bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What are the best policies for fighting poverty? Learning from the recent European experience
Authors: Marques Paulo , Salavisa Isabel , Lagoa Sérgio
Published: October 2015

Contrary to all expectations and policy goals, poverty is on the rise in the European Union (EU). In fact, one of the headline targets of the current Europe 2020 strategy is precisely to lift at least 20 million people out of the risk of poverty or social exclusion. This setback can be largely explained by the crisis. Eventually, cohesion and political legitimacy may be put in jeopardy. Therefore, the growth in poverty calls for the adoption of adequate policies at the European and domestic levels, taking into account past experience and the diversity of national contexts. However, the inability to tackle poverty was already evident between 2000 and 2010. During this period, European social policy underwent a paradigm shift that emphasized activation measures rather than just income redistribution. This article explains this change by arguing that the deepening of the internal market, European diversity and the goal of sustaining the core European acquis were the underlying reasons behind this transition. The impact of this change on poverty and inequality during the last decade is also assessed. Econometric estimations show that the drivers of poverty and the drivers of inequality are different, suggesting that distinct approaches are required for each of these problems. We claim that the traditional redistributive policies remain the most effective way of fighting poverty and that although activation policies have had a positive impact on reducing inequality, they have not been able to combat poverty effectively.
Electromyographic evaluation of superficial masseter and anterior temporal muscles after using cyclobenzaprine during extraction of impacted third molars
Authors: Raldi Fernando Vagner , Ribeiro Rafael do Carmo , Dos Santos Lucio Murilo , Nascimento Rodrigo Dias , Amorim José Benedito Oliveira , De Moraes Michelle Bianchi
Published: October 2015

Objective: The influence of cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride (Miosan®,10mg/orally/single dose), taken prior to the extraction of impacted mandibular third molars on the electrical activity of superficial masseter and anterior temporal muscles was evaluated through electromyographic recordings aiming at contributing to the discussion of the diagnosis of stomatognathic dysfunctions in relation to long lasting operative procedures. Material and Methods: Twenty patients referred for the extraction of impacted and embedded mandibular third molars at the Discipline of Oral and maxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology (Institute of Science and Technology of São José dos Campos/Unesp), without systemic disease and allergic reactions to the drugs used, both sexes were selected. An electromyographer model EMG-800C (EMG System do Brasil Ltd.), with four input channels, previously calibrated with active electrodes and 20-fold amplification gain was used together with a channel linked to the system to record the mouth opening (mandibular goniometer). The following conditions were assessed: rest, maximum voluntary isometric contraction, and maximum mouth opening, at the following periods: pre-surgical, surgical, and post-surgical (7, 15, and 30 days). Results: The electrical activity of the studied muscles was reduced at the beginning of the surgical procedure, but it did not significantly alter by the administration of the drug at all evaluated periods. The masseter muscle, after the drug administration, reestablished its activity just after the post-operative period, unlikely the control group, which reestablished the activity after 7 days. A significant mouth opening was seen for the comparison between control and experimental groups (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Thus, based on these results, we suggest that the single-dose myorelaxant taken prior to the surgical procedure interfere on the motor activity of the studied muscles. This approach can be useful as adjuvant therapy in patients exhibiting stomatognathic system dysfunctions causing damage to the masticatory system due to the presence of embedded mandibular third molar. Keywords: Myorelaxants; Third Molars; Electromyography; Cyclobenzaprine; Surgery.
Prevalence of permanent teeth avulsion in a brazilian trauma center: a 12 years retrospective study
Authors: Rebouças Pedro Diniz , Macedo-Rodrigues Lorena Walesca , Santiago Adriana Kelly de Sousa , Gondim Juliane Oliveira , Moreira Neto José Jeová Siebra
Published: October 2015

Objective: The aim of this study is to perform a retrospective study of cases of avulsion of permanent teeth in patients from 12 years of the Oraldental Trauma Center (CENTRAU) of the School of Dentistry of Faculty of Pharmacy, Dentistry and Nursing in Federal University of Ceara. Material and Methods: A retrospective transversal study characterized by direct observation of dental records was performed of a spontaneous demand sample of dental trauma victims who presented to the Oraldental Trauma Center of UFC (CENTRAU) during the period from May 2001 to May 2013 was conducted. Results: The analisys was done on 1,104 records,which 66 patients reported having been victims of avulsion with 88 avulsed permanent teeth with ages ranging between 6 and 30 years Among the 88 avulsed teeth, 59 (67.04%) were replanted. Only in 9 (15.5%) cases replantation was immediately. The storage medium that was the most widely used was the oral cavity by 8 (30.7%) patients. In 26 (39.4 %) cases, the cause of avulsion was falling to the ground. Conclusion: In this study, it was clear that cases of avulsion in CENTRAU corresponded to a low occurrence of all cases seen in the center.
Evaluation of acidulated dentifrice influence on fluoride releasing from glass-ionomer cements
Authors: Gomes Filho Valmir Vanderlei , Barros Andréa Maria Vidal , Meira Karla Maria Simões , Carvalho Morgana Maria Souza Gadêlha , Oliveira Pierre Andrade Pereira , Sampaio Fabio Correa , Da Silva Cláudio Heliomar Vicente
Published: October 2015

