bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk Management of Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women; A Study of Women In a Teaching Hospital
Authors: Lohana Chander Kumar , Samir Nafisa
Published: March 2016

BACKGROUND: Postmenopausal females are susceptible to osteoporosis due to clinical manifestations. It not only causes morbidity; but, is considered to strikingly decline quality of life among patients. Among different developing regions, the prevalence rate of osteoporosis among postmenopausal women is alarming in the face of poor management and awareness about its risk factors.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of osteoporosis and its known risk factors among postmenopausal women appearing for bone mineral density in Karachi.

METHODOLOGY: This descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken from the period of “March 2006 to March 2007” in “Aga Khan University hospital”, Karachi. A total of 245 females, who came to the radiology department at Aga Khan Hospital for DXA scan, were recruited. All the relevant data was collected through questionnaires. Data analysis was undertaken by using SPSS version 11.5 to generate frequencies and proportion percentages.

RESULTS: The study demonstrated that 99 females (40%) amongst all subjects were osteopenic, 114 females (47%) were osteoporotic; whereas, 32 females (13%) were normal. A decline was observed in bone mineral density with advancing age and duration of menopause. The distribution of osteoporosis was observed to be common in women, who had more children, low BMI, history of prior fractures, history of premature menopause, and were avoiding exercise.

CONCLUSION: This study confirmed a high frequency of osteoporosis and osteopenia in postmenopausal women. Therefore, early screening is required to detect the decrease in bone mineral density among postmenopausal females to prevent fragility fracture. There is an imperative requirement for vast public awareness in this regard.
A Study of the Influence of Group-Based Learning of Stress Management on Psychology Symptoms Levels of Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Poorgholami Farzad , Koshkaki Afifeh Rahmanian , Kargar Jahromi Marzieh , Parniyan Razieh
Published: March 2016

INTRODUCTION: Patients with kidney failure often need to change their lifestyles, which can result in various psychological-social problems. The present study aims to evaluate the influence of group-based learning of stress management on psychology symptoms levels of hemodialysis patients.

METHOD: This is a quasi-experimental, single-blind study in which 50 patients with kidney failure were randomly divided into two groups. Sampling was based on the purposeful method. Before undergoing dialysis, the patients in the experimental group were trained in stress management; the training lasted 60 minutes and was presented in 5 sessions. The patients in the control group received the standard education all the patients undergoing hemodialysis at the hospital receive. The stress levels of the patients before and after the intervention were measured by the reliable and valid questionnaire of DASS 21. To analyze the collected data, the researchers employed the statistical tests one-way ANOVA and the software SPSS 18.         

RESULT: The 50 patients under study were divided into two equal groups. In terms of such demographic characteristics as age, gender, and stress level, there were no significant differences between the two groups before the intervention. However, after the 5-week education, the stress level in the experimental group decreased from 16.96±0.90 to 8.36±1.03. In the control group, the stress level decreased from 15.92±1.44 to 13.76±1.44. After the intervention, the difference between the means of the groups’ stress scores was found to be significant (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION: The result is expected to provide new knowledge to support the effective follow-up for hemodialysis patient in order to improve their emotional and health status.
Effects of Recruiting Midwives into a Family Physician Program on the Indices of Maternal Health Program in the Rural Areas of Kurdistan
Authors: Hajizadeh Shayesteh , Ramezani Tehrani Fahimeh , Simbar Masoumeh , Farzadfar Farshad
Published: March 2016

A family physician program has been implemented in rural areas of the country since the early 2005.Therefore, due to the increase in the density of midwives in this project, it is expected that more services would be provided to pregnant women. This cross-sectional study used the difference-in-differences model and Matchit statistical model to compare the indices of maternal health program before and after the implementation of a family physician program. It compared health centres that had increase in their density of midwives in the course of the study with those that did not. The study sample consisted of 668 mothers of 2-month-old children in 2013. Data were collected using a questionnaire that was administered in structured interviews. In this study, in 2013, 38.8% of the women received preconception care, 66.5% received prenatal care and 41.6% received postpartum care, as defined by the standards. Based on the results of statistical models of difference-in-differences analyses and Matchit, there was no significant change in indices of maternal health program between 2005 and 2013. The results of this study showed that an increase in the density of midwives in a family physician program did not have an impact on the indices of maternal health program; it indicated that the increase in the density of midwives alone was not efficient. In other words, the quality of primary health care is strongly dependent on the use of trained health workers. In addition, manpower planning and management can have an important role in improvement of prenatal care.
The optimal dispersal strategy: a two-patch model with travel loss
Authors: Wu Chang-Hong
Published: March 2016

The dispersal of organisms plays an important role in determining the dynamics of ecological models. Ecologically, it is of interest in understanding how dispersal strategy influences the distribution of populations. An ideal free distribution (IFD) of populations has been used to predict the distribution of organisms among patches, where a key assumption is to assume that species can move freely between patches without paying any cost. If instead one assumes that there are losses when species moves from one patch to another, then ideal free distributions may not appear. In this note, we examine a two-patch resident-mutant model with travel loss and predict the optimal dispersal strategy for resident and mutant. Moreover, such strategy which produces a non-IFD is evolutionarily stable. Some same and different features of patch models with travel loss are discussed.
Lack of symmetry in linear determinacy due to convective effects in reaction-diffusion-convection problems
Authors: Al-Kiffai Ameera , Crooks Elaine
Published: March 2016

