bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A New Evaluation Method for Groundwater Quality Applied in Guangzhou Region, China: Using Fuzzy Method Combining Toxicity Index
Authors: Liu Fan , Huang Guanxing , Sun Jichao , Jing Jihong , Zhang Ying
Published: January 2016

Groundwater quality assessment is essential for drinking from a security point of view. In this paper, a new evaluation method called toxicity combined fuzzy evaluation (TCFE) has been put forward, which is based on the fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) method and the toxicity data from Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The comparison of TCFE and FSE in the groundwater quality assessment of Guangzhou region also has been done. The assessment results are divided into 5 water quality levels; level I is the best while level V is the worst. Results indicate that the proportion of level I, level II, and level III used by the FSE method was 69.33% in total. By contrast, this proportion rose to 81.33% after applying the TCFE method. In addition, 66.7% of level IV samples in the FSE method became level I (50%), level II (25%), and level III (25%) in the TCFE method and 29.41% of level V samples became level I (50%) and level III (50%). This trend was caused by the weight change after the combination of toxicity index. By analyzing the changes of different indicators' weight, it could be concluded that the better‐changed samples mainly exceeded the corresponding standards of regular indicators and the deteriorated samples mainly exceeded the corresponding standards of toxic indicators. The comparison between the two results revealed that the TCFE method could represent the health implications of toxic indicators reasonably. As a result, the TCFE method is more scientific in view of drinking safety.
Influence of Water Table Depth on Pore Water Chemistry and Trihalomethane Formation Potential in Peatlands
Authors: Gough Rachel , Holliman Peter J. , Fenner Nathalie , Peacock Mike , Freeman Christopher
Published: January 2016

Drained peatland catchments are reported to produce more colored, dissolved organic carbon (DOC)‐rich water, presenting problems for potable water treatment. The blocking of peatland drainage ditches to restore the water table is increasingly being considered as a strategy to address this deterioration in water quality. However, the effect of ditch blocking on the potential of DOC to form trihalomethanes (THMs) has not been assessed. In this study, the effect of peat rewetting on pore water DOC concentration and characteristics (including THM formation potential [THMFP]) was assessed over 12 months using peat cores collected from two drained peatland sites. The data show little evidence of differences in DOC concentration or characteristics between the different treatments. The absence of any difference in the THMFP of pore water between treatments suggests that, in the short term at least, ditch blocking may not have an effect on the THMFP of waters draining peatland catchments.
Removal Rate of Organic Matter Using Natural Cellulose via Adsorption Isotherm and Kinetic Studies
Authors: Din Mohd Fadhil Md , Ponraj Mohanadoss , Low Wen‐Pei , Fulazzaky Mohamad Ali , Iwao Kenzo , Songip Ahmad Rahman , Chelliapan Shreeshivadasan , Ismail Zulhilmi , Jamal Mohamad Hidayat
Published: January 2016

In this study, the removal of natural organic matter (NOM) using coconut fiber (CF) and palm oil fiber (POF) was investigated. Preliminary analysis was performed using a jar test for the selection of optimal medium before the fabricated column model experiment. The equilibrium studies on isotherms and kinetic models for NOM adsorption were analyzed using linearized correlation coefficient. Results showed that the equilibrium data were fitted to Langmuir isotherm model for both CF and POF. The most suitable adsorption model was the pseudo‐first‐order kinetic model for POF and pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model for CF. The adsorption capacities achieved by the CF and POF were 15.67 and 30.8 mg/g respectively. Based on this investigation, it can be concluded that the POF is the most suitable material for the removal of NOM in semi polluted river water.
The Impact of Oxone on Disintegration and Dewaterability of Waste Activated Sludge
Authors: Wacławek Stanisław , Grübel Klaudiusz , Chłąd Zuzanna , Dudziak Mariusz , Černík Miroslav
Published: January 2016

Biochemical parameters such as soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), phosphate, ammonium nitrogen and proteins are often used to characterize the efficiency of disintegration of waste activated sludge (WAS) flocs and microorganism cells. In this study, the chemical disintegration using peroxymonosulfate (MPS, Oxone) and thermally activated MPS, were evaluated for the destruction of WAS. Our study was conducted for chemical disintegration of WAS by MPS in doses between 84.7 ‐ 847.5 mg/gTS activated by temperatures of 50, 70 and 90 °C over 30 minutes. The application of these methods causes an increase in the soluble COD value and protein concentration in the supernatant. Also, they positively influence the sludge volume index (SVI) which decreased from 89.8 to 17.2 ml/g. Our research work confirmed that the application of thermally activated MPS may become a new effective way of improving sewage treatment and sewage sludge processing.
Influence of SRT and HRT on Bioprocess Performance in Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors Treating Municipal Wastewater
Authors: Dong Qirong , Parker Wayne , Dagnew Martha
Published: January 2016