Objective: To evaluate the acidulated dentifrice influence on fluoride releasing from glass-ionomer cements. Methods: 27 specimens were constructed, divided into 3 groups: G1 (Maxion - R), G2 (Ketac Molar 3M/ESPE) and G3 (Vittremer 3M/ESPE), and subdivided into 3 subgroups (n = 3): A (exposure to acidulated fluoride dentifrice – pH 4.5 / 7h / 37 oC), B (exposure to non-acidulated fluoride dentifrice / 7h / 37 oC), C (control - exposure to artificial saliva). After exposing, the specimens were immersed into artificial saliva and the fluoride releasing measured at the following time periods: 1 to 14 days. Data were subjected to analysis of variance using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). ANOVA test was applied with level of significance of 5% to compare the means and the behavior of each material. Results: The exposure to acidulated dentifrice showed fluoride releasing means values (ppm/mm2) that varied from 1 and 14 days : G1A (0.269 to 0.204); G2A (0.394 to 0.038); G3A (0.080 to 0.123). The relationship among the G1 subgroups at T1 and G3 subgroups at T1 and T14 was statistically significant. Conclusion: The acidulated dentifrice positively influenced on fluoride releasing of hybrid GIC but not on that of conventional GICs.Keywords: Glass-ionomer cement; Fluoride releasing; Acidulated dentifrice.
Effect of the inclusion procedure on the alteration of teeth position in maxillary complete dentures
Authors: Gennari Filho Humberto , Goiato Marcelo Coelho , Mazaro Jose Vitor Quineli , Turcio Karina Helga Leal , Amoroso Andressa Paschoal , Da Silva Emily Vivianne Freitas
Published: October 2015

Introduction: The dimensional alterations of denture base jeopardize adaptation and retention associated to altered occlusion, which are considered relevant factors for fabrication of complete dentures. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate linear tooth displacement during processing of maxillary complete dentures submitted to two inclusion methods and conventional polymerization. Material and method: Twenty maxillary complete dentures were fabricated: G1 – inclusion with silicone barrier, and G2 – inclusion with dental stone type IV barrier. Points were marked on incisal surface of right central incisor and cusp of second molars to allow linear measurement of the replicas through the software AutoCAD. The evaluation of artificial teeth displacement for both groups was carried out in different moments: a) waxed denture; b) waxed denture partially invested with stone or silicone barrier; c) after complete flasking; d) denture into flask after polymerization; e) denture attached to the cast after deflasking; f) denture separated from the cast; g) denture after finishing and polishing; h) denture after storage in water at 36° during 7 days. Result: Linear alterations occurred on artificial teeth positioning for both groups and in all periods of inclusion, with higher alterations for group G2. The data from phases c and d were significant different from other phases when compared intra groups, for both inclusion methods evaluated. Conclusion: Group G2 exhibited the greatest alterations. After polymerization, group G1(Inclusion with silicone barrier complemented with dental stone type III) demonstrated higher distance between the points (expansion) while group G2 revealed reduced distance (contraction).
Influence of sterilization process on cutting effectiveness and durability of ultrasonic tips
Authors: Boldieri Thalita , Bussaneli Diego , Rodrigues Jonas , Cardoso Katia , Josgrilberg Erika , Cordeiro Rita
Published: October 2015

Objective: The aim was to evaluate influence of different sterilization methods on cutting effectiveness and durability of cylindrical ultrasonic burs compared with conventional cylindrical diamond-coated burs. Material and Methods: Fifteen conventional cylindrical diamond-coated (1092) (KG Sorensen) coupled to a high-speed turbine, and fifteen cylindrical ultrasonic (8.2137) (CVDentus®) burs coupled to an ultrasound-handpiece were used to perform standardized cavity preparations in healthy bovine tooth fragments, cleaned with rubber cup, pumice stone and water. After every 10 preparations, burs were sterilized 9 times in autoclave (SA), oven (SO), or cleaned with brush, soap and water (C). Fragments were weighed and microphotographs of burs were taken at the beginning and end of experiment. Another 9 conventional diamond-coated and 9 CVD burs underwent the same sterilization cycles in autoclave (SAC), oven (SOC) or washed with soap and water (CC) however, without being used for making cavity preparations, serving as control. Descriptive analyses were made of the values found by weighing and microphotography scores. Results: Statistically significant differences (Paired Student’s-t test) were observed among burs after sterilization (p = 0.0001). SO and SA did not influence cutting effectiveness and durability of ultrasonic and conventional diamond-coated burs. The microphotographs showed morphological differences between the burs used for preparation and the control. Conclusion: Sterilization by oven and autoclave did not influence cutting effectiveness and durability of CVD and conventional diamond-coated burs. Conventional diamond-coated burs presented greater structural alterations after performing cavity preparations and cleaning/sterilization procedures, irrespective of the process used.Keywords: cvdentus, sterilization, dental instruments, infection control.
Correlation between Body Mass Index and Dental Caries among a sample of Sudanese Children
Authors: Seid Ahmed Tyseer Elmekki , Abuaffan Amal
Published: October 2015

