bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endoparasites in Limnonectes magnus (Anura, Dicroglossidae) from Samar Island, Philippines with description of a new species of Aplectana (Nematoda, Cosmocercidae)
Authors: Bursey Charles R. , Goldberg Stephen R. , Siler Cameron D. , Brown Rafe M.
Published: July 2018

Aplectana samarensis sp. nov. (Ascaridida, Cosmocercidae) from the intestines of Limnonectes magnus (Anura, Dicroglossidae) is described and illustrated. Aplectana samarensis sp. nov. represents the 53rd species assigned to the genus and the 6th species reported from the Oriental region. It is easily separated from the 5 species previously reported from the region by the presence of a gubernaculum and the distribution pattern of male caudal papillae: A. macintoshii has an irregular pattern, no precloacal papillae in rows; both A. akhrami and A. dubrajpuri lack a gubernaculum; A. duttaphryni has 3 pairs of precloacal papillae forming 2 rows; A. ranae has 7 pairs of precloacal papillae forming 2 rows; A. samarensis sp. nov. has 4 pairs of precloacal papillae in 2 rows. In addition to the new species, individuals of Falcaustra dubia and Pseudoacanthocephalus bufonis as well as cestode plerocercoids were also found.
Morphological and molecular study of Neorhadinorhynchus nudus (Harada, 1938) (Acanthocephala: Cavisomidae) from Auxis thazard Lacepede (Perciformes: Scombridae) in the South China Sea
Authors: Li Liang , Chen Hui-Xia , Yang Yue
Published: July 2018

In the present study, Neorhadinorhynchus nudus (Harada, 1938) is reported from the frigate tuna Auxis thazard (Lacepéde) (Perciformes: Scombridae), in the South China Sea for the first time. The detailed morphology of N. nudus was studied using light and scanning electron microscopy based on the newly collected material. The results showed some morphometric variability between our specimens and previous studies, including the number of hooks per longitudinal row and the size of copulatory bursa and eggs. Our SEM observations also revealed all proboscis hooks emerged from elevated round rims on proboscis surface. In addition, N. nudus was firstly characterised using molecular methods by sequencing and analysing the ribosomal ITS and mitochondrial cox1 regions. There is no nucleotide divergence found in the ITS sequences, but a low level of nucleotide variability detected in the cox1 regions (the level of intraspecific nucleotide variability being 0.75% to 2.54%). The DNA sequence data obtained herein will indeed be a useful reference for rapid and accurate species identification of Neorhadinorhynchus.
Molecular phylogenetic position of Haplometroides intercaecalis (Digenea, Plagiorchiidae)
Authors: Müller Maria Isabel , Morais Drausio Honorio , Silva Reinaldo José da
Published: July 2018

Three valid species of Haplometroides Odhner, 1910 parasitise snakes and amphisbaenians from South America. This study provides additional data on morphometric and molecular phylogenetic position inferred from the nuclear ribosomal gene 28S (partial). DNA sequences were isolated from Haplometroides intercaecalis Silva, Ferreira and Strüssmann, 2007 found in one specimen of Phalotris matogrossensis Lema, D’Agostini and Cappellari, 2005. Five digenean specimens were recovered from the esophagus of this snake, and four specimens were used for morphometrical studies and one specimen for molecular analysis. Phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods was conducted with sequences available for the order Plagiorchiida and its phylogenetic position places H. intercaecalis among the brachycoeliids Brachycoelium (Dujardin, 1845) Stiles and Hassall, 1898 and Parabrachycoelium Pérez-Ponce de León, Mendoza-Garfias, Razo-Mendivil and Parra-Olea, 2011, and the mesocoeliid Mesocoelium Odhner, 1910, not closely related to plagiorchids as expected. Due to morphological differences among these families, it may be necessary to create a new family to accommodate Haplometroides spp. However, more genera/taxa as well as other molecular markers should be added in future studies to confirm our results and resolve this matter. This is the first phylogenetic positioning of digeneans of the genus Haplometroides, contributing to the systematic analysis of the helminthological biodiversity of Neotropical snakes.
Anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in feral cats on the Island of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
Authors: Lima Débora Costa Viegas de , Magalhães Fernando Jorge Rodrigues , Andrade Muller Ribeiro , Silva José Givanildo da , Morais Eduardo Guelfer Ferrer de , Filho Carlos Diógenes Ferreira de Lima , Porto Wagner José Nascimento , Mota Rinaldo Aparecido
Published: July 2018

Neospora caninum is a protozoan responsible for abortions, stillbirths (mainly among cattle) and neuromuscular diseases in dogs. Its importance in wild species and its impact on the environmental preservation of different ecosystems have been little described. This study aimed to investigate the presence of anti-N. caninum antibodies in feral cats on the island of Fernando de Noronha and contribute epidemiological data on this disease in these animals and its impact on the environmental preservation of the island. Serum samples from 257 feral cats on the island were analyzed through the Neospora agglutination test (NAT) to search for anti-Neospora caninum antibodies. Among the 257 serum samples analyzed, 8 (3.11%) were positive in the NAT. The antibody titers were 20 in seven animals (87.5%) and 40 in one animal (12.5%). These results demonstrate that feral cats are exposed to infection by N. caninum on the island of Fernando de Noronha, at a low frequency. Greater knowledge on this infection in this animal species in this insular environment is important for elucidating its impact on the conservation of species and the maintenance of this parasite on the island.
First molecular evidence of Thelohanellus wallagoi Sarkar, 1985 (Myxozoa) from economically important food fish, freshwater shark Wallago attu (Siluridae) in India
Authors: Gupta Abhishek , Chaudhary Anshu , Garg Anupma , Verma Chandni , Singh Hridaya S. , Sharma Bindu
Published: July 2018

