bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Фредерік Бантинг та відкриття інсуліну (до 75-річчя з дня трагічної загибелі)
Authors: Reznikov A.G.
Published: October 2016

Статтю присвячено пам’яті канадського вченого Фредеріка Бантинга, автора відкриття інсуліну. Наведено стислі біографічні дані вченого та історія його відкриття. Згадується роль попередників Бантинга у розкритті патогенезу цукрового діабету та розв’язанні проблеми отримання терапевтичного препарату інсулін.
Comportamento ingestivo de ovinos em pastos de diferentes estruturas
Authors: Ferreira Verônica Bandeira , Moreno Leandro Ferreira , Dalmaso Ana Carolina , Mousquer Cláudio Jonasson , Silva Filho Amorésio Souza , Hoffmann Alvair , Simioni Tiago Adriano , Castro Wanderson José Rodrigues de
Published: October 2016

Sheep are gregarious animals and spend time with food intake inserted with one or more periods of rumination or leisure. The peaks of grazing and ruminating usually happen in the cooler hours of the day, keeping in idle at times of higher temperatures. These animals modify one or more components of their ingestive behavior seeking to overcome limiting conditions for their consumption and get the necessary amounts of nutrients for the maintenance and production. Thus, this review has as an objective to discuss these items that affect the sheep’s intake behavior at pasture. The feeding behavior study cooperates in solving problems related to the decrease in consumption in critical times for milk or meat, through of management practices, installation design and supply diet with quantity and quality.
Aspectos da brucelose na saúde pública veterinária
Authors: Meirelles-Bartoli Raphaella Barbosa , Sousa Daniel Bartoli de , Mathias Luis Antonio
Published: October 2016

The brucellosis is an infectious disease of chronic evolution and character typical granulomatous disease mainly affecting the reproductive system and the musculoskeletal domestic animals, wildlife and humans. It's a anthropozoonosis characterized by infection of the cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system, caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella. With worldwide distribution, in our country has a high incidence and prevalence in cattle, serving as the main source of infection for humans. Although a character occupational illness affecting workers who are in direct contact with sick animals, also features character population, because the intake of animal products contanimados become important means of transmission of this bacterium. Although it is characterized by a serious zoonotic disease, this disease is still poorly understood by many people because of the many understatements.
Soroepidemiologia da brucelose bovina no período de 2010 a 2012 no Município de Alegre/Espírito Santo
Authors: Ferreira Peter Gabriel , Senhorello Igor Luiz Salardani , Bezerra Alexandre de Oliveira , Starling Renan Zappavigna Costa , Donatele Dirlei Molinari , Clipes Renata Côgo
Published: October 2016

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the seroprevalence of brucellosis and associated risk factors in cattle in the municipality of Alegre, Espírito Santo, in the period 2010-2012. We analyzed 516 blood samples from cattle older than 24 months of 26 farms. The diagnosis was made by means of the indirect method of diagnosis and screening provided officially by the National Program for the Control and Eradication of Brucellosis and Tuberculosis ( PNCEBT ), Buffered Acidified Antigen ( AAT ). Of the 516 samples tested, 07 sera were reactive, with a total prevalence of 1.35 %, present in 23.1 % of the properties. Variables: veterinary medical care, buying and selling animals, vaccination against brucellosis; knowledge PNCEBT, and testing of animals for brucellosis, showed no significant difference ( p > 0.05 ) for the occurrence of brucellosis. In 42.3 % ( 11 ) of the properties was not made ​​vaccination against brucellosis, 84.6 % ( 22 ) did buying and selling animals, 57.7 % ( 15 ) not tested the animals for brucellosis, 53.9 % ( 14 ) responsible for the property were not aware of PNCEBT and only 38.5 % ( 11 ) had assistance from a veterinarian. These results demonstrate that infection by Brucella abortus is distributed in the dairy herd of the municipality of Alegre, Espírito Santo. Paying attention to the occupational nature of the disease, since people who deal with animals susceptible to the disease and / or infected, the risk of becoming infected is greater, direct contact with fetal membranes, fetal remains fluid and provides that this will spread zoonosis. It is essential that measures be adopted to ensure that landowners receive information on the disease and its economic implications, aiming at the implementation of a program to control the disease in the region.
Perfil de bovídeos abatidos nos matadouros oficiais do Estado do Amapá, Brasil
Authors: Soares Bruna Viana , Esteves Claudiana , Faria Peter Bitencourt , Teixeira Jacyara Thais , Araujo Thiago Santos
Published: October 2016

The state of Amapá is the only Brazilian state whose buffalo production exceeds quantitatively cattle. The data relating to the profile of cattle slaughtered in the states are restricted to senior defense official inspection and therefore information on the origin, species, and quantitative slaughtered often become unavailable in the media query. The aim of this study was to analyze bovid cattle slaughtered in the State Inspection Service - SIE Amapá during the year 2011, identifying the amount of animals in relation to the origin, species, sex, age and means of transport. The data used in this study were provided by the Traffic Management Agriculture - GTAGRO Defense Agency and Agricultural Inspection Amapá State - DIAGRO. It was found that in the state of Amapá buffalo are slaughtered more than cattle, and that the state of Pará is the leading provider of bovine for slaughter, where the highlights were the counties of Chaves, Monte Alegre, New Brazil and Prainha. The main suppliers were Cutias municipalities Amapa, Macapa, Tartarugalzinho and Itaubal. The state of Amapá provided more buffalo for slaughter, while the state of Pará provided more cattle. The predominant sex was male, age was the most abundant of more than 36 months and the main means of transportation was the sea / river.
Prevalência de lesões sugestivas de tuberculose em bubalinos abatidos no Amapá, Brasil
Authors: Silva Luciana Barreto de Almeida , Esteves Claudiana , Faria Peter Bitencourt , Teixeira Jacyara Thais , Araújo Thiago Santos
Published: October 2016

