bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feasible Dose Reduction in Routine Chest Computed Tomography Maintaining Constant Image Quality Using the Last Three Scanner Generations: From Filtered Back Projection to Sinogram-affirmed Iterative Reconstruction and Impact of the Novel Fully Integrated Detector Design Minimizing Electronic Noise
Authors: Ebner Lukas , Knobloch Felix , Huber Adrian , Landau Julia , Ott Daniel , Heverhagen Johannes T , Christe Andreas
Published: August 2014

Objective:

The aim of the present study was to evaluate a dose reduction in contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography (CT) by comparing the three latest generations of Siemens CT scanners used in clinical practice. We analyzed the amount of radiation used with filtered back projection (FBP) and an iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithm to yield the same image quality. Furthermore, the influence on the radiation dose of the most recent integrated circuit detector (ICD; Stellar detector, Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany) was investigated.

Materials and Methods:

136 Patients were included. Scan parameters were set to a thorax routine: SOMATOM Sensation 64 (FBP), SOMATOM Definition Flash (IR), and SOMATOM Definition Edge (ICD and IR). Tube current was set constantly to the reference level of 100 mA automated tube current modulation using reference milliamperes. Care kV was used on the Flash and Edge scanner, while tube potential was individually selected between 100 and 140 kVp by the medical technologists at the SOMATOM Sensation. Quality assessment was performed on soft-tissue kernel reconstruction. Dose was represented by the dose length product.

Results:

Dose-length product (DLP) with FBP for the average chest CT was 308 mGy*cm ± 99.6. In contrast, the DLP for the chest CT with IR algorithm was 196.8 mGy*cm ± 68.8 (P= 0.0001). Further decline in dose can be noted with IR and the ICD: DLP: 166.4 mGy*cm ± 54.5 (P= 0.033). The dose reduction compared to FBP was 36.1% with IR and 45.6% with IR/ICD. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was favorable in the aorta, bone, and soft tissue for IR/ICD in combination compared to FBP (thePvalues ranged from 0.003 to 0.048). Overall contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) improved with declining DLP.

Conclusion:

The most recent technical developments, namely IR in combination with integrated circuit detectors, can significantly lower radiation dose in chest CT examinations.
Serosurveillance of Orientia tsutsugamushi and Rickettsia typhi in Bangladesh
Authors: Maude Rapeephan R. , Maude Richard J. , Ghose Aniruddha , Amin M. Robed , Islam M. Belalul , Ali Mohammad , Bari M. Shafiqul , Majumder M. Ishaque , Tanganuchitcharnchai Ampai , Dondorp Arjen M. , Paris Daniel H. , Bailey Robin L. , Faiz M. Abul , Blacksell Stuart D. , Day Nicholas P. J.
Published: August 2014

Scrub and murine typhus infections are under-diagnosed causes of febrile illness across the tropics, and it is not known how common they are in Bangladesh. We conducted a prospective seroepidemiologic survey across six major teaching hospitals in Bangladesh by using an IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results indicated recent exposure (287 of 1,209, 23.7% seropositive for Orientia tsutsugamushi and 805 of 1,209, 66.6% seropositive for Rickettsia typhi). Seropositive rates were different in each region. However, there was no geographic clustering of seropositive results for both organisms. There was no difference between those from rural or urban areas. Rickettsia typhi seroreactivity was positively correlated with age. Scrub typhus and murine typhus should be considered as possible causes of infection in Bangladesh.
Case Series of Fatal Leptospira spp./Dengue Virus Co-Infections—Puerto Rico, 2010–2012
Authors: Pérez Rodríguez Nicole M. , Galloway Renee , Blau Dianna M. , Traxler Rita , Bhatnagar Julu , Zaki Sherif R. , Rivera Aidsa , Torres Jose V. , Noyd David , Santiago-Albizu Xavier E. , García Brenda Rivera , Tomashek Kay M. , Bower William A. , Sharp Tyler M.
Published: August 2014

Co-infection with pathogens that cause acute febrile illness creates a diagnostic challenge as a result of overlapping clinical manifestations. Here, we describe four fatal cases of Leptospira species/dengue virus co-infection in Puerto Rico. Although all patients sought care early, antibiotic administration was delayed for most. Steroids were administered to all patients, in most cases before antibiotics. These cases show the need for clinicians evaluating patients in or recently returned from the tropics with acute febrile illness to consider both dengue and leptospirosis. Furthermore, they illustrate the need for nucleic acid- or antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests to enable timely patient diagnosis and management. In particular, antibiotic therapy should be initiated early for patients with suspected leptospirosis, and steroids should not be administered to patients with suspected dengue.
Absorption and scattering properties of organic carbon versus sulfate dominant aerosols at Gosan climate observatory in Northeast Asia
Authors: Lim S. , Lee M. , Kim S.-W. , Yoon S.-C. , Lee G. , Lee Y. J.
Published: August 2014

