bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The education investment dimension of international personal remittances in Colombia
Authors: Tsaurai Kunofiwa
Published: December 2016

The study investigated the relationship between personal international remittances received and gross enrolment ratio in Colombia. There are three hypotheses explaining the relationship between personal international remittances and education (human capital development). These are (1) remittances-led education hypothesis, (2) education-led remittances hypothesis and (3) neutrality hypothesis that says there is no relationship at all between these two variables. Although majority of the empirical studies support the remittances-led education hypothesis, the subject is still attracting contradicting findings and not yet conclusive. It is on the backdrop of such lack of consensus in the literature that the author investigated the relationship between personal remittances received and gross enrolment ratio primary and secondary (%) in Colombia. The study used the auto-regressive distributive lag (ARDL) bounds co-integration testing technique with annual time series data ranging between 1978 and 2010 to determine the existence of a long run relationship between personal remittances and education in Colombia. The ARDL F-bounds co-integration test revealed that personal remittances received and gross enrolment ratio for both primary and secondary schools in Colombia are not co-integrated or they do not have any long run relationship, thus supporting the neutrality hypothesis. This conclusion was arrived at using either personal remittances or gross enrolment ratio as a dependent variable. These results imply that personal remittances received in Colombia were directed more towards consumption and not invested in education. The study therefore urges the Colombian authorities to concientise the recipients of the personal remittances to invest in the children’s education rather than spending the remittances on consumption purposes
Globalization, capital market and economic development in Nigeria
Authors: Adediran Olanrewaju Adewole , Adeyemo Kolawole Samuel , Alalade Samson
Published: December 2016

This article examines the economic integration caused by globalization and effect of capital market in Nigeria context. It establishes the type of relationship and level of significance of globalization and capital market on the economic development. Globalization concept is framed as import plus export divided by growth ratio. The capital market was determined in terms of proxy (by GDP) by price index. The growth ratio assessed the level of development using econometric model. The results suggest that sound economic reform and financial policies are necessary to achieve sustainable development in Nigeria. However, there is need to increase exports, reduce imports and control exchange rate for Nigeria to achieve sustainable economic development.
Determination of free phenolic acids from leaves within different colored maize
Authors: Mesarovic Jelena , Dragicevic Vesna , Mladenovic-Drinic Snezana , Ristic Danijela , Kravic Natalija
Published: December 2016

Along with other plant parts, maize leaves are widely used for making
fermented food for cattle, known as silage. Since there have been only a few
reports on studies concerning the extraction and determination of phenolic
acids from maize leaves, the main goal of this experiment was to evaluate
free phenolic acids content in leaves of fifteen different maize inbred
lines. Reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC),
equipped with photodiode array detector (DAD), was performed. Under the
optimization of chromatographic conditions, referring to short time of
samples preparation, small quantities of solvent and direct injection of
extract into HPLC, phenolic acids (i.e. gallic, protocatechuic, caffeic,
p-coumaric and ferulic acid) were successfully separated in less than 25 min,
indicating that the method can be applied for routine analysis. The
efficiency and validation of the method was evaluated by measuring the rate
of parameters: linearity, limit of detection and quantification, accuracy and
precision. Results obtained revealed that the most abundant free phenolic
acid was p-coumaric acid (23.57 ?g g-1 dry weight), followed by ferulic and
caffeic acids (21.27 and 20.78 ?g g-1 dry weight, respectively). Principal
Component Analysis (PCA) revealed the existence of link.
Bochdalek hernia in adults: A case report
Authors: Ivosevic Anita , Meta-Jevtovic Ivana , Cupurdija Vojislav , Cekerevac Ivan , Radunovic Aleksandar , Jovanovic Milan , Vulovic Maja , Spasic Marko , Petrovic Marina
Published: December 2016

Introduction. Asymptomatic Bochdalek hernia in adults is a rarity. The aim of this paper is to present a rare case of Bochdalek hernia among adults and to point out to significance of clinical suspicion and important role of imaging techniques in reaching the exact diagnosis of this abnormality. Case report. A patient, aged 68 years, came to the Clinic of Pulmonology complaining of constant dyspnea, coughing and fatigue. Computed tomography (CT) findings were dominated by the large rear right diaphragmatic hernia with the hernial sac that reached the carina trachea and urged the principal bronchi. The stomach, duodenum and proximal part of jejunal winds, as well as a greater amount of omental and mesenteric adipose tissue were localized in hernial sac. Radiography of gastroduodenum showed: entry of the esophagus into the cardia was in the level of the right main bronchus. Stomach was mainly located in the chest (cardia, upper corpus half - to the level of the right main bronchus). Operation was indicated. First, we made right thoracotomy and the hernia sac was separated from the right lung and then we performed median laparotomy and the contents of the hernia sac were returned to the abdominal cavity; diaphragm defect was reconstructed with prolen mesh. Conclusion. We presented a rare case of right sided Bochdalek hernia which was discovered at late age and surgically treated with success.
Risk factors for fear of falling in the elderly in Serbia
Authors: Ivanovic Suncica , Trgovcevic Sanja
Published: December 2016

