bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“It was Fun”: An Evaluation of Sand Tray Pictures, an Innovative Visually Expressive Method for Researching Children's Experiences with Nature
Authors: Linzmayer Cara D. , Halpenny Elizabeth A.
Published: July 2017

In order to study children's subjective experiences, researchers need to employ methods that are interesting and engaging but at the same time can produce data that answers research questions. This article critically reflects on the use of an innovative visually expressive method, sand tray pictures, which allows children to communicate their multi-dimensional subjective experiences with nature. In this study, sand tray pictures were compared with photographs taken and pictures drawn by the children as approaches for understanding children's experiences in a public botanic garden during a five-day summer camp. Sand trays were identified as a highly effective tool in eliciting insights about children's subjective and socio-cultural experiences in nature.
“Would you Decide to Keep the Power?”: Reflexivity on the Interviewer–Interpreter–Interviewee Triad in Interviews with Female Punjabi Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
Authors: Sanderson Tessa , Kumar Kanta , Serrant-Green Laura
Published: July 2017

This article presents methodological reflections on the different streams of knowledge that are drawn upon during interpreted interviews and the shifts of power between (1) the interviewer, (2) the interpreter/co-researcher, and (3) the interviewee. Interpreters are increasingly seen as active agents in the interview process, and they act as cultural brokers. Interpretation by a nurse researcher introduces further challenges and benefits to the interview dynamic, which was explored through reflexive discussions with an independent researcher. These challenges include conducting interviews in a clinical setting, where the health professional–patient relationship remains active. A modified discourse analysis was used to examine the subject positioning in the interview situation and the power negotiations that ensued. The main conclusion that can be drawn from these reflexive accounts is that the use of different streams of knowledge (experiential, clinical, cultural, and academic) enhanced the interview interaction, and power relations were successfully negotiated to facilitate rapport and data collection. Reflexivity provides an important tool for identifying, and learning from, the challenges and benefits of working with an interpreter, who is also a co-researcher with multiple professional roles.
Reflections on the Use of Grounded Theory to Uncover Patterns of Exclusion in an Online Discussion Forum at an Institution of Higher Education
Authors: Postma Louise , Blignaut A. Seugnet , Swan Karen , Sutinen Erkki A.
Published: July 2017

This article reports on an example of grounded theory methodology used in a case study to describe power inequalities among participants in an online forum at a higher education institution in South Africa. Critical poststructuralist theory informs the study as it investigates how hegemony influences the strategic interaction of participants. An interpretive analysis through coding procedures uncovered elements of intensified exclusion, inequality, and oppression. This took place within a virtual space which is theoretically idealized as an equalizer and promoter of freedom of speech. The process involved in the eliciting of voices and in the analysing and interpreting of subjective accounts is described to give an account of disillusioned experiences with a potentially liberating form of technology. The article contributes to qualitative methodology in applying the generic paradigmatic conditions within grounded theory and illustrates both the interrelatedness and the cyclic nature of the conditions within the specific paradigms of participants.
Managing Ethical Problems in Qualitative Research Involving Vulnerable Populations, Using a Pilot Study
Authors: van Wijk Evalina , Harrison Tracie
Published: July 2017

The purpose of the researcher's study was to examine the meaning that intimate partners of female rape victims attached to their lived experiences after the rape. The conduct of qualitative research concerning non-offending partners of female rape victims, however, often involves multifaceted ethical and practical challenges, which can be managed through the use of pilot studies. The pilot study described in this report had three objectives. The first was to pretest and refine the proposed method for locating, accessing, and recruiting intimate partners of female rape victims, within the first two weeks after the rape, for participation in a six-month longitudinal study. The second objective was to identify and prevent all possible risk factors in the proposed recruitment and data collection methods that could harm the participants' safety during the main study. The third objective was to determine the feasibility of the main study, in terms of the limited financial and human resources available. The pilot phase was valuable in identifying ethical and methodological problems during the recruitment of participants and collection of data. It allowed for methodological adjustments prior to the main study and confirmed the feasibility of the overall research design. A pilot, pretesting phase is therefore seen as an essential component of a qualitative study involving a vulnerable population.
Privileging Younger Children's Voices in Research: Use of Drawings and a Co-Construction Process
Authors: Tay-Lim Joanna , Lim Sirene
Published: July 2017

The growing acknowledgement of the value of listening to children's views and experiences in social research, popularly termed as “listening to their voices,” brings with it methodological consequences. Regarding children as expert informants about their own lives carries with it the simultaneous call for researchers to be experts in developing and employing appropriate strategies that can effectively elicit the insights that children can bring to a research topic. With younger children, the use of participatory methodologies has been foregrounded as the key to unlocking their potential to contribute rich and useful perspectives to inform research into their lives. This article explores the usefulness of employing preschoolers' drawings within the context of a co-construction process to facilitate the children's construction of ideas and reinforce their voices in research. The case is made that the quality of the dialogical engagement is as important as the drawing itself, and both visual images and the verbal exchanges are central to the children's meaning-making process. In the co-construction process, both adult and child are (ideally) equal players and the resulting dialogical process plays a major role in the constitution of the phenomena. The role of the researcher as the co-constructor can be a challenging one because it entails engaging and supporting children's views and the expression of these views. The discussion and illustrations from the first author's research projects contribute to the literature base on positioning preschool children as valid social actors in their communities.

