bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidencias de la variabilidad térmica y los tipos de circulación atmosférica sobre el número de casos y la tasa de gripe en la ciudad de Vitoria: unos resultados para la reflexión
Authors: Fernández de Arróyabe Hernáez Pablo
Published: June 2015

El presente artículo se sitúa conceptualmente dentro del área de la climatología médica. Trata acerca de la relación existente entre la variabilidad de alta frecuencia experimentada por la temperatura en la ciudad de Vitoria, las situaciones sinópticas diarias y el número de diagnósticos de gripe registrados por la Red de Médicos Vigía de la Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco en mencionada localidad. Los resultados obtenidos en este estudio preliminar muestran la existencia de una importante conexión entre los tres factores durante el periodo de expansión de la enfermedad en la ciudad de Vitoria en el otoño - invierno de 1999. Finalmente, se incide en la importancia que esta relación puede tener en el área de la planificación sanitaria de cara a la implantación de métodos de análisis preventivos que faciliten la gestión de los recursos sanitarios en fases expansivas de epidemias gripales.
Ideas de Justicia en Conflicto. Divergencias Entre las Regulaciones de los Acuerdos de Convivencia y las Percepciones Juveniles sobre la Justicia en la Escuela
Authors: Nuñez Pedro
Published: June 2015

La investigación educativa en la Argentina y América Latina cuenta con una extensa tradición, desde los años ochenta, en el estudio de la incidencia de los procesos educativos en la producción y reproducción de las desigualdades sociales y educativas. Este artículo busca profundizar en la problematización sobre estas cuestiones, pero intentando un nuevo enfoque orientado a estudiar los temas de ciudadanía y las sensaciones de injusticia, incorporando al análisis la voz, percepciones y prácticas de los y las jóvenes en la escuela secundaria. El trabajo está organizado en tres apartados. En un primer momento se presentan las características del nivel secundario argentino y se describen las reformas normativas propuestas en relación a la convivencia escolar. En una segunda instancia, se indaga en las pautas que regulan los Acuerdos de Convivencia vigentes en cuatro escuelas de nivel secundario de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina que se encuentran ubicadas en localidades de características diferentes y cuya propuesta e historia institucional difieren nítidamente. Finalmente, en el tercer apartado, nos preguntamos por las sensaciones de las y los jóvenes ante la forma de resolución de diferentes conflictos en el espacio escolar. Nos interesa indagar en su definición acerca de cuándo una solución es considerada “justa” y cuál representa “una injusticia”. Siguiendo lo planteado por otros estudios, se busca describir cuáles de las desigualdades que produce y reproduce la escuela son consideradas como tales por los sujetos así como presentar las diferentes visiones coexistentes en el sistema educativo sobre conceptos disímiles como los de convivencia, derechos y justicia.
Non-invasive fetal ABO genotyping in maternal plasma using real-time PCR
Authors: Song Wenqian , Zhou Shihang , Shao Linnan , Wang Ni , Pan Lingzi , Yu Weijian
Published: June 2015

Fetal-maternal ABO incompatibility is a frequent cause of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). The routine serological testing of maternal IgG antibody level to predict HDFN shows low reliability. Non-invasive fetal ABO genotyping could provide a new avenue for predicting ABO-HDFN in early pregnancy. The aim of our study is to investigate the feasibility of fetal ABO genotyping in maternal plasma with real-time PCR.

Plasma samples were collected from a total of 73 blood group O pregnant women between 12 and 25 weeks of gestation, and then DNA was extracted from the maternal plasma containing cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA). TaqMan-based real-time PCR was performed after methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme to detect hypermethylated

The fetal

We have developed a rapid and reliable protocol for fetal ABO genotyping in maternal plasma using real-time PCR. This protocol is suitable for routine prenatal diagnose of HDFN and forensic analysis.
Thermodynamic Analysis on the Minimum of Oxygen Content in the Deoxidation Equilibrium Curve in Liquid Iron
Authors: Han Pei-Wei , Chen Pei-Xian , Chu Shao-Jun
Published: June 2015