The freshwater sharkWallago attu(Bl. and Schn.) is a frequent silurid in the River Ganga and one of the most commercially exploit fish in India. In a survey on its infection with myxosporeans, spore type belongs toThelohanellusspecies was found in the gills, kidney and intestine respectively. Through morphological and molecular investigations, we identified the spore asThelohanellus wallagoiSarkar, 1985. They were pyriform in valvular view and slim in sutural view, and had one pyriform polar capsule with four to five turns. The spores measured 8.0 × 4.0 × 2.3 μm.T.wallagoideveloped in small cysts in the gill lamellae, whereas cyst and scattered spores ofT.wallagoiwere also found in the kidney and intestine respectively. The 18S rDNA sequence ofT.wallagoiisolates recovered from gills, kidney and intestine were found similar to each other and differed from any otherThelohanellusspecies available in GenBank and validated its status after 32 years of original description. Phylogenetic analysis signified thatT.wallagoiwas placed sister toMyxobolusspecies in the clade that indicated the polyphyletic nature of the genusThelohanellus.
First identification of Echinococcus multilocularis in golden jackals in Croatia
Authors: Sindičić Magda , Bujanić Miljenko , Štimac Iva , Martinković Franjo , Tuškan Nikolina , Špehar Marina , Konjević Dean
Published: July 2018

Alveolar echinococcosis, caused by the tapewormEchinococcus multilocularis, is one of the world’s most dangerous zoonosis and an emerging disease with growing incidence in humans. The disease has been reported in new areas and host species in the last two decades, and the primary hosts of the parasite – red fox, golden jackal and grey wolf – are expanding their distribution in Europe. Here we report the morphological and molecular identification ofEchinococcus multilocularistapeworms in one of 29 carcasses of adult golden jackals in Croatia, where the only previous report of the parasite was in red foxes in 2016. These results suggest that alveolar echinococcosis should be treated as an emerging disease in Croatia.
Effects of tele-rehabilitation mental practice on balancing performance of patients with hemiplegia
Authors: Kim So Yeon , Park Su Jin , Lee Ye Eun , Lee Eun Ha , Lim Hwa Yeong , Lim Hwa Yeong , Yoo Gyu
Published: July 2018

Study aim: The purpose of this study was to confirm the effectiveness of tele-rehabilitation mental practice (TRMP) on balanc­ing performance for patients with hemiplegia. Material and methods: This study included five stroke patients, and all participants were trained to help to recover balancing performance. TRMP was applied for a total of 15 training sessions for 3 weeks, and pre- and post-intervention evaluations were carried out during this study. The Berg Balance Scale was used to confirm the balance ability, the Modified Falls Efficacy Scale to confirm the falls efficacy, and the Wii program to confirm the right and left weight distribution ratio. Results: As a result of this study, we could not confirm a significant difference between pre- and post-intervention balance ca­pacity and fall efficacy. However, weight distribution showed a significant difference after the intervention. Conclusion: TRMP may be applied in novel balance training for stroke patients.
An Explicit-Implicit Splitting Method for a Convection-Diffusion Problem
Authors: Thomée Vidar , Vasudeva Murthy A. S.
Published: July 2018

We analyze a second-order accurate finite difference method for a spatially periodic convection-diffusion problem. The method is a time stepping method based on the Strang splitting of the spatially semidiscrete solution, in which the diffusion part uses the Crank–Nicolson method and the convection part the explicit forward Euler approximation on a shorter time interval. When the diffusion coefficient is small, the forward Euler method may be used also for the diffusion term.
The 4 I’s of Entrepreneurship: A Study of the Entrepreneurial Perspectives behind A Failed Large-Scale Distributed Research Infrastructure
Authors: Larsson Anthony
Published: July 2018

This case study investigates whether collective entrepreneurial team cognition remains consistent throughout all stage processes when setting up a large-scale, distributed research infrastructure. A new “action phase model” has been devised, known as the “4 I’s of entrepreneurship”, with each “I” elucidating the entrepreneurial rationale behind various stages of the creation process:Intention, Initiation, ImplementationandIntrospection. The case investigated was BBMRI.se (BioBanking and Molecular Resource Infrastructure in Sweden) – a Swedish large-scale distributed research infrastructure aimed at harmonizing biobanking standards. Managers and key personnel involved in founding and/or operating the organization were interviewed. The results showed there was agreement regarding the need for the research infrastructure, while there were disagreeing perceptions of what the organization should be doing and regarding the difficulties it had faced. These developments would ultimately lead to BBMRI.se’s demise. The homogenous mindset would begin to dissipate once theInitiationstage was reached and worsened throughout theImplementationstage. The results indicate that BBMRI.se’s managerial structure, personal ambitions and lack of transparency and communication were key contributors to its ultimate failure. The implications highlight the risk of fragmented motivations as collective entrepreneurs turn their ambition into reality, if given too much autonomy.
A variation on N
θ ward continuity
Authors: Cakalli Huseyin , Et Mikail , Şengül Hacer
Published: July 2018