The animal tuberculosis is of paramount importance for public health, since it is The animal tuberculosis is of paramount importance for public health , since it is a zoonosis and the animal infected by Mycobacterium sp is a transmitter of disease to humans through their products and by-products and the consumption of buffalo meat is significant in the region Amazon , especially in the State of Amapá, where about 65% of the population of buffaloes is bovídea, this work aimed to study the prevalence of convictions for lesions suggestive of tuberculosis in buffaloes slaughtered in the principal place of slaughter of bovine fueling population Amapá. Consequently, to alert and sensitize society about the importance of the control of animal tuberculosis and consumption of animal products inspected. Data were collected from convictions for lesions suggestive of tuberculosis in carcasses and viscera of animals slaughtered in the slaughterhouse fridge located in the municipality of Santana - AP, subjected to the control SIE 0003, from September 2010 to August 2011. In the study period, there was a prevalence of 2.95 %, for a total of 39,972 buffaloes slaughtered, 1,179 showed lesions compatible with tuberculosis. In 8.56% of cases the lesions exhibited widely and 56.00% of carcasses condemned animals come from the region of higher concentration of buffaloes in the state of Amapá (municipalities Tartarugalzinho, Cutias of Araguari, Macapa and Amapá). From the results obtained it is essential to the implementation of the National Plan for Control and Eradication of Animal Brucellosis and Tuberculosis in the State of Amapá sanitation herds.
Glicerina bruta de biodiesel na alimentação de ruminantes
Authors: Dalmaso Ana Carolina , Ferreira Verônica Bandeira , Mousquer Claudio Jonasson , Castro Wanderson José Rodrigues de , Silva Filho Amorésio Souza , Simioni Tiago Adriano , Hoffmann Alvair , Fernandes Geferson Antonio
Published: October 2016

Biodiesel is considered an environmentally friendly fuel, biodegradable, nontoxic, and virtually free of sulfur and aromatics, when replacing the conventional diesel, biodiesel can reduce emissions of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide with the search for renewable sources. For each ton of biodiesel are produced about 100 kg of glycerol, with the accumulation of this coproduct in the environment can cause contamination of soil and water, thus, research is being undertaken to find alternatives to the use of surplus glycerol. The cost of animal feed is around 70% of all production. And one of the ways to be decreasing this cost power is the use of by-products like glycerin in animal feed and also helping to preserve natural resources (no pollution).Biodiesel is considered an environmentally friendly fuel, biodegradable, nontoxic, and virtually free of sulfur and aromatics, when replacing the conventional diesel, biodiesel can reduce emissions of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide with the search for renewable sources. For each ton of biodiesel are produced about 100 kg of glycerol, with the accumulation of this coproduct in the environment can cause contamination of soil and water, thus, research is being undertaken to find alternatives to the use of surplus glycerol. The cost of animal feed is around 70% of all production. And one of the ways to be decreasing this cost power is the use of by-products like glycerin in animal feed and also helping to preserve natural resources (no pollution).
Conceitos estatísticos aplicados à experimentação zooté
Authors: Salman Ana Karina Dias , Giachetto Poliana Fernanda
Published: October 2016

Facing the importance of animal products to the Brazilian economic scenery, is always actual and constant to seek for scientific and technological innovations with economic and practical results that should be applied in animal production system or other animal production chain. Through the scientific experimentation, researchers can use many methodological tools for reaching better yield indices based on reliable and solid results. Among these tools, statistical methods aid to test hypothesis and to interpret observed results in a specific study, following the scientific principles. This document aimed to summarize the basic principles of scientific experimentation and descriptive statistical analysis which underline and help to plan scientific studies, focusing on animal science. Thus, this material contains information that should be useful for students, technical staffs and researchers with interest in a basic and practical guide for animal science experimentation.
Efeitos de diferentes aditivos sobre a composição bromatológica e pH de silagens de capim elefante
Authors: Deminicis Bruno Borges , Araújo Rafael Pavesi , Rocha Norberto Silva , Abreu Matheus Lima Corrêa , Guerra Rafaela Neves , Hertel Vitor Luiz de Souza , Pandolfi Filho Antônio Delunardo , Rodrigues Patricia do Rosário , Amorim Isabela Moraes
Published: October 2016

This work aimed to verify the efficiency of different additives on the chemical composition and fermentation parameters of elephant grass silage. The planting of elephant grass cv. Napier (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) It was done in pits 25 cm deep with spacing lines of 80 cm after tillage. Elephant grass was harvested at 180 days of age and broken  into fragments 0.5 to 2.0 cm. The treatments were control (no additive); corn, 8% of the natural material, sodium chloride, 8% of the natural material, urea, 8% of the natural material, sugar, 8% of the natural material and cornmeal more sugar, 4% of the natural material of corn meal and 4% sugar. Analyses were carried out in dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), lignin (LGN), ether extract (EE) and ash (MM). Treatment with salt (8%) had the highest rate bromatological, although the silage with the additive does not have appropriete protein levels. Urea at this dose (8%) prevents the silage by high-power alkaline. The high time to cut elephant grass (180 days) bromatological reduced the value of silage.
Mycoplasma haemofelis em gato - relato de caso
Authors: Silveira Elissandra da , Pimentel Mariana Caetano , Marques Sandra Márcia Tietz
Published: October 2016

