bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Elevated Levels of Coagulation Factor VIII in Patients With Venous Leg Ulcers
Authors: Criado Paulo Ricardo , Alavi Afsaneh , Kirsner Robert S.
Published: May 2014

Chronic venous disease affects millions of people around the world. Venous valvular incompetencies and venous reflux, often a result of outflow obstruction are important contributors to venous disease. The prevalence of thrombophilia is increased in patients with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). The recognition of underlying thrombophilia particularly in young patients opens new avenues in the management and prevention plan. We emphasize on the consideration of workup for coagulopathy, especially factor VIII deficiency in young patients with venous disease. We report 3 patients with chronic leg ulcers and high levels of FVIII:C activity in plasma and other associated thrombophilic factors. We highlight the need to get a workup done for thrombophilia in young patients with recurrent and chronic leg ulcers related to venous insufficiency or livedoid vasculopathy. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to define the definite indications for the thrombophilia workups.
Baropodometric Evaluations and Sensitivity Alterations in Plantar Ulcer Formation in Leprosy
Authors: Cordeiro Thania Loiola , Frade Marco Andrey Cipriani , Barros Ana Regina S. B. , Foss Norma Tiraboschi
Published: May 2014

Leprosy is a chronically evolving granulomatous disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae, which exhibits tropism for peripheral and motor nerves and slow-growing inflammation that affects the peripheral nervous system, especially the sensory fibers. The aim of this study was to observe the relationship between peak pressure and abnormal sensitivity for the formation of plantar ulcers in patients with multibacillary (MB) and paucibacillary (PB) leprosy. A total of 51 individuals with leprosy were evaluated and classified as either MB or PB and then submitted to the Semmes-Weinstein sensitivity test; 20 normal individuals were examined as a control group and took a baropodometric test. The pressure peaks and sensitivity alterations were noted and compared within groups. Leprosy patients exhibited a greater loss of sensitivity at the heel area that might compromise gait. During dynamic analysis, the MB group with altered sensitivity for right and left feet and PB (left feet) group showed the highest plantar pressure values. Skin damage (calluses or ulcers) did not occur within the areas of high plantar pressure in 80% of MB patients, whereas skin damage was observed in 38% of PB patients in the areas of higher peak pressures. According to these findings, baropodometry and sensitivity tests play an important role in the understanding of ulcer biodynamics. In addition, it could be inferred that the loss of protective sensibility in MB patients is predictive of plantar ulcers, whereas plantar pressure peaks seem to be of greater importance in PB patients.
Images of Muslims and Islam in Swedish Christian and secular news discourse
Authors: Steiner Kristian
Published: May 2014

This article is a descriptive comparative quantitative content analysis of the construction of Islam and Muslims in 2006–2007 in four Swedish publications – the liberal newspaper Dagens Nyheter representing mainstream media, the Evangelical newspaper Dagen, the fundamentalist newspaper Världen idag representing the Christian right, and the journal SD-Kuriren, the official organ of the Sweden Democrats, a neo-nationalist party. The aim is to see where a chasm between those media that accept the presence of Muslims and Islam in Sweden, and those that do not, occurs. The results put the liberal Dagens Nyheter and the Evangelical Dagen on one side of the divide and the fundamentalist Världen idag and the neo-nationalist SD-Kuriren on the other. Världen idag and SD-Kuriren tend to describe Muslims and Islam as threatening, and ‘our’ elite as retreating. In these two media, Muslims are consistently described as aggressive and the cause of social and political problems. Finally, in both media, Muslims are related to negative behavior; good Muslim behavior is constantly disregarded, while bad behavior is assumed to reflect their true character. Världen idag also claims that Islam is incompatible with democracy. Liberal Dagens Nyheter and Evangelical Dagen avoid describing Muslims and Islam as a threat and more often seek constructive solutions to different problems. Dagens Nyheter moreover describes conflicts between Muslim and Christian actors in political, not religious, terms. Dagen also sees Muslims and Christians alike as victims of the forces of secularization.
Assessing the Feasibility of Using Uniaxial Accelerometers With an Online Support Platform in the Delivery of a Community-Based Exercise Referral Scheme
Authors: Hawkins Jemma L. , Oliver Emily J. , Wyatt-Williams Jeannie , Scale Elaine , van Woerden Hugo C.
Published: May 2014

Exercise referral schemes are established within community-based health care; however, they have been criticized for failing to evidence long-term behavior change relative to usual care. As such, recent reviews have called for refinement of their delivery with a focus on embedded strategies targeting client motivation. This research letter presents findings from an initial pilot trial conducted within Wales’ National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS), examining the feasibility of using validated physical activity monitoring devices and an accompanying online platform within standard scheme delivery. 30 individuals referred to generic or cardiovascular pathways were offered the system; of these 17 agreed to participate. Common reasons for declining were clustered into lack of technology literacy or access, condition severity, or fear of costs associated with losing the device. Analysis of follow-up interviews after 4 weeks of use indicated that while participants found the monitoring devices practical and informative, only a minority (n = 4) were using the system in full. Crucially, the system element most aligned with contemporary theories of motivation (the online portal) was not used as expected. In addition, feedback from exercise referral professionals indicated that there were demands for support from clients, which might be mitigated by more effective independent system use. Recommendations for larger scale trials using similar systems include consideration of targeted patient groups, equity of access, and providing adequate technological support that is currently beyond the capacity of the NERS system.
Immobilization of commercial inulinase on alginate–chitosan beads
Authors: Missau Juliano , Scheid Amir J , Foletto Edson L , Jahn Sergio L , Mazutti Marcio A , Kuhn Raquel C
Published: May 2014