Background/Aim. After a fall, the elderly can develop a fear of falling which can be more frequent and more serious problem than the fall itself because it represents the main factor limiting an older person in his/her everyday functioning. The aim of this study was to identify and examine, in a more detailed way, risk factors for developing fear of falling triggered by the history of their falls over the previous year in the elderly in Serbia who live in houses or apartments. Methods. The cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 people, mean age 75.04 years (min. 65, max. 94), randomly selected from the register of patients in the Primary Health Center of Nis (164 men and 236 women), in the period January- June 2014. Socio-demographic questionnaire ? Elderly Fall Screening Test (EFST), Multi-Factor Questionnaire Falls (MFQ) and Falls Efficacy Scale International (FESI) were used in this study. Results. After applying the multivariate binary logistic regression, it was found that significant predictors for developing fear of falling were as follows: female gender (OR = 2.599; p = 0.009), age 75?79 years (OR = 4.637; p = 0.009) and over 80 years (OR = 3.830; p = 0.001), increase in household members (OR = 1.206; p = 0.033), people who estimate their health as average (OR = 0.268; p < 0.001) and good (OR = 0.059; p < 0.001), number of falls higher than 2 (OR = 2.761; p = 0.003), presence of injuries during the fall (OR = 2.483; p = 0.028), periodical and repeating situations of ?near-fall? (OR = 3.830; p = 0.001), limited activity (OR = 2.124; p = 0.007) problems with sight (OR = 3.006; p < 0.001), cognitive problems (OR = 2.296; p = 0.005) and problems with balance (OR = 3.809; p < 0.001). Conclusion. The results of this study can be used for planning promotional programs for falls and a fear of falling prevention, as well as prevention of their consequences.
Surgical treatment of hiatal hernia: A ten-year experience
Authors: Korica Milan , Secen Svetozar , Cvijanovic Radovan , Nestorov Natasa , Stankovic Milan , Veljkovic Radovan
Published: December 2016

Background/Aim. Today, hiatal hernia and the accompanying gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are the most common benign disorders of the upper gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study was to present the results of the hiatal hernia and GERD laparoscopic surgery in finding out for best type of fundoplication in each individual case. Methods. The study included 132 patients with the diagnosis of hiatal hernia and GERD, operated in the period from May 2004 to December 2014 at the Clinic for Abdominal, Endocrine and Transplantation Surgery of the Clinical Center Vojvodina, Serbia. The patients were selected for surgery on the basis of the findings of esophago-gastroscopy, barium contrast upper gastrointestinal series, 24-hour pH monitoring and esophageal manometric studies. Results. All the patients in this series underwent a posterior hiatoplasty with direct sutures. An additional mesh reinforcement was performed in 21 (16%) patients with a large hiatal hernia. There were 68 Nissen, 59 Toupet, and 5 Door fundoplications. Recently, the short-floppy Nissen fundoplication has predominantly been performed due to good postoperative outcomes. Intraoperative complications were: the parietal pleura lesion (3 patients), the spleen capsule laceration (4 patients), a minor injury of the adventitia of the distal esophagus (1 patient) and a thermal injury of the gastric fundus (1 patient). The postoperative complications were as folows: one fistula of the gastric fundus, transitory subcutaneous emphysema in the neck (5 patients), minor left-sided pleural effusions (6 patients), a transitory dysphagia (23 patients). The overall recurrence rate was 18.2% (24 patients). There was one fatal outcome. Conclusion. Laparoscopic surgery is considered a safe and effective surgical procedure for the treatment of hiatal hernia. The hiatal repair with a mesh reinforcement is recommended in selected cases. Today all consider the ?short floppy? Nissen fundoplication as procedure of choice for the adequate hiatal repair.
A Patient Preference Study that Evaluated Fluticasone Furoate and Mometasone Furoate Nasal Sprays for Allergic Rhinitis
Authors: Yanez Anahi , Dimitroff Alex , Bremner Peter , Rhee Chae-Seo , Luscombe Graham , Prillaman Barbara A. , Johnson Neil
Published: December 2016

Background

Corticosteroid nasal sprays are the mainstay of treatment for allergic rhinitis. These sprays have sensory attributes such as scent and/or odor, taste and aftertaste, and run down the throat and/or the nose, which, when unpleasant, can affect patient preference for, and compliance with, treatment.

Objective

This study examined patient preference for fluticasone furoate nasal spray (FFNS) or mometasone furoate nasal spray (MFNS) based on their sensory attributes after administration in patients with allergic rhinitis.

Methods

This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, cross-over study. Patient preferences were determined by using three questionnaires (Overall Preference, Immediate Attributes, and Delayed Attributes).

