bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Moving Upstream: Why Rehabilitative Justice in Military Discharge Proceedings Serves a Public Health Interest
Authors: Seamone Evan R. , McGuire James , Sreenivasan Shoba , Clark Sean , Smee Daniel , Dow Daniel
Published: August 2014

The cultural divide between US military and civilian institutions amplifies the consequences of military discharge status on public health and criminal justice systems in a manner that is invisible to a larger society. Prompt removal of problematic wounded warriors through retributive justice is more expedient than lengthy mental health treatment.

Administrative and punitive discharges usually preclude Department of Veterans Affairs eligibility, posing a heavy public health burden. Moving upstream—through military rehabilitative justice addressing military offenders’ mental health needs before discharge—will reduce the downstream consequences of civilian maladjustment and intergenerational transmission of mental illness.

The public health community can play an illuminating role by gathering data about community effect and by advocating for policy change at Department of Veterans Affairs and community levels.
Primary basidiospore charge and taxonomy of Agaricomycetes
Authors: Saar Maret , Parmasto Erast
Published: August 2014

This article deals with the polarity of electrostatic charges that are carried on ballistic basidiospores after their liberation from fruiting bodies. The spores were collected by placing a portable device beneath the basidiome and allowing them to fall in a horizontal homogeneous electrostatic field, created by vertical parallel plane electrodes. Thus, the experimental setup enabled to investigate the primary charges, the charges present on spores immediately after the release from spore bearing cells. Spores of 135 basidiomes of 50 species of hymenomycetous fungi were collected in various natural conditions. The non-turgescent (drying up, collapsing or ceasing to sporulate) basidiomes were excluded from the taxonomical analysis; the 128 turgescent basidiomes (223 spore samples) of 47 species were taxonomically analyzed. These species represented eight orders (Agaricomycetes, Basidiomycota), covering 21 families and 36 genera. The analysis showed that the spore charges were distributed according to the polarity similarly in all samples in a species, and in a genus. In most cases also genera of one family had the same type of polarity distribution of spore charges. Possibly all taxa from species to monophyletic families are characterized by specific type of polarity of the primary electrostatic charge of basidiospores. Depending on the taxonomical group, all spore charges were negative, positive, or both negative and positive charges were present. This information could be useful in investing the ballistosporic discharge mechanism and for constructing higher-level phylogeny.
Effect of gamma-ray irradiation on Escherichia coli motility
Authors: Atsumi Tatsuo , Fujimoto Eriko , Furuta Masakazu , Kato Mikio
Published: August 2014

The effects of ionizing radiation on bacteria are generally evaluated from the dose-dependent survival ratio, which is determined by colony-forming ability and mutation rate. The mutagenic damage to cellular DNA induced by radiation has been extensively investigated; however, the effects of irradiation on the cellular machinery in situ remain unclear. In the present work, we irradiated Escherichia coli cells in liquid media with gamma rays from 60Co (in doses up to 8 kGy). The swimming speeds of the cells were measured using a microscope. We found that the swimming speed was unaltered in cells irradiated with a lethal dose of gamma rays. However, the fraction of motile cells decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Similar results were observed when protein synthesis was inhibited by treatment with kanamycin. Evaluation of bacterial swimming speed and the motile fraction after irradiation revealed that some E. coli cells without the potential of cell growth and division remained motile for several hours after irradiation.
The study of hypermethylation in blood leukocytes of irradiated parents and their children
Authors: Kuzmina Nina , Myazin Andrey , Lapteva Nellya , Rubanovich Alexander
Published: August 2014

Background: Accumulation of evidence about the epigenetic regulation of genome function suggests the necessity to explore new aspects of the genotoxic action of radiation on the human body. Methodology: A methylation-sensitive PCR assay was used to analyze promoter methylation of p16/CDKN2A, p14/ARF, RASSF1A and GSTP1 genes in blood leukocytes from 103 unirradiated volunteers and 104 irradiated subjects (83 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant liquidators and 21 nuclear specialists). Additionally, 21 families whose fathers were nuclear specialists were examined. Results: A significantly elevated frequency of individuals with abnormal methylation of p16/CDKN2A and GSTP1 genes was revealed in the exposed group compared to the control group (p = 0.0097 and p = 0.005, respectively). The occurrence of promoter methylation of RASSF1A gene significantly correlated with aging both in the control group (r = 0, 213; p = 0.006) and in the exposed individuals (r = 0, 212; p = 0,031). No methylated genes were found in the offspring of control families. Conclusion: Our study showed for the fist time that prolonged radiation exposure at low and medium doses is associated with hypermethylation of genes involved in the basic protective functions of cells; an effect that is persistent in blood leukocytes for significant periods after irradiation.
Bioactive compounds in sweet rowanberry fruits of interspecific Rowan crosses
Authors: Mlcek Jiri , Rop Otakar , Jurikova Tűnde , Sochor Jiri , Fisera Miroslav , Balla Stefan , Baron Mojmir , Hrabe Jan
Published: August 2014

