bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protocols for uncontrolled donation after circulatory death: a systematic review of international guidelines, practices and transplant outcomes
Authors: Ortega-Deballon Iván , Hornby Laura , Shemie Sam D.
Published: June 2015

Introduction

A chronic shortage of organs remains the main factor limiting organ transplantation. Many countries have explored the option of uncontrolled donation after circulatory death (uDCD) in order to expand the donor pool. Little is known regarding the variability of practices and outcomes between existing protocols. This systematic review addresses this knowledge gap informing policy makers, researchers, and clinicians for future protocol implementation.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Google Scholar electronic databases from 2005 to March 2015 as well as the reference lists of selected studies, abstracts, unpublished reports, personal libraries, professional organization reports, and government agency statements on uDCD. We contacted leading authors and organizations to request their protocols and guidelines. Two reviewers extracted main variables. In studies reporting transplant outcomes, we added type, quantity, quality of organs procured, and complications reported. Internal validity and the quality of the studies reporting outcomes were assessed, as were the methodological rigour and transparency in which a guideline was developed. The review was included in the international prospective register of systematic reviews (Prospero, CRD42014015258).

Results

Six guidelines and 18 outcome studies were analysed. The six guidelines are based on limited evidence and major differences exist between them at each step of the uDCD process. The outcome studies report good results for kidney, liver, and lung transplantation with high discard rates for livers.

Conclusions

Despite procedural, medical, economic, legal, and ethical challenges, the uDCD strategy is a viable option for increasing the organ donation pool. Variations in practice and heterogeneity of outcomes preclude a meta-analysis and prevented the linking of outcomes to specific uDCD protocols. Further standardization of protocols and outcomes is required, as is further research into the role of extracorporeal resuscitation and other novel therapies for treatment of some refractory cardiac arrest. It is essential to ensure the maintenance of trust in uDCD programs by health professionals and the public.
One-year survival and resource use after critical illness: impact of organ failure and residual organ dysfunction in a cohort study in Brazil
Authors: Ranzani Otavio T. , Zampieri Fernando G. , Besen Bruno A. M. P. , Azevedo Luciano C. P. , Park Marcelo
Published: June 2015

Introduction

In this study, we evaluated the impacts of organ failure and residual dysfunction on 1-year survival and health care resource use using Intensive Care Unit (ICU) discharge as the starting point.

Methods

We conducted a historical cohort study, including all adult patients discharged alive after at least 72 h of ICU stay in a tertiary teaching hospital in Brazil. The starting point of follow-up was ICU discharge. Organ failure was defined as a value of 3 or 4 in its corresponding component of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, and residual organ dysfunction was defined as a score of 1 or 2. We fit a multivariate flexible Cox model to predict 1-year survival.

Results

We analyzed 690 patients. Mortality at 1 year after discharge was 27 %. Using multivariate modeling, age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, organ dysfunctions and albumin at ICU discharge were the main determinants of 1-year survival. Age and organ failure were non-linearly associated with survival, and the impact of organ failure diminished over time. We conducted a subset analysis with 561 patients (81 %) discharged without organ failure within the previous 24 h of discharge, and the number of residual organs in dysfunction remained strongly associated with reduced 1-year survival. The use of health care resources among hospital survivors was substantial within 1 year: 40 % of the patients were rehospitalized, 52 % visited the emergency department, 90 % were seen at the outpatient clinic, 14 % attended rehabilitation outpatient services, 11 % were followed by the psychological or psychiatric service and 7 % used the day hospital facility. Use of health care resources up to 30 days after hospital discharge was associated with the number of organs in dysfunction at ICU discharge.

Conclusions

Organ failure was an important determinant of 1-year outcome of critically ill survivors. Nevertheless, the impact of organ failure tended to diminish over time. Resource use after critical illness was elevated among ICU survivors, and a targeted action is needed to deliver appropriate care and to reduce the late critical illness burden.
Persistently elevated osteopontin serum levels predict mortality in critically ill patients
Authors: Roderburg Christoph , Benz Fabian , Cardenas David Vargas , Lutz Matthias , Hippe Hans-Joerg , Luedde Tom , Trautwein Christian , Frey Norbert , Koch Alexander , Tacke Frank , Luedde Mark
Published: June 2015

Introduction

Inflammatory, autoimmune and metabolic disorders have been associated with alterations in osteopontin (OPN) serum levels. Furthermore, elevated serum levels of OPN were reported from a small cohort of patients with sepsis. We therefore analyzed OPN serum concentrations in a large cohort of critically ill medical patients.

Methods

A total of 159 patients (114 with sepsis, 45 without sepsis) were studied prospectively upon admission to the medical intensive care unit (ICU) as well as after 3 days of ICU treatment and compared to 50 healthy controls. Clinical data, various laboratory parameters as well as investigational inflammatory cytokine profiles were assessed. Patients were followed for approximately 1 year.