Mycoplasma haemofelis is a potentially zoonotic pleomorphic bacterium that infects the erythrocytes of several domestic species. The present report describes the case of a female, 2-year-old, unspayed Persian cat with a history of anorexia, mild dehydration, prostration, body condition score between 1 and 2, lethargy, enlarged mandibular and popliteal lymph nodes, slightly pale mucosae, rectal temperature of 40.3ºC, concentrated urine, and moderate splenomegaly. The biochemical, blood test, and PCR results indicated infection by Mycoplasma haemofelis. The patient was cured with the administration of doxycycline and dexamethasone.
Using Heteroskedastic Ordered Probit Models to Recover Moments of Continuous Test Score Distributions From Coarsened Data
Authors: Reardon Sean F. , Shear Benjamin R. , Castellano Katherine E. , Ho Andrew D.
Published: October 2016

Test score distributions of schools or demographic groups are often summarized by frequencies of students scoring in a small number of ordered proficiency categories. We show that heteroskedastic ordered probit (HETOP) models can be used to estimate means and standard deviations of multiple groups’ test score distributions from such data. Because the scale of HETOP estimates is indeterminate up to a linear transformation, we develop formulas for converting the HETOP parameter estimates and their standard errors to a scale in which the population distribution of scores is standardized. We demonstrate and evaluate this novel application of the HETOP model with a simulation study and using real test score data from two sources. We find that the HETOP model produces unbiased estimates of group means and standard deviations, except when group sample sizes are small. In such cases, we demonstrate that a “partially heteroskedastic” ordered probit (PHOP) model can produce estimates with a smaller root mean squared error than the fully heteroskedastic model.
Optimal Sample Size Determinations for the Heteroscedastic Two One-Sided Tests of Mean Equivalence
Authors: Jan Show-Li , Shieh Gwowen
Published: October 2016

Equivalence assessment is becoming an increasingly important topic in many application areas including behavioral and social sciences research. Although there exist more powerful tests, the two one-sided tests (TOST) procedure is a technically transparent and widely accepted method for establishing statistical equivalence. Alternatively, a direct extension of Welch’s solution for the Behrens–Fisher problem is preferred in equivalence testing of means when the homogeneity of variance assumption is violated. For advance planning of equivalence studies, this article describes both exact and nearly exact power functions of the heteroscedastic TOST procedure and develops useful approaches to optimal sample size determinations under various allocation and cost considerations. Detailed numerical illustrations and simulation studies are presented to demonstrate the distinct features of the suggested techniques and the potential deficiency of existing method. Moreover, computer programs are provided to facilitate the implementation of the described sample size procedures. The proposed formulas and algorithms are recommended over the current results for their technical transparency, overall performance, and diverse utility.
Reliability assessment of the Biffl Scale for blunt traumatic cerebrovascular injury as detected on computer tomography angiography
Authors: Foreman Paul M. , Griessenauer Christoph J. , Kicielinski Kimberly P. , Schmalz Philip G. R. , Rocque Brandon G. , Fusco Matthew R. , Sullivan Joseph C. , Deveikis John P. , Harrigan Mark R.
Published: October 2016

OBJECTIVE

Blunt traumatic cerebrovascular injury (TCVI) represents structural injury to a vessel due to high-energy trauma. The Biffl Scale is a widely accepted grading scheme for these injuries that was developed using digital subtraction angiography. In recent years, screening CT angiography (CTA) has been used to identify patients with TCVI. The reliability of this scale, with injuries assessed using CTA, has not yet been determined.

METHODS

Seven independent raters, including 2 neurosurgeons, 2 neuroradiologists, 2 neurosurgical residents, and 1 neurosurgical vascular fellow, independently reviewed each presenting CTA of the neck performed in 40 patients with confirmed TCVI and assigned a Biffl grade. Ten images were repeated to assess intrarater reliability, for a total of 50 CTAs. Fleiss' multirater kappa (κ) and interclass correlation were calculated as a measure of interrater reliability. Weighted Cohen's κ was used to assess intrarater reliability.

RESULTS

Fleiss' multirater κ was 0.65 (95% CI 0.61–0.69), indicating substantial agreement as to the Biffl grade assignment among the 7 raters. Interclass correlation was 0.82, demonstrating excellent agreement among the raters. Intrarater reliability was perfect (weighted Cohen's κ = 1) in 2 raters, and near perfect (weighted Cohen's κ > 0.8) in the remaining 5 raters.