Introduction: Obesity and dental caries have a serious impact on a child’s health; they can be potentially prevented   by increasing the knowledge and awareness of proper oral hygiene practice in addition to healthy food consumption. Objective: To determine the correlation between body mass index and dental caries of a sample of 6-11 year old Sudanese children. Materials and Methods: A Cross sectional school based study was conducted. A total of 360 children (50% boys, 50% girls) were examined for body mass index and dental caries prevalence. Physical examination was done by recording the child’s height and weight to calculate the body mass index. Dental caries index was carried out following the WHO criteria. Results: The most prevalent body weight category was normal weight (60.6%) in both genders followed by the underweight group (28.3%), the overweight group (6.4%), and the obese group (4.7%). Boys exhibited a higher prevalence in the underweight category than girls, while overweight was more prevalent in girls (8.3%) than boys (4.4%). The mean dft for primary teeth was 4.68 in both genders and the mean DMFT for permanent teeth was 2.52 and 1.88 for girls and boys respectively. There was a negative correlation between dft and body weight category. No correlation between body weight category and DMFT was found. Conclusion: No correlation between dental caries and age-specific body weight category was found in permanent teeth while in primary teeth the underweight category was more related to the presence of dental caries than the other body weight categories.  Key words: body mass index, normal weight, overweight, obesity, dental caries
Unruptured Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysm with Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction and Supracristal Ventricular Septal Defect: A Rare Case
Authors: Sridhar Ganiga Srinivasaiah , Sadiq Muhammad Athar , Ahmad Wan Azman Wan , Supuramaniam Chitra , Watson Timothy , Abidin Imran Zainal , Chee Kok Han
Published: October 2015

Unruptured right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm that causes severe obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract is extremely rare. We describe the case of a 47-year-old woman who presented with exertional dyspnea. Upon investigation, we discovered an unruptured right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm with associated right ventricular outflow tract obstruction and a supracristal ventricular septal defect. To our knowledge, only 2 such cases have previously been reported in the medical literature.

Although treatment of unruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm remains debatable, surgery should be considered for extremely large aneurysms or for progressive enlargement of the aneurysm on serial evaluation. Surgery was undertaken in our patient because there was clear evidence of right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, right-sided heart dilation, and associated exertional dyspnea.
Efficacy of Oral Anticoagulation in Stroke Prevention among Sinus-Rhythm Patients Who Lack Left Atrial Mechanical Contraction after Cryoablation
Authors: Martínez-Comendador José , Gualis Javier , Marcos-Vidal José Miguel , Buber Jonnatan , Martín Carlos Esteban , Gomez-Plana Jesús , Rodríguez Miguel Angel , Iglesias-Garriz Ignacio , Alonso David , Soria Carlos , Miguélez Eva Higuera , Castaño Mario
Published: October 2015

The customary recommendation is that oral anticoagulation be withdrawn a few months after cryoablation for atrial fibrillation, independently of left atrial mechanical contraction in patients in sinus rhythm. Recently, a 5-fold increase in stroke has been described in sinus-rhythm patients who lack atrial mechanical contraction. One aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of oral anticoagulation in preventing postoperative stroke in such patients.

This prospective study divided 154 sinus-rhythm patients into 2 groups, depending on the presence (108 patients) or absence (46 patients) of left atrial mechanical contraction at 6 months after surgery, and monitored them annually for 5 years. Those without left atrial contraction were maintained on acenocumarol. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of ischemic stroke.

The median follow-up period was 29 ± 16 months; 4 patients (2.5%), all belonging to the group with preserved atrial contraction, had ischemic stroke; the group of patients without left atrial contraction had no episodes of stroke during follow-up. Logistic binary regression analyses showed no evidence of factors independently predictive of stroke.

Among anticoagulated patients in sinus rhythm without left atrial contraction, we found the incidence of stroke to be zero. In a small, nonrandomized group such as this, we cannot discount the element of chance, yet we suggest that maintaining anticoagulation might lower the incidence of stroke in this population.
Evaluation of Previously Cannulated Radial Arteries as Patent Coronary Artery Bypass Conduits
Authors: Watson Timothy , Pope Adele , van Pelt Niels , Ruygrok Peter N.
Published: October 2015

In coronary artery bypass grafting, good-quality conduits are needed to maximize the potential for long-term patency. Revascularization has traditionally been achieved with use of the saphenous vein and the internal thoracic arteries. In recent years, total arterial revascularization with use of the radial arteries has been promoted. Meanwhile, use of the transradial approach for coronary angiography has also increased. The long-term effects of previous cannulation in radial artery bypass grafts are not known. Therefore, we used multidetector computed tomographic angiography to investigate radial-artery graft patency in a small series of patients who had undergone transradial angiography. We found a high patency rate, and we discuss those findings here.
Risk of Bleeding in End-Stage Liver Disease Patients Undergoing Cardiac Catheterization
Authors: Mahmoud Ahmed M. , Elgendy Islam Y. , Choi Calvin Y. , Bavry Anthony A.
Published: October 2015