The main purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of strongly ideal lacunary quasi-Cauchyness of sequences
of real numbers. Strongly ideal lacunary ward continuity is also investigated. Interesting results are obtained.
[1,3]Thiazolo[3,2-b][1,2,4]triazol-7-ium salts: synthesis, properties and structural studies
Authors: Slivka Mikhailo , Korol Nataliya , Fizer Maksym , Baumer Vjacheslav , Lendel Vasil
Published: July 2018

The reactions of [1,3]thiazolo[3,2-b][1,2,4]triazol-7-ium salts with nucleophiles were investigated. Theoretical investigation of reactivity descriptors and structural parameters of [1,3]thiazolo[3,2-b][1,2,4]triazol-7-ium cation was carried out, and the reactivity centers of the model salts were located. An efficient general method for the synthesis of novel poly-functional derivatives of symmetric triazoles from [1,3]thiazolo[3,2-b][1,2,4]triazol-7-ium halides was developed. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and single-crystal X-ray analysis.
A prospective analysis of intake and composition of mother’s own milk in preterm newborns less than 32 weeks’ gestational age
Authors: Cabrera Lafuente Marta , Montes Bueno Mͣ Teresa , Pastrana Natividad , Segovia Cristina , Madero Jarabo Rosario , Martin Camilia R. , Omeñaca Teres Felix , Sáenz de Pipaón Marcos Miguel
Published: July 2018

Background

Mothers of preterm (PT) infants have difficulty providing adequate quantities of human milk (HM) for their babies during their hospital stay. The macronutrient content in HM changes over time, varying across and within individual mothers. The research aim of the strudy was to describe the intake of mothers’ own milk (MOM) and its composition according to gestational (GA) and postnatal age (PNA) in infants born <32 weeks’ GA and to correlate them with neonatal weight, length and morbidities.

Methods

A prospective observational study of 176 premature infants in a unit without a donor milk bank was conducted. Daily milk intake was recorded. HM macronutrients were determined by mid-infrared spectrophotometric analysis at 7, 15 and 30 days after delivery and monthly until hospital discharge.

Results

Intake of MOM increased during the first 2 weeks after birth and decreased steadily thereafter. Protein concentration varied inversely with PNA. Carbohydrate and lipid concentrations increased over the first few days and remained stable thereafter. A fall in weight percentiles from birth to 60 days was found. No correlation was found between total protein and calorie intakes at 3 and 15 days of life and growth velocity (GV) between 15 and 30 days, even when broken down into parenteral nutrition (PN), formula and MOM.

Conclusion

To improve MOM feeding in PT newborns, intensive support strategies at the prenatal stage along entire hospitalization income should be encouraged. New protocols for fortification of HM should be implemented to optimize postnatal weight gain while preserving the health benefits of HM.
Association between increased antenatal vaginal pH and preterm birth rate: a systematic review
Authors: Weckend Marina J. , Spineli Loukia M. , Grylka-Baeschlin Susanne , Gross Mechthild M.
Published: July 2018

Background

Worldwide, 14.9 million infants (11%) are born preterm each year. Up to 40% of preterm births (PTBs) are associated with genital tract infections. The vaginal pH can reflect changes in the vaginal milieu and, if elevated, indicates an abnormal flora or infection.

Objective

The aim of the study was to investigate whether an increased antenatal vaginal pH >4.5 in pre-labour pregnant women is associated with an increased PTB rate <37 completed weeks gestation.

Search strategy

Key databases included SCOPUS, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycInfo and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, complemented by hand search, up to January 2017.

Selection criteria

Primary research reporting vaginal pH assessment in pre-labour pregnant women and PTB rate.

Data collection and analysis

Data extraction and appraisal were carried out in a pre-defined standardised manner, applying the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) and Cochrane risk of bias tool. Analysis included calculation of risk difference (RD) and narrative synthesis. It was decided to abstain from pooling of the studies due to missing information in important moderators.

Main results

Of 986 identified records, 30 were included in the systematic review. The risk of bias was considered mostly high (40%) or moderate (37%). Fifteen studies permitted a calculation of RD. Of these, 14 (93%) indicated a positive association between increased antenatal vaginal pH and PTB (RD range: 0.02–0.75).

Conclusion

An increased antenatal vaginal pH >4.5 may be associated with a higher risk for PTB. It is recommended to conduct a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to investigate the effectiveness of antenatal pH screening to prevent PTB.