This study investigated the impact of Solid Retention Time (SRT) (40 to 100 days) and Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) (2.5 to 8.5 hours) on the treatment of municipal wastewater in pilot and bench scale AnMBRs. The results revealed good permeate quality with respect to concentrations of COD (<40 mg/L) and BOD5 (<10 mg/L) was achieved under all conditions. Over the range of values tested SRT and HRTdid not significantly influence COD and BOD5 removal efficiencies. Extended SRTs resulted in reduced sludge production and enhanced methane production. Oversaturation of dissolved methane in permeate appears to have been responsible for a consistent lack of COD mass balance closure in all tests. After calibration of biokinetic coefficients, PetWin 4 (EnviroSim Canada) was found to effectively simulate the concentrations of particulate COD, readily biodegradable COD and acetic acid over a range of SRTs and HRTs. The calibrated saturation coefficients for hydrolysis and aceticlastic methanogenesis processes were comparable to those reported in literature. The saturation coefficient of fermentation was significantly lower than those reported in literature. The simulated methane mass flows were consistently higher than the measured values which was consistent with the lack of COD mass balance closure and was attributed to reduction of sulfate and oversaturation of the permeate with respect to Henry's Law.
Approach to Assessing the Effects of Aerial Deposition on Water Quality in the Alberta Oil Sands Region
Authors: Dayyani Shadi , Daly Gillian , Vandenberg Jerry
Published: January 2016

Snow cover forms a porous medium that acts as a receptor for aerially deposited polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals. The snowpack, acting as a temporary storage reservoir, releases contaminants accumulating over the winter during a relatively short melt period. This process could result in elevated concentrations of contaminants in melt water. Recent studies in the Alberta oil sands region have documented increases in snowpack and lake sediment concentrations; however, no studies have addressed the fate and transport of contaminants during the snowmelt period. This study describes modelling approaches that were developed to assess potential effects of aerially deposited PAHs and metals to snowpack and snowmelt water concentrations. The contribution of snowmelt to freshwater PAH concentrations is assessed using a dynamic, multi‐compartmental fate model, and the contribution to metal concentrations is estimated using a mass‐balance approach. The modelling approaches described herein were applied to two watersheds in the Alberta oil sands region for two planned oil sands developments. Accumulation of PAHs in a lake within the deposition zone was also modelled for comparison to observed concentrations.
A case of isolated amyloid light-chain amyloidosis of the radial nerve
Authors: Cheng Ron Ron , Eskandari Ramin , Welsh Cynthia T. , Varma Abhay K.
Published: January 2016

Peripheral nerve involvement may be the first sign of systemic amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis, a rare disease. Physical examination and electrodiagnostic testing are the mainstays of peripheral neuropathy evaluation at presentation. Sural nerve biopsy is performed in conjunction with serum and urine protein evaluation to differentiate between focal and systemic disease. Systemic disease is treated with a combination of chemotherapy, steroids, and stem cell transplantation. Isolated peripheral nerve disease is extremely rare.

The authors here report the case of an 80-year-old woman who presented with progressive right upper-extremity weakness due to right radial neuropathy discovered upon electrodiagnostic testing. Magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) revealed a focal lesion within the right radial nerve. She underwent radial nerve exploration and excision of an intraneural mass consisting of amyloid on histopathology, with mass spectrometry analysis diagnostic for AL amyloidosis. Noninvasive testing and clinical history did not suggest systemic involvement. This unique case of isolated peripheral nerve AL amyloidosis in the absence of signs and symptoms of systemic disease is described, and the literature demonstrating peripheral nerve involvement in AL amyloidosis is reviewed.
The long-term recurrence of Rathke's cleft cysts as predicted by histology but not by surgical procedure
Authors: Kinoshita Yasuyuki , Tominaga Atsushi , Usui Satoshi , Arita Kazunori , Sakoguchi Tetsuhiko , Sugiyama Kazuhiko , Kurisu Kaoru
Published: January 2016

OBJECTIVE

Patients with symptomatic Rathke's cleft cysts (RCCs) managed by surgical treatment often experience recurrence. The authors attempted to clarify the outcome of surgically treated RCCs over a long-term follow-up period.

METHODS

Ninety-one consecutive RCC patients with a follow-up period of more than 12 months (mean 80.2 months, range 12–297 months) were retrospectively studied. The authors examined the clinical features and postoperative course of patients who experienced a reaccumulation of cyst contents visible on MRI after the initial surgery, and they investigated data from the patients who underwent reoperation for symptomatic recurrent RCCs.

RESULTS

Reaccumulation of cyst contents occurred in 36 patients (39.6%). In 34 of these patients, a reaccumulation occurred in the first 5 years after surgery. The initial cysts in these patients were most often large, with squamous metaplasia in the cyst walls. Thirteen patients (14.3%) with recurrent symptoms underwent a reoperation, and 10 of the 13 patients had a reaccumulation of RCCs within the 1st year after surgery. The reoperations were performed in the 1st year (61.5%) or several years later (23.1%). Patients were likely to initially have had a visual disturbance and the cyst walls likely included squamous metaplasia. However, no association was observed between the incidence of reaccumulation/reoperation of RCCs and the surgical procedure for RCCs.