CONCLUSIONS

Grading of TCVI with CTA using the Biffl Scale is reliable.
Diet-induced weight loss is sufficient to reduce senescent cell number in white adipose tissue of weight-cycled mice
Authors: List Edward O. , Jensen Elizabeth , Kowalski Jesse , Buchman Mathew , Berryman Darlene E. , Kopchick John J.
Published: October 2016

Previously, our laboratory reported that weight-cycled mice outlive their obese counterparts. To gain a better mechanistic understanding of these results, we evaluated cellular senescence in white adipose tissue (WAT) of lean, obese, and weight cycled mice. Our results show that at the end of a 28 day weight loss cycle cellular senescence is significantly reduced in multiple WAT depots compared to obese mice, which also corresponds to a reduction in circulating activin A (a marker of senescence). These findings suggest that a previously undescribed benefit to weight loss may be a reduction of cellular senescence in WAT.
Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern of Blood Isolates in Patients of Septicemia in ICU: Single Centre Observation
Authors: Ahsan ASM Areef , Fatema Kaniz , Barai Lovely , Faruq Mohammad Omar , Ahmed Fatema , Saha Debasish Kumar , Saha Madhurima , Nazneen Suraiya , Hamid Tarikul , Zabeen Nazia
Published: October 2016

Background: Septicaemia in critically ill patients is a life threatening condition and requires rapid antimicrobial treatment. Infections caused by drug-resistant organisms are more likely to increase risk of death in these patients. The present study was aimed to study the profile of organisms causing septicaemia and their antibiotic resistance pattern in an intensive care unit (ICU) of a teaching hospital in Bangladesh.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done in a 21-beded adult ICU of Dhaka city from November 2015 to April 2016.Results: A total of 362 patients were diagnosed clinically as septicaemia during the study period of six month. 696 blood samples were analyzed and 92 blood samples yielded growth of 94 organisms, which included 89 bacteria and 5 fungal isolates. Mean age of the patients whose blood samples showed growth of organisms was 65.1 ± 9.1 years, with female preponderance (56.7%). High prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease was found in these patients. The major organisms isolated were Acinetobacter (29.7%), Pseudomonas (26.5%), Klebsiella (18.08%), Eschericia coli (11.7%) and Candida (5.3%). All the isolates were resistant (>50%) to 3rd generation cephalosporins. Acinetobacter was highly resistant (>75%) to most of the antibiotics except colistin. Isolated Pseudomonas was also resistant to aminoglycosides (>90%) and imipenem (>65%). Klebsiella was resistant to aminoglycosides and imipenem, but Eschericia coli was sensitive to these antibiotics. Among the Enterobacteriaceae, 81.8% Eschericia coli and 11.7% Klebsiella had extended spectrum ?-lactamase activity. Frequency of gram positive organisms (6.38%) was significantly low in this study (p<0.05).Conclusion: This study provides information on antibiotic resistance of blood isolates found in ICU patients with septicaemia. It will guide the intensivists to formulate the initial empiric antibiotic therapy for the critically ill patients of ICU.Bangladesh Crit Care J September 2016; 4 (2): 100-104
Sinusoid sign
Authors: Shrestha Gentle Sunder
Published: October 2016

Abstract not availableBangladesh Crit Care J September 2016; 4 (2): 131
Characteristics of Feeding Practices and Nutritional Status of Infants in Selected Villages at Dhamrai
Authors: Farah Shayela , Karim Mohoshina
Published: October 2016

Infants are the most vulnerable group among all the age groups in our society. Breastfeeding decisions and practices are influenced by multiple factors including knowledge, attitude and beliefs. This rural based cross sectional descriptive study carried out among 320 mothers having infant up to 1 year of selected villages at Dhamrai from 7th August to 31th January 2014, to determine the characteristics of feeding practices and nutritional status of infants. Near fifty percent infants belonged to age group 9-12 months and of them one third were more than 8 kg. Regarding feeding status 284(88.8%) of respondents got colostrums bit about fifty-five percent mother did not know the benefit of exclusive breastfeeding. The observation regarding complementary feeding 142(50.9%) infants were started after six months of age and the common types of complementary food were khichuri (49.7%), shagu, suji (21.5%), fruit juice (6.8%) given as family food. It was found that 208(65%) mothers were encouraged by doctors to practice weaning food. The prevalence of severe underweight and moderate underweight in the studied children were 10.9% and 14.1% respectively, the prevalence of moderate and severe wasting children was 6.2% and 3.2% respectively and the prevalence of severely and moderately stunted children were 8.3% and 10.9% respectively. Proper breastfeeding practices are effective ways for reducing infant morbidity and mortality. So it may be concluded that correct breast feeding practices should be supported and promoted to improve the well-being of infants.
Analgesic and antidepressant activities of Brassica rapa subspecies chinensis (L.) Hanelt on Swiss-albino mice model
Authors: Rahman Mohammad Sharifur , Jahan Nushrat , Rahman S M Ashikur , Rashid Mohammad Abdur
Published: October 2016

Bangladesh being a subtropical country provides varieties of herbs and vegetables. Brassica is a broad genus available in Bangladesh and it encompasses a lot of nutritive herbs. Among these, Brassica rapa subspecies chinensis (L.) Hanelt (Family-Brassicaceae) is popular in many parts of the world. In the quest of medicinal property, this plant was investigated here for observing analgesic and antidepressant activities in Swiss-albino mice model. The herb was extracted well with methanol and then assayed by acetic acid-induced writhing and tail immersion methods for analgesic action. Besides, thiopental sodium induced sleeping time test, tail suspension test and forced swim test were conducted for the evaluation of its antidepressant activity. The plant extract was orally administered to the mice at 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight and it exhibited significant analgesic and antidepressant activities in compare to the controlled groups. This is the first time comprehensive report for analgesic and antidepressant activities of this plant.
Enhanced detection rate of typhoid fever among clinically suspected patients in a tertiary referral hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh using nested polymerase chain reaction technology
Authors: Khan Shafinaz , Mia Ruhul Amin , Khatun Sumaiya
Published: October 2016