This paper is concerned with linear determinacy in monostable reaction- diffusion-convection equations and co-operative systems. We present sufficient conditions for minimal travelling-wave speeds (equivalent to spreading speeds) to equal values obtained from linearisations of the travelling-wave problem about the unstable equilibrium. These conditions involve both reaction and convection terms. We present separate conditions for non-increasing and non-decreasing travelling waves, called `right' and `left' conditions respectively, because of the asymmetry in propagation caused by the convection terms. We also give a necessary condition on the reaction term for the existence of convection terms such that both the right and left conditions can be satisfied simultaneously. Examples show that our sufficient conditions for linear determinacy are not necessary and compare these conditions in the scalar case with alternative conditions observed in Malaguti-Marcelli [15] and Benguria-Depassier-Mendez [3]. We also illustrate, for both an equation and a system, the existence of reaction and (non-trivial) convection terms for which the right and left linear determinacy conditions are simultaneously satisfied. An example is given of an equation which is right but not left linearly determinate.
On the evolutionary stability of male harassment in a coercive mating game
Authors: Udiani Oyita , Lou Yuan , Hamilton Ian
Published: March 2016

In many animals, males employ coercive mating strategies to help them maximize their expected number of offspring. In such systems, selection will favor behavioral adaptations in females that help them mitigate harassment costs and maximize their reproductive fitness. Previously, Bokides et al. [1] presented a model showing how male harassment strategies can co-evolve with female habitat preferences in a mating game. Their results indicated that if females dispersed freely between habitats where males were present and where males were excluded, selection could favor males who strategically harassed at high (or low) levels, depending on the proximity of their phenotype to a threshold level $h^*$. This article is a continuation of that work addressing the questions of stability at equilibria where males harass at the threshold level (i.e., $h^*$). We show these states are both locally and globally asymptotically stable. Further, we argue based on these results that $h^*$ is an evolutionary stable male harassment level at which females will be ideally distributed to match the resource quality and social environments of their alternative habitats.
Medication Repurposing in Pediatric Patients: Teaching Old Drugs New Tricks
Authors: Rumore Martha M.
Published: March 2016

OBJECTIVES: Gaps in pediatric therapeutics often result in off-label use and specifically, novel uses for existing medications, termed “drug repurposing.” Drug Information (DI) queries to a Pediatric Medication Resource Center of a large metropolitan pediatric hospital in New York and inherent difficulties in retrieving evidence-based information prompted a review of current medication repurposing for pediatric patients. The objective included characterization of innovative off-label use of medications Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for 1 or more indications to treat a totally different disorder or indication in pediatric patients.

METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted to retrieve publications describing repurposed medications in pediatric patients. Excluded was FDA-approved indications used off-label in pediatric patients (e.g., different dose), preclinical data, adult use only, and experimental use. Evidence quality was classified using a modified American Academy of Neurology Level of Evidence. Results were analyzed using χ2 at p < 0.05.

RESULTS: Over 2000 references were retrieved and reviewed. A total of 101 medications repurposed for novel off-label uses for pediatric patients were identified: 38 for neonates, 74 for children, and 52 for adolescents. Neonates and infants were least likely to receive a medication for a repurposed use. Strong or intermediate evidence existed in 80.2% of cases. The evidence was weak in 19.8%. No significant relationship was observed between the pediatric age group and strength of the literature. Most repurposed uses pertained to generic or widely used medications. Less than 5% of medications were first marketed after 2011.

CONCLUSIONS: While not exhaustive, the present study represents the most comprehensive listing of novel uses exclusive to pediatric patients. Further research is needed to identify the frequency of repurposed uses. The valuable DI role of pharmacists in assessing repurposed uses is of expanding and increasing importance to ensure such uses are evidence-based.
Impact of a Standardized Treatment Guideline for Pediatric Iatrogenic Opioid Dependence: A Quality Improvement Initiative
Authors: Abdouni Rima , Reyburn-Orne Teri , Youssef Tarek H. , Haddad Imad Y. , Gerkin Richard D.
Published: March 2016

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether utilization of a hospital-based clinical practice guideline for the care of pediatric iatrogenic opioid dependence (IOD) would promote a decrease in opioid exposure and improve management of opioid abstinence syndrome (AS).

METHODS: This study is a retrospective chart review of critically ill patients from a tertiary care children's hospital. Inclusion criteria included mechanically ventilated patients up to 18 years of age who received continuous opioid infusions for at least 7 days and any length of methadone administration. Data on IOD patients from January 2005 to June 2010 was divided into 3 periods: baseline, phase 1, and phase 2. Primary outcome was decrease in opioid exposure, measured by methadone duration of use and any additional opioid bolus doses used in AS management. Documentation of additional opioid bolus doses was regarded as a surrogate measure of AS. Secondary outcomes included total cumulative fentanyl dose, continuous fentanyl infusion duration of use, and hospital and pediatric intensive care unit length of stay.

RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in methadone duration of use in IOD patients from 15.3 ± 8.7 days at baseline to 9.5 ± 3.7 days during phase 1 (p = 0.002), to 8.1 ± 3.7 days on phase 2 (reduction not significant, p = 0.106) of this evaluation. Additional opioid bolus doses were significantly lower from baseline to phase 1 (5.5 ± 5.1 vs. 1.8 ± 2.3, p = 0.001) and from phase 1 to phase 2 (1.8 ± 2.3 vs. 0.2 ± 1.5, p = 0.003). For the remaining outcomes, differences were not observed among the evaluation periods, except for the total cumulative fentanyl dose, which was reduced from 2.8 ± 3.7 mg/kg at baseline to 1 ± 1 mg/kg only during phase 1 (p = 0.017).

CONCLUSIONS: Introduction of a standardized, hospital-based clinical practice guideline for children with IOD reduced the length of exposure to opioids and improved opioid AS management.
Vancomycin Dosing and Pharmacokinetics in Postoperative Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery Patients
Authors: Benefield Emily C. , Hagemann Tracy M. , Allen H. Christine , Farmer Kevin , Burton Michael E. , Chavez-Bueno Susana , Johnson Peter N.
Published: March 2016

OBJECTIVES: This study compared vancomycin trough concentrations and pharmacokinetic parameters in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery (CTS) patients versus those in controls receiving 20 mg/kg/dose, intravenously, every 8 hours.

METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in children <18 years of age, following CTS, versus an age-and sex-matched control group. The primary objective was to determine differences in trough concentrations between groups. Secondary objectives included comparisons of pharmacokinetics between groups and development of vancomycin-associated acute kidney injury (AKI), defined as a doubling in serum creatinine from baseline. Also dosing projections were developed to target an area-under-the-curve-to-minimum inhibitory concentration (AUC:MIC) ratio of ≥400.

RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients in each group were evaluated. Mean trough concentrations were significantly different between groups (CTS: 18.4 mg/L; control: 8.8 mg/L; p < 0.01). Vancomycin-associated acute kidney injury AKI was significantly higher in the CTS group than in controls (25.9% versus 0%, respectively, p<0.01). There were significant differences in vancomycin elimination rates, with a high degree of variability, but no statistical differences in other parameters. Based on dosing projections, CTS patients would require 21 to 88 mg/kg/day, with a dosage interval determined by the child's glomerular filtration rate to achieve the target AUC:MIC ≥400.

CONCLUSIONS: Vancomycin dosage of 20 mg/kg/dose intravenously every 8 hours achieved significantly higher trough concentrations in CTS patients than in controls. Pharmacokinetic parameters were highly variable in CTS patients, indicating more individualization of dosage is needed. A future prospective study is needed to determine whether the revised dosage projections achieve the AUC:MIC target and to determine whether these regimens are associated with less vancomycin-associated AKI.
Acute Pustular Dermatosis, Following Topical Treatment With Pimecrolimus, in a Child Affected With Atopic and Contact Hand Dermatitis
Authors: Poddighe Dimitri , Brazzelli Valeria , Licari Amelia , Marseglia Gian Luigi
Published: March 2016

Atopic dermatitis is considered an important risk factor for chronic hand dermatitis, which can be seen in children too. Pimecrolimus cream 1% is approved to treat atopic dermatitis in children aged 2 years or older. In adults, this drug has been used for some clinical indications other than atopic dermatitis, such as chronic hand dermatitis. Here, we describe an adverse drug reaction in a 2-year-old child affected with atopic dermatitis, who was treated with topical pimecrolimus in order to ameliorate her concomitant hand dermatitis. The use of topical pimecrolimus led to a previously undescribed hand pustular dermatosis, being consistent with a form of pustular leukocytoclastic vasculitis, which required the permanent discontinuation of topical pimecrolimus.
Hypersensitivity Reaction to Insulin Glargine and Insulin Detemir in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report
Authors: Badik Jennifer , Chen Jimmy , Letvak Kira , So Tsz-Yin
Published: March 2016

Allergy to human insulin or its analogs is rare, but it is still a significant issue in current diabetes care. Allergic reactions can range from localized injection site reactions to generalized anaphylaxis, and they can be caused by excipients or the insulin molecules themselves. We presented a case of a 14-year-old male patient with generalized allergic reactions to insulin glargine and insulin detemir. The patient was successfully managed by being switched to a continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion with insulin aspart. Allergic reactions to insulin detemir and insulin glargine have both been well described, with insulin detemir allergy appearing to be more common. There are several potential mechanisms for insulin allergy, and immunologic characteristics vary among different insulin analogs. After confirming insulin allergy in practice, management involves treating symptoms and switching insulin preparations. This is the first documented case of allergies to both insulin glargine and insulin detemir in a pediatric patient. Exact mechanism of insulin allergy is unknown, and management strategies must be individualized for each patient.
Analysis of health communication texts: UK press coverage of debates about assisted dying
Authors: Seale Clive
Published: March 2016

Conventionally, social researchers analyse media messages by reading text and coding it. This is time consuming and restricts many studies to small samples. Nowadays very large amounts of text are available in electronic form, offering potential insights into the health messages they contain, but which appear daunting to the analyst with limited resources using conventional methods. I explain and illustrate methods for the computer-assisted analysis of media texts, using specialised software (Wordsmith Tools and Wordstat). These allow the analyst to provide a statistical overview of the key features of texts, to compare them (looking at change over time, for example) and to select illustrative quotations that epitomise the trends identified.
The future of health communication: Innovating through partnerships
Authors: Ratzan Scott C.
Published: March 2016