CONCLUSIONS

The reaccumulation rate of RCC is high in the long-term period, and it is associated with the histological findings but not with the surgical procedure. Long-term monitoring, for a period of at least 5 years, should therefore be conducted to identify and assess any RCC reaccumulation.
Role of terminal and anastomotic circulation in the patency of arteries jailed by flow-diverting stents: animal flow model evaluation and preliminary results
Authors: Iosif Christina , Berg Philipp , Ponsonnard Sebastien , Carles Pierre , Saleme Suzana , Pedrolo-Silveira Eduardo , Mendes Georges , Waihrich Eduardo , Trolliard Gilles , Couquet Claude-Yves , Yardin Catherine , Mounayer Charbel
Published: January 2016

OBJECTIVE

The authors describe herein the creation of an animal model capable of producing quantifiable data regarding blood flow rate and velocity modifications in terminal and anastomotic types of cerebrofacial circulation. They also present the preliminary results of a translational study aimed at investigating the role of terminal and anastomotic types of circulation in arterial branches jailed by flow-diverting stents as factors contributing to arterial patency or occlusion.

METHODS

Two Large White swine were used to validate a terminal-type arterial model at the level of the right ascending pharyngeal artery (APhA), created exclusively by endovascular means. Subsequently 4 Large White swine, allocated to 2 groups corresponding to the presence (Group B) or absence (Group A) of terminal-type flow modification, underwent placement of flow-diverting stents. Blood flow rates and velocities were quantified using a dedicated time-resolved 3D phase-contrast MRA sequence before and after stenting. Three months after stent placement, the stented arteries were evaluated with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Patent (circulating) ostia quantification was performed on the SEM images.

RESULTS

Terminal-type flow modification was feasible; an increase of 75.8% in mean blood velocities was observed in the right APhAs. The mean blood flow rate for Group A was 0.31 ± 0.19 ml/sec (95% CI −1.39 to 2.01) before stenting and 0.21 ± 0.07 ml/sec (95% CI −0.45 to 0.87) after stenting. The mean blood flow rate for Group B was 0.87 ± 0.32 ml/sec (95% CI −1.98 to 3.73) before stenting and 0.76 ± 0.13 ml/sec (95% CI −0.41 to 1.93) after stenting. Mean flow rates after stenting showed a statistically significant difference between Groups A and B (Welch test). Mean and maximal blood velocities were reduced in Group A cases and did not decrease in Group B cases. Control DSA and SEM findings showed near occlusion of the jailed APhAs in both cases of anastomotic circulation (mean patent ostium surface 32,776 μm2) and patency in both cases of terminal-type circulation (mean patent ostium surface 422,334 μm2).

CONCLUSIONS

Terminal-type arterial modification in swine APhAs is feasible. Sufficient data were acquired to perform an a priori analysis for further research. Flow diversion at the level of the APhA ostium resulted in significant stenosis in cases of anastomotic circulation, while sufficient patency was observed in terminal-type circulation.
Tumor cell–specific chromosomal abnormality in the vascular endothelial cells of anaplastic oligodendroglioma
Authors: Jiang Haihui , Zhang Zhe , Ren Xiaohui , Zeng Wei , Wang Junmei , Lin Song
Published: January 2016

OBJECTIVE

1p/19q co-deletion is a well-established tumor cell–specific chromosomal abnormality in oligodendroglial tumors. The endothelial cells (ECs) of oligodendroglial tumor vessels are considered to be normal cells that do not acquire mutations.

METHODS

A total of 30 samples from 16 male and 14 female patients (median age of 46.5 years) with a histological diagnosis of primary anaplastic oligodendroglioma (AO) were collected in the study. The immunofluorescence technique was used to identify vascular ECs, and the 1p/19q status was detected with fluorescence in situ hybridization. Kaplan-Meier plots were compared using the log-rank method.

RESULTS

The ECs in AO had a higher 1p36 (detected signal) deletion rate than 1q25 (reference signal) (p < 0.01) and a higher 19q13 (detected signal) deletion rate than 19p13 (reference signal) (p < 0.01). The survival analysis results showed that both the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of the patients with 1p/19q–co-deleted ECs were significantly longer than those with 1p/19q-intact ECs (PFS, p < 0.001; OS, p < 0.001). This correlation was validated by an independent cohort. In addition, the Cox regression model revealed that 1p/19q co-deletion in ECs was an independent prognostic factor (HR 0.056 [95% CI 0.012–0.261], p < 0.001 for PFS; HR 0.061 [95% CI 0.013–0.280], p < 0.01 for OS).

CONCLUSIONS

1p/19q co-deletion and polysomy can be also found in the ECs of AO, which suggests that the ECs are, in part, tumor related and reflect a novel aspect of tumor angiogenesis.
Disc nucleus fortification for lumbar degenerative disc disease: a biomechanical study
Authors: Dupré Derrick A. , Cook Daniel J. , Brad Bellotte J. , Oh Michael Y. , Whiting Donald , Cheng Boyle C.
Published: January 2016

OBJECTIVE

Spinal stability is attributed in part to osteoligamentous structures, including the vertebral body, facets, intervertebral discs, and posterior elements. The materials in this study provide an opportunity to augment the degenerated nucleus without removing native disc material, a procedure introduced here as “fortification.” The objective of this study was to determine the effect of nucleus fortification on lumbar disc biomechanics.