Patients with end-stage liver disease frequently have baseline coagulopathies. The international normalized ratio is in common use for the estimation of bleeding tendency in such patients, especially those undergoing an invasive procedure like cardiac catheterization. The practice of international normalized ratio measurement—followed by pharmacologic (for example, vitamin K or fresh frozen plasma) or nonpharmacologic intervention—is still debatable. The results of multiple randomized trials have shown the superiority of the radial approach over femoral access in reducing catheterization bleeding. This reduction in bleeding in turn decreases the risk and cost of blood-product transfusion. However, there is little evidence regarding the use of the radial approach in the end-stage liver disease patient population specifically. In this review, we summarize the studies that have dealt with cardiac catheterization in patients who have end-stage liver disease. We also discuss the role of the current measurements that are used to reduce the risk of bleeding in these same patients.
A situation-based multi-agent architecture for handling misunderstandings in interactions
Authors: Pham Thao Phuong , Rabah Mourad , Estraillier Pascal
Published: October 2015

During interactions, system actors may face up misunderstandings when their local states contain inconsistent data about the same fact. Misunderstandings in interactions are likely to reduce interactivity performances (deviation or deadlock) or even affect overall system behavior. In this paper, we characterize misunderstandings in interactions between system actors (that may be human users or system agents) in interactive adaptive systems. To deal with such misunderstandings and ensure state consistency, we present an agent-based architecture and a scenario structuring approach. The system includes several agents devoted to scenario unfolding, plot adaptation and consistency management. Scenario structuring is based on the notion of a situation that is an elementary building block dividing the interactions between systems’ actors into contextual scenes. This pattern supports not only scenario execution but consistency management as well. In order to organize and control interactions, the situation contextualizes interactions and activity of the system’s actors. It also includes prevention and tolerance agent-based mechanisms to deal with the misunderstandings and their causes. We validate our consistency management mechanisms using Uppaal simulation and provide some experimental results to show the effectiveness of our approach on an online distance learning case study
A belief revision approach for argumentation-based negotiation agents
Authors: Pilotti Pablo , Casali Ana , Chesñevar Carlos
Published: October 2015

Negotiation is an interaction that happens in multi-agent systems when agents have conflicting objectives and must look for an acceptable agreement. A typical negotiating situation involves two agents that cannot reach their goals by themselves because they do not have some resources they need or they do not know how to use them to reach their goals. Therefore, they must start a negotiation dialogue, taking also into account that they might have incomplete or wrong beliefs about the other agent’s goals and resources. This article presents a negotiating agent model based on argumentation, which is used by the agents to reason on how to exchange resources and knowledge in order to achieve their goals. Agents that negotiate have incomplete beliefs about the others, so that the exchange of arguments gives them information that makes it possible to update their beliefs. In order to formalize their proposals in a negotiation setting, the agents must be able to generate, select and evaluate arguments associated with such offers, updating their mental state accordingly. In our approach, we will focus on an argumentation-based negotiation model between two cooperative agents. The arguments generation and interpretation process is based on belief change operations (expansions, contractions and revisions), and the selection process is a based on a strategy. This approach is presented through a high-level algorithm implemented in logic programming. We show various theoretical properties associated with this approach, which have been formalized and proved using Coq, a formal proof management system. We also illustrate, through a case study, the applicability of our approach in order to solve a slightly modified version of the well-known home improvement agents problem. Moreover, we present various simulations that allow assessing the impact of belief revision on the negotiation process.
Design of passive fault-tolerant controllers of a quadrotor based on sliding mode theory
Authors: Merheb Abdel-Razzak , Noura Hassan , Bateman François
Published: October 2015

Abstract In this paper, sliding mode control is used to develop two passive fault tolerant controllers for an AscTec Pelican UAV quadrotor. In the first approach, a regular sliding mode controller (SMC) augmented with an integrator uses the robustness property of variable structure control to tolerate partial actuator faults. The second approach is a cascaded sliding mode controller with an inner and outer SMC loops. In this configuration, faults are tolerated in the fast inner loop controlling the velocity system. Tuning the controllers to find the optimal values of the sliding mode controller gains is made using the ecological systems algorithm (ESA), a biologically inspired stochastic search algorithm based on the natural equilibrium of animal species. The controllers are tested using SIMULINK in the presence of two different types of actuator faults, partial loss of motor power affecting all the motors at once, and partial loss of motor speed. Results of the quadrotor following a continuous path demonstrated the effectiveness of the controllers, which are able to tolerate a significant number of actuator faults despite the lack of hardware redundancy in the quadrotor system. Tuning the controller using a faulty system improves further its ability to afford more severe faults. Simulation results show that passive schemes reserve their important role in fault tolerant control and are complementary to active techniques
A symbolic shortest path algorithm for computing subgame-perfect Nash equilibria
Authors: Góngora Pedro A. , Rosenblueth David A.
Published: October 2015