Results

Overall, 56% of patients stated a preference for FFNS versus 32% for MFNS (p < 0.001); the remaining 12% stated no preference. More patients stated a preference for FFNS versus MFNS for the attributes of “less drip down the throat” (p < 0.001), “less run out of the nose” (p < 0.05), “more soothing” (p < 0.05), and “less irritating” (p < 0.001). More patients responded in favor of FFNS versus MFNS for the immediate attributes, “run down the throat” (p < 0.001), and “run out of the nose” (p < 0.001), and, in the delayed attributes, “run down the throat” (p < 0.001), “run out of the nose” (p < 0.01), “presence of aftertaste” (p < 0.01), and “no nasal irritation” (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Patients with allergic rhinitis preferred FFNS versus MFNS overall and based on a number of individual attributes, including “less drip down the throat,” “less run out of the nose,” and “less irritating.” Greater preference may improve patient adherence and thereby improve symptom management of the patient's allergic rhinitis.
Illustrations in a sixteenth-century book on obstetrics
Authors: Roberts K.B.
Published: December 2016

It is possible that some early manuscripts on obstetrics by the classical author, Soranus of Ephesus (98–138 A.D.), were illustrated. A ninth century manuscript derived from this work includes figures of babies in utero which may have been copied from these earlier illustrations. Recognizably similar figures were printed in many 16th and 17th century books on human reproduction. In their turn, popular sex manuals of the 19th and even 20th centuries, such as “Aristotle's works”, were issued with fetal figures positioned in a commodious uterus, so demonstrating the influence of the earlier representations and continuing a tradition of more than a thousand years.
Petite histoire des premières crèches en Pologne : regards comparatifs vers la France
Authors: Pawlowska Aleksandra
Published: December 2016

L'objectif de cet article est de s'interroger sur l'histoire de la crèche en Pologne à partir d'un regard comparatif avec les influences venant de France. Bien que connaissant une évolution différente, dans un contexte de mortalité infantile alarmante, elles sont toutes deux gagnées par les préoccupations hygiénistes issues de la révolution pastorienne qui aboutissent à la sauvegarde médicalisée de la petite enfance. En analysant le développement de la crèche en Pologne, nous appréhendons comment, malgré les missions comparables, cette institution peine à se faire valoir en tant qu'institution pour la petite enfance. Elle rencontre non seulement des difficultés administratives dans sa mise en place, mais doit également faire face aux réticences des familles à y confier leurs enfants.
Scheme of the Failure Analysis Taking the Example of Profile Wire Breaks in the Support Cable of a Cable Car System
Authors: Koller R. E. , Piskoty G. , Zgraggen M.
Published: December 2016

Cable car systems are predominantly used in the Alpine Region for the transportation of passengers and goods. During operation, their components are subjected to environmental influences as well as to static and dynamic loads. Even if standards, measurements, experimental tests, periodic inspections, and maintenance are considered, a component failure can not be entirely excluded. It is for that reason that cases of damage in the cable car industry are clarified based on systematic analyses aiming at prevention and an increase in security.

The approach for the identification of the underlying causes of a case of failure is presented using the example of a spectacular incident in 2004 where all external profile wires of a support cable of a 100 passenger aerial tramway broke during operation.

A precautionary and thorough preservation of evidence, detailed examinations of the subject components, clarifications of the operating history of the system, as well as an eventual identification of a probable damage process supported by examination findings are essential steps of this approach.

The findings of such evaluations are the basis for recommendations regarding testing and construction of further systems, their operation, maintenance, and inspections with a focus on damage prevention.
Using the Control Chart Approach to Evaluate Hardness Tester Performance
Authors: Voort G. F. Vander
Published: December 2016

The control chart data analysis approach is an ideal method to evaluate the quality of test data using a specific tester, such as a microindentation hardness tester, over a period of usage time. The method described in ASTM E2554 was used for this work. This analysis is done by plotting a Mean s and a standard deviation control chart of the weekly/periodic verification data obtained with certified hardness test blocks at a specific test force and a specific hardness level. The method is illustrated using a Knoop hardness test block certified at a test force of 500 gf and with a long diagonal length of 116.18 μm (527.1 HK). From this data, one can easily calculate the uncertainty of the measurements.
Risk Factors for Mild Cognitive Impairment in German Primary Care Practices
Authors: Jacob Louis , Bohlken Jens , Kostev Karel
Published: December 2016

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a common mental disorder affecting around 16% of elderly people without dementia. MCI is considered an intermediate state between normal cognition and dementia.

Objective: To analyze risk factors for the development of MCI in German primary care practices.

Methods: In total, 3,604 MCI patients and 3,604 controls without MCI were included between January 2010 and December 2015. Several disorders potentially associated with MCI were determined. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted with MCI as a dependent variable and other disorders as potential predictors.

Results: The mean age was 75.2 years and 45.3% of patients were men. MCI development was found to be associated with 12 disorders: intracranial injury, anxiety disorder, depression, mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol use, stroke, hyperlipidemia, obesity, hypertension, Parkinson’s disease, sleep disorder, coronary heart disease, and diabetes with odds ratios ranging from 1.13 (diabetes) to 2.27 (intracranial injury).