Sweet rowanberries originated by the crossbreeding of wild rowanberries with other fruit species such as apples, medlars or black chokeberries. They are highly resistant to cold climate. In contrast with wild rowanberries, they have sweet mild taste and show less parasorbic acid toxicity, which can be eliminated, when the consumption is excessive, by heating. The objective of the work was to determine selected antioxidant properties in 6 cultivars. The analyses showed that the contents of total phenolics, total flavonoids and ascorbic acid were high. Similarly, antioxidant capacity (6.58–9.62 g of ascorbic acid equivalents kg−1) was also high. The work brings novel data, in particular, when comparing the cultivars; moreover, results regarding reactive oxygen and nitrogen species scavenging activity in sweet rowanberries are being published for the first time. The sweet rowanberry extracts (10%) showed inhibitory ability on hydroxyl radical (16.12–24.73%), superoxide anion (26.74–34.02%), nitric oxide (24.75–31.39%), and lipid peroxidation (7.93–13.12%). The values obtained are even many times higher than those found in common commercial fruit species like apples. Therefore, sweet rowanberries appear to be a promising fruit species for human nutrition, especially due to their high content of bioactive substances and ease of cultivation in worse climatic and soil conditions.
In vitro introduction of healthy and virus-infected genotypes of native Croatian grapevine cultivars
Authors: Marković Zvjezdana , Preiner Darko , Bošnjak Anita , Safner Toni , Stupić Domagoj , Andabaka Željko , Maletić Edi , Chatelet Philippe , Engelmann Florent , Kontić Jasminka
Published: August 2014

We evaluated the response of eight economically important Croatian grapevine cultivars and studied the impact of their sanitary status on in vitro introduction, by comparing the response of healthy and virus-infected genotypes of one cultivar. Nodal explant survival on three media, M1 (half-strength MS), M2 (full-strength MS) or M3 (full-strength MS with 4.4 µM L−1 benzylaminopurine) was measured after 2 weeks and regrowth after 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, average shoot length and node number were significantly higher on M2 compared to M1 and M3. M3 induced significantly shorter average internode length, compared to M1 and M2. Survival of one healthy and of five cultivar Plavac mali genotypes infected with GFLV, GLRaV-1, GLRaV-3, GLRaV-3+GVA and GLRaV-1+GLRaV-3 was 97.5 and 82.8–87.5%, respectively. Regrowth of the healthy genotype reached 95.5%, but dropped to 5.5–31.4% in infected ones. The healthy genotype showed significantly higher shoot length (6.3 cm) and node number (7.3) compared to infected genotypes, with shoot length between 1.2–2.6 cm and node number between 1.2–3.0. By contrast, internode length was not significantly different between the healthy and the infected genotypes. The present work represents the first successful in vitro introduction for three of the eight native Croatian cultivars studied.
The parasitic fauna of the European bison (Bison bonasus) (Linnaeus, 1758) and their impact on the conservation. Part 2 The structure and changes over time
Authors: Karbowiak Grzegorz , Demiaszkiewicz Aleksander , Pyziel Anna , Wita Irena , Moskwa Bożena , Werszko Joanna , Bień Justyna , Goździk Katarzyna , Lachowicz Jacek , Cabaj Władysław
Published: August 2014

During the last century the recorded parasite fauna of Bison bonasus includes 88 species. These are 22 species of protozoa, 4 trematode species, 4 cestode species, 43 nematode species, 7 mites, 4 Ixodidae ticks, 1 Mallophaga species, 1 Anoplura, and 2 Hippoboscidae flies. There are few monoxenous parasites, the majority of parasites are typical for other Bovidae and Cervidae species and many are newly acquired from Cervidae. This is an evident increased trend in the parasite species richness, in both the prevalence and intensity of infections, which is associated with the bison population size, host status (captive breeding or free-ranging) and the possibility of contact with other ruminant species. In light of the changes to parasite species richness during the last decades, special emphasis shall be given to new parasite species reported in European bison, their pathogenicity and potential implications for conservation.
Grillotia erinaceus (van Beneden, 1858) (Cestoda:Trypanorhyncha) from whiting in the Black Sea, with observations on seasonality and host-parasite interrelationship
Authors: Özer Ahmet , Öztürk Türkay , Kornyushin Vadim , Kornyychuk Yulia , Yurakhno Violetta
Published: August 2014

The genus Grillotia Guiart, 1927 is cosmopolitan in its distribution and the type-species, G. erinaceus (van Beneden, 1858), has been relatively well studied. However, this study provides infection indices of Grillotia erinaceus from southern and northern Black Sea whiting Merlangius merlangus for the first time. The specimens of Grillotia erinaceus were obtained from subserosa of the anterior oesophagus, stomach, pyloric caeca, liver, ovaries and mesenterium of whiting caught by commercial fishing vessels off Sinop, Turkey and off Balaklava, Ukraine. Fish were examined during the period from May 2011 to April 2012. Prevalence and mean intensity values in 268 fish collected off Sinop in the Black Sea were 18.66% and 1.82 ± 0.16 parasites per infected fish, respectively. In Ukrainian 166 whiting samples collected off Balaklava in the Black Sea, however, G. erinaceus plerocercus infection prevalence was 10.24% and mean intensity 1.71 ± 0.75 parasites per infected fish. Infection parameters were also determined at both sampling sites in relation with host length, sex and season.
Calamicoptes anatidus sp. nov., a new quill wall mite (Acari: Laminosioptidae) from the Greater Scaup Aythya marila (L.) (Aves: Anseriformes)
Authors: Skoracki Maciej , Kavetska Katarzyna , Ozminski Michał , Zawierucha Krzysztof
Published: August 2014