We operate through an ethos of empowerment of all participants, and aim for participatory research practice which has at its heart an active involvement in promoting the rights of children as citizens with voice and power. (Pascal & Bertram, 2009, p. 249)
Beyond Words: Using Nonverbal Communication Data in Research to Enhance Thick Description and Interpretation
Authors: Denham Magdalena A. , Onwuegbuzie Anthony John
Published: July 2017

Interviews represent the most common method of collecting qualitative data in both qualitative research and mixed research because, potentially, they provide researchers with opportunities for collecting rich data. Unfortunately, when collecting and analyzing interview data, it appears that researchers tend to pay little attention to describing nonverbal communication data and the role that these data played in the meaning-making process. Thus, in this mixed methods research-based systematic review, we examined the prevalence and use of nonverbal communication data throughout the phases of all qualitative research studies published in a reputable qualitative journal—namely The Qualitative Report—since its inception in 1990 ( n = 299) to the mid-year point (i.e., June 30) of 2012—representing approximately 22 years. Overall, nonverbal communication was evidenced in only 24% ( N = 299, n = 72) of qualitative research studies involving design and instruments suitable for collection of nonverbal communication. Moreover, the degree of discussion varied greatly from a mere mention to substantive integration and interpretation. Nonverbal discussion was least frequent in the data analysis phase of research and most underutilized in case studies. The essential functions of nonverbal discussion across the stages of research were identified as clarification, juxtaposition, discovery, confirmation, emphasis, illustration, elaboration, complementarity, corroboration and verification, and effect. Implications are discussed.
Embracing the Spiral
Authors: Mao Li , Mian Akram Ayesha , Chovanec Donna , Underwood Misty L.
Published: July 2017

Critical research demands that we interrogate our own positionality and social location. Critical reflexivity is a form of researcher critical consciousness that is constant and dynamic in a complex spiral-like process starting within our own experiences as racialized, gendered, and classed beings embedded in particular sociopolitical contexts. Across diverse critical methodologies, a group of graduate students and their supervisor explored their own conceptualization of the reflexivity spiral by reflecting on how their research motivations and methodologies emerged from their racializing, colonizing, language-learning, parenting, and identity negotiating experiences. In this article, they present a spiral model of the critical reflexivity process, review the literature on reflexivity, and conclude with a description of critical reflexivity as a social practice within a supportive and collaborative graduate school experience.
A Modification Of Elson's Test For The Diagnosis Of An Acute Extensor Central Slip Injury
Authors: Schreuders Ton Ar , Soeters Johannes Nm , Hovius Steven Er , Stam Henk J
Published: July 2017

When testing for an extensor tendon central slip lesion at the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint, it is proposed that the affected finger should be compared with the non-injured finger of the other hand. In this modified Elson's test, the injured finger is flexed at about 90° in the PIP joint and pushed against the dorsal side of the midphalanx of the same finger of the non-injured hand. Once in this position, the patient is asked to extend the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints. The finger with a central slip lesion will be able to extend the distal phalanx more than the non-injured distal phalanx.

The difference between the extension at the DIP joint of the injured and non-injured hand is easily observed. Asymmetrical position of the two distal phalanges in an effort to extend the distal phalanges suggests that the central slip is not in continuity. If the two fingers remain in a symmetrical position when trying to extend the distal phalanges, a central slip lesion is highly unlikely.
Early Active Motion Rehabilitation Versus Immobilisation For Thumb Extensor Tendon Repairs: A Review Of Two Case Studies
Authors: Burr Nikki , Pratt Anna L
Published: July 2017

Following positive outcomes reported in recent literature, early active motion within a static splint is now a recognised rehabilitation regime for finger extensor tendons. This paper discusses the available literature on thumb extensor tendon rehabilitation, and the justification for introducing early motion for this injury.

The early active motion regime for the thumb extensor tendon used at our unit is described and compared against the traditional static splint regime. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the problems associated with these regimes and the patient outcomes achieved. Outcomes were analysed utilising Total Active Motion (Kleinert and Verdan 1983), Kapandji's opposition (1992) and White's assessment of tendon repair (1956).

