bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Do American Goldfinches See Their World Like Passive Prey Foragers? A Study on Visual Fields, Retinal Topography, and Sensitivity of Photoreceptors
Authors: Baumhardt Patrice E. , Moore Bret A. , Doppler Megan , Fernández-Juricic Esteban
Published: March 2014

Several species of the most diverse avian order, Passeriformes, specialize in foraging on passive prey, although relatively little is known about their visual systems. We tested whether some components of the visual system of the American goldfinch (Spinus tristis), a granivorous bird, followed the profile of species seeking passive food items (small eye size relative to body mass, narrow binocular fields and blind areas, centrally located retinal specialization projecting laterally, ultraviolet-sensitive vision). We measured eye size, visual field configuration, the degree of eye movement, variations in the density of ganglion cells and cone photoreceptors, and the sensitivity of photoreceptor visual pigments and oil droplets. Goldfinches had relatively large binocular (46°) and lateral (134°) visual fields with a high degree of eye movement (66° at the plane of the bill). They had a single centrotemporally located fovea that projects laterally, but can be moved closer to the edge of the binocular field by converging the eyes. Goldfinches could also increase their panoramic vision by diverging their eyes while handling food items in head-up positions. The distribution of photoreceptors indicated that the highest density of single and double cones was surrounding the fovea, making it the center of chromatic and achromatic vision and motion detection. Goldfinches possessed a tetrachromatic ultraviolet visual system with visual pigment peak sensitivities of 399 nm (ultraviolet-sensitive cone), 442 nm (short-wavelength-sensitive cone), 512 nm (medium-wavelength-sensitive cone), and 580 nm (long-wavelength-sensitive cone). Overall, the visual system of American goldfinches showed characteristics of passive as well as active prey foragers, with a single-fovea configuration and a large degree of eye movement that would enhance food searching and handling with their relatively wide binocular fields.
Brain Tumors of Infancy - An Institutional Experience and Review of the Literature
Authors: Mohanty Chandan B. , Shukla Dhaval P. , Devi B. Indira
Published: March 2014

Introduction: Brain tumors in infants are rare and form a distinct subgroup of pediatric brain tumors. These tumors differ from tumors in older children with respect to histology and management and tend to have a poorer outcome. Methods: We analyzed 31 consecutive cases of brain tumors in infancy managed in our institute in the last 15 years and reviewed the published literature since 1990. Results: Only 2 of these patients had congenital tumors. Choroid plexus tumors were the most common histological subtype, followed by medulloblastoma; 62% of patients underwent a gross total or near-total excision of the tumor with 1 perioperative mortality; 68% of patients had a good outcome. Conclusion: Choroid plexus tumors were the most common histological type. Safe resection should be the goal of surgery. Surgeries for tumors in this age group were associated with lower rates of total excision and higher morbidity. Low-grade lesions as expected are associated with longer survival; however, long-term outcomes are far from satisfactory.
Three new species of the genus Austrophthiracarus from New Zealand (Acari: Oribatida: Phthiracaridae)
Authors: LIU DONG , ZHANG ZHI-QIANG
Published: March 2014

Three new species of Austrophthiracarus (Oribatida: Phthiracaridae) from New Zealand are described: Austrophthiracarus matuku sp. nov. from the Bethells Matuku Reserve, Auckland, Austrophthiracarus notoporosus sp. nov. from the Tutoko Bench, Fiordland and Austrophthiracarus karioi sp. nov. from the Mt. Karioi, Waikato. Holotype specimens are deposited in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection, Landcare Research and paratypes are deposited in the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Taxonomic validity and phylogenetic relationships of a newly-described tooth-carp, Aphanius mesopotamicus Coad, 2009 (Teleostei: Cyprinodontidae)
Authors: ALAVI-YEGANEH MOHAMMAD SADEGH , KEIVANY YAZDAN , SEYFABADI JAFAR , KAZEMI BAHRAM , WALLIS GRAHAM P.
Published: March 2014

Variation among complete cytb sequences (1140 bp) of Aphanius mesopotamicus Coad, 2009 was compared with closely related species, to investigate the validity of this taxon as a newly-described tooth-carp based on morphological characteristics. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian likelihood trees supported the monophyly of A. mesopotamicus and its sister group relationship to A. sophiae. Some 10–16 differences were found when compared to four different population samples of A. sophiae, whereas, intraspecific differences were only up to 6 bp. These distances suggest divergence from a common ancestor with A. sophiae at roughly 1 million years ago. These results are congruent with morphology-based hypotheses, indicating a recent speciation event.
Systematics of the genus Heterolaophonte (Crustacea, Copepoda, Harpacticoida), with redescription of H. uncinata and H. curvata
Authors: KAYMAK NEHIR (BOZKURT) , KARAYTUĞ SÜPHAN
Published: March 2014