A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) specific for Salmonella enterica subspecies enteric serovar Typhi was used for the detection of the pathogen in blood. This study was done during the period of March 2013 to February 2014. A total of 80 clinically suspected cases of typhoid fever were included in the study. Blood was collected from all participating individuals. Nested PCR targeting the flagellin gene (fliC) of Salmonella Typhi & blood culture were done for each of the cases. The positivity rate of PCR & blood culture was 70%& 20% respectively. The positivity rate of PCR was significantly higher than blood culture (P< 0.05). With the nested PCR, S. Typhi DNAs were detected from blood specimens of 67.2% (43/64) patients among the suspected typhoid fever cases on the basis of clinical features but with negative cultures. We conclude that the PCR technique could be used as a novel diagnostic method of typhoid fever, particularly in culture-negative cases in an endemic country like Bangladesh.
Sentiment Analysis of the BBC's Digital Content during the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum Campaign
Authors: Greig Alastair
Published: October 2016

In Scotland, the UK's media's coverage of the Scottish independence Referendum 2014 remains controversial. This was probably most true of the coverage from the UK's public service broadcaster, the BBC. In fact, perceived bias in favour of the No campaign by the BBC resulted in several demonstrations against the organisation outside its Scottish headquarters. This paper presents empirical results of a word frequency analysis of BBC's reporting of the referendum campaign between June 2014 until the day of the referendum on the 18th September. It finds that while the BBC's digital content appears less subjective than other major news outlets, there is nevertheless evidence that suggests that the BBC's coverage, on the whole, was more favourable to the No campaign and offers an empirical explanation of why that might be the case.
Lucky Thinker: An Interview with Tom Nairn
Authors: Hames Scott , Storrar William
Published: October 2016

Needing no introduction to readers of Scottish Affairs, Tom Nairn is that very rare thing: an intellectual whose writings have genuinely transformed political debate. His analysis of Scotland in the UK from The Breakup of Britain in 1977 to Old Nations, Auld Enemies, New Times in 2014 has been seminal in shaping the movement for independence as well as the academic study of nationalism. What is too little known is the intellectual journey that led him to be one of the few thinkers on the left to take nationalism seriously as the modern Janus, a progressive as well as regressive force. In this interview, we retrace the unplanned course of his thinking from art school to aesthetics, philosophy to politics, nationalism studies to the study of globalisation, Benedetto Croce to Iris Murdoch, Antonio Gramsci to Hamish Henderson, Perry Anderson to the New Left Review. Such interests and friendships took him from Pisa to Hornsey, Amsterdam to Melbourne; yet always circling back north again. The interview concludes with impressions and hesitations on UK ‘nationality politics’ in the weeks prior to the 2015 General Election.
Brexit: Europe's ‘Black Thursday’ and Scotland's Future
Authors: Bort Eberhard
Published: October 2016

The shock waves of the UK's EU referendum outcome reverberate in a Divided Kingdom, with huge implications for Scotland and Northern Ireland, and across Europe, where populists of all political shades take succour from the UK electorate's decision (51.9% for Leave, 48.1% Remain) to end the country's 43-year membership of the European project. The campaign was dominated by hyperbole and outright lies, with racist and xenophobic undertones, the result quite apparently unexpected, the aftermath chaotic, and it remains to be seen what the long-term impact on the UK-EU relationship, on the UK constitution, on ‘Scotland's place in Europe’, and on the future of the European Union will be.
Sinusoidal Parameter Estimation Using Quadratic Interpolation around Power-Scaled Magnitude Spectrum Peaks
Authors: Werner Kurt , Germain François
Published: October 2016

The magnitude of the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) of a discrete-time signal has a limited frequency definition. Quadratic interpolation over the three DFT samples surrounding magnitude peaks improves the estimation of parameters (frequency and amplitude) of resolved sinusoids beyond that limit. Interpolating on a rescaled magnitude spectrum using a logarithmic scale has been shown to improve those estimates. In this article, we show how to heuristically tune a power scaling parameter to outperform linear and logarithmic scaling at an equivalent computational cost. Although this power scaling factor is computed heuristically rather than analytically, it is shown to depend in a structured way on window parameters. Invariance properties of this family of estimators are studied and the existence of a bias due to noise is shown. Comparing to two state-of-the-art estimators, we show that an optimized power scaling has a lower systematic bias and lower mean-squared-error in noisy conditions for ten out of twelve common windowing functions.
Post-Occupancy Evaluation Data Support for Planning and Management of Building Maintenance Plans
Authors: Bento Pereira Nelson , Calejo Rodrigues Rui , Fernandes Rocha Patrícia
Published: October 2016