Consider games where players wish to minimize the cost to reach some state. A subgame-perfect Nash equilibrium can be regarded as a collection of optimal paths on such games. Similarly, the well-known state-labeling algorithm used in model checking can be viewed as computing optimal paths on a Kripke structure, where each path has a minimum number of transitions. We exploit these similarities in a common generalization of extensive games and Kripke structures that we name “graph games”. By extending the Bellman-Ford algorithm for computing shortest paths, we obtain a model-checking algorithm for graph games with respect to formulas in an appropriate logic. Hence, when given a certain formula, our model-checking algorithm computes the subgame-perfect Nash equilibrium (as opposed to simply determining whether or not a given collection of paths is a Nash equilibrium). Next, we develop a symbolic version of our model checker allowing us to handle larger graph games. We illustrate our formalism on the critical-path method as well as games with perfect information. Finally, we report on the execution time of benchmarks of an implementation of our algorithms
Signature verification: A comprehensive study of the hidden signature method
Authors: Putz-Leszczyńska Joanna
Published: October 2015

Many handwritten signature verification algorithms have been developed in order to distinguish between genuine signatures and forgeries. An important group of these methods is based on dynamic time warping (DTW). Traditional use of DTW for signature verification consists in forming a misalignment score between the verified signature and a set of template signatures. The right selection of template signatures has a big impact on that verification. In this article, we describe our proposition for replacing the template signatures with the hidden signature-an artificial signature which is created by minimizing the mean misalignment between itself and the signatures from the enrollment set. We present a few hidden signature estimation methods together with their comprehensive comparison. The hidden signature opens a number of new possibilities for signature analysis. We apply statistical properties of the hidden signature to normalize the error signal of the verified signature and to use the misalignment on the normalized errors as a verification basis. A result, we achieve satisfying error rates that allow creating an on-line system, ready for operating in a real-world environment
Boundary value problem with fractional p-Laplacian operator
Authors: Torres Ledesma César
Published: October 2015

The aim of this paper is to obtain the existence of solution for the fractional p-Laplacian Dirichlet problem with mixed derivatives

t

D

T

α(|0
D

t

α
u(t)|
p-2
0
D

t

α
u(t)) = f(t,u(t)), t ∈ [0,T],
u(0) = u(T) = 0,
where 1/p < α < 1, 1 < p < ∞ and
f : [0,T] × ℝ → ℝ is a Carathéodory function which satisfies some growth conditions. We obtain the existence of nontrivial solutions by using the direct method in variational methods and mountain pass theorem.
Croatian laboratories have a good knowledge of the proper detection and management of hemolyzed, icteric and lipemic samples
Authors: Nikolac Nora , Celap Ivana , Filipi Petra , Hemar Marina , Kocijancic Marija , Miler Marijana , Simundic Ana-Maria , Smolcic Vesna Supak , Vrtaric Alen
Published: October 2015

Endogenous interferences are an important source of biased laboratory results. Hemolysis, lipemia and icteria are the main source of endogenous interference in laboratory medicine. Accreditation according to ISO 15189 improves the overall quality of the laboratory procedures. The aim of our study was i) to assess the level of knowledge of Croatian medical biochemists about the proper detection and management of hemolysis, lipemia and icteria; and ii) to identify possible differences in the level of knowledge respective to the laboratory accreditation status.

An on-line self-report survey was carried out by the Working Group for Preanalytical Phase of the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine during April to May 2015. Survey included 14 statements (Q1–Q14) about procedures for samples with interferences and participants were asked to assess the degree of agreement with the statement using a 4-point Likert scale.

The lowest level of knowledge was observed for statements Q10 (dealing with icteric sample; 40.9% participants agreed with the correct procedure), Q12 (allowable error for interference; 47.2%) and Q11 (dealing with lipemic sample; 60.1%). Almost all participants (97.4%) agreed that laboratories in Croatia should have a harmonized protocol for management of samples with interferences. Participants from accredited laboratories showed higher knowledge of hemolysis detection (p=0.031), rejection of hemolyzed sample (p<0.001), management of icteric samples (p=0.038) and allowable error for interferences (p=0.040).

Croatian laboratories have a good knowledge of the proper detection and management of hemolyzed, icteric and lipemic samples. Accreditation is associated with higher knowledge about management of samples with interferences.
A rapid LC-MS/MS method for determination of urinary EtG and application to a cut-off limit study
Authors: Anilanmert Beril , Özdemir Ali Acar , Aydin Muhammet , Akgül Meral , Cengiz Salih
Published: October 2015

Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) is a metabolite and a specific marker of alcohol consumption that can be detected days after the complete elimination of alcohol after drinking. A rapid, simple, and sensitive LC-ESI-MS/MS method for the determination of urinary ethyl glucuronide was developed and fully validated in accordance with analytical standards, using the C
Preparation, characterization and ion adsorption properties of functionalized polystyrene modified with 1,4-phenylene diisocyanate and diethylenetriamine
Authors: Dardouri Mokhtar , Amor Abir ben Hadj , Meganem Faouzi
Published: October 2015