Conclusion: Intracranial injury, anxiety, and depression showed the strongest association with MCI. Further analyses are needed to gain a better understanding of the MCI risk factors.
Proteomics Analysis of Blood Serums from Alzheimer’s Disease Patients Using iTRAQ Labeling Technology
Authors: Shen Liming , Liao Liping , Chen Cheng , Guo Yi , Song Dalin , Wang Yong , Chen Youjiao , Zhang Kaoyuan , Ying Ming , Li Shuiming , Liu Qiong , Ni Jiazuan
Published: December 2016

Alzheimer’ disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia affecting up to 6% of the population over the age of 65. In order to discover differentially expressed proteins that might serve as potential biomarkers, the serums from AD patients and healthy controls were compared and analyzed using the proteomics approach of isobaric tagging for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ). For the first time, AD biomarkers in serums are investigated in the Han Chinese population using iTRAQ labeled proteomics strategy. Twenty-two differentially expressed proteins were identified and out of which nine proteins were further validated with more sample test. Another three proteins that have been reported in the literature to be potentially associated with AD were also investigated for alteration in expression level. Functions of those proteins were mainly related to the following processes: amyloid-β (Aβ) metabolism, cholesterol transport, complement and coagulation cascades, immune response, inflammation, hemostasis, hyaluronan metabolism, and oxidative stress. These results support current views on the molecular mechanism of AD. For the first time, differential expression of zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein (AZGP1), fibulin-1 (FBLN1), platelet basic protein (PPBP), thrombospondin-1 (THBS1), S100 calcium-binding protein A8 (S100A8), and S100 calcium-binding protein A9 (S100A9) were detected in the serums of AD patients compared with healthy controls. These proteins might play a role in AD pathophysiology and serve as potential biomarkers for AD diagnosis. Specifically, our results strengthened the crucial role of Aβ metabolism and blood coagulation in AD pathogenesis and proteins related to these two processes may be used as peripheral blood biomarkers for AD.
Fundamental and applied aspects of luminescence of colloidal quantum dots
Authors: Razumov V F
Published: December 2016

The spectral luminescent characteristics of colloidal quantum dots as a new class of luminophores are discussed and state-of-the-art investigations, problems, and prospects for their applications are considered.
Seeking Temporal Predictability in Speech: Comparing Statistical Approaches on 18 World Languages
Authors: Jadoul Yannick , Ravignani Andrea , Thompson Bill , Filippi Piera , de Boer Bart
Published: December 2016

Temporal regularities in speech, such as interdependencies in the timing of speech events, are thought to scaffold early acquisition of the building blocks in speech. By providing on-line clues to the location and duration of upcoming syllables, temporal structure may aid segmentation and clustering of continuous speech into separable units. This hypothesis tacitly assumes that learners exploit predictability in the temporal structure of speech. Existing measures of speech timing tend to focus on first-order regularities among adjacent units, and are overly sensitive to idiosyncrasies in the data they describe. Here, we compare several statistical methods on a sample of 18 languages, testing whether syllable occurrence is predictable over time. Rather than looking for differences between languages, we aim to find across languages (using clearly defined acoustic, rather than orthographic, measures), temporal predictability in the speech signal which could be exploited by a language learner. First, we analyse distributional regularities using two novel techniques: a Bayesian ideal learner analysis, and a simple distributional measure. Second, we model higher-order temporal structure—regularities arising in an ordered series of syllable timings—testing the hypothesis that non-adjacent temporal structures may explain the gap between subjectively-perceived temporal regularities, and the absence of universally-accepted lower-order objective measures. Together, our analyses provide limited evidence for predictability at different time scales, though higher-order predictability is difficult to reliably infer. We conclude that temporal predictability in speech may well arise from a combination of individually weak perceptual cues at multiple structural levels, but is challenging to pinpoint.
Androgen Receptor: A Complex Therapeutic Target for Breast Cancer
Authors: Narayanan Ramesh , Dalton James
Published: December 2016

Molecular and histopathological profiling have classified breast cancer into multiple sub-types empowering precision treatment. Although estrogen receptor (ER) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) are the mainstay therapeutic targets in breast cancer, the androgen receptor (AR) is evolving as a molecular target for cancers that have developed resistance to conventional treatments. The high expression of AR in breast cancer and recent discovery and development of new nonsteroidal drugs targeting the AR provide a strong rationale for exploring it again as a therapeutic target in this disease. Ironically, both nonsteroidal agonists and antagonists for the AR are undergoing clinical trials, making AR a complicated target to understand in breast cancer. This review provides a detailed account of AR’s therapeutic role in breast cancer.
Development of Nano-Carbon Biosensors Using Glycan for Host Range Detection of Influenza Virus
Authors: Kawahara Toshio , Hiramatsu Hiroaki , Suzuki Yasuo , Nakakita Shin-ichi , Ohno Yasuhide , Maehashi Kenzo , Matsumoto Kazuhiko , Okamoto Kazumasa , Matsuba Teruaki , Utsunomiya Risa
Published: December 2016

Nano-carbon materials are promising canidates for applications in high performance devices, including highly sensitive biosensors. We have developed a self-alignment process for nano-carbon field effect transistors (FETs), using a carbon nanowall (CNW)—a nano-carbon materials—to fabricate CNW-FETs. We measured the pH dependence of the device properties. The binding molecules are known to be key components for biosensors. We are concentrating on the development of an influenza virus sensor, because the influenza virus is a major public health problem and a highly sensitive sensor is urgently required. We estimated the size of detected molecules of glycan for influenza viruses using atomic force microscopy. The typical molecule size is around 1 nm, and this may be suitable for electronic detection using a FET structure.
Gas Hydrate Growth Kinetics: A Parametric Study
Authors: Meindinyo Remi-Erempagamo , Svartaas Thor
Published: December 2016