Results

We found significantly elevated serum levels of OPN at admission to the ICU and after 3 days of treatment in critically ill patients compared to healthy controls. OPN concentrations were related to disease severity and significantly correlated with established prognosis scores and classical as well as experimental markers of inflammation and multi-organ failure. In the total cohort, OPN levels decreased from admission to day 3 of ICU treatment. However, persistently elevated OPN levels at day 3 of ICU treatment were a strong independent predictor for an unfavorable prognosis, with similar or better diagnostic accuracy than routinely used markers of organ failure or prognostic scoring systems such as SAPS2 or APACHE II score.

Conclusions

Persistently elevated OPN serum concentrations are associated with an unfavourable outcome in patients with critical illness, independent of the presence of sepsis. Besides a possible pathogenic role of OPN in critical illness, our study indicates a potential value for OPN as a prognostic biomarker in critically ill patients during the early course of ICU treatment.
The impact of read length on quantification of differentially expressed genes and splice junction detection
Authors: Chhangawala Sagar , Rudy Gabe , Mason Christopher E. , Rosenfeld Jeffrey A.
Published: June 2015

Background

The initial next-generation sequencing technologies produced reads of 25 or 36 bp, and only from a single-end of the library sequence. Currently, it is possible to reliably produce 300 bp paired-end sequences for RNA expression analysis. While read lengths have consistently increased, people have assumed that longer reads are more informative and that paired-end reads produce better results than single-end reads. We used paired-end 101 bp reads and trimmed them to simulate different read lengths, and also separated the pairs to produce single-end reads. For each read length and paired status, we evaluated differential expression levels between two standard samples and compared the results to those obtained by qPCR.

Results

We found that, with the exception of 25 bp reads, there is little difference for the detection of differential expression regardless of the read length. Once single-end reads are at a length of 50 bp, the results do not change substantially for any level up to, and including, 100 bp paired-end. However, splice junction detection significantly improves as the read length increases with 100 bp paired-end showing the best performance. We performed the same analysis on two ENCODE samples and found consistent results confirming that our conclusions have broad application.

Conclusions

A researcher could save substantial resources by using 50 bp single-end reads for differential expression analysis instead of using longer reads. However, splicing detection is unquestionably improved by paired-end and longer reads. Therefore, an appropriate read length should be used based on the final goal of the study.
The Punta Allen cooperative as an emblematic example of a sustainable small-scale fishery in the Mexican Caribbean
Authors: Méndez-Medina Crisol , Schmook Birgit , McCandless Susannah R.
Published: June 2015

We present an institutional ethnography and historical case study of the Vigía Chico fishing cooperative, located in the community of Punta Allen within the Biosphere Reserve of Sian Ka’an, México. The top producer of spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) in the state of Quintana Roo for over 30 years, this cooperative has been claimed as an example of a sustainable artisanal fishery. To better understand and assess this success story, we performed an in-depth study of multiple factors to analyze their influence on the cooperative’s success. The indicators selected were level and form of social organization, resilience to socio-environmental perturbations, changes in fishing gear, and the fishing concession as avenue to cementing institutional success. We conducted ethnographic fieldwork over five months, complemented by an in-depth analysis of the cooperative assembly’s minutes. We found that the knowledge the cooperative acquired of the functioning of Mexican public policies was a factor in their success. Cooperative leaders were able to translate that knowledge in ways that benefitted the cooperative, enabling them to build a set of policy-responsive operational rules that could be effectively applied to artisanal fisheries more broadly. The isolated conditions of the area and the presence of natural perturbations such as hurricanes forced the community to increase their willingness to cooperate, and improved their capacity to respond as a group to perturbations. These successes in turn demonstrated the value of cooperative approaches to achieve individual and collective livelihood goals, within and beyond fishing. Such approaches have been further enhanced by the incorporation of academic knowledge and scientific techniques. We conclude that Punta Allen is a successful example of a community that has managed to creatively engage public policy instruments and translate them into effective local practices, enabling organizational persistence despite repeated changes in policies governing fisheries in Mexico.
Multidomain petrophysically constrained inversion and geology differentiation using guided fuzzy c-means clustering
Authors: Sun Jiajia , Li Yaoguo
Published: June 2015

Geophysical inversion methods are used as part of an interpretation process that seeks to differentiate geologic units. To improve the reliability of geologic differentiation based on recovered images from geophysical inversions, we have developed a multidomain clustering inversion algorithm that can incorporate statistical petrophysical data into a deterministic geophysical inversion framework through the use of the fuzzy c-means clustering technique. Petrophysical data are treated in the parameter domain in the same way that geophysical data are treated in the spatial domain, and these two different types of data are simultaneously inverted in their respective domains through the minimization of a single common objective function. The resulting physical property model honors the geophysical and petrophysical data and therefore can represent the earth better than geophysical inversion models that solely honor the geophysical data. Geophysical inversion and geology differentiation are generally treated as two independent procedures and applied in a serial manner. In our inversion method, we integrate these two components into a unified scheme, within which they interact with each other and are mutually enhanced. We produce a geologic map showing the distribution of geologic units as a direct and integral part of the geophysical inversion. We tested the algorithm using two synthetic examples and a field data example.
What can business learn from humanitarian supply chains? The case of the Spanish red cross in Haiti
Authors: Diaz Angel , Tachizawa Elcio Mendonça
Published: June 2015