Tweetable abstract

Pregnant women with an increased vaginal pH >4.5 may be at higher risk to experience preterm birth.
Oversight of Kenya’s Counterterrorism Measures on Al-Shabaab
Authors: Khamala Charles Alenga
Published: July 2018

Citing comparative US, UK and European jurisprudence, this article proposes a pre-inchoate offence to punish terror suspects at the African Court of Justice and Human Rights. It traces the Kenya government’s twenty-first-century responses to distorted jihad fundamentalism culminating in the current escalating pogroms. Coercive executive counterterrorism responses make exceptions to universal human rights enshrined under liberal democratic constitutions and international instruments. Yet the legality principle constrains the use of pre-inchoate offences. Hence civil society’s resistance delayed the enactment of Kenya’s Prevention of Terrorism Act. Moreover, the Constitutional Court subsequently struck out as ‘vague and ambiguous’ the Security Law (Amendment) Act’s substantive provision which ‘presumed criminal intent for encouraging terror’. Procedurally, another dilemma arises. This concerns whether it is possible for an international terror suspect to have a fair domestic trial. Although ‘limited executive measures’ require some individuals to trade off their own liberties to safeguard the security of others, due diligence can prevent torture or targeted killings. Instead, following Kenyan ‘Operation Linda Nchi’s’ pre-emptive strikes since 2011, Al-Shabaab’s retaliation arguably spiralled into increased violations of the core human right to life. Enacting pre-inchoate offences instead deems Islamist terrorists, particularly secondary offenders, as rational actors. Using a ‘reverse harm thesis’ to justify the education of pre-inchoate offenders, I argue that regional criminal trials of terror suspects constitute better ‘effective oversight’ on human rights violations than executive, legislative or domestic judicial responses. Invoking ‘concurrent responsibility’ to prosecute Al-Shabaab suspects before the ACJHR can therefore facilitate AMISOM’s dignified ‘exit’ strategy from Somalia.
Directed colimits of some flatness properties and purity of epimorphisms in S-posets
Authors: Liang Xingliang , Khosravi Roghaieh
Published: July 2018

Let S be a pomonoid. In this paper, we introduce some new types of epimorphisms with certain purity conditions, and obtain equivalent descriptions of various flatness properties of S-posets, such as strong flatness, Conditions (E), (E′), (P), (P
w
), (WP), (WP)
w
, (PWP) and (PWP)
w
. Thereby, we present other equivalent conditions in the Stenström-Govorov-Lazard theorem for S-posets. Furthermore, we prove that these new epimorphisms are closed under directed colimits. Meantime, this implies that by a new approach we can show that most of flatness properties of S-posets can be transferred to their directed colimit. Finally, we prove that every class of S-posets having a flatness property is closed under directed colimits.
On generalizedP-reducible Finsler manifolds
Authors: Zamanzadeh Seyyed Mohammad , Najafi Behzad , Toomanian Megerdich
Published: July 2018

The class of generalized P-reducible manifolds (briefly GP-reducible manifolds) was first introduced by Tayebi and his collaborates [1]. This class of Finsler manifolds contains the classes of P-reducible manifolds, C-reducible manifolds and Landsberg manifolds. We prove that every compact GP-reducible manifold with positive or negative character is a Randers manifold. The norm of Cartan torsion plays an important role for studying immersion theory in Finsler geometry. We find the relation between the norm of Cartan torsion, mean Cartan torsion, Landsberg and mean Landsberg curvatures of the class of GP-reducible manifolds. Finally, we prove that every GP-reducible manifold admitting a concurrent vector field reduces to a weakly Landsberg manifold.
The melanin-concentrating hormone system in human, rodent and avian brain
Authors: Bencze János , Pocsai Krisztina , Murnyák Balázs , Gergely Péter Attila , Juhász Béla , Szilvássy Zoltán , Hortobágyi Tibor
Published: July 2018

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a cyclic 19 amino acid orexigenic hypothalamic peptide. MCH is located in the lateral and dorsal hypothalamus, as well as in the zona incerta. In mammals MCH increases food intake, contributes to regulation of energy balance, temperature, reproductive function, endocrine homeostasis and biological rhythms. Several studies have proved the significance of MCH in obesity, diabetes and depression.

Although the peptide is well-characterized in mouse models, much less is known about its functions in avians. In birds the MCH system especially in the lateral and basal hypothalamus has important connections to the limbic system and it coordinates the vegetative and endocrine functions, as well as the emotional behaviour. Pharmacological modulation of MCH system could contribute to the therapy of eating disorders and improve agricultural efficiency regarding avians. Reviewing the current knowledge on MCH system in human, rodents and avians may stimulate a new wave of studies in the field.
Histone methylations in the developing central nervous system and in neural tube defects
Authors: Villarreal Alejandro , Franz Henriette , Vogel Tanja
Published: July 2018

Understanding central nervous system genesis is of crucial relevance to decode different human diseases such as microcephaly or neural tube defects, which arise from incorrect developmental processes. Epigenetic mechanisms regulate gene expression in a spatio-temporal manner and are implicated in diverse cellular actions one of which is cell differentiation. Therefore, the study of these mechanisms is of great relevance in the context of development and disease. In this article, we will review histone methylations as epigenetic modification and how they impact on gene expression and cell differentiation in central nervous system development and neural differentiation. Further, we will discuss an emerging link between histone methylation in the etiology of neural tube defects. We will specifically highlight the role of the disruptor of telomeric silencing like 1 (DOT1L) and histone H3 lysine 79 methylation (H3K79me), which is an unusual histone modification with implication for proper central nervous system development.
Comparative properties of nanofibers produced using unbleached and bleached wheat straw pulps
Authors: Ahmadi Mohammad , Hedjazi Sahab , Yousefi Hossein
Published: July 2018