The minimum of oxygen content in the deoxidation equilibrium in liquid iron was thermodynamically analyzed in the present paper. Two criteria were developed to determine the existence of the minimum. The first criterion was $$0 \le x\gamma _{\rm{M}}^{\rm{M}} + y\gamma _{\rm{O}}^{\rm{M}} \le \min ({x \mathord{\left/{\vphantom {x {4.606[\% {\rm{M}}]_{{\rm{ex}}}^2}}} \right.\kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {4.606[\% {\rm{M}}]_{{\rm{ex}}}^2}},{{{{(xe_{\rm{M}}^{\rm{M}} + ye_{\rm{O}}^{\rm{M}})}^2}} \mathord{\left/{\vphantom {{{{(xe_{\rm{M}}^{\rm{M}} + ye_{\rm{O}}^{\rm{M}})}^2}} {3.474x}}} \right.\kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {3.474x}})$$ with $$xe_{\rm{M}}^{\rm{M}} + ye_{\rm{O}}^{\rm{M}} \lt 0$$, or $$x\gamma _{\rm{M}}^{\rm{M}} + y\gamma _{\rm{O}}^{\rm{M}}{\rm{\lt 0}}$$. And the second criterion was $$(xe_{\rm{M}}^{\rm{O}} + ye_{\rm{O}}^{\rm{O}}) + {y \mathord{\left/{\vphantom {y {2.303{{[\% {\rm{O}}]}_{{\rm{ex}}}}}}} \right.\kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {2.303{{[\% {\rm{O}}]}_{{\rm{ex}}}}}} \gt 0$$. The criteria in terms of first-order activity interaction parameters were the special case of present thermodynamic analysis with neglecting the second-order activity interaction parameters. They were not fit for the case of $$xe_{\rm{M}}^{\rm{M}} + ye_{\rm{O}}^{\rm{M}} \gt 0$$, in which case the criteria in terms of second-order activity interaction parameters should be taken into account to determine the existence of the minimum. The value 0.11 of $$e_{{\rm{Si}}}^{{\rm{Si}}}$$ was smaller based on the existence of the minimum for the Fe-O-Si system. It was guaranteed that the minimum value of oxygen content on the deoxidation equilibrium curve existed at silicon content 20 mass%, when the value 0.32 of $$e_{{\rm{Si}}}^{{\rm{Si}}}$$ was chosen, and the second-order activity interaction coefficients $$\gamma _{{\rm{Si}}}^{{\rm{Si}}}$$ and $$\gamma _{\rm{O}}^{{\rm{Si}}}$$ satisfied the condition $$\gamma _{{\rm{Si}}}^{{\rm{Si}}} + 2\gamma _{\rm{O}}^{{\rm{Si}}} = - 1.54 \times {10^{- 3}}$$.
Effect of Welding Speeds on Mechanical Properties of Level Compensation Friction Stir Welded 6061-T6 Aluminum Alloy
Authors: Wen Quan , Yue Yumei , Ji Shude , Li Zhengwei , Gao Shuangsheng
Published: June 2015

In order to eliminate the flash, arc corrugation and concave in weld zone, level compensation friction stir welding (LCFSW) was put forward and successfully applied to weld 6061-T6 aluminum alloy with varied welding speed at a constant tool rotational speed of 1,800 rpm in the present study. The glossy joint with equal thickness of base material can be attained, and the shoulder affected zone (SAZ) was obviously reduced. The results of transverse tensile test indicate that the tensile strength and elongation reach the maximum values of 248 MPa and 7.1% when the welding speed is 600 mm/min. The microhardness of weld nugget (WN) is lower than that of base material. The tensile fracture position locates at the heat affected zone (HAZ) of the advancing side (AS), where the microhardness is the minimum. The fracture surface morphology represents the typical ductile fracture.
Gaussian Mixture Model Based Classification of Stuttering Dysfluencies
Authors: Mahesha P. , Vinod D.S.
Published: June 2015

The classification of dysfluencies is one of the important steps in objective measurement of stuttering disorder. In this work, the focus is on investigating the applicability of automatic speaker recognition (ASR) method for stuttering dysfluency recognition. The system designed for this particular task relies on the Gaussian mixture model (GMM), which is the most widely used probabilistic modeling technique in ASR. The GMM parameters are estimated from Mel frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs). This statistical speaker-modeling technique represents the fundamental characteristic sounds of speech signal. Using this model, we build a dysfluency recognizer that is capable of recognizing dysfluencies irrespective of a person as well as what is being said. The performance of the system is evaluated for different types of dysfluencies such as syllable repetition, word repetition, prolongation, and interjection using speech samples from the University College London Archive of Stuttered Speech (UCLASS).
Lippard in Part(s)
Authors: Looby Christopher
Published: June 2015

Christopher Looby, “Lippard in Part(s): Seriality and Secrecy in The Quaker City” (pp. 1–35)

Why did George Lippard publish The Quaker City (1844-45) originally in ten separate parts, issued at intervals over time? Answering this question involves some inference and speculation, but the argument is that the material form of part publication served not only strategic and practical purposes in the print marketplace but served also as an expressive form for Lippard. His early journalistic career was a schooling in seriality (his most interesting publications were ad hoc serials), but it was also where his ambition for long form fiction writing developed; The Quaker City then united serial form with an extended novel. This novel was driven by an animus against secrecy (the secret machinations of the powerful) and a converse devotion to democratic publicity, but serial publication itself entailed a form of secrecy (in a particular sense), and as Lippard wrote and issued the novel over an extended period of time he discovered the paradoxical value of secrecy for democracy. Finally, his little-known and belatedly published Key to the Quaker City (1845) embodied the antinomy of secrecy and publicity: it both revealed the novel’s secrets and manufactured new ones, preserving secrecy in perpetuity—that is, preserving the openness of the future for democratic agency.
Identification of Wnt Pathway Target Genes Regulating the Division and Differentiation of Larval Seam Cells and Vulval Precursor Cells inCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Gorrepati Lakshmi , Krause Michael W , Chen Weiping , Brodigan Thomas M , Correa-Mendez Margarita , Eisenmann David M
Published: June 2015