Both patients made a full, uncomplicated recovery after their thumb extensor tendon repair, but the patient who followed the Early Active Motion regime regained motion and light function sooner than the patient who underwent four weeks of immobilisation. This enabled an earlier discharge (eight rather that 12 weeks) and less therapy intervention overall. These are all factors that need to be considered when deciding upon which rehabilitation regime to use.
Evidence for a scale invariant relationship between the incumbency advantage and the nationalization of US House elections 1866–2014
Authors: LeVeck Brad L. , Nail Stephanie A.
Published: July 2017

In a recent article, Jacobson examines the rise and fall of the incumbency advantage from 1952 to 2014. He shows that the incumbency advantage over this period rose as elections became more localized, and has fallen in recent decades as elections have become more nationalized. In this research note, we examine whether a similar relationship holds when we extend the time-series back to the end of the Civil War. Consistent with earlier work, we find that the scale of the incumbency advantage was much smaller in the period prior to 1952— approximately ranging between 0 and 4 points. However, despite this difference in scale, there remains a very similar negative correlation between the nationalization of elections and the incumbency advantage. We therefore speculate that the nationalization of elections diminishes the relative size of the incumbency advantage, but the overall size of that advantage may also be shaped by other factors, such as technology, institutional reforms, or changes in the media landscape.
The Use of Incremental Peritoneal Dialysis in a Large Contemporary Peritoneal Dialysis Program
Authors: Ankawi Ghada A. , Woodcock Nancy I. , Jain Arsh K. , Garg Amit X. , Blake Peter G.
Published: July 2017

Background:

The use of an incremental peritoneal dialysis (PD) strategy in a large contemporary patient population has not been described.

Objective:

We report the use of this strategy in clinical practice, the prescriptions required, and the clearances achieved in a large center which has routinely used this approach for more than 10 years.

Design:

This is a cross-sectional observational study.

Setting:

A single large Canadian academic center.

Patients:

This study collected data on 124 prevalent PD patients at a single Canadian academic center.

Methods and Measurements:

The proportion of patients who achieve the clearance target on a low clearance or incremental PD prescription; the actual PD prescriptions and consequent total, peritoneal, and renal urea clearances [Kt/V] achieved; and patient and technique survival and peritonitis rate in comparison with national and international reports.

Results:

Of the 124 prevalent PD patients in this PD unit, 106 (86%) were achieving the Kt/V target, and of these, 54 (44% of all patients) were doing so using incremental PD prescriptions. Fifty of these incremental PD patients were using automated PD (APD) with either no day dwell (68%) or less than 7 days a week treatment (12%) or both (20%). Patient survival in our PD unit was not different from that reported in Canada as a whole. Peritonitis rates were better than internationally recommended standards.

Limitations:

This is an observational study with no randomized control group.

Conclusions:

Incremental PD is feasible in a contemporary PD population treated mainly with APD. Almost half of the patients were able to achieve clearance targets while receiving less onerous and less costly low clearance prescriptions. We suggest that incremental PD should be widely used as a cost-effective strategy in PD.
The Digital Barbershop: Blogs and Online Oral Culture Within the African American Community
Authors: Steele Catherine Knight
Published: July 2017

For African Americans, the legacy of oral communication within the community is being transferred to online spaces. Blogging provides a platform with features that mirror many of the components of the Black barbershop. The barber and beauty shop symbolize a space of retreat, wherein African Americans have formed alternate publics used to critique the dominant culture, foster resistance, and strengthen African American institutions. Analysis of nine African American–authored blogs using a method of critical technocultural discourse analysis demonstrates that each blog used traditional Black rhetorical strategies while making modifications to contemporary goals. The strategies involve modifications made to traditional Black humor and folktales. The writing style is highly performative, yet relies upon participant interaction. This reliance on orality is a necessary force in the maintenance of cultural traditions that have long worked to assist in group definition and acts of resistance in political power struggles. By utilizing modified song, narrative, and fables to articulate resistance and craft African American identity, African American online oral culture persists as a strategy to house political discourse within the often hidden enclave spaces of the digital barbershop.
Users’ Encounter With Normative Discourses on Facebook: A Three-Pronged Analysis of User Agency as Power Structure, Nexus, and Reception
Authors: Mathieu David
Published: July 2017

This study asks whether users’ encounter with normative discourses of lifestyle, consumption, and health on social media such as Facebook gives rise to agency. The theoretical framework draws on reception analysis, for its implied, but central interest in agency that lies at the intersection of texts and audiences. Based on a critique of the “participatory paradigm,” a paradigm that situates the locus of agency in the structural opposition between senders and users, in the norms of rational deliberation or in the figure of the activist, gaps are identified which can be filled by adopting an explicit focus on the socio-cultural practices of ordinary audiences in their encounters with media discourses. The study investigates user agency on seven Facebook groups and pages with the help of a three-pronged perspective based on the notion of the media–audience relationship as (1) power structure, (2) nexus, and (3) reception. The analysis reveals that the structure at play on these Facebook groups and pages does not encourage user agency. However, user agency manifests itself through user interactions and expressive sense-making processes associated with reception. The benefits of such audience agency are a public, collective, and communicative sense-making process and an expansion of the professionally controlled text.
Complex Phenotype of a Boy With De Novo 16p13.3-13.2 Interstitial Deletion
Authors: Milone Roberta , Ferrari Anna Rita , Pasquariello Rosa , Bargagna Stefania
Published: July 2017