Calamicoptes anatidus sp. nov., a new species of rarely found parasitic mites of the family Laminosioptidae (Acari: Astigmata) is described from quill walls of wing covert feathers of Aythya marila Linnaeus (Anseriformes: Anatidae) captured in Poland. This is the first record of the family Laminosioptidae on birds of the order Anseriformes and the first record of this mite family in the fauna of Poland. Females of the new species are most similar to those of C. arenariae Lombert, Gaud et Lukoschus, 1984 and differ from them by the presence of the pygidial shield, which covers dorsal and ventro-lateral parts of the opisthosoma, and by having setae c2 and d2 short and subequal in length, and setae se and cp not reaching the metapodonotal shield.
Thermophilic potentially pathogenic amoebae isolated from natural water bodies in Poland and their molecular characterization
Authors: Adamska Malgorzata , Leonska-Duniec Agata , Lanocha Natalia , Skotarczak Bogumila
Published: August 2014

The free-living amoebae (FLA) may live in the environment and also within other organisms as parasites and then they are called amphizoic. They are potentially pathogenic for humans and animals and are found in water that is a source of infection. The aim of this study was molecular detection and identification of these FLA in natural water bodies in North-Western Poland to evaluate the risk of the pathogenic amoebae infections. We examined surface water samples collected from 50 sites and first, the tolerance thermic test was performed in order to select thermophilic, potentially pathogenic strains. For molecular identification of FLA, regions of 18S rDNA, 16S rDNA and intergenic spacers were amplified. Acanthamoeba T4 and T16 genotypes of 18S rDNA gene and 18S rDNA of H. vermiformis were detected. We identified two variants of Acanthamoeba T4 genotype, two variants of Acanthamoeba T16 genotype and one variant of H. vermiformis. Identification of the T16 genotype and H. vermiformis in water was for the first time in Poland. Additionally, we made attempts to adapt the RLB method for detection and differentiation of FLA species and strains. PCR seems to be more sensitive than RLB hybridization, though.
Increased serum urea to creatinine ratio and its negative correlation with arterial pressure in canine babesiosis
Authors: Zygner Wojciech , Gójska-Zygner Olga
Published: August 2014

The increase of the serum urea to creatinine ratio (UCR) was observed in dogs infected with Babesia canis. Previous studies have suggested that decrease of blood pressure can be one of the reasons for this phenomenon. In this work statistically significant increase of the UCR was observed in dogs with babesiosis. Comparison of the UCR between 23 azotaemic dogs and 25 non-azotaemic dogs infected with Babesia canis showed statistically significantly higher mean of the UCR in azotaemic dogs. Correlations between UCR and systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure (SAP, DAP and MAP) in 48 dogs infected with B. canis were negative (UCR and SAP: r = −0.3909; UCR and DAP: r = −0.3182; UCR and MAP: r = −0.3682) and statistically significant (p < 0.05). This result may indicate contribution of hypotension in the increase of the UCR in canine babesiosis. However, the correlations were not high, and there was no statistically significant correlation between UCR and arterial pressures in azotaemic dogs. Thus, it seems that decrease of blood pressure in dogs with babesiosis explains only partially the cause of increased UCR in infected dogs. The other authors suggested hyperureagenesis and myocardial injury as a potential reason for the increased UCR in canine babesiosis. Thus, further studies are needed to determine causes of increased UCR in dogs with babesiosis, especially on the connection between UCR changes and the concentrations of plasma cardiac troponins and ammonia, and the occurrence of occult blood on fecal examination.
Molecular drug targets and therapies for Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Singh Dev , Gupta Manish , Kesharwani Rajesh , Sagar Mamta , Dwivedi Seema , Misra Krishna
Published: August 2014

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by normal memory loss and cognitive impairment in humans. Many drug targets and disease-modulating therapies are available for treatment of AD, but none of these are effective enough in reducing problems associated with recognition and memory. Potential drug targets so far reported for AD are β-secretase, Γ-secretase, amyloid beta (Aβ) and Aβ fibrils, glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3), acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyl-transferase (ACAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Herbal remedies (antioxidants) and natural metal-chelators have shown a very significant role in reducing the risk of AD, as well as lowering the effect of Aβ in AD patients. Researchers are working in the direction of antisense and stem cell-based therapies for a cure for AD, which mainly depends on the clearance of misfolded protein deposits — including Aβ, tau, and alpha-synuclein. Computational approaches for inhibitor designing, interaction analysis, principal descriptors and an absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) study could speed up the process of drug development with higher efficacy and less chance of failure. This paper reviews the known drugs, drug targets, and existing and future therapies for the treatment of AD.
Facts Are More Important Than Novelty
Authors: Makel Matthew C. , Plucker Jonathan A.
Published: August 2014