The evolutionarily conserved Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays a fundamental role during metazoan development, regulating numerous processes including cell fate specification, cell migration, and stem cell renewal. Wnt ligand binding leads to stabilization of the transcriptional effector β-catenin and upregulation of target gene expression to mediate a cellular response. During larval development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, Wnt/β-catenin pathways act in fate specification of two hypodermal cell types, the ventral vulval precursor cells (VPCs) and the lateral seam cells. Because little is known about targets of the Wnt signaling pathways acting during larval VPC and seam cell differentiation, we sought to identify genes regulated by Wnt signaling in these two hypodermal cell types. We conditionally activated Wnt signaling in larval animals and performed cell type–specific "mRNA tagging" to enrich for VPC and seam cell–specific mRNAs, and then used microarray analysis to examine gene expression compared to control animals. Two hundred thirty-nine genes activated in response to Wnt signaling were identified, and we characterized 50 genes further. The majority of these genes are expressed in seam and/or vulval lineages during normal development, and reduction of function for nine genes caused defects in the proper division, fate specification, fate execution, or differentiation of seam cells and vulval cells. Therefore, the combination of these techniques was successful at identifying potential cell type–specific Wnt pathway target genes from a small number of cells and at increasing our knowledge of the specification and behavior of these C. elegans larval hypodermal cells.
Mechanisms of morphogenetic disorders in the lower jaw under the influence of heavy metal salts on the body
Authors: Romaniuk Anatolii , Korobchanska Anna Borisivna , Kuzenko Yevhen , Lyndin Mykola
Published: June 2015

In the experiment on the 36 mature rats, the peculiarities of morphological disorders in the lower jaw of rats under the influence of salts of chromium, lead, zinc, iron, copper, and manganese are showed. Profound morphological changes in bone and cartilaginous tissues of lower jaw are followed by disorders of bone mineral content. The importance of the S100 protein in morphological changes in bone and cartilaginous tissues under the influence of heavy metal salts is shown.
The effects of urgent percutaneous coronary intervention on right ventricular systolic functions in non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes
Authors: Keleş Nurşen , Kalçik Macit , Çalişkan Mustafa , Çakir Hakan , Aung Soe Moe , Köstek Osman , İzgi İbrahim Akin , Kirma Cevat
Published: June 2015

Background: Although the importance of the right ventricle (RV) involvement has been known for many years in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), it is scarce in non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). Objectives: We aimed to investigate the effects of urgent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on the RV systolic functions in patients with NSTE-ACS. Materials and Methods: Ninety-five patients diagnosed with NSTE-ACS and who underwent urgent PCI were prospectively investigated. RV systolic functions were analyzed and compared before and after PCI in all patients by using RV index of myocardial performance (RIMP), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), two-dimensional (2D) RV fractional area change (FAC), and isovolumic acceleration (IVA) parameters with transthoracic echocardiography. Results: Among 95 NSTE-ACS patients, 31 had impaired RIMP, 13 had impaired TAPSE, 8 had decreased 2D FAC, and 32 had impaired IVA values at baseline. There was a significant increase in 2D FAC and IVA values after PCI. Conclusions: The right ventricular functions may also be affected in patients with NSTE-ACS, and urgent PCI has a significant ef ect on the recovery of right ventricular systolic functions in patients with NSTE-ACS.
Young Moroccans are speaking out: The changing language market of Morocco
Authors: Meskine Driss , de Ruiter Jan Jaap
Published: June 2015

This article reports on the outcomes of two major sociolinguistic studies executed among youngsters in Morocco. The first took place in the period 2000–2003 and was carried out among 569 persons; the second took place in the period 2010–2012 among 782 persons. In both cases, a questionnaire was distributed containing questions on language proficiency, language behaviour and language attitudes, focusing on Amazigh (Berber), Moroccan – dialectal – Arabic or Darija, Standard Arabic and French. The studies were done in the light of recent language policies opening up the Kingdom to Amazigh and Moroccan Arabic. The key question is to explore to what extent the linguistic profiles of young Moroccans have undergone changes in the first decade of the new millennium in the language market that characterizes Morocco.
Refunctionalisation of industrial territories in Saint Petersburg
Authors: Stieglitz Margarita , Nefedov Valery
Published: June 2015

This paper deals with the problems of transformation of Saint Petersburg industrial territories, including the impressive number of monuments of industrial architecture. The work objective is to trace the application of various methods of transformation – reconstruction, restoration and new construction – of Saint Petersburg's historic industrial estates. The examples from the renovation of London and Liverpool territories similar to Saint Petersburg shipbuilding complexes are used for comparison. The authors contemplate possible ways of modern use of industrial zones that will not destroy the historical and cultural uniqueness of the urban landscapes. As a result, the authors realised the necessity of taking into account the historical and cultural importance of Saint Petersburg industrial territories in the early stage of redevelopment.
New Approaches to the novel: From Terra Nostra to twitter literature
Authors: Williams Raymond L.
Published: June 2015

This article addresses new approaches to the novel in the twenty-first century. It begins with an affirmation that even the most avant-garde of contemporary critics in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century share a commonality: a background in what was identified as “close reading” in the Anglo-American academic world and analyse de texte in French. After numerous declarations in recent decades about the death of the novel, the death of the author and the death of literary criticism, it is evident that the novel as a genre has survived, authors remain a subject of study, and new approaches are possible. The study of trauma in fiction (as introduced by Cathy Caruth and David Aberbach), as well as eco-criticism, are promising new points of departure. The required close reading implied by Twitter also opens up new possibilities.
El culto de la forma en la literatura de Flaubert
Authors: León Francisco Cruz
Published: June 2015

El ensayo intenta pensar la respuesta de Flaubert al problema decimonónico de la justificación de la literatura. A modo de introducción, se presenta esta respuesta en los términos de una religión de la belleza, de la forma o del estilo. El ensayo va mostrando las distintas modulaciones de la tensión que encierra la fórmula flaubertiana: desde el cruce entre fe y escepticismo, pasando por la manera como sienta las bases para el arranque de las escrituras modernas a partir de una poética del estilo entendido como valor trascendente (Barthes), hasta el modo como prefigura la crisis de su programa al radicalizar la paradoja de la novela (Lukács) en el devenir del eje realista.
André Malraux más allá de su antimemoria
Authors: Duque García Nacho
Published: June 2015