METHODS

The authors performed in vitro analysis of human cadaveric functional spinal units (FSUs), along with characterization and quantification of movement of the units using biomechanical data in intact, disc-only, and fortified specimens. The units underwent removal of all posterior elements and annulus and were fortified by injecting a biogel into the nucleus pulposus. Each specimen was subjected to load testing, range of motion (ROM) quantification, and disc bulge measurements. Optoelectric tracking was used to quantify disc bulge. These criteria were assessed in the intact, disc-only, and fortified treatments.

RESULTS

Disc-only FSUs resulted in increased ROM when compared with intact and fortified conditions. Fortification of the FSU resulted in partial restoration of normal ROM in the treatment groups. Analysis of hysteresis loops showed more linear response in the fortified groups when compared with the intact and disc-only groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Disc nucleus fortification increases linearity and decreases ROM.
A pilot study of the utility of a laboratory-based spinal fixation training program for neurosurgical residents
Authors: Sundar Swetha J. , Healy Andrew T. , Kshettry Varun R. , Mroz Thomas E. , Schlenk Richard , Benzel Edward C.
Published: January 2016

OBJECTIVE

Pedicle and lateral mass screw placement is technically demanding due to complex 3D spinal anatomy that is not easily visualized. Neurosurgical and orthopedic surgery residents must be properly trained in such procedures, which can be associated with significant complications and associated morbidity. Current training in pedicle and lateral mass screw placement involves didactic teaching and supervised placement in the operating room. The objective of this study was to assess whether teaching residents to place pedicle and lateral mass screws using navigation software, combined with practice using cadaveric specimens and Sawbones models, would improve screw placement accuracy.

METHODS

This was a single-blinded, prospective, randomized pilot study with 8 junior neurosurgical residents and 2 senior medical students with prior neurosurgery exposure. Both the study group and the level of training-matched control group (each group with 4 level of training-matched residents and 1 senior medical student) were exposed to a standardized didactic education regarding spinal anatomy and screw placement techniques. The study group was exposed to an additional pilot program that included a training session using navigation software combined with cadaveric specimens and accessibility to Sawbones models.

RESULTS

A statistically significant reduction in overall surgical error was observed in the study group compared with the control group (p = 0.04). Analysis by spinal region demonstrated a significant reduction in surgical error in the thoracic and lumbar regions in the study group compared with controls (p = 0.02 and p = 0.04, respectively). The study group also was observed to place screws more optimally in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions (p = 0.02, p = 0.04, and p = 0.04, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical resident education in pedicle and lateral mass screw placement is a priority for training programs. This study demonstrated that compared with a didactic-only training model, using navigation simulation with cadavers and Sawbones models significantly reduced the number of screw placement errors in a laboratory setting.
The 100 most-cited articles in spinal oncology
Authors: De la Garza-Ramos Rafael , Benvenutti-Regato Mario , Caro-Osorio Enrique
Published: January 2016

OBJECTIVE

The authors' objective was to identify the 100 most-cited research articles in the field of spinal oncology.

METHODS

The Thomson Reuters Web of Science service was queried for the years 1864–2015 without language restrictions. Articles were sorted in descending order of the number of times they were cited by other studies, and all titles and abstracts were screened to identify the research areas of the top 100 articles. Levels of evidence were assigned on the basis of the North American Spine Society criteria.

RESULTS

The authors identified the 100 most-cited articles in spinal oncology, which collectively had been cited 20,771 times at the time of this writing. The oldest article on this top 100 list had been published in 1931, and the most recent in 2008; the most prolific decade was the 1990s, with 34 articles on this list having been published during that period. There were 4 studies with Level I evidence, 3 with Level II evidence, 9 with Level III evidence, 70 with Level IV evidence, and 2 with Level V evidence; levels of evidence were not assigned to 12 studies because they were not on therapeutic, prognostic, or diagnostic topics. Thirty-one unique journals contributed to the 100 articles, with the Journal of Neurosurgery contributing most of the articles (n = 25). The specialties covered included neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, neurology, radiation oncology, and pathology. Sixty-seven articles reported clinical outcomes. The most common country of article origin was the United States (n = 62), followed by Canada (n = 8) and France (n = 7). The most common topics were spinal metastases (n = 35), intramedullary tumors (n = 18), chordoma (n = 17), intradural tumors (n = 7), vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty (n = 7), primary bone tumors (n = 6), and others (n = 10). One researcher had authored 6 studies on the top 100 list, and 7 authors had 3 studies each on this list.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified the 100 most-cited research articles in the area of spinal oncology. The studies highlighted the multidisciplinary and multimodal nature of spinal tumor management. Recognition of historical articles may guide future spinal oncology research.
Percutaneous pedicle screw placement into a spinal segment previously treated with vertebroplasty: technical note
Authors: Gernsback Joanna E. , Wang Michael Y.
Published: January 2016

Vertebral augmentation with cement has become a common procedure for the treatment of compression fractures, leading to a growing population who have had this procedure and are now in need of another spinal surgery. This technical note reports an undescribed method for placing pedicle screws through a previously cemented level.
Anti-diabetic and anti-oxidant status of Loranthus pulverulentus obtained from two different hosts
Authors: Kamran Sairah Hafeez , Ahmad Mobasher , Shahwar Durre , Ajaib Muhammad
Published: January 2016