The purpose of this paper is to propose a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) method focused on building maintenance and then to test it on two different sets of residential buildings. The paper’s three main goals are: to obtain useful data for optimizing the buildings’ maintenance plans; to search for any correlation between the occupants’ characteristics and their expectations toward the building; to study the occupants’ willingness to pay for maintenance procedures, as well as its correlation with the occupants’ perception of the elements source of maintenance (ESM). The proposed POE method for building maintenance performance evaluation (BMPE) consists of six main stages, focusing on the occupants’ opinions and their correlation with the facility manager’s. The observed case studies allowed for a preliminary validation of the POE method for BMPE. Results generically endorsed the method as a valuable tool for the rapprochement between facility management and the building’s end-users. Such findings could allow facility managers to develop more efficient maintenance plans focusing on the occupants’ real needs and expectations, raising occupant satisfaction levels and contributing to the building’s general performance.
Second Law Analysis of Nanofluid Flow within a Circular Minichannel Considering Nanoparticle Migration
Authors: Bahiraei Mehdi , Cheraghi Kazerooni Navid
Published: October 2016

In the current research, entropy generation for the water–alumina nanofluid flow is studied in a circular minichannel for the laminar regime under constant wall heat flux in order to evaluate irreversibilities arising from friction and heat transfer. To this end, simulations are carried out considering the particle migration effects. Due to particle migration, the nanoparticles incorporate non-uniform distribution at the cross-section of the pipe, such that the concentration is larger at central areas. The concentration non-uniformity increases by augmenting the mean concentration, particle size, and Reynolds number. The rates of entropy generation are evaluated both locally and globally (integrated). The obtained results show that particle migration changes the thermal and frictional entropy generation rates significantly, particularly at high Reynolds numbers, large concentrations, and coarser particles. Hence, this phenomenon should be considered in examinations related to energy in the field of nanofluids.
Efficient Solutions and Cost-Optimal Analysis for Existing School Buildings
Authors: Congedo Paolo , D’Agostino Delia , Baglivo Cristina , Tornese Giuliano , Zacà Ilaria
Published: October 2016

The recast of the energy performance of buildings directive (EPBD) describes a comparative methodological framework to promote energy efficiency and establish minimum energy performance requirements in buildings at the lowest costs. The aim of the cost-optimal methodology is to foster the achievement of nearly zero energy buildings (nZEBs), the new target for all new buildings by 2020, characterized by a high performance with a low energy requirement almost covered by renewable sources. The paper presents the results of the application of the cost-optimal methodology in two existing buildings located in the Mediterranean area. These buildings are a kindergarten and a nursery school that differ in construction period, materials and systems. Several combinations of measures have been applied to derive cost-effective efficient solutions for retrofitting. The cost-optimal level has been identified for each building and the best performing solutions have been selected considering both a financial and a macroeconomic analysis. The results illustrate the suitability of the methodology to assess cost-optimality and energy efficiency in school building refurbishment. The research shows the variants providing the most cost-effective balance between costs and energy saving. The cost-optimal solution reduces primary energy consumption by 85% and gas emissions by 82%–83% in each reference building.
Numerical Simulations of the Effects of a Tidal Turbine Array on Near-Bed Velocity and Local Bed Shear Stress
Authors: Gillibrand Philip , Walters Roy , McIlvenny Jason
Published: October 2016

We apply a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model to consider the potential effects of energy extraction by an array of tidal turbines on the ambient near-bed velocity field and local bed shear stress in a coastal channel with strong tidal currents. Local bed shear stress plays a key role in local sediment dynamics. The model solves the Reynold-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations on an unstructured mesh using mixed finite element and finite volume techniques. Tidal turbines are represented through an additional form drag in the momentum balance equation, with the thrust imparted and power generated by the turbines being velocity dependent with appropriate cut-in and cut-out velocities. Arrays of 1, 4 and 57 tidal turbines, each of 1.5 MW capacity, were simulated. Effects due to a single turbine and an array of four turbines were negligible. The main effect of the array of 57 turbines was to cause a shift in position of the jet through the tidal channel, as the flow was diverted around the tidal array. The net effect of this shift was to increase near-bed velocities and bed shear stress along the northern perimeter of the array by up to 0.8 m·s−1 and 5 Pa respectively. Within the array and directly downstream, near-bed velocities and bed shear stress were reduced by similar amounts. Changes of this magnitude have the potential to modify the known sand and shell banks in the region. Continued monitoring of the sediment distributions in the region will provide a valuable dataset on the impacts of tidal energy extraction on local sediment dynamics. Finally, the mean power generated per turbine is shown to decrease as the turbine array increased in size.
Effect of 40 and 80 Years of Conifer Regrowth on Soil Microbial Activities and Community Structure in Subtropical Low Mountain Forests
Authors: Chang Ed-Haun , Chen Tsai-Huei , Tian Guang-long , Hsu Chun-Kai , Chiu Chih-Yu
Published: October 2016

