bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An advanced axial-slot casing treatment on a transonic compressor: A close look with computational fluid dynamics and experimental validation
Authors: Streit JA , Brandstetter C , Heinichen F , Kau H-P
Published: August 2013

The numerical and experimental investigation of non-axisymmetric casing treatments is complex compared to axisymmetric ones like circumferential grooves. Hence they are still rarely investigated, at least regarding combinations of numerical and experimental work on the same configuration. The casing treatment under investigation is capable of significantly broadening the operating range of a tip-critical transonic compressor. This is accomplished without an efficiency penalty at design conditions. It is demonstrated that the application of a casing treatment over the rotor might impose negative effects on the downstream stator that would have to be considered in future designs. Earlier work by the authors was focused on the experimental investigation, in particular of transient effects near stall. In this paper, RANS and URANS simulations are presented in detail. These are used to further study and explain the causes of the effects that were found experimentally. Additional experimental data are added where appropriate, continuing the validation of the numerical methods.
Subversive psychoanalysis and its potential orientation toward a liberation psychology: From a Lacanian reading of Martín-Baró to a committed use of Jacques Lacan
Authors: Pavón-Cuéllar David , González Equihua Estrella Erandi
Published: August 2013

Ignacio Martín-Baró will be read from a Lacanian point of view, which might help us to deepen our comprehension of some ideas of liberation psychology and reinterpret them in a new way. The reading will be centred on the notion of the truth, which will be related to six pairs of other literal terms that we also find in both Lacan’s and Martín-Baró’s discourses, namely, the individual and society, image and reality, future and liberation, structure and oppression, ideology and psychology, and before and below. On the basis of this reading, we will suggest a way to make a committed use of Lacanian subversive psychoanalysis through its orientation to liberation psychology.
Mental Disorder or “Normal Life Variation”? Why It Matters
Authors: Jacobs David H.
Published: August 2013

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition ( DSM-5) promises a refined definition of mental disorder, which is tantamount to acknowledging that prior DSM definitions have failed to clarify what mental disorder is and why a person should be considered mentally disordered. Since the DSM promotes the position that what is actually the matter, as in medicine generally, is an impersonal, anonymous affliction, the universe of considerations that goes along with thinking about an individual as a person becomes ancillary at best. Incorrect diagnosis of mental disorder present is a form of person negation, with unlimited possible iatrogenic consequences. The new definition, like the old, is simply a form of double-talk. The American Psychiatric Association continues to be unconcerned with the practical consequences of person negation.
Successful treatment of an intra-pelvic fungal pseudomycetoma causing constipation and hypercalcaemia in a Persian cat
Authors: Zafrany Asher , Ben-Oz Jennifer , Segev Gilad , Milgram Joshua , Zemer Orly , Jensen Henrik Elvang , Kelmer Efrat
Published: August 2013

This case report describes the successful treatment of a Persian cat diagnosed with intra-abdominal fungal pseudomycetoma causing hypercalcaemia and constipation due to an extra-luminal mechanical obstruction of the colon. Treatment included surgical excision, supportive care and itraconazole for 6 months.
Reference values and repeatability of buccal mucosal bleeding time in healthy sedated cats
Authors: Alatzas Dimitrios G , Mylonakis Mathios E , Kazakos Giorgos M , Kostoulas Polychronis , Kritsepi-Konstantinou Maria , Polizopoulou Zoe S
Published: August 2013

Bleeding time is a screening test for the evaluation of primary haemostasis. As there is currently limited information on the reference interval (RI) and repeatability of the test in the cat compared with the dog, the purpose of the study was to establish the RI of buccal mucosa bleeding time (BMBT) in healthy cats and to investigate the intra-observer repeatability of the test. Fifty-six cats were prospectively enrolled in the study. The animals were deemed to be healthy based on history, physical examination, complete blood count, serum biochemistry, and negative serological testing for feline leukaemia and immunodeficiency viruses. All cats were sedated with ketamine, dexmedetomidine and morphine, and the BMBT was sequentially measured in the left and right exposed buccal mucosa following a standardised incision made by a commercially available, disposable, bleeding time device. The mean BMBT was 58.6 s and the RIs ranged from 34 to 105 s (Bootstrap estimation). The intra-observer repeatability was up to 87 s (Bland–Altman plot). The results of this study imply that the combination of ketamine, dexmedetomidine and morphine is a safe and useful sedative protocol allowing for the reliable measurement of BMBT in the cat. The RI of feline BMBT may range from 34 to 105 s and the BMBT may differ by up to 87 s for any two consecutive readings for an individual cat.
Transformations of self and sexuality: Psychologically modified experiences in the context of forensic mental health
Authors: Brown Steven D , Reavey Paula , Kanyeredzi Ava , Batty Richard
Published: August 2013