Both sexes of Heterolaophonte uncinata (Cherniavski, 1868) and H. curvata (Douwe, 1929) are redescribed based on newly collected material from the Black Sea and Mediterranean coasts of Turkey in view of the fact that there has been no detailed redescription since their original descriptions. Neotypes are also designated for both species. Detailed comparisons of the characters displayed among Heterolaophonte Lang, 1948 species reveal that the genus cannot be defined by any unique apomorphy. We propose that the structure of the male appendages, especially the swimming legs, can provide a considerable number of significant characters that are valuable both for taxonomic identification and phylogenetic inferences. In addition, several mistakes leading to a great confusion in the accurate interpretation of the relationships among species within Heterolaophonte are discovered in earlier species descriptions. Therefore, H. rottenburgi (T. Scott, 1912), H. exigua (T. Scott, 1912), H. australis (T. Scott, 1912), and H. insignis (T. Scott, 1914) are removed from the genus and placed as incertae sedis in Laophontidae. We also conclude that H. phycobates (Monard, 1935), H. pygmaea (T. Scott, 1893), H. tupitskyi Chislenko, 1976, and H. curvata micarthros Marcus & Por, 1960, which still need further taxonomic investigation, have doubtful identity within the genus, and we place them as species inquirendae.
Bees of the Colletes flavicornis-group from China with description of one new species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Colletidae)
Authors: NIU ZE-QING , ZHU CHAO-DONG , KUHLMANN MICHAEL
Published: March 2014

Two species of the Colletes flavicornis-group from China are treated in this paper. C. vestitus sp. n. from Xinjiang is illustrated and described, and C. popovi Noskiewicz, 1936 is illustrated and redescribed. Both sexes of the two species are in addition characterized by DNA barcodes. The type specimens of the new species are deposited in the Insect Collection of Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
A new species of Pheles Herrich–Schaeffer from Northeast Brazil (Lepidoptera, Riodinidae)
Authors: CALLAGHAN CURTIS J. , NOBRE CARLOS EDUARDO BESERRA
Published: March 2014

A new species of Riodinidae, Pheles caatingensis Callaghan & Nobre, sp. nov. from Ceará and Pernambuco State in Brazil is described, along with its habitat, behavior and taxonomic differences with other members of the genus Pheles. Notes are included on distribution and mimetic relationships with other sympatric insects.
A new species of Anastrepha (Diptera: Tephritidae) from Euphorbia tehuacana (Euphorbiaceae) in Mexico
Authors: NORRBOM ALLEN L. , CASTILLO-MEZA ANA LUCÍA , GARCÍA-CHÁVEZ JUAN HÉCTOR , ALUJA MARTÍN , RULL JUAN
Published: March 2014

Anastrepha tehuacana, a new species of Tephritidae (Diptera) from Tehuacán, Puebla, Mexico reared from seeds of Euphorbia tehuacana (Brandegee) V.W. Steinm. (Euphorbiaceae), is described and illustrated. Its probable relationship to A. relicta Hernández-Ortiz is discussed.
Articulation as a Site of Discursive Struggle: Globalization and Nationalism in an Indian Media Debate
Authors: Kumar Sangeet
Published: March 2014

This article uses the theory of articulation to analyze the debate surrounding the decision by the Government of India to open up the Indian print media to foreign investment. The decision was preceded and followed by intense wrangling within the pages of the very newspapers that were to be affected by it, thus resulting in a contentious debate around the move. Using the theory of articulation to explore the mechanism of discursive power exercised by each side within the debate the paper argues that each side articulated the same four themes with culturally specific meanings to shape the government’s decision in their favor. This exploration seeks to emphasize the discursive dimension of globalization as a key site where power struggles are played out and consensus about policy choices is created.
“Fix My Life”: Oprah, post-racial economic dispossession, and the Precious transfiguration of PUSH
Authors: Williams Kim D Hester
Published: March 2014

This article examines the critical interventions of Black feminist discourses that advocate for oppositional knowledges and a womanist ethics of care and communalism versus the media-driven hypervisible representation of Black racial subjects that promote neoliberal individualism. The article devotes particular attention to how the 1996 novel, PUSH, by Sapphire, foregrounds the racially oppressive neoliberal welfare reform policies of the 1980s and 1990s while Oprah Winfrey’s coproduction of the 2009 film adaptation of the novel, retitled Precious, functions in opposition to Sapphire’s feminist narrative. The article highlights the Oprah brand’s emphasis on neoliberal self-sufficiency and personal responsibility despite ongoing racial and economic dispossession and discusses, in relation, the promotion of Iyanla Vanzant’s Oprah Winfrey Network television program, Fix My Life, as further reinforcing the post-racial, neoliberal antiwelfare state.
Team Mental Models of Expertise Location
Authors: Ellwart Thomas , Konradt Udo , Rack Oliver
Published: March 2014

This research provides and validates a field survey measure of team mental models (TMMs) on the location of team member expertise. The measure integrates two important aspects into the expertise location TMM Index: (a) the quality of meta-knowledge about experts within the team, and (b) team consensus regarding within-team expertise. Complementary to content-specific TMM approaches, this measure can be applied across different team and task types as a screening indicator in organizational surveys. To validate the TMM Index, an experimental study ( n = 120, 40 teams) and a longitudinal field study ( n = 130, 37 teams) were conducted. Both studies provide evidence that the TMM Index is a reliable screening indicator that corresponds to content-specific accuracy and consensus scores. Multilevel analyses revealed that the TMM Index predicts team performance (self- and other ratings), team coordination, and individual variables such as knowledge credibility and self-efficacy over time.
Rethinking media and disasters in a global age: What’s changed and why it matters
Authors: Cottle Simon
Published: March 2014