Unbleached nanofibers (UNF) and cellulose nanofibers (CNF) were produced from unbleached and bleached wheat straw pulps using microfluidizer. The UNF and CNF and their corresponding films were characterized and compared. FE-SEM images showed UNF were thicker than CNF and with increasing passing number from microfluidizer, the diameter of UNF and CNF reduced. UNF films showed higher density, opacity and transparency as well as less water vapor permeation than those of CNF films The highest tensile index obtained for UNF film (114 Nm/g) and CNF film (107 N.m/g) both obtained at energy consumption of 458 kwh/t which was consumed in refiner and microfluidizer. The tensile index decreased at energy consumption higher than 458 kwh/t. The highest burst index of CNF film was 6.9 kPa.m2/g which was achieved using 358 kwh/t in microfluidizer As energy consumption increases, the burst index of CNF film decreased. On the other hand, with the increase of energy consumption and numbers of passes the burst index of UNF films increased, reaching the value of 8.8 kPa.m2/g. Elimination of bleaching has valuable advantages including saving energy, less environmental pollution, higher production yield and less downsizing energy consumption and less finished cost of nanofibers with desired properties.
Engineered nanomaterials and human health: Part 1. Preparation, functionalization and characterization (IUPAC Technical Report)
Authors: Gubala Vladimir , Johnston Linda J. , Liu Ziwei , Krug Harald , Moore Colin J. , Ober Christopher K. , Schwenk Michael , Vert Michel
Published: July 2018

Nanotechnology is a rapidly evolving field, as evidenced by the large number of publications on the synthesis, characterization, and biological/environmental effects of new nano-sized materials. The unique, size-dependent properties of nanomaterials have been exploited in a diverse range of applications and in many examples of nano-enabled consumer products. In this account we focus on Engineered Nanomaterials (ENM), a class of deliberately designed and constructed nano-sized materials. Due to the large volume of publications, we separated the preparation and characterisation of ENM from applications and toxicity into two interconnected documents. Part 1 summarizes nanomaterial terminology and provides an overview of the best practices for their preparation, surface functionalization, and analytical characterization. Part 2 (this issue, Pure Appl. Chem. 2018; 90(8): 1325–1356) focuses on ENM that are used in products that are expected to come in close contact with consumers. It reviews nanomaterials used in therapeutics, diagnostics, and consumer goods and summarizes current nanotoxicology challenges and the current state of nanomaterial regulation, providing insight on the growing public debate on whether the environmental and social costs of nanotechnology outweigh its potential benefits.
Metastability of the boron-vacancy complex in silicon: Insights from hybrid functional calculations
Authors: Ouma Cecil NM , Meyer Walter E
Published: July 2018

Using four distinct configurations of the boron-vacancy (BV) complex in silicon, we investigate the experimentally observed defect metastability of the BV complex in silicon using the HSE06 hybrid functional within the density functional theory formalism. We identify the experimentally observed metastable configurations of the defect complex when the substitutional boron is in the nearest neighbor position with respect to silicon vacancy and when the two defects are in the next (second) nearest neighbor position with respect to each other. The next (second) nearest neighbor position consists of two configurations that almost degenerate with C1 and C1h symmetry.
Dissolution of nuclear materials in aqueous acid solutions
Authors: Desigan Narasimhan , Bhatt Nirav , Shetty Madhuri A. , Sreekumar Gopala Krishna Pillai , Pandey Niranjan Kumar , Kamachi Mudali Uthandi , Natarajan Rajamani , Joshi Jyeshtharaj B.
Published: July 2018

The quantitative understanding of the dissolution of nuclear fuel materials is essential for the process design and development of an industrial-scale nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. The main objective of this review article is to analyze the published data related to the dissolution of important nuclear materials, namely, urania, plutonia, thoria, and their oxides in the existing literature. The published results on rate-controlling step and reaction mechanism of dissolution processes are reconciled and reviewed in this work. Clear suggestions are made for future research work for the identification of rate-controlling step. Suggestions are also provided to overcome the shortfalls in the published data for the identification of intrinsic kinetics and mass-transfer rates.
Cognitive Function and Falls in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Blackwood Jennifer
Published: July 2018

Background and Purpose:

Cognitive impairments have been reported in older adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), which subsequently increases the risk of falling. However, the relationship between specific cognitive processes and falls has not been reported. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the contribution of cognitive function to falls in older adults with T2DM and to describe any differences by age group.

Methods:

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of 1171 older adult respondents with T2DM from the 2010 wave of the Health and Retirement Study. Group assignment was based on age: younger group 65 to 74 years (N = 662) or older group (N = 509). Groupwise comparisons of demographic, cognitive, and mobility variables were completed, followed by logistic regression analyses to examine the contribution of specific cognitive processes to falls for the sample and then by group after controlling for demographic and mobility-related variables.

Results:

Significant differences existed between groups in demographic, cognitive, and mobility variables and falls. Executive function was consistently identified as a predictor of falls in the whole sample (odds ratio [OR] = 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.09) and within groups: younger group (OR = 1.06; 95% CI, 1.01-1.11) and older group (OR = 1.07; 95% CI, 1.01-1.13), while delayed recall was a much stronger predictor of falls in the older group (OR = 1.28; 95% CI, 1.03-1.59). Orientation and immediate recall were not predictors of falls.