Gas hydrate growth kinetics was studied at a pressure of 90 bars to investigate the effect of temperature, initial water content, stirring rate, and reactor size in stirred semi-batch autoclave reactors. The mixing energy during hydrate growth was estimated by logging the power consumed. The theoretical model by Garcia-Ochoa and Gomez for estimation of the mass transfer parameters in stirred tanks has been used to evaluate the dispersion parameters of the system. The mean bubble size, impeller power input per unit volume, and impeller Reynold’s number/tip velocity were used for analyzing observed trends from the gas hydrate growth data. The growth behavior was analyzed based on the gas consumption and the growth rate per unit initial water content. The results showed that the growth rate strongly depended on the flow pattern in the cell, the gas-liquid mass transfer characteristics, and the mixing efficiency from stirring. Scale-up effects indicate that maintaining the growth rate per unit volume of reactants upon scale-up with geometric similarity does not depend only on gas dispersion in the liquid phase but may rather be a function of the specific thermal conductance, and heat and mass transfer limitations created by the limit to the degree of the liquid phase dispersion is batched and semi-batched stirred tank reactors.
Research on a Household Dual Heat Source Heat Pump Water Heater with Preheater Based on ASPEN PLUS
Authors: Gou Xiang , Fu Yang , Shah Imran , Li Yamei , Xu Guoyou , Yang Yue , Wang Enyu , Liu Liansheng , Wu Jinxiang
Published: December 2016

This article proposes a dual heat source heat pump bathroom unit with preheater which is feasible for a single family. The system effectively integrates the air source heat pump (ASHP) and wastewater source heat pump (WSHP) technologies, and incorporates a preheater to recover shower wastewater heat and thus improve the total coefficient of performance (COP) of the system, and it has no electric auxiliary heating device, which is favorable to improve the security of the system operation. The process simulation software ASPEN PLUS, widely used in the design and optimization of thermodynamic systems, was used to simulate various cases of system use and to analyze the impact of the preheater on the system. The average COP value of a system with preheater is 6.588 and without preheater it is 4.677. Based on the optimization and analysis, under the standard conditions of air at 25 °C, relative humidity of 70%, wastewater at 35 °C, wastewater flow rate of 0.07 kg/s, tap water at 15 °C, and condenser outlet water temperature at 50 °C, the theoretical COP of the system can reach 9.784 at an evaporating temperature of 14.96 °C, condensing temperature of 48.74 °C, and preheated water temperature of 27.19 °C.
Hazard Management Dealt by Safety Professionals in Colleges: The Impact of Individual Factors
Authors: Wu Tsung-Chih , Chen Chi-Hsiang , Yi Nai-Wen , Lu Pei-Chen , Yu Shan-Chi , Wang Chien-Peng
Published: December 2016

Identifying, evaluating, and controlling workplace hazards are important functions of safety professionals (SPs). The purpose of this study was to investigate the content and frequency of hazard management dealt by safety professionals in colleges. The authors also explored the effects of organizational factors/individual factors on SPs’ perception of frequency of hazard management. The researchers conducted survey research to achieve the objective of this study. The researchers mailed questionnaires to 200 SPs in colleges after simple random sampling, then received a total of 144 valid responses (response rate = 72%). Exploratory factor analysis indicated that the hazard management scale (HMS) extracted five factors, including physical hazards, biological hazards, social and psychological hazards, ergonomic hazards, and chemical hazards. Moreover, the top 10 hazards that the survey results identified that safety professionals were most likely to deal with (in order of most to least frequent) were: organic solvents, illumination, other chemicals, machinery and equipment, fire and explosion, electricity, noise, specific chemicals, human error, and lifting/carrying. Finally, the results of one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated there were four individual factors that impacted the perceived frequency of hazard management which were of statistical and practical significance: job tenure in the college of employment, type of certification, gender, and overall job tenure. SPs within colleges and industries can now discuss plans revolving around these five areas instead of having to deal with all of the separate hazards.
Parks and Green Areas Are Associated with Decreased Risk for Hyperlipidemia
Authors: Kim Hye-Jin , Min Jin-Young , Kim Hyun-Jin , Min Kyoung-Bok
Published: December 2016