Abstract. Carbonaceous and soluble ionic species of PM1.0 and PM10 were measured along with the absorption and scattering properties and aerosol number size distributions at Gosan Climate Observatory (GCO) from January to September 2008. The daily averaged equivalent black carbon (EBC) measured as aerosol absorption exhibited two types of spectral dependence with a distinct maximum (peak) at either 370 nm or 880 nm, by which two subsets were extracted and classified into the respective groups (370 and 880 nm). The 370 nm group was distinguished by high organic carbon (OC) concentrations relative to elemental carbon (EC) and sulfate, but sulfate was predominant for the 880 nm group. The PM1.0 OC of the 370 nm group was mainly composed of refractory and pyrolized components that correlated well with PM1.0 EC1, referred to as char EC, which suggests biofuel and biomass combustion as the source of these OC fractions, particularly during winter. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and the number size distributions implied that aerosols of the 370 nm group were externally mixed upon transport in fast-moving air masses that passed through the Beijing area in about one day. In contrast, the aerosols of the 880 nm group were characterized by high sulfate concentrations, and seemed to be internally mixed during slow transport over the Yellow Sea region over approximately 2 to 4 days. The absorption and scattering coefficients of the 880 nm group were noticeably higher compared to those of the 370 nm group. The average absorption ångström exponent (AAE) was estimated to be 1.29 and 1.0 for the 370 and 880 nm groups, respectively, in the range 370–950 nm. These results demonstrated that the optical properties of aerosols were intimately linked to chemical composition and mixing state, characteristics determined both by source and atmospheric aging processes. In OC dominant aerosols, absorption was enhanced in the UV region, which was possibly due to refractory and pyrolized OC compounds. Under sulfate dominant conditions, the sulfate coating on BC particles likely contributed to the absorption of the longer visible light. Consequently, single scattering albedo (SSA) was higher for the 880 nm group than for the 370 nm group, emphasizing that the relative abundances of absorbing and scattering constituents are also important in estimating the climate effect of aerosols.
Three-dimensional radar imaging of atmospheric layer and turbulence structures using multiple receivers and multiple frequencies
Authors: Chen J.-S. , Furumoto J. , Yamamoto M.
Published: August 2014

Abstract. The pulsed, beamwidth-limited atmospheric radar suffers from a finite resolution volume, making it difficult to resolve the small-scale irregularity structure of refractive index (or clear-air turbulence) in the scattering region. Multi-receiver and multi-frequency imaging techniques were thus proposed to improve the spatial resolution of the measurements in the finite resolution volume. The middle and upper atmosphere radar (MUR; 34.85° N, 136.10° N) possesses the capabilities of 5 frequencies, ranging from 46 MHz to 47 MHz, and up to 25 receivers to carry out the imaging techniques. In this paper, we exhibit the three-dimensional (3-D) radar imaging utilizing five frequencies and 19 receivers of the MUR. The Capon method was employed for the process of imaging, and examinations of a wavy layer and turbulent structures were made, in which the spatial weighting effect on the imaging were mitigated beforehand. Information such as echo center and structure morphology in the resolution volume was then extracted. For example, the location distribution of echo centers could imply the traveling orientation of the wavy layer, which was correspondent with horizontal wind direction. Such information of wavy layer structure was more difficult to disclose without removal of the spatial weighting effect. This paper demonstrates an advanced application of 3-D radar imaging to some practical atmospheric phenomena.
Can We Relinquish the Transcendental?
Authors: Malabou Catherine
Published: August 2014

Is contemporary continental European philosophy preparing itself to break with Kant? An attack upon supposedly indestructible structures of knowledge is happening today: finitude of the subject, phenomenal given, a priori synthesis. “Relinquishing the transcendental”: such is the leading project of postcritical thinking in the early twenty-first century as it appears in Quentin Meillassoux's book After Finitude. Some questions that we thought could never be raised after the Critique of Pure Reason are reappearing with a renewed force: Was Kant genuinely able to deduce categories instead of imposing them, to prove the necessity of nature, to found the difference between “a priori” and “innate”? Should we consider, on the contrary, that the “problem of Hume”—the existence of an irreducible contingency of the world—has never been settled by the Transcendental Deduction? Such a claim implies that we are provided a sufficiently convincing concept of the irregularity of the laws of nature and of the possibility of a totally different world. Does After Finitude elaborate such concepts?
In What We Tend to Feel Is Without History: Foucault, Affect, and the Ethics of Curiosity
Authors: Guilmette Lauren
Published: August 2014

This article considers how the affective turn in queer theory has been a turn away from Foucault and argues for a Foucauldian ethics of curiosity, looking to his strange prefaces- without-texts following an impasse in the Sexuality project. These reorienting outlines and abandoned analytics invite the reader to use them in resisting toxic patterns of thinking and feeling, revealing new scripts, relational virtualities, and attending with “care” to “what exists and what might exist,” to that which has been cast off in rendering ourselves intelligible.
Is a Hermeneutic Phenomenology Wide Enough? A Ricoeurian Reply to Janicaud's Phenomenology “Wide Open”
Authors: Davidson Scott
Published: August 2014

More than fifteen years have now passed since the publication of Dominique Janicaud's book Phenomenology “Wide Open”; however, many of its central claims still remain unexamined. This article initiates a critical reflection on Janicaud's notion of a minimal phenomenology by way of a contrast with Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutic phenomenology. The article demonstrates that Janicaud's attempt to decouple phenomenology from hermeneutics fails due to his underestimation of their deeper connection. The notion of a minimal phenomenology remains valuable, nonetheless, for opening up some new directions for hermeneutic phenomenology, particularly an engagement with certain insights to be drawn from Deleuze.
Home Invasions: Phenomenological and Psychoanalytic Reflections on Embodiment Relations, Vulnerability, and Breakdown
Authors: McMahon Laura
Published: August 2014