In the present work, linear polystyrene (PS) was functionalized by a sulfonation reaction providing sulfonated polystyrene (PSS). Then, the PSS polymer chains were cross-linked with the 1,4- phenylene diisocyanate (PPDI) group in tetrahydrofuran (THF), which led to a PSS-PPDI polymer. The PSS-PPDI was grafted by diethylenetriamine (DETA) in a solution of THF to obtain polymer PSS-PPDI-DETA. Their structures were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), elemental analysis (EA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravemetric (TGA), thermodynamic (DTA) and differential thermogravimetric (DTG) analysis. Subsequently, the obtained polymers were tested for their ability to remove some metal ions from aqueous media such as Zn
Effect of rapid batch decompression on hydrolysate quality after hydrothermal pretreatment of wheat straw
Authors: Krátký Lukáš , Jirout Tomáš
Published: October 2015

The subject of this paper was to study the effect of rapid batch decompression on hydrolysate quality and on biogas yield after the hydrothermal pretreatment of wheat straw. An aqueous batch containing 5 mass % total solids of wheat straw was thermally and thermally-expansionary treated in parallel at the process temperature of 170-200°C and the residence time of 0-60 min. An analysis of the thermal and thermal-expansionary hydrolysate provided identical results in the dependences and values of chemical oxygen demand, acidities, and glucose yields of both treatments based on severity factors including the combined effects of temperature and residence time. Increases in the methane content of 33 % for thermally and of 34 % for thermally-expansionary treated wheat straw were reached in comparison to the methane yield from an untreated sample. This means that the polysaccharide cell wall was dissolved because of the high process temperature and residence time. From this it follows that all its nutrients were subsequently washed out of the cell into liquid where they caused changes in its chemical oxygen demand, glucose content, and acidities. There was therefore no rapid decompression effect on the hydrothermally treated wheat straw.
Relationship between acidification factors and methylene blue uptake by Ca-bentonite: optimisation and kinetic study
Authors: Salem Amin , Saghapour Mohsen
Published: October 2015

This investigation studied the uptake of methylene blue from wastewater by normal and treated bentonites to evaluate the effects of acidification factors on removal efficiency. Hydrochloric, sulphuric and nitric acids were blended in accordance with the response surface methodology to prepare acidic agents. The normal clay was then mixed with the prepared solutions after drying in a laboratory oven. The set-up provided controllable conditions for producing nano-porous powders for which the residence time and temperature were changed. The removal efficiency of the treated powders was assessed by defining an adsorption ratio and determining the optimal composition for acidic agent. Based on the statistical theory and experimental data, nitric acid is a suitable agent for manufacturing porous material to remove methylene blue from wastewater. In addition, the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques were applied to identify the structural changes. The experimental data obtained from the batch tests were analysed by a new kinetic model which predicted the data variation with higher regression coefficients and lower relative errors. The proposed procedure can be an important tool in optimising the acidification conditions for manufacturing a nano-porous powder with maximal removal efficiency.
Iron cross-linked carboxymethyl cellulose–gelatin complex coacervate beads for sustained drug delivery
Authors: Sze Huei Gwendolen Ong , Muniyandy Saravanan , Sathasivam Thenapakiam , Veeramachineni Anand Kumar , Janarthanan Pushpamalar
Published: October 2015

The formation and smooth recovery of ibuprofen encapsulated in microcapsules using gelatin and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) complex coacervation without glutaraldehyde were the objectives of this investigation. The microcapsules were recovered as ionically cross-linked beads using aqueous ferric chloride in 50 vol. % of 2-propanol. A physical mixture of CMC/gelatin (FP1) and CMC alone (FP2) beads was also prepared for comparison. The drug-entrapment efficiency of complex coacervate beads (FP3–FP5) was dependent on the drug-to-polymer ratio and was in the range of 86–92 mass %. Beads prepared with the highest ratio of the drug (FP5) exhibited the lowest entrapment. FP1 and FP2 beads exhibited an entrapment efficiency of 98.5 mass % and 91.3 mass %, respectively. Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed different functional groups in complex coacervate, physical mixture and FP2 beads. Optical and scanning electron microscopy revealed the distinct appearance and surface morphology of the various beads. The stable and crystalline nature of ibuprofen in the beads was confirmed by FTIR and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. Ibuprofen release from FP1 and FP2 beads was very slow and unsuitable for oral delivery. The bead prepared by complex coacervation (FP5) showed a better release profile over 48 h and could be developed as a sustained drug delivery system.
Portable device design for in-vitro muscle
tissue monitoring
Authors: Bouchaala Dhouha , Guermazi Mahdi , Kanoun Olfa , Derbel Nabil
Published: October 2015

Experimental investigations
were carried out in order to identify the portable device requirements for
in-vitro muscle tissue monitoring over
time. Based on these investigations,
specifications for the measurement system were defined considering the type
and amplitude of excitation signals (500 mV), frequency
range (1 kHz–10 MHz) and impedance range (10 Ω–4 kΩ). For these
requirements, a portable device structure is proposed
based on the magnitude ratio and phase difference detection using a gain
phase detector. To fulfill the requirements of the gain
phase detector circuit's inputs, an interface circuit is
proposed with an error lower than 0.09% from 2 mV up
to 200 mV.
Open access – deus ex machina for publishing scholarly journals?
Authors: Hebrang Grgić Ivana
Published: October 2015