The commercial inulinase obtained from Aspergillus niger was effectively immobilized on alginate-chitosan beads which were hardened with glutaraldehyde. The immobilization conditions were studied using Plackett & Burmann experimental design and central composite rotational design (CCRD). The effects of chitosan, glutaraldehyde, sodium alginate and calcium chloride concentrations in order to obtain a better immobilization yield were optimized. In the Plackett & Burman experimental design, the sodium alginate and calcium chloride had a significant effect (p < 0.1), but only the calcium chloride showed a positive effect, indicating that as higher the concentration, better is the immobilization yield. In the central composite rotational design (CCRD), the best results were obtained in the central point, using sodium alginate (1% w/v) and calcium chloride (4% w/v) as conditions for inulinase immobilization. By the CCRD, the optimal immobilization strategy was: chitosan (0.1% w/v), glutaraldehyde (0.1% v/v), sodium alginate (1% w/v) and calcium chloride (4% w/v). In this condition, the enzyme loading capacity was 668 U/g gel beads and the effect of temperature on the immobilized enzyme activity was also evaluated, showing better activity at 50°C. The immobilized enzyme maintained 76% of its activity in six days at room temperature.
A 10-second fluid challenge guided by transthoracic echocardiography can predict fluid responsiveness
Authors: Wu Yunfan , Zhou Shusheng , Zhou Zhihua , Liu Bao
Published: May 2014

Introduction

The accurate assessment of intravascular volume status for the therapy of severe hypovolemia and shock is difficult and critical to critically ill patients. Non-invasive evaluation of fluid responsiveness by the rapid infusion of a very limited amount of volume is an important clinical goal. This study aimed to test whether echocardiographic parameters could predict fluid responsiveness in critically ill patients following a low-volume (50-ml crystalloid solution) infusion over 10 seconds.

Methods

We prospectively studied 55 mechanically ventilated patients. Echocardiography was performed during a 50-ml infusion of crystalloid solution over 10 seconds and a further 450 ml over 15 minutes. Cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), aortic velocity time index (VTI), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were recorded. Patients were classified as responders (Rs) if CO increased by at least 15% following the 500-ml volume expansion or were classified as non-responders (NRs) if CO increased by less than 15%. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) compared CO variations after 50 ml over 10 seconds (∆CO50) and 500 ml over 15 minutes (∆CO500) and the variation of VTI after infusion of 50 ml of fluid over 10 seconds (∆VTI50).

Results

In total, 50 patients were enrolled, and 27 (54%) of them were Rs. General characteristics, LVEF, heart rate, and central venous pressure were similar between Rs and NRs. In the Rs group, the AUC for ∆CO50 was 0.95 ± 0.03 (P <0.01; best cutoff value, 6%; sensitivity, 93%; specificity, 91%). Moreover, ∆CO50 and ∆CO500 were strongly correlated (r = 0.87; P <0.01). The AUC for ∆VTI50 was 0.91 ± 0.04 (P <0.01; best cutoff value, 9%; sensitivity, 74%; specificity, 95%). ∆VTI50 and ∆CO500 were positively correlated (r = 0.72; P <0.01).

Conclusion

In critically ill patients, the variation of CO and VTI after the administration of 50-ml crystalloid solution over 10 seconds (∆CO50 and ∆VTI50) can accurately predict fluid responsiveness.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN10524328. Registered 12 December 2013.
Multilevel competing risks in the evaluation of nosocomial infections: time to move on from proportional hazards and even from hazards altogether
Authors: Muñoz Alvaro , Mongilardi Nicole , Checkley William
Published: May 2014

A competing risk is an event (for example, death in the ICU) that hinders the occurrence of an event of interest (for example, nosocomial infection in the ICU) and it is a common issue in many critical care studies. Not accounting for a competing event may affect how results related to a primary event of interest are interpreted. In the previous issue of Critical Care, Wolkewitz and colleagues extended traditional models for competing risks to include random effects as a means to quantify heterogeneity among ICUs. Reported results from their analyses based on cause-specific hazards and on sub-hazards of the cumulative incidence function were indicative of lack of proportionality of these hazards over time. Here, we argue that proportionality of hazards can be problematic in competing-risk problems and analyses must consider time by covariate interactions as a default. Moreover, since hazards in competing risks make it difficult to disentangle the effects of frequency and timing of the competing events, their interpretation can be murky. Use of mixtures of flexible and succinct parametric time-to-event models for competing risks permits disentanglement of the frequency and timing at the price of requiring stronger data and a higher number of parameters. We used data from a clinical trial on fluid management strategies for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome to support our recommendations.
Choice of transcripts and software has a large effect on variant annotation
Authors: McCarthy Davis J , Humburg Peter , Kanapin Alexander , Rivas Manuel A , Gaulton Kyle ,   The WGS500 Consortium, Cazier Jean-Baptiste , Donnelly Peter
Published: May 2014

Background

Variant annotation is a crucial step in the analysis of genome sequencing data. Functional annotation results can have a strong influence on the ultimate conclusions of disease studies. Incorrect or incomplete annotations can cause researchers both to overlook potentially disease-relevant DNA variants and to dilute interesting variants in a pool of false positives. Researchers are aware of these issues in general, but the extent of the dependency of final results on the choice of transcripts and software used for annotation has not been quantified in detail.