Leaves of Loranthus pulverulentus have been used ethnically in Pakistan for controlling blood glucose levels. The present study was designed to investigate the anti-diabetic and anti-oxidant potential of the methanolic extracted fractions of L. pulverulentus obtained from two different hosts’ viz. Dalbergia sissoo and Populus nigra. The acute study demonstrated that L. pulverulentus (D. sissoo) leaves possess significant blood glucose lowering effect whereas L. pulverulentus (P. nigra) was didn’t significantly decreased blood glucose levels. The n-butanol fraction of L. pulverulentus (D. sissoo) also significantly increased in vivo total anti-oxidant activity on eighth day after treatment and blood glucose levels were significantly reduced (%46.7) when compared to the control diabetic group (%↑198.1) and metformin treated group (%↓25.9). Leaves of L. pulverulentus (D. sissoo) have good margin of safety as therapeutic index is 3.5. This study provides scientific evidence that leaves of L. pulverulentus (D. sissoo) possess potential anti-diabetic activity whereas L. pulverulentus (P. nigra) was not found effective in diabetic illness.

 
Antidiarrheal activity of methanolic leaf extract of Rumex vesicarius
Authors: Khan Imran Ahmad , Janbaz Khalid Hussain , Saqib Fatima
Published: January 2016

This study evaluates the antidiarrheal activity of Rumex vesicarius (leaf) by using in vitro and in vivo assays. Antidiarrheal effect of R. vesicarius was  evaluated using castor oil-induced diarrhea model in rat. Weight and  volume of the intestinal content were assessed using the enteropooling method. Atropine (3 mg/kg, i.p) was used as positive control. R. Vesicarius at the  doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg p.o. significantly retarded castor oil-induced  enteropooling and intestinal transit. The gastrointestinal transit rate was  studied and R. vesicarius at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg significantly inhibited (p<0.001) weight and volume of intestinal content. R. vesicarius caused concentration-dependent (0.01–1 mg/mL) relaxation of spontaneous contractions in isolated rabbit jejunum tissue preparation and inhibited K+-80 induced contractions (0.01-5 mg/mL), similar to verapamil, suggestive of calcium channel blockade. Results obtained herein indicate that R. vesicarius may contain effective compounds which can be used as an antidiarrheal agent.
Design and synthesis of triazolyl-napthyl derivative of β-amyrin and its in vitro anti-cancer and apoptotic activities in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (HK-1) cell line
Authors: Li Zhen , Ge Hong-Zhou , Xie Yong-Gang , Li Shi
Published: January 2016

The purpose of this research work was to design and synthesize triazolyl-napthyl derivative of β-amyrin (TNB) using click chemistry approach. Cytotoxic activity of TNB was evaluated against HK-1 human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells using MTT cell viability assay. Fluorescence microscopy indicated cellular morphological changes induced by TNB. Flow cytometry was involved to demonstrate effects of this compound on cell cycle and apoptosis. The results revealed that TNB inhibited in vitro cancer cell growth in dose- and time-dependent manner. The IC50 values of TNB at 24 and 48 hours time intervals were found to be 47.2 and 32.5 µM respectively. TNB-treated cells exhibited significant dense staining fragmentation called apoptotic bodies, which inferred an early apoptotic event. DNA ladder was more apparent with the increasing TNB dose. However, no DNA fragments were observed in the control groups. TNB also induced sub-G1 cell cycle arrest and increased fraction of HK-1 apoptotic cells.

 
Education to Action: Improving Public Perception of Bats
Authors: Hoffmaster Eric , Vonk Jennifer , Mies Rob
Published: January 2016

Public perception of bats has historically been largely negative with bats often portrayed as carriers of disease. Bats are commonly associated with vampire lore and thus elicit largely fearful reactions despite the fact that they are a vital and valuable part of the ecosystem. Bats provide a variety of essential services from pest control to plant pollination. Despite the benefits of bats to the environment and the economy, bats are suffering at the hands of humans. They are victims of turbines, human encroachment, pesticides, and, most recently, white nose syndrome. Because of their critical importance to the environment, humans should do what they can to help protect bats. We propose that humans will be more likely to do so if their perceptions and attitudes toward bats can be significantly improved. In a preliminary study we found some support for the idea that people can be educated about bats through bat oriented events and exhibits, and that this greater knowledge can inspire humans to act to save bats.
Ochre Bathing of the Bearded Vulture: A Bio-Mimetic Model for Early Humans towards Smell Prevention and Health
Authors: Tributsch Helmut
Published: January 2016

Since primordial times, vultures have been competing with man for animal carcasses. One of these vultures, the once widespread bearded vulture ( Gypaetus barbatus ), has the habit of bathing its polluted feathers and skin in red iron oxide - ochre - tainted water puddles. Why? Primitive man may have tried to find out and may have discovered its advantages. Red ochre, which has accompanied human rituals and everyday life for more than 100,000 years, is not just a simple red paint for decoration or a symbol for blood. As modern experiments demonstrate, it is active in sunlight producing aggressive chemical species. They can kill viruses and bacteria and convert smelly organic substances into volatile neutral carbon dioxide gas. In this way, ochre can in sunlight sterilize and clean the skin to provide health and comfort and make it scentless, a definitive advantage for nomadic meat hunters. This research thus also demonstrates a sanitary reason for the vulture’s habit of bathing in red ochre mud. Prehistoric people have therefore included ochre use into their rituals, especially into those in relation to birth and death. Significant ritual impulses during evolution of man may thus have developed bio-mimetically, inspired from the habits of a vulture. It is discussed how this health strategy could be developed to a modern standard helping to fight antibiotics-resistant bacteria in hospitals.
Anticytokine Autoantibodies: Association with Infection and Immune Dysregulation
Authors: Knight Vijaya , Merkel Patricia , O’Sullivan Michael
Published: January 2016

