from the Kuyavia-Pomeranian and Lublin districts of Poland
Authors: Składanowski Maciej R. , Jarosz Paweł , Mackiewicz Barbara
Published: February 2019

Introduction

Peak expiratory flow (PEF), a measure of lung function, was first described by Hadorn in 1942. The definition of PEF, written by the European Respiratory Society, states that it is the maximum flow achieved during the expiration phase, delivered with maximal force, starting from the maximum level of lung inflation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the variations of PEF associated with height, age, body surface area, place of residence and environmental factors among healthy adults in an urban setting in Poland.

Material and methods

The study comprised 88 healthy, non-smoking subjects: 30 females and 58 males, aged 20–80 years. Epidemiological and demographic data were collected from each participant, as well as information on symptoms and the occurrence of lung diseases. Only healthy subjects were selected for analysis. Participants completed spirometry testing; physical parameters were measured, and appropriate additional data obtained.

Results

Among the study group of 88 participants (30 females and 58 males), peak expiratory flow rate was negatively correlated with age (p = 0.000001), and positively correlated with height and body surface area (both p < 0.000001). There was a significant negative correlation between PEF and longitudinal environmental factors such as different particulate matter levels (p = 0.0007) present at the place of residence.

Conclusions

Peak expiratory flow changes are present in a healthy adult population. Place of residence and environmental factors influence the results of spirometry tests.
The relationship between demographic and anthropometric characteristics and diabetic complications and number of hospitalizations in hospitalized diabetic patients
Authors: Kayar Yusuf , Agin Mehmet
Published: February 2019

Introduction

Diabetes mellitus is the most common endocrine disease in the world. A total of 371 million people with diabetes lived in the world in 2012, 4.8 million people lost their lives due to diabetes, and 612–1099 billion dollars are spent on diabetic patients each year. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between the number of hospitalized patients, the demographic and anthropometric characteristics, and diabetic complications.

Material and methods

Five hundred patients hospitalized with DM diagnosis were included in this study. Patients were divided into three groups according to the number of hospitalizations. The relationship between the number of hospitalizations and risk factors was examined. Parameters were analyzed using linear regression, 2 test and independent t-test.

Results

When the number of hospitalizations was classified, the groups were formed as the patients who were hospitalized once, twice, or three times or more, respectively: 351 (70.2%), 86 (17.2%), and 63 (12.6%). In our study, it was found that patients with three times or more hospitalizations had worse glycemic control, duration of diabetes, and rate of taking insulin treatment, which was found to be significantly high (p < 0.05), the number of non-smokers was significantly low (p < 0.05), the quitting rate was significantly high (p < 0.05), nephropathy, retinopathy, and cerebrovascular events and cardiovascular diseases were significantly high (p < 0.05) compared to one and two hospitalizations.

Conclusions

In our study, it was found that glycemic control and diabetic complications were important determinants in the control of diabetes-related hospitalizations; and well-controlled diabetes was found to reduce the number of hospital admissions of patients with diabetes in Turkey. There are no financial data; however, in this context, it can be envisaged that it will have a lowering effect on the cost per patient.
Articulation and speaking rates of Polish-French bilingual children
Authors: Michalik Mirosław , Czaplewska Ewa , Solak Anna , Szkotak Anna
Published: February 2019

Background

Bilingualism or multilingualism, while being of great benefit, often presents a significant challenge for experts. In fact, the linguistic development process for monolingual and bilingual speakers differs significantly. Even though such milestones as a baby’s first words or sentences are often reached at the same time in both cases, other phenomena typical for bilingualism may appear to be disorders or delays if considered within the categories of monolingualism. The objective of the present study was to determine whether there were differences between the achievements of monolingual and bilingual children in the field of some prosodic speech aspects.

Participants and procedure

The objective of the study was to collate research results concerning the speaking rates of bilingual speakers, and to compare them to the established standards in the field. The research material was obtained from a group of 16 bilingual children, unaffected by developmental, language or communication disorders, which was then described and analysed in terms of established research criteria, and compared to analogical data derived from a control group consisting of 16 monolingual children. The average age of the bilingual children was 8;11 and of the monolingual children from the control group 9;0.