Through an exploration of a home invasion scene in Ingmar Bergman's Shame, this article explores the ways in which it is not only our own bodies that are vulnerable to assault but also the meaningful objects through which we expressively engage with the world, as well as the worldly context of these embodied engagements. First, I draw primarily on the work of Martin Heidegger and Maurice Merleau-Ponty in order to explore the ways in which things come to be incorporated into our bodily experience and how our vulnerability as embodied individuals is thus extended into the life of these things. Second, I engage with phenomenological accounts of home and psychoanalytic accounts of childhood development in order to argue that our extended bodily vulnerability is coextensive with our creative openness to the world. Finally, I offer some reflections on the role played by breakdown in phenomenological experience, at the level of the things through which we are “at home” to expressively extend ourselves out into the world and at the level of the sense of “homelessness” alive in the experience of anxiety.
The Silence of the Sirens: Rereading the Dialectic of Enlightenment with Kafka and Borges
Authors: Mendieta Eduardo
Published: August 2014

The article rereads Horkheimer and Adorno's classic Dialectic of Enlightenment from the standpoint of animal philosophy while also offering a comparison and contrast between Odysseus and Socrates as personifications of the “animal question” that haunts all Western philosophy. The key thesis is that this question is a metaphilosophical question and that we thus have to develop a critical philosophy that is at its core also an animal philosophy.
A construção social de políticas públicas. Chico Mendes e o movimento dos seringueiros
Authors: Allegretti Mary
Published: August 2014

O artigo analisa a trajetória peculiar dos seringueiros do Acre que, ao buscarem solução para conflitosfundiários, formularam políticas públicas inovadoras de conciliação entre reforma agrária e proteçãodo meio ambiente. Reconstitui a liderança de Chico Mendes e as diferentes etapas de construção domovimento social e da política pública de criação de Reservas Extrativistas. Analisa as causas internase externas que explicam o sucesso de um movimento social no contexto da Conferência do Rio e dapressão internacional contra as políticas dos bancos multilaterais.
Short communication. Effects of the time to change from incubation to hatching temperature on the artificial incubation of red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) eggs
Authors: Gomez-de-Travecedo Paloma , Caravaca Francisco P. , Gonzalez-Redondo Pedro
Published: August 2014

This study investigates, in red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa), the effects of the time to change from incubation to hatching temperature on egg weight loss, hatchability, chick weight at hatch, incubation length, and development stage at embryonic mortality. Five batches of 80 eggs each were incubated at 37.8ºC during the first 18, 19, 20, 21 or 22 d of incubation, and subsequently at 37.5ºC until hatching. Hatchability, development stage at embryonic mortality and chick weight at hatch were not affected by the time of temperature change (p > 0.05). However, incubation length and egg weight loss after 21 d of incubation as representative of that of developed embryos were influenced by the incubation treatment (p<0.001 and p<0.05, respectively). Thus, eggs maintained at the incubation temperature of 37.8ºC for 22 d not only hatched earlier (23.04 d) but also with lower dispersion than eggs from the other treatments. As hatching may start around day 22 of incubation, to improve hatching synchrony we could recommend to move A. rufa eggs from the incubator, set at 37.8ºC, to the hatcher on the 21st d of incubation keeping the temperature unchanged, and reduce it to 37.5ºC on the 22nd d. Nevertheless, further research should be carried out to study the effect of this temperature scheduling on chick growth and performance.
Effects of different regimes of fertilization on soil organic matter under conventional tillage
Authors: Guo Zhibin , Hua Keke , Wang Jing , Guo Xisheng , He Chuanlong , Wang Daozhong
Published: August 2014

To explore the effects of different fertilization regimes on soil organic matter (SOM) sequestration in a winter-soybean/corn rotation, a long-term field experiment was conducted in Anhui, China, from 1982 to 2011. There were six treatments, as follows: (1) no fertilizer input (CK); (2) mineral fertilizers input (NPK); (3) mineral fertilizers + 3,750 kg ha-1 wheat straw (WS/2-NPK); (4) mineral fertilizers + 7,500 kg ha-1 wheat straw (WS-NPK); (5) mineral fertilizers + 15,000 kg ha-1 composted farmyard manure (CNPK); and (6) mineral fertilizers + 30,000 kg ha-1 composted farmyard manure (DNPK). Mineral fertilizer applications combined with organic amendments improved soil physical properties. For the WS/2-NPK, WS-NPK, CNPK and DNPK treatments, the soil bulk density decreased more than 10%, while the air porosity and field water content increased more than 90% and 15%, compared with the values at the start of the experiment in 1982. Our results indicate that about two decades are needed for SOM to reach its saturation point in all treatments. The SOM sequestration rate was related to the fertilization regime. The average SOM sequestration rate in 1982-2005 was 0.27 g kg-1 yr-1 with NPK, 0.45 g kg-1 yr-1 with WS/2-NPK, 0.56 g kg-1 yr-1 with WS-NPK, 0.60 g kg-1 yr-1 with CNPK and 1.02 g kg-1 yr-1 with DNPK. Therefore, both the quantity and the quality of the organic amendment determine the SOM sequestration rate and SOM saturation level.
Non-systemic fungal endophytes in Carex brevicollis may influence the toxicity of the sedge to livestock
Authors: Canals Rosa M. , San-Emeterio Leticia , Sanchez-Marquez Salud , Ruiz de los Mozos Igor , Pujol Pablo , Zabalgogeazcoa Iñigo
Published: August 2014