Interstitial deletions encompassing chromosome 16p13.3-13.2 are rarely described in the literature, whereas terminal deletions or duplications involving this region are slightly more frequently described. The authors describe a boy harboring a de novo 16p13.3-13.2 interstitial deletion, with intellectual disability, verbal dyspraxia, epilepsy, and a distinctive brain magnetic resonance finding, namely a nodular heterotopia. The authors found partial genotype–phenotype correspondences regarding epilepsy and intellectual disability, which have been associated with 16p1 region. Conversely, nodular heterotopia and verbal dyspraxia have not been clearly related to this region. These data are in agreement with the emerging concept that similar copy number variants may be the general risk factors for distinct disorders. Verbal dyspraxia, which has not responded to speech therapy, is the child’s most disabling trait. In view of the above, genetic studies should be appraised in cases of serious speech difficulties, especially if they are associated with intellectual disability and epilepsy.
Maternal Factors Associated with Early Childhood Caries in Urban Latino Children
Authors: Tiwari T. , Wilson A.R. , Mulvahill M. , Rai N. , Albino J.
Published: July 2017

The objective of this investigation was to describe maternal psychosocial, behavioral, and acculturation factors associated with early childhood caries in a sample of urban Latino mother-child dyads. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 100 mothers whose children (under the age of 6 y) were patients at the Dental Center at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, Colorado. All children participating in the study received an oral examination to measure decayed, missing, filled, surfaces (dmfs). Participating mothers were given the option to sign the consent form and complete the survey in English or Spanish, according to their preferred language. The survey used demographic, behavioral, knowledge, and several psychosocial variables. Bivariate analysis was conducted with dmfs as a dependent variable. The associations between independent variables and dmfs were modeled using negative binomial regression. Mean ± SD dmfs for the entire sample was about 11 ± 16.85. The mothers who spoke Spanish had children with significantly ( P = 0.046) higher dmfs scores (15.2) compared to mothers who spoke English (7.56). Preference of Spanish language was significantly associated with self-efficacy ( P = 0.0043), oral health knowledge ( P = 0.0024), and 3 subscales of the health belief model: perceived severity ( P = 0.057), perceived barriers ( P = 0.0002), and perceived susceptibility ( P = 0.008). Both in the univariate and the multivariate models, oral health behavior and preferential use of Spanish remained significantly associated with higher dmfs scores. Results of this study demonstrate that maternal oral health behaviors and preferred language are significant factors associated with early childhood caries in urban Latino children.

Knowledge Transfer Statement: Results of this study indicate that maternal oral health behaviors and the level of acculturation are significantly associated with caries in urban Latino children. Caries prevention efforts in this population could use this information to tailor oral health messaging according to the level of acculturation in mothers.
A new approach to separate seismic time-lapse time shifts in the reservoir and overburden
Authors: Liu Yi , Landrø Martin , Arntsen Børge , van der Neut Joost , Wapenaar Kees
Published: July 2017

For a robust way of estimating time shifts near horizontal boreholes, we have developed a method for separating the reflection responses above and below a horizontal borehole. Together with the surface reflection data, the method uses the direct arrivals from borehole data in the Marchenko method. The first step is to retrieve the focusing functions and the up-down wavefields at the borehole level using an iterative Marchenko scheme. The second step is to solve two linear equations using a least-squares minimizing method for the two desired reflection responses. Then, the time shifts that are directly linked to the changes on either side of the borehole are calculated using a standard crosscorrelation technique. The method is applied with good results to synthetic 2D pressure data from the North Sea. One example uses purely artificial velocity changes (negative above the borehole and positive below), and the other example uses more realistic changes based on well logs. In the 2D case with an adequate survey coverage at the surface, the method is completely data driven. In the 3D case in which there is a limited number of horizontal wells, a kinematic correct velocity model is needed, but only for the volume between the surface and the borehole. Possible error factors related to the Marchenko scheme, such as an inaccurate source wavelet, imperfect surface multiples removal, and medium with loss are not included in this study.
Engaging fathers: The next challenge for Home-Start
Authors: Hann Matthew
Published: July 2017

As more is done to encourage fathers to play a bigger role in the care of children, it is vital to make sure that both the NHS and family support organisations are ‘dad focused’, says Matthew Hann.
Reducing Artifactual EGFR T790M Mutations in DNA from Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissue by Use of Thymine-DNA Glycosylase
Authors: Do Hongdo , Molania Ramyar , Mitchell Paul L , Vaiskunaite Rita , Murdoch John D , Dobrovic Alexander
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND

False-positive EGFR T790M mutations have been reported in formalin-fixed lung tumors, but the cause of the false positives has not been identified. The T790M mutation results from a C>T change at the cytosine of a CpG dinucleotide. The presence or absence of methylation at this cytosine has different consequences following deamination, resulting in a thymine or uracil, respectively, both of which however result in an artifactual change. Uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG) can be used to eliminate DNA templates with uracil residues but is not active against artifactual thymines. We therefore investigated the use of thymine-DNA glycosylase (TDG) to reduce artifactual T790M mutations.