Methods

This paper quantifies the extent of differences in annotation of 80 million variants from a whole-genome sequencing study. We compare results using the RefSeq and Ensembl transcript sets as the basis for variant annotation with the software Annovar, and also compare the results from two annotation software packages, Annovar and VEP (Ensembl’s Variant Effect Predictor), when using Ensembl transcripts.

Results

We found only 44% agreement in annotations for putative loss-of-function variants when using the RefSeq and Ensembl transcript sets as the basis for annotation with Annovar. The rate of matching annotations for loss-of-function and nonsynonymous variants combined was 79% and for all exonic variants it was 83%. When comparing results from Annovar and VEP using Ensembl transcripts, matching annotations were seen for only 65% of loss-of-function variants and 87% of all exonic variants, with splicing variants revealed as the category with the greatest discrepancy. Using these comparisons, we characterised the types of apparent errors made by Annovar and VEP and discuss their impact on the analysis of DNA variants in genome sequencing studies.

Conclusions

Variant annotation is not yet a solved problem. Choice of transcript set can have a large effect on the ultimate variant annotations obtained in a whole-genome sequencing study. Choice of annotation software can also have a substantial effect. The annotation step in the analysis of a genome sequencing study must therefore be considered carefully, and a conscious choice made as to which transcript set and software are used for annotation.
Lipopolysaccharide differentially affects the osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells through Toll-like receptor 4 mediated nuclear factor κB pathway
Authors: Li Chenghua , Li Bei , Dong Zhiwei , Gao Li , He Xiaoning , Liao Li , Hu Chenghu , Wang Qintao , Jin Yan
Published: May 2014

Introduction

Periodontitis is initiated and sustained by bacteria. However, the mechanism of bacteria induced periodontitis is still unknown. We hypothesized that bacterial components can affect the functions of stem cells in the periodontium. In this study, we comparatively investigated the influence of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the osteogenesis potential of human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs).

Methods

Human PDLSCs and BMMSCs were harvested and mineralized nodule formation was assessed by alizarin red S staining. Expression level of osteogenic related gene was detected by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). The expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and its downstream signaling pathway were examined by western blot. The role of TLR4 and related signaling pathway in LPS impairing the osteogenic potential of human PDLSCs and BMMSCs were also studied by alizarin red S staining and qRT-PCR. Experimental periodontitis was induced in adult Sprague–Dawley rats and the alveolar bone loss was measured by micro computed tomography analysis. The expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was assessed by immunohistochemistry and the number of osteoclasts was shown by Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining.

Results

LPS decreased the osteogenic differentiation of human PDLSCs through TLR4 regulated nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway, but not for BMMSCs. Blocking TLR4 or NF-κB signaling partially reversed the decreased osteogenic potential of PDLSCs and prevented the alveolar bone loss caused by LPS experimental periodontitis in rats. The ALP expression in the periodontal ligament was elevated after treatment with anti-TLR4 antibody or pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate, whereas there was no statistical significance among groups for the number of osteoclasts.

Conclusions

These data suggest that LPS can activate TLR4 regulated NF-κB pathway of human PDLSCs, thus decreasing their osteogenic potential. Blockage of TLR4 or NF-κB pathway might provide a new approach for periodontitis treatment.
Fast acoustic velocity tomography of focusing operators
Authors: Jin Hu , McMechan George A.
Published: May 2014

A 2D velocity model was estimated by tomographic imaging of overlapping focusing operators that contain one-way traveltimes, from common-focus points to receivers in an aperture along the earth’s surface. The stability and efficiency of convergence and the quality of the resulting models were improved by a sequence of ideas. We used a hybrid parameterization that has an underlying grid, upon which is superimposed a flexible, pseudolayer model. We first solved for the low-wavenumber parts of the model (approximating it as constant-velocity pseudo layers), then we allowed intermediate wavenumbers (allowing the layers to have linear velocity gradients), and finally did unconstrained iterations to add the highest wavenumber details. Layer boundaries were implicitly defined by focus points that align along virtual marker (reflector) horizons. Each focus point sampled an area bounded by the first and last rays in the data aperture at the surface; this reduced the amount of computation and the size of the effective null space of the solution. Model updates were performed simultaneously for the velocities and the local focus point positions in two steps; local estimates were performed independently by amplitude semblance for each focusing operator within its area of dependence, followed by a tomographic weighting of the local estimates into a global solution for each grid point, subject to the constraints of the parameterization used at that iteration. The system of tomographic equations was solved by simultaneous iterative reconstruction, which is equivalent to a least-squares solution, but it does not involve a matrix inversion. The algorithm was successfully applied to synthetic data for a salt dome model using a constant-velocity starting model; after a total of 25 iterations, the velocity error was [Formula: see text] and the final mean focal point position error was [Formula: see text] wavelength.
Ruins Amidst Ruins: Black Classicism and the Empire of Slavery
Authors: Barnard John Levi
Published: May 2014