Dos hipótesis sobre el género autobiográfico –e incluso sobre el autorretrato– parecen ceñirse perfectamente a las Antimémoires de Malraux: en primer lugar, que resulta estéril elaborar una interpretación a partir de una distinción entre ‘verdad’ y ‘ficción’ y, en segundo lugar, que toda autobiografía refleja una visión social e individual de la temporalidad, y ésta prolifera en los contextos más susceptibles de ser considerados históricamente ‘nuevos’. Malraux, como revelan sus Antimémoires, es un enigma que se alimenta de sí mismo, de los fragmentos de su vida y de los pasajes de sus obras. Para intentar desentrañarlo recurriremos a tres perspectivas diversas en lo que podríamos considerar una “presunta teoría malrauxiana de los tres Malraux” y, paralelamente, acudiremos a ciertos escritos en los que la autorreferencialidad resulta menos evidente y con los que Malraux propuso una visión del arte y de la vida sumamente particulares, acaso porque fue allí donde depositó las claves con las que poder acercarse a su trayectoria y a su pensamiento.
Efecto de los micronutrientes en polvo en el estado nutricional y en los valores hemáticos de preescolares sanos, Medellín, 2013
Authors: Orozco C. Juliana , Vargas G. Cristian , Rojas B. Maylen L. , Herrera T. Ana Milena , Montoya V. Liliana , Sánchez G. Juliana , Chica P. Javier , Villada O. Oscar , Díaz D. Alejandro
Published: June 2015

Las carencias de micronutrientes son un problema de salud pública común en muchos países, principalmente en aquellos en vía de desarrollo; las deficiencias más prevalentes son las de vitamina A, hierro y yodo. Para reducirlas se pueden ejecutar estrategias como la fortificación de alimentos. Objetivo: evaluar el efecto de la fortificación de la dieta con micronutrientes en polvo en el estado nutricional y los valores hemáticos de preescolares sanos. Metodología: ensayo clínico triple ciego, con asignación aleatoria de grupos y controlado con placebo. Se analizaron 90 preescolares sanos a quienes se suministró 1g de mezcla de micronutrientes al día con 12,50 mg de hierro (fumarato ferroso). Antes y después de nueve semanas, se midieron los niveles de hemoglobina, ferritina sérica, transferrina, ácido fólico y los indicadores nutricionales. Resultados: la concentración de hemoglobina disminuyó en el grupo de intervención, pasando de 12,80 g/dL a 12,10 g/dL (p = 0,000), mientras que en el grupo placebo no hubo variación (p = 0,639); así mismo la transferrina disminuyó significativamente solo en el grupo intervenido (p = 0,004); el nivel de ferritina al final del estudio no difirió intra o entre grupos de intervención. Las reacciones adversas fueron similares en ambos grupos: dos niños presentaron náusea y dos tuvieron dolor abdominal, sin diferencias estadísticas. Conclusiones: la fortificación de alimentos durante nueve semanas con los micronutrientes en polvo empleados en el estudio, no mejoró los niveles hematológicos, ni el estado nutricional de los niños sanos estudiados; los alimentos fortificados fueron bien tolerados por los preescolares.
Mortalidad evitable en los estados de la frontera del norte de México: posibles implicaciones sociales y para los servicios de salud
Authors: López J. Ana M. , Uribe S. Felipe J.
Published: June 2015

Objetivo: analizar la mortalidad evitable en los estados de la frontera del norte de México entre 1998 y 2007 para indirectamente evaluar la calidad de los servicios de salud en la región. Metodología: se analizó la información sobre mortalidad del Sistema Nacional de Información en Salud (SINAIS). La unidad de análisis fue la causa básica de la defunción codificada según la décima revisión de la CIE. La mortalidad evitable fue clasificada según el catálogo de causas de muerte propuesto por Gómez. Se hizo un análisis exploratorio de la relación entre la mortalidad evitable y la derechohabiencia y el nivel socioeconómico de los municipios correspondientes a las muertes. Resultados: la tasa de mortalidad evitable global fue de 350,2 muertes por mil habitantes en la región. La mortalidad evitable por diagnóstico y tratamiento médico precoz, violencia y VIH/SIDA tuvo tasas de 223, 60 y 5 por mil habitantes, respectivamente, presentando variaciones de magnitud, sociodemográficas y por derechohabiencia entre estados. Discusión y conclusiones: las poblaciones de los estados de la frontera norte de México se caracterizan por tener una dinámica sociodemográfica y de los servicios de salud muy intensa. Los resultados sugieren que el sistema de salud está siendo rebasado en su respuesta a una alta frecuencia de enfermedades no transmisibles. En el aspecto social existen condiciones estructurales en México que favorecen la presencia de narcotráfico y su consecuente causa de violencia y consumo de drogas ilegales que podrían estar relacionadas con la frecuencia de muertes violentas y en forma subsidiaria con las causadas por el VIH/SIDA.
Prevalencia y factores asociados al VIH en habitante de calle de la ciudad de Medellín, Colombia
Authors: Berbesí Dedsy , Segura-Cardona Ángela , Caicedo Beatriz , Cardona-Arango Doris
Published: June 2015