The sedge Carex brevicollis is a common component of semi-natural grasslands and forests in temperate mountains of Central and Southern Europe. The consumption of this species causes a severe toxicity to livestock, associated to high plant concentrations of the β-carbolic alkaloid brevicolline. This research was started to ascertain the origin of this toxicity. An exploratory survey of alkaloid content in plants growing in contrasting habitats (grasslands/forests) did not contribute to find a pattern of the variable contents of brevicolline in plants, and led us to address other possibilities, such as a potential role of fungal endophytism. Systemic, vertically-transmitted endophytes producers of herbivore-deterrent alkaloids are known to infect many known forage grasses. We did not detect systemic endophytes in C. brevicollis, but the sedge harboured a rich community of non-systemic fungi. To test experimentally whether non-systemic endophytes influenced the synthesis of the alkaloid, 24 plants were submitted to a fungicide treatment to remove the fungal assemblage, and the offspring ramets were analysed for alkaloid content. Brevicolline was the major β-carbolic alkaloid detected, and the contents were at least five times lower in the new ramets that developed from fungicide-treated plants than in the untreated plants. This result, although not conclusive about the primary source of the alkaloid (a plant or a fungal product) indicates that fungal endophytes may affect the contents of the toxic brevicolline in this sedge.
Feasibility of using pyranometers for continuous estimation of ground cover fraction in table grape vineyards
Authors: Martinez-Cob Antonio , Faci Jose M. , Blanco Olga , Medina Eva T. , Suvočarev Kosana
Published: August 2014

This paper evaluates the feasibility of using pyranometers for continuous estimation of ground cover fraction (GCF) at remote, unattended sites. Photographical techniques were used for measuring GCF (GCFref) at a table grape vineyard grown under a net. Daily pyranometer-driven GCF estimates (GCFpyr) were obtained from solar radiation measurements above and below the canopy. For GCFpyr computation, solar radiation was averaged for two hours around solar noon (midday periods) and for daylight periods (8:00 to 18:00 Universal Time Coordinated). GCFpyr and GCFref (daylight periods) showed a good agreement: mean estimation error, 0.000; root mean square error, 0.113; index of agreement, 0.967. The high GCF attained, the large measurement range for GCF and the presence of the net above the table grape were the likely reasons for the good performance of GCFpyr in this crop despite the short number of pyranometers used. Further research is required to develop more appropriate calibration equations of GCFpyr and for a more detailed evaluation of using a short number of pyranometers to estimate GCF.
AHP choice in cocoa post-harvest technology for small-scale farmers
Authors: Vera-Montenegro Lenin , Baviera-Puig Amparo , Garcia-Alvarez-Coque Jose-Maria
Published: August 2014

Ensuring that the post-harvest process yields good quality cocoa is a relevant research question. However, the literature currently lacks detailed studies of producers’ criteria for post-harvest technology selection. There is therefore a need for research that examines technology choice based on several criteria. This is the aim of our paper. We defined a cocoa post-harvest technology selection model to assist small producers in Ecuador. To do so, we employed the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to assess the following criteria: quality, processing cost and technology adoption capability. By considering only quality, we first performed a preliminary assessment of nine post-harvest technologies yielded by all possible combinations of fermentation and drying methods. Under the criterion “quality”, results show that no post-harvest technology is preferable to another. This implies that quality differences between producers do not derive from technology choice but rather from the rigour with which producers perform fermentation and drying processes. After adding the criteria “processing cost” and “technology adoption capability”, we performed the analysis again. This multi-criteria approach offered a better way to approximate small farmers’ real needs when selecting technology for cocoa post-harvest. Although quality was the highest-valued criterion, high scores attributed to some technologies in the other two criteria offset scores for quality. Thus, processing cost and technology adoption also emerged as relevant factors for small holders.
Lack of relationship between Visna/maedi infection and scrapie resistance genetic markers
Authors: Salazar Eider , Berriatua Eduardo , Perez Marta , Marín Belen , Acín Cristina , Martín-Burriel Inmaculada , Reina Ramsés , De Andrés Damian , Amorena Beatriz , Badiola Juan José , Luján Lluís
Published: August 2014