Today’s media ecology and communication flows circumscribe the globe, extending beyond and intensifying earlier spatial–temporal communication trends. New and old media increasingly enter into disasters shaping them from the inside out, and outside in, reconfiguring disaster social relations, channelling forms of political control and projects for change, and circulating deep-seated cultural views and sentiments. Approached in global context, disasters can also no longer be presumed to be territorially bounded or nationally confined events, seemingly erupting without warning to disrupt routines, established norms and social order. Many disasters are now increasingly best reconceptualised and theorised as endemic to, enmeshed within and potentially encompassing in today’s globally interconnected (dis)order. This article elaborates on these twin propositions about the changing ontology of disasters in a globalizing world and their epistemological constitution through media and communications and provides theoretical and conceptual coordinates for improved understanding and future research.
War journalism on Israel/Palestine: Does contra-flow really make a difference?
Authors: Ozohu-Suleiman Yakubu
Published: March 2014

Apart from giving voices to the voiceless, the coming of Aljazeera English and Press TV as an alternative perspective in the global news sphere was thought to herald an important departure from the war journalism that describes the attitude of the dominant media to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. To track this expectation, this study adopted the peace journalism model to examine how Aljazeera English and Press TV have responded to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in the recent past compared to BBC World and CNN International. Findings show that similar patterns of war journalism are reproduced in the alternative perspective with counter-demonizing language and disagreements on the identity of terrorists. Peace journalism contents in the alternative perspective, as in the dominant perspective, are engendered more by events of the peace process and peace propaganda than by the much ideated conciliatory media.
Body and Social Order in Middle Bronze Age Transylvania (Central Romania,c. 1900 − 1450 BC)
Authors: Palincaş Nona
Published: March 2014

The aim of this paper is to investigate body-related beliefs and practices in relation to society in Middle Bronze Age Transylvania (central Romania between c. 1900 and 1450 BC), known as the area of the Wietenberg Culture. The low number of human remains and their treatment (through cremation and fragmentation of inhumed bodies) has been interpreted by some authors as a willingness to do away with the physical body. In contrast to this opinion, I try here to show that quite the opposite was the case. The body not only stood at the centre of a variety of rituals (funerary and otherwise), but it also constituted a powerful means for maintaining social order, providing people with an understanding of their place in the world, as well as renegotiating positions and meanings.
Association between sleep disordered breathing and aggressiveness markers of malignant cutaneous melanoma
Authors: Martínez-García Miguel-Ángel , Martorell-Calatayud Antonio , Nagore Eduardo , Valero Irene , Selma Maria Jose , Chiner Eusebi , Landete Pedro , Montserrat Josep-Maria , Carrera Cristina , Pérez-Gil Amalia , Campos-Rodríguez Francisco , Farré Ramón
Published: March 2014

Some recent studies have shown an association between sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and cancer mortality and incidence but no study has focused on a specific type of cancer. The objective of this study was to analyse the relationship between the severity of SDB and factors related to cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) aggressiveness.

We performed a multicentre observational study in 82 consecutive patients diagnosed with CMM. 56 patients in whom melanoma measurements were available were finally included in the study. Melanoma measurements of aggressiveness included: tumour mitotic rate, Breslow index, presence of ulceration, stage of disease and growth rate of melanoma. A sleep study was performed in all the included patients. Multivariate analyses were used to examine the independent relationship between SDB severity (apnoea–hypopnea index (AHI) and nocturnal oxygen desaturation indexes (ODI3%and ODI4%)) and measures of CMM aggressiveness.

60.7% of patients had SDB (AHI ≥5) and 14.3% severe obstructive sleep apnoea (AHI ≥30). In fully adjusted multivariate analyses, AHI (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02–1.14), ODI3%(OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02–1.11) and ODI4%(OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.02–1.2) were independently associated with an increased melanoma growth rate. Furthermore, AHI, ODI4%and ODI3%were significantly correlated with other aggressiveness factors of CMM, such as Breslow index, presence of ulceration and mitotic index.

SDB severity markers are associated with some aggressiveness markers of CMM.
miR-630 targets IGF1R to regulate response to HER-targeting drugs and overall cancer cell progression in HER2 over-expressing breast cancer
Authors: Corcoran Claire , Rani Sweta , Breslin Susan , Gogarty Martina , Ghobrial Irene M , Crown John , O’Driscoll Lorraine
Published: March 2014

Background

While the treatment of HER2 over-expressing breast cancer with recent HER-targeted drugs has been highly effective for some patients, primary (also known as innate) or acquired resistance limits the success of these drugs. microRNAs have potential as diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers, as well as replacement therapies. Here we investigated the role of microRNA-630 (miR-630) in breast cancer progression and as a predictive biomarker for response to HER-targeting drugs, ultimately yielding potential as a therapeutic approach to add value to these drugs.

Methods

We investigated the levels of intra- and extracellular miR-630 in cells and conditioned media from breast cancer cell lines with either innate- or acquired- resistance to HER-targeting lapatinib and neratinib, compared to their corresponding drug sensitive cell lines, using qPCR. To support the role of miR-630 in breast cancer, we examined the clinical relevance of this miRNA in breast cancer tumours versus matched peritumours. Transfection of miR-630 mimics and inhibitors was used to manipulate the expression of miR-630 to assess effects on response to HER-targeting drugs (lapatinib, neratinib and afatinib). Other phenotypic changes associated with cellular aggressiveness were evaluated by motility, invasion and anoikis assays. TargetScan prediction software, qPCR, immunoblotting and ELISAs, were used to assess miR-630’s regulation of mRNA, proteins and their phosphorylated forms.