Forensic mental health inpatients in medium-secure settings have a limited capacity for sexual expression during their stay in hospital. This is due to a number of factors, including a lack of willingness on behalf of staff to engage with sexual issues, as a result of safety fears and ambiguity regarding the ability of the patient to consent. Furthermore, UK forensic medium-secure units do not provide conjugal suites for patients to have sexual relations, with their spouse or other patients. To date, there is no empirical research on how forensic psychiatric patients (or service users) manage their sexuality, while in hospital and when released into the community. Here, we present an analysis of semi-structured interviews with patients at a UK medium forensic unit, in order to explore these issues further. More specifically, we examine how the public exclusion of sexuality from these units results in sexuality being experienced as sectioned off or amputated, such that a new form of sexuality emerges, one that has been cultivated by the psychologically informed practices operating within the unit. This process, we argue, produces a psychologically modified experience, a new form of self-relation that continues to modify when released into the broader ecology of the community.
“Mauled by a Bear”: Narrative analysis of self-injury among adolescents in US news, 2007–2012
Authors: Bareiss Warren
Published: August 2013

Self-injury among adolescents has been widely documented in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia; however, news coverage of self-injury has not been examined. This study analyzes 78 news accounts of self-injury among adolescents in the United States from 2007 to 2012, using critical cultural studies as a theoretical foundation and a methodology informed by Kenneth Burke’s dramatism. Narrative elements within the sample are examined in relationship to one another in order to reveal implicit meanings within the news stories. Looking across the sample, I then use a framework developed by Labov and Waletzky to examine a dominant meta-narrative that downplays social causes of self-injury—notably, various forms of trauma such as childhood sexual abuse—and instead frames self-injury as a personal choice. As a result, the remedy to the problem is not constructed as redress of contemporary pressures placed upon young people, but rather, as the responsibility of adolescents to conform to the social system that causes them to hurt themselves.
Exploring the relationship between multi-morbidity, resilience and social connectedness across the lifecourse
Authors: Ong Bie Nio , Richardson Jane C , Porter Tom , Grime Janet
Published: August 2013

Multi-morbidity is receiving considerable attention in public policy, health and social care. From the perspective of the individual, multi-morbidity is a more complex experience than solely having a clinical diagnosis. In this article, we will argue that understanding multi-morbidity can be facilitated by considering the relationship between adversity (in this case multi-morbidity), resilience and social connectedness within a life course framework. This provides an approach that can capture the dynamics of social relationships, social connectedness and the fluctuations in the experience of multi-morbidity. We draw on a qualitative study of 17 people who have multiple conditions, but consider themselves as being able to maintain a sense of identity and self over time and in the face of adversity. From their accounts, a more varied picture emerges of living with multi-morbidity. This then depicts a more realistic representation of how each person shapes their multi-morbidity and resilient responses within their own social context, which can help to formulate more effective ways of supporting them.
Experimental research on temperature and humidity control performance of hwang-toh finishing
Authors: Lee Kyu-In , Yeom Dong-Woo
Published: August 2013

This research analysed the effect of the ecological material yellow soil (hwang-toh) on indoor environments. To accomplish this, two full-scale mock-ups were constructed: one with PVC-foamed wallpaper, which is generally used for indoor finishing, and the other with hwang-toh, which is an ecological material for wall finishing. Comparison and performance evaluations were conducted, and the effects of hwang-toh finishing on an indoor environment were verified. Through this research, it was confirmed that a hwang-toh plaster finish is effective in maintaining the comfort humidity of an indoor environment.
Grandparents doing gender: Experiences of grandmothers and grandfathers caring for grandchildren in Australia
Authors: Horsfall Briony , Dempsey Deborah
Published: August 2013

Reliance on grandparents for children’s informal care is very popular in Australia. Yet little is known about the gendered dynamics of grandparental care. This study, based on 3000 grandparents taking part in Wave 7 of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics Survey (HILDA) and 14 in-depth interviews with grandparents, reveals that gendered inequalities associated with providing childcare significantly influence the lives of older Australians, particularly grandmothers. Grandmothers doing grandchildcare experience greater dissatisfaction with free time and more than their fair share of domestic labour compared to grandfathers. Gendered meanings and practices of grandchildcare evident in interviews position grandmothers as nurturing, coordinators of care. Grandfathers are somewhat influenced by notions of ‘involved fathering’ as they are emotionally engaged in children’s recreational activities, yet are relatively free to opt in and out of caring labour. We conclude that the gendered organisation of grandchildcare is consistent with a dominant maternalist culture in Australia.
Playing Nintendogs: Desire, distributed agency and potentials of prosumption
Authors: Ruckenstein Minna
Published: August 2013

This article focuses on participatory forms of capitalism, children’s consumer desires and engagements with a game console. The Nintendo DS is needed in order to enter a gaming world where relationships are built between children and non-human objects with human-like capacities. The discussion proposes that playing a simulation game, Nintendogs, tells us a more general story about how social relations are affected and shaped by technologies. In order to understand consumer desires in a nuanced manner, how they are supported and how they become intensified in everyday discourse and practice, it is important to examine ways in which commodities sustain distributed agency and participate in chains of interaction. Together these different aspects open for scrutiny the fundamental ways in which commodities and consumer desires contribute to the production of human beings. On the one hand desire becomes manifest as longing for commodities and social recognition, on the other, it is also a form of self-preservation that promotes social engagements with various kinds of entities, real or imaginary.
The value of value in CCT
Authors: Venkatesh Alladi , Peñaloza Lisa
Published: August 2013