Objetivo: determinar la prevalencia de VIH y explorar su relación con características sociales y demográficas de habitantes de calle de la ciudad de Medellín en el año 2014. Metodología: se realizó un estudio descriptivo-transversal para determinar la seroprevalencia de VIH y se exploraron factores sociales y demográficos asociados a la infección por VIH en habitantes de calle de la ciudad de Medellín en el año 2014. El procesamiento de datos fue realizado en el software SPSS 21.0. Los análisis incluyeron descripción univariada y bivariada, se utilizó la prueba estadística de Chi cuadrado; razón de prevalencia (RP) intervalos de confianza del 95% asumiendo un nivel de significación estadística menor del 5%. Resultados: se encuestaron 184 habitantes de calle, el 80% eran hombres, con un promedio de edad de 40 (DE 11,4 años). Se identificó una prevalencia de VIH del 8,2%; para los hombres esta prevalencia fue de 6,1% y para las mujeres fue de 16,2%. Las mujeres tuvieron tres veces el riesgo de VIH comparado con los hombres y las personas casadas y en unión libre cinco veces el riesgo de tener VIH comparado con los solteros, separados y divorciados. Conclusión: la prevalencia mayor del 5% en la población habitante de calle, muestra que la infección por VIH en Colombia está concentrada en poblaciones clave (alta prevalencia y vulnerables) y se requieren acciones focalizadas hacia grupos específicos.
Meta-análisis de la percepción de la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud del adolescente según el género
Authors: Higuita-Gutiérrez Luis F. , Cardona-Arias Jaiberth A.
Published: June 2015

Durante la adolescencia se presentan diferencias de género en la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud (CVRS). Objetivo: metaanalizar, desde el enfoque de género, la CVRS del adolescente según el KIDSREEN-27. Metodología: revisión sistemática con metaanálisis. Se evaluó reproducibilidad y se realizaron las pruebas Q, Begg, Funel Plot, Galbraith, Influencias, ForestPlot y metaregresión. Resultados: se incluyeron 11 investigaciones con 11.619 adolescentes sanos y enfermos. Los puntajes de “actividad física y salud” y “estado de ánimo y sentimientos” fueron mayores en los hombres; mientras que “apoyo social y amigos” y “entorno escolar” en las mujeres. En la vida familiar y el tiempo libre no hubo diferencias por género. En la metaregresión para sanos y enfermos permanecieron las diferencias para el género masculino. Conclusión: se generó evidencia que soporta la necesidad de incluir la perspectiva de género en la planificación, administración de los servicios de salud e identificación de las necesidades asistenciales de adolescentes.
Retos investigativos en psicología de la salud ocupacional: el estrés laboral
Authors: Hermosa R. Angélica M. , Perilla T. Lyria E.
Published: June 2015

El presente artículo tiene como propósito exponer los retos de la investigación en psicología de la salud ocupacional, en particular el estrés en el trabajo, uno de los temas de mayor desarrollo en esta disciplina. El artículo describe los elementos conceptuales y determinantes del estrés en el trabajo, se identifican las dificultades de la investigación en esta área y, se plantean sugerencias metodológicas para enriquecer esta investigación. Los programas de intervención son analizados comparando enfoques, diseños y resultados efectivos. Por último, se proponen directrices para mejorar la investigación en este campo.
Treatment of oil–water emulsion from the machinery industry by Fenton's reagent
Authors: Feng Chao , Sun Henghu , Li Suqin , Camarillo Mary Kay , Stringfellow William T. , Liang Yangyang
Published: June 2015

An oil–water emulsion from the machinery industry was treated using Fenton's reagent. The objective was to reduce the high chemical oxygen demand (COD) of this waste stream so that it would meet the COD effluent limit of Chinese Standard JS-7740-95. The optimal [H2O2]/[Fe2+] ratio for COD removal was 3. An orthogonal experimental design was developed based on the optimal [H2O2]/[Fe2+] ratio to evaluate the significance of four parameters relevant to the treatment process, namely, H2O2 dosage, initial pH, oxidation time and coagulation pH. The influence of the four parameters on COD removal efficiency decreased as follows: H2O2 dosage > oxidation time > coagulation pH > initial pH. The COD removal efficiency was further investigated based on the most important single-factor parameter, which was H2O2 dosage, as discovered in the orthogonal test. A well-fitted empirical correlation was obtained from the single-factor analysis and up to 98% COD removal was attained using 50 mM H2O2. Using the doses and conditions identified in this study, the treated oil–water emulsion can be discharged according to Chinese Standard JS-7740-95.
Improving the simultaneous removal of chemical oxygen demand and terephthalic acid in a cross-flow aerobic sludge reactor by using response surface methodology
Authors: Hu Dong-Xue , Tian Yu , Chen Zhao-Bo , Ge Hui , Cui Yu-Bo , Ran Chun-Qiu
Published: June 2015