The effects of long-term reforestation on soil microbial communities and biomass are poorly understood. This study was conducted on two coniferous plantations: Cunninghamia konishii Hayata, planted 40 years ago (CONIF-40), and Calocedrus formosana (Florin) Florin, planted 80 years ago (CONIF-80). An adjacent natural broadleaf forest (BROAD-Nat) was used as a control. We determined microbial biomass C and N contents, enzyme activities, and community composition (via phospholipid fatty acid [PLFA] assessment). Both microbial biomass and PLFA content were higher in the summer than in the winter and differed among the forests in summer only. Total PLFA, total bacterial, gram-positive bacterial, gram-negative bacterial, and vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal contents followed the same pattern. Total fungal content and the ratios of fungi to bacteria and of gram-positive to gram-negative bacteria were highest in CONIF-40, with no difference between the other forests. Principal component analysis of PLFA contents revealed that CONIF-40 communities were distinct from those of CONIF-80 and BROAD-Nat. Our results suggest that vegetation replacement during reforestation exerts a prolonged impact on the soil microbial community. The understory broadleaf shrubs and trees established after coniferous plantation reforestation may balance out the effects of coniferous litter, contributing to bacterial recovery.
De Novo Assembly and Characterization of Bud, Leaf and Flowers Transcriptome from Juglans Regia L. for the Identification and Characterization of New EST-SSRs
Authors: Dang Meng , Zhang Tian , Hu Yiheng , Zhou Huijuan , Woeste Keith , Zhao Peng
Published: October 2016

Persian walnut (Juglans regia L.), valued for both its nut and wood, is an ecologically important temperate tree species native to the mountainous regions of central Asia. Despite its importance, there are still few transcriptomic resources in public databases for J. regia, limiting gene discovery and breeding. Here, more than 49.9 million sequencing reads were generated using Illumina sequencing technology in the characterization of the transcriptome of four J. regia organs (bud, leaf, female flowers, and male flowers). De novo assembly yielded 117,229 unigenes with an N50 of 1955 bp. Based on sequence similarity searches against known proteins, a total of 20,413 (17.41%) genes were identified and annotated. A set of 27,584 unigenes with SSR (simple sequence repeats) motifs were identified as potential molecular markers, and a sample of 77 of these EST-SSRs (express sequence tags) were further evaluated to validate their amplification and assess their polymorphism. Next, we developed 39 polymorphic microsatellite markers to screen 88 Persian walnut individuals collected from 11 populations. These markers and transcriptomic resources will be useful for future studies of population genetic structure, evolutionary ecology, and breeding of Persian walnut and other Juglans species.
The Effects of Mesoscale Ocean–Atmosphere Coupling on the Quasigeostrophic Double Gyre
Authors: Grooms Ian , Nadeau Louis-Philippe
Published: October 2016

We investigate the effects of sea surface temperature (SST)-dependent wind stress on the wind-driven quasigeostrophic (QG) double gyre. The main effects are to reduce the strength of the circulation and to shift the inter-gyre jet to the south. The SST front across the inter-gyre jet induces a zonal wind stress anomaly over the jet that accelerates the southern flank of the jet and decelerates the northern flank. This local wind stress anomaly causes the jet to shift southwards. Shifting the jet south, away from the peak wind stress, reduces the net power input to the ocean circulation. Allowing the wind stress to depend on the difference between the atmospheric and oceanic velocity also reduces the net wind power input, and has a larger impact than SST dependence. When wind stress depends only on SST, the impact on the circulation is stronger than when wind stress depends on both SST and ocean surface velocity. Ocean surface velocity dependence leads to direct extraction of mesoscale energy by the winds. In contrast, SST dependence leads to injection (extraction) of mesoscale energy in the subtropical (subpolar) gyres, with almost complete cancellation because of the symmetric wind field.
Seasonal Changes in the Inundation Area and Water Volume of the Tonle Sap River and Its Floodplain
Authors: Siev Sokly , Paringit Enrico , Yoshimura Chihiro , Hul Seingheng
Published: October 2016

Flood pulses occur annually along the Tonle Sap River (TSR) due to the large volume of water flowing from Tonle Sap Lake (TSL), its tributaries, and the Mekong River (MR). This study describes the seasonal changes in inundation area and water volume in the floodplain along the TSR over three years. The method employed time series remote sensing images of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data, the digital elevation model (DEM) of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), bathymetric data, and observed water level data. Adding normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) as a “third band” in the maximum likelihood classification (MLC) provided higher accuracy compared to thresholding NDVI and pure MLC (two bands) only. The results showed that the inundation area ranged from 123.8 to 3251.2 km2 (mean: 1028.5 km2) with overall accuracy of 96.9%. The estimated water volume ranged from 418.3 to 2223.9 million m3 (mean: 917.3 million m3) from the dry to wet season, respectively. Seasonally, the TSR floodplain accounted for up to 5.3% and 3.2% of the mean annual inflow and outflow of the TSR, respectively. In addition to the TSL water reservoir, the TSR and its floodplain exchanged and stabilized the flow of the MR and its downstream delta, respectively. Overall, the obtained results have enhanced our understanding of the TSR, supporting further studies on river connectivity and reversal flow in this study area.
Concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Organochlorine Pesticides in Umbilical Cord Blood Serum of Newborns in Kingston, Jamaica
Authors: Rahbar Mohammad , Samms-Vaughan Maureen , Hessabi Manouchehr , Dickerson Aisha , Lee MinJae , Bressler Jan , Tomechko Sara , Moreno Emily , Loveland Katherine , Desai Charlene , Shakespeare-Pellington Sydonnie , Reece Jody-Ann , Morgan Renee , Geiger Matthew , O’Keefe Michael , Grove Megan , Boerwinkle Eric
Published: October 2016