This paper analyzes the response of the Spanish Red Cross to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, looking for clues of the remarkable lean-agile performance of this organization, and how they could be applied to business operations. The paper first looks into the history and organization of the Red Cross, analyzing in more detail the deployment of the Spanish Red Cross in the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Five clues to the performance of the Red Cross are identified: a global, multi-level organization; modularity; standardization; knowledge management; and flexible funding mechanisms. These findings are then put into the framework of humanitarian logistics. Finally, the possible extension of the findings to business operations is discussed.DOI:10.12660/joscmv8n1p1-15 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.12660/joscmv8n1p1-15
Drivers for implementing environmental requirements – An international explorative study in manufacturing
Authors: Sannö Anna , Deleryd Mats , Fundin Anders
Published: June 2015

Manufacturing companies need to respond to a sustainable development in view of the limitations of planet Earth. This paper explores driving forces for environmentally driven change by gathering interview data from 27 manufacturing plants in Europe and America. A proposed model connects external change triggers with required change actions within organizations.DOI:10.12660/joscmv8n1p88-97URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.12660/joscmv8n1p88-97
MicroRNA levels quantified in whole blood varies from PBMCs
Authors: Atarod Sadaf , Smith Hannah , Dickinson Anne , Wang Xiao-Nong
Published: June 2015

MicroRNAs are non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate mRNA expression and play significant roles in both health and disease. Differential microRNA expression has been used to aid diagnosis and discriminate disease stages. The accuracy and reliability of microRNA expression measurement is of utmost importance. Quantification of microRNA expression in human peripheral blood is commonly detected using total RNA extracted via different methods. To date, no convincing data are available showing whether microRNA quantification results can be influenced by the use of total RNA extracted from whole blood or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). This study examined miR-146a-5p and miR-155-5p expression using total RNA extracted in parallel from whole blood and PBMCs of 14 healthy volunteers. The data showed that the quantification of miRNA using total RNA extracted from whole blood varied from that of PBMCs, indicating that the miRNA expression was a result of all the different cell-types present in whole blood. Our results suggested that the source of total RNA and the statistical analyses performed are crucial considerations when designing miRNA research.
LEGAL STATUS OF THE ILLEGITIMATE IN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE IN THE SECOND HALF THE XIX – BEGINNING OF THE XX CENTURY
Authors: Селютина  , Selyutina Elena
Published: June 2015

Results of the research of standard and legal regulation of legal status of the children born out of the marriage in the Russian Empire the XIX-XX centuries, which is carried out by the author within the cathedral scientific subject are presented in the article. The main features of legal status of this category of children are designated, the social and economic conditions and Russian cultural traditions which affected special legal status of illegitimate are noted, the attitude of Orthodox Church towards parents of the illegitimate during the considered period is revealed.
CITIZENS’ RIGHT FOR BUSINESS ACTIVITY: THEORETICAL AND LEGAL ASPECT
Authors: Холодов  , Holodov Vladimir
Published: June 2015

Recognition and protection of the rights and freedoms of the person and citizen as the main reference point and supreme value is the defining purpose in the development of civil society and constitutional state. In this regard the article focuses on theoretical and legal aspect of citizens’ constitutional right for business activity.
METHODS AND TECHNIQUES OF STRATEGIC PLANNING AND FORECASTING OF REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Authors: Овешникова  , Oveshnikova Lyudmila
Published: June 2015

In the article the processes of strategic planning and forecasting of regional infrastructure are updated. The logic of the process of strategic planning and forecasting of infrastructural support of the regional economy, based on the relevant principles and procedures, shows the need for the implementation of certain techniques and methods of these processes. Under the techniques and methods of strategic planning processes and forecasting of infrastructure support in the region the author understands the complex and interrelated algorithmization of certain actions, their ordered collection and use of specific methods, techniques and tools to achieve certain goals of regional infrastructure development, in accordance with the tasks, problems, relevant issues and trends. The main methods and techniques of strategic planning and forecasting of regional infrastructure are presented, description and implementation mechanism are provided.
A Survey of Teenagers’ Attitudes Toward Moving Oral Contraceptives Over the Counter
Authors: Manski Ruth , Kottke Melissa
Published: June 2015

CONTEXT

Evidence suggests that over‐the‐counter access to oral contraceptives may help expand use among adult women. Teenagers may particularly benefit from this approach, as they experience disproportionately high rates of unintended pregnancy and face unique challenges accessing contraceptives. However, limited research has explored teenagers’ attitudes toward over‐the‐counter access.

METHODS

In 2014, a sample of 348 females aged 14–17, recruited via Facebook advertisements, participated in an online survey assessing teenagers’ attitudes toward over‐the‐counter access and their understanding of how to use oral contraceptives after reading a prototype over‐the‐counter product label. Differences by participants’ characteristics were assessed in bivariate analyses (Pearson chi‐square and Fisher's exact tests for categorical measures, and independent t tests and one‐way analyses of variance for continuous measures).

