bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hypothermic storage of porcine zygotes in serum supplemented with chlorogenic acid
Authors: Thi Nguyen Nhien , Hirata Maki , Tanihara Fuminori , Hirano Takayuki , Le Quynh Anh , Nii Masahiro , Otoi Takeshige
Published: February 2019

Contents

The current study was conducted to investigate the effects of 100% foetal bovine serum (FBS) and 100% porcine follicular fluid (pFF) as a storage medium on the developmental competence of porcine zygotes stored at 25°C for 24 hr. Moreover, we evaluated the additive effects of chlorogenic acid (CGA) in the storage medium. When in vitro‐produced zygotes were stored at 25°C for 24 hr in tubes containing either tissue culture medium (TCM) 199 supplemented with 1 mg/ml bovine serum albumin (BSA), 100% of FBS or 100% of pFF, the rate of blastocyst formation was significantly higher in 100% of FBS than in BSA‐containing TCM 199. When the effects of CGA supplementation in 100% of FBS on the development of zygotes stored at 25°C for 24 hr was evaluated, more zygotes stored with 50 µM CGA developed to blastocysts compared with the other concentrations of CGA. When the formation date and quality of blastocysts derived from zygotes stored in 100% of FBS supplemented with 50 µM CGA were investigated, the highest ratio of blastocysts formation in the storage group appeared 1 day later than in the non‐stored control group. However, a higher proportion of blastocysts with apoptotic nuclei was observed in the stored group as compared to the non‐stored group. In conclusion, 100% of FBS is available for a short storage medium of porcine zygotes. The supplementation of 50 µM CGA into the storage medium improves the rates of blastocyst formation of zygotes after storage, but the quality of embryos from the stored zygotes remains to be improved.
Processing relative humidity data using discrete Fourier transform to control strain in art objects
Authors: Kupczak Arkadiusz , Jędrychowski Mariusz , Bratasz Łukasz , Łukomski Michał , Kozłowski Roman
Published: February 2019

Sustainable management of cultural heritage collections requires tools that, on the one hand, quantitatively relate risk of damage to environmental impacts and, on the other hand, can be easily used by conservation professionals and decision makers in heritage buildings or buildings housing collections. This paper explains how continual processing of ambient relative humidity (RH) data monitored in museums or historical buildings is used to assess quantitatively the climate‐induced physical damage risk to art objects. The software continually decomposes RH data into a set of elementary sinusoidal RH fluctuations using discrete Fourier transform. The user needs to provide basic characterisation of objects in the collection. Then each elementary sinusoidal RH fluctuation is transformed, using the precalculated database, into an elementary strain fluctuation experienced by the object. The complete strain history is calculated by the superposition of all elementary strain fluctuations. The risk of damage can be assessed by comparing strain against a critical level selected—the damage criterion. Wooden panels have been selected to illustrate the approach, and its reliability was demonstrated by comparison with the strain versus time histories obtained by full finite element modelling. The proposed approach based on the analysis of moisture response of objects is significant progress to current practices of evaluating climate parameters themselves.
Multivariable Analysis of Aerodynamic Forces on Slotted Airfoils for Wind Turbine Blades
Authors: Beyhaghi Saman , Amano Ryoichi S.
Published: February 2019

Improvement of the aerodynamic performance for cambered airfoils with leading-edge slots is investigated in this work. This concept is proven both computationally and experimentally in recent years. Five design variables of interest are slot's length, slot's width or thickness, inlet angle, exit angle, and the vertical position. The objective is to perform design of experiment and optimization studies on these variables and evaluate the behavior of the objective functions, namely lift and lift over drag ratio (LoD), within the appropriate ranges of the independent variables. Simulations are mainly carried out at the Reynolds number of 1.6 × 106 and the angles of attack (AoA) of 6 deg for NACA 4412 airfoil. However, some of the analyses are repeated at Reynolds number of 3.2 × 106 and AoA of 0 and 8 deg to show the scalability of the results. Results indicate that the proper selection of three of the design variables, i.e., length, inlet angle, and vertical position, can have a significant impact on both lift and LoD, while the other two variables seem less influential. For the combination of the operating conditions and the values of the design variables considered in this investigation, a LoD improvement as large as 11% is observed.
A Preliminary Two-Dimensional Palpation Mechanics for Detecting a Hard Inclusion by Indentation of a Soft Matrix Under Large Strain
Authors: Liu Shengchen , Wan Kai-tak
Published: February 2019

A rigid inclusion is embedded at a finite depth in a soft layer resting on a rigid substrate. A spherical indenter presses vertically onto the surface, deforming the matrix and displacing the inclusion. A subsurface inclusion initially near the indentation axis moves primarily downward, until an unstable lateral jump occurs to minimize the energy stored in the elastic medium. Such an instability is unique to soft materials undergoing large deformation. A two-dimensional plane-strain finite element analysis is used to simulate the 3D phenomenon.
Effects of cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos and piperonyl butoxide-based pour-on and spray acaricides on controlling the tick Rhipicephalus microplus
Authors: Higa Leandro De Oliveira Souza , Garcia Marcos Valerio , Rodrigues Vinicius Da Silva , Bonatte-Junior Paulino , Barradas-Piña Francisco Tobias , Barros Jacqueline Cavalcante , Andreotti Renato
Published: February 2019