This study aimed to investigate the association between parks and green areas and hyperlipidemia in adults with groups stratified by moderate physical activity as a behavioral modification using the 2009 Korean Community Health Survey data and 212,584 participants enrolled in this study. The geographical codes of study participants were all matched on the basis of the amount of parks and green areas in each administrative district. Compared with participants living in the highest quartile of parks and green areas (Quartile 4), those living in the lowest quartile of green and park area (Quartile 1) were at an increased risk of physician-diagnosed hyperlipidemia and hyperlipidemia currently under treatment. Participants in the lowest quartile of parks and green areas were likely not to engage in any moderate physical activity. After classifying hyperlipidemia risk depending on the presence of moderate physical activity, those participating in moderate physical activity were less likely to have hyperlipidemia in all quartiles of parks and green areas than those not engaging in moderate physical activity. We found that parks and green areas were associated with decreased hyperlipidemia risk. Physical activity, which may benefit from the presence of parks and green areas, may reduce hyperlipidemia risk.
Antenatal Dexamethasone Exposure in Preterm Infants Is Associated with Allergic Diseases and the Mental Development Index in Children
Authors: Tseng Wan-Ning , Chen Chih-Cheng , Yu Hong-Ren , Huang Li-Tung , Kuo Ho-Chang
Published: December 2016

Background: Antenatal steroid administration may benefit fetal lung maturity in preterm infants. Although some studies have shown that this treatment may increase asthma in childhood, the correlation between antenatal dexamethasone exposure and allergic diseases remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between antenatal dexamethasone and T cell expression in childhood allergic diseases. Methods: We recruited a cohort of preterm infants born at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between 2007 and 2010 with a gestational age of less than 35 weeks and body weight at birth of less than 1500 g. The status of antenatal exposure to steroids and allergic diseases were surveyed using a modified ISAAC questionnaire for subjects aged 2–5 years old. We analyzed Th1/Th2/Th17 expression of mRNA, cytokines (using the Magpix® my-system), and mental development index (MDI). Results: Among the 40 patients that were followed, the data showed that the antenatal dexamethasone exposure group (N = 24) had a significantly higher incidence of allergic diseases (75.0% vs. 18.8%, p < 0.0001) when compared to the non-dexamethasone exposure group (N = 16), especially with regard to asthma (41.7% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.003) and allergic rhinitis (58.3% vs. 18.8%, p = 0.013), but not atopic dermatitis. No statistical difference was observed in the mRNA expression levels of total white blood cell count between the dexamethasone exposure and non-exposure groups (p > 0.05). However, the asthma group had higher IL-5 levels (p = 0.009), and the MDI was shown to be significantly higher in the dexamethasone exposure group (90.38 ± 3.31 vs. 79.94 ± 3.58, p = 0.043) while no significant difference was found between the PDI of the two groups. Conclusions: Exposure to antenatal dexamethasone in preterm infants will increase their susceptibility to allergic diseases, particularly asthma and allergic rhinitis. Preterm infants’ exposure to antenatal dexamethasone also results in higher MDI scores. Such increases in allergic diseases may be related to increased IL-5 and IL-10 levels.
Decreases in Smoking-Related Cancer Mortality Rates Are Associated with Birth Cohort Effects in Korean Men
Authors: Jee Yon , Shin Aesun , Lee Jong-Keun , Oh Chang-Mo
Published: December 2016

Background: This study aimed to examine trends in smoking-related cancer mortality rates and to investigate the effect birth cohort on smoking-related cancer mortality in Korean men. Methods: The number of smoking-related cancer deaths and corresponding population numbers were obtained from Statistics Korea for the period 1984–2013. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to detect changes in trends in age-standardized mortality rates. Birth-cohort specific mortality rates were illustrated by 5 year age groups. Results: The age-standardized mortality rates for oropharyngeal decreased from 2003 to 2013 (annual percent change (APC): −3.1 (95% CI, −4.6 to −1.6)) and lung cancers decreased from 2002 to 2013 (APC −2.4 (95% CI −2.7 to −2.2)). The mortality rates for esophageal declined from 1994 to 2002 (APC −2.5 (95% CI −4.1 to −0.8)) and from 2002 to 2013 (APC −5.2 (95% CI −5.7 to −4.7)) and laryngeal cancer declined from 1995 to 2013 (average annual percent change (AAPC): −3.3 (95% CI −4.7 to −1.8)). By the age group, the trends for the smoking-related cancer mortality except for oropharyngeal cancer have changed earlier to decrease in the younger age group. The birth-cohort specific mortality rates and age-period-cohort analysis consistently showed that all birth cohorts born after 1930 showed reduced mortality of smoking-related cancers. Conclusions: In Korean men, smoking-related cancer mortality rates have decreased. Our findings also indicate that current decreases in smoking-related cancer mortality rates have mainly been due to a decrease in the birth cohort effect, which suggest that decrease in smoking rates.
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Followed by CRIPSR/Cas9 Microinjection Results in Highly Efficient Genome Editing in Cloned Pigs
Authors: Sheets Timothy , Park Chi-Hun , Park Ki-Eun , Powell Anne , Donovan David , Telugu Bhanu
Published: December 2016

