bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
¿La liberación de los límites de inversión en el extranjero mejora el desempeño de los fondos de pensiones?
Authors: Chirinos Grados Miguel Víctor , Cadillo Fernando José
Published: November 2015

Este artículo evalúa la propuesta del regulador para incrementar los límites de inversión en el extranjero de los fondos de pensiones peruanos. El tema es analizado desde dos perspectivas: La primera determina si mayores niveles de inversión en los mercados externos mejora la diversificación de la cartera de inversión; para precisar el grado de correlación hacemos uso de las cópulas, las cuales proveen flexibilidad en la elección de las series univariadas. La segunda aproximación analiza los efectos de los choques generados en los mercados externos; para este objetivo utilizamos la teoría de valores extremos. Los resultados sugieren, como recomendación de política, reducir los niveles de inversión en acciones y en inversión en el exterior en la cartera de inversiones de los fondos de pensiones.
Novel chemoresistive CH4 sensor with 10 ppm sensitivity based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes functionalized with SnO2 nanocrystals
Authors: Humayun Md Tanim , Divan Ralu , Liu Yuzi , Gundel Lara , Solomon Paul A. , Paprotny Igor
Published: November 2015

Chemoresistive sensors based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) functionalized with SnO2 nanocrystals (NCs) have great potential for detecting trace gases at low concentrations (single ppm levels) at room temperature, because the SnO2 nanocrystals act as active sites for the chemisorption of gas molecules, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) act as an excellent current carrying platform, allowing the adsorption of gas on SnO2 to modulate the resistance of the CNTs. However, uniform conjugation of SnO2 NCs with MWCNTs is challenging. An effective atomic layer deposition based approach to functionalize the surface of MWCNTs with SnO2 NCs, resulting in a novel CH4 sensor with 10 ppm sensitivity, is presented in this paper. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy were implemented to study the morphology, elemental composition, and the crystal quality of SnO2 functionalized MWCNTs. High resolution TEM images showed that the crystal quality of the functionalizing SnO2 NCs was of high quality with clear lattice fringes and the dimension almost three times smaller than shown thus far in literature. A lift-off based photolithography technique comprising bilayer photoresists was optimized to fabricate SnO2 functionalized MWCNTs-based chemoresistor sensor, which at room temperature can reliably sense below 10 ppm of CH4 in air. Such low level gas sensitivity, with significant reversible relative resistance change, is believed to be the direct result of the successful functionalization of the MWCNT surface by SnO2 NCs.
Sensitivity and variability of Presage dosimeter formulations in sheet form with application to SBRT and SRS QA
Authors: Dumas Michael , Rakowski Joseph T.
Published: November 2015

Purpose:

To measure sensitivity and stability of the Presage dosimeter in sheet form for various chemical concentrations over a range of clinical photon energies and examine its use for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) QA.

Methods:

Presage polymer dosimeters were formulated to investigate and optimize their sensitivity and stability. The dosimeter is composed of clear polyurethane base, leucomalachite green (LMG) reporting dye, and bromoform radical initiator in 0.9–1.0 mm thick sheets. The chemicals are mixed together for 2 min, cast in an aluminum mold, and left to cure at 60 psi for a minimum of two days. Dosimeter response was characterized at energies Co‐60, 6 MV, 10 MV flattening‐filter free, 15 MV, 50 kVp (mean 19.2 keV), and Ir‐192. The dosimeters were scanned by a Microtek Scanmaker i800 at 300 dpi, 216 bit depth per color channel. Red component images were analyzed with ImageJ and rit. SBRT QA was done with gamma analysis tolerances of 2% and 2 mm DTA.

Results:

The sensitivity of the Presage dosimeter increased with increasing concentration of bromoform. Addition of tin catalyst decreased curing time and had negligible effect on sensitivity. LMG concentration should be at least as high as the bromoform, with ideal concentration being 2% wt. Gamma Knife SRS QA measurements of relative output and profile widths were within 2% of manufacturer's values validated at commissioning, except the 4 mm collimator relative output which was within 3%. The gamma pass rate of Presage with SBRT was 73.7%, compared to 93.1% for EBT2 Gafchromic film.

Conclusions:

The Presage dosimeter in sheet form was capable of detecting radiation over all tested photon energies and chemical concentrations. The best sensitivity and photostability of the dosimeter were achieved with 2.5% wt. LMG and 8.2% wt. bromoform. Scanner used should not emit any UV radiation as it will expose the dosimeter, as with the Epson 10000 XL scanner. Presage dosimeter in this form was sensitive enough for use in SRS and SBRT QA. The lower gamma pass rate for Presage compared to Gafchromic film can be attributed to the simple equipment used in the fabrication process, which limited the dosimeter's sensitivity uniformity by agglomeration of air bubbles in the material, nonuniform concentration of chemicals throughout the material, and thickness variations. This demands improvements in mixing tools and molds.
Using redundancy of round-trip ultrasound signal for non-continuous arrays: Application to gap and blockage compensation
Authors: Robert Jean-Luc , Erkamp Ramon , Korukonda Sanghamithra , Vignon François , Radulescu Emil
Published: November 2015