RESULTS

Seventy‐three percent of participants supported over‐the‐counter access, and 61% reported that they would likely use oral contraceptives available through this approach. Few subgroup differences were found. Notably, sexually experienced participants were significantly more likely than others both to support this approach (85% vs. 63%) and to be interested in obtaining oral contraceptives this way (77% vs. 48%). Participants understood an average of 7.1 of eight key concepts that the prototype product label was intended to convey; no significant differences were found among subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

Over‐the‐counter access may be a promising approach for providing oral contraceptives to teenagers. Additional research is needed to evaluate whether teenagers can screen themselves for contraindications to oral contraceptive use and correctly use oral contraceptives obtained over the counter.
It’s vestimentary, my dear Watson: Disguise, criminality, and British luxury fashion in Sherlock
Authors: Johnson Allan
Published: June 2015

This article looks at the portrayal of disguise, criminality and British luxury fashion in the BBC’s Sherlock (2010–). Co-creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat have re-imagined Arthur Conan Doyle’s depiction of Victorian crime and appearance through the self-reflexive representation of contemporary British luxury fashion design – including Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen – as a mode of disguise that can alternatively hide or reveal characters. This article argues that Sherlock draws upon Arthur Conan Doyle’s rendering of the will of the individual in an increasingly modern metropolis, while satirically detailing the persistence of late-Victorian perceptions of agency and transgressive identity as represented by what one chooses to wear.
Reviews
Authors: Perthuis Karen de , Pajaczkowska Claire
Published: June 2015

When too much spectacle is not enough: Costume in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby

Dressing Dangerously: Dysfunctional Fashion in Film, Jonathan Faiers (2013) New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 304 pp. ISBN 978-0-300-18438-9, £35
Mobilities of Architecture in the Global Cold War: From Socialist Poland to Kuwait and Back
Authors: Stanek Ukasz
Published: June 2015

This article discusses the contribution of professionals from socialist countries to architecture and urban planning in Kuwait in the final two decades of the Cold War. In so doing, it historicizes the accelerating circulation of labour, building materials, discourses, images, and affects facilitated by world-wide, regional and local networks. By focusing on a group of Polish architects, this article shows how their work in Kuwait in the 1970s and 1980s responded to the disenchantment with architecture and urbanization processes of the preceding two decades, felt as much in the Gulf as in socialist Poland. In Kuwait, this disenchantment was expressed by a turn towards images, ways of use, and patterns of movement referring to ‘traditional’ urbanism, reinforced by Western debates in postmodernism and often at odds with the social realities of Kuwaiti urbanization. Rather than considering this shift as an architectural ‘mediation’ between (global) technology and (local) culture, this article shows how it was facilitated by re-contextualized expert systems, such as construction technologies or Computer Aided Design software (CAD), and also by the specific portable ‘profile’ of experts from socialist countries. By showing the multilateral knowledge flows of the period between Eastern Europe and the Gulf, this article challenges diffusionist notions of architecture’s globalization as ‘Westernization’ and reconceptualizes the genealogy of architectural practices as these became world-wide.
The clinical and experimental analysis of ventricular rhythm disturbances in the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus suffering from diastolic cardiac insufficiency
Authors: Tatarchenko I P , Pozdnyakova N V , Denisova A G , Morozova O I
Published: June 2015

The present study was focused on the assessment of electrophysiological, structural, and functional characteristics of the heart associated with ventricular rhythm disturbances in the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) suffering from diastolic cardiac insufficiency. The study involved a total of 128 patients with DM2 and coronary heart disease (CHD) exhibiting signs of functional class I-III chronic cardiac insufficiency and left ventricular ejection fraction over 50%. The patients were divided into three groups. Group 1 (n=55) included patients presenting with left ventricular relaxation. Group 2 (n=44) was comprised of the patients with the pseudo-normal type of diastolic dysfunction. Group 3 (n=29) consisted of the patients with restrictive diastolic dysfunction. The patients of the latter group were characterized by the high frequency of complicated forms of ventricular arrhythmia, such as Grade IV-V ventricular extrasystole (48.3%) and Grade III ventricular extrasystole (34.5%). Restrictive type of diastolic dysfunction was associated with the delayed fragmented activity in the end part of the ventricular complex in 72.4% of the patients. The close correlation between the left ventricular diastolic function and parameters of myocardial electrical remodeling was documented.
About the new classification of obesity in the children and adolescents
Authors: Peterkova V A , Vasyukova O V
Published: June 2015

This paper concerns classification of obesity in the children and adolescents, one of the debatable issues in modern pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology. The historical sketch of various classifications of obesity in the children and adolescents accepted in this country and abroad is presented with special reference to the advantages and disadvantages of each variant. The authors emphasize the difficulty of developing a unified classification of the multifactor disease being considered. A new classification of obesity in the children and adolescents is proposed that takes into consideration the etiological aspects, complications, co-morbid conditions, and the degree of obesity. The possible variants of diagnosis formulation taking account of the present-day international classification of diseases are discussed.
Pharmacokinetic interaction of nitroxynil and cefoperazone in goats
Authors: El-hewaity Mohamed
Published: June 2015