Results

We established that introducing miR-630 into cells with innate- or acquired- resistance to HER-drugs significantly restored the efficacy of lapatinib, neratinib and afatinib; through a mechanism which we have determined to, at least partly, involve miR-630’s regulation of IGF1R. Conversely, we demonstrated that blocking miR-630 induced resistance/insensitivity to these drugs. Cellular motility, invasion, and anoikis were also observed as significantly altered by miR-630 manipulation, whereby introducing miR-630 into cells reduced cellular aggression while inhibition of miR-630 induced a more aggressive cellular phenotype.

Conclusions

Taken together, our findings suggest miR-630 as a key regulator of cancer cell progression in HER2 over-expressing breast cancer, through targeting of IGF1R. This study supports miR-630 as a diagnostic and a predictive biomarker for response to HER-targeted drugs and indicates that the therapeutic addition of miR-630 may enhance and improve patients’ response to HER-targeting drugs.
All-Russia Student Competitions as Intellectual, Creative and Professional Contest-Field for New Talent
Authors: Ананьева Татьяна , Ananeva Tatyana , Илюхина Галина , Ilyukhina Galina , Миронов Владимир , Mironov Vladimir
Published: March 2014

The article deals with the statutes and regulations concerning organization of and conducting all-Russia

student competitions. The authors consider the prioritized directions of modernization and technological

development of Russian economy and the labour market requirements, identifying the guidelines for

improving the legal base and proposing incentive measures, such as (1) promoting student competitions in the

framework of Russian higher education, (2) conducting contests, intellectual competitions and professional

tournaments, integrating these with high-school pupils competitions, (3) selecting host educational institutions

for competitions, (4) in-class identification of capable students.
Methodology of Creativity as Applied to Higher Professional Education: Fashion Industry Personnel Training
Authors: Ермаков Александр , Ermakov Aleksandr , Сильчева Людмила , Silcheva Lyudmila
Published: March 2014

The article suggests that professional training of highly qualified personnel for the fashion and beauty

industry should take into account a comprehensive study of the methodology of creativity in a range of

areas that would-be specialists can be engaged in. The methodology of creativity is also implemented in the

creation of fashionable clothing designs and the processes of their establishment in the fashion industry. The

authors consider it plausible to teach disciplines focusing on consumer modeling and finding entrepreneurial

comprehensive solutions to organizational and economic problems typical of the fashion industry.
Psychological and Pedagogical Aspects of Implementing Competence-Based Approach in the Context of Transition to the Federal State Educational Standard
Authors: Новикова  , Novikova Svetlana , Красношлыкова  , Krasnoshlykova Olga
Published: March 2014

Aspects of psychological and pedagogical follow-up in the course of competence-based approach implementing are considered given the necessity

to transfer to the second-generation Federal state educational standards. The issue of core competences diagnostics among the school learners is also

concerned. The authors have elaborated criteria, measures and diagnostic-test toolkit for monitoring the learners’ core competences.
Celebrating UNAM-Oshakati Campus health day/world health day: a community service: professional and personal life experiences
Authors: Pinehas Lusia N. Ndahambelela , Shifiona NN. , Shikongo KKI.
Published: March 2014

Background: The University of Namibia-Oshakati Campus has a tradition to celebrate UNAM Health Day which coincided with the World Health Day annually. The day had always been celebrated within the Oshakati Campus premises. Nurse lecturers from the School of Nursing and Public Health always decide on the activities of the day and they volunteered themselves to take part in the event. The activities conducted were such as blood pressure monitoring, taking of weigh and giving general health education on different topics. In that case activities only catered for the University’s staff members, some students and few distance students and individuals who might find them visiting the campus during that day. This year (2013), lecturers celebrated UNAM/World day on the 04th April and they decided to move out of the campus to the nearby “open market” community to sell their service and to raise awareness about the reality of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity under the theme: “High blood pressure” (WHO’s theme of the year). The “open market” is a place in Oshakati (Oshana region) in the northern Namibia where many self-employed local small- and medium business people, males and females gather to sell local food and some “okapana” (takeaways) to passerby. Aim: The aim is to take the service to the community around Oshakati to sell their service and to raise awareness about the reality of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity under the theme: “High blood pressure”. Method: No actual research was done. The service was carried out in April 2013. Results: No actual data analysis was done. The analysis of the findings was based on the users of the services. Many people who used the services were found to have high blood pressure up to 229/124mmHg, many of the women who sell “okapana” are overweight and seem to have lack the knowledge about balanced diet because they could not understand why they are overweight compared to their Body Mass Index (BMI). They prefer to keep their “fatness” because if they lose weight they will be laughed at and said to have AIDS. Many people were found to have high blood glucose levels (33.3mmol/L). Conclusion: The results indicate the need for health care providers to strengthen the community services and outreach to improve the knowledge and understanding of community members on the need for undergoing regular screening.   Keywords: Blood Glucose Level, Health Education, High Blood Pressure, Body Mass Index, Obesity.
Adesão ao Programa de Educação Permanente para médicos de família de um Estado da Região Sudeste do Brasil
Authors: d'Ávila Luciana Souza , Assis Lucília Nunes de , Melo Marilene Barros de , Brant Luiz Carlos
Published: March 2014