The association of autoantibodies to cytokines with immune deficiency, autoimmunity and/or immune dysregulation is increasingly being recognized. For example, autoantibodies to interferon gamma have been found to be associated with chronic, treatment refractory infections with intracellular organisms such as mycobacteria, autoantibodies to interleukin 17 with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, and anti-interferon alpha autoantibodies with systemic lupus erythematosus. While low titer autoantibodies to these and other cytokines may be detected in normal individuals, patients with infectious or autoimmune manifestations tend to have high titer autoantibodies that may block or potentiate the function of the respective cytokine. Recognition of these autoantibodies is important because it may direct treatment toward a combination of adjunctive immunotherapy to modulate the autoantibody level while continuing with appropriate anti-microbial therapy. This review focuses on the anti-cytokine autoantibodies documented to date, their autoimmune, immune dysregulation and infectious disease associations, methods for detection of these antibodies and potential treatment options.
Evaluation of a Computerized Decision Support Intervention to Decrease Use of Anti-Pseudomonal Carbapenems in Penicillin Allergic Patients
Authors: Caplinger Christina , Smith Garret , Remington Richard , Madaras-Kelly Karl
Published: January 2016

Allergies to β-lactam antibiotics are commonly documented in hospitalized patients; however, true allergy is uncommon. Cross-reactivity rates for advanced generation cephalosporins and carbapenems are low; particularly for patients without a history of symptoms consistent with type 1 hypersensitivity. We observed that providers preferentially prescribed antipseudomonal carbapenems (APC) over advanced generation cephalosporins for patients with β-lactam allergy history, including those with low risk for antimicrobial-resistant infections. Information was inserted into the computerized decision support system (CDSS) to aid clinicians in assessing β-lactam cross-reactivity risk and selecting appropriate therapy. A retrospective evaluation was conducted in a small hospital to assess the impact of the CDSS changes in APC prescribing. Inpatients (n = 68) who received at least one APC dose during hospitalization over a 13 month pre-intervention period were compared to inpatients who received an APC during the 15 month post-intervention period (n = 59) for documented APC indications and β-lactam allergy history. APC initiations were measured and corrected per 1000 patient-days; interrupted time-series analysis was performed to assess changes in use before and after implementation. Aggregate monthly APC initiations decreased from 7.01 to 6.14 per 1000 patient-days after the implementation (p = 0.03). Post-intervention APC initiations for patients with low-risk β-lactam histories decreased from 92% to 83% (p = 0.17). No adverse events were observed in patients with low-risk β-lactam histories. The intervention was associated with a reduction in APC initiations.
Using GM (1,1) Optimized by MFO with Rolling Mechanism to Forecast the Electricity Consumption of Inner Mongolia
Authors: Zhao Huiru , Zhao Haoran , Guo Sen
Published: January 2016

Accurate and reliable forecasting on annual electricity consumption will be valuable for social projectors and power grid operators. With the acceleration of electricity market reformation and the development of smart grid and the energy Internet, the modern electric power system is becoming increasingly complex in terms of structure and function. Therefore, electricity consumption forecasting has become a more difficult and challenging task. In this paper, a new hybrid electricity consumption forecasting method, namely grey model (1,1) (GM (1,1)), optimized by moth-flame optimization (MFO) algorithm with rolling mechanism (Rolling-MFO-GM (1,1)), was put forward. The parameters a and b of GM (1,1) were optimized by employing moth-flame optimization algorithm (MFO), which is the latest natured-inspired meta-heuristic algorithm proposed in 2015. Furthermore, the rolling mechanism was also introduced to improve the precision of prediction. The Inner Mongolia case discussion shows the superiority of proposed Rolling-MFO-GM (1,1) for annual electricity consumption prediction when compared with least square regression (LSR), GM (1,1), FOA (fruit fly optimization)-GM (1,1), MFO-GM (1,1), Rolling-LSR, Rolling-GM (1,1) and Rolling-FOA-GM (1,1). The grey forecasting model optimized by MFO with rolling mechanism can improve the forecasting performance of annual electricity consumption significantly.
“It Was Raining All the Time!”: Ex Post Tourist Weather Perceptions
Authors: Gössling Stefan , Abegg Bruno , Steiger Robert
Published: January 2016