The pharmacokinetic aspects of cefoperazone (CEFO) were investigated via intravenous (IV), and intramuscular (IM) injections in clinically healthy goats at a dose of 20 mg/kg b.wt. Goats were pre-treated with nitroxynil (25%) or nitroxynil (34%) subcutaneously in a dose 10 mg/kg b.wt, respectively. Cefoperazone was injected intramuscularly nine hours following anthelmintic administration, and blood samples were taken by jugular venipuncture at standardized intervals. Cefoperazone concentrations in serum were determined by microbiological assay technique. Goats pre-treated with nitroxynil (25%) or nitroxynil (34%) showed a significant decrease in serum cefoperazone level as compared to non-anthelmintic treated goats. The obtained data revealed that administration of nitroxynil in both concentrations negatively affected most of the cefoperazone parameters. In this respect, the elimination half-life T0.5(el), Cmax, AUC, and the systemic bioavailability (F %) were significantly decreased in both groups of nitroxynil-treated goats compared to non-anthelmintic treated goats. On the other hand, there were no significance differences between both nitroxynil (25% and 34%) treated goats. Concomitant administration of nitroxynil (25% and 34%) with cefoperazone resulted in significant alterations in the disposition kinetic of cefoperazone in goats. Consequently, the interaction between nitroxynil and cefoperazone could be of clinical significance and may require monitoring and adjustment of cefoperazone dosage.
Keynes, Piketty, and Basic Income
Authors: Crocker Geoff
Published: June 2015

Economic theory is traced through neo-classicism, Keynes, monetarism, and Thomas Piketty. I argue that Keynes achieved an established radical intellectual breakthrough, a consistent verifiable model, and successful policy implementation, whereas neo-classical economics and later monetarism offered only partial analyses. Thomas Piketty’s
Identification, characterization and quantitative analysis of NAD-malate dehydrogenase from the marine rhodophyte Pyropia haitanensis
Authors: Zhang Bao Yu , Hou Zhao Jun , Wang Guang Ce , Peng Guang
Published: June 2015

Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) is an enzyme that catalyzes the interconversion of malate and oxaloacetate substrates and is widely distributed from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. It plays crucial roles in many important metabolic pathways and includes different isoforms based on coenzyme specificity and cellular localization. To study MDH in rhodophytes, we obtained a full-length cDNA clone (here designated PhMDH) encoding an NAD-malate dehydrogenase in the marine red alga Pyropia haitanensis. The nucleotide sequence of PhMDH was 1521 bp, including an open reading frame (ORF) of 984 bp. The amino acid sequence showed 73% identity with other MDHs in proteobacteria. Two MDH-like domains were detected in the 5–145 and 156–320 regions. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to examine mRNA expression levels during the gametophyte and sporophyte phases. The transcription of PhMDH in the gametophyte was barely detectable, whereas PhMDH in the sporophyte showed a much higher expression level. The activity of PhMDH in the filamentous sporophyte was approximately double that of the leafy gametophyte. Considering these results, we suggest that PhMDH may be localized in the cytosol and play a role in carbon fixation in the sporophyte stage.
The Johnson homomorphism and its kernel
Authors: Putman Andrew
Published: June 2015

We give a new proof of a celebrated theorem of Dennis
Johnson that asserts that the kernel of the Johnson homomorphism on the Torelli subgroup
of the mapping class group is generated by separating twists.
In fact, we prove a more general result that also applies to “subsurface Torelli groups”. Using
this, we extend Johnson’s calculation of the rational abelianization of the Torelli group
not only to the subsurface Torelli groups, but also to finite-index subgroups of the Torelli
group that contain the kernel of the Johnson homomorphism.
The exponential map at a cuspidal singularity
Authors: Grandjean Vincent , Grieser Daniel
Published: June 2015

We study spaces with a cuspidal (or horn-like) singularity embedded in a smooth Riemannian manifold and analyze
the geodesics in these spaces which start at the singularity.
This provides a basis for understanding the intrinsic geometry of such spaces near the singularity.
We show that these geodesics combine to naturally define an
exponential map based at the
singularity, but that the behavior of this map can deviate strongly
from the behavior of the exponential map based at a smooth point or at a conical singularity: While it
is always surjective near the singularity, it may be discontinuous and non-injective on any neighborhood of the
singularity. The precise behavior of the exponential map is determined by a function on the link of the singularity which is an
invariant of the induced metric.
Our methods are based on the Hamiltonian system of geodesic differential equations and on techniques of singular analysis.
The results are proved
in the more general natural setting of manifolds with boundary carrying a so-called cuspidal metric.
The Role of Sunk Cost and Slack Resources in Innovation: A Conceptual Reading in an Entrepreneurial Perspective
Authors: Esposito De Falco Salvatore , Renzi Antonio
Published: June 2015