The domestic pig is an ideal “dual purpose” animal model for agricultural and biomedical research. With the availability of genome editing tools such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) and associated nuclease Cas9 (CRISPR/Cas9), it is now possible to perform site-specific alterations with relative ease, and will likely help realize the potential of this valuable model. In this article, we investigated for the first time a combination of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and direct injection of CRISPR/Cas ribonucleoprotein complex targeting GRB10 into the reconstituted oocytes to generate GRB10 ablated Ossabaw fetuses. This strategy resulted in highly efficient (100%) generation of biallelic modifications in cloned fetuses. By combining SCNT with CRISPR/Cas9 microinjection, genome edited animals can now be produced without the need to manage a founder herd, while simultaneously eliminating the need for laborious in vitro culture and screening. Our approach utilizes standard cloning techniques while simultaneously performing genome editing in the cloned zygotes of a large animal model for agriculture and biomedical applications.
A Systematic Evaluation of Blood Serum and Plasma Pre-Analytics for Metabolomics Cohort Studies
Authors: Jobard Elodie , Trédan Olivier , Postoly Déborah , André Fabrice , Martin Anne-Laure , Elena-Herrmann Bénédicte , Boyault Sandrine
Published: December 2016

The recent thriving development of biobanks and associated high-throughput phenotyping studies requires the elaboration of large-scale approaches for monitoring biological sample quality and compliance with standard protocols. We present a metabolomic investigation of human blood samples that delineates pitfalls and guidelines for the collection, storage and handling procedures for serum and plasma. A series of eight pre-processing technical parameters is systematically investigated along variable ranges commonly encountered across clinical studies. While metabolic fingerprints, as assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance, are not significantly affected by altered centrifugation parameters or delays between sample pre-processing (blood centrifugation) and storage, our metabolomic investigation highlights that both the delay and storage temperature between blood draw and centrifugation are the primary parameters impacting serum and plasma metabolic profiles. Storing the blood drawn at 4 °C is shown to be a reliable routine to confine variability associated with idle time prior to sample pre-processing. Based on their fine sensitivity to pre-analytical parameters and protocol variations, metabolic fingerprints could be exploited as valuable ways to determine compliance with standard procedures and quality assessment of blood samples within large multi-omic clinical and translational cohort studies.
Vacuum-Induced Surface Freezing to Produce Monoliths of Aligned Porous Alumina
Authors: Großberger Sandra , Fey Tobias , Lee Geoffrey
Published: December 2016

Vacuum-induced surface freezing has been used to produce uni-directional freezing of colloidal aluminum oxide dispersions. It leads to zones of different structure within the resulting sintered monoliths that are highly similar to those known for freeze casting using a cryogen cold source. A more-or-less dense surface layer and a cellular sub-surface region are formed, beneath which is a middle region of aligned lamellae and pores that stretches through most of the depth of the monolith. This is the case even at a volume fraction of dispersed phase as low as 0.032. A more-dense but still porous base layer is formed by accumulation of rejected nanoparticles preceding the freezing front and differs from previous reports in that no ice lenses are observed. X-ray micro-computed tomography reveals a uniform aligned pore structure vertically through the monolith. The pores close to the periphery are oriented radially or as chords, while the center region contains domains of parallel pores/lamellae. The domains are randomly oriented to one another, as already reported for regular freeze casting. This technique for directional freezing is convenient and easy to perform, but requires further refinement in that the temperature gradient and freezing rates remain yet to be measured. Also, control of the temperature gradient by varying chamber vacuum and shelf temperature needs to be evaluated.
Strontium-Substituted Bioceramics Particles: A New Way to Modulate MCP-1 and Gro-α Production by Human Primary Osteoblastic Cells
Authors: Braux Julien , Velard Frédéric , Guillaume Christine , Jourdain Marie-Laure , Gangloff Sophie , Jallot Edouard , Nedelec Jean-Marie , Laquerrière Patrice , Laurent-Maquin Dominique
Published: December 2016

Background: To avoid morbidity and limited availability associated with autografts, synthetic calcium phosphate (CaP) ceramics were extensively developed and used as bone filling materials. Controlling their induced-inflammatory response nevertheless remained a major concern. Strontium-containing CaP ceramics were recently demonstrated for impacting cytokines’ secretion pattern of human primary monocytes. The present study focuses on the ability of strontium-containing CaP to control the human primary bone cell production of two major inflammatory and pro-osteoclastogenic mediators, namely MCP-1 and Gro-α, in response to ceramics particles. Methods: This in vitro study was performed using human primary osteoblasts in which their response to ceramics was evaluated by PCR arrays, antibody arrays were used for screening and real-time PCR and ELISA for more focused analyses. Results: Study of mRNA and protein expression highlights that human primary bone cells are able to produce these inflammatory mediators and reveal that the adjunction of CaP in the culture medium leads to their enhanced production. Importantly, the current work determines the down-regulating effect of strontium-substituted CaP on MCP-1 and Gro-α production. Conclusion: Our findings point out a new capability of strontium to modulate human primary bone cells’ communication with the immune system.
Tempters and Gluten-Free Diet
Authors: Catassi Carlo , Fasano Alessio
Published: December 2016

To the tempter that came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread”.[...]
Translational Difficulties in Studying the TRPA1 Receptor
Authors: Keszthelyi Daniel , Van Avesaat Mark , Troost Freddy , Masclee Ad
Published: December 2016

We read with interest the article by Fothergill et al. [1] presenting data on the potential role of transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) and the functional presence of this receptor in mouse intestine.[...]
Deflation Risk and Implications for Life Insurers
Authors: Bégin Jean-François
Published: December 2016