The importance of weather for tourism is now widely recognized. However, no research has so far addressed weather events from retrospective viewpoints, and, in particular, the role of “extreme” events in longer-term holiday memories. To better understand the character of ex post weather experiences and their importance in destination image perceptions and future travel planning behavior, this exploratory study addressed a sample of 50 tourists from three globally important source markets: Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Results indicate that weather events do not dominate long-term memories of tourist experiences. Yet, weather events are important in shaping destination image, with “rain” being the single most important weather variable negatively influencing perceptions. Results also suggest that weather events perceived as extreme can involve considerable emotions. The study of ex post traveler memories consequently makes a valuable contribution to the understanding of the complexity of “extreme weather” events for tourist demand responses.
Multidisciplinary View of Alcohol Use Disorder: From a Psychiatric Illness to a Major Liver Disease
Authors: Gitto Stefano , Golfieri Lucia , Caputo Fabio , Grandi Silvana , Andreone Pietro
Published: January 2016

Alcohol use disorder is a significant health problem being a cause of increased morbidity and mortality worldwide. Alcohol-related illness has a relevant economic impact on the society and a negative influence on the life of patients and their family members. Psychosocial support might be useful in the management of people affected by alcohol use disorder since psychiatric and pharmaceutical approaches show some limits. In fact, many drugs are accessible for the treatment of alcohol disorder, but only Baclofen is functional as an anti-craving drug in patients with advanced liver disease. The alcohol-related liver damage represents the most frequent cause of advanced liver disease in Europe, and it is the main cause of death among adults with high alcohol consumption. The multidisciplinary action of clinical-psychologists, psychiatrics and hepatologists, is essential in the management of patients with alcohol liver disease especially in the case of liver transplantation. In general, the multidisciplinary approach is necessary in prevention, in framing patients and in the treatment. More resources should be used in prevention and research with the main aim of decreasing the harmful alcohol consumption.
The Fabrication of Ga2O3/ZSM-5 Hollow Fibers for Efficient Catalytic Conversion of n-Butane into Light Olefins and Aromatics
Authors: Han Jing , Jiang Guiyuan , Han Shanlei , Liu Jia , Zhang Yaoyuan , Liu Yeming , Wang Ruipu , Zhao Zhen , Xu Chunming , Wang Yajun , Duan Aijun , Liu Jian , Wei Yuechang
Published: January 2016

In this study, the dehydrogenation component of Ga2O3 was introduced into ZSM-5 nanocrystals to prepare Ga2O3/ZSM-5 hollow fiber-based bifunctional catalysts. The physicochemical features of as-prepared catalysts were characterized by means of XRD, BET, SEM, STEM, NH3-TPD, etc., and their performances for the catalytic conversion of n-butane to produce light olefins and aromatics were investigated. The results indicated that a very small amount of gallium can cause a marked enhancement in the catalytic activity of ZSM-5 because of the synergistic effect of the dehydrogenation and aromatization properties of Ga2O3 and the cracking function of ZSM-5. Compared with Ga2O3/ZSM-5 nanoparticles, the unique hierarchical macro-meso-microporosity of the as-prepared hollow fibers can effectively enlarge the bifunctionality by enhancing the accessibility of active sites and the diffusion. Consequently, Ga2O3/ZSM-5 hollow fibers show excellent catalytic conversion of n-butane, with the highest yield of light olefins plus aromatics at 600 °C by 87.6%, which is 56.3%, 24.6%, and 13.3% higher than that of ZSM-5, ZSM-5 zeolite fibers, and Ga2O3/ZSM-5, respectively.
Solvent-Free Selective Oxidation of Toluene with O2 Catalyzed by Metal Cation Modified LDHs and Mixed Oxides
Authors: Wang Xiaoli , Wu Gongde , Liu Hao , Lin Qibo
Published: January 2016

A series of metal cation modified layered-double hydroxides (LDHs) and mixed oxides were prepared and used to be the selective oxidation of toluene with O2. The results revealed that the modified LDHs exhibited much higher catalytic performance than their parent LDH and the modified mixed oxides. Moreover, the metal cations were also found to play important roles in the catalytic performance and stabilities of modified catalysts. Under the optimal reaction conditions, the highest toluene conversion reached 8.7% with 97.5% of the selectivity to benzyldehyde; moreover, the catalytic performance remained after nine catalytic runs. In addition, the reaction probably involved a free-radical mechanism.
Obesity and Prader-Willi Syndrome Affect Heart Rate Recovery from Dynamic Resistance Exercise in Youth
Authors: Castner Diobel , Clark Susan , Judelson Daniel , Rubin Daniela
Published: January 2016

Following exercise, heart rate decline is initially driven by parasympathetic reactivation and later by sympathetic withdrawal. Obesity delays endurance exercise heart rate recovery (HRR) in both children and adults. Young people with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a congenital cause for obesity, have shown a slower 60-s endurance exercise HRR compared to lean and obese children, suggesting compromised regulation. This study further evaluated effects of obesity and PWS on resistance exercise HRR at 30 and 60 s in children. PWS (8–18 years) and lean and obese controls (8–11 years) completed a weighted step-up protocol (six sets x 10 reps per leg, separated by one-minute rest), standardized using participant stature and lean body mass. HRR was evaluated by calculated HRR value (HRRV = difference between HR at test termination and 30 (HRRV30) and 60 (HRRV60) s post-exercise). PWS and obese had a smaller HRRV30 than lean (p < 0.01 for both). Additionally, PWS had a smaller HRRV60 than lean and obese (p = 0.01 for both). Obesity appears to delay early parasympathetic reactivation, which occurs within 30 s following resistance exercise. However, the continued HRR delay at 60 s in PWS may be explained by either blunted parasympathetic nervous system reactivation, delayed sympathetic withdrawal and/or poor cardiovascular fitness.
Acoustic Wake-Up Receivers for Home Automation Control Applications
Authors: Bannoura Amir , Höflinger Fabian , Gorgies Omar , Gamm Gerd , Albesa Joan , Reindl Leonhard
Published: January 2016