The Preamble of the Constitution of the World Health Organization reminds us that «Informed opinion and active cooperation on the part of the public are of the utmost importance in the improvement of the health of the people» (Grad, 2002). Nonetheless, nearly seven decades later, the conditions under which people can be informed and actively participate in their health management in a meaningful way are being globally challenged. Drawing from experience in a variety of areas that I will delve into in this article, I remain a believer that we can marshal the necessary forces to advance the communication of health issues and create a base for a health-literate population to make smart(er), healthier decisions that advance health and well-being.
El debate sobre las enfermedades poco frecuentes. Una mirada a través de los medios de comunicación
Authors: Bañón Hernández Antonio , Solves Almela Josep
Published: March 2016

Las enfermedades poco frecuentes (EPF) son aquellas que afectan a menos de cinco personas por cada 10.000. Existen unas 7.000, son difíciles de diagnosticar y muy pocas disponen de tratamiento. En España afectan a unos tres millones de personas; a unos treinta millones en Europa. En el presente artículo se analiza cómo aparecen representadas en los medios de comunicación las argumentaciones y contraargumentaciones sobre el acceso a los medicamentos para estas patologías, mediante el estudio del caso de la distrofia muscular de Duchenne. Nuestra conclusión es que, en tiempos de crisis, el debate se ha polarizado en torno a los argumentos económicos (el precio de los medicamentos), reforzados por la duda sobre su eficacia curativa.
Elezioni europee 2014: verso l’europeizzazione dello spazio pubblico?
Authors: Marinella Belluati
Published: March 2016

Starting from the debate between the Europeanization of the public sphere, the last electoral campaign was a good observation point to measure the level of integration of European public debate. There are fields of interests where Europe is able to define itself as the chief leader of the discourses and the states absorb and react. For example, we see this when discussing Euroscepticism. On the contrary, when looking at other topics, for instance, the campaign of the European leaders and gender imbalance, Europe tries to influence the discourses, but the countries are not affected. These two points of view are more evident during the electoral campaign, when the domestic and European interests trigger a common public debate. Starting from a content analysis research, carried out on five European newspapers (Le Monde, The Guardian, El País, La Stampa and Süddeutsche Zeitung), we looked at the electorate coverage and we measured the visibility of the electoral topics and the actors involved in the 2014 EU campaign elections. The main result is that there are signs of Europeanisation when looking at national debates, however, the dominant approach is still national oriented.
Articulating Europe During the Great War: Friedrich Naumann’s Idea of ‘Mitteleuropa’ and Its Public Reception in Germany, England and the USA
Authors: Florian Greiner
Published: March 2016

The article briefly outlines the major aspects of Friedrich Naumann’s concept of Mitteleuropa and shows how his idea derived from the experience of the First World War. Although the plan is often viewed as an expression of annexionist war goals, Naumann actually argued for a rather informal German economic hegemony in Central Europe. The public reception of Mitteleuropa in Germany as well as in Allied countries is traced in detail by conducting a discourse analysis of newspaper coverage. Especially in Great Britain the Central European scheme was seen as a great menace and triggered discussions about alternative pan-European concepts. Although Mitteleuropa can be considered well-researched, this aspect has been surprisingly neglected by previous studies. The aim of the article is to link intellectual and cultural history by carving out the strong transnational interweavements that existed within the public debates on Europe during World War I: at a crucial moment in history Naumann’s idea promoted the articulation of European thinking in wider circles.
Bias in the reporting of sex and age in biomedical research on mouse models
Authors: Flórez-Vargas Oscar , Brass Andy , Karystianis George , Bramhall Michael , Stevens Robert , Cruickshank Sheena , Nenadic Goran
Published: March 2016

In animal-based biomedical research, both the sex and the age of the animals studied affect disease phenotypes by modifying their susceptibility, presentation and response to treatment. The accurate reporting of experimental methods and materials, including the sex and age of animals, is essential so that other researchers can build on the results of such studies. Here we use text mining to study 15,311 research papers in which mice were the focus of the study. We find that the percentage of papers reporting the sex and age of mice has increased over the past two decades: however, only about 50% of the papers published in 2014 reported these two variables. We also compared the quality of reporting in six preclinical research areas and found evidence for different levels of sex-bias in these areas: the strongest male-bias was observed in cardiovascular disease models and the strongest female-bias was found in infectious disease models. These results demonstrate the ability of text mining to contribute to the ongoing debate about the reproducibility of research, and confirm the need to continue efforts to improve the reporting of experimental methods and materials.
Hall scattering factors in p-type 4H-SiC with various doping concentrations
Authors: Asada Satoshi , Okuda Takafumi , Kimoto Tsunenobu , Suda Jun
Published: March 2016

The Hall scattering factor (γH) in p-type 4H-SiC with various aluminum doping concentrations of 5.8 × 1014–7.1 × 1018 cm−3 was investigated from 300 to 900 K. γH was determined by comparing the Hall coefficient with the theoretical carrier concentration derived from acceptor and donor concentrations obtained from secondary ion mass spectrometry and capacitance–voltage measurements. γH decreased with increasing temperature or doping concentration; γH = 1–0.4 for the doping concentration of 5.8 × 1014 cm−3 and γH = 0.5–0.2 for the doping concentration of 7.1 × 1018 cm−3. The dependence might be caused by the anisotropic and nonparabolic valence band structure of 4H-SiC.
Reconfigurable VLSI implementation for learning vector quantization with on-chip learning circuit
Authors: Zhang Xiangyu , An Fengwei , Chen Lei , Mattausch Hans Jürgen
Published: March 2016