In ultrasound imaging, an array of elements is used to image a medium. If part of the array is blocked by an obstacle, or if the array is made from several sub-arrays separated by a gap, grating lobes appear and the image is degraded. The grating lobes are caused by missing spatial frequencies, corresponding to the blocked or non-existing elements. However, in an active imaging system, where elements are used both for transmitting and receiving, the round trip signal is redundant: different pairs of transmit and receive elements carry similar information. It is shown here that, if the gaps are smaller than the active sub-apertures, this redundancy can be used to compensate for the missing signals and recover full resolution. Three algorithms are proposed: one is based on a synthetic aperture method, a second one uses dual-apodization beamforming, and the third one is a radio frequency (RF) data based deconvolution. The algorithms are evaluated on simulated and experimental data sets. An application could be imaging through ribs with a large aperture.
A two-way coupled mode formalism that satisfies energy conservation for impedance boundaries in underwater acoustics
Authors: Stotts Steven A. , Koch Robert A.
Published: November 2015

This paper shows that energy conservation and the derivation of the two-way coupled mode range equations can be extended in three dimensions to complex mode functions and eigenvalues. Furthermore, the energy in the coupled mode formulation is conserved for finite thickness fluid ocean waveguides with a penetrable bottom boundary beneath any range dependence. The derivations rely on completeness and a modified orthonormality statement. The mode coupling coefficients are specified solely and explicitly by the waveguide range dependence. The statement of energy conservation is applied to a numerical coupled mode calculation.
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) song unit and phrase repertoire progression on a subarctic feeding ground
Authors: Magnúsdóttir Edda E. , Miller Patrick J. O. , Lim Rangyn , Rasmussen Marianne H. , Lammers Marc O. , Svavarsson Jörundur
Published: November 2015

The songs of the male humpback whales have traditionally been associated with breeding activities at low latitude breeding grounds during winter. This study provides the first detailed analysis of humpback whale songs recorded in the subarctic waters of Iceland using passive acoustic recorders. Recordings were collected during three winter seasons: 2008–2009, 2009–2010, and 2011 during which singing was detected in all seasons. Peak song occurrence was during January–February in all years; this coincides with the timing of the peak breeding season of humpback whales in the Northern hemisphere. A total of 2810 song units from all years were measured and statistically divided into 14 groups, which constructed 25 phrases. The song unit repertoires included stable song unit types that occurred frequently in songs during all years while the occurrence of other song unit types varied more between years. Around 60% of the phrases were conserved between the first two study seasons, while the majority of phrases found during the last study season had not been observed before. This study indicates the importance of a subarctic feeding ground for song progression and song exchange and possibly as an opportunistic mating ground for migrating or overwintering humpback whales.
Benchmarking Sports Sponsorship Performance: Efficiency Assessment With Data Envelopment Analysis
Authors: Walraven Merel , Koning Ruud H. , Bijmolt Tammo H.A. , Los Bart
Published: November 2015

Over the last decades, sports sponsorship has become a popular and expensive marketing instrument. However, in business practice, projects are often not evaluated properly and academic research considering both costs and benefits of sponsorship is limited. In response to the concern that investments in sports sponsorship should be made more accountable, we propose data envelopment analysis (DEA) as a method for benchmarking sponsorship efficiency, and illustrate its usefulness by applying it on a sample of 72 major Dutch sports sponsorship projects. We find an average efficiency level of almost 0.3, which implies that the average project would have attained the same results with 30% of its fee if it had been performing as well as its benchmark. The results reveal that 12.5% of the investigated sponsorships are fully efficient. Moreover, we find a high degree of variety in efficiency scores; 37.5% of the projects with an efficiency below 0.1. In addition, we show how DEA scores may be used by sponsor managers to identify peers, which are those projects that attain roughly the same sponsorship outcomes, but at lowest budgets. After estimating the efficiency scores, a second step in the analyses involves investigating which sponsorship characteristics affect sponsorship efficiency. For this purpose, we use the DEA scores as a dependent variable in a Tobit regression model. The findings suggest that sponsorship clutter negatively affects sponsorship efficiency, whereas sponsorship duration has a positive effect.
The New Shape of EC
Authors: Mitchell Aaron P.
Published: November 2015

The journal
Eukaryotic Cell
has served the eukaryotic microbiology community since 2002. It will continue to do so as it merges into the new broad-scope open-access journal
mSphere
in 2016.
Bilateral central toxic keratopathy after laser in situ keratomileusis
Authors: Abdelmaksoud Ahmed , Khoo Nigel Terk-Howe , Hanoot Hala , Ibrahim Osama
Published: November 2015

One week after LASIK, our patient presented with bilateral haloes and reduced vision. Examination revealed the typical central toxic keratopathy triad: corneal thinning, hyperopic shift and a reduction in best corrected visual acuity to 6/12, which, after commencing high-dose topical steroids, improved 6 months later to 6/6.
Serratia marcescensosteomyelitis in Cushing's disease
Authors: Martins Hugo F G , Raposo Alexandra , Baptista Isabel , Almeida Julio
Published: November 2015