Despite increased attention to methodological rigor in education research, the field has focused heavily on experimental design and not on the merit of replicating important results. The present study analyzed the complete publication history of the current top 100 education journals ranked by 5-year impact factor and found that only 0.13% of education articles were replications. Contrary to previous findings in medicine, but similar to psychology, the majority of education replications successfully replicated the original studies. However, replications were significantly less likely to be successful when there was no overlap in authorship between the original and replicating articles. The results emphasize the importance of third-party, direct replications in helping education research improve its ability to shape education policy and practice.
Study on Pumping Conveying Capacity Characteristics of Polymer Solids in Vane Extruder
Authors: Xu Y. S. , Li J. B. , Zhang G. Z. , Zhao Y. Q. , Qu J. P.
Published: August 2014

A vane extruder consists of a group of vane plasticization units that can together be considered a vane pump. During extrusion, materials in the extruder are plasticized and conveyed by positive conveying and suppressed by normal stress. A mathematical model of the pumping capacity of polymer solids in the vane extruder is established based on its structure and conveying mechanism. The minimum bulk density under atmospheric pressure and leakage coefficient in this model are obtained experimentally. Four general polymer materials are chosen to investigate the pumping conveying capacity of polymer solids in the vane extruder. The experimental results of the first vane plasticization unit show that the pumping conveying capacity increases almost linearly with the rotor velocity and is only slightly influenced by the material properties. Furthermore, the leakage coefficient increases when the temperature and velocity in the vane extrusion process are set inappropriately; this reduces the pumping conveying capacity of polymer solids in the vane extruder.
Optimization of Abrasive Water Jet Turning Parameters for Machining of Low Density Polyethylene Material Based on Experimental Design Method
Authors: Kartal F. , Çetin M. H. , Gökkaya H. , Yerlikaya Z.
Published: August 2014

Studies to improve the machining of engineering materials have great importance for mechanical systems. Abrasive water-jet turning (AWJT) is a new and effective process for increasing machinability of engineering materials by providing temperature free cutting conditions, high surface quality and having no tool wear problem. In this study, AWJT of low density polyethylene (LDPE) material were investigated in terms of average surface roughness (ASR) and material removal rate (MRR) values and process parameters were optimized by experimental design method. The primary objectives of the study are to investigate AWJT process and system parameters to enhance machinability of LDPE material and to determine optimal processing parameters. Nozzle feed rate (5, 25 and 45 mm/min), abrasive flow rate (50, 200 and 350 g/min) and spindle speed (1 000, 1 500 and 2 500 min−1) were analyzed as process parameters. Taguchi L27 orthogonal full factorial design, optimization box and analysis of variance (Anova) were used for the experimentation and results analysis. Experimental results show that, AWJT process is more efficient in the machining of LPDE material than the conventional machining methods by increasing surface quality and MRR parameters. Minimum ASR and maximum MRR were obtained 1.67 μm and 14 072.02 mm3/min respectively; at optimum parameters of 5 mm/min nozzle feed rate, 350 g/min abrasive flow rate and 2 500 min−1 spindle speed.
Introduction of an Innovative Cladding Panel System for Multi-Story Buildings
Authors: Maneetes Hathairat , Memari Ali
Published: August 2014

An Energy Dissipating Cladding System has been developed for use in buildings designed based on the concept of damage-controlled structure in seismic design. This innovative cladding panel system is capable of functioning both as a structural brace, as well as a source of energy dissipation, without demanding inelastic action and ductility from the basic lateral force resisting system. The structural systems of many modern buildings typically have large openings to accommodate glazing systems, and a popular type of construction uses spandrel precast cladding panels at each floor level that supports strip window systems. The present study focuses on developing spandrel type precast concrete cladding panels as supplementary energy dissipating devices that are added to the basic structural system. Through a series of analytical studies, the result of evaluating the ability of the proposed Energy Dissipating Cladding system to improve the earthquake resistance of the buildings is presented here.
Biomass and Carbon Stocks of Sofala Bay Mangrove Forests
Authors: Sitoe Almeida , Mandlate Luís , Guedes Benard
Published: August 2014

Mangroves could be key ecosystems in strategies addressing the mitigation of climate changes through carbon storage. However, little is known regarding the carbon stocks of these ecosystems, particularly below-ground. This study was carried out in the mangrove forests of Sofala Bay, Central Mozambique, with the aim of quantifying carbon stocks of live and dead plant and soil components. The methods followed the procedures developed by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) for mangrove forests. In this study, we developed a general allometric equation to estimate individual tree biomass and soil carbon content (up to 100 cm depth). We estimated the carbon in the whole mangrove ecosystem of Sofala Bay, including dead trees, wood debris, herbaceous, pneumatophores, litter and soil. The general allometric equation for live trees derived was [Above-ground tree dry weight (kg) = 3.254 × exp(0.065 × DBH)], root mean square error (RMSE = 4.244), and coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.89). The average total carbon storage of Sofala Bay mangrove was 218.5 Mg·ha−1, of which around 73% are stored in the soil. Mangrove conservation has the potential for REDD+ programs, especially in regions like Mozambique, which contains extensive mangrove areas with high deforestation and degradation rates.
Pediatric Exposure to Drugs of Abuse by Hair Testing: Monitoring 15 Years of Evolution in Spain
Authors: Pichini Simona , García-Algar Oscar , Alvarez Airam-Tenesor , Mercadal Maria , Mortali Claudia , Gottardi Massimo , Svaizer Fiorenza , Pacifici Roberta
Published: August 2014