It is well known that markets are value creating economic, social and cultural systems. In marketing, Sydney Levy originally proposed symbolic value as the notion underlying consumption activity. This was followed by Kotler's elaboration of customer value or customer satisfaction as the basis and justification for marketing. We have also seen the emergence of exchange value and use value in the works of Bagozzi and Holbrook respectively as the corner stone of all marketing and consumption activities. More recently, with the emergence of brand marketing globally, Peñaloza and Venkatesh introduced the notion of sign value, asserting that the market economy is tending toward a sign economy. Thus markets are viewed as social/cultural constructions and what is created is a system of meanings, especially in the global and cross-cultural environments. It is in the broad context of established works and more specifically in the context of consumer culture that we comment on Karababa and Kjeldgaard's article in this issue that takes the value discourse one step further by enunciating a cultural paradigm. They present a comprehensive analysis that includes “exchange value,” “perceived value,” “value as cognitive evaluation,” “social values and value systems,” “value as co-created,” “aesthetic value,” and “identity and linking value.” We believe that Karababa/Kjeldgaard's framework is a good start and is indeed a contribution to the growing literature on market value.
In a democracy, what should a healthcare system do? A dilemma for public policymakers
Authors: Oswald Malcolm
Published: August 2013

In modern representative democracies, much healthcare is publicly funded or provided and so the question of what healthcare systems should do is a matter of public policy. Given that public resources are inevitably limited, what should be done and who should benefit from healthcare? It is a dilemma for policymakers and a subject of debate within several disciplines, but rarely across disciplines. In this paper, I draw on thinking from several disciplines and especially philosophy, economics, and systems theory. I conclude that economist and philosopher John Broome’s writing provides the framework for an answer: a healthcare system in a democracy should do as much good as possible, although sometimes we should sacrifice some overall good for the sake of fairness. This leaves open some detailed questions about what in practice we consider to be good and fair, and about when some good should be traded off in order to be fair. The answers to these questions depend on our values, or as explained by systems theory, our weltanschauung. How policy decisions should be made when citizens’ values differ is a subject of extensive academic debate. However, it is a separate question. Representative democracies have mechanisms for resolving such debates.
Contraceptive risk-taking among substance-using women
Authors: Drescher-Burke Krista
Published: August 2013

Substance-using women use contraception less frequently than do women in the general population, and as a result have higher numbers of unplanned pregnancies. In addition, substance-using women regularly utilize abortion as a means for controlling their number of births. A number of factors complicate this phenomenon, including sex-for-drugs exchanges. This study analyzed data from interviews with women receiving substance abuse treatment in San Francisco, CA. Interviews explored behaviors associated with contraception and abortion as well as complicating factors surrounding prostitution. The existing literature in this area lacks theoretical insight into these behaviors. In this article, the Theory of Contraceptive Risk Taking (TCRT) is used to explore the behaviors of this sample. The TCRT predicts that contraceptive risk-taking (i.e. not using contraception) will occur after a woman navigates a series of steps in a decision-making process, including weighing costs and benefits of contraception and pregnancy, estimating her probability of becoming pregnant, and measuring her ability to obtain an abortion should her risk be unsuccessful. The participants identified many costs of contraception. The theory largely explained the behavior of this sample, except that pregnancy costs and benefits were overlooked. Implications for social work include eliminating logistical barriers to contraception and increasing benefits to contraception by offering financial incentives to use.
Rapamycin regulates connective tissue growth factor expression of lung epithelial cells via phosphoinositide 3-kinase
Authors: Xu Xuefeng , Wan Xuan , Geng Jing , Li Fei , Yang Ting , Dai Huaping
Published: August 2013

The pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains largely unknown. It is believed that IPF is mainly driven by activated alveolar epithelial cells that have a compromised migration capacity, and that also produce substances (such as connective tissue growth factor, CTGF) that contribute to fibroblast activation and matrix protein accumulation. Because the mechanisms regulating these processes are unclear, the aim of this study was to determine the role of rapamycin in regulating epithelial cell migration and CTGF expression. Transformed epithelial cell line A549 and normal human pulmonary alveolar or bronchial epithelial cells were cultured in regular medium or medium containing rapamycin. Real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was employed to determine CTGF mRNA expression. Western blotting and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used for detecting CTGF protein. Wound healing and migration assays were used to determine the cell migration potential. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β type I receptor (TβRI) inhibitor, SB431542 and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, LY294002 were used to determine rapamycin’s mechanism of action. It was found that treatment of A549 and normal human alveolar or bronchial epithelial cells with rapamycin significantly promoted basal or TGF-β1 induced CTGF expression. LY294002, not SB431542 attenuated the promotional effect of rapamycin on CTGF expression. Cell mobility was not affected by rapamycin in wound healing and migration assays. These data suggest rapamycin has a profibrotic effect in vitro and underscore the potential of combined therapeutic approach with PI3K and mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors for the treatment of animal or human lung fibrosis.
Electroencephalogram Global Field Synchronization Analysis
Authors: Ma Chi-Cheng , Liu Ai-Jun , Liu Ai-Hua , Zhou Xue-Ying , Zhou Sheng-Nian
Published: August 2013