We report a case of a 46-year-old man with fever, hypotension and arthralgias of the ankles and knees after brain surgery for a pituitary tumour causing Cushing's disease. Blood and urine cultures isolatedSerratia marcescens; antibiotic susceptibility testing showed sensitivity to piperacillin-tazobactan and ciprofloxacin. Articular MRI showed inflammation and necrosis of both knees and ankles, and left hip and right elbow (compatible with osteomyelitis). Culture of an ankle abscess on the ankle joint was positive forSerratia marcescens. Bone scintigraphy confirmed osteomyelitic lesions. Medical treatment included antibiotics and strong opioid therapy for 14 weeks. The patient was discharged clinically improved maintaining ciprofloxacin for 24 additional weeks based on clinical and analytic recovery.
Evaluating the feasibility and effectiveness of a critical care discharge information pack for patients and their families: a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial
Authors: Bench Suzanne , Day Tina , Heelas Karina , Hopkins Philip , White Catherine , Griffiths Peter
Published: November 2015

Objectives

To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of an information pack, based on self-regulation theory, designed to support patients and their families immediately before, during and after discharge from an intensive care unit (ICU).

Design and setting

Prospective assessor-blinded pilot cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT; in conjunction with a questionnaire survey of trial participants’ experience) in 2 ICUs in England.

Participants

Patients (+/− a family member) who had spent at least 72 h in an ICU, declared medically fit for discharge to a general ward.

Randomisation

Cluster randomisation (by day of discharge decision) was used to allocate participants to 1 of 3 study groups.

Intervention

A user-centred critical care discharge information pack (UCCDIP) containing 2 booklets; 1 for the patient (which included a personalised discharge summary) and 1 for the family, given prior to discharge to the ward.

Primary outcome

Psychological well-being measured using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scores (HADS), assessed at 5±1 days postunit discharge and 28 days/hospital discharge. Statistical significance (p≤0.05) was determined using χ2and Kruskal-Wallis (H).

Results

158 patients were allocated to: intervention (UCCDIP; n=51), control 1: ad hoc verbal information (n=59), control 2: booklet published by ICUsteps (n=48). There were no statistically significant differences in the primary outcome. The a priori enrolment goal was not reached and attrition was high. Using HADS as a primary outcome measure, an estimated sample size of 286 is required to power a definitive trial.

Conclusions

Findings from this pilot RCT provide important preliminary data regarding the circumstances under which an intervention based on the principles of UCCDIP could be effective, and the sample size required to demonstrate this.

Trial registration number

Current Controlled TrialsISRCTN47262088; results.
Multiple myeloma and physical activity: a scoping review
Authors: Smith Lee , McCourt Orla , Henrich Malgorzata , Paton Bruce , Yong Kwee , Wardle Jane , Fisher Abigail
Published: November 2015

Objectives

Multiple myeloma is the second most common haematological cancer. A growing body of literature is emerging that investigates the role physical activity plays in all stages of multiple myeloma (prevention and survivorship) and to date no attempt has been made to collate and understand this literature. Therefore, this scoping review aims to (1) outline what is already known about physical activity in all stages of multiple myeloma (2) map the literature on physical activity and multiple myeloma and (3) identify future directions for research.

Design

Scoping Review.

Data Sources

Searches were carried out in May 2015. Searchers were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTdiscus and MEDLINE.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

To be included studies had to report original data, investigate physical activity per se or physical activity correlates and multiple myeloma or smouldering multiple myeloma.

Results

A total of 19 papers received full screening, 5 of these papers were excluded. This review identified three journal articles relating to the role of physical activity in the prevention of multiple myeloma, nine papers were identified in the treatment of multiple myeloma and two on smouldering multiple myeloma.

Conclusions

The search identified that the literature surrounding multiple myeloma and physical activity is very limited. We encourage those designing new cohort studies to allow for future assessment of associations between physical activity and onset of multiple myeloma and smouldering multiple myeloma, as well as the potential role that physical activity plays in the progression from smouldering multiple myeloma to multiple myeloma. Second, we encourage the design and investigation of gender and treatment-specific physical activity interventions in patients with multiple myeloma. Finally, we highlight the need for more randomised controlled trials to evaluate the impact of different types, frequencies and intensities of physical activity on various health parameters in multiple myeloma survivors.
1,2-Bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)diphosphane: a structural, spectroscopic, and computational investigation
Authors: Mokhtabad Amrei Leila , Dibble Peter W. , Boeré René T.
Published: November 2015

The title compound Dipp(H)P–P(H)Dipp where Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylyphenyl has been prepared starting from DippPH2 via DippPHLi reacting 2:1 with BrCH2CH2Br. A high-resolution single-crystal X-ray diffraction study at 153 ± 2 K provides an accurate description of the structure in the solid state, only the fourth dihydro diorganophosphane to have been so characterized. The Raman spectrum of the solid shows an intense, broad peak for P–H stretching at 2314 cm−1 and two peaks at 460 and 450 cm−1 for P–P stretching, assignments confirmed by RHF/6-31G+(3d,2p) frequency calculations undertaken on the anti conformers. 31P, 31P{1H }, 1H{31P}, and 13C{1H } solution NMR spectra in CDCl3 are consistent with the presence of 58% meso and 42% rac diastereomers. Analysis of their AA′XX′ spin systems enabled calculation of 1JPP′ values of (–)189 and (–)205 Hz, respectively. A B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) computational analysis of the energetics of rotation about the P–P bond in both diastereomers shows that the anti and two gauche conformers are likely to be populated approximately equally in each. The resulting average ϕ angles (torsions of the phosphorus lone pairs) are 110° for meso and 103° for rac; the smaller ϕ angle fits with the larger 1JPP′ value for the rac isomer.
EPIDEMIC SPREADING AND GLOBAL STABILITY OF A NEW SIS MODEL WITH DELAY ON HETEROGENEOUS NETWORKS
Authors: KANG HUIYAN , LOU YIJUN , CHEN GUANRONG , CHU SEN , FU XINCHU
Published: November 2015