Hair testing is a useful tool to investigate the prevalence of unsuspected chronic exposure to drugs of abuse in pediatric populations and it has been applied to three different cohorts of children from Barcelona, Spain along fifteen years to evaluate eventual changes in this exposure. Children were recruited from three independent studies performed at Hospital del Mar (Barcelona, Spain) and approved by the local Ethics Committee. Hair samples were collected from the first 187 children cohort (around 4 years of age) in 1998, from the second 90 children cohort (1.5–5 years of age) in 2008 and from the third 114 children cohort (5–14 years of age) in 2013. Hair samples were analysed for the presence of opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, and cannabis by validated methodologies using gas or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Familiar sociodemographics and eventual consumption of drugs of abuse by parents, and caregivers were recorded. Hair samples from 24.6% children in 1998 were positive for any drug of abuse (23.0% cocaine), 25.5% in 2008 (23.3% cocaine), and 28.1% in 2013 (20.1% cocaine and 11.4% cannabis). In none of the cohorts, parental sociodemographics were associated with children exposure to drugs of abuse. The results of the three study cohorts demonstrated a significant prevalence of unsuspected pediatric exposure to drugs of abuse which mainly involved cocaine maintained along fifteen years in Barcelona, Spain. We recommend to be aware about unsuspected passive exposure to drugs of abuse in general population and to use general or selected hair screening to disclose exposure to drugs of abuse in children from risky environments to provide the basis for specific social and health interventions.
Effects of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field on Differentiation of HUES-17 Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line
Authors: Wu Yi-Lin , Ma Shi-Rong , Peng Tao , Teng Zeng-Hui , Liang Xiang-Yan , Guo Guo-Zhen , Zhang Hai-Feng , Li Kang-Chu
Published: August 2014

Electromagnetic fields are considered to potentially affect embryonic development, but the mechanism is still unknown. In this study, human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line HUES-17 was applied to explore the mechanism of exposure on embryonic development to pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) for 400 pulses at different electric field intensities and the differentiation of HUES-17 cells was observed after PEMF exposure. The expression of alkaline phosphatase (AP), stage-specific embryonic antigen-3 (SSEA-3), SSEA-4 and the mRNA level and protein level of Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog in HUES-17 cells remained unchanged after PEMF exposure at the electric field intensities of 50, 100, 200 or 400 kV/m. Four hundred pulses PEMF exposure at the electric field intensities of 50, 100, 200 or 400 kV/m did not affect the differentiation of HUES-17 cells. The reason why electromagnetic fields affect embryonic development may be due to other mechanisms rather than affecting the differentiation of embryonic stem cells.
Industrial Wastewater Discharge Retrieval Based on Stable Nighttime Light Imagery in China from 1992 to 2010
Authors: Li Zhaofu , Liu Hongyu , Luo Chuan , Li Panpan , Li Hengpeng , Xiong Zhengqin
Published: August 2014

Industrial wastewater (IW) discharge, which is a known point source of pollution, is a major water pollution source. Increasing IW discharge has imposed considerable pressure on regional or global water environments. It is important to estimate the IW distribution in grid units to improve basin-scale hydrological processes and water quality modeling. For the first time, we use the nighttime light imagery produced by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program’s Operational Linescan System (DMSP/OLS) to estimate the spatial and temporal variations in the IW distribution from 1992 to 2010 in China. The digital number values per unit area (DNP) of each stable light image were calculated using nighttime light imagery and were regressed against the IW per unit area (IWP) to estimate the total industrial wastewater (TIW) for each province. The results indicated strong positive correlations between the DNP and the IWP for each province during different years. The fitted linear regression models were used to estimate IW discharge in China with reliable accuracy. The IW estimation using the satellite data was consistent with the statistical results. The results also revealed that the IW discharge coverage expanded, whereas the IW discharge intensity decreased from 1992 to 2010 in China.
A Comprehensive Method for GNSS Data Quality Determination to Improve Ionospheric Data Analysis
Authors: Kim Minchan , Seo Jiwon , Lee Jiyun
Published: August 2014

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are now recognized as cost-effective tools for ionospheric studies by providing the global coverage through worldwide networks of GNSS stations. While GNSS networks continue to expand to improve the observability of the ionosphere, the amount of poor quality GNSS observation data is also increasing and the use of poor-quality GNSS data degrades the accuracy of ionospheric measurements. This paper develops a comprehensive method to determine the quality of GNSS observations for the purpose of ionospheric studies. The algorithms are designed especially to compute key GNSS data quality parameters which affect the quality of ionospheric product. The quality of data collected from the Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) network in the conterminous United States (CONUS) is analyzed. The resulting quality varies widely, depending on each station and the data quality of individual stations persists for an extended time period. When compared to conventional methods, the quality parameters obtained from the proposed method have a stronger correlation with the quality of ionospheric data. The results suggest that a set of data quality parameters when used in combination can effectively select stations with high-quality GNSS data and improve the performance of ionospheric data analysis.
Information Extraction of High-Resolution Remotely Sensed Image Based on Multiresolution Segmentation
Authors: Shao Peng , Yang Guodong , Niu Xuefeng , Zhang Xuqing , Zhan Fulei , Tang Tianqi
Published: August 2014