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. Global field synchronization (GFS) can measure functional synchronization in frequency-domain electroencephalogram (EEG) data. The aim of this study is to explore GFS values and its clinical significance for severity of cognitive decline in AD. EEGs were recorded from 37 AD patients and 37 age-matched healthy individuals. GFS values were calculated in delta, theta, alpha, beta 1, beta 2, beta 3, gamma, and full frequency bands. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Clinical Dementia Rating scale (CDR) were employed to assess symptom severity in AD patients. Correlation analysis, clustering analysis, and concordance analysis were performed to analyze the relationship between GFS values and MoCA scores in AD patients. GFS values of the beta 1, beta 2, beta 3, and full bands were lower in AD patients than in healthy individuals, and positively correlated with MoCA and CDR scores in the combined group (AD patients and healthy individuals). GFS values were positively correlated with MoCA socres in 3 beta bands and full bands, and with CDR scores in the delta band. There was a good concordance between K-means clustering algorithm calculating of GFS values and MoCA scoring (κ = .913, P < .001). In conclusion, the present results indicated that GFS can serve as an indicator of cognitive decline or impairment in AD patients. Furthermore, the GFS method of EEG holds considerable promise to distinguish mild cognitive impairment from serious cognitive impairment in patients with AD.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Authors: Méndez Zulma Y. , Rincones Rodolfo
Published: August 2013

This case explores the complexity and dilemmas that faculty and academic administrators at Southwestern University (SU) encountered as they engaged in the development and establishment of a partnership with the local city’s school districts. The partnership—carried at SU’s College of Science but funded and based through a university-based agency—aimed to prepare math and science educators to better respond to the increasing pressure of improving student achievement in those subject areas. The complications and dilemmas that the math and science partnership encountered are traced and made visible as its establishment coincides with a period of institutional changes at SU. The changes involve the university’s redefinition of its mission and goals including an institutional shift from a focus on teaching to one on research. The shift brought into stark relief a long-standing tension between two cherished but unequally valued academic practices: disciplinary (or basic) scholarship versus transdisciplinary (educational or applied) scholarship. Thus, set against the backdrop of institutional change and the resulting unstable institutional environment, the College of Science faculty who were part of the math and science partnership were confronted with an irreducible task: to work to reconcile the traditions and expectations of their department’s disciplinary orientations that privileged disciplined based scholarship with the institutional commitment acquired through the partnership expecting a more transdisciplinary, applied educational scholarship. What follows describes how faculty and academic administrators navigated through this complex institutional tension and context, the dilemmas they confronted, and some of the outcomes that resulted.
A mixed methods exploration of family members’/friends’ roles in a self-care intervention for depressive symptoms
Authors: Sussman Tamara , Yaffe Mark , Mccusker Jane , Burns Victoria , Strumpf Erin , Sewitch Maida , Belzile Eric
Published: August 2013

Objectives

The aims of this exploratory study were to examine the: (1) family and friend (F/F) support patients reported receiving and F/F reported providing to patients while participating in a self-care intervention (SCI) for depressive symptoms and (2) associations between different types of F/F support and patients’ use of the self-care tools in the SCI.

Methods

Fifty-seven patients aged 40 + participating in an uncontrolled feasibility study of an SCI, completed structured telephone interviews about the support they received from F/F while participating in the SCI. Eighteen F/F completed questionnaires on the support they provided to patients during the SCI. Seven F/F participated in a post-study qualitative interview on their involvement in the SCI.

Results

About 35% of patients reported receiving F/F support with the SCI. Patients’ use of the behavioral tools was positively associated with patients’ report of F/F support, and with F/F’s report of instrumental support provided. F/F reported uncertainty about the type of support they should offer to patients in the SCI.

Discussion

F/F involvement in SCIs for depressive symptoms may be helpful to patients and may foster adherence to these interventions. More research is warranted on the nature of such involvement from the perspective of patients and F/F.
Illness perceptions in Turkish migrants with diabetes: A qualitative study
Authors: Yilmaz-Aslan Yüce , Brzoska Patrick , Bluhm Martina , Aslan Abdulselam , Razum Oliver
Published: August 2013

Objectives

Illness perceptions are usually conceptualized using the self-regulatory model of illness. Although a few examinations of illness perceptions among Turkish language populations exist, the validity of the self-regulatory model of illness has never been confirmed for this population group. The aim of our study was to explore the validity of the self-regulatory model of illness in chronically ill Turkish migrants residing in Germany using diabetes mellitus type 2 as an example.