The relationship between Visna/maedi virus (VMV) antibody status and scrapie genetic resistance of 10,611 Rasa Aragonesa sheep from 17 flocks in Aragón (Spain) was investigated. The fifteen most common PRNP gene haplotypes and genotypes were identified and the genotypes were classified into the corresponding scrapie risk groups (groups 1 to 5). ARQ (93.3%) and ARR (31.8%) were the most common haplotypes and ARQ/ARQ (56%) and ARR/ARQ (25.6%) were the most common genotypes. The frequencies of scrapie risk groups 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 were 3.3%, 27.3%, 63.5%, 1.2% and 4.8%, respectively. Overall Visna/maedi seroprevalence was 53% and flock seroprevalence ranged between 21-86%. A random effects logistic regression model indicated that sheep VMV serological status (outcome variable) was not associated with any particular scrapie risk group. Instead, VMV seropositivity progressively increased with age, was significantly greater in females compared to males and varied between flocks. The absence of a relationship between VMV infection and scrapie genotypes is important for VMV control and specifically for sheep participating in an ELISA-based Visna/maedi control program.
Reduced tillage for tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) production in East Cuba. Soil physical properties and crop yield
Authors: Olivet Yosvel E. , Sanchez-Giron Victor , Hernanz Jose Luis
Published: August 2014

The area devoted to growing tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) in the province of Granma, Cuba, accounted for nearly 2600 ha in the year 1997, which represented the 4% of the total tobacco plantation area on the island in that year. Tobacco is tillage-intensive since traditional production systems entail seven or eight cultivation operations before transplanting. The objective of this study was to evaluate two alternative tillage systems in comparison with conventional tillage for tobacco production with the aim to improve soil conditions, reduce the number of tillage operations for soil preparation for transplanting, and increase yields. The treatments studied were: (T1) conventional or traditional tillage, (T2) reduced tillage with a multi-tiller plough, and (T3) reduced tillage with a chisel plough. T1 consisted in disc ploughing twice and disc harrowing twice for primary tillage, while before transplanting plots were ploughed twice with a horse-drawn mouldboard plough and harrowed twice with a horse-drawn spike-tooth harrow. In T2 primary tillage was accomplished with two passes with the multi-tiller followed by disc harrowing twice before transplanting. In T3 chisel ploughing was substituted for multi-tiller ploughing. The two reduced tillage systems improved the physical conditions of the soil, which resulted in: lower bulk density, with average values across the 0-30 cm soil profile of 1.48, 1.34 and 1.30 Mg m-3 in T1, T2 and T3, respectively, at the end of the growing season; higher soil water content in the soil profile in all four sampling dates per season; greater porosity; and lower resistance to penetration with values of 2.48, 2.15 and 1.71 MPa in T1, T2 and T3, respectively, before crop harvesting. Tillage system T3 provided the highest crop yields (2.26 Mg ha-1) compared with T2 (2.14 Mg ha-1) and T1 (1.95 Mg ha-1), for the plants grown on T3 plots had the largest number of leaves. The size of the leaves was similar in all three systems, however.
Improved Ridge Regression Estimators for Binary Choice Models: An Empirical Study
Authors: Månsson Kristofer , Kibria B.M. Golam , Shukur Ghazi
Published: August 2014

This paper suggests some new estimators of the ridge parameter for binary choice models that may be applied in the presence of a multicollinearity problem. These new ridge parameters are functions of other estimators of the ridge parameter that have shown to work well in the previous research. Using a simulation study we investigate the mean square error (MSE) properties of these new ridge parameters and compare them with the best performing estimators from the previous research. The results indicate that we may improve the MSE properties of the ridge regression estimator by applying the proposed estimators in this paper, especially when there is a high multicollinearity between the explanatory variables and when many explanatory variables are included in the regression model. The benefit of this paper is then shown by a health related data where the effect of some risk factors on the probability of receiving diabetes is investigated.
Research Article: Survival Analysis of Under Five Mortality in Rural Parts of Ethiopia
Authors: Seyoum Yared , Sharma M.K.
Published: August 2014

Child mortality is a factor that is associated with the well-being of a population and it is taken as an indicator of health development and socioeconomic status. According to the 2011 UN report during the last 10 years, the death rate for children under five has decreased by 35% worldwide. UNICEF in 2008 reported that Ethiopia has reduced under-five mortality by 40 percent over the past 15 years. From the EDHS 2011 report child mortality rate in Ethiopia was reduced from 50/1000 deaths in 2005 to 31/1000 deaths in 2011. The Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data are used for the study. In this paper we have attempted to find out the impact of socioeconomic, demographic and environmental factors in the context of under five mortality. In this attempt we first analyzed our data using Kaplan-Meier non-parametric method of estimation of survival function and also using lifetable. We have also used Log-Rank test to compare different survival functions and found that sex, type of birth, religion, mothers’ education, birth order, maternity age, source of drinking water and region have statistically significant difference in the under five survival time. We have also used Cox proportional hazard model to identify the covariates which influence the under five mortality. But we found that our data do not fulfill the proportionality assumption of Cox proportional model in case of infant and child mortality. Then we applied stratified Cox proportional model to our data to find out the potential covariates which influence under five mortality and found birth order, mothers’ education level, sex, type of birth and the interaction of birth order and sex as vital factors for the deaths occurring under the age of five. The Cox proportional hazard models which were used separately for each stratum also identified mothers’ educational level, sex, type of birth, and the interaction of sex and water supply as the risk factors for the death of infants. Whereas for child stratum; type of birth, mothers’ education, sex and the interaction of water supply and sex were the risk factors associated with the death of children.
Forecasting Rate of Decline in Infant Mortality in South Asia Using Random Walk Approximation
Authors: Chakrabarty Tapan Kumar
Published: August 2014

The Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG 4) of United Nations had set the target of reducing high rates of under-five and infant mortality (IMR) by two thirds to be reached by 2015 using 1990 as the benchmark year. By the availability of time series data on IMR from United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME, 2012), led by UNICEF, WHO, the World Bank and United Nations, it has become possible to track the rate of progress towards this goal. Using the UN IGME 2012 data for all the South Asian Countries, I have considered three specific issues in this article. (1) How does the South Asian Countries fair in reducing the IMR towards this MDG target? Although the time series data exhibit declining trends for all the countries in South Asia, to what extent such trends are attributed by their average annual progress trajectory over the period for which data are available? (2) Whether deterministic or stochastic trend can attribute the IMR decline in South Asian countries and what alternative time series models be used to forecast the decline in Infant Mortality? Can we find a serviceable representative model for the entire region? (3) In case, a satisfactory representative model for the entire region exists, how do we assess the forecast accuracy for this model and quantify the propagation of forecast error?
Total Hip and Knee Replacement in Eastern Libya: A Post-Conflict Case Series
Authors: Elzwai Eman , Elhnid Rasha , Bodalal Zuhir , Fadli Mustafa El , Langhi Salem
Published: August 2014

Background: Total knee replacement (TKR) and total hip replacement (THR) are effective procedures for alleviating pain and improving hip and knee function. Literature has not covered the experience of developing countries with arthroplasty – especially in an unstable post-conflict setting.
Methods: Patient records were obtained from a major surgical center in Benghazi where total joint arthroplasties (TJA) are performed for a period of twenty months and key parameters were analyzed. The patients were followed up on an outpatient basis at regular time intervals (one week, one month, three months and six months) and any complications were documented.
Results: A total of 135 total knee (81.5%, n=110) and total hip (18.5%, n=25) replacements were done in Benghazi mostly on elderly (mean age=60.2 years) females (72.2%, n=100). The most common causative pathology in both groups was osteoarthritis (80.6%, n=108). The most common complication was superficial infection (4.4%, n=6) by Staph aureus. The Harris Hip Score and Knee Society Score were used to determine the functional outcomes of THR and TKR respectively – both showing high values. The Short form 36 (SF36) health survey was carried out to assess the patients' satisfaction levels. For all the axes, the obtained score was over 80%.
Discussions: THR and TKR are major orthopedic surgeries that constitute an advancement in the treatment of chronic joint pain. Most of the demographic features of our patients match up well with previous literature – with certain exceptions. There was no difference in thromboembolic incidence between the group of patients who received LMWH and those who simply started early mobilization and physiotherapy. Despite a number of hindrances faced by the hospital due to the conflict (i.e. funding limitations and drug shortages), a low rate of complications was maintained. No thromboembolic incidents or mortalities occurred.
Religião e saúde
Authors: Del Giglio Auro
Published: August 2014

Não disponível
Associação entre prática religiosa e estilo de vida saudável em escolares de Pelotas, RS
Authors: Cabistany Léo Dutra , Rombaldi Airton José
Published: August 2014

Introdução: Dentre as condutas que podem influenciar positivamente a adoção e sustentação de hábitos saudáveis está a prática religiosa ou influência de uma religião, em função da adoção de princípios éticos. Objetivo: O estudo objetivou associar prática religiosa e estilo de vida saudável em adolescentes de terceiro ano do ensino médio de duas escolas públicas de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo observacional de caráter transversal, com amostra de 183 estudantes, com idade mínima de 15 anos, de ambos os sexos, matriculados em duas escolas públicas estaduais da cidade de Pelotas, selecionados por conveniência. Os escolares responderam a instrumento autoaplicado contendo 118 questões e os desfechos foram relacionados à prática religiosa. Resultados: Houve associação limítrofe entre a variável idade que teve a primeira relação sexual e frequência ao culto religioso (p=0,05). Além disso, o estudo mostrou associações significantes entre ter recebido instrução religiosa e ingestão de álcool nos últimos 30 dias (p=0,03); e entre tempo assistindo televisão maior que duas horas  e tempo de prática religiosa maior de 10 anos (p=0,04). Conclusão: O estudo encontrou associações distintas entre a prática religiosa e suas variáveis dependentes. Essa área de estudos deve ser investigada de forma mais abrangente, em amostras maiores e representativas, para que se possa ter evidências mais objetivas a respeito da prática religiosa e sua potencial influência sobre a saúde física dos indivíduos que professam cada tipo de crença religiosa.
Estado nutricional e dieta enteral prescrita e recebida por pacientes de uma Unidade de Terapia Intensiva
Authors: Stefanello Maria Denise , Poll Fabiana Assmann
Published: August 2014