The principle of multiresolution segmentation was represented in detail in this study, and the canny algorithm was applied for edge-detection of a remotely sensed image based on this principle. The target image was divided into regions based on object-oriented multiresolution segmentation and edge-detection. Furthermore, object hierarchy was created, and a series of features (water bodies, vegetation, roads, residential areas, bare land and other information) were extracted by the spectral and geometrical features. The results indicate that the edge-detection has a positive effect on multiresolution segmentation, and overall accuracy of information extraction reaches to 94.6% by the confusion matrix.
Supercritical carbon dioxide: a solvent like no other
Authors: Peach Jocelyn , Eastoe Julian
Published: August 2014

Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) could be one aspect of a significant and necessary movement towards green chemistry, being a potential replacement for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Unfortunately, carbon dioxide has a notoriously poor solubilising power and is famously difficult to handle. This review examines attempts and breakthroughs in enhancing the physicochemical properties of carbon dioxide, focusing primarily on factors that impact solubility of polar and ionic species and attempts to enhance scCO2 viscosity.
Aged Care Informatics
Authors: Hume Margee , Soar Jeffrey , Whitty S. Jonathan , Hume Craig , El Sayed Faeka , Johnston Paul
Published: August 2014

Aged care is projected to be the fastest-growing sector within health and community care industries Strengthening the care-giving workforce, compliance, delivery and technology is not only vital to our social infrastructure and improving the quality of care, but also has the potential to drive long-term economic growth and contribute to the GDP. This paper examines the role of knowledge management (KM) in aged care organizations to assist in the delivery of aged care. With limited research related to KM in aged care, this paper advances knowledge and offers a unique view of KM from the perspective of 22 aged care stakeholders. Using in-depth interviewing, this paper explores the definition of knowledge in aged care facilities, the importance of knowledge planning, capture and diffusion for accreditation purposes and offers recommendations for the development of sustainable knowledge management practice and development. The paper culminates in an offering a checklist for aged care facilities and advances the discourse in this sector.
Eliciting Data Warehouse Contents for Policy Enforcement Rules
Authors: Prakash Deepika , Gupta Daya
Published: August 2014

Data Warehouse requirements engineering has been extensively looked at from the ENDS perspective of the Business Motivation Model, in terms of goals the system to-be wants to achieve. The authors propose that the MEANS perspective of this Model can drive the requirements engineering process. MEANS are organized into business policies and ‘policy enforcement rules'. Starting from policies expressed in a higher order logic, the authors propose an approach to formulate policy enforcement rules. That subset of the set of formulated policy enforcement rules which is most appropriate for the business is to be selected. For this, the information relevant to the rules is to be kept in the Data Warehouse. The authors technique picks up the components of the policy enforcement rule to elicit the information that has a bearing on its selection. The elicited information is represented as an ER diagram. The authors rely on existing methodologies to convert an ER form into star schemas. The authors use the medical domain to illustrate our methodology.
The Role of Resilient Information Infrastructures
Authors: Scholl Hans J. , Chatfield Akemi Takeoka
Published: August 2014

In the unfolding of a catastrophic incident, also known as extreme event (EE), resilient information infrastructures (RIIs) have the capacity to continue providing actionable information, which is a time-critical resource of greatest value. Despite the recognized importance of RIIs, however, their role in providing actionable information under the conditions of an EE has not been empirically studied and assessed. This study analyzes the case of a local radio station (Radio Fukushima), which resourcefully and rapidly adopted social media as a new II to switch from routine commercial radio broadcasting to disaster information broadcasting during and in the aftermath of the 2011 Japan EE. This theory-building study illustrates the critical role of RIIs and further builds theory that helps explain the impact of disturbances to an existing information infrastructure. It also develops a better understanding of the contribution and importance of social media-based near-real time co-production of actionable information in an unfolding catastrophe.
mHealth in Resource-Constrained Environments
Authors: Barricelli Barbara Rita , Devis Yanet
Published: August 2014

The use of mobile devices in telemedicine contributes to providing more effective and efficient remote healthcare in rural areas improving patients' life style and medical quality of service in this setting. The idea of creating mobile applications for this scenario led the authors to face important sociotechnical challenges in terms of innovation and design for resource-constrained environments. In this paper the authors present the outcomes of MANTRA (Mobile ANticoagulant TheRApy) Project developed for and evaluated in Venezuela. Through the evaluation of this project under those settings the authors developed an approach to mHealth in the remote management of chronic diseases by supporting the communication between doctors.
Antibody-Mediated Immune Suppression of Erythrocyte Alloimmunization Can Occur Independently from Red Cell Clearance or Epitope Masking in a Murine Model
Authors: Yu Honghui , Stowell Sean R. , Bernardo Lidice , Hendrickson Jeanne E. , Zimring James C. , Amash Alaa , Uchikawa Makoto , Lazarus Alan H.
Published: August 2014