While scholars have taken an increasing interest in the ways writers of the African diaspora have appropriated, revised, and otherwise intervened in the Western classical tradition, this scholarship has yet to fully articulate a cohesive theory of the political implications of black classicism as a literary and historiographical practice. This essay works toward such a theory by delineating a continuous tradition of black classicism as political engagement and historical critique across two centuries, from the early antebellum period through our contemporary moment, and situating key literary figures—most prominently Charles Chesnutt—within this tradition. Chesnutt and others (Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Toni Morrison among them) adapt and revise multiple mythic traditions—ancient and modern, “African” and “American,” “black” and “white”—to counter an exceptionalist view of American history. These writers oppose exceptionalism by linking the United States to a broader and deeper history defined by slavery, empire, and ruin, while at the same time offering a prophetic vision of a future beyond the “empire of slavery.”
Indigenous Commentary on Sixteenth-Century Mexico City
Authors: López John F.
Published: May 2014

In circa 1550, an indigenous mapmaker painted a watercolor of viceregal Mexico City and its environs. The Uppsala Map has long been a source for examining social life in the Basin of Mexico, yet its description of the city has been one less studied. This essay scrutinizes the mapmaker's graphic commentary on the viceregal capital. In particular, it studies how a narrative figure's corporeal expressions and optic interest presented the city for examination. A formal analysis of the map suggests that the city's traza (urban plan) was not spatially unitary, a point under-scored by the actas de cabildo, or municipal decrees, mandated. These demonstrate anxiety over spatial irregularity, which in the opinion of the city council threatened the city's policía (the virtue of living a Christian way of life within an ordered settlement). Lastly, this essay situates the Uppsala Map within the cartographic milieu of the Spanish Atlantic world through a study of cartographic elements that closely resemble those found in Alonso de Santa Cruz's 1542 world map.
Donne’s Annihilation
Authors: Lerner Ross B.
Published: May 2014

This essay explores the nuances of annihilation across John Donne’s oeuvre to bring into view his sophisticated representation and analysis of unexemplary martyrdom. Donne discovered that poetic making itself may prepare for but ultimately marks the lack of the self-annihilation required for martyrdom. A new reading of “Batter my heart” reveals that Donne, typically thought of as vigorously dismissive of martyrdom, developed a sophisticated theory of a passive martyrdom. This martyrdom is free from any human willing and cannot be imitated; it is, as Donne calls it, “passive action.” In Pseudo-Martyr, Biathanatos, and his sermons, this theory underwrites Donne’s analysis of Samson and violent actions undertaken against a state as well as Christ’s ultimate sacrifice.
Regioselective Double Cyclization of 5,15-Bis(trimethylsilylethynyl)porphyrin to Produce Di(oxoethano)porphyrin
Authors: Oda Kazuma , Hiroto Satoru , Shinokubo Hiroshi
Published: May 2014

Treatment of bis(trimethylsilylethynyl)porphyrin with strong acids afforded doubly oxoethano-fused porphyrin with perfect regioselectivity. The oxoethano-fused porphyrin was more electron deficient than meso-acetylporphyrin because of the coplanar orientation of the carbonyl groups to the porphyrin π system.
Economic aspects of sustainable tourism development in the regions of the Russian Federation
Authors: Илькевич Сергей , Ilkevich Sergey , Сахарчук Елена , Sakharchuk Elena
Published: May 2014

At the present time the analysis of tourist destinations in Russia within the framework of sustainable tourism is becoming increasingly important. And it is predetermined not only by the recognition of the credibility and usefulness of the sustainable tourism concept, but also by the raising awareness of broad medium- and longterm effects and externalities, as well as all interdisciplinary aspects of the tourism industry development in Russia and in its regions which need to be thoroughly studied for both academic and practical reasons. This article aspires to uncover a number of fundamental economic aspects of sustainable tourism in the context of regional destinations. The selection of a regional perspective is dictated by the fact that at this level are formed many of the most important prerequisites for sustainable long-term development of the tourist complex, specifically in terms of economically rational decision-making processes on the part of regional and local authorities and businesses. A major objective of the paper is to focus at least on the partial spectrum of the economic factors that must be borne in mind in the process of developing a strategic plan for sustainable development of a regional tourism destination in Russia. A broader economic interpretation of sustainable tourism, advocated in this study, goes beyond the relatively narrow scope of environmental and socio-economic impacts of tourism development; and it is relating to some less obvious economic aspects of destination development, but which are nevertheless directly related to the issues of sustainable development and are influential factors within this perspective. The two central blocks of economic factors of sustainable tourism development are structured, with description of their importance and main topics, specification of challenges and threats to regional destinations’ economic development. Some examples from Russian and world practices of preventing and addressing individual problems are analyzed. The first block includes the components of investment, funding, fiscal and budgetary nature. The second block consists of the aspects of the tourism industry’s organizational and structural features, the factors of production employed and interactions with other industries of the region and the outside world. And the analysis of economic issues of regional destinations’ sustainable development in the second section goes beyond the cluster approach, which is the predominant focus in Russian studies. Together, these two blocks of factors form the organizational and economic mechanism of the tourist complex, which it is advisable to develop on the basis of a full-fledged mainstreaming sustainable tourism.
Identifying the Moscow Region Tourism Industry Demand for Personnel Training
Authors: Кривошеева Татьяна , Krivosheeva Tatiana , Харитонова Татьяна , Kharitonova Tatyana
Published: May 2014