Results

The analysis of the material collected leads to the conclusions that, in terms of the basic parameters determining the speaking rates of the speech produced, statistically significant differences occurred between the monolingual and bilingual groups in the categories of average speaking rate (speech sounds and syllables per second, and pause duration) and the average articulation rate (speech sounds, syllables). There were no significant differences regarding number of pauses or the average duration of filled pauses.

Conclusions

The quantitative results and their statistical analysis agree with the hypothesis regarding slower speech production by bilingual children.
The radiative impact of out-of-cloud aerosol hygroscopic growth during the summer monsoon in southern West Africa
Authors: Haslett Sophie L. , Taylor Jonathan W. , Deetz Konrad , Vogel Bernhard , Babić Karmen , Kalthoff Norbert , Wieser Andreas , Dione Cheikh , Lohou Fabienne , Brito Joel , Dupuy Régis , Schwarzenboeck Alfons , Zieger Paul , Coe Hugh
Published: February 2019

Abstract. Water in the atmosphere can exist in the solid, liquid or
gas phase. At high humidities, if the aerosol population remains constant,
more water vapour will condense onto the particles and cause them to swell,
sometimes up to several times their original size. This significant change in
size and chemical composition is termed hygroscopic growth and alters a
particle's optical properties. Even in unsaturated conditions, this can
change the aerosol direct effect, for example by increasing the extinction of
incoming sunlight. This can have an impact on a region's energy balance and
affect visibility. Here, aerosol and relative humidity measurements collected
from aircraft and radiosondes during the Dynamics–Aerosol–Chemistry–Cloud
Interactions in West Africa (DACCIWA) campaign were used to estimate the
effect of highly humid layers of air on aerosol optical properties during the
monsoon season in southern West Africa. The effects of hygroscopic growth in
this region are of particular interest due to the regular occurrence of high
humidity and the high levels of pollution in the region. The Zdanovskii,
Stokes and Robinson (ZSR) mixing rule is used to estimate the hygroscopic
growth of particles under different conditions based on chemical composition.
These results are used to estimate the aerosol optical depth (AOD) at
λ=525 nm for 63 relative humidity profiles. The median AOD in the
region from these calculations was 0.36, the same as that measured by sun
photometers at the ground site. The spread in the calculated AODs was less
than the spread from the sun photometer measurements. In both cases, values
above 0.5 were seen predominantly in the mornings and corresponded with high
humidities. Observations of modest variations in aerosol load and composition
are unable to explain the high and variable AODs observed using sun
photometers, which can only be recreated by accounting for the very elevated
and variable relative humidities (RHs) in the boundary layer. Most
importantly, the highest AODs present in the mornings are not possible
without the presence of high RH in excess of 95 %. Humid layers are found
to have the most significant impact on AOD when they reach RH greater than
98 %, which can result in a wet AOD more than 1.8 times the dry AOD.
Unsaturated humid layers were found to reach these high levels of RH in
37 % of observed cases. It can therefore be concluded that the high AODs
present across the region are driven by the high humidities and are then
moderated by changes in aerosol abundance. Aerosol concentrations in southern
West Africa are projected to increase substantially in the coming years;
results presented here show that the presence of highly humid layers in the
region is likely to enhance the consequent effect on AOD significantly.
Timescales of Secondary Organic Aerosols to Reach Equilibrium at Various Temperatures and Relative Humidities
Authors: Li Ying , Shiraiwa Manabu
Published: February 2019

Abstract. Secondary organic aerosols (SOA) account for a substantial fraction of air particulate matter and SOA formation is often modeled assuming rapid establishment of gas-particle equilibrium. Here, we estimate the characteristic timescale for SOA to achieve gas−particle equilibrium under a wide range of temperatures and relative humidities using a state-of-the-art kinetic flux model. Equilibration timescales were calculated by varying particle phase state, size, mass loadings, and volatility of organic compounds. Model simulations suggest that the equilibration timescale for semi-volatile compounds is on the order of seconds or minutes for most conditions in the planetary boundary layer, but it can be longer than one hour if particles adopt glassy or amorphous solid states with high glass transition temperature at low relative humidity. In the free troposphere with lower temperatures it can be longer than hours or days even at moderate or relatively high RH due to kinetic limitations of bulk diffusion in highly viscous particles. The timescale of partitioning of low-volatile compounds is shorter compared to semi-volatile compounds, as it is largely determined by condensation sink due to very slow re-evaporation. These results provide critical insights into thermodynamic or kinetic treatments of SOA partitioning for accurate predictions of gas- and particle-phase concentrations of semi-volatile compounds in regional and global chemical transport models.
A simplified parameterization of isoprene-epoxydiol-derived secondary organic aerosol (IEPOX-SOA) for global chemistry and climate models
Authors: Jo Duseong S. , Hodzic Alma , Emmons Louisa K. , Marais Eloise A. , Peng Zhe , Nault Benjamin A. , Hu Weiwei , Campuzano-Jost Pedro , Jimenez Jose L.
Published: February 2019