Methods

Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 Turkish migrants with self-reported diabetes who were recruited through key persons. The core aspects of the qualitative data were extracted through a hermeneutic approach. Subsequently, a system of categories and sub-categories was developed by means of content analysis.

Results

Seven distinct core dimensions of illness perceptions, each with a different number of sub-domains, could be identified in the sample. They comprised the perceived timeline of diabetes, its consequences, its causes, its controllability as well as the identity/coherence and the emotional response with respect to the condition.

Discussion

As regards the conceptualization of illness perceptions, the dimensions identified are in line with the self-regulatory model of illness. Addressing illness perceptions through tailored interventions may contribute to improving health care and health outcomes in Turkish migrants.
The Use of an Orthopaedic Rating System in Major League Baseball
Authors: McGahan Patrick J. , Fronek Jan , Hoenecke Heinz R. , Keefe Daniel
Published: August 2013

Background:

Although the majority of Major League Baseball teams use an orthopaedic rating system to evaluate draft picks, little has been published on the topic.

Hypothesis:

Our goal was to assess the attitudes among Major League Baseball physicians regarding 3 common diagnoses in pitching prospects, through the use of an orthopaedic rating system. Our hypothesis was that the assigned orthopaedic grades would vary among physicians, diagnoses, and operative-versus-nonoperative and recent-versus-past treatment.

Study Design:

Survey.

Level of Evidence:

Level 4.

Methods:

A survey in the form of 12 clinical vignettes was used to query Major League Baseball physicians regarding ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries, type II superior labrum anterior posterior (SLAP) tears, and internal impingement. Respondents graded draft picks using an orthopaedic rating system. The vignettes covered both operative and nonoperative and recent and past treatment (successful return to pitching for 1 year).

Results:

The orthopaedic grades assigned by respondents were as follows (minimal, moderate, severe risk): past UCL reconstruction (73%, 27%, 0%), recent UCL reconstruction (19%, 77%, 4%), past UCL strain (28%, 60%, 12%), recent UCL strain (0%, 48%, 52%), past SLAP repair (52%, 48%, 0%), recent SLAP repair (4%, 64%, 32%), past SLAP nonoperative (28%, 60%, 12%), recent SLAP nonoperative (0%, 36%, 64%), past internal impingement operative (24%, 68%, 8%), recent internal impingement operative (8%, 32%, 60%), past internal impingement nonoperative (24%, 68%, 8%), and recent internal impingement nonoperative (4%, 48%, 44%).

Conclusion:

Team physicians are optimistic regarding the outcome of UCL reconstruction. In contrast, UCL strains, type II SLAP lesions, and internal impingement carry a guarded prognosis. For all diagnoses, regardless of treatment, the prognosis improved if a player returned to pitching for 1 full season.

Clinical Relevance:

This study represents a first step toward developing a standardized orthopaedic rating system that will facilitate more accurate player assessment and clearer communication among physicians.
Azithromycin, cardiovascular risks, QTc interval prolongation, torsade de pointes, and regulatory issues: A narrative review based on the study of case reports
Authors: Hancox Jules C. , Hasnain Mehrul , Vieweg W. Victor R. , Crouse Ericka L. Breden , Baranchuk Adrian
Published: August 2013

Over the past year, three articles have appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine describing conflicting findings about azithromycin and cardiac safety, particular azithromycin-induced QTc interval prolongation and torsade de pointes. The FDA wants healthcare providers to consider azithromycin-induced fatal cardiac arrhythmias for patients already at risk for cardiac death and other potentially arrhythmogenic cardiovascular conditions. In a systematic review of case reports we sought to determine factors that link to azithromycin-induced/associated QTc interval prolongation and torsade de pointes. We found 12 cases: seven female and five male. Of the nine adults with reported azithromycin doses, concurrent QTc interval measurement, and without congenital long QT syndrome, we found no significant relationship between dose and QTc interval duration. Additional risk factors were female sex, older age, heart disease, QTc interval prolonging drugs and metabolic inhibitors, hypokalemia, and bradycardia. All 12 subjects had at least two additional risk factors. Elderly women with heart disease appear to be at particularly risk for drug-related QTc interval prolongation and torsade de pointes.
Approximation of homomorphisms and derivations on Lie "Equation missing" -algebras via fixed point method
Authors: Cho Yeol Je , Saadati Reza , Yang Young-Oh
Published: August 2013

In this paper, using fixed point methods, we prove the generalized Hyers-Ulam stability of homomorphisms in

C
∗

-algebras and Lie

C
∗

-algebras and of derivations on C∗-algebras and Lie C∗-algebras for an m-variable additive functional equation.