Anti-D can prevent immunization to the RhD Ag on RBCs, a phenomenon commonly termed Ab-mediated immune suppression (AMIS). The most accepted theory to explain this effect has been the rapid clearance of RBCs. In mouse models using SRBC, these xenogeneic cells are always rapidly cleared even without Ab, and involvement of epitope masking of the SRBC Ags by the AMIS-inducing Ab (anti-SRBC) has been suggested. To address these hypotheses, we immunized mice with murine transgenic RBCs expressing the HOD Ag (hen egg lysozyme [HEL], in sequence with ovalbumin, and the human Duffy transmembrane protein) in the presence of polyclonal Abs or mAbs to the HOD molecule. The isotype, specificity, and ability to induce AMIS of these Abs were compared with accelerated clearance as well as steric hindrance of the HOD Ag. Mice made IgM and IgG reactive with the HEL portion of the molecule only. All six of the mAbs could inhibit the response. The HEL-specific Abs (4B7, IgG1; GD7, IgG2b; 2F4, IgG1) did not accelerate clearance of the HOD-RBCs and displayed partial epitope masking. The Duffy-specific Abs (MIMA 29, IgG2a; CBC-512, IgG1; K6, IgG1) all caused rapid clearance of HOD RBCs without steric hindrance. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of AMIS to erythrocytes in an all-murine model and shows that AMIS can occur in the absence of RBC clearance or epitope masking. The AMIS effect was also independent of IgG isotype and epitope specificity of the AMIS-inducing Ab.
Reflections on Primary Health Care and Family Medicine in Botswana
Authors: Setlhare Vincent
Published: August 2014

No abstract available
A pilot study on expression of toll like receptors (TLRs) in response to herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in acute retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE) cells
Authors: Moses S , Jambulingam M , Madhavan HN
Published: August 2014

Introduction:

Toll like receptors (TLRs) have been proven to play an important role in mounting the innate immune response in an infected host. The expression of TLRs against herpes simplex virus (HSV) have not been studied in retinitis. Therefore, the current study was undertaken to determine the same using the retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE-19) cell line.

Materials and Methods:

APRE cells cultured in vitro were challenged with HSV 1 and 2 standard strains and 20 other clinical isolates. The cells were observed for cytopathic changes. The cell culture harvest was subjected to RNA extraction using a Total RNA mini kit. The RNA was subjected to reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the amplification of TLRs 3, 4 and 9 and GAPDH housekeeping gene. The amplified products were subjected to electrophoresis on a 2% agarose gel and viewed under a transilluminator.

Results:

TLR 3 and 4 were expressed by ARPE treated with all the 22 isolates. TLR 9 expression was seen in 16 of the 22 isolates. Bacterial contamination was ruled out by subjecting the harvests to PCR amplification of 16sRNA gene amplification of the eubacterial genome.

Conclusions:

The expression of TLR 4 has been reported for the first time in HSV infection. TLR 4 along with TLR 3 and 9 is responsible for the antiviral response in HSV infections.
A prospective study of prevalence and association of peripheral neuropathy in Indian patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Gill HK , Yadav SB , Ramesh V , Bhatia E
Published: August 2014

Background:

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) predisposes to foot ulceration and gangrene. It has been reported that DPN is lower in Indians relative to Caucasians. Studies among recent onset patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are very few. We studied the prevalence and risk factors of DPN in patients with newly diagnosed T2DM.

Materials and Methods:

We prospectively studied 195 consecutive patients over age 30 with a duration of diabetes ≤6 months. All underwent a clinical and biochemical evaluation and were screened for DPN using Neuropathy Symptom Score (NSS) and Neuropathy Disability Score (NDS) as well as the vibration perception threshold using a biothesiometer. We compared the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy (PN) in 75 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

Results:

The cases had a mean age of 47.6 ± 10.2 years (59% males) and duration of symptoms of 5.9 ± 8.2 months prior to presentation. The overall prevalence of DPN was 29.2% [95% CI 22.8-35.7]. PN among matched control was 10.7% (95% CI 3.5-17.8). The prevalence of DPN showed an increasing trend with age (trend chi-square 11.8, P = 0.001). Abnormal vibration perception threshold was present in 43.3% (95% CI 36.3-50.3) of cases and had a significant correlation with NDS (P = 0.000). Abnormal monofilament testing was present in 6.1% of cases (95% CI 2.7- 9.5). A logistic regression analysis showed that DPN was independently associated with age (P = 0.002) and duration of diabetes prior to presentation (P = 0.02) but not with body mass index, plasma glucose, or HbA1c.

Conclusions:

Our study showed high prevalence of PN in recently diagnosed patients with T2DM, which was independently associated with age and duration of symptoms of diabetes prior to the diagnosis. Screening for DPN at diagnosis of diabetes is warranted, especially among older subjects.
Prevalence of gastro-esophageal reflux disease in patients with difficult to control asthma and effect of proton pump inhibitor therapy on asthma symptoms, reflux symptoms, pulmonary function and requirement for asthma medications
Authors: Sandur V , Murugesh M , Banait V , Rathi PM , Bhatia SJ , Joshi JM , Kate A
Published: August 2014

Background:

The hypothesis that GER can trigger or exacerbate asthma is supported by several clinical trials that have shown amelioration in asthma symptoms and/or an improvement in pulmonary function after antireflux therapy.

Aims:

To investigate the prevalence of GER in patients with difficult to control asthma and to determine the effect of omeprazole on asthma symptoms, reflux symptoms, pulmonary function and on the requirement of asthma medications.