Central composite design and response surface methodology (RSM) were implemented to optimize the operational parameters for a cross-flow aerobic sludge reactor (CFASR) in remedying mixed printing and dyeing wastewater (MPDW). The individual and interactive effects of three variables, hydraulic retention time (HRT), pH and sludge loading rate (SLR), on chemical oxygen demand (COD) and terephthalic acid (TA) removal rates were evaluated. For HRT of 15.3–19.8 hours, pH of 7.2–8.1 and SLR of 0.4–0.6 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD) per kg mixed liquor suspended solids per day, COD and TA removal rates of the CFASR exceeded 85% and 90%, respectively. The check experiment revealed that the effluent from the optimized CFASR was stable below the limitation of 100 mg COD/L and the TA concentration decreased by 6.0% compared to the usual CFASR. The results verified that the RSM was useful for optimizing the operation parameters of the CFASR in remedying MPDW.
Phosphate removal from aqueous solutions using (vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium chloride grafted onto polyester fibers
Authors: Park HyunJu , Nguyen Duc Canh , Na Choo-Ki
Published: June 2015

In this study, we investigated the removal of phosphate from aqueous solutions using (vinylbenzyl)-trimethylammonium chloride (VBTAC) grafted onto poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers (PET-g-VBTAC). Batch-mode experiments were conducted using various contact times, initial phosphate concentrations, temperatures, pH values, and competing anions, to understand phosphate sorption onto PET-g-VBTAC. The phosphate sorption capacity of PET-g-VBTAC increased with increasing solution pH and was highest near pH 7. The equilibrium data fitted the Langmuir isotherm model well. The maximum sorption capacity (qm) of PET-g-VBTAC for phosphate was 55.6–56.0 mg/g at 25–45 °C. The sorption process followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The obtained values of the mean free energy indicated that sorption of phosphate on PET-g-VBTAC occurs via ion exchange. Thermodynamic parameters, enthalpy change, entropy change, and Gibb's free energy, confirmed that phosphate sorption was spontaneous and endothermic. The adverse effects of competing anions on phosphate removal by PET-g-VBTAC were insignificant. These results demonstrate that PET-g-VBTAC effectively removes phosphate from aqueous solutions by ion exchange.
Stagewise processing of yellow water using clinoptilolite for nitrogen and phosphorus recovery and higher residual quality
Authors: Allar A. D. , Beler Baykal B.
Published: June 2015

Source-separated human urine may be used as a source of fertilizers indirectly through processing with clinoptilolite. The suggested form of fertilizer is clinoptilolite loaded with plant nutrients from urine, where nitrogen and phosphorus will be released upon contact with water. Triggered by the need for handling high concentrations remaining in the liquid phase to be disposed of, this paper aims to present the option of improving the residual nutrient quality through stagewise processing with clinoptilolite, while investigating any improvement in nutrient removal. Two sets of experiments, stagewise operation under (i) constant loadings and (ii) variable loadings in each stage, are discussed. Stagewise operation has been observed to be successful for attaining reduced residual liquid phase concentrations as well as improvements in nitrogen recovery as compared to single-stage operation. Comparing constant and variable stagewise loadings, the final concentration is 10 times lower with variable loadings. The latter is comparable to a level found in only 1% of conventional domestic wastewater volume. Stagewise operation was beneficial from the standpoint of both additional nutrient recovery and for residuals control, with more pronounced benefits for attaining higher quality residual liquid phase concentrations to be disposed of.
The impact of an educational film on promoting knowledge and attitudes toward HIV in soldiers of the Serbian armed forces
Authors: Jadranin Zeljko , Dedic Gordana , Vaughan Freda , Grillo Michael , Suljagic Vesna
Published: June 2015

Background/Aim. Millions of soldiers around the world represent one of the
most vulnerable populations regarding exposure to human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) infection. The programs for HIV prevention remain the most viable
approach to reducing the spread of HIV infection. Very few studies have
tested the effectiveness of HIV preventive interventions undertaken in
military population. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness
of educational film to transfer knowledge about HIV infection to soldiers.
Methods. We performed a quasi-experimental study among 102 soldiers of the
Serbian Armed Forces. The experimental intervention consisted of the HIV
knowledge pre-questionnaire, watching a film on HIV knowledge, then the
post-HIV knowledge questionnaire. The results of pre-and post-HIV knowledge
questionnaires were compared. Results. There were 23 questions in the test.
The average total score on the questionnaire before watching the film was
18.23 and after watching it was 20.14, which was statistically significant
difference (p < 0.001). Conclusions. The results of the study show that
viewing a film on HIV infection is an effective method of transferring
knowledge about HIV to the Serbian military population.
The usefulness of endoscopic ultrasonography in differentiation between benign and malignant gastric ulcer
Authors: Roganovic Branka , Perisic Nenad , Roganovic Ana
Published: June 2015

Background/Aim. Gastric ulcer may be benign or malignant. In terms of therapy
and patient?s prognosis early detection of malignancy is very important. The
aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)
in differentiation between benign and malignant gastric ulcer. Methods. A
prospective study included 20 consecutive adult patients with malignant
gastric ulceration and 20 consecutive adult patients with benign gastric
ulceration. All the patients underwent EUS. A total of 6 parameters were
analyzed: ulcer width, ulcer depth, the thickness of the gastric wall along
the edge of ulceration (T0), the thickness of the gastric wall 2 cm from the
edge of ulceration (T2), loss of layering structure of the gastric wall, and
the presence of regional lymph nodes. EUS criteria for malignancy and a
point-score of malignancy were defined. The critical value of total
point-score was also calculated showing the best reliability parameters.
Results. There are 4 criteria for malignancy of gastric ulceration: T0 > 10
mm, T2 > 5 mm, EUS visualization of at least one lymph node, loss of layering
structure of the gastric wall. Furthermore, T2 > 5 mm was the only EUS
independent predictor of ulcer malignancy. The total point score of ? 4 was
the cut-off pointscore value which gave the best reliability parameters in
the assessment of malignant ulcers: sensitivity of 70%, specificity of 95%,
positive predictive value of 93.3%, negative predictive value of 76% and
accuracy of 82.5%. Conclusion. According to the results obtained in this
study, we can conclude that EUS is usefull in differentiation between benign
and malignant gastric ulcer.
Encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis for adult intracranial arterial steno-occlusive disease: long-term single-center experience with 107 operations
Authors: Gonzalez Nestor R. , Dusick Joshua R. , Connolly Mark , Bounni Firas , Martin Neil A. , Van de Wiele Barbara , Liebeskind David S. , Saver Jeffrey L.
Published: June 2015