MSC:39A10, 39B52, 39B72, 46L05, 47H10, 46B03.
P-TRAP: a Panicle Trait Phenotyping tool
Authors: AL-Tam Faroq , Adam Helene , Anjos António dos , Lorieux Mathias , Larmande Pierre , Ghesquière Alain , Jouannic Stefan , Shahbazkia Hamid Reza
Published: August 2013

Background

In crops, inflorescence complexity and the shape and size of the seed are among the most important characters that influence yield. For example, rice panicles vary considerably in the number and order of branches, elongation of the axis, and the shape and size of the seed. Manual low-throughput phenotyping methods are time consuming, and the results are unreliable. However, high-throughput image analysis of the qualitative and quantitative traits of rice panicles is essential for understanding the diversity of the panicle as well as for breeding programs.

Results

This paper presents P-TRAP software (Panicle TRAit Phenotyping), a free open source application for high-throughput measurements of panicle architecture and seed-related traits. The software is written in Java and can be used with different platforms (the user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI) uses Netbeans Platform 7.3). The application offers three main tools: a tool for the analysis of panicle structure, a spikelet/grain counting tool, and a tool for the analysis of seed shape. The three tools can be used independently or simultaneously for analysis of the same image. Results are then reported in the Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Comma Separated Values (CSV) file formats. Images of rice panicles were used to evaluate the efficiency and robustness of the software. Compared to data obtained by manual processing, P-TRAP produced reliable results in a much shorter time. In addition, manual processing is not repeatable because dry panicles are vulnerable to damage. The software is very useful, practical and collects much more data than human operators.

Conclusions

P-TRAP is a new open source software that automatically recognizes the structure of a panicle and the seeds on the panicle in numeric images. The software processes and quantifies several traits related to panicle structure, detects and counts the grains, and measures their shape parameters. In short, P-TRAP offers both efficient results and a user-friendly environment for experiments. The experimental results showed very good accuracy compared to field operator, expert verification and well-known academic methods.
Factors associated with burnout among Chinese hospital doctors: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Wu Hui , Liu Li , Wang Yang , Gao Fei , Zhao Xue , Wang Lie
Published: August 2013

Background

Burnout has been a major concern in the field of occupational health. However, there is a paucity of research exploring the factors related to burnout among Chinese doctors. Investigation of these factors is important to improve the health of doctors and the quality of healthcare services in China.

Methods

The study population consisted of 1,618 registered hospital doctors from Liaoning province of China. Burnout was measured using the Chinese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey. Occupational stress was measured using the Chinese versions of the Job Content Questionnaire and the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire. Data were collected on the respondents’ demographic characteristics and work situations. Of the doctors solicited for enrollment, 1,202 returned the completed questionnaire (555 men, 647 women), giving a response rate of 74.3%. A general linear regression model was applied to analyze the factors associated with burnout.

Results

The burnout mean scores were 11.46 (7.51) for emotional exhaustion, 6.93 (5.15) for cynicism, and 24.07 (9.50) for professional efficacy. In descending order of standardized estimates, variables that predicted a high level of emotional exhaustion included: high extrinsic effort, dissatisfaction with doctor-patient relationship, high overcommitment, working >40 h per week, low reward, and high psychological job demands. Variables that predicted a high level of cynicism included: high extrinsic effort, low reward, dissatisfaction with doctor-patient relationship, high overcommitment, low decision authority, low supervisor support, and low skill discretion. Variables that predicted a low perceived professional efficacy included: high psychological job demands, low coworker support, high extrinsic effort, low decision authority, low reward, and dissatisfaction with doctor-patient relationship.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that occupational stress is strongly related to burnout among hospital doctors in China. Strategies that aim to improve work situations and decrease occupational stress are necessary to reduce burnout, including health education, health promotion, and occupational training programs.
Prevalence and distribution of human Plasmodium infection in Pakistan
Authors: Khattak Aamer A , Venkatesan Meera , Nadeem Muhammad F , Satti Humayoon S , Yaqoob Adnan , Strauss Kathy , Khatoon Lubna , Malik Salman A , Plowe Christopher V
Published: August 2013

Background

Both Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum are prevalent in Pakistan, yet up-to-date data on the epidemiology of malaria in Pakistan are not available. This study was undertaken to determine the current prevalence and distribution of Plasmodium species across the country.

Methods

A malariometric population survey was conducted in 2011 using blood samples collected from 801 febrile patients of all ages in four provinces and the capital city of Islamabad. Microscopically confirmed Plasmodium-positive blood samples were reconfirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Confirmed parasite-positive samples were subjected to species-specific PCR capable of detecting four species of human malaria.

Results

Of the 707 PCR-positive samples, 128 (18%) were P. falciparum, 536 (76%) were P. vivax, and 43 (6%) were mixed P. falciparum and P. vivax. Ninety-four microscopy-positive samples were PCR-negative, and Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale were not detected. Prevalence of P. vivax ranged from 2.4% in Punjab Province to 10.8% in Sindh Province and prevalence of P. falciparum ranged from 0.1% in Islamabad to 3.8% in Balochistan.