METHODS

Formalin-fixed normal lung tissues and lung squamous cell carcinomas were tested to measure the frequency of false-positive EGFR mutations by use of droplet digital PCR before and after treatment with either UDG or TDG. Methylation at the cytosine at EGFR T790 was assessed by pyrosequencing and by analysis of public databases.

RESULTS

Artifactual EGFR T790M mutations were detected in all of the archival formalin-fixed normal lung and lung squamous cell carcinomas at mutant allele frequencies of 1% or lower. The cytosine at EGFR T790 showed high levels of methylation in all lung cancer samples and normal tissues. Pretreatment of the formalin-fixed DNA with either UDG or TDG reduced the false EGFR T790M mutations, but a greater reduction was seen with the TDG treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Both U:G and T:G lesions in formalin-fixed tissue are sources of false-positive EGFR T790M mutations. This is the first report of the use of TDG to reduce sequence artifacts in formalin-fixed DNA and is applicable to the accurate detection of mutations arising at methylated cytosines.
Standardization of Free Thyroxine Measurements Allows the Adoption of a More Uniform Reference Interval
Authors: De Grande Linde A C , Van Uytfanghe Katleen , Reynders Dries , Das Barnali , Faix James D , MacKenzie Finlay , Decallonne Brigitte , Hishinuma Akira , Lapauw Bruno , Taelman Paul , Van Crombrugge Paul , Van den Bruel Annick , Velkeniers Brigitte , Williams Paul , Thienpont Linda M
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND

The IFCC Committee for Standardization of Thyroid Function Tests intended to standardize free thyroxine (FT4) immunoassays. We developed a Système International d'Unités traceable conventional reference measurement procedure (RMP) based on equilibrium dialysis and mass spectrometry. We describe here the latest studies intended to recalibrate against the RMP and supply a proof of concept, which should allow continued standardization efforts.

METHODS

We used the RMP to target the standardization and reference interval (RI) panels, which were also measured by 13 manufacturers. We validated the suitability of the recalibrated results to meet specifications for bias (3.3%) and total error (8.0%) determined from biological variation. However, because these specifications were stringent, we expanded them to 10% and 13%, respectively. The results for the RI panel were reported as if the assays were recalibrated. We estimated all but 1 RI using parametric statistical procedures and hypothesized that the RI determined by the RMP was suitable for use by the recalibrated assays.

RESULTS

Twelve of 13 recalibrated assays had a bias, meeting the 10% specification with 95% confidence; for 7 assays, this applied even for the 3.3% specification. Only 1 assay met the 13% total error specification. Recalibration reduced the CV of the assay means for the standardization panel from 13% to 5%. The proof-of-concept study confirmed our hypothesis regarding the RI but within constraints.

CONCLUSIONS

Recalibration to the RMP significantly reduced the FT4 immunoassays' bias, so that the RI determined by the RMP was suitable for common use within a margin of 12.5%.
Pediatric reference intervals for 29 Ortho VITROS 5600 immunoassays using the CALIPER cohort of healthy children and adolescents
Authors: Higgins Victoria , Fung Angela W.S. , Chan Man Khun , Macri Joseph , Adeli Khosrow
Published: July 2017

Background:

Accurate reference intervals (RIs) based on a healthy pediatric population are essential for pediatric test result interpretation. The CALIPER project has recruited a large healthy cohort and completed a series of a priori studies to address gaps in pediatric RIs. As immunoassays from different manufacturers for endocrine and special chemistry markers are not standardized and show marked intermethod differences, direct RI studies are needed for each major analytical platform. Here, we report age- and sex-specific pediatric RIs for 29 immunoassays on the Ortho Clinical Diagnostics (Ortho) VITROS® 5600 analyzer.

Methods:

Health information and blood samples were collected from healthy pediatric subjects. Using the Ortho VITROS 5600 Integrated System MicroWell Technology, 29 biomarkers were measured. Analyte concentrations were partitioned by age and sex according to the Harris and Boyd method. After removing outliers, age- and sex-specific RIs and corresponding 90% confidence intervals were calculated according to CLSI guidelines.

Results:

All analytes required age partitioning except β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG), cancer antigen 15-3 (CA15-3), rubella immunoglobulin G (rubella IgG), and vitamin D. Several analytes including estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), total triiodothyronine (TT3), total thyroxine (TT4), thyroid uptake, ferritin, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA), free prostate-specific antigen (fPSA), cancer antigen 125 (CA125), creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), and myoglobin showed sex differences, observed mostly with the onset of puberty.