This paper proposes a conceptual reading of the interplay between sunk costs and slack resources in innovation, adopting an entrepreneurial perspective. Antecedent literature mostly depicts the relationship between slack and innovation as an inverse u-shaped curve. However, this approach is way too unrealistic and it does not take in account both the different impact of heterogeneous types of slack and of sunk costs. We argue that not all slacks positively contribute to innovation and, hence, the u-shaped relationship is merely verified in case of highly flexible slack resources. In addition, the presence of sunk costs is a friction factor, which makes the first part of the curve less steep. Therefore, entrepreneurs are solicited to innovation by the presence of some easy recoverable slack types, as financial or knowledge ones. On the converse, a consistent level of sunk cost may discourage their innovative activity. In this setting, absorbed slack resources increase the level of sunk costs.
Creating Opportunities for Rural Producers: Impact Evaluation of a Pilot Program in Colombia
Authors: Rozo Sandra V. , Gonzalez Veronica , Morales Carlos , Soares Yuri
Published: June 2015

This paper presents the impact evaluation of a pilot program that treated 57 small organizations of agricultural producers with high risk of getting involved in illegal drug production in Colombia. The program supported producers mainly by facilitating the commercialization of their new licit alternative sources of income. We combine propensity score matching, regression discontinuity, and Bayesian decision theory, with unique and rich panel data to assess the economic impact of the program. Our results suggest that the program was successful on increasing total sales and improving the product’s quality for the treated producers. The intervention was more successful when combined with other programs that gave producers incentives to abandon illegal drug production definitely.
Role of ischemia-modified albumin in clinical practice
Authors: Erenler Ali Kemal , Yardan Türker , Kati Celal , Altuntaş Mehmet , Türedi Süleyman
Published: June 2015

Difficulty in establishing a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the clinical setting has led researchers to investigate novel markers that show increased blood levels before the myocardial necrosis occurs. In ischemic conditions, some modifications occur in the amino acids located on the N-terminus of the human albumin molecule. Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) is a marker formed after damage in the N-terminal region of albumin. The altered N-terminus can no longer bind transition metals, such as cobalt. The causes of the increases in IMA have been shown to be endothelial or extracellular hypoxia, acidosis, and free oxygen radicals. IMA, an early marker of ischemic disorders, is also a candidate marker for the detection of ACS. An assay measuring IMA might represent a promising marker for the identification of patients with myocardial ischemia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of IMA in the assessment of ACS as well as other medical disorders in light of the recent literature.
Relevance and diagnostics of cryoproteins
Authors: Nebe Carl Thomas , Stamminger Gudrun , Baum Hannsjörg , Ossendorf Manfred , Wittmann Georg , and for the Laboratory Working Group of the German Society o
Published: June 2015

Cryoproteins still remain largely undiagnosed despite their clinical relevance. Cryoglobulins, cryofibrinogen and cold agglutinins respectively show a significant association with autoimmune diseases and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The analytical part is relatively straightforward; however, the preanalytical phase is a challenge. This article briefly summarizes the relevant aspects to improve this situation.
Trophic relationships of sympatric small carnivores in fragmented landscapes of southern Brazil: niche overlap and potential for competition
Authors: Kasper Carlos Benhur , Peters Felipe Bortolotto , Christoff Alexandre Uarth , de Freitas Thales Renato Ochotorena
Published: June 2015

Between 2000 and 2010, digestive tracts collected from carnivore carcasses found in southern Brazil were analyzed to determine the frequency and proportion of items constituting the diets of each species. Material was collected and analyzed from 194 animals of 10 species:
An Empirical Examination of Why Mobile Money Schemes Ignite in Some Developing Countries but Flounder in Most
Authors: Evans David S. , Pirchio Alexis
Published: June 2015

Mobile money schemes have grown rapidly in some developing countries but failed in many more. This paper reports the results of an empirical study of mobile money schemes in 22 developing countries chosen based on prior evidence to include roughly equal numbers of successes and failures. It uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative evidence to determine why some countries succeeded in launching mobile money schemes and others failed. The analysis is guided by multi-sided platform economics and in particular recent work on the role of ignition and critical mass. It finds among other things heavy regulation, and in particular an insistence that banks play a central role in the schemes, which is generally fatal to igniting mobile money schemes.
Concepciones culturales sobre la salud mental de personas que asisten a procesos terapéuticos psicológicos
Authors: Torres López Teresa Margarita , Munguía Cortés Jazmín Aranzazú , Salazar Estrada José Guadalupe , Aranda Beltrán Carolina
Published: June 2015

El objetivo fue analizar las concepciones culturales sobre la salud mental de personas adultas que asisten a procesos terapéuticos psicológicos de Guadalajara, México. Método: Participaron 77 personas seleccionadas por muestreo propositivo. Se aplicaron las técnicas de listados libres y pile sort. El análisis fue de consenso, conglomerados jerárquicos y escalas multidimensionales. Resultados: Para los participantes la salud mental es el bienestar, la salud y la cordura que se logra con el apoyo de profesionales e instituciones de salud. Se conceptualizó además como un estado de equilibrio, tranquilidad, paz, armonía, amor, felicidad, plenitud, entusiasmo, seguridad y congruencia. Por el contrario, la falta de salud mental puede ocasionar algunos trastornos mentales (neurosis, psicosis, depresión). Se observaron diferencias por género y un mayor consenso en mujeres que en hombres, lo que permite proponer bases diferenciales en la implementación de programas de promoción de la salud mental.
Verificação da Estrutura Fatorial da Escala de Autoconceito Profissional em Funcionários de Diferentes Empresas Brasileiras
Authors: Formiga Nilton Soares , Fleury Luis Felipe De Oliveira , Souza Marcos Aguiar , Souza Marco Antonio Ferreira
Published: June 2015