In this paper, we study a susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) model with time delay on complex heterogeneous networks. Here, the delay describes the incubation period in the vector population. We calculate the epidemic threshold by using a Lyapunov functional and some analytical methods, and find that adding delay increases the epidemic threshold. Then, we prove the global stability of disease-free and endemic equilibria by using the theory of functional differential equations. Furthermore, we show numerically that the epidemic threshold of the new model may change along with other factors, such as the infectivity function, the heterogeneity of the network, and the degrees of nodes. Finally, we find numerically that the delay can affect the convergence speed at which the disease reaches equilibria.
Gestures à Go Go
Authors: Leiva Luis A. , Martín-Albo Daniel , Plamondon Réjean
Published: November 2015

Training a high-quality gesture recognizer requires providing a large number of examples to enable good performance on unseen, future data. However, recruiting participants, data collection, and labeling, etc., necessary for achieving this goal are usually time consuming and expensive. Thus, it is important to investigate how to empower developers to quickly collect gesture samples for improving UI usage and user experience. In response to this need, we introduce Gestures à Go Go (
g
3), a web service plus an accompanying web application for bootstrapping stroke gesture samples based on the kinematic theory of rapid human movements. The user only has to provide a gesture example once, and
g
3 will create a model of that gesture. Then, by introducing local and global perturbations to the model parameters,
g
3 generates from tens to thousands of synthetic human-like samples. Through a comprehensive evaluation, we show that synthesized gestures perform equally similar to gestures generated by human users. Ultimately, this work informs our understanding of designing better user interfaces that are driven by gestures.
Characterizing and visualizing physical world accessibility at scale using crowdsourcing, computer vision, and machine learning
Authors: Hara Kotaro , Froehlich Jon E.
Published: November 2015

Poorly maintained sidewalks and street intersections pose considerable accessibility challenges for people with mobility-impairments [13,14]. According to the most recent U.S. Census (2010), roughly 30.6 million adults have physical disabilities that affect their ambulatory activities [22]. Of these, nearly half report using an assistive aid such as a wheelchair (3.6 million) or a cane, crutches, or walker (11.6 million) [22]. Despite comprehensive civil rights legislation for Americans with Disabilities (
e.g.
, [25,26]), many city streets, sidewalks, and businesses in the U.S. remain inaccessible. The problem is not just that street-level accessibility fundamentally affects where and how people travel in cities, but also that there are few, if any, mechanisms to determine accessible areas of a city
a priori.
Indeed, in a recent report, the National Council on Disability noted that they could not find comprehensive information on the "degree to which sidewalks are accessible" across the US [15]. This lack of information can have a significant negative impact on the independence and mobility of citizens [13,16] For example, in our own initial formative interviews with wheelchair users, we uncovered a prevailing view about navigating to new areas of a city: "
I usually don't go where I don't know [about accessible routes]
" (Interviewee 3, congenital polyneuropathy). Our overarching research vision is to transform the way in which street-level accessibility information is collected and used to support new types of assistive map-based tools.
Hybrid evolutionary approaches to maximum lifetime routing and energy efficiency in sensor mesh networks
Authors: Rahat Alma A. M. , Everson Richard M. , Fieldsend Jonathan E.
Published: November 2015

Mesh network topologies are becoming increasingly popular in battery-powered wireless sensor networks, primarily because of the extension of network range. However, multihop mesh networks suffer from higher energy costs, and the routing strategy employed directly affects the lifetime of nodes with limited energy resources. Hence when planning routes there are trade-offs to be considered between individual and system-wide battery lifetimes. We present a multiobjective routing optimisation approach using hybrid evolutionary algorithms to approximate the optimal trade-off between the minimum lifetime and the average lifetime of nodes in the network. In order to accomplish this combinatorial optimisation rapidly, our approach prunes the search space using k-shortest path pruning and a graph reduction method that finds candidate routes promoting long minimum lifetimes. When arbitrarily many routes from a node to the base station are permitted, optimal routes may be found as the solution to a well-known linear program. We present an evolutionary algorithm that finds good routes when each node is allowed only a small number of paths to the base station. On a real network deployed in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, these solutions, using only three paths per node, are able to achieve minimum lifetimes of over 99% of the optimum linear program solution's time to first sensor battery failure.
Standard monomials for the Weyl group
F
4
Authors: Lee Dong-il
Published: November 2015

The Weyl group of a root system coming from the Lie theory is defined to be the group generated by reflections with respect to the roots. We have three series of finite Weyl groups and five exceptional Weyl groups. For the Weyl groups of classical and some exceptional types, their Gröbner-Shirshov bases were constructed in [3, 7, 8].
A symbolic equation modeler for electric circuits
Authors: Hirata Takuya , Yamaguchi Kazuya , Hodaka Ichijo
Published: November 2015