Introdução: A nutrição enteral representa uma possibilidade terapêutica de manutenção ou recuperação do estado nutricional, para tanto, tão essencial quanto a prescrição da terapia adequada às necessidades do paciente é a constatação de que ele receberá o que lhe é prescrito. Objetivo: Verificar o estado nutricional de pacientes em uso da terapia de nutrição enteral, relacionando com a adequação do valor energético, proteico e volume prescrito e recebido durante internação na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva de um hospital de Santa Cruz do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul. Métodos: Estudo observacional descritivo retrospectivo e quantitativo. Foram avaliados pacientes adultos internados na Unidade de Tratamento Intensivo em uso de terapia de nutrição enteral exclusiva por mais de 72 horas, de julho a setembro de 2011. Considerou-se satisfatória a adequação ≥60% para calorias e proteínas relacionando o recebido e o prescrito da dieta enteral e ≥90% para a adequação do volume de dieta. Para análise do estado nutricional foi utilizado o índice de massa corporal a partir de uma amostra não probabilística de caráter intencional. Resultados: Totalizou-se 36 pacientes. Desses, 16,7% estavam em magreza e 44,44% em eutrofia. Aproximadamente 44,4 e 22,2% dos pacientes, respectivamente, atingiram ≥60% das calorias e proteínas prescritas, destacando-se aqueles em estado nutricional de magreza (p=0,012). Do total de pacientes, 36% alcançaram a adequação de volume sem diferença estatisticamente relevante com o estado nutricional (p=0,771). Conclusão: Verificou-se que a maioria dos pacientes estava em estado nutricional de eutrofia ou sobrepeso. Adultos em estado crítico receberam menos dieta enteral do que o prescrito.
The effects and correction of the geometric factor for the POES/MEPED electron flux instrument using a multisatellite comparison
Authors: Whittaker Ian C. , Rodger Craig J. , Clilverd Mark A. , Sauvaud Jean‐André
Published: August 2014

Measurements from the Polar‐Orbiting Environmental Satellite (POES) Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detector (MEPED) instrument are widely used in studies into radiation belt dynamics and atmospheric coupling. However, this instrument has been shown to have a complex energy‐dependent response to incident particle fluxes, with the additional possibility of low‐energy protons contaminating the electron fluxes. We test the recent Monte Carlo theoretical simulation of the instrument by comparing the responses against observations from an independent experimental data set. Our study examines the reported geometric factors for the MEPED electron flux instrument against the high‐energy resolution Instrument for Detecting Particles (IDPs) on the Detection of Electromagnetic Emissions Transmitted from Earthquake Regions satellite when they are located at similar locations and times, thereby viewing the same quasi‐trapped population of electrons. We find that the new Monte Carlo‐produced geometric factors accurately describe the response of the POES MEPED instrument. We go on to develop a set of equations such that integral electron fluxes of a higher accuracy are obtained from the existing MEPED observations. These new MEPED integral fluxes correlated very well with those from the IDP instrument (>99.9% confidence level). As part of this study we have also tested a commonly used algorithm for removing proton contamination from MEPED instrument observations. We show that the algorithm is effective, providing confirmation that previous work using this correction method is valid.
Correcting the record of volcanic stratospheric aerosol impact: Nabro and Sarychev Peak
Authors: Fromm M. , Kablick G. , Nedoluha G. , Carboni E. , Grainger R. , Campbell J. , Lewis J.
Published: August 2014

Since 2010, several papers have been published that reveal a pattern of discrepancies between stratospheric aerosol data from the Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imaging System (OSIRIS) instrument and other measurements and model simulations of volcanic plumes from Kasatochi, Sarychev Peak, and Nabro volcanoes. OSIRIS measurements show two discrepancies, a posteruption lag in aerosol onset/increase and a low bias in maximum stratospheric aerosol optical depth. Assumed robustness of the OSIRIS data drove various conclusions, some controversial, such as the contention that the June 2011 Nabro plume was strictly tropospheric, and entered the stratosphere indirectly via the Asian monsoon. Those conclusions were driven by OSIRIS data and a Smithsonian Institution report of strictly tropospheric injection heights. We address the issue of Nabro's eruption chronology and injection height, and the reasons for the OSIRIS aerosol discrepancies. We lay out the time line of Nabro injection height with geostationary image data, and stratospheric plume evolution after eruption onset using retrievals of sulfur dioxide and sulfate aerosol. The observations show that Nabro injected sulfur directly to or above the tropopause upon the initial eruption on 12/13 June and again on 16 June 2011. Next, OSIRIS data are examined for nonvolcanic and volcanically perturbed conditions. In nonvolcanic conditions OSIRIS profiles systematically terminate 1–4 km above the tropopause. Additionally, OSIRIS profiles terminate when 750 nm aerosol extinction exceeds ∼0.0025 km−1, a level that is commonly exceeded after volcanic injections. Our findings largely resolve the discrepancies in published works involving OSIRIS aerosol data and offer a correction to the Nabro injection‐height and eruption chronology.
A novel dominant COL11A1 mutation resulting in a severe skeletal dysplasia
Authors: Hufnagel Sophia B. , Weaver K Nicole , Hufnagel Robert B. , Bader Patricia I. , Schorry Elizabeth K. , Hopkin Robert J.
Published: August 2014