Conclusions

Plasmodium infections in Pakistan are largely attributed to P. vivax but P. falciparum and mixed species infections are also prevalent. In addition, regional variation in the prevalence and species composition of malaria is high.
Azadirachta indica ethanolic extract protects neurons from apoptosis and mitigates brain swelling in experimental cerebral malaria
Authors: Bedri Selma , Khalil Eltahir A , Khalid Sami A , Alzohairy Mohammad A , Mohieldein Abdlmarouf , Aldebasi Yousef H , Seke Etet Paul Faustin , Farahna Mohammed
Published: August 2013

Background

Cerebral malaria is a rapidly developing encephalopathy caused by the apicomplexan parasitePlasmodium falciparum. Drugs currently in use are associated with poor outcome in an increasing number of cases and new drugs are urgently needed. The potential of the medicinal plantAzadirachta indica(Neem) for the treatment of experimental cerebral malaria was evaluated in mice.

Methods

Experimental cerebral malaria was induced in mice by infection withPlasmodium bergheiANKA. Infected mice were administered withAzadirachta indicaethanolic extract at doses of 300, 500, or 1000 mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.) in experimental groups, or with the anti-malarial drugs chloroquine (12 mg/kg, i.p.) or artemether (1.6 mg/kg, i.p.), in the positive control groups. Treatment was initiated at the onset of signs of brain involvement and pursued for five days on a daily basis. Mice brains were dissected out and processed for the study of the effects of the extract on pyramidal cells’ fate and on markers of neuroinflammation and apoptosis, in the medial temporal lobe.

Results

Azadirachta indicaethanolic extract mitigated neuroinflammation, decreased the severity of brain oedema, and protected pyramidal neurons from apoptosis, particularly at the highest dose used, comparable to chloroquine and artemether.

Conclusions

The present findings suggest thatAzadirachta indicaethanolic extract has protective effects on neuronal populations in the inflamed central nervous system, and justify at least in part its use in African and Asian folk medicine and practices.
Balance and knee extensibility evaluation of hemiplegic gait using an inertial body sensor network
Authors: Guo Yanwei , Zhao Guoru , Liu Qianqian , Mei Zhanyong , Ivanov Kamen , Wang Lei
Published: August 2013

Background

Most hemiplegic patients have difficulties in their balance and posture control while walking because of the asymmetrical posture and the abnormal body balance. The assessment of rehabilitation of hemiplegic gait is usually made by doctors using clinical scale, but it is difficult and could not be used frequently. It is therefore needed to quantitatively analyze the characteristics of hemiplegic gait. Thus the assessment would be simple, and real-time evaluation of rehabilitation could be carried out.

Methods

Twenty subjects (ten hemiplegic patients, ten normal subjects) were recruited. The subjects walked straight for five meters at their self-selected comfortable speed towards a target line on the floor.

Xsens MTx motion trackers were used for acquiring gestures of body segments to estimate knee joint angles and identify gait cycles. A practical method for data acquisition that does not need to obtain accurate distances between a knee joint and its corresponding sensors is presented.

Results

The results showed that there were significant differences between the two groups in the three nominated angle amplitudes. The mean values of balance level of each parameter in hemiplegic gait and normal gait were: 0.21 versus 0.01, 0.18 versus 0.03, and 0.92 versus 0.03, respectively. The mean values of added angles of each parameter in hemiplegic gait and normal gait were: 74.64 versus 91.31, -76.48 versus −132.4, and 6.77 versus 35.74.

Conclusions

It was concluded that the wearable bio-motion acquisition platform provided a practical approach that was effective in discriminating gait symptoms between hemiplegic and asymptomatic subjects. The extensibility of hemiplegic patients’ lower limbs was significantly lower than that of normal subjects, and the hemiplegic gait had worse balance level compared with normal gait. The effect of rehabilitation training of hemiplegic gait could be quantitatively analyzed.
Rapid warming in Tibet, China: public perception, response and coping resources in urban Lhasa
Authors: Bai Li , Cirendunzhu  , Pengcuociren  , Dawa  , Woodward Alistair , Liu Xiaobo , Baimaciwang  , Dazhen  , Sang Shaowei , Wan Fangjun , Zhou Lin , Xu Junfang , Li Xiaolu , Wu Haixia , Yu Baorong , Xiraoruodeng  , Liu Qiyong
Published: August 2013

Background

Tibet, average altitude more than 4,000 meters, is warming faster than anywhere else in China. The increase in temperatures may aggravate existing health problems and lead to the emergence of new risks. However, there are no actions being taken at present to protect population health due to limited understanding about the range and magnitude of health effects of climate change.

Methods

The study was a cross-sectional survey of 619 respondents from urban Lhasa, Tibet in August 2012 with the aim to investigate public perceptions of risk, heat experiences, and coping resources.

Results

Respondents are aware of the warming that has occurred in Lhasa in recent years. Over 78% reported that rising temperature is either a “very” or “somewhat” serious threat to their own health, and nearly 40% reported they had experienced heat-related symptoms. Sex, age, education and income influenced perceived risks, health status, and heat experience. The vast majority of respondents reported that they had altered their behaviour on hot summer days. Bakuo, a sub-district at the city center, is considered especially vulnerable to heat because of sparse vegetation, high population density, poor dwelling conditions and a high proportion of low-income population. However, neighborhood social ties were stronger in Bakuo than other study locations.