When users analyze symbolically physical phenomena, software products which partially help them write a symbolic equation to the phenomena are available. In electric engineering, there are a few software products which compute symbolically voltages and currents of electric circuits. They cover the frequency response analysis on behavior of linear time-invariant (LTI) circuits. However, they do not cover symbolic computation on the time response of circuits. This paper introduces a software product which generates a model for computing the time response of LTI circuits.
A lazy approach to adaptive exact real arithmetic using floating-point operations
Authors: McCleeary Ryan , Brain Martin , Stump Aaron
Published: November 2015

Arithmetic operations with high degrees of precision are needed for an increasing number of applications. We propose an exact real arithmetic system that achieves adaptive precision using lazy infinite lists of floating-point values.
An efficient procedure deciding positivity for a class of holonomic functions
Authors: Pillwein Veronika , Schussler Miriam
Published: November 2015

We present an efficient decision procedure for positivity on a class of holonomic sequences satisfying recurrences of arbitrary order.
On the Hilbert quasi-polynomials for non-standard graded rings
Authors: Caboara Massimo , Mascia Carla
Published: November 2015

The Hilbert function, its generating function and the Hilbert polynomial of a graded ring K[
x
1
, ...,

x
k

] have been extensively studied since the famous paper of Hilbert:
Ueber die Theorie der algebraischen Formen
(
[Hilbert, 1890])
. In particular, the coefficients and the degree of the Hilbert polynomial play an important role in Algebraic Geometry. If the ring grading is non-standard, then its Hilbert function is not eventually equal to a polynomial but to a quasi-polynomial. It turns out that a Hilbert quasi-polynomial
P
of degree
n
splits into a polynomial
S
of degree
n
and a lower degree quasi-polynomial
T
. We have completely determined the degree of
T
and the first few coefficients of
P
. Moreover, the quasi-polynomial
T
has a periodic structure that we have described. We have also developed a software to compute effectively the Hilbert quasi-polynomial for any ring K[
x
1
, ...,

x
k

]/
I
.
Consensus Filtering Algorithm with Incomplete Measurements
Authors: Wu Yungang , Tang Zhenmin
Published: November 2015

In order to improve the estimate performance of distributed sensor networks, we introduce an improved consensus-based distributed filtering algorithm. Firstly, sensors obtain the local estimates using their own measurements. Then through utilizing the data of neighbor nodes to update the local estimates, estimates in the networks can reach dynamic average consensus. Based on studying the value of consensus step size, we give a sufficient condition for the convergence of the algorithm and discusses the influences of the consensus step size and the detection probability on the accuracy and consensus of estimation. The numerical simulation demonstrates that the algorithm proposed in this paper can improve the accuracy and consensus of estimation, and it is more robust with incomplete measurements.
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Usage of Apitherapy for Disease Prevention and Treatment among Undergraduate Pharmacy Students in Lithuania
Authors: Trumbeckaite Sonata , Dauksiene Jurgita , Bernatoniene Jurga , Janulis Valdimaras
Published: November 2015

Traditional medicine therapies are historically used worldwide for disease prevention and treatment purposes. Apitherapy is part of the traditional medicine based on bee product use. Complementary medicine practices which incorporate use of some traditional herbal, mineral, or animal kind substances very often are discussed with pharmacy professionals because these products are often sold in pharmacies as dietary supplements. This study is aimed at determining the attitude, knowledge, and practices of apitherapy among undergraduated pharmacy students (Master of Pharmacy) who already have a pharmacy technician diploma and from 1 to 20 years of practice working in a community pharmacy as pharmacy assistants. A method of questionnaire was chosen. The questions about attitudes, experience, knowledge, and practices for disease prevention and treatment of different bee products, their safety, and informational sources were included. Respondents shared opinion that use of bee product is part of the traditional medicine. Most of them had experience on honey product use for treatment and disease prevention for themselves and their family members (62%) although the need of more evidence based information was expressed. The most known bee products were honey, propolis, and royal jelly. They are widely used for enhancing the immune system and prevention of respiratory tract infection.
Early Vocabulary Development in Rural and Urban Mozambique
Authors: Vogt Paul , Mastin J. Douglas , Aussems Suzanne
Published: November 2015

This paper presents an adaptation of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (short version) into three languages spoken in Southern Mozambique. The tool was adapted to study vocabulary development among children of 12 to 25 months of age in two communities: a rural, monolingual Changana speaking community and an urban bilingual Ronga and Portuguese speaking community. We present a norming study carried out with the adaptation, as well as a validation study. The norming study revealed various predictors for reported expressive and receptive vocabulary size. These predictors include age, socioeconomic status, reported health problems, caregiving practices, and location. The validation of the CDI among a small sample in both communities shows positive correlations between the reported expressive vocabulary scores and children’s recorded word production. We conclude that the adapted CDI is useful for research purposes and could be used as a template for adaptations into other languages from similar cultures.
Pregnancy Outcomes of Mothers with Detectable CMV-Specific IgM Antibodies: A Three-Year Review in a Large Irish Tertiary Referral Maternity Hospital
Authors: Drew Richard J. , Stapleton Patrick , Abu Hala , Healy Eibhlín , Ferguson Wendy , De Gascun Cillian , O’Gorman Joanne , Eogan Maeve
Published: November 2015