Conclusions:

Executive function and delayed recall, 2 cognitive domains reported to influence glycemic control and disease management in those with T2DM, are associated with an increased fall risk and should be included in the assessment of fall risk in this population.
QUALIDADE TOTAL EM SERVIÇOS NO CONTEXTO BRASILEIRO
Authors: Eloy Zaidan Tiago
Published: July 2018

Resenha da obra:LAS CASAS, Alexandre Luzzi. Qualidade Total em Serviços: Conceitos, Exercícios, Casos Práticos. 6ª Ed. São Paulo: Atlas, 2008. 223p.
A IMPORTÂNCIA DA ADOÇÃO DE UM PLANEJAMENTO FINANCEIRO PARA A GESTÃO E CRESCIMENTO DAS PEQUENAS EMPRESAS.
Authors: Tomé Alexandre Scherrer , Lima Vanderleia Rodrigues
Published: July 2018

A importância deste trabalho é demonstrar que empresas de pequeno porte precisam utilizar um planejamento estratégico para garantir a continuidade e sobrevivência do mercado. Como objetivo geral deste estudo, pretende-se levantar os aspectos importantes e modelos de planejamentos estratégicos empregados para o crescimento das empresas de pequeno porte. Dessa maneira, foi possível identificar o seguinte problema de pesquisa: Qual a importância de uma estratégia financeira para o crescimento de empresas de pequeno porte? Na metodologia usada com base no estudo de caso, com uma abordagem qualitativa de natureza exploratória, com os dados coletados por meio de pesquisas, conversa com colaboradores e gestor, constatou-se a ausência de um planejamento estratégico adequado para a tomada de decisão, resultando em consequência indesejável que impacta o crescimento da organização. Ainda assim, dentro desse estudo foram apresentados ferramentas, procedimentos técnicos entre outros, a fim de garantir a continuidade da companhia com mais eficácia.
COMPRAR EM SUPERMERCADO “CHEIO” É BOM PRA QUEM?
Authors: Leite Diogo Barbosa , Ferreira da Silva Isabela
Published: July 2018

O fenômeno de crowding veem despertando interesse em seus estudos por afetar diretamente o comportamento do consumidor com relação ao ambiente de loja. O estudo se propôs a investigar a influência da renda na percepção de crowding em relação as respostas dos consumidores no processo de compra no setor de varejo supermercadista, assumindo abordagem quantitativa. Aplicou-se um survey com 120 consumidores, os quais foram divididos em dois grupos de acordo com a renda familiar. A análise dos questionários apontou respostas muito similares entre os grupos de renda, no entanto, o público de alta renda apresentava-se menos tolerante ao crowding, porém mais perceptivo quanto ao fenômeno. A pesquisa ajuda a difundir o conceito e a criar novos caminhos para estudo do crowding no ambiente de varejo.
THE MEASUREMENTS OF BLOOD CLOTTING IN CARDIORENAL SYNDROME IN ELDERLY
Authors: Naumov Ya. A. , Shevchenko O. P. , Orlova I. Ju. , Faradzhov R. A.o. , Naumova N. A.
Published: July 2018

Aim. To assess the changes in hemocoagulation parameters according to the grade of renal dysfunction in elderly patients with cardiorenal syndrome types II and IV.

Material and methods. In 56 patients of the elderly age group (mean age 78±10 y.o.), with coronary heart disease and chronic heart failure, the parameters of blood clotting were assessed and the relations with kidney dysfunction grade measured by the level of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Patients were selected to 3 groups. In 47 (83,9%) there was decline of GFR <60 mL/min/1,73 m2, of those in 8 (17,3%) <30 mL/min/1,73 m2; in 9 GFR >60 mL/min/1,73 m2, with no signs of proteinuria (16,1%). All patients underwent coagulological assessment of the blood with measurement of the activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time and prothrombin time, international normalized ratio and fibrinogen concentration, as the complete blood count with platelet number, mean platelet volume, thrombocyte distribution width, and thrombocrit.

Results. The number of platelets did differ significantly in groups 1 and 3 (p=0,040), as 2 and 3 (p=0,007). Thrombocrit values did differ significantly only in 2 and 3 (p=0,029). In the group 3 the rate of the mentioned values was below the respective reference values. Fibrinogen levels did differ significantly in groups 1 and 3 (p=0,042), and 2 and 3 (p=0,037). In the group 3 the parameter was higher than upper limit of reference range. Correlation found for GFR and fibrinogen level (r=-0,425; p=0,004), for GFR and platelet number (r=0,271; p=0,049). The platelet number correlated with creatinine level (ρ=-0,392; p=0,004). Creatinine level also correlated with fibrinogen level (ρ=0,375; p=0,012).