Conclusions

The study suggests that actions are needed now to minimize downside effects of rapid warming in Tibet, because of increasing human exposure to high temperatures and uneven distribution of the resources needed to cope.
Nonlinear ergodic theorems and weak convergence theorems for reversible semigroup of asymptotically nonexpansive mappings in Banach spaces
Authors: Zhu Lanping , Huang Qianglian , Li Gang
Published: August 2013

In this paper, we provide the nonlinear ergodic theorems and weak convergence theorems for almost orbits of a reversible semigroup of asymptotically nonexpansive mappings in a uniformly convex Banach space without assuming that X has a Fréchet differentiable norm. Since almost orbits in this paper are not almost asymptotically isometric, new methods have to be introduced and used for the proofs. Our main results include many well-known results as special cases and are new even for reversible semigroup of nonexpansive mappings.

MSC:47H20.
The anti-HBV effect mediated by a novel recombinant eukaryotic expression vector for IFN-α
Authors: Yu Haotian , Hou Zhaohua , Han Qiuju , Zhang Cai , Zhang Jian
Published: August 2013

Background

Chronic hepatitis B is a primary cause of liver-related death. Interferon alpha (IFN-α) is able to inhibit the replication of hepadnavirus, and the sustained and stable expression of IFN-α at appropriate level may be beneficial to HBV clearance. With the development of molecular cloning technology, gene therapy plays a more and more important role in clinical practice. In light of the findings, an attempt to investigate the anti-HBV effects mediated by a eukaryotic expression plasmid (pSecTagB-IFN-α) in vitro was carried out.

Methods

HBV positive cell line HepG2.2.15 and its parental cell HepG2 were transfected with pSecTagB-IFN-α or empty plasmid by using Lipofectamine™ 2000 reagent. The expression levels of IFN-α were determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and ELISA methods. The effects of pSecTagB-IFN-α on HBV mRNA, DNA and antigens were analyzed by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and ELISA assays. RT-PCR, qRT-PCR and western blot were employed to investigate the influence of pSecTagB-IFN-α on IFN-α-induced signal pathway. Furthermore, through qRT-PCR and ELISA assays, the suppressive effects of endogenously expressed IFN-α and the combination with lamivudine on HBV were also examined.

Results

pSecTagB-IFN-α could express efficiently in hepatoma cells, and then inhibited HBV replication, characterized by the decrease of HBV S gene (HBs) and HBV C gene (HBc) mRNA, the reduction of HBV DNA load, and the low contents of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg). Mechanism research showed that the activation of Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signal pathway, the up-regulation of IFN-α-induced antiviral effectors and double-stranded (ds) RNA sensing receptors by delivering pSecTagB-IFN-α, could be responsible for these phenomena. Furthermore, pSecTagB-IFN-α vector revealed effectively anti-HBV effect than exogenously added IFN-α. Moreover, lamivudine combined with endogenously expressed IFN-α exhibited stronger anti-HBV effect than with exogenous IFN-α.

Conclusion

Our results showed that endogenously expressed IFN-α can effectively and persistently inhibit HBV replication in HBV infected cells. These observations opened a promising way to design new antiviral genetic engineering drugs based on IFN-α.
Prevalence of adenovirus in children with acute respiratory tract infection in Lanzhou, China
Authors: Jin Yu , Zhang Rong-fang , Xie Zhi-ping , Yan Kun-long , Gao Han-chun , Song Jing-rong , Yuan Xin-hui , Hou Yun-de , Duan Zhao-jun
Published: August 2013

Background

Human adenovirus (HAdV) is an important agent causing respiratory tract infection in children. Information on the epidemiological and clinical features of HAdV is limited in children with acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in China, especially those of a novel genotype, Ad55.

Methods

In total, 1169 nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected from children younger than 14 years with ARTIs between November 2006 and November 2009. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to screen HAdVs. All PCR-positive products were sequenced.

Results

74 of 1169 (6.33%) specimens were positive for HAdVs. Among positive cases, AdV3 (58/74) was detected most frequently, followed by AdV11 (10/74), AdV2 (2/74), AdV7 (2/69), AdV6 (1/74), and AdV1 (1/74). AdV55 was found in one case. The incidence of HAdV infection peaked in children aged 3–7 years. The most common clinical diagnosis was upper respiratory infection, and the most common syndrome was fever and cough.The comparison of HAdV and RSV group revealed that Children infected with group AdV were significant older than children infected with group RSV, had more fever but less frequently wheezing, and cough, crackles, and cyanosis, The duration of hospitalization between the AdV group and RSV group was not significant, but a greater frequency of LRTIs was observed in RSV group.

Conclusions

HAdV is an important viral agent in children with ARTIs in Lanzhou City, China. Multiple HAdV serotypes co-circulated with Ad3, which was predominant in this 3-year study. The novel AdV55 genotype was found in one case. No fixed seasonal rhythm could be identified.