Abstract. Secondary organic aerosol derived from isoprene epoxydiols (IEPOX-SOA) is thought to contribute the dominant fraction of total isoprene SOA, but the current volatility-based lumped SOA parameterizations are not appropriate to represent the reactive uptake of IEPOX onto acidified aerosols. A full explicit modelling of this chemistry is however computationally expensive owing to the many species and reactions tracked, which makes it difficult to include it in chemistry climate models for long-term studies. Here we present three simplified parameterizations for IEPOX-SOA simulation, based on an approximate analytical/fitting solution of the IEPOX-SOA yield and formation timescale. The yield and timescale can then be directly calculated using the global model fields of oxidants, NO, aerosol pH and other key properties, and dry deposition rates. The advantage of the proposed parameterizations is that they do not require the simulation of the intermediates while retaining the key physico-chemical dependencies. We have implemented the new parameterizations into the GEOS-Chem v11-02-rc chemical transport model, which has two empirical treatments for isoprene SOA (the volatility basis set (VBS) approach and a fixed 3 % yield parameterization) and compared all of them to the case with detailed full chemistry. The best parameterization (PAR3) captures the global tropospheric burden of IEPOX-SOA and its spatio-temporal distribution (R2 = 0.93) vs. those simulated by the full chemistry, while being more computationally efficient (~ 5 times faster), and accurately captures the response to changes on NOx and SO2 emissions. On the other hand, the constant 3 % yield that is now default in GEOS-Chem deviates strongly (R2 = 0.65, 63 % underestimation), as does the VBS (R2 = 0.45, 78 % underestimation), with neither parameterization capturing the response to emission changes. With the advent of new mass spectrometry instrumentation, many detailed SOA mechanisms are being developed, which will challenge global and especially climate models with their computational cost. The methods developed in this study can be applied to other SOA pathways, which can allow including accurate SOA simulations in climate and global modeling studies in the future.
Assessing the impact of acid rain and forest harvest intensity with the HD-MINTEQ model – soil chemistry of three Swedish conifer sites from 1880 to 2080
Authors: McGivney Eric , Gustafsson Jon Petter , Belyazid Salim , Zetterberg Therese , Löfgren Stefan
Published: February 2019

Abstract. Forest soils are susceptible to anthropogenic acidification. In the past,
acid rain was a major contributor to soil acidification, but, now that
atmospheric levels of S have dramatically declined, concern has
shifted towards biomass-induced acidification, i.e. decreasing soil solution
pH due to tree growth and harvesting events that permanently remove base
cations (BCs) from forest stands. We use a novel dynamic model, HD-MINTEQ (Husby Dynamic MINTEQ), to
investigate possible long-term impacts of two theoretical future harvesting
scenarios in the year 2020, a conventional harvest (CH, which removes stems
only), and a whole-tree harvest (WTH, which removes 100 % of the
above-ground biomass except for stumps) on soil chemistry and weathering
rates at three different Swedish forest sites (Aneboda, Gårdsjön, and
Kindla). Furthermore, acidification following the harvesting events is
compared to the historical acidification that took place during the 20th century
due to acid rain. Our results show that historical acidification due
to acid rain had a larger impact on pore water chemistry and mineral
weathering than tree growth and harvesting, at least if nitrification
remained at a low level. However, compared to a no-harvest baseline, WTH and
CH significantly impacted soil chemistry. Directly after a harvesting event
(CH or WTH), the soil solution pH sharply increased for 5 to 10 years before
slowly declining over the remainder of the simulation (until year 2080). WTH
acidified soils slightly more than CH, but in certain soil horizons there
was practically no difference by the year 2080. Even though the pH in the WTH
and CH scenario decreased with time as compared to the no-harvest scenario
(NH), they did not drop to the levels observed around the peak of historic
acidification (1980–1990), indicating that the pH decrease due to tree growth
and harvesting would be less impactful than that of historic atmospheric
acidification. Weathering rates differed across locations and horizons in
response to historic acidification. In general, the predicted changes in
weathering rates were very small, which can be explained by the net effect of
decreased pH and increased Al3+, which affected the weathering rate in
opposite ways. Similarly, weathering rates after the harvesting scenarios in
2020 remained largely unchanged according to the model.
An Anthropological Perspective on Jayeel S. Cornelio’s Being Catholic in the Contemporary Philippines: Generalizability, Geographic Differences, and Ideal-Typical Protestants
Authors: Bräunlein Peter J.
Published: February 2019