Conclusions:

Complex reference value trends were observed across the pediatric age range for several biomarkers examined on Ortho VITROS immunoassays. The availability of VITROS immunoassay RIs will enable accurate laboratory test interpretation and diagnosis for the pediatric population. As recommended by the CLSI EP28-A3c guidelines, implementation of these RIs should be validated for each laboratory’s local pediatric population.
The number of maximal torsion cosets in subvarieties of tori
Authors: Martínez César
Published: July 2017

We present sharp bounds on the number of maximal torsion cosets in a subvariety of the complex algebraic torus

𝔾
m
n

{\mathbb{G}_{\mathrm{m}}^{n}}

.
Our first main result gives a bound in terms of the degree of the defining polynomials.
We also give a bound for the number of isolated torsion point, that is maximal torsion cosets of dimension 0, in terms of the volume of the Newton polytope of the defining polynomials.
This result proves the conjectures of Ruppert and of Aliev and Smyth on the number of isolated torsion points of a hypersurface. These conjectures bound this number in terms of the multidegree and the volume of the Newton polytope of a polynomial defining the hypersurface, respectively.
Fabrication and simulation of 1540-nm transmission by 532-nm excitation in photonic crystal of Er:ZnO film
Authors: Fan Ranran , Lu Fei , Li Kaikai
Published: July 2017

Erbium (Er)-doped ZnO thin film is fabricated on sapphire substrate by radio frequency magnetron sputtering technology. The as-deposited Er:ZnO film has a good film quality and exhibits excellent single-mode waveguide characteristic. A photonic crystal structure in the Er:ZnO film is fabricated by focused-ion-beam etching. When the film is stimulated by a 532 nm laser, photoluminescence (PL) at 1540 nm can be excited. Simulation results show that the propagation of Er-related emission of 1540 nm will be well restricted along a certain direction in the photonic crystal structure. It provides a novel way to control and confine the transmission of light in ZnO waveguide and will be applicable for the application of Er:ZnO photonic devices.
Baseline tumor Lipiodol uptake after transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: identification of a threshold value predicting tumor recurrence
Authors: Matsui Yusuke , Horikawa Masahiro , Jahangiri Noudeh Younes , Kaufman John A. , Kolbeck Kenneth J. , Farsad Khashayar
Published: July 2017

Background

The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between baseline Lipiodol uptake in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with early tumor recurrence, and to identify a threshold baseline uptake value predicting tumor response.

Patients and methods

A single-institution retrospective database of HCC treated with Lipiodol-TACE was reviewed. Forty-six tumors in 30 patients treated with a Lipiodol-chemotherapy emulsion and no additional particle embolization were included. Baseline Lipiodol uptake was measured as the mean Hounsfield units (HU) on a CT within one week after TACE. Washout rate was calculated dividing the difference in HU between the baseline CT and follow-up CT by time (HU/month). Cox proportional hazard models were used to correlate baseline Lipiodol uptake and other variables with tumor response. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to identify the optimal threshold for baseline Lipiodol uptake predicting tumor response.

Results

During the follow-up period (mean 5.6 months), 19 (41.3%) tumors recurred (mean time to recurrence = 3.6 months). In a multivariate model, low baseline Lipiodol uptake and higher washout rate were significant predictors of early tumor recurrence (P = 0.001 and < 0.0001, respectively). On ROC analysis, a threshold Lipiodol uptake of 270.2 HU was significantly associated with tumor response (95% sensitivity, 93% specificity).

Conclusions

Baseline Lipiodol uptake and washout rate on follow-up were independent predictors of early tumor recurrence. A threshold value of baseline Lipiodol uptake > 270.2 HU was highly sensitive and specific for tumor response. These findings may prove useful for determining subsequent treatment strategies after Lipiodol TACE.
Mixture model-based association analysis with case-control data in genome wide association studies
Authors: Ali Fadhaa , Zhang Jian
Published: July 2017

Multilocus haplotype analysis of candidate variants with genome wide association studies (GWAS) data may provide evidence of association with disease, even when the individual loci themselves do not. Unfortunately, when a large number of candidate variants are investigated, identifying risk haplotypes can be very difficult. To meet the challenge, a number of approaches have been put forward in recent years. However, most of them are not directly linked to the disease-penetrances of haplotypes and thus may not be efficient. To fill this gap, we propose a mixture model-based approach for detecting risk haplotypes. Under the mixture model, haplotypes are clustered directly according to their estimated disease penetrances. A theoretical justification of the above model is provided. Furthermore, we introduce a hypothesis test for haplotype inheritance patterns which underpin this model. The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated by simulations and real data analysis. The results show that the proposed approach outperforms an existing multiple testing method.
A New Case of Congenital Malabsorptive Diarrhea and Diabetes Secondary to Mutant Neurogenin-3
Authors: Germán-Díaz Marta , Rodriguez-Gil Yolanda , Cruz-Rojo Jaime , Charbit-Henrion Fabienne , Cerf-Bensussan Nadine , Manzanares-López Manzanares Javier , Moreno-Villares José Manuel
Published: July 2017