Conclusion. In the elderly, with the decline of GFR there is decline of thrombocyte number and increase of fibrinogen concentration together with an increase of the severity of kidney dysfunction. The pathological changes that were found might probably serve as additional factor influencing the risk of adverse events related to disorder of blood clotting. The importance of the revealed relations, as the aimfulness for clinical application, should be evaluated in controlled studies.
COMPARISON OF SCHEMES OF PERIOPERATIONAL ANTICOAGULATION IN ATRIAL FIBRILLATION PATIENTS DEMANDING FOR SURGERY
Authors: Uddin L. N. , Gabitova M. A. , Sokolova A. A. , Morozova N. S. , Napalkov D. A. , Vychuzhanin D. V. , Egorov A. V. , Fomin V. V.
Published: July 2018

A literature review provided, on the usage of various schemes of perioperational anticoagulation therapy (ACT) in atrial fibrillation patients undergoing scheduled surgery. It is noted that clinicians quite often pass through a situation when patients taking ACT require invasive investigations and surgery. Perioperational management of such category of patients is complicated as, on the one hand, the surgery under ACT is associated with intraoperational hemorrhagic complications, and, on the other hand, ACT cessation might increase the risk of thrombotic complications. The variants assessed, of different periprocedural ACT in patients taking vitamin K antagonists. It was found that as an alternative to continuous ACT recently, bridge therapy with low molecular weight heparins applied, aiming the decrease of the risk of bleeding in adequate thromboprophylaxis. The results of clinical trials provided on the assessment of bridge therapy in surgery. Risk stratification approaches presents for thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications in surgery.
A New Technique for Combining Multiple Classifiers using The Dempster-Shafer Theory of Evidence
Authors: Al-Ani A. , Deriche M.
Published: July 2018

This paper presents a new classifier combination technique based on the Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence. The Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence is a powerful method for combining measures of evidence from different classifiers. However, since each of the available methods that estimates the evidence of classifiers has its own limitations, we propose here a new implementation which adapts to training data so that the overall mean square error is minimized. The proposed technique is shown to outperform most available classifier combination methods when tested on three different classification problems.
Expert-Guided Subgroup Discovery: Methodology and Application
Authors: Gamberger D. , Lavrac N.
Published: July 2018

This paper presents an approach to expert-guided subgroup discovery. The main step of the subgroup discovery process, the induction of subgroup descriptions, is performed by a heuristic beam search algorithm, using a novel parametrized definition of rule quality which is analyzed in detail. The other important steps of the proposed subgroup discovery process are the detection of statistically significant properties of selected subgroups and subgroup visualization: statistically significant properties are used to enrich the descriptions of induced subgroups, while the visualization shows subgroup properties in the form of distributions of the numbers of examples in the subgroups. The approach is illustrated by the results obtained for a medical problem of early detection of patient risk groups.
Translation of Pronominal Anaphora between English and Spanish: Discrepancies and Evaluation
Authors: Peral J. , Ferrandez A.
Published: July 2018

This paper evaluates the different tasks carried out in the translation of pronominal anaphora in a machine translation (MT) system. The MT interlingua approach named AGIR (Anaphora Generation with an Interlingua Representation) improves upon other proposals presented to date because it is able to translate intersentential anaphors, detect co-reference chains, and translate Spanish zero pronouns into English---issues hardly considered by other systems. The paper presents the resolution and evaluation of these anaphora problems in AGIR with the use of different kinds of knowledge (lexical, morphological, syntactic, and semantic). The translation of English and Spanish anaphoric third-person personal pronouns (including Spanish zero pronouns) into the target language has been evaluated on unrestricted corpora. We have obtained a precision of 80.4% and 84.8% in the translation of Spanish and English pronouns, respectively. Although we have only studied the Spanish and English languages, our approach can be easily extended to other languages such as Portuguese, Italian, or Japanese.
Potential-Based Shaping and Q-Value Initialization are Equivalent
Authors: Wiewiora E.
Published: July 2018

Shaping has proven to be a powerful but precarious means of improving reinforcement learning performance. Ng, Harada, and Russell (1999) proposed the potential-based shaping algorithm for adding shaping rewards in a way that guarantees the learner will learn optimal behavior. In this note, we prove certain similarities between this shaping algorithm and the initialization step required for several reinforcement learning algorithms. More specifically, we prove that a reinforcement learner with initial Q-values based on the shaping algorithm's potential function make the same updates throughout learning as a learner receiving potential-based shaping rewards. We further prove that under a broad category of policies, the behavior of these two learners are indistinguishable. The comparison provides intuition on the theoretical properties of the shaping algorithm as well as a suggestion for a simpler method for capturing the algorithm's benefit. In addition, the equivalence raises previously unaddressed issues concerning the efficiency of learning with potential-based shaping.
CP-nets: A Tool for Representing and Reasoning withConditional Ceteris Paribus Preference Statements
Authors: Boutilier C. , Brafman R. I. , Domshlak C. , Hoos H. H. , Poole D.
Published: July 2018

Information about user preferences plays a key role in automated decision making. In many domains it is desirable to assess such preferences in a qualitative rather than quantitative way. In this paper, we propose a qualitative graphical representation of preferences that reflects conditional dependence and independence of preference statements under a ceteris paribus (all else being equal) interpretation. Such a representation is often compact and arguably quite natural in many circumstances. We provide a formal semantics for this model, and describe how the structure of the network can be exploited in several inference tasks, such as determining whether one outcome dominates (is preferred to) another, ordering a set outcomes according to the preference relation, and constructing the best outcome subject to available evidence.
Coherent Integration of Databases by Abductive Logic Programming
Authors: Arieli O. , Denecker M. , Van Nuffelen B. , Bruynooghe M.
Published: July 2018