This response engages with Jayeel S. Cornelio’s Being Catholic in the Contemporary Philippines from an anthropological perspective, asking what conclusions can be drawn from this study for a broader perspective on Philippine Catholicism. The book focuses on young students as “creative Catholics” in contemporary Manila, but the sociological position taken by Cornelio may obscure larger differences between young Catholics across the archipelago. His well-educated interlocutors on college campuses appear as highly reflexive quasi-theologians. How do the values they express relate to the larger state of Philippine society? How are the attitudes of Manila-based Catholic youth related to those of youth in the rest of the country? “Creative Catholics” seem to adopt a rather “Protestant” attitude, regarding their “self” as the moral authority and emphasizing moral living and individual emotional experiences of God.
Bilateral irreversible visual loss due to arteritic anterior optic ischemic neuropathy
Authors: Delia Nicoara Simona , Damian Ioana
Published: February 2019

Introduction: Anterior optic ischemic neuropathy (AOIN) is the most frequent cause of visual loss in giant cell arteritis (GCA). As blindness is rarely reversible, the main therapeutic goal is to prevent bilateral disease by immediate initiation of high-dose intravenous steroids. Approximately, one third of patients present with bilateral visual impairment.

Case Report: A 77-year-old patient, came to the Ophthalmology Emergency Room for sudden loss of vision in the left eye (OS) to no light perception (NLP) with two days duration and significant narrowing of the visual field in the right eye (OD) with 10 hours duration. Fundus examination revealed swelling and pallor of the optic disc in both eyes (OU). Laboratory examination showed elevated ESR (56 mm/h) and CRP (5.24 mg/dl). Temporal artery biopsy (TAB) proved granulomas and fibrosis within the vessel wall. Immediate Methylprednisolon 1gm was administered intravenously for five days, followed by oral Prednisone 1mg/kg for four weeks with tapering of 10 mg per month. The patient was put on diabetic and low sodium regimen. During the 3rd day of treatment, vision OD dropped to NLP. Despite continuing systemic steroid therapy, vision remained unchanged. Two months following discharge, the patient died from myocardial infarction.

Conclusion: Irreversible bilateral blindness occurred in a patient with arteritic AOIN, while he was on systemic steroids, probably due to late presentation, when vision was already affected bilaterally.
An Evaluation of Successive Pilot Decontamination in Massive MIMO
Authors: Rodrigues Victor Croisfelt , Abrão Taufik
Published: February 2019

The demand for higher data rates can be satisfied by the spectral efficiency (SE) improvement offered by Massive multiple-input multiple-output (M-MIMO) systems. However, the pilot contamination remains as a fundamental issue to obtain the paramount SE in such systems. This propitiated the research of several methods to mitigate pilot contamination. One of these procedures is based on the coordination of the cells, culminating in proposals with multiple pilot training phases. This paper aims to expand the results of the original paper, whereby the concepts of large pilot training phases were offered. The evaluation of such method was conducted through more comprehensible numerical results, in which a large number of antennas were assumed and more rigorous SE expressions were used. The channel estimation approaches relying on multiple pilot training phases were considered cumbersome for implementation and an uninteresting solution to overcome pilot contamination; contradicting the results presented in the genuine paper.
JWood: um objeto educacional para aprendizado de elementos de estruturas de madeira
Authors: Silva Juliano Lima da , Pravia Zacarias Martin Chamberlain
Published: February 2019