A retrospective audit was performed for all obstetric patients who had positive CMV IgM results between January 2012 and December 2014 in the Rotunda Hospital, Ireland. In total, 622 CMV IgM positive tests were performed on samples from 572 patients. Thirty-seven patients had a positive CMV IgM result (5.9%) on the Architect system as part of the initial screening. Three patients were excluded as they were not obstetric patients. Of the 34 pregnant women with CMV IgM positive results on initial screening, 16 (47%) had CMV IgM positivity confirmed on the second platform (VIDAS) and 18 (53%) did not. In the 16 patients with confirmed positive CMV IgM results, four (25%) had acute infection, two (12.5%) had infection of uncertain timing, and ten (62.5%) had infection more than three months prior to sampling as determined by the CMV IgG avidity index. Two of the four neonates of women with low avidity IgG had CMV DNA detected in urine. Both these cases had severe neurological damage and the indication for testing their mothers was because the biparietal diameter (BPD) was less than the 5th centile at the routine 20-week gestation anomaly scan.
Is Single Use Portable Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy System Suitable for Revision Arthroplasty?
Authors: Hester Thomas , Mahmood Shoib , Moftah Farid
Published: November 2015

Incisional negative pressure wound therapy (INPWT) has been used for high-risk surgery across specialties but has yet to be utilised for revision hip and knee surgery. Between 2013 and 2014, patients who underwent revision arthroplasty by the senior author were identified. 36 (9 hips and 27 knees) operations in 36 patients identified 18 (8 male, median age 77 (61–86)) who received standard dressing and 18 (12 male, median age 67 (58–81)) who received single use portable INPWT dressings (4 hips, 14 knees). Wound complications were seen in 3 (2 knees) from the standard group and 1 (hip) in the INPWT group (p=0.14). There was no statistical difference in age or gender between groups. Risk factors (BMI > 30, smoking, and diabetes) were identified in 9 patients, median ASA 3, in the standard group and 10 patients, median ASA 2, in the INPWT group. There were no dressing related complications. This is the first study of INPWT with a low pressure single use 80 mmHg dressing with revision arthroplasty. This initial study showed a threefold decrease in wound complication in the INPWT group and that INPWT is a safe alternative to standard dressings.
Effects ofCordyceps sinensison the Expressions of NF-κB and TGF-β1 in Myocardium of Diabetic Rats
Authors: Gu You-you , Wang Huan , Wang Su , Gao Hua , Qiu Ming-cai
Published: November 2015

Objective.To investigate the effect ofCordyceps sinensis(CS) on the expressions of NF-κB and TGF-β1 in myocardium of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.Methods.A total of 53 healthy male SD rats, mice age of 8 weeks and weight of 220 ± 20 g, were randomly divided into five groups by randomized block design: normal control group (n=10), diabetic group (n=10), low dose of CS group (n=12; CS 0.6 g·kg−1·d−1), middle dose of CS group (n=11; CS 2.5 g·kg−1·d−1), and high dose of CS group (n=10; CS 5 g·kg−1·d−1). The diabetic models with tail intravenous injection by streptozotocin (45 mg·kg−1). Diabetic rats were sacrificed after 8 weeks; the expressions of NF-κB and TGF-β1 proteins and mRNA in the cardiac muscle were determined by using immunohistochemistry staining and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. The data were analyzed using one factor analysis of variance.Result.The expressions of NF-κB and TGF-β1 proteins and mRNA in the cardiac muscle of diabetic rats were significantly raised (P<0.05), which could be decreased by CS (P<0.05).Conclusions.The changes on the expressions of NF-κB and TGF-β1 in myocardium may be involved in the occurrence of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC). CS may play its role on myocardial protection by regulating the expressions of NF-κB and TGF-β1 in myocardium.
A Rare Case of Zosteriform Cutaneous Metastases from a Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: González García Andrés , Fernández Emiliano Grillo , Barbolla Díaz Ignacio , Ballester Asunción , Pian Héctor , Fraile Guadalupe
Published: November 2015

From a clinical point of view, the most common presentations of cutaneous metastatic disease are papules and nodules. However, a wide morphological spectrum of lesions has been described, including erythematous patches or plaques, inflammatory erysipelas-like lesions, diffuse sclerodermiform lesions with induration of the skin, telangiectatic papulovesicles, purpuric plaques mimicking vasculitis, and alopecia areata like scalp lesions. The so-called zosteriform pattern has been described to be in few cases and to the best of our knowledge has never been described associated with a metastasis of a nasopharyngeal carcinoma. This case highlights the relevance of including cutaneous metastases in the differential diagnosis of patients with nonhealing herpes zoster-like lesions, especially in those with underlying neoplasm recently diagnosed.
Flexural Stiffness of Myosin Va Subdomains as Measured from Tethered Particle Motion
Authors: Michalek Arthur J. , Kennedy Guy G. , Warshaw David M. , Ali M. Yusuf
Published: November 2015