As an alternative to conventional single-instruction-multiple-data (SIMD) mode solutions with massive parallelism for self-organizing-map (SOM) neural network models, this paper reports a memory-based proposal for the learning vector quantization (LVQ), which is a variant of SOM. A dual-mode LVQ system, enabling both on-chip learning and classification, is implemented by using a reconfigurable pipeline with parallel p-word input (R-PPPI) architecture. As a consequence of the reuse of R-PPPI for solving the most severe computational demands in both modes, power dissipation and Si-area consumption can be dramatically reduced in comparison to previous LVQ implementations. In addition, the designed LVQ ASIC has high flexibility with respect to feature-vector dimensionality and reference-vector number, allowing the execution of many different machine-learning applications. The fabricated test chip in 180 nm CMOS with parallel 8-word inputs and 102 K-bit on-chip memory achieves low power consumption of 66.38 mW (at 75 MHz and 1.8 V) and high learning speed of

clock cycles per d-dimensional sample vector where R is the reference-vector number.
Temperature-dependent minority carrier lifetime of crystalline silicon wafers passivated by high quality amorphous silicon oxide
Authors: Inaba Masahiro , Todoroki Soichiro , Nakada Kazuyoshi , Miyajima Shinsuke
Published: March 2016

We investigated the effects of annealing on the temperature-dependent minority carrier lifetime of a crystalline silicon wafer passivated by hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide. The annealing significantly affects the lifetime and its temperature dependence. Our device simulations clearly indicate that valence band offset significantly affects the temperature dependence. We also found a slight increase in the interface defect density after annealing.
Allah’ın Varlığını Aklen Bilmeye İlişkin Mâtürîdî'nin Gâye ve Nizam Delili / The Argument of Hikmah and Tadbir to Prove The Existence of God According to al-Maturidi
Authors: Aygün Fatma
Published: March 2016

Allah’ın Varlığını Aklen Bilmeye İlişkin Mâtürîdî'nin Gâye ve Nizam Delili

Öz

Mâtürîdî İslâm düşünce tarihinde önemli bir yere sahip bulunan düşünürlerden biridir. Öyle ki Mâtürîdî (333/944) Ebû Hanîfe geleneğinin en güçlü simasıdır ve Ehl-i Sünnet kelâmının kuruluşunda en büyük paya sahiptir. Mâtürîdî'nin düşüncesinde "hikmet" ve "tedbîr" kavramları çok önemli bir yere sahiptir, o Allah'ın varlığını bilmek için hikmet ve tedbîr terimleriyle ilşkilendirdiği gâye ve nizam delilini kullanmıştır. Ayrıca o kötülük (şer) olarak gördüğümüz şeyler dahil var olan tüm şeylerin "hikmet"in bir tezahürü olarak ortaya çıktığından bahsetmiştir. Mâtürîdî'nin düşünce sisteminde Allah'ın varlığı bilmek için kullanılan teleolojik delil ki doğadaki düzenlilik, güzellik ve tedbirin gözlemlerinden, analojik veya endüktif muhakemenin bazı türleri aracılığıyla ilerler, sonuç olarak bunlar bir tasarımcının (Allah) işi olmalıdır. Bu Makalede gâye ve nizam delili ile ilgili Mâtürîdî'nin evrendeki düzeni ispat etmeye yönelik ortaya koymuş olduğu argümanlar ayrı başlıklar halinde ele alınmış ve tartışılmıştır.

The Argument of Hikmah and Tadbir to Prove The Existence of God According to al-Maturidi

Abstract

Al-Maturidi is one of the foremost and most important thinkers in the history of Islamic thought. So that al-Maturidi (333/944) is the most powerful figure in Ebû Hanîfe School and has the biggest share in the establishment of Followers of Sunnah kalam. The "hikmah" (wisdom) and "tadbir" (order) concepts are very important terms in the thought of al-Maturidi. He used the argument of aim and order" (teleological argument) -that he links with the term hikmah and tadbir- to prove the existence of God. He also stated that all things, including even the bad things (malignity), come up for the appearance of a wisdom (hidden cause/hikmah). In the thinking of al-Maturidi the teleological argument is used to know the existence of God that teleological argument proceeds from observations of regularity, beauty and providence in nature, through some sorts of analogical or inductive reasoning to the conclusion that these must be the work of a designer, namely, God! The article is purpose and order related the evidence to prove the scheme in the universe of Mâtürîdî revealed that arguments have been addressed and discussed in separate titles.
Genetic structure of the threatened West-Pannonian population of Great Bustard (Otis tarda)
Authors: Horreo Jose L. , Raab Rainer , Spakovszky Péter , Alonso Juan Carlos
Published: March 2016