This article deals with the issues of identification of the demand for training the personnel for the Moscow

region tourism industry. The range of issues raised in the article covers (1) the causes of the trained personnel

shortage in the region; (2) the employers’ general approaches to candidates’ applications processing; (3)

the current and expected enrollment in Tourism- and Hospitality-related training programmes; and (4) the

creation of forecast scenarios of Moscow region tourism industry development, which vividly demonstrate a growing demand for personnel. The article focuses on the evaluation methodology of the demand for the

tourism industry personnel and its approbation in a number of Moscow-region-based municipal entities.

The evaluation methodology is based on the trend analysis of the tourism industry development indices,

strategic and standard-and-goal programming, the multiplier theory, extrapolative and scenario forecasting.

The strategic guidelines for Moscow region tourism industry development correspond to the performance

targets of the development of domestic and inbound tourism in the Moscow region in effect until 2018: a

twofold increase in the number of tourists using collective accommodation facilities, a 30% increase in the

tourist companies’ customership, up to a 4-% increase in the number of foreign tourists using collective

accommodation facilities, etc. The application of the methodology developed by the authors of the article

allows of the conclusion that, for the innovative development scenario, the number of jobs in the Moscow

region tourism industry should have reached 6,000 by 2018. The methodology can be applied to assess the

current and expected demand for personnel as observed in a variety of business domains in different regions

of the Russian Federation.
A Social Composition View of Team Creativity: The Role of Member Nationality-Heterogeneous Ties Outside of the Team
Authors: Perry-Smith Jill E. , Shalley Christina E.
Published: May 2014

We sought to understand team member informal social network ties outside of the team as a way to achieve cognitive variation within the team, thereby facilitating creativity. Specifically, we take a configural perspective, which emphasizes individual team members and the heterogeneity and strength of their outside ties. We theorize that these characteristics of outside ties are important because they amend members’ schemas and the team’s cognitive architecture. Results of a study of 82 long-term MBA project teams suggest that both outside ties with nationality-heterogeneous individuals and weak outside ties independently facilitate team creativity. In addition, nationality-heterogeneous outside ties that are weak rather than strong are associated with higher team creative performance.
Training Oncology Professionals in Key Communication Skills: Adapting Psychodrama and Sociodrama for Experiential Learning
Authors: Walters Rebecca , Baile Walter F.
Published: May 2014

The authors describe how sociodramatic methods were applied to teaching communication skills to professionals in a comprehensive cancer center. The article briefly reviews the importance of communication skills in oncology and the challenges in teaching key skills such as empathy and addressing emotions. It indicates how action methods can be applied to enact case scenarios generated by groups attending communication-skills workshops. It describes the advantages of action methods over other techniques for teaching communication skills in the medical setting. It suggests how these methods might be more widely disseminated among teachers of medical communication skills.
Cost and value analyses in medical education: common errors to avoid
Authors: Walsh Kieran
Published: May 2014

Medical education is associated with substantial cost, so there are a growing number of cost analysis research projects in medical education. Superficially at least these projects should be straightforward, but many errors can occur in their execution. This article highlights some errors that commonly occur and explains how to avoid them.
Where do we go from here?
Authors: Hunt Nigel
Published: May 2014

Next month will see the end of Kathryn Harley’s three-year term as Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery. Her achievements and successes during her term of office as the first female Dean of the Faculty speak for themselves. Her level of commitment and standard of leadership will certainly be a hard act to follow. So what is my vision for the Faculty for the next three years?
Tesla Valves in Micromixers
Authors: Wang Chin-Tsan , Chen Yan-Ming , Hong Pei-An , Wang Yi-Ta
Published: May 2014

Micromixers are the devices which have the ability to mix liquids uniformly. However, a Tesla valve has the potential for micromixer development because of its simple structure and special flow mechanism. In this study, a numerical simulation analysis of a new Tesla-type micromixer was designed by placing a flow plate into a micromixer, which has a contact angle of 30° with the channel wall. The optimization of the geometric parameter, aspect ratio (AR) and the Reynolds number (Re) effect is discussed. The results show that the optimal geometric parameters of the unit Tesla-type micromixer are θ1 = 45°, θ2 = 30°, A = 0.3 mm, B = 0.22 mm, C = 0.3 mm, D = 0.25 mm, and the mixing efficiency can achieve εmixing = 0.953 by passing three-unit Tesla-type micromixers (inverse-type, Re = 1, AR = 1). The Tesla-type micromixers designed in this study, which have a lower pressure drop and a higher mixing performance at a low Reynolds number, can contribute to the application of biomedical chips and chemical reactors.
Convective Drying of Apples: Kinetic Study, Evaluation of Mass Transfer Properties and Data Analysis using Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Guiné Raquel P. F. , Cruz Ana C. , Mendes M.
Published: May 2014