Myosin Va (MyoVa) is a processive molecular motor involved in intracellular cargo transport on the actin cytoskeleton. The motor’s processivity and ability to navigate actin intersections are believed to be governed by the stiffness of various parts of the motor’s structure. Specifically, changes in calcium may regulate motor processivity by altering the motor’s lever arm stiffness and thus its interhead communication. In order to measure the flexural stiffness of MyoVa subdomains, we use tethered particle microscopy, which relates the Brownian motion of fluorescent quantum dots, which are attached to various single- and double-headed MyoVa constructs bound to actin in rigor, to the motor’s flexural stiffness. Based on these measurements, the MyoVa lever arm and coiled-coil rod domain have comparable flexural stiffness (0.034 pN/nm). Upon addition of calcium, the lever arm stiffness is reduced 40% as a result of calmodulins potentially dissociating from the lever arm. In addition, the flexural stiffness of the full-length MyoVa construct is an order of magnitude less stiff than both a single lever arm and the coiled-coil rod. This suggests that the MyoVa lever arm-rod junction provides a flexible hinge that would allow the motor to maneuver cargo through the complex intracellular actin network.
Isochromosome 17q in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Authors: Alhourani Eyad , Rincic Martina , Melo Joana B. , Carreira Isabel M. , Glaser Anita , Pohle Beate , Schlie Cordula , Liehr Thomas
Published: November 2015

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), presence of acquired cytogenetic abnormalities may help to estimate prognosis. However, deletion of TP53 gene, which is associated with an aggressive course of the disease and poor prognosis along with a lack of response to treatment, is one of the alterations which may escape cytogenetic diagnoses in CLL. Thus, other techniques have emerged such as interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (iFISH). Deletion of TP53 may but must not go together with the formation of an isochromosome i(17q); surprisingly this subgroup of patients was not in the focus of CLL studies yet. This study was about if presence of i(17q) could be indicative for a new subgroup in CLL with more adverse prognosis. As a result, TP53 deletion was detected in 18 out of 150 (12%) here studied CLL cases. Six of those cases (~33%) had the TP53 deletion accompanied by an i(17q). Interestingly, the cases with i(17q) showed a tendency towards more associated chromosomal aberrations. These findings may be the bases for follow-up studies in CLL patients with TP53 deletion with and without i(17q); it may be suggested that the i(17q) presents an even more adverse prognostic marker than TP53 deletion alone.
A DCM Based Attitude Estimation Algorithm for Low-Cost MEMS IMUs
Authors: Hyyti Heikki , Visala Arto
Published: November 2015

An attitude estimation algorithm is developed using an adaptive extended Kalman filter for low-cost microelectromechanical-system (MEMS) triaxial accelerometers and gyroscopes, that is, inertial measurement units (IMUs). Although these MEMS sensors are relatively cheap, they give more inaccurate measurements than conventional high-quality gyroscopes and accelerometers. To be able to use these low-cost MEMS sensors with precision in all situations, a novel attitude estimation algorithm is proposed for fusing triaxial gyroscope and accelerometer measurements. An extended Kalman filter is implemented to estimate attitude in direction cosine matrix (DCM) formation and to calibrate gyroscope biases online. We use a variable measurement covariance for acceleration measurements to ensure robustness against temporary nongravitational accelerations, which usually induce errors when estimating attitude with ordinary algorithms. The proposed algorithm enables accurate gyroscope online calibration by using only a triaxial gyroscope and accelerometer. It outperforms comparable state-of-the-art algorithms in those cases when there are either biases in the gyroscope measurements or large temporary nongravitational accelerations present. A low-cost, temperature-based calibration method is also discussed for initially calibrating gyroscope and acceleration sensors. An open source implementation of the algorithm is also available.
Human Coinfection withBorrelia burgdorferiandBabesia microtiin the United States
Authors: Knapp Kristen L. , Rice Nancy A.
Published: November 2015

Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, andBabesia microti, a causative agent of babesiosis, are increasingly implicated in the growing tick-borne disease burden in the northeastern United States. These pathogens are transmitted via the bite of an infected tick vector,Ixodes scapularis, which is capable of harboring and inoculating a host with multiple pathogens simultaneously. Clinical presentation of the diseases is heterogeneous and ranges from mild flu-like symptoms to near-fatal cardiac arrhythmias. While the reason for the variability is not known, the possibility exists that concomitant infection with bothB. burgdorferiandB. microtimay synergistically increase disease severity. In an effort to clarify the current state of understanding regarding coinfection withB. burgdorferiandB. microti, in this review, we discuss the geographical distribution and pathogenesis of Lyme disease and babesiosis in the United States, the immunological response of humans toB. burgdorferiorB. microtiinfection, the existing knowledge regarding coinfection disease pathology, and critical factors that have led to ambiguity in the literature regarding coinfection, in order to eliminate confusion in future experimental design and investigation.
Comparative Response of the West African Dwarf Goats to Experimental Infections with Red Sokoto and West African Dwarf Goat Isolates ofHaemonchus contortus
Authors: Ngongeh Lucas Atehmengo , Onyeabor Amaechi
Published: November 2015