Congenital diarrheal disorders are a group of rare enteropathies that often present with life-threatening diarrhea in the first weeks of life. Enteric anendocrinosis, characterized by a lack of intestinal enteroendocrine cells due to recessively inherited mutations in the Neurogenin-3 (NEUROG3) gene, has been described as a cause of congenital malabsorptive diarrhea. Diabetes mellitus also is typically associated with NEUROG3 mutations, be it early onset or a later presentation. Here we report a case of a 16-year-old male patient with severe malabsorptive diarrhea from birth, who was parenteral nutrition dependent and who developed diabetes mellitus at 11 years old. To the best of our knowledge, only 9 cases of recessively inherited NEUROG3 mutations have been reported in the literature to date. Our patient presents with several remarkable differences compared with previously published cases. This report can contribute by deepening our knowledge on new aspects of such an extremely rare disease.
Economia criativa e territórios usados: um debate baseado nas contribuições de Milton Santos
Authors: Closs Lisiane , Oliveira Sidinei Rocha de
Published: July 2017

Resumo Este trabalho explora a literatura internacional e nacional sobre espaços criativos, destacando os aportes teóricos de Milton Santos sobre territórios e suas contribuições para o tema. Delimita-se um conceito de território criativo que incorpora uma perspectiva crítico-reflexiva de análise para os estudos nesse campo teórico e favorece uma abordagem de desenvolvimento que contemple aspectos das formações econômicas, sociais e simbólicas de um determinado espaço. Ressalta-se o potencial das discussões realizadas para auxiliar o planejamento de políticas públicas voltadas para o desenvolvimento de territórios criativos que integrem: inclusão social, sustentabilidade, inovação e diversidade cultural.
Revisitar processos: revisão da matriz curricular do curso de Terapia Ocupacional da Universidade Federal de São Paulo
Authors: Jurdi Andrea Perosa Saigh , Nicolau Stella Maris , Figueiredo Lúcia da Rocha Uchôa , Rossit Rosana Aparecida Salvador , Maximino Viviane Santalucia , Borba Patrícia Leme de Oliveira
Published: July 2017