In the present work, the effect of drying was evaluated on some chemical and physical properties of apples, and the functions were modelled using feed-forward artificial neural networks. The drying kinetics and the mass transfer properties were also studied. The results indicated that acidity and sugars were significantly reduced by drying. Regarding colour lightness decreases, whereas redness and yellowness increased. As for texture, the dried samples were softer and less cohesive as compared to the fresh ones. Mass diffusivity increased with temperature, from 4.4×10−10 m2/s at 30°C to 1.4×10−9 m2/s at 60°C, and so did the mass transfer coefficient, increasing from 3.7×10−10 m/s at 30°C to 7.4×10−9 m/s at 60°C. As to the activation energy, it was found to be 34 kJ/mol. Neural network modelling showed that all properties can be correctly predicted by feed-forward neural networks. The analysis of the networks’ behaviours input layer weight values also shows which properties are more affected by dehydration or more dependent on variety.
Effects of Screw Speed and Sesame Cake Level on Optimal Operation Conditions of Expanded Corn Grits Extrudates
Authors: Huang Junjai , Lui Wai-Bun , Peng Jinchyau
Published: May 2014

Mixtures of sesame cake (0–20%) and corn grits processed in a single-screw extruder to improve the nutritional value of corn-expanded extrudates. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to analyse the effect of screw speed (X1) and sesame cake level (X2) on the objective (radial expansion ratio (Y1), hardness (Y2), degree of gelatinization (Y3), and water solubility index (Y4)) attributes of a corn-based sesame cake extrudates. The optimum acceptable regions determined from subjective decision and previous studies by referred authors. Therefore, it assumed that radial expansion ratio should be more than 4, hardness should be less than 7.7 kgf, degree of gelatinization should be more than 69%, and water solubility index should be less than 2.9%. Individual contour plots of the different responses were overlaid, and regions meeting the optimum radial expansion ratio of 4.03, hardness of 7.51 (kgf), degree of gelatinization of 69.28(%), and water solubility index of 2.87 (%) were identified at the screw speed of 311 rpm and the sesame cake level of 16%, respectively.
Migration of enterprise applications to the cloud
Authors: Binz Tobias , Breitenbücher Uwe , Kopp Oliver , Leymann Frank
Published: May 2014

The migration of existing applications to the cloud enables enterprises to preserve their previous investments and—at the same time—to benefit from the properties of the cloud.
This article presents a semi-automated approach for migrating existing
enterprise applications to the cloud. Thereby, information about the application is gathered in the source environment, the application is extracted, transformed, and cloud-enabled.
This makes the application ready for provisioning in the target cloud.
Cloud-enabling an application preserves its business functionality and does not change the fundamental way the application was built.
SAT-based ATPG beyond stuck-at fault testing
Authors: Hellebrand Sybille , Wunderlich Hans-Joachim
Published: May 2014

To cope with the problems of technology scaling, a robust
design has become desirable. Self-checking circuits combined with rollback
or repair strategies can provide a low cost solution for many applications.
However, standard synthesis procedures may violate design constraints or
lead to sub-optimal designs. The SAT-based strategies for the verification
and synthesis of self-checking circuits presented in this paper can provide
efficient solutions.
Abbreviations of polymer names and guidelines for abbreviating polymer names (IUPAC Recommendations 2014)
Authors: He Jiasong , Chen Jiazhong , Hellwich Karl-Heinz , Hess Michael , Horie Kazuyuki , Jones Richard G. , Kahovec Jaroslav , Kitayama Tatsuki , Kratochvíl Pavel , Meille Stefano V. , Mita Itaru , dos Santos Claudio , Vert Michel , Vohlídal Jiří
Published: May 2014

This document provides some basic rules and guidelines regarding the use and creation of abbreviations for the names of polymers. An extended list of currently used abbreviations for polymers and polymeric materials is appended.
Synthesis of a novel class of mixed-type surfmers and their properties in water
Authors: Li Linyu , Duan Ming , Fang Shenwen , Zhang Liehui , Long Weihong , Wang Hu
Published: May 2014