OBJECT

Encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis (EDAS) is a form of revascularization that has shown promising early results in the treatment of adult patients with moyamoya disease (MMD) and more recently in patients with intracranial atherosclerotic steno-occlusive disease (ICASD). Herein the authors present the long-term results of a single-center experience with EDAS for adult MMD and ICASD.

METHODS

Patients with ischemic symptoms despite intensive medical therapy were considered for EDAS. All patients undergoing EDAS were included. Clinical data, including recurrence of transient ischemic attack (TIA) and/or stroke, functional status, and death, were collected from a retrospective data set and a prospective cohort. Perren revascularization and American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology/Society of Interventional Radiology (ASITN/SIR) collateral grades were recorded from angiograms.

RESULTS

A total of 107 EDAS procedures were performed in 82 adults (36 with ICASD and 46 with MMD). During a median follow-up of 22 months, 2 (2.4%) patients had strokes; both patients were in the ICASD group. TIA-free survival and stroke-free survival analyses were performed using the product limit estimator (Kaplan-Meier) method. The probability of stroke-free survival at 2 years in the ICASD group was 94.3% (95% CI 80%–98.6%). No patient in the MMD group suffered a stroke. The probability of TIA-free survival at 2 years was 89.4% (95% CI 74.7%–96%) in ICASD and 99.7% (95% CI 87.5%–99.9%) in MMD. There were no hemorrhages or stroke-related deaths. Angiograms in 85.7% of ICASD and 92% of MMD patients demonstrated Perren Grade 3 and improvement in ASITN/SIR grade in all cases.

CONCLUSIONS

EDAS is well tolerated in adults with MMD and ICASD and improves collateral circulation to territories at risk. The rates of stroke after EDAS are lower than those reported with other treatments, including intensive medical therapy in patients with ICASD.
Structural Organization of Enzymes of the Phenylacetate Catabolic Hybrid Pathway
Authors: Grishin Andrey , Cygler Miroslaw
Published: June 2015

Aromatic compounds are the second most abundant class of molecules on the earth and frequent environmental pollutants. They are difficult to metabolize due to an inert chemical structure, and of all living organisms, only microbes have evolved biochemical pathways that can open an aromatic ring and catabolize thus formed organic molecules. In bacterial genomes, the phenylacetate (PA) utilization pathway is abundant and represents the central route for degradation of a variety of organic compounds, whose degradation reactions converge at this pathway. The PA pathway is a hybrid pathway and combines the dual features of aerobic metabolism, i.e., usage of both oxygen to open the aromatic ring and of anaerobic metabolism—coenzyme A derivatization of PA. This allows the degradation process to be adapted to fluctuating oxygen conditions. In this review we focus on the structural and functional aspects of enzymes and their complexes involved in the PA degradation by the catabolic hybrid pathway. We discuss the ability of the central PaaABCE monooxygenase to reversibly oxygenate PA, the controlling mechanisms of epoxide concentration by the pathway enzymes, and the similarity of the PA utilization pathway to the benzoate utilization Box pathway and β-oxidation of fatty acids.
Multi-Pixel Photon Counters for Optofluidic Characterization of Particles and Microalgae
Authors: Asrar Pouya , Sucur Marta , Hashemi Nastaran
Published: June 2015

We have developed an optofluidic biosensor to study microscale particles and different species of microalgae. The system is comprised of a microchannel with a set of chevron-shaped grooves. The chevrons allows for hydrodynamic focusing of the core stream in the center using a sheath fluid. The device is equipped with a new generation of highly sensitive photodetectors, multi-pixel photon counter (MPPC), with high gain values and an extremely small footprint. Two different sizes of high intensity fluorescent microspheres and three different species of algae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii strain 21 gr, Chlamydomonas suppressor, and Chlorella sorokiniana) were studied. The forward scattering emissions generated by samples passing through the interrogation region were carried through a multimode fiber, located in 135 degree with respect to the excitation fiber, and detected by a MPPC. The signal outputs obtained from each sample were collected using a data acquisition system and utilized for further statistical analysis. Larger particles or cells demonstrated larger peak height and width, and consequently larger peak area. The average signal output (integral of the peak) for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii strain 21 gr, Chlamydomonas suppressor, and Chlorella sorokiniana falls between the values found for the 3.2 and 10.2 μm beads. Different types of algae were also successfully characterized.
A Penalized Likelihood Approach to Parameter Estimation with Integral Reliability Constraints
Authors: Smith Barry , Wang Steven , Wong Augustine , Zhou Xiaofeng
Published: June 2015