The article describes the evolution of scholarly communication through scholarly journals. It gives a short overview of the historical development, starting from the first journals in the 17th century to problems in the 20th century (such as increase in the number of journals, problems of accessibility, visibility, and journal access crisis). The open access (OA) movement is described. It arose from the “old tradition” facing new technologies and was supposed to be the solution to the journal crisis that culminated in 1990s. The idea, defined in the Budapest Open Access Initiative, was to assure free and unrestricted online availability of peer-reviewed journal literature. The beginnings of formal scholarly communication, back in 1665, had similar ideas of making research results available to the widest possible public. The idea was excellent – removing access barriers would increase visibility, impact and quality of research. Research has shown that OA articles have better impact and visibility (Lawrence, Brody, Harnad, Haajem, etc.). However, publishing scientific information has its costs. New models have been developed, some of them causing new restrictions and barriers. The most popular model is the author-pays model (article processing charges, APC) – if authors can afford to pay the processing charges, their work is published and thus more visible and more citable. However, if they cannot, a new problem arises – some research results, although valuable, are not published in open access and therefore they have lower visibility and impact. Another problem is the phenomenon of the so-called predatory publishers. Those publishers use the APC model but neglect quality control mechanisms in order to make profit. Their criteria for publishing are not positive peer-reviews but payments made by authors or their institutions. Predatory publishers’ practices are not only unethical, but also illegal, and they are a great threat to the development of science. New questions have arisen lately - has OA movement achieved its goal, has it evolved in the way it was supposed to, was it really dues ex machina for publishing scholarly journals, i.e. did it solve the access crisis. In conclusion, it is proposed that the solution to the problem of predatory publishers could be the development of a new set of information literacy skills that are based on finding, evaluating and properly using OA information. Universities and academic libraries should play an important role in developing those skills and competencies.
Increased prevalence of diabetes mellitus and the metabolic syndrome in patients with primary aldosteronism of the German Conn's Registry
Authors: Hanslik Gregor , Wallaschofski Henri , Dietz Anna , Riester Anna , Reincke Martin , Allolio Bruno , Lang Katharina , Quack Ivo , Rump Lars C , Willenberg Holger S , Beuschlein Felix , Quinkler Marcus , Hannemann Anke , _ _
Published: October 2015

Design

Abnormalities in glucose homeostasis have been described in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) but most studies show inconsistent results. Therefore, we aimed to compare the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in newly diagnosed PA patients to a matched control cohort of the background population.

Methods

In total, 305 PA patients of the prospective German Conn's Registry were compared to the population-based Study of Health In Pomerania (SHIP1;n=2454). A 1:1 match regarding sex, age, and BMI resulted in 269 matched pairs regarding type 2 diabetes and 183 matched pairs regarding MetS. Of the total, 153 PA patients underwent oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) at diagnosis and 38 PA patients were reevaluated at follow-up.

Results

Type 2 diabetes and MetS were significantly more frequent in PA patients than in the control population (17.2% vs 10.4%,P=0.03; 56.8% vs 44.8%,P=0.02 respectively). Also, HbA1c levels were higher in PA patients than in controls (P<0.01). Of the total, 35.3% of non-diabetic PA patients showed an abnormal OGTT (¼ newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and ¾ impaired glucose tolerance). PA patients with an abnormal OGTT at baseline presented with significantly improved 2 h OGTT glucose (P=0.01) at follow-up. We detected a negative correlation between 2 h OGTT glucose levels and serum potassium (P<0.01).

Conclusions

Type 2 diabetes and MetS are more prevalent in patients with PA than in controls matched for sex, age, BMI, and blood pressure. This may explain in part the increased cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality in PA patients.
Beihilfenrechtliche Probleme des EG-Emissionsrechtehandels
Authors: Koenig Christian , Braun Daniel , Pfromm Rene
Published: October 2015

Das sich derzeit im Rechtsetzungsverfahren befindliche System eines EG-Emissionsrechtehandels gilt als Grundpfeiler einer kosteneffektiven Umsetzung der Kyoto-Verpflichtung. N ach dem Gemeinsamen Standpunkt des Rates vom 18. März 2003 werden die Emissionsrechte in einem gestaffelten Verfahren vergeben. Sollte dieser Kompromiss - wie erwartet - vom Europäischen Parlament bestätigt werden, erfolgt die Allokation von Emissionsrechten bis zum Jahre 2007 unentgeltlich. Ab dem Jahre 2008 sollen maximal 10 % der Emissionsrechte von den Mitgliedstaaten entgeltlich vergeben werden können. Der Gemeinsame Standpunkt des Rates über ein System für den Handel mit Treibhausgasemissionsberechtigungen in der EG (GS) sieht dabei vor, dass die Zuteilung und die Vergabe im Einklang mit dem EG-Vertrag und insbesondere den beihilfen-rechtlichen Vorschriften der Art. 87, 88 EG stehen müssen (Art. 11 Abs. 3 GS). Da mit einer Verabschiedung der Richtlinie bis Ende des laufenden Jahres zu rechnen ist, haben in den Mitgliedstaaten die Überlegungen hinsichtlich der Erstellung der nationalen Allokationspläne bereits begonnen. Welchen beihilfen-rechtlichen Anforderungen des EG-Vertrages die Mitgliedstaaten und die Kommission bei der Aufstellung bzw. Genehmigung der nationalen Allokationspläne genügen müssen, ist Gegenstand des folgenden Beitrags. Als Beispiel dient dabei die Allokation von Berechtigungen an ein Braunkohlekraftwerk.
Vergaberechtlicher Rechtsschutz unterhalb der Schwellenwerte
Authors: Broß Siegfried
Published: October 2015