Three new mixed-type surfmers were synthesized using poly(propylene oxide)/poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(propylene oxide) (PPO-PEO-PPO) having terminal tertiary amine group as the basic material: (1) PPO-PEO-PPO with a carboxyl group on one end (MTA); (2) PPO-PEO-PPO with a quaternary ammonium group on one end (JTA); (3) PPO-PEO-PPO with a quaternary ammonium group on one end and a carboxyl group on the other end (MJTA). These products were confirmed by 1H-NMR and FT-IR. Similar to PPO-PEO-PPO, the three surfmers have a cloud point (Tcp). Both MJTA and MTA have lower Tcp than JTA. However, the cloud points of both MJTA-Na+ and MTA-Na+ are much higher than JTA. Their different Tcp may be caused by their strength of dissociation in water. In addition, at a high temperature (T>Tcp of MJTA), MJTA-Na+ can be considered a pH-sensitive surfactant. At neutral and alkaline conditions, it can be used as an emulsifier. However, at acidic conditions, it loses its emulsification property. MTA-Na+ has the same property.
Why was this Music Desirable? On A Critical Explanation of the Avant-Garde
Authors: Gallope Michael
Published: May 2014

In the introduction to his Oxford History of Western Music (2005), Richard Taruskin writes that his account of music history is based in the work of individual people, their statements, and their actions, as opposed to the power of ideas, teleologies, and romantic attachments to style criticism. He also claims that a “true history” of music can overcome the survey genre by offering causal explanations of historical events. In his discussion of the Cold War avant-garde, however, Taruskin points the way toward a slightly different kind of historiography by employing what I call a critical explanation. It is based in a causal question—Why was this desirable?—but the ensuing explanation resembles the hermeneutics of suspicion typically associated with thinkers such as Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud, all of whom were skeptical of the view that individuals are agents of their actions. I argue that Taruskin’s approach to the era has a methodological upshot, enabling readers to evaluate how the Cold War avant-garde might be linked with social and intellectual history in new ways. To demonstrate this, the article begins with a theoretical discussion of causality and its complex relationship to empiricism, proceeds through a survey of Taruskin’s use of existentialism as a critical explanation of the Cold War avant-garde, and ends with an account of some historical details concerning the era’s intellectual actors that expands on a few of the issues his critical explanation presents.
Economic theories of dictatorship
Authors: Debs Alexandre
Published: May 2014

This article reviews recent advances in economic theories of dictatorships and their lessons for the political stability and economic performance of dictatorships. It reflects on the general usefulness of economic theories of dictatorship, with an application to foreign relations.
Issues in third-party intervention research and the role of destruction in conflict
Authors: Potter Joel , Scott John L.
Published: May 2014

Research on third-party intervention into conflict has accelerated in recent years. Although some studies have explicitly assumed that third parties only value peace, recent theory has modeled parties to a conflict more flexibly. In addition, empirical results provide evidence that third-party motives are more complex than straightforward peacemaking. In particular, although the United Nations attempts peacemaking missions, evidence suggests that United Nations interventions prolong conflict. We sample the literature on interventions and offer directions for further research. On the empirical side, we suggest that third-party research should exploit recent applications of statistical modeling that unravel the complexity created by the fact that the decision to intervene in a conflict may depend on the same factors that contribute to the duration of the conflict. On the theoretical side, in contrast to previous studies, we suggest modeling the destruction that armed conflict causes as a choice variable.
Online supplementary materials
Authors: Stowe Jill C. , Krause Kate , Chermak Janie M.
Published: May 2014

Online supplementary materials
War and the Austrian School: Applying the economics of the founders
Authors: Kjar Scott A. , Anderson William L.
Published: May 2014

The Austrian school of economics is generally considered an antiwar school. The Austrian view is not derived from a religious or class-based ideological view. Instead, it derives entirely from the school's fundamental economic tenets. This article applies the economic views of the Austrian school's founders - Menger, Bohm-Bawerk, and Wieser - to the issue of war.
The political economy of Nigeria's relentless conflict
Authors: Nafziger E. Wayne
Published: May 2014

This article considers Nigeria's continuing conflict since independence, providing a valuable case study that illustrates the complexity and specificity of the factors and processes that engender conflict within countries. It argues that a major source of this conflict has been the domination of the Federation by the traditional ruling Fulani aristocracy and their allies in the Northern Region, who controlled rents from petroleum in the Delta. It discusses how the British establishment of a tripartite regional structure during colonialism enabled the traditional aristocracy to control the North, with a majority of Nigeria's population; the Northern victories in the clashes over census design; the dominance of petroleum in government revenue and foreign exchange; the negative post-1983 growth amid cycles of boom and bust; and the resulting urgency of the high-stakes rent seeking for controlling mining revenue paid by multinational corporations. Despite the expansion from three regions in 1960 to 36 states in 1996, the lopsided power of Northern elites has remained and so have the conflicts.
Extractive industries in fragile states and the role of market incentives and regulation
Authors: Carbonnier Gilles
Published: May 2014

This article considers the so-called resource curse plaguing fragile states with abundant extractive resources. It critically assesses the assumption that nonstate actors such as extractive industries, civil society organizations, and investors have the ability to exert effective pressure on - and can significantly assist - governments in promoting transparency, accountability, and sound management of extractive revenues. As a contribution to this under-researched area, the role of economic actors (extractive industries, investors, financial institutions, consumers) and the effect of market incentives and regulation is examined.
Patrones de coocurrencia y conducta alimentaria a escala local de Phlebotominae (Diptera: Psychodidae) del estado Falcón, Venezuela
Authors: Cazorla Dalmiro J. , Nieves Elsa , Morales Pedro
Published: May 2014