The genetic diversity, population structure and gene flow of the Great Bustards (Otis tarda) living in Austria-Slovakia-West Hungary (West-Pannonian region), one of the few populations of this globally threatened species that survives across the Palaearctic, has been assessed for the first time in this study. Fourteen recently developed microsatellite loci identified one single population in the study area, with high values of genetic diversity and gene flow between two different genetic subunits. One of these subunits (Heideboden) was recognized as a priority for conservation, as it could be crucial to maintain connectivity with the central Hungarian population and thus contribute to keeping contemporary genetic diversity. Current conservation efforts have been successful in saving this threatened population from extinction two decades ago, and should continue to guarantee its future survival.
The beneficial effects of cumulus cells and oocyte-cumulus cell gap junctions depends on oocyte maturation and fertilization methods in mice
Authors: Zhou Cheng-Jie , Wu Sha-Na , Shen Jiang-Peng , Wang Dong-Hui , Kong Xiang-Wei , Lu Angeleem , Li Yan-Jiao , Zhou Hong-Xia , Zhao Yue-Fang , Liang Cheng-Guang
Published: March 2016

Cumulus cells are a group of closely associated granulosa cells that surround and nourish oocytes. Previous studies have shown that cumulus cells contribute to oocyte maturation and fertilization through gap junction communication. However, it is not known how this gap junction signaling affectsin vivoversusin vitromaturation of oocytes, and their subsequent fertilization and embryonic development following insemination. Therefore, in our study, we performed mouse oocyte maturation and insemination usingin vivo- orin vitro-matured oocyte-cumulus complexes (OCCs, which retain gap junctions between the cumulus cells and the oocytes),in vitro-matured, denuded oocytes co-cultured with cumulus cells (DCs, which lack gap junctions between the cumulus cells and the oocytes), andin vitro-matured, denuded oocytes without cumulus cells (DOs). Using these models, we were able to analyze the effects of gap junction signaling on oocyte maturation, fertilization, and early embryo development. We found that gap junctions were necessary for bothin vivoandin vitrooocyte maturation. In addition, for oocytes maturedin vivo, the presence of cumulus cells during insemination improved fertilization and blastocyst formation, and this improvement was strengthened by gap junctions. Moreover, for oocytes maturedin vitro, the presence of cumulus cells during insemination improved fertilization, but not blastocyst formation, and this improvement was independent of gap junctions. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that the beneficial effect of gap junction signaling from cumulus cells depends on oocyte maturation and fertilization methods.
Ammonia loss from urea in grassland and its mitigation by the new urease inhibitor 2-NPT
Authors: SCHRAML M. , GUTSER R. , MAIER H. , SCHMIDHALTER U.
Published: March 2016

Following the surface application of granulated urea to grassland, high ammonia (NH3) losses of up to 30% have been reported. The addition of a urease inhibitor (UI) to urea granules could be a way to abate these losses. Field experiments were conducted at two intensive grassland sites in 2007 and 2008 to evaluate the potential of the new UI N-(2-nitrophenyl) phosphoric triamide (2-NPT; concentrations of 0·75, 1·0 and 1·5 g N/kg) to reduce NH3 emissions resulting from the application of granulated urea. Ammonia losses were continuously measured on plots fertilized with urea, urea + 2-NPT, calcium ammonium nitrate and a control (0N). The measurements were made with a dynamic chamber system. All measurement periods were started after a period of precipitation with a following rainless period being forecasted. Results over measurement periods of 10 days following fertilization are presented. Ammonia losses following the application of granulated urea varied between 4·6 and 11·8 kg N/ha, corresponding to 4·2 up to 14·0% of the applied nitrogen. The addition of 2-NPT to urea granules at three concentrations significantly reduced NH3 losses by 69–100%. Comparable losses of NH3 were observed for urea containing the UI 2-NPT as well as calcium ammonium nitrate, and were not significantly different from the control treatment. No relationships between losses, meteorological factors and soil moisture were observed. The addition of the UI 2-NPT to urea granules applied on grassland effectively reduced NH3 losses.
Geographical distribution ofAngiostrongylus vasorumin foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in the Republic of Ireland
Authors: MCCARTHY G. , FERRAND M. , DE WAAL T. , ZINTL A. , MCGRATH G. , BYRNE W. , O'NEILL E. J.
Published: March 2016

The reported incidence of the metastrongylid nematodeAngiostrongylus vasorum, that infects dogs and other canids, is increasing worldwide outside recognized endemic foci. This apparent expansion of the parasite's range is causing concern to veterinary clinicians as the disease caused in dogs can be life threatening and its treatment is not straightforward. The red fox is thought to be a reservoir host for dogs. To investigate the spatial distribution of infection in foxes in Ireland, the hearts and lungs of 542 foxes from all over Ireland were examined. The incidence of infection was found to be 39·9% [95% confidence interval (CI) 35·7–44·1] with positive samples occurring in each of the country's 26 counties. This report confirms that the parasite is endemic in Ireland and the overall prevalence is the second highest in Europe. This is the first survey ofA. vasoruminfection in Irish foxes and highlights the potential exposure of the Irish dog population to high risk of cross-infection. Additionally,Crenosoma vulpiswas found in seven of the foxes, a parasite not previously reported in the Irish fox.
The forgotten role of consonant-like calls in theories of speech evolution
Authors: Lameira Adriano R.
Published: March 2016