Abstract: We introduce an abductive method for a coherent integration of independent data-sources. The idea is to compute a list of data-facts that should be inserted to the amalgamated database or retracted from it in order to restore its consistency. This method is implemented by an abductive solver, called Asystem, that applies SLDNFA-resolution on a meta-theory that relates different, possibly contradicting, input databases. We also give a pure model-theoretic analysis of the possible ways to `recover' consistent data from an inconsistent database in terms of those models of the database that exhibit as minimal inconsistent information as reasonably possible. This allows us to characterize the `recovered databases' in terms of the `preferred' (i.e., most consistent) models of the theory. The outcome is an abductive-based application that is sound and complete with respect to a corresponding model-based, preferential semantics, and -- to the best of our knowledge -- is more expressive (thus more general) than any other implementation of coherent integration of databases.
Grounded Semantic Composition for Visual Scenes
Authors: Gorniak P. , Roy D.
Published: July 2018

We present a visually-grounded language understanding model based on a study of how people verbally describe objects in scenes. The emphasis of the model is on the combination of individual word meanings to produce meanings for complex referring expressions. The model has been implemented, and it is able to understand a broad range of spatial referring expressions. We describe our implementation of word level visually-grounded semantics and their embedding in a compositional parsing framework. The implemented system selects the correct referents in response to natural language expressions for a large percentage of test cases. In an analysis of the system's successes and failures we reveal how visual context influences the semantics of utterances and propose future extensions to the model that take such context into account.
Graduality in Argumentation
Authors: Cayrol C. , Lagasquie-Schiex M. C.
Published: July 2018

Argumentation is based on the exchange and valuation of interacting arguments, followed by the selection of the most acceptable of them (for example, in order to take a decision, to make a choice). Starting from the framework proposed by Dung in 1995, our purpose is to introduce 'graduality' in the selection of the best arguments, i.e., to be able to partition the set of the arguments in more than the two usual subsets of 'selected' and 'non-selected' arguments in order to represent different levels of selection. Our basic idea is that an argument is all the more acceptable if it can be preferred to its attackers. First, we discuss general principles underlying a 'gradual' valuation of arguments based on their interactions. Following these principles, we define several valuation models for an abstract argumentation system. Then, we introduce 'graduality' in the concept of acceptability of arguments. We propose new acceptability classes and a refinement of existing classes taking advantage of an available 'gradual' valuation.
Decentralized Control of Cooperative Systems: Categorization and Complexity Analysis
Authors: Goldman C. V. , Zilberstein S.
Published: July 2018

Decentralized control of cooperative systems captures the operation of a group of decision makers that share a single global objective. The difficulty in solving optimally such problems arises when the agents lack full observability of the global state of the system when they operate. The general problem has been shown to be NEXP-complete. In this paper, we identify classes of decentralized control problems whose complexity ranges between NEXP and P. In particular, we study problems characterized by independent transitions, independent observations, and goal-oriented objective functions. Two algorithms are shown to solve optimally useful classes of goal-oriented decentralized processes in polynomial time. This paper also studies information sharing among the decision-makers, which can improve their performance. We distinguish between three ways in which agents can exchange information: indirect communication, direct communication and sharing state features that are not controlled by the agents. Our analysis shows that for every class of problems we consider, introducing direct or indirect communication does not change the worst-case complexity. The results provide a better understanding of the complexity of decentralized control problems that arise in practice and facilitate the development of planning algorithms for these problems.
Hybrid BDI-POMDP Framework for Multiagent Teaming
Authors: Nair R. , Tambe M.
Published: July 2018

Many current large-scale multiagent team implementations can be characterized as following the ``belief-desire-intention'' (BDI) paradigm, with explicit representation of team plans. Despite their promise, current BDI team approaches lack tools for quantitative performance analysis under uncertainty. Distributed partially observable Markov decision problems (POMDPs) are well suited for such analysis, but the complexity of finding optimal policies in such models is highly intractable. The key contribution of this article is a hybrid BDI-POMDP approach, where BDI team plans are exploited to improve POMDP tractability and POMDP analysis improves BDI team plan performance. Concretely, we focus on role allocation, a fundamental problem in BDI teams: which agents to allocate to the different roles in the team. The article provides three key contributions. First, we describe a role allocation technique that takes into account future uncertainties in the domain; prior work in multiagent role allocation has failed to address such uncertainties. To that end, we introduce RMTDP (Role-based Markov Team Decision Problem), a new distributed POMDP model for analysis of role allocations. Our technique gains in tractability by significantly curtailing RMTDP policy search; in particular, BDI team plans provide incomplete RMTDP policies, and the RMTDP policy search fills the gaps in such incomplete policies by searching for the best role allocation. Our second key contribution is a novel decomposition technique to further improve RMTDP policy search efficiency. Even though limited to searching role allocations, there are still combinatorially many role allocations, and evaluating each in RMTDP to identify the best is extremely difficult. Our decomposition technique exploits the structure in the BDI team plans to significantly prune the search space of role allocations. Our third key contribution is a significantly faster policy evaluation algorithm suited for our BDI-POMDP hybrid approach. Finally, we also present experimental results from two domains: mission rehearsal simulation and RoboCupRescue disaster rescue simulation.