Materials and Methods:

Patients with difficult to control asthma were recruited into the study. All patients underwent esophageal manometry and 24 hour esophageal pH monitoring. Pulmonary function tests were done before and after treatment. The severity of asthma and reflux was assessed by a 1 week pulmonary symptom score(PSS) and reflux symptom score(RSS) respectively before and after treatment. Those who had an abnormal pH study (pH <4 in the distal esophagus for >5% of the time) underwent anti-GER treatment with lifestyle changes, and a proton pump inhibitor (omeprazole 40 mg, bid) for 3 months. Asthma medications were added or deleted based on severity of asthma.

Results:

Out of 250 asthmatic patients screened, forty patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Twenty eight of 40 patients(70%) were diagnosed to have GERD. Of the patients 28 with GER, 8 patients(28.5%) had no reflux symptoms. On 24 hr pH metry, the percentage time pH <4.0 was 10.81 ± 4.72 and 1.11 ± 1.21; Deemester score was 37.65 ± 14.54 and 4.89 ± 6.39 (p-value is 0.0001) in GERD and non-GERD patients respectively. In GERD group, post treatment reflux symptom score(RSS) improved from 22.39 ± 14.99 to 1.04 ± 1.07, pulmonary symptom score(PSS) improved from27.14 ± 7.49 to 13.82 ± 4.21and night time asthma symptom score(NASS) improved from 6.71 ± 1.80 to 3.04 ± 1.23 (p-value <0.0001). After treatment, FEV1 and PEFR increased from 1.38 ± 0.57 and 4.14 ± 1.97 to 1.47 ± 0.54 and 5.56 ± 1.72, respectively (p-value 0.00114).

Conclusions:

PPI therapy improves nocturnal asthma symptoms, daytime asthma symptoms, pulmonary function and decreases requirement of asthma medications in these patients.
Brachial plexus injury in live related donor hepatectomy
Authors: Karna ST , Pandey CK , Pandey VK , Singh A
Published: August 2014

Retrieval of the partial liver graft is a complicated and time-consuming procedure and reported to be associated with brachial plexus injury. We present a case series of brachial plexus injury in live related donor hepatectomy of 95 donors analyzed retrospectively. Seven donors suffered from brachial plexus injuries of varying severity and duration. Out of these, one donor had residual paresis. The reasons could be application of retractors, which may have led to traction and compression above the nerve roots.
Giambattista Canano and his myology
Authors: Štrkalj G
Published: August 2014

Giambattista Canano was a sixteenth century Italian anatomist and physician. He was educated at the University of Ferrara where, upon graduation, he was appointed professor of anatomy. While at the university, Canano carried out a pioneering study of skeletal muscles. This study was to be published in a multi-volumed book entitled Musculorum Humani Corporis Picturata Dissectio. However, only the section on the muscles of the upper limb was published, as Canano stopped the printing of his book. It is hypothesized that he met Vesalius at the time and saw the proofs of his Fabrica which he assessed as far superior and, consequently, decided to abort his project. The preserved copies of the Dissectio, however, show that the standards of Canano's work surpassed most of the anatomical studies published up to that time. Canano subsequently left the academic position and made a notable career as a physician. His appointments included prestigious positions of physician to the Pope and protomedicus of the House of Este in Ferrara.
Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome
Authors: Tamhankar PM , Iyer S , Sanghavi S , Khopkar U
Published: August 2014

Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome (CDS) is a multisystem, autosomal recessive genetic disorder characterized by congenital non-bullous ichthyosiform erythroderma with accumulation of lipid droplets in granulocytes and basal keratinocytes. An 18-month-old female child presented with typical dermatological features of CDS. She was born as a collodion baby. Liver biopsy showed micronodular cirrhosis along with macrovesicular hepatic steatosis. Sequencing of all exons and exon-intron boundaries of the ABHD5 gene showed that the patient was homozygous for a novel mutation g.24947delG (c.773 + 1delG) in intron 5. This is the first Indian child with mutation proven CDS.
Identification of Gene Signatures Used to Recognize Biological Characteristics of Gastric Cancer upon Gene Expression Data
Authors: Yan Zhi , Luke Brian T. , Tsang Shirley X. , Xing Rui , Pan Yuanming , Liu Yixuan , Wang Jinlian , Geng Tao , Li Jiangeng , Lu Youyong
Published: August 2014

High-throughput gene expression microarrays can be examined by machine-learning algorithms to identify gene signatures that recognize the biological characteristics of specific human diseases, including cancer, with high sensitivity and specificity. A previous study compared 20 gastric cancer (GC) samples against 20 normal tissue (NT) samples and identified 1,519 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). In this study, Classification Information Index (CII), Information Gain Index (IGI), and RELIEF algorithms are used to mine the previously reported gene expression profiling data. In all, 29 of these genes are identified by all three algorithms and are treated as GC candidate biomarkers. Three biomarkers, COL1A2, ATP4B, and HADHSC, are selected and further examined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining in two independent sets of GC and normal adjacent tissue (NAT) samples. Our study shows that COL1A2 and HADHSC are the two best biomarkers from the microarray data, distinguishing all GC from the NT, whereas ATP4B is diagnostically significant in lab tests because of its wider range of fold-changes in expression. Herein, a data-mining model applicable for small sample sizes is presented and discussed. Our result suggested that this mining model may be useful in small sample-size studies to identify putative biomarkers and potential biological features of GC.