Die Problematik des Rechtsschutzes bei der Vergabe öffentlicher Aufträge wird regelmäßig mit der Frage nach dem Erreichen der Schwellenwerte des § 100 Abs. 1 GWB verbunden. Der folgende Beitrag widmet sich dem Rechtsschutz in Fällen, in denen diese Schwellenwerte nicht erreicht werden. Dabei steht insbesondere der Primärrechtsschutz im Vordergrund.
Wettbewerb in der Telekommunikation: Brauchen wir die ex-ante-Regulierung noch?
Authors: Klotz Robert
Published: October 2015

Am 25. Juli 2003 ist die Umsetzungsfrist für die neuen EG-Richtlinien im Bereich der elektronischen Kommunikation abgelaufen . Die Regulierung der Telekommunikationsmärkte folgt nunmehr kartellrechtlichen Kriterien. Daher stellt sich verstärkt die Frage nach dem Verhältnis zwischen Regulierung und Kartellrecht in diesem Sektor. Vor dem Hintergrund der aktuellen Debatte über den , richtigen Weg" zu dauerhaftem Wettbewerb zeigt der Beitrag die neuen Regulierungsvorgaben für die Schaffung und Erhaltung von Wettbewerb in der Telekommunikation auf und beleuchtet anhand von aktuellen Beispielen aus der Fallpraxis die Effizienz des allgemeinen Kartellrechts und der sektorspezifischen Regulierung. Anhand eines Vergleiches beider Regelungsbereiche wird dargelegt, dass ein zu früh vollzogener Übergang von der sektorspezifischen Regulierung zum allgemeinen Wettbewerbsrecht sowohl für die neuen Marktteilnehmer als auch für die regulierten Unternehmen beträchtliche Risiken birgt. Vielmehr pladiert der Verfasser im Interesse eines dauerhaften Wettbewerbs für die strikt e und vor allem konsistente Anwendung von Regulierung und Kartellrecht.
Erfüllen Kartellabsprachen den Tatbestand des Betrugs?
Authors: Lange Knut Werner
Published: October 2015

Since the BGH passed the two “Rheinausbau”-Decisions, price-fixing agreements within award procedures which run counter to antitrust law may from his 2nd penal senate's point of view complete the corpus delicti of fraud. By two decisions of the y ears 2000 and 2001, also the 1st penal senate came to this opinion, since he again confirmed and at the same time facilitated the sanction of antitrust agreements by penal law. This adjudication deserves attention in particular with respect to the determination of the financial loss. According to this adjudication the financial/ass of price-fixing agreements contrary to antitrust law does also contain the surcharges resulting from the agreement. From the orderer’s point of view the attainable price for the placed order would have been the attained price less the surcharges resulting from the agreements. Payments of bribes and adjustment payments to the companies participating at the trust or option money to the outside brokers are deemend by the BGH as almost compulsive signs of evidence for the fact that the price attainable without the price-fixing agreement would have been lower than the actual agreed price. According to this the judge may assume a financial/ass at least up to the amount of the bribes and the adjustment payments. The critical analysis of the decision shows that the BGH is led in particular concerning the determination of the financial/ass by assumptions which can not convince both legally and economically.
Triage of Intermediate-Care Patients in Pediatric Hospitals
Authors: Russ Christiana M. , Agus Michael
Published: October 2015

BACKGROUND:

Hospitalized children have a wide range of acuity and risk of decompensation. The objective of this study was to determine where pediatric patients are triaged when they present to pediatric hospitals needing intense monitoring and nursing care, but do not require invasive monitoring or technology.

METHODS:

We completed a telephone survey of pediatric hospitals in the United States with at least 2 non-neonatal pediatric wards and at least 50 acute inpatient beds. The survey consisted of a brief scripted portrayal of 6 hypothetical patients who may be admitted to a hospital's general floor, ICU, or an intermediate care unit (IMCU). The scenarios included severe asthma, bronchiolitis, croup, diabetic ketoacidosis, and patients dependent on home ventilation via noninvasive interface or tracheostomy. The hospital bed coordinator or emergency department charge nurse was asked where each hypothetical patient would be admitted in their hospital.

RESULTS:

A total192 hospitals met inclusion criteria and 164 hospitals (85%) responded. For all of the scenarios, most of the institutions triaged them to the PICU. Twenty-eight (17%) of the responding institutions triaged at least 1 of the patient scenarios to an IMCU. The presence of an IMCU decreased triage to the ICU for all scenarios when comparing hospitals with and without an IMCU (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Inpatient triage practices among pediatric hospitals vary widely for patients who require intense nursing or frequent monitoring due to specific acute illnesses or respiratory technologies. Institutions that have an IMCU available are less likely to send these patients to the ICU.