A Educação Permanente em Saúde é uma estratégia de transformação das práticas em saúde, sendo a adesão do profissional um dos desafios para sua efetivação. Nessa perspectiva, o objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar, a partir da percepção dos supervisores, os fatores relacionados à adesão dos médicos às atividades do Programa de Educação Permanente (PEP) para médicos de família de um Estado da região Sudeste. Trata-se de um estudo transversal, quantitativo, com utilização de questionários on-line. Os dados foram analisados por meio do teste qui-quadrado com correção de continuidade para se verificar a associação entre a estrutura, tópicos, atividades do PEP, dificuldades dos supervisores no trabalho no PEP e dos médicos na APS e a baixa e boa adesão ao Programa. A ótima participação dos médicos se relacionou à adequação do espaço físico (p = 0,001) e à abordagem multidisciplinar (p = 0,035) e dos aspectos epidemiológicos (p = 0,043). Já a baixa adesão se associou à inadequação da estrutura física, à dificuldade de compreensão da metodologia, ao menor tempo de atuação do supervisor, às múltiplas jornadas de trabalho dos médicos, entre outras. A boa adesão ao PEP é uma possibilidade de reconstrução coletiva da realidade laboral cotidiana e da prática médica na Atenção Primária em Saúde.
A inclusão da equipe de saúde bucal na Estratégia Saúde da Família: entraves, avanços e desafios
Authors: Mattos Grazielle Christine Maciel , Ferreira Efigênia Ferreira e , Leite Isabel Cristina Gonçalves , Greco Rosângela Maria
Published: March 2014

O objetivo deste artigo é discutir a inclusão da saúde bucal na Estratégia Saúde da Família, em cidades de uma microrregião do sudeste do Brasil, sob a perspectiva dos recursos humanos. Foram aplicados questionários aos integrantes do serviço de saúde bucal: dentistas, auxiliares e gestores. O instrumento considerou três dimensões: como e porque se adotou o novo modelo, como o serviço está se reorganizando e que avanços foram percebidos pelos profissionais. O motivo mais mencionado pelos gestores, para inclusão da Saúde Bucal foi a possibilidade de mudança do modelo tecno-assistencial. Dentistas e auxiliares quando questionados sobre sua motivação, também consideraram prioritariamente a possibilidade de mudança na prática. Observou-se ainda que existem nós críticos na contratação e capacitação de recursos humanos para atuar na equipe de saúde bucal e na integração entre os profissionais de saúde. Mas o acesso está melhor, seja pela organização efetuada, seja pela expansão de equipes. Os municípios da microrregião ainda enfrentam percalços para que o funcionamento do serviço de saúde bucal, após a Saúde da Família, apresente avanços reais nas práticas de atenção. Porém, os avanços existem e estes devem ser reforçados, para consolidação do sistema de saúde e melhoria na qualidade de vida da população.
PREVALENCE OF CELIAC DISEASE IN CHILDREN WITH EPILEPSY
Authors: VIEIRA Camilo , JATOBÁ Izabele , MATOS Marília , DINIZ-SANTOS Daniel , SILVA Luciana R.
Published: March 2014

ContextNeurological symptoms have been well-documented in patients with celiac disease, nevertheless, the presumption of a greater prevalence of epilepsy in celiac patients remains controversial.ObjectivesTo determine the frequency of celiac disease in children and adolescents with idiopathic or cryptogenic epilepsy.MethodsA cross-sectional study. One hundred pediatric patients with non-symptomatic epilepsy were followed-up at two public pediatric neurology clinics in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Screening for celiac disease was performed by serial measurements of IgA anti-transglutaminase and IgA anti-endomysium antibodies, followed by bowel biopsy in positive cases. HLA DQ02 and DQ08 were investigated in seropositive individuals, assessing the type of seizures, the number of antiepileptic drugs used and the presence gastrointestinal symptoms.ResultsThree (3.0%) patients tested anti-tTG-positive, two with normal duodenal mucosa (Marsh 0) and one with intraepithelial infiltrate (Marsh I). No villous atrophy of the duodenal mucosa (Marsh III) celiac disease was found. Two patients tested positive for HLA DQ02; none were DQ08 positive.ConclusionThe present study failed to prove the association between celiac disease and epilepsy.
Perda hidrica e pratica de hidratacao em atletas de futebol
Authors: Godois Allan da Mata , Raizel Raquel , Rodrigues Vanessa Behrends , Ravagnani Fabricio Cesar de Paula , Fett Carlos Alexandre , Voltarelli Fabricio Azevedo , Coelho-Ravagnani Christianne de Faria
Published: March 2014