O presente artigo relata o processo de revisão da matriz curricular do Curso de Terapia Ocupacional da Universidade Federal de São Paulo no período de 2012 a 2014. Foram quatro etapas e como resultado tem-se 4.320 horas distribuídas ao longo de quatro anos em período integral, destacando-se os seguintes aspectos: diminuição da carga horária total; mudanças nas atividades práticas em Terapia Ocupacional; flexibilização curricular com introdução de módulos eletivos; maior articulação entre eixos e módulos; e fortalecimento da área de Fundamentos e Pesquisa em Terapia Ocupacional. O processo trouxe diversas questões enfrentadas no cotidiano institucional e demonstrou que a reformulação curricular é parte de um processo contínuo quando o conjunto dos atores participantes expressam dúvidas e perguntas sobre uma formação destinada ao fortalecimento de uma Terapia Ocupacional voltada às políticas públicas brasileiras.
Petrogenesis and age of skarns associated with felsic and metamafic dykes from the Paraíba do Sul Complex, southern Espírito Santo State
Authors: Mesquita Raissa Beloti de , Jordt-Evangelista Hanna , Queiroga Gláucia Nascimento , Medeiros Júnior Edgar Batista de , Dussin Ivo Antônio
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACT: This paper concerns the study of petrography, mineral chemistry and geochronology of skarns generated at the contact of marbles of the Paraíba do Sul Complex with felsic and metamafic dykes in the southern Espírito Santo State. The marbles were metamorphosed under P-T granulite facies conditions during the syn-collisional stage of the Neoproterozoic Araçuaí orogen. Metamafic bodies are composed of amphibolite and hornblende granofels, while felsic dykes consist of alkali-feldspar granite, monzogranite or syenogranite. From marble towards the dyke, skarns related to the metamafic bodies are composed of carbonate + olivine and diopside + hornblende zones. Skarn associated to the granitic dykes are composed of three different zones: carbonate + tremolite, diopside, scapolite + diopside. Variations in mineral chemical compositions along the metasomatic zones suggest introduction of Mg and Ca from the marbles, Fe from the metamafic dykes and Na from the granitoids. The presence of spinel in the metamafic dykes and their skarns indicates that both were metamorphosed under granulite facies conditions during the 580-560 Ma syn-collisional stage. U-Pb zircon geochronology (LA-ICP-MS) of an alkali-feldspar granite dyke resulted in a crystallization age of ca.540 Ma, which suggests that its skarns are therefore younger than skarns associated with the syn-collisional metamafic dykes.
A quick review of the production and commercialization of the main vegetables in Brazil and the world from 1970 to 2015
Authors: Camargo Filho Waldemar P , Camargo Felipe P
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACT In the biennium 2013-14, the world produced 1,134.27 million tons of vegetables annually. The production of garlic, onion, potato, tomato and watermelon accounted for 66.5% of the total. Brazil, in 2012, considering 40 vegetables, produced around 23 million tons, in 900.0 thousand hectares. Potatoes, tomatoes (table and processing), onions, watermelons, carrots, sweet potatoes, lettuce and cabbage, the main vegetables in Brazil, accounted for 64.0% of the total. This work presents the evolution of production, commercialization, and availability of garlic, onions, potatoes, tomatoes and watermelons in Brazil and in the world. In Brazil, the work focused on two distinct periods: 1970-1990 {when the Support Program for Production and Commercialization of Horticultural Products (PROHORT) was implemented} and 1990-2012 (the globalization period). In 13 years (1977-1990), PROHORT succeeded in inducing the modernization of production of fruits, vegetables, and poultry products, enabling the sector to compete in the world market, especially after 1990, with the market opening and the establishment of MERCOSUR. In the 22-year period from 1990-2012, despite the initial difculties with the commercial opening and internal economic instabilities, production and availability of garlic, onion, potato, tomato and watermelon continued to evolve in Brazil. The horticultural sector advanced in incorporating technologies and in modernizing, stimulated by the market expansion due to both the population growth (33%) observed in Brazil in this period and real gains in Brazilians’ income owed to inﬂation control. In the world scenario, the work discusses the same aspects for these fve vegetables in the period 2001-2013. The analysis of the initial and fnal triennia of this period showed vegetable production increasing 30.3% in the world and 24.4% in Brazil. In both contexts, gains in yield were the main driver of expansion of production, and yield increase came mainly from the use of improved cultivars, especially hybrids.
Production of lettuce seedlings in substrates with tung compost, carbonized rice husk and earthworm humus
Authors: Watthier Maristela , Silva Magnólia AS , Schwengber José E , Fermino Maria H , Custódio Tiago V
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACT Different properties of substrates based on tung compost (TC), carbonized rice husk (CRH) and earthworm humus (H) were analyzed, besides the effect of the formulations on the production of lettuce seedlings, cv. Veneranda. The experiment was carried out in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, from December 2012 to February 2013, in a greenhouse, using completely randomized design with seven treatments and three replications. The used substrates were formulated on a volume basis: T1= commercial substrate S10® (control); T2= 90% carbonized rice husk (CRH) + 10% humus (H); T3= 75% CRH + 15% tung compost (TC) + 10% H; T4= 55% CRH + 35% TC + 10% H; T5= 35% CRH + 55% TC + 10% H; T6= 15% CRH + 75% TC + 10% H; T7= 90% TC + 10% H. Seedlings were produced in polystyrene trays with 200 cells, being evaluated 35 days after sowing. The substrate with larger proportion of CRH (T2 with 90% CRH) showed suitable dry density (DD) and total porosity (TP), high pH and aeration space (AS), low easily available water (EAW), electric conductivity (EC), and nutrient content, constituting an inert substrate, not being indicated as substrate due to the lower development of the seedlings. Using 15% TC, an increase was noticed in DD, AEW, EC and nutrients and, a decrease in TP, AS and pH due to, mainly, the size of tung compost particles, which accommodated themselves and altered physical and chemical properties of the substrates. Substrates with 90% and 75% TC (T7 and T6) provided the greatest shoot length, fresh and dry shoot mass and leaf area for lettuce seedlings due to higher nutrient content, also considering physical and chemical properties of these substrates. Pure CRH is not indicated to be used as substrate, but mixed with tung compost (T6), it provides high quality seedlings. Tung compost was effective in producing lettuce seedlings, since the composting is able to eliminate phytotoxic substances from this material which can hinder the seedling growth.
Tomato fertigation with dairy cattle wastewater
Authors: Jorge Marcos F , Pinho Camila F , Nascentes Alexandre L , Alves Dinara G , Almeida Gilda V , Silva Jonathas BG , Silva Leonardo DB
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACT The use of wastewater in the fertigation of agricultural crops increases productivity and product quality, and contributes to reduce environmental pollution. In this work, the objective was to evaluate how the use of dairy cattle wastewater (DCWW) in the fertigation of tomatoes affected production and productivity, as well as foliar nutritional contents, in an organic farming system. Treatments consisted of six nitrogen doses (0, 50, 100, 200, 300 and 400%), having N recommendation for tomato (100 kg/ha) as reference, applied using DCWW via fertigation. DCWW is made up of washing water, urine, feces and milk. Stem diameter, branch length, weekly fruit yield per plant and aggregate productivity were evaluated. N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Cu, Mn, Fe, Zn and B foliar contents were quantified. Data were submitted to analysis of variance (p≤0.05) and, where significant, polynomial regression models were applied. Treatment means were compared by the Tukey test (p≤0.05). The highest production, productivity and nutrient foliar accumulation were observed when 400% of the N dose recommended for tomato was used. There was an increasing linear effect on weekly and aggregate yield and also on nutrient accumulation in leaves as function of the applied N dose. N fertilization in tomato organic production can be carried out using DCWW via fertigation, but with a complementary mineral fertilization to supply plants with adequate amounts of phosphorus and potassium.