Los flebotominos son transmisores de los protozoarios parásitos del genero Leishmania, agentes causales de las leishmaniasis en humanos y otros mamíferos. Mediante modelos nulos, se estudio la estructura de las comunidades flebotominas en focos endémicos de leishmaniasis del estado Falcón, en el nor-occidente de Venezuela, a una escala reducida o local: en el domicilio, peridomicilio y el área silvestre de una zona de vida o en una localidad en particular. La aplicación de los modelos nulos reveló que a escala local las comunidades flebotominas se encuentran agregadas, sugiriendo que las especies coexisten y no compiten. Los estudios de co-ocurrencia con el análisis de estructura gremial y la prueba de la hipótesis de los estados favorecido mostró que los resultados obtenidos no son estadísticamente significativos (p> 0.05), lo que sugiere que las especies flebotominas pertenecen a un mismo gremio en sus preferencias alimentarias, lo que podría deberse a que la hematofagia se trata de un evento heterogéneo, circunstancial y oportunista. Se discuten aspectos sobre los posibles factores, como por ejemplo la transformación y homogenización de los hábitats por el impacto sinantrópico, que pudieran estar determinando el ensamble de los flebotominos en la región falconiana.
Safety and Efficacy of Filtered Sunlight in Treatment of Jaundice in African Neonates
Authors: Slusher Tina M. , Vreman Hendrik J. , Olusanya Bolajoko O. , Wong Ronald J. , Brearley Ann M. , Vaucher Yvonne E. , Stevenson David K.
Published: May 2014

OBJECTIVES:

Evaluate safety and efficacy of filtered-sunlight phototherapy (FS-PT).

METHODS:

Term/late preterm infants ≤14 days old with clinically significant jaundice, assessed by total bilirubin (TB) levels, were recruited from a maternity hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. Sunlight was filtered with commercial window-tinting films that remove most UV and significant levels of infrared light and transmit effective levels of therapeutic blue light. After placing infants under an FS-PT canopy, hourly measurements of axillary temperatures, monitoring for sunburn, dehydration, and irradiances of filtered sunlight were performed. Treatment was deemed safe and efficacious if infants were able to stay in FS-PT for ≥5 hours and rate of rise of TB was <0.2 mg/dL/h for infants ≤72 hours of age or TB decreased for infants >72 hours of age.

RESULTS:

A total of 227 infants received 258 days of FS-PT. No infant developed sunburn or dehydration. On 85 (33%) of 258 treatment days, infants were removed briefly from FS-PT due to minor temperature-related adverse events. No infant met study exit criteria. FS-PT was efficacious in 92% (181/197) of evaluable treatment days. Mean ± SD TB change was –0.06 ± 0.19 mg/dL/h. The mean ± SD (range) irradiance of FS-PT was 38 ± 22 (2–115) µW/cm2/nm, measured by the BiliBlanket Meter II.

CONCLUSIONS:

With appropriate monitoring, filtered sunlight is a novel, practical, and inexpensive method of PT that potentially offers safe and efficacious treatment strategy for management of neonatal jaundice in tropical countries where conventional PT treatment is not available.
Dry forest resilience varies under simulated climate‐management scenarios in a central Oregon, USA landscape
Authors: Halofsky Joshua S. , Halofsky Jessica E. , Burcsu Theresa , Hemstrom Miles A.
Published: May 2014

Determining appropriate actions to create or maintain landscapes resilient to climate change is challenging because of uncertainty associated with potential effects of climate change and their interactions with land management. We used a set of climate‐informed state‐and‐transition models to explore the effects of management and natural disturbances on vegetation composition and structure under different future climates. Models were run for dry forests of central Oregon under a fire suppression scenario (i.e., no management other than the continued suppression of wildfires) and an active management scenario characterized by light to moderate thinning from below and some prescribed fire, planting, and salvage logging. Without climate change, area in dry province forest types remained constant. With climate change, dry mixed‐conifer forests increased in area (by an average of 21–26% by 2100), and moist mixed‐conifer forests decreased in area (by an average of 36–60% by 2100), under both management scenarios. Average area in dry mixed‐conifer forests varied little by management scenario, but potential decreases in the moist mixed‐conifer forest were lower with active management. With changing climate in the dry province of central Oregon, our results suggest the likelihood of sustaining current levels of dense, moist mixed‐conifer forests with large‐diameter, old trees is low (less than a 10% chance) irrespective of management scenario; an opposite trend was observed under no climate change simulations. However, results also suggest active management within the dry and moist mixed‐conifer forests that creates less dense forest conditions can increase the persistence of larger‐diameter, older trees across the landscape. Owing to projected increases in wildfire, our results also suggest future distributions of tree structures will differ from the present. Overall, our projections indicate proactive management can increase forest resilience and sustain some societal values, particularly in drier forest types. However, opportunities to create more disturbance‐adapted systems are finite, all values likely cannot be sustained at current levels, and levels of resilience success will likely vary by dry province forest type. Land managers planning for a future without climate change may be assuming a future that is unlikely to exist.