Os estudos sobre o autoconceito profissional ganham cada vez mais expressão e importância, despertando o interesse de novos pesquisadores, sobretudo no contexto organizacional, dado que a compreensão do autoconceito profissional pode facilitar a promoção de outras dimensões da personalidade, tais como o relacionamento interpessoal e a satisfação do indivíduo consigo mesmo. No presente estudo, verificou-se a estrutura fatorial da escala de autoconceito profissional tanto em funcionários de empresas privadas como em servidores públicos. O estudo foi composto por uma amostra de 490 trabalhadores de diferentes empresas brasileiras, de 16 a 68 anos, dos quais 169 pertenciam a empresas públicas e 321 a empresas privadas. Os resultados apontam que o modelo original trifatorial da escala apresentou indicadores estatísticos que justificam a sua fidedignidade e consistência estrutural. Destaca-se a confirmação do modelo proposto pelos autores da escala, não somente na amostra geral de trabalhadores, mas, também, em sujeitos de empresa publica e privada, podendo assim, observar que, nas três amostras, os indicadores estiveram de acordo com o exigido na literatura estatística.
Vascular plants, coastal dunes between Pehuen-có and Monte Hermoso, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Authors: Celsi Cintia E. , Monserrat Ana L.
Published: June 2015

Buenos Aires coastal dune systems undergo an accelerated process of human induced modification, causing loss of native plant species and changes in species composition, cover and/or abundance. We present a species list of vascular plants recorded in a region of dune landscape between Pehuen-có and Monte Hermoso localities, southern Buenos Aires Atlantic coast. The area comprises fixed and active dune systems, frontal dunes, sandy marine beach and an abrasion platform. Vegetation sampling was performed using line-transects perpendicular to the coastline. Vascular plants were identified and species cover percentage was estimated in 10 m x 10 m plots. 31 families and 75 species were registered. Asteraceae, Poaceae, and Fabaceae were best represented. Ten exotic taxa were found. Vegetation structure is associated to geomorphologic heterogeneity. The site preserves rich flora with high number of native vascular plants. The presence of Neosparton ephedroides was verified. Conservation guidelines are necessary to protect the local biodiversity.
Amphibia, Anura, Centrolenidae: Cochranella orejuela, first country records from Ecuador
Authors: Yánez-Muñoz Mario H. , Cisneros-Heredia Diego F.
Published: June 2015

None
Crustacea, Decapoda, Caridea, Alpheidae, Alpheus simus Guérin-Méneville, 1856: further report from Brazilian waters
Authors: Bezerra Luis Ernesto Arruda , Almeida Alexandre Oliveira de
Published: June 2015

None
Amphibia, Plethodontidae, Pseudoeurycea maxima: distribution extension
Authors: Delia Jesse , Whitney Jonathan , Parra-Olea Gabriela
Published: June 2015

None.
Fish, Ribeirão do Feijão Basin, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Shibatta Oscar Akio , Silva-Souza Ângela Teresa
Published: June 2015

The Ribeirão do Feijão Basin is the main water supplier for the municipality of São Carlos, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Field work was carried out from February to November 2005, using sieves, casting nets, and drag nets. A total of 7,286 specimens of fish were collected, belonging to 30 species, 13 families and six orders. The richest order was Characiformes with 14 species, followed by Siluriformes with seven.
Reptilia, Scincidae, Mabuya frenata: distribution extension
Authors: Costa Henrique Caldeira , Fernandes Vítor Dias , Vrcibradic Davor , Feio Renato Neves
Published: June 2015

None.
Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae, Leptodactylus furnarius: rediscovery and distribution extension in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Authors: Zank Caroline , Kaefer Ígor Luís , Colombo Patrick , Lingnau Rodrigo , Santos-Jr Alfredo Pedroso dos , Both Camila , D'Agostini Fernanda Maurer , Santos Rodrigo Caruccio , Cechin Sonia Zanini
Published: June 2015

None.
Flexible Carbon-Based Nanogenerators
Authors: Deng Ning-Qin , Tian He , Xue Qing-Tang , Wang Zhe , Zhao Hai-Ming , Ma Shuo , Mi Wen-Tian , Mohammad Mohammad Ali , Yang Yi , Ren Tian-Ling
Published: June 2015