Ackermann et al. provide an informative neurological road-map to primate call communication. However, the proposed model for speech evolution inadequately integrates comparative primate evidence. Critically, great ape voiceless calls are explicitly rendered unimportant, leaving the proposed model deprived of behavioral feedstock and proximate selective drivers capable of triggering the neurological transformations described by the authors in the primate brain.
Cooperative object transportation using parallel line formation with a circular shift
Authors: Eoh Gyuho , Jeon Jae D. , Oh Jung H. , Lee Beom H.
Published: March 2016

This paper presents a new cooperative object transportation technique using parallel line formation with a circular shift. Typical areas of research in relation to object transportation are grasping, pushing, and caging techniques, but these require precise grasping behaviors, iterative motion correction according to the object pose, and the real-time acquisition of the object shape, respectively. In this paper, the proposed technique does not need to consider the shape or the pose of objects, and equipped tools are not necessary for object transportation because objects are transported by pushing behavior only. Multiple robots create parallel line formation using a virtual electric dipole field and then push multiple objects into the formation. This parallel line is extended to the goal using cyclic motion by the robots and the objects are transported to the goal by pushing behavior. The above processes are decentralized and activated based on the finite state machine of each robot. Simulations and practical experiments are presented to verify the proposed technique.
Metatranscriptomic evidence of pervasive and diverse chemolithoautotrophy relevant to C, S, N and Fe cycling in a shallow alluvial aquifer
Authors: Jewell Talia N M , Karaoz Ulas , Brodie Eoin L , Williams Kenneth H , Beller Harry R
Published: March 2016

Groundwater ecosystems are conventionally thought to be fueled by surface-derived allochthonous organic matter and dominated by heterotrophic microbes living under often-oligotrophic conditions. However, in a 2-month study of nitrate amendment to a perennially suboxic aquifer in Rifle (CO), strain-resolved metatranscriptomic analysis revealed pervasive and diverse chemolithoautotrophic bacterial activity relevant to C, S, N and Fe cycling. Before nitrate injection, anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria accounted for 16% of overall microbial community gene expression, whereas during the nitrate injection, two other groups of chemolithoautotrophic bacteria collectively accounted for 80% of the metatranscriptome: (1) members of the Fe(II)-oxidizing Gallionellaceae family and (2) strains of the S-oxidizing species, Sulfurimonas denitrificans. Notably, the proportion of the metatranscriptome accounted for by these three groups was considerably greater than the proportion of the metagenome coverage that they represented. Transcriptional analysis revealed some unexpected metabolic couplings, in particular, putative nitrate-dependent Fe(II) and S oxidation among nominally microaerophilic Gallionellaceae strains, including expression of periplasmic (NapAB) and membrane-bound (NarGHI) nitrate reductases. The three most active groups of chemolithoautotrophic bacteria in this study had overlapping metabolisms that allowed them to occupy different yet related metabolic niches throughout the study. Overall, these results highlight the important role that chemolithoautotrophy can have in aquifer biogeochemical cycling, a finding that has broad implications for understanding terrestrial carbon cycling and is supported by recent studies of geochemically diverse aquifers.
A coral-on-a-chip microfluidic platform enabling live-imaging microscopy of reef-building corals
Authors: Shapiro Orr H. , Kramarsky-Winter Esti , Gavish Assaf R. , Stocker Roman , Vardi Assaf
Published: March 2016

Coral reefs, and the unique ecosystems they support, are facing severe threats by human activities and climate change. Our understanding of these threats is hampered by the lack of robust approaches for studying the micro-scale interactions between corals and their environment. Here we present an experimental platform, coral-on-a-chip, combining micropropagation and microfluidics to allow direct microscopic study of live coral polyps. The small and transparent coral micropropagates are ideally suited for live-imaging microscopy, while the microfluidic platform facilitates long-term visualization under controlled environmental conditions. We demonstrate the usefulness of this approach by imaging coral micropropagates at previously unattainable spatio-temporal resolutions, providing new insights into several micro-scale processes including coral calcification, coral–pathogen interaction and the loss of algal symbionts (coral bleaching). Coral-on-a-chip thus provides a powerful method for studying coral physiology in vivo at the micro-scale, opening new vistas in coral biology.
Erratum: How Do the Size, Charge and Shape of Nanoparticles Affect Amyloid β Aggregation on Brain Lipid Bilayer?
Authors: Kim Yuna , Park Ji-Hyun , Lee Hyojin , Nam Jwa-Min
Published: March 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 19548; published online: 19 January 2016; updated: 04 March 2016. This Article contains a typographical error in the Author Contributions Statement. “J.-M.N. conceived the initial idea. J.-M.N. and Y.K. designed experiments. Experiments were performed by Y.K. and J.
Metabolite Modulation in Human Plasma in the Early Phase of Acclimatization to Hypobaric Hypoxia
Authors: Liao Wen-Ting , Liu Bao , Chen Jian , Cui Jian-Hua , Gao Yi-Xing , Liu Fu-Yu , Xu Gang , Sun Bing-Da , Zhang Er-Long , Yuan Zhi-Bin , Zhang Gang , Gao Yu-Qi
Published: March 2016