To date much of the biomonitoring related to exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine (OC) pesticides is from middle to high income countries, including the U.S., Canada and Europe, but such data are lacking for the majority of low to middle income countries. Using data from 64 pregnant mothers who were enrolled in 2011, we aimed to assess the concentrations of the aforementioned toxins in umbilical cord blood serum of 67 Jamaican newborns. For 97 of the 100 PCB congeners and 16 of the 17 OC pesticides, all (100%) concentrations were below their respective limits of detection (LOD). Mean (standard deviation (SD)) lipid-adjusted concentrations in cord blood serum for congeners PCB-153, PCB-180, PCB-206 and total PCB were 14.25 (3.21), 7.16 (1.71), 7.30 (1.74) and 28.15 (6.03) ng/g-lipid, respectively. The means (SD) for the 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE)-hexane fraction and total-DDE were 61.61 (70.78) and 61.60 (70.76) ng/g-lipid, respectively. Compared to the U.S. and Canada, the concentrations of these toxins were lower in cord-blood serum of Jamaican newborns. We discuss that these differences could be partly due to differences in dietary patterns in these countries. Despite limitations in our dataset, our results provide information on the investigated toxins in cord blood serum that could serve as a reference for Jamaican newborns.
Socioeconomic Inequalities and Multi-Disability among the Population Aged 15–64 Years from 1987 to 2006 in China
Authors: Wang Zhenjie , Chen Gong , Guo Chao , Pang Lihua , Zheng Xiaoying
Published: October 2016

Socioeconomic inequalities associated with multiple disabilities have not been explored in China. This is the first study to explore changes in multiple disabilities among persons aged 15–64 years in China. Data were derived from the 1987 and 2006 China National Sample Surveys on Disability, which are nationally representative population-based surveys. Both surveys used multistage, stratified, cluster random sampling with probability proportional to size to derive nationally representative samples. We used standard weighting procedures to construct sample weights considering the multistage stratified cluster sampling survey scheme. The impact of socioeconomic inequalities on multiple disabilities was examined by using logistic regression. Higher prevalence rates among rural residents than urban residents were observed. Male was more vulnerable than female in the present study. Minority ethnicity did increase the risk of multiple disabilities, but this association inversed in the logistic regression model. The widening discrepancy between urban and rural areas indicates that the most important priorities of disability prevention in China are to reinforce health promotion and to improve health services in rural communities.
Occurrence of Perfluorooctanoic Acid and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate in Milk and Yogurt and Their Risk Assessment
Authors: Xing Zhenni , Lu Jianjiang , Liu Zilong , Li Shanman , Wang Gehui , Wang Xiaolong
Published: October 2016

Although perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) have been identified in milk and dairy products in many regions, knowledge on their occurrence in Xinjiang (China) is rare. This study was conducted to measure the levels of PFOA and PFOS in milk and yogurt from Xinjiang and to investigate the average daily intake (ADI) of these two compounds. PFOA and PFOS levels were analyzed using ultrasonic extraction with methanol and solid-phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Retail milk and yogurt samples present higher detection rates (39.6% and 48.1%) and mean concentrations (24.5 and 31.8 ng/L) of PFOS than those of PFOA (33.0% and 37.0%; 16.2 and 22.6 ng/L, respectively). For raw milk samples, only PFOS was detected. The differences in the levels of the two compounds between samples from the north and south regions were observed, and northern regions showed higher pollution levels than southern regions. On the basis of the retail milk measurements and consumption data, the ADIs of PFOA and PFOS for Xinjiang adults were calculated to be 0.0211 and 0.0318 ng/kg/day, respectively. Furthermore, the estimated intakes of PFOA and PFOS varied among different groupings (age, area, gender, and race) and increased with increasing age. Relevant hazard ratios were found to be far less than 1.0, and this finding suggested that no imminent health damages were produced by PFOA and PFOS intake via milk and yogurt consumption in the Xinjiang population.
Role of Intracellular Lipid Logistics in the Preferential Usage of Very Long Chain-Ceramides in Glucosylceramide
Authors: Yamaji Toshiyuki , Horie Aya , Tachida Yuriko , Sakuma Chisato , Suzuki Yusuke , Kushi Yasunori , Hanada Kentaro
Published: October 2016

Ceramide is a common precursor of sphingomyelin (SM) and glycosphingolipids (GSLs) in mammalian cells. Ceramide synthase 2 (CERS2), one of the six ceramide synthase isoforms, is responsible for the synthesis of very long chain fatty acid (C20–26 fatty acids) (VLC)-containing ceramides (VLC-Cer). It is known that the proportion of VLC species in GSLs is higher than that in SM. To address the mechanism of the VLC-preference of GSLs, we used genome editing to establish three HeLa cell mutants that expressed different amounts of CERS2 and compared the acyl chain lengths of SM and GSLs by metabolic labeling experiments. VLC-sphingolipid expression was increased along with that of CERS2, and the proportion of VLC species in glucosylceramide (GlcCer) was higher than that in SM for all expression levels of CERS2. This higher proportion was still maintained even when the proportion of C16-Cer to the total ceramides was increased by disrupting the ceramide transport protein (CERT)-dependent C16-Cer delivery pathway for SM synthesis. On the other hand, merging the Golgi apparatus and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by Brefeldin A decreased the proportion of VLC species in GlcCer probably due to higher accessibility of UDP-glucose ceramide glucosyltransferase (UGCG) to C16-rich ceramides. These results suggest the existence of a yet-to-be-identified mechanism rendering VLC-Cer more accessible than C16-Cer to UGCG, which is independent of CERT.