This paper presents the educational object JWood, a Java programmed application that seeks to update engineering concepts in the computational design of timber elements, it is another software of the educational project Etools (www.etools.upf.br). The application has as main focus the learning of disciplines related to Timber Structures, following the proposed by methods in the revision of ABNT NBR 7190/2012 – Wooden structures projects and looking to present its concepts to the user in a dynamic, organized and easily comprehensive way, executing calculations related to traction, compression, bending and bending combined with axial compression of timber elements, including the generation of a detailed report that presents the performed operations.
The Mellin transform and Euler-Maclaurin summation rule applied to system of n - independent harmonic oscillators
Authors: Gonçalves Antonio Edson , Aquino Veríssimo Manoel de
Published: February 2019

We confront the Mellin and the Euler-Maclaurin summation rule when used in order to calculate N independent harmonic oscillators thermodynamic potentials, and compare the approximate expressions with the exact ones for these quantities. The goal of this work is at least twofold: First, to compare the results obtained for the thermodynamic potentials of a system of N oscillators using the Mellin and the Euler-Maclaurin summation rule in order to have a discernment on which one is most appropriate for application to more complex systems with finite and infinite number of components. Second, to present to the reader the ideas of these techniques in a pedestrian way with the aim of providing one material with detailed calculation that can be useful like a basic reference to more deep calculation, in particular string theory and supergravity.
Cavities "Pit Number" and micro-jets impingements
Authors: Bazanini Gil , Lima Nicodemus Neto da Costa , Bressan José Divo
Published: February 2019

Cavitation pits and erosion were obtained using the rotating disk device, where a steel disk with cavitation inducers and specimens fixed on it rotates inside a water chamber to provide the cavitating flow. These pits were observed with the aid of a scanning electronic microscopy. Micro-jets resulting from cavity collapse cause damages to solid surfaces. Because they are caused by the micro-jets, these pits are approximate circular. The exponent named pit number was calculated using the pit counting, that is the number of pits by area and by time unit. The influence of flow velocity was also analyzed here, and how greater is the flow velocity, how greater is the pit counting calculated. It was also calculated the distance from the collapsing cavity to the wall, considering a conic micro-jet.
Wettelijk overgangsrecht en rechterlijke anticipatie ter zake van het gemoderniseerde Wetboek van Strafvordering
Authors: Borgers M.J. , Kooijmans T.
Published: February 2019

Wettelijk overgangsrecht en rechterlijke anticipatie ter zake van het gemoderniseerde Wetboek van Strafvordering

De inwerkingtreding van het gemoderniseerde Wetboek van Strafvordering zal gepaard gaan met vragen van overgangsrechtelijke aard. Op dit moment heeft de minister nog niet voorzien in overgangsrecht. In deze bijdrage wordt besproken hoe de contouren van dat overgangsrecht eruit zouden kunnen zien. Daarnaast wordt de vraag besproken in hoeverre de rechter, voorafgaand aan de inwerkingtreding, kan anticiperen op het gemoderniseerde wetboek bij de uitleg van de huidige wettelijke bepalingen.
Polityka rodzinna i praca socjalno-wychowawcza jako działania na rzecz rodzin niepełnych
Authors: Krasiejko Izabela
Published: February 2019

W polskiej współczesnej polityce rodzinnej istnieją zarówno programy powszechne, skierowane do ogółu rodzin, mające wspomóc jej funkcjonowanie (np. urlopy macierzyńskie i rodzicielskie, program 500 +, program maluch +), jak również formy pomocy tzw. selektywne, skierowane do danej kategorii osób lub rodzin (ubogich, np. zasiłki rodzinne, niepełnych w trudnej sytuacji życiowej, np. fundusz alimentacyjny). W artykule przedstawiono charakterystykę rodzin niepełnych oraz wybranych form ich wsparcia. W tym celu przeanalizowano przepisy prawa i literaturę przedmiotu. Pokazano, na czym polega praca socjalno-wychowawcza z rodziną niepełną i jak należy stosować zasadę indywidualizacji w pracy z nią, aby z koszyka dostępnych usług wybrać odpowiednie dla danej rodziny.
Determination of Total Folates in Complex Nutritional Drinks and Supplements Using a Tri-Enzyme Microbiological Method and Michaelis-Menten Kinetics
Authors: Kobany Stephanie , Schmieg Dana , Plank David W , Povolny Lisa A , Shepard Marilyn , Lam May , Galvan Noe , Brown Dana
Published: February 2019