Life insurers are exposed to deflation risk: falling prices could lead to insufficient investment returns, and inflation-indexed protections could make insurers vulnerable to deflation. In this spirit, this paper proposes a market-based methodology for measuring deflation risk based on a discrete framework: the latter accounts for the real interest rate, the inflation index level, its conditional variance, and the expected inflation rate. US inflation data are then used to estimate the model and show the importance of deflation risk. Specifically, the distribution of a fictitious life insurer’s future payments is investigated. We find that the proposed inflation model yields higher risk measures than the ones obtained using competing models, stressing the need for dynamic and market-consistent inflation modelling in the life insurance industry.
Fuzzy Computing Model of Activity Recognition on WSN Movement Data for Ubiquitous Healthcare Measurement
Authors: Chiang Shu-Yin , Kan Yao-Chiang , Chen Yun-Shan , Tu Ying-Ching , Lin Hsueh-Chun
Published: December 2016

Ubiquitous health care (UHC) is beneficial for patients to ensure they complete therapeutic exercises by self-management at home. We designed a fuzzy computing model that enables recognizing assigned movements in UHC with privacy. The movements are measured by the self-developed body motion sensor, which combines both accelerometer and gyroscope chips to make an inertial sensing node compliant with a wireless sensor network (WSN). The fuzzy logic process was studied to calculate the sensor signals that would entail necessary features of static postures and dynamic motions. Combinations of the features were studied and the proper feature sets were chosen with compatible fuzzy rules. Then, a fuzzy inference system (FIS) can be generated to recognize the assigned movements based on the rules. We thus implemented both fuzzy and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems in the model to distinguish static and dynamic movements. The proposed model can effectively reach the recognition scope of the assigned activity. Furthermore, two exercises of upper-limb flexion in physical therapy were applied for the model in which the recognition rate can stand for the passing rate of the assigned motions. Finally, a web-based interface was developed to help remotely measure movement in physical therapy for UHC.
Shedding Light on Eco-Innovation in Tourism: A Critical Analysis
Authors: Alonso-Almeida Maria-del-Mar , Rocafort Alfredo , Borrajo Fernando
Published: December 2016

The recent global increase in the competitiveness of tourism has made the implementation of eco-innovations a differentiating element among both the destinations and companies in the sector, with quality management and contribution to sustainable development being increasingly valued. However, the eco-innovations that have been developed and implemented in tourist industries have rarely been studied. In this study, the eco-innovations that have been developed and implemented by 57 tourism businesses worldwide are analysed. The identified eco-innovations are classified by using different qualitative methodologies. The obtained results shed light on the limited development of eco-innovations in the tourism industry and the industry focuses mainly on product eco-innovations. Several examples by the tourist sub-industry and types of eco-innovation are analysed. Furthermore, this study provides practical information about measures that both businesses and governmental organisations can adopt to promote eco-innovation in the sector.
The Problem of Embedded Eigenvalues for the Dirac Equation in the Schwarzschild Black Hole Metric
Authors: Batic Davide , Nowakowski Marek , Morgan Kirk
Published: December 2016

We use the Dirac equation in a fixed black hole background and different independent techniques to demonstrate the absence of fermionic bound states around a Schwarzschild black hole. In particular, we show that no embedded eigenvalues exist which has been claimed for the case when the energy is less than the particle’s mass. We explicitly prove that the claims regarding the embedded eigenvalues can be traced back to an oversimplified approximation in the calculation. We conclude that no bound states exist regardless of the value of the mass.
SOLAR OBLIQUITY INDUCED BY PLANET NINE: SIMPLE CALCULATION
Authors: Lai Dong
Published: December 2016

Bailey et al. and Gomes et al. recently suggested that the 6° misalignment between the Sun’s rotational equator and the orbital plane of the major planets may be produced by forcing from the hypothetical Planet Nine on an inclined orbit. Here, we present a simple yet accurate calculation of the effect, which provides a clear description of how the Sun’s spin orientation depends on the property of Planet Nine in this scenario.
MAPPING THE SIMILARITIES OF SPECTRA: GLOBAL AND LOCALLY-BIASED APPROACHES TO SDSS GALAXIES
Authors: Lawlor David , Budavári Tamás , Mahoney Michael W.
Published: December 2016

We present a novel approach to studying the diversity of galaxies. It is based on a novel spectral graph technique, that of locally-biased semi-supervised eigenvectors. Our method introduces new coordinates that summarize an entire spectrum, similar to but going well beyond the widely used Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Unlike PCA, however, this technique does not assume that the Euclidean distance between galaxy spectra is a good global measure of similarity. Instead, we relax that condition to only the most similar spectra, and we show that doing so yields more reliable results for many astronomical questions of interest. The global variant of our approach can identify very finely numerous astronomical phenomena of interest. The locally-biased variants of our basic approach enable us to explore subtle trends around a set of chosen objects. The power of the method is demonstrated in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Main Galaxy Sample, by illustrating that the derived spectral coordinates carry an unprecedented amount of information.