INTRODUÇÃO: Atletas de futebol sofrem grande estresse fisiológico durante os treinos. As características da atividade associadas às condições climáticas desfavoráveis podem provocar desidratação intensa resultando em redução de desempenho físico. OBJETIVO: Estimar o percentual de desidratação de atletas futebolistas durante sessões de treino na cidade de Cuiabá-MT, Brasil. MÉTODOS: Os dados foram coletados nas instalações do centro de treinamento da equipe. Participaram do estudo 17 atletas profissionais do sexo masculino (idade = 21,53 ± 1,19 anos; peso=71,99±7,66 kg; estatura=1,76±0,08m; IMC=23,31±1,69kg/m²). Foram analisadas as pesagens de pré e pós-treino em dois dias não consecutivos de treino (A e B) e pela perda de peso ocorrida, obteve-se a diferença de massa corporal (ΔMC); também se anotou toda a ingestão de líquidos. Os dados registrados foram aplicados às fórmulas específicas para análise. RESULTADOS: O ΔMC entre a medida inicial e a medida final do treino A foi de 1,08 ± 0,45 kg, já a do treino B foi de 0,85 ± 0,47kg, representando 1,5 ± 0,63% e 1,19 ± 0,59% de desidratação, respectivamente. O volume de líquido ingerido foi de 2.591 ± 440 ml no treino A e de 926 ± 356 ml no treino B. A prática do futebol reduziu a massa corporal dos atletas após o treino, indicando que houve desidratação. CONCLUSÃO: Apesar da oferta constante de água aos jogadores, observamos que a reposição hídrica ad libitum não foi suficiente para manter o estado eu-hidratado de todos os atletas.
The burden of disease due to tuberculosis in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil
Authors: Ferrer Glenio Cesar Nunes , Silva Rosemeri Maurici da , Ferrer Kelian Tenfen , Traebert Jefferson
Published: March 2014

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the burden of disease due to tuberculosis in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, in 2009. METHODS: This was an epidemiological study with an ecological design. Data on tuberculosis incidence and mortality were collected from specific Brazilian National Ministry of Health databases. The burden of disease due to tuberculosis was based on the calculation of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). The DALYs were estimated by adding the years of life lost (YLLs) and years lived with disability (YLDs). Absolute values were transformed into rates per 100,000 population. The rates were calculated by gender, age group, and health care macroregion. RESULTS: The burden of disease due to tuberculosis was 5,644.27 DALYs (92.25 DALYs/100,000 population), YLLs and YLDs respectively accounting for 78.77% and 21.23% of that total. The highest rates were found in males in the 30-44 and 45-59 year age brackets, although that was not true in every health care macroregion. Overall, the highest estimated burden was in the Planalto Norte macroregion (179.56 DALYs/100,000 population), followed by the Nordeste macroregion (167.07 DALYs/100,000 population). CONCLUSIONS: In the majority of the health care macroregions of Santa Catarina, the burden of disease due to tuberculosis was concentrated in adult males, the level of that concentration varying among the various macroregions.
Potencial de la percepción remota - estudio basado en desastres naturales ocurridos durante los últimos 5 años en Chile
Authors: Staub Guido , Bähr Hans-Peter
Published: March 2014

A través de desastres naturales ocurridos en Chile durante los últimos 5 años se ejemplifica como observaciones adquiridas por los diversos sensores, hoy en día disponibles en la Percepción Remota, fueron utilizadas con éxito en varias ocasiones, tanto durante como después de que ha ocurrido una catástrofe. Los ejemplos presentados en el presente artículo están relacionados con el terremoto y posterior tsunami ocurrido en febrero 2010 y las erupciones volcánicas en los años 2008 y 2011. Se da a conocer las plataformas y los sensores remotos más convenientes para realizar una administración moderna de desastres naturales. Aunque el catastro de daños producidos por un desastre natural es la aplicación más conocida en público, la Percepción Remota también puede ser usada en todas las fases de su administración: Mitigación, Preparación, Respuesta y Recuperación. Por tal motivo también se muestra como y en que situación puede ser útil el uso de datos adquiridos por sensores remotos. Como la Percepción Remota puede ser considerada como una de las más importantes herramientas en el ámbito de la administración de desastres naturales se concluye que en un país como Chile, su aplicación debe ser intensificado para poder superar cualquier catástrofe.
Possible applications of ferrate(VI) in the treatment of industrial wastewater effluent in the laboratory
Authors: Nikolic-Bujanovic Ljiljana , Cekerevac Milan , Tomic Milena , Zdravkovic Mladen
Published: March 2014

This paper shows the effects of ferrate(VI) application in the treatment of
industrial wastewater effluent in laboratory conditions. Samples used are a
mixture of wastewater effluent from various industrial plants whose
composition was determined by analyzing samples before the ferrate(VI)
treatment. Determining physical-chemical characteristics of the samples
showed very high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and the concentrations of
individual pollutants are higher than the maximum allowed. In the tested
samples, the COD was from 18 (sample 1) to 580 times (sample 2) greater than
allowed (allowed 45 - 150 mg/l), while the concentrations of certain metals
were several times higher than allowed (Cu allowed 0,1 mg/l, Zn allowed 0,2
mg/l). Also, a high concentration of total phosphorus content (allowed 2
mg/l) and fluoride was found (allowed 20 mg/l), 2-3 times higher than
permissible. The applied Na2FeO4 was synthesized by electrochemical method
and applied in situ. Physical-chemical testing of samples, after treatment
with different amounts (2, 5, 8, and 10 ml) of Na2FeO4, concentration of 8
g/l showed that ferrate(VI) can be used as a multifunctional agent in the
purification of industrial wastewater, where in the amount of contaminating
matter is reduced below the maximum permitted level. It was demonstrated the
high efficiency of ferrate(VI) as a strong oxidant in the removal of total P
and suspended materials. Also pointed out was the high sorption power of the
generated ferric(III)hydroxide, which with its developed surface absorbs
95,5% of the F- and removes it from the solution in the form of sludge.
Showed a high efficiency of ferrate(VI) in the total removal of P (70 to
99,5%), and F- (89 to 95,5%), but depending on the presence of the total COD
value or the presence of the total organic substances. At high values of the
COD major part of ferrate(VI) is consumed in the oxidation of organic
material and the formation of Fe(OH)3, which accelerate the process of
decomposition of ferrate(VI), which contributes to lower the efficiency of
the removal of P and F-.
Quality of spelt pasta enriched with eggs and identification of eggs using 13C MAS NMR spectroscopy
Authors: Filipovic Jelena , Miladinovic Zoran , Pezo Lato , Filipovic Nada , Filipovic Vladimir , Jevtic-Vukmirovic Aleksandra
Published: March 2014