Response of the West African Dwarf (WAD) goats to two different isolates ofHaemonchus contortus, the Red Sokoto (RS) goat isolate (RSHc) and the WAD goat isolate (WADHc) (isolated from WAD goats), was studied by experimental infections of 4–6-month-old male WAD goat kids. Group 1 and Group 2 goats were each infected with 4500 infective larvae (L3) of RSHc and WADHc, respectively. Group 3 animals served as uninfected control. Prepatent period (PPP), faecal egg counts (FEC), worm burden (WB), body weight (BW), packed cell volume (PCV), and body condition score (BCS) were determined. WAD goats infected with RSHc isolate and the ones infected with WADHc isolate had mean PPP of19.63±0.26and19.50±0.19, respectively. Goats infected with WADHc isolate had significantly higher FEC (P=0.004) and WB (P=0.001). BW were significantly higher (P=0.004) both in the controls and in Group 2 goats infected with WADHc isolate than in Group 1 goats infected with the RSHc isolate. BCS of animals in both infected groups dropped significantly (P=0.001). There was a significant drop in PCV (P=0.004) of both infected groups in comparison. Both isolates ofH. contortuswere pathogenic to the host.
Hypocholesterolemic and Antiatherosclerotic Potential ofBasella albaLeaf Extract in Hypercholesterolemia-Induced Rabbits
Authors: Baskaran Gunasekaran , Salvamani Shamala , Azlan Azrina , Ahmad Siti Aqlima , Yeap Swee Keong , Shukor Mohd Yunus
Published: November 2015

Hypercholesterolemia is the major risk factor that leads to atherosclerosis. Nowadays, alternative treatment using medicinal plants gained much attention since the usage of statins leads to adverse health effects, especially liver and muscle toxicity. This study was designed to investigate the hypocholesterolemic and antiatherosclerotic effects ofBasella alba(B. alba) using hypercholesterolemia-induced rabbits. Twenty New Zealand white rabbits were divided into 5 groups and fed with varying diets: normal diet, 2% high cholesterol diet (HCD), 2% HCD + 10 mg/kg simvastatin, 2% HCD + 100 mg/kgB. albaextract, and 2% HCD + 200 mg/kgB. albaextract, respectively. The treatment withB. albaextract significantly lowered the levels of total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides and increased HDL and antioxidant enzymes (SOD and GPx) levels. The elevated levels of liver enzymes (AST and ALT) and creatine kinase were noted in hypercholesterolemic and statin treated groups indicating liver and muscle injuries. Treatment withB. albaextract also significantly suppressed the aortic plaque formation and reduced the intima: media ratio as observed in simvastatin-treated group. This is the firstin vivostudy onB. albathat suggests its potential as an alternative therapeutic agent for hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.
The Function and Roles of ADAMTS‐7 in Inflammatory Diseases
Authors: Zhang Yuying , Lin Jiqiang , Wei Fanhua
Published: November 2015

The ADAMTS proteinases are a group of multidomain and secreted metalloproteinases containing the thrombospondin motifs. ADAMTS‐7 is a member of ADAMTS family and plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of arthritis. Overexpression of ADAMTS‐7 gene promotes the breakdown of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) matrix and accelerates the progression of both surgically induced osteoarthritis and collagen‐induced arthritis. Moreover, ADAMTS‐7 and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) form a positive feedback loop in osteoarthritis. More significantly, granulin‐epithelin precursor, a growth factor has important roles in bone development and bone‐associated diseases, disturbs the interaction between ADAMTS‐7 and COMP, and prevents COMP degradation. This review is based on our results and provides an overview of current knowledge of ADAMTS‐7, including its structure, function, gene regulation, and inflammatory diseases involvement.
Hyperglycaemic Environment: Contribution to the Anaemia Associated with Diabetes Mellitus in Rats Experimentally Induced with Alloxan
Authors: Bashiru Shola Oseni , Olatunde Olugbenga Fakoya
Published: November 2015

Background. Diabetes mellitus characterized by hyperglycaemia presents with various complications amongst which anaemia is common particularly in those with overt nephropathy or renal impairment. The present study has examined the contribution of the hyperglycaemic environment in diabetic rats to the anaemia associated with diabetes mellitus. Method. Sixty male albino rats weighing 175–250 g were selected for this study and divided equally into control and test groups. Hyperglycaemia was induced with 170 kgbwt−1alloxan intraperitoneally in the test group while control group received sterile normal saline. Blood samples obtained from the control and test rats were assayed for packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell count (RBC), reticulocyte count, glucose, plasma haemoglobin, potassium, and bilirubin.Result. Significant reduction (P<0.01) in PCV (24.40±3.87versus40.45±3.93) and haemoglobin (7.81±1.45versus13.39±0.40) with significant increase (P<0.01) in reticulocyte count (12.4±1.87versus3.69±0.47), plasma haemoglobin (67.50±10.85versus34.20±3.83), and potassium (7.04±0.75versus4.52±0.63) was obtained in the test while plasma bilirubin showed nonsignificant increase (0.41±0.04versus0.24±0.06).Conclusion. The increased plasma haemoglobin and potassium levels indicate an intravascular haemolytic event while the nonsignificant increased bilirubin showed extravascular haemolysis. These play contributory roles in the anaemia associated with diabetes mellitus.