Automated home applications are to ease the use of technology and devices around the house. Most of the electronic devices, like shutters or entertainment products (Hifi, TV and even WiFi), are constantly in a standby mode, where they consume a considerable amount of energy. The standby mode is necessary to react to commands triggered by the user, but the time the device spends in a standby mode is considered long. In our work, we present a receiver that is attached to home appliances that allows the devices to be activated while they are completely turned off in order to reduce the energy consumed in the standby mode. The receiver contains a low power wake-up module that reacts to an addressable acoustic 20-kHz sound signal that controls home devices that are connected to it. The acoustic wake-up signal can be sent by any kind of speaker that is available in commercial smartphones. The smartphones will operate as transmitters to the signals. Our wake-up receiver consists of two parts: a low power passive circuit connected to a wake-up chip microcontroller and an active micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) microphone that receives the acoustic signal. A duty cycle is required to reduce the power consumption of the receiver, because the signal reception occurs when the microphone is active. The current consumption was measured to be 15 μA in sleep mode and 140 μA in active mode. An average wake-up range of 10 m using a smartphone as a sender was achieved.
Optimal Maintenance Management of Offshore Wind Farms
Authors: Pliego Marugán Alberto , García Márquez Fausto , Pinar Pérez Jesús
Published: January 2016

Nowadays offshore wind energy is the renewable energy source with the highest growth. Offshore wind farms are composed of large and complex wind turbines, requiring a high level of reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS). Firms are employing robust remote condition monitoring systems in order to improve RAMS, considering the difficulty to access the wind farm. The main objective of this research work is to optimise the maintenance management of wind farms through the fault probability of each wind turbine. The probability has been calculated by Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) employing the Binary Decision Diagram (BDD) in order to reduce the computational cost. The fault tree presented in this paper has been designed and validated based on qualitative data from the literature and expert from important European collaborative research projects. The basic events of the fault tree have been prioritized employing the criticality method in order to use resources efficiently. Exogenous variables, e.g., weather conditions, have been also considered in this research work. The results provided by the dynamic probability of failure and the importance measures have been employed to develop a scheduled maintenance that contributes to improve the decision making and, consequently, to reduce the maintenance costs.
Optimal Bidding Strategy for Renewable Microgrid with Active Network Management
Authors: Kim Seung , Kim Jip , Jin Young , Yoon Yong
Published: January 2016

Active Network Management (ANM) enables a microgrid to optimally dispatch the active/reactive power of its Renewable Distributed Generation (RDG) and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) units in real time. Thus, a microgrid with high penetration of RDGs can handle their uncertainties and variabilities to achieve the stable operation using ANM. However, the actual power flow in the line connecting the main grid and microgrid may deviate significantly from the day-ahead bids if the bids are determined without consideration of the real-time adjustment through ANM, which will lead to a substantial imbalance cost. Therefore, this study proposes a formulation for obtaining an optimal bidding which reflects the change of power flow in the connecting line by real-time adjustment using ANM. The proposed formulation maximizes the expected profit of the microgrid considering various network and physical constraints. The effectiveness of the proposed bidding strategy is verified through the simulations with a 33-bus test microgrid. The simulation results show that the proposed bidding strategy improves the expected operating profit by reducing the imbalance cost to a greater degree compared to the basic bidding strategy without consideration of ANM.
A Quantitative Assessment of Forest Cover Change in the Moulouya River Watershed (Morocco) by the Integration of a Subpixel-Based and Object-Based Analysis of Landsat Data
Authors: Aguilar Fernando , Nemmaoui Abderrahim , Aguilar Manuel , Chourak Mimoun , Zarhloule Yassine , García Lorca Andrés
Published: January 2016

A quantitative assessment of forest cover change in the Moulouya River watershed (Morocco) was carried out by means of an innovative approach from atmospherically corrected reflectance Landsat images corresponding to 1984 (Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper) and 2013 (Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager). An object-based image analysis (OBIA) was undertaken to classify segmented objects as forested or non-forested within the 2013 Landsat orthomosaic. A Random Forest classifier was applied to a set of training data based on a features vector composed of different types of object features such as vegetation indices, mean spectral values and pixel-based fractional cover derived from probabilistic spectral mixture analysis). The very high spatial resolution image data of Google Earth 2013 were employed to train/validate the Random Forest classifier, ranking the NDVI vegetation index and the corresponding pixel-based percentages of photosynthetic vegetation and bare soil as the most statistically significant object features to extract forested and non-forested areas. Regarding classification accuracy, an overall accuracy of 92.34% was achieved. The previously developed classification scheme was applied to the 1984 Landsat data to extract the forest cover change between 1984 and 2013, showing a slight net increase of 5.3% (ca. 8800 ha) in forested areas for the whole region.