This paper deals with the characteristics of spelt pasta enriched with eggs.
Eggs were added to spelt farina in the quantity of 0, 124 or 248 g/kg
(equivalent to 0, 3 or 6 eggs, respectively). Post-hoc Tukey?s HSD test at
95% confidence limit showed significant differences between various samples.
Relatively low coefficients of variation have been obtained for each applied
assay (1.25-12.42%), which confirmed the high accuracy measurements and
statistically significant results. Standard score analysis is applied for
accessing the contribution of eggs content to spelt pasta quality. Maximum
scores regarding quality (0.89) and chemical characteristics (0.70), have
been obtained for 6 eggs spelt pasta formulation. It is also shown that the
presence of eggs in pasta can be clearly confirmed by 13C MAS NMR
spectroscopy. Simultaneous increase in area of peak positioned at 29.5 and
176 ppm is directly associated with the increase in the content of added
eggs in the corresponding samples. Pertinent data point at positive
contribution of eggs to the spelt pasta and also that NMR spectrum can be
used in the egg quantity control.
Subglacial hydrological connectivity within the Byrd Glacier catchment, East Antarctica
Authors: Wright A.P. , Young D.A. , Bamber J.L. , Dowdeswell J.A. , Payne A.J. , Blankenship D.D. , Siegert M.J.
Published: March 2014

Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) repeat-track laser altimetry has identified 17 sites within the Byrd Glacier catchment, East Antarctica, where rapid ice-surface height changes have occurred, which have been interpreted as evidence for ‘active’ subglacial lakes. Here we present evidence from a new radio-echo sounding (RES) survey at 11 of these locations to understand the bed conditions associated with the proposed hydrological activity. At none of the sites examined did we find evidence in support of substantial pooled basal water. In the majority of cases, along-track RES bed reflection amplitudes either side of the locations of surface height change are indistinguishable from those within the features. These results indicate that, in most cases, hypothesized ‘active’ lakes are not discrete radar targets and are therefore much smaller than the areas of surface height change. In addition, we have identified three new relatively large subglacial lakes upstream of the region where most ‘active’ subglacial lakes are found, in an area where the hydraulic gradient is significantly lower. Our results suggest that substantial and long-lasting basal water storage in the Byrd Glacier catchment occurs only under low hydraulic gradients, while coast-proximal sites of hydraulic activity likely involve small or temporary accumulations of basal water.
Near-surface internal melting: a substantial mass loss on Antarctic Dry Valley glaciers
Authors: Hoffman Matthew J. , Fountain Andrew G. , Liston Glen E.
Published: March 2014

The McMurdo Dry Valleys, southern Victoria Land, East Antarctica, are a polar desert, and melt from glacial ice is the primary source of water to streams, lakes and associated ecosystems. Previous work found that to adequately model glacier ablation and subsurface ice temperatures with a surface energy-balance model required including the transmission of solar radiation into the ice. Here we investigate the contribution of subsurface melt to the mass balance of (and runoff from) Dry Valley glaciers by including a drainage process in the model and applying the model to three glacier sites using 13 years of hourly meteorological data. Model results for the smooth glacier surfaces common to many glaciers in the Dry Valleys showed that sublimation was typically the largest component of surface lowering, with rare episodes of surface melting, consistent with anecdotal field observations. Results also showed extensive internal melting 5–15 cm below the ice surface, the drainage of which accounted for ~50% of summer ablation. This is consistent with field observations of subsurface streams and formation of a weathering crust. We identify an annual cycle of weathering crust formation in summer and its removal during the 10 months of winter sublimation.
Small group effectiveness in a Caribbean medical school’s problem-based learning sessions
Authors: Shankar P Ravi , Nandy Atanu , Balasubramanium Ramanan , Chakravarty Soumitra
Published: March 2014

Purpose: The tutorial group effectiveness instrument was developed to provide objective information on the effectiveness of small groups. Student perception of small group effectiveness during the PBL process has not been previously studied in Xavier University School of Medicine. Hence the present study was carried out. Methods: The study was conducted among the second and third semester undergraduate medical students during the last week of September 2013, in Xavier University School of Medicine, Aruba, Kingdom of the Netherlands. Students were informed about the objectives of the study and invited to participate after obtaining written, informed consent. Demographic information like gender, age, nationality and whether the respondent had been exposed to PBL before joining the institution were noted. Student perception about small group effectiveness was studied by noting their degree of agreement with a set of 19 statements using a Likert type scale. Results: Thirty four of the 37 (91.9%) second and third semester medical students participated in the study. The mean cognitive score was 3.76 while the mean motivational and demotivational scores were 3.65 and 2.51 respectively. The median cognitive category score was 27 (maximum score 35) while the motivation score was 26 (maximum score 35) and the demotivational score was 12 (maximum being 25). There was no significant difference in scores according to respondents’ demographic characteristics. Conclusion: Student perception about small group effectiveness was positive. Since most medical schools all over the world already have or are introducing PBL as a learning modality, Tutorial Group Effectiveness Instrument can provide valuable information about small group functioning during PBL sessions.
A Scalable and Highly Configurable Cache-Aware Hybrid Flash Translation Layer
Authors: Boukhobza Jalil , Olivier Pierre , Rubini Stéphane
Published: March 2014