Stress-strength reliability problems arise frequently in applied statistics and related fields. Often they involve two independent and possibly small samples of measurements on strength and breakdown pressures (stress). The goal of the researcher is to use the measurements to obtain inference on reliability, which is the probability that stress will exceed strength. This paper addresses the case where reliability is expressed in terms of an integral which has no closed form solution and where the number of observed values on stress and strength is small. We find that the Lagrange approach to estimating constrained likelihood, necessary for inference, often performs poorly. We introduce a penalized likelihood method and it appears to always work well. We use third order likelihood methods to partially offset the issue of small samples. The proposed method is applied to draw inferences on reliability in stress-strength problems with independent exponentiated exponential distributions. Simulation studies are carried out to assess the accuracy of the proposed method and to compare it with some standard asymptotic methods.
Losing Information Outside the Horizon
Authors: Mathur Samir
Published: June 2015

Suppose we allow a system to fall freely from infinity to a point near (but not beyond) the horizon of a black hole. We note that in a sense the information in the system is already lost to an observer at infinity. Once the system is too close to the horizon it does not have enough energy to send its information back because the information carrying quanta would get redshifted to a point where they get confused with Hawking radiation. If one attempts to turn the infalling system around and bring it back to infinity for observation then it will experience Unruh radiation from the required acceleration. This radiation can excite the bits in the system carrying the information, thus reducing the fidelity of this information. We find the radius where the information is essentially lost in this way, noting that this radius depends on the energy gap (and coupling) of the system. We look for some universality by using the highly degenerate BPS ground states of a quantum gravity theory (string theory) as our information storage device. For such systems one finds that the critical distance to the horizon set by Unruh radiation is the geometric mean of the black hole radius and the radius of the extremal hole with quantum numbers of the BPS bound state. Overall, the results suggest that information in gravity theories should be regarded not as a quantity contained in a system, but in terms of how much of this information is accessible to another observer.
Quantum Corrected Non-Thermal Radiation Spectrum from the Tunnelling Mechanism
Authors: Chakraborty Subenoy , Saha Subhajit , Corda Christian
Published: June 2015

The tunnelling mechanism is today considered a popular and widely used method in describing Hawking radiation. However, in relation to black hole (BH) emission, this mechanism is mostly used to obtain the Hawking temperature by comparing the probability of emission of an outgoing particle with the Boltzmann factor. On the other hand, Banerjee and Majhi reformulated the tunnelling framework deriving a black body spectrum through the density matrix for the outgoing modes for both the Bose-Einstein distribution and the Fermi-Dirac distribution. In contrast, Parikh and Wilczek introduced a correction term performing an exact calculation of the action for a tunnelling spherically symmetric particle and, as a result, the probability of emission of an outgoing particle corresponds to a non-strictly thermal radiation spectrum. Recently, one of us (C. Corda) introduced a BH effective state and was able to obtain a non-strictly black body spectrum from the tunnelling mechanism corresponding to the probability of emission of an outgoing particle found by Parikh and Wilczek. The present work introduces the quantum corrected effective temperature and the corresponding quantum corrected effective metric is written using Hawking’s periodicity arguments. Thus, we obtain further corrections to the non-strictly thermal BH radiation spectrum as the final distributions take into account both the BH dynamical geometry during the emission of the particle and the quantum corrections to the semiclassical Hawking temperature.
Chromatin Remodelers: From Function to Dysfunction
Authors: Längst Gernot , Manelyte Laura
Published: June 2015

Chromatin remodelers are key players in the regulation of chromatin accessibility and nucleosome positioning on the eukaryotic DNA, thereby essential for all DNA dependent biological processes. Thus, it is not surprising that upon of deregulation of those molecular machines healthy cells can turn into cancerous cells. Even though the remodeling enzymes are very abundant and a multitude of different enzymes and chromatin remodeling complexes exist in the cell, the particular remodeling complex with its specific nucleosome positioning features must be at the right place at the right time in order to ensure the proper regulation of the DNA dependent processes. To achieve this, chromatin remodeling complexes harbor protein domains that specifically read chromatin targeting signals, such as histone modifications, DNA sequence/structure, non-coding RNAs, histone variants or DNA bound interacting proteins. Recent studies reveal the interaction between non-coding RNAs and chromatin remodeling complexes showing importance of RNA in remodeling enzyme targeting, scaffolding and regulation. In this review, we summarize current understanding of chromatin remodeling enzyme targeting to chromatin and their role in cancer development.
Routing in Dense Human Crowds Using Smartphone Movement Data and Optical Aerial Imagery
Authors: Hillen Florian , Meynberg Oliver , Höfle Bernhard
Published: June 2015

In this paper, we propose a navigation approach for smartphones that enables visitors of major events to avoid crowded areas or narrow streets and to navigate out of dense crowds quickly. Two types of sensor data are integrated. Real-time optical images acquired and transmitted by an airborne camera system are used to compute an estimation of a crowd density map. For this purpose, a patch-based approach with a Gabor filter bank for texture classification in combination with an interest point detector and a smoothing function is applied. Furthermore, the crowd density is estimated based on location and movement speed of in situ smartphone measurements. This information allows for the enhancement of the overall crowd density layer. The composed density information is input to a least-cost routing workflow. Two possible use cases are presented, namely (i) an emergency application and (ii) a basic routing application. A prototypical implementation of the system is conducted as proof of concept. Our approach is capable of increasing the security level for major events. Visitors are able to avoid dense crowds by routing around them, while security and rescue forces are able to find the fastest way into the crowd.