Background: Recent development of LC methods for the determination of total folates (vitamin B9) in complex matrixes have been hindered by vitamer interconversion and yield variability. The official microbiological method (AOAC Official Methods of Analysis 944.12 and 960.46) uses an end point turbidity reading to determine folate concentration. However, when measuring complex matrixes, shifts are observed in the growth curves of the microorganism and inaccuracies are introduced to this quantification method. Objective/Methods: In addition to the tri-enzyme digestion of the standard microbiological method, we have applied enzyme modeling of the initial velocity of bacterial growth using Michaelis-Menten kinetics to achieve more accurate and reproducible determinations of total folates. Results/Conclusions: Accuracy determined through spike recovery in Infant/Adult Nutritional Drink and a complex vitamin matrix gave values acceptable to AOAC standards of 85–110%. Repeatability of the low mass fraction analyte measured at micrograms per 100 g yielded relative standard deviations <15% for all matrixes tested, including three standard reference materials.
GoTaxMe: Crowdfunding and Gifts
Authors: Kahn Jeffrey
Published: February 2019

In 2018, Peter Strzok was fired from the FBI, based on text messages that he sent denigrating President Trump. A week later, a group set up a GoFundMe page soliciting funds to help with his “legal costs” and to replace his “lost income.” As of early September, that fund had raised over $450,000. GoFundMe states on its website that donations made are usually considered to be “private gifts” and not taxable to the recipient. Using Strzok’s campaign as an example, this Article will discuss the current standards for determining whether a transfer qualifies as a nontaxable gift and the policy rationale for the exclusion of gifts. The Article argues that, contrary to the common conception of what qualifies as a gift for tax purposes, there are some circumstances in which the intention of the transferor should not control the characterization. Instead, in those circumstances, the role of the transferee should control. The Article concludes that GoFundMe’s positon is incorrect and funds collected using GoFundMe (and other crowdfunding websites) should be treated as income to the recipient.
Eingeräumte Überziehungsmöglichkeit und geduldete Überziehung
Authors: Amarell Sabrina
Published: February 2019

Together with a current account and a debit or credit card, having an overdraft granted and tolerated is a basic element of financial services for consumers. The far-reaching and profound changes to the law on consumer loans connected to the implementation of the Consumer Credit Directive (2008/48/EC) resulted especially in the redefinition of the right to have an overdraft both granted and tolerated according to §§ 504 and 505 respectively of Germany’s civil code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch). In 2016, these reforms were supplemented by further changes to the law, which significantly altered the right to be given an overdraft and which resulted from the implementation of both the Mortgage Credit Directive (2014/17/EU) and the Payment Account Directive (2014/92/EU). Using these changes as a starting point, this study examines the legal dogmatic foundations of having an overdraft granted and tolerated in both a European and a national context. Subsequently, it conducts an empirical investigation into practical experiences with overdrafts, which is based on interviews with experts from both credit institutes from the three banking sectors and consumer advice agencies. As a result of this investigation, the author deals with the points at which the legal dogmatic foundations and the practical experiences overlap and differ by bringing together the diverging results of the study’s initial two main parts in both an academically interesting and innovative way. This book will not only appeal to those in academia, but also to those working in the fields of banking and consumer rights.
D'un journal de printemps
Authors: Maulpoix Jean-Michel
Published: February 2019

Presentation text Le texte proposé par Jean-Michel Maulpoix fait partie d'un travail en cours où se poursuit la réflexion engagée dans ses deux derniers livres L'Hirondelle rouge (Mercure de France, 2017) et Une histoire de l'élégie
(Pocket, 2018). A mi-chemin de l'écriture lyrique et de l'essai, ces pages de 'journal' participent également de ce que leur auteur désigne lui-même comme un 'lyrisme critique' (titre d'un essai publié aux éditions José Corti en 2009).