Mutations in the type XI collagen alpha‐1 chain gene (COL11A1) cause a change in protein structure that alters its interactions with collagens II and V, resulting in abnormalities in cartilage and ocular vitreous. The most common type XI collagenopathies are dominantly inherited Stickler or Marshall syndromes, while severe recessive skeletal dysplasias, such as fibrochondrogenesis, occur less frequently. We describe a family with a severe skeletal dysplasia caused by a novel dominantly inherited COL11A1 mutation. The siblings each presented with severe myopia, hearing loss, micromelia, metaphyseal widening of the long bones, micrognathia, and airway compromise requiring tracheostomy. The first child lived for over 2 years, while the second succumbed at 5 months of age. Their mother has mild rhizomelic shortening of the limbs, brachydactyly, and severe myopia. Sequencing of COL11A1 revealed a novel deleterious heterozygous mutation in COL11A1 involving the triple helical domain in both siblings, and a mosaic mutation in their mother, indicating germline mosaicism with subsequent dominant inheritance. These are the first reported individuals with a dominantly inherited mutation in COL11A1 associated with a severe skeletal dysplasia. The skeletal involvement is similar to, yet milder than fibrochondrogenesis and allowed for survival beyond the perinatal period. These cases highlight both a novel dominant COL11A1 mutation causing a significant skeletal dysplasia and the phenotypic heterogeneity of collagenopathies. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
What parents want to know about the storage and use of residual newborn bloodspots
Authors: Botkin Jeffrey R. , Rothwell Erin , Anderson Rebecca A. , Goldenberg Aaron , Kuppermann Miriam , Dolan Siobhan M. , Rose Nancy C. , Stark Louisa
Published: August 2014

Many state newborn screening programs retain residual newborn screening bloodspots for a variety of purposes including quality assurance, biomedical research, and forensic applications. This project was designed to determine the information that prospective parents want to know about this practice. Eleven focus groups were conducted in four states. Pregnant women and their partners and parents of young children (N = 128) were recruited from the general public. Focus group participants viewed two educational movies on newborn screening and DBS retention and use. Transcripts were analyzed with qualitative methods and the results were synthesized to identify key information items. We identified 14 categories of information from the focus groups that were synthesized into seven items prospective parents want to know about residual DBS. The items included details about storage, potential uses, risks and burdens, safeguards, anonymity, return of results, and parental choice. For those state programs that retain residual dried bloodspots, inclusion of the seven things parents want to know about residual dried bloodspots in educational materials may improve parental understanding, trust, and acceptance of the retention and use of stored bloodspots. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Polyurethanes containing a crystalline polyol and semiflexible urethane segments
Authors: Fernández‐d'Arlas Borja , Fernández Raquel , Runt James , Eceiza Arantxa
Published: August 2014

Ultradrawing semicrystalline polymers is an intriguing approach to develop stiff, strong, and tough polymeric fibers. In the research field of polyurethane copolymer elastomers the term “soft segment” usually refers to the medium molecular weight glycol while the term “hard segment” stands for the urethane rich or isocyanate‐short glycol segments. Here we investigate the influence of semiflexible segment content in the urethane rich phase on the mechanical properties and morphology of polyurethanes synthesized with a crystalline polyol as a “soft” segment. Materials with lower semiflexible urethane segment content developed stiffer and stronger materials upon drawing. This was related to greater soft segment crystallization along the draw direction. Materials with a higher fraction of semiflexible urethane segments were more elastic (higher yield strains and strengths) but exhibited more brittle‐like fracture. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41281.
Anatomy drawing screencasts: Enabling flexible learning for medical students
Authors: Pickering James D.
Published: August 2014

The traditional lecture remains an essential method of disseminating information to medical students. However, due to the constant development of the modern medical curriculum many institutions are embracing novel means for delivering the core anatomy syllabus. Using mobile media devices is one such way, enabling students to access core material at a time and place that suits their specific learning style. This study has examined the effect of five anatomy drawing screencasts that replicate the popular anatomy drawing element of a lecture. These resources were uploaded to the University's Virtual Learning Environment for student access. Usage data and an end of module questionnaire were used to assess the impact of the screencasts on student education. The data revealed a high level of usage that varied in both the time of day and day of the week, with the number of downloads dramatically increasing towards the end of the module when the assessment was approaching. The student group found the additional resources extremely useful in consolidating information and revision, with many commenting on their preference to the screencasts compared to the more traditional approaches to learning. Scrutinizing the screencasts in relation to cognitive load theory and the cognitive theory of multimedia learning indicates a high correlation with an evidence‐based approach to designing learning resources. Overall the screencasts have been a well‐received enhancement that supports the student learning and has been shown to promote flexible learning. Anat Sci Educ 8: 249–257. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.
Colorectal cancer screening
Authors: Steele R J C
Published: August 2014

Optimal method still open to debate
FNA diagnosis of giant cell fibroblastoma: A case report of an unusual pediatric soft tissue tumor
Authors: Davis Jessica L. , Mathes Erin , Berry Anna B.
Published: August 2014

Giant cell fibroblastoma (GCF) is a rare pediatric soft tissue tumor, which exists on a spectrum with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP). Histologic features are well established for these entities; however, cytologic findings have not been well characterized. We report for the first time a case of GCF, confirmed by cytogenetics, with mixed DFSP features. In this case of an 8‐month‐old boy, a fine needle aspiration specimen showed a low‐grade spindle cell tumor, with oval to spindled cells dispersed singly and in patternless groups, and with occasional giant cells. Subsequent histologic features were consistent with GCF, which is an uncommon, CD34 positive, soft tissue neoplasm with a distinct molecular aberration. This case emphasizes the differential diagnosis in pediatric soft tissue tumors and stresses the unique features of GCF. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2015;43:325–328. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.