Nanogenerators (NGs) have great potential to solve the problems of energy depletion and environmental pollution. Here, two types of flexible nanogenerators (FNGs) based on graphene oxide (GO) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MW-CNTs) are presented. The peak output voltage and current of GO based FNG reached up to 2 V and 30 nA, respectively, under 15 N force at 1 Hz. Moreover, the output voltage could be improved to 34.4 V when the frequency was increased to 10 Hz. It was also found the output voltage increased from 0.1 V to 2.0 V using a released GO structure. The other FNG was made by MW-CNTs mixed with ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). Its output voltage and power reached up to 7.5 V and 18.75 mW, respectively, which is much larger than that of bare ZnO based FNG. Furthermore, a peak voltage of 30 V could be gained by stamping one’s foot on the FNG. Finally, a modified NG was fabricated using four springs and two flexible layers. As a result, the voltage and power reached up to 9 V and 27mW, respectively. These works may bring out broad applications in energy harvesting.
3D Printed Hygroscopic Programmable Material Systems
Authors: Correa Zuluaga David , Menges Achim
Published: June 2015

The paper presents new developments into autonomously responsive architectural systems that adapt to environmental changes using hygroscopic material properties. The presented work expands upon previously developed research by the authors on wood-veneer composite meteorosensitive architectural systems based on the biomimetic transfer of the hygroscopic actuation of plant cones[1,2]. The manipulation parameters, variables and syntactic elements that enabled such meteorosentive architectural systems to be possible, using the hygroscopic qualities of wooden veneer within a weather responsive wood-veneer composite system, are abstracted and transferred into a 3D printed composite system. The fuse deposition modelling approach presented further expands the research field into such autonomous responsive systems by enabling a more complex gradient of functional differentiation within a responsive element while also enabling on-surface complex articulations due to anisotropic conditions. The results indicate that the 3D printed prototype can maintain the ability to operate and respond autonomously and passively to changes in relative humidity, similarly to the wood veneer composite system, by embedding some of the same functional principles within the material itself. The numerically controlled fabrication methodology presented, enabled through 3D printing, looks at designing the “material syntax” as a strategy for functional programming and both formal and functional differentiation. That is, the system can transition within a single composite unit from a support structure to a responsive actuation element variably and multi-directionally. The proof-of-concept functional prototypes presented will situate the functional range of this research.
Towards Fabrication Information Modeling (FIM): Four Case Models to Derive Designs informed by Multi-Scale Trans-Disciplinary Data
Authors: Duro-Royo Jorge , Oxman Neri
Published: June 2015

Despite recent advancements in digital fabrication and manufacturing, limitations associated with computational tools are preventing further progress in the design of non-standard architectures. This paper sets the stage for a new theoretical framework and an applied approach for the design and fabrication of geometrically and materially complex functional designs coinedFabrication Information Modeling(FIM). We demonstrate systems designed to integrate form generation, digital fabrication, and material computation starting from the physical and arriving at the virtual environment. The paper reviews four computational strategies for the design of custom systems through multi-scale trans-disciplinary data, which are classified and ordered by the level of overlap between the modeling media and the fabrication media: (1) the first model takes as input biological data and outputs 3D printed digital materials organized according to functional constraints; (2) the second model takes as input geometry and environmental data and outputs robotically wound fibers organized according to functional constraints; (3) the third model takes as input material and environmental data and outputs CNC deposited pastes organized according to functional constraints; (4) the forth model takes as input biological, material and environmental data and outputs robotically deposited polymers organized according to functional constraints. The analysis of these models will demonstrate the FIM approach and point towards its value to designers who seek to inform their work through multi-scale transdisciplinary data, a capability that is currently missing from standard design-to-fabrication workflows.
Effect of Water Stress on the Growth and Fecundity of Common Waterhemp (Amaranthus rudis)
Authors: Sarangi Debalin , Irmak Suat , Lindquist John L. , Knezevic Stevan Z. , Jhala Amit J.
Published: June 2015

Common waterhemp is one of the most commonly encountered and troublesome weeds in the midwestern United States. It is well known that water stress adversely affects crop growth and yield; however, the effects of water stress on weed growth and seed production are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of degree and duration of water stress on growth, development, and fecundity of two common waterhemp biotypes in greenhouse experiments conducted at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. No difference was observed in growth, development, and seed production between two biotypes in response to degree and duration of water stress; therefore, data were combined. The degree of water stress study included five treatments, where the amount of water applied to each pot at 2-d interval was equivalent to 100, 75, 50, 25, and 12.5% of pot (soil) water content. The highest plant height (163 cm), number of leaves (231 plant−1), and growth index (4.4 × 105cm3) were recorded at 100% of pot water content (no water stress). Similarly, aboveground biomass, total leaf area, and seed production reached their maximum at 100% of pot water content treatment, whereas they were reduced as degree of water stress increased. The study of water stress duration included five treatments, where amount of water applied to each pot at 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-d intervals was equivalent to 100% of pot water content. The highest plant height (150 cm), number of leaves (210 plant−1), and growth index (3.8 × 105cm3) were observed at 2-d interval of water stress, whereas seed production was similar at 2-d (36,549 seeds plant−1) and 4-d (34,176 seeds plant−1) intervals. This study shows that common waterhemp has capacity to survive and reproduce even under a higher degree and duration of water stress.