This paper presents a cache-aware configurable hybrid flash translation layer (FTL), named CACH-FTL. It was designed based on the observation that most state-of­­-the-art flash-specific cache systems above FTLs flush groups of pages belonging to the same data block. CACH-FTL relies on this characteristic to optimize flash write operations placement, as large groups of pages are flushed to a block-mapped region, named BMR, whereas small groups are buffered into a page-mapped region, named PMR. Page group placement is based on a configurable threshold defining the limit under which it is more cost-effective to use page mapping (PMR) and wait for grouping more pages before flushing to the BMR. CACH-FTL is scalable in terms of mapping table size and flexible in terms of Input/Output (I/O) workload support. CACH-FTL performs very well, as the performance difference with the ideal page-mapped FTL is less than 15% in most cases and has a mean of 4% for the best CACH-FTL configurations, while using at least 78% less memory for table mapping storage on RAM.
Entropy Principle and Recent Results in Non-Equilibrium Theories
Authors: Cimmelli Vito , Jou David , Ruggeri Tommaso , Ván Péter
Published: March 2014

We present the state of the art on the modern mathematical methods of exploiting the entropy principle in thermomechanics of continuous media. A survey of recent results and conceptual discussions of this topic in some well-known non-equilibrium theories (Classical irreversible thermodynamics CIT, Rational thermodynamics RT, Thermodynamics of irreversible processes TIP, Extended irreversible thermodynamics EIT, Rational Extended thermodynamics RET) is also summarized.
Entropy Change during Martensitic Transformation in Ni50−xCoxMn50−yAly Metamagnetic Shape Memory Alloys
Authors: Xu Xiao , Ito Wataru , Kanomata Takeshi , Kainuma Ryosuke
Published: March 2014

Specific heat was systematically measured by the heat flow method in Ni50-xCoxMn50-yAly metamagnetic shape memory alloys near the martensitic transformation temperatures. Martensitic transformation and ferromagnetic–paramagnetic transition for the parent phase were directly observed via the specific heat measurements. On the basis of the experimental results, the entropy change was estimated and it was found to show an abrupt decrease below the Curie temperature. The results were found to be consistent with those of earlier studies on Ni-Co-Mn-Al alloys.
A Hybrid Cooperative Coding Scheme for the Relay-Eavesdropper Channel
Authors: Xu Peng , Ding Zhiguo , Dai Xuchu
Published: March 2014

This paper considers the four-node relay-eavesdropper channel, where a relay node helps the source to send secret messages to the destination in the presence of a passive eavesdropper. For the discrete memoryless case, we propose a hybrid cooperative coding scheme, which is based on the combination of the partial decode-forward scheme, the noise-forward scheme and the random binning scheme. The key feature of the proposed hybrid cooperative scheme is that the relay integrates the explicit cooperation strategy and the implicit cooperation strategy by forwarding source messages and additional interference at the same time. The derived achievable secrecy rate shows that some existing works can be viewed as special cases of the proposed scheme. Then, the achievable secrecy rate is extended to the Gaussian channel based on Gaussian codebooks, and the optimal power policy is also identified in the high power region. Both the analysis and numerical results are provided to demonstrate that the proposed hybrid cooperative coding scheme outperforms the comparable ones, especially in the high power region.
DVP: A Novel High-Availability Seamless Redundancy (HSR) Protocol Traffic-Reduction Algorithm for a Substation Automation System Network
Authors: Nsaif Saad , Rhee Jong-Myung
Published: March 2014

The high-availability seamless redundancy (HSR) protocol, a potential candidate for substation automation system (SAS) networks, provides duplicated frame copies of each sent frame, with zero fault-recovery time. This means that even in the case of node or link failure, the destination node will receive at least one copy of the sent frame. Consequently, there is no network operation down time. However, the forwarding process of the QuadBox node in HSR is not smart and relies solely on duplication and random forwarding of all received frames. Thus, if a unicast frame is sent in any closed-loop network, the frame copies will be spread through most of all the links in both directions until they reach the destination node, which inevitably results in significant, unnecessary network traffic. In this paper, we present an algorithm called the dual virtual paths (DVP) algorithm to solve such an HSR excessive traffic issue. The idea behind our DVP algorithm is to establish automatic DVP between each HSR node and all the other nodes in the network, except for the QuadBox node. These virtual paths will be used for DVP unicast traffic transmission, rather than using the standard HSR transmission process. Therefore, the DVP algorithm results in less traffic, because there is no duplication or random forwarding, contrary to standard HSR. For the sample networks selected in this paper, the DVP algorithm shows more than a 70% reduction in network traffic and about an 80% reduction in the discarded traffic compared to the standard HSR protocol.