The exposure of healthy subjects to high altitude represents a model to explore the pathophysiology of diseases related to tissue hypoxia. We explored a plasma metabolomics approach to detect alterations induced by the exposure of subjects to high altitude. Plasma samples were collected from 60 subjects both on plain and at high altitude (5300 m). Metabolite profiling was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOFMS) in conjunction with univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. ELISA assays were further employed to measure the levels of several relevant enzymes together with perturbed metabolic pathways. The results showed that hypobaric hypoxia caused significant and comprehensive metabolic changes, as represented by significant changes of 44 metabolites and 4 relevant enzymes. Using MetaboAnalyst 3.0, it was found that several key metabolic pathways were acutely perturbed. In addition, 5 differentially expressed metabolites in pre-exposure samples from the acute mountain sickness-susceptible (AMS-S) group compared with those from the AMS-resistant (AMS-R) group are identified, which warrant further validation as potential predictive biomarkers for AMS-S individuals. These results provide new insights for further understanding the pathophysiological mechanism of early acclimatization to hypobaric hypoxia and other diseases correlated to tissue hypoxia.
Characterization of poloxamers by reversed-phase liquid chromatography
Authors: Guan Bing , Ali Amr , Peng Haofan , Hu Weiwei , Markely Lam Raga , Estes Scott , Prajapati Shashi
Published: March 2016

We developed a novel reversed-phase liquid chromatography method for monitoring multiple ingredients in poloxamers and evaluating their stability.
Retinol and α-tocopherol in human milk and their relationship with dietary intake during lactation
Authors: Jiang Jiajing , Xiao Hailong , Wu Kejian , Yu Zuxun , Ren Yiping , Zhao Yiming , Li Kelei , Li Jiaomei , Li Duo
Published: March 2016

Human milk is considered as an optimal nutrition source for neonates, and vitamins A and E improve oxidative stress in offspring through breast milk.
Synthesis and orthogonal functionalization of oxazolo[5′,4′:4,5]pyrano[2,3-b]pyridine by intra- and intermolecular Pd-catalyzed direct C–H bond heteroarylation
Authors: Théveau Laure , Schneider Cédric , Querolle Olivier , Meerpoel Lieven , Levacher Vincent , Hoarau Christophe
Published: March 2016

The construction and subsequent orthogonal functionalization of a hitherto unknown oxazolo[5′,4′:4,5]pyrano[2,3-b]pyridine are reported.
Correction: Conjugated microporous polycarbazole containing tris(2-phenylpyridine)iridium(iii) complexes: phosphorescence, porosity, and heterogeneous organic photocatalysis
Authors: Pan Long , Xu Meng-Ying , Feng Li-Juan , Chen Qi , He Yu-Jian , Han Bao-Hang
Published: March 2016

Correction for ‘Conjugated microporous polycarbazole containing tris(2-phenylpyridine)iridium(iii) complexes: phosphorescence, porosity, and heterogeneous organic photocatalysis’ by Long Pan, et al., Polym. Chem., 2016, DOI: 10.1039/c5py01955a.
Highly efficient regio and diastereoselective synthesis of functionalized bis-spirooxindoles and their antibacterial properties
Authors: Ramesh Pambala , Rao Kadiyala Srinivasa , Trivedi Rajiv , Kumar B. Sudheer , Prakasham R. S. , Sridhar B.
Published: March 2016

A simple, efficient, regioselective and diastereoselective method has been developed for the synthesis of spirooxindole-pyrrolidines using 0.5 mol% of ceric ammonium nitrate in aqueous medium.
Divergent reaction pathways in gold-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 1,5-enynes containing a cyclopropane ring: dramatic ortho substituent and temperature effects
Authors: Chen Gen-Qiang , Fang Wei , Wei Yin , Tang Xiang-Ying , Shi Min
Published: March 2016

Gold-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 1,5-enynes containing a cyclopropane ring provides access to cyclobutane-fused 1,4-cyclohexadiene, 1,3-cyclohexadiene, tricyclic cyclobutene and biscyclopropane derivatives.
Metal frame as local protection of superconducting films from thermomagnetic avalanches
Authors: Mikheenko P. , Vestgården J. I. , Chaudhuri S. , Maasilta I. J. , Galperin Y. M. , Johansen T. H.
Published: March 2016

Thermomagnetic avalanches in superconducting films propagating extremely fast while forming unpredictable patterns, represent a serious threat for the performance of devices based on such materials. It is shown here that a normal-metal frame surrounding a selected region inside the film area can provide efficient protection from the avalanches during their propagation stage. Protective behavior is confirmed by magneto-optical imaging experiments on NbN films equipped with Cu and Al frames, and also by performing numerical simulations. Experimentally, it is found that while conventional flux creep is not affected by the frames, the dendritic avalanches are partially or fully screened by them. The level of screening depends on the ratio of the sheet conductance of the metal and the superconductor in the resistive state, and for ratios much larger than unity the screening is very efficient.
Estimation of localized current anomalies in polymer electrolyte fuel cells from magnetic flux density measurements
Authors: Nara Takaaki , Koike Masanori , Ando Shigeru , Gotoh Yuji , Izumi Masaaki
Published: March 2016

In this paper, we propose novel inversion methods to estimate defects or localized current anomalies in membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). One method is an imaging approach with L1-norm regularization that is suitable for estimation of focal anomalies compared to Tikhonov regularization. The second is a complex analysis based method in which multiple pointwise current anomalies can be identified directly and algebraically from the measured magnetic flux density.