The objective of the study was to investigate the efficacy of cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos and piperonyl butoxide based pour-on and spray acaricides for the control of Rhipicephalus microplus in a naturally infested cattle herd. Fifty eight male Brangus cattle in the rearing phase were divided into treated (28) and untreated (30) groups. The treated group was subdivided in treated with a pour-on acaricide (13) and treated with a spray acaricide (15). Every 18 days, tick counts, acaricide treatment, weighing and clinical observation were performed on the animals, totaling four evaluation time points. The adult immersion tests were used for in vitro analysis of the study population to different chemical bases was assessed for primary results. Tick counts were separately compared between groups at each time point using the Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon tests. Significantly fewer number of ticks were observed on the treated group compared to control group and also on the sprayed subgroup compared to pour-on subgroup (p<0.05). Our results indicate that the chemical treatment evaluated directly affects the number of ticks parasitizing animals and that products employing a spray application method may be more effective in controlling cattle ticks.
Plonaphacarus species (Acari, Oribatida, Phthiracaridae) from China with descriptions of two new species and a key to Chinese species
Authors: Liu Dong , Wu Donghui
Published: February 2019

Two new species of oribatid mite family Phthiracaridae, Plonaphacarus projectus sp. nov. and Plonaphacarus spiniformis sp. nov., are described from China. New data about Plonaphacarus kugohi (Aoki, 1959) and an updated identification key to all known Chinese species of the genus Plonaphacarus are provided.
Counterintuitive Convection Flux Confined in a U-Shaped Tube
Authors: Dall’Agnol Fernando F. , Antunes Rodrigo A. , Loos Marcio R. , den Engelsen Daniel
Published: February 2019

Heating a fluid causes a local expansion and the resulting buoyance of the rarefied fluid drives it upward. This phenomenon roughly defines heat convection. Convection is fairly well known due to our familiarity with a large number of convection systems in open air like candles, bonfires, barbecue grills, boiling pans, hot air balloons, etc. Most heat sources generate convection that can be seen or felt. Therefore, our common sense may trick us to conclude that heat sources will always drive fluids straight up. However, this is not always the case when the fluid is confined, as we will show.
Measuring a spring constant with a smartphone magnetic field sensor
Authors: Pili Unofre , Violanda Renante
Published: February 2019

In introductory physics laboratories, spring constants are traditionally measured using the static method. The dynamic method, via vertical spring-mass oscillator, that uses a stopwatch in order to measure the period of oscillations is also commonly employed. However, this time-measuring technique is prone to human errors and in this paper we present a similar setup, except for the motion timer being the B-field sensor of a smartphone, in order to measure the period of oscillations and thus the spring constant. The smartphone device as an introductory physics experimental tool is quite well established. For instance, the smartphone-based acceleration sensor has been employed in a rather quick measurement of the acceleration due to gravity and in analyzing simple pendulum phenomena. In addition, the magnetic field sensor of the smartphone device has been effectively used as well in measuring average angular velocity and the acceleration due to gravity.
ABCD’s of explaining your reasoning
Authors: Frensley John
Published: February 2019

Traditional high school physics instruction often comes across as a mere extension of the mathematics classroom to many of our students. Solving numerical physics problems using structures such as the GUESS method (given, unknown, equation, substitute, solve) doesn’t help students with conceptual understanding. With the advent of physics education research (PER), problem solving in physics has taken a supporting, rather than starring, role, and modern PER-based physics instruction focuses chiefly on students having to write to explain their predictions and thought processes.
Acoustic transmission line based modelling of microscaled channels and enclosures
Authors: Anzinger Sebastian , Manz Johannes , Bretthauer Christian , Krumbein Ulrich , Dehé Alfons
Published: February 2019

An analytical model is presented that describes the acoustical impedance of cylindrical tubes and concentrically connected systems of such tubes valid up to the ultrasonic application. This allows the evaluation of microsized geometries encountered in acoustical microdevices, such as housing enclosures and sound port Helmholtz resonators. Each tube is treated as an acoustic transmission line (TL). Connected tubes are described using a coupling impedance, which accounts for viscous and inertial effects due to duct size changes. The acoustic TL model is directly derived from Navier-Stokes and energy equation, including frequency dependent boundary layer effects of the viscous and thermal dissipation. The results for various evaluated enclosure and resonator geometries are in good agreement with finite element method (FEM) simulation in both audio and ultrasonic frequency range and are compared to dedicated lumped element models referenced in literature. The presented model provides benefits in three ways: it is faster than FEM simulation and allows an implementation into analytical models and circuit simulation tools. Finally, it allows geometries with characteristic dimensions close to and above the wavelength to be treated with high precision in contrast to lumped element models.
Brain metabolism modulates neuronal excitability in a mouse model of pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency
Authors: Jakkamsetti Vikram , Marin-Valencia Isaac , Ma Qian , Good Levi B. , Terrill Tyler , Rajasekaran Karthik , Pichumani Kumar , Khemtong Chalermchai , Hooshyar M. Ali , Sundarrajan Chandrasekhar , Patel Mulchand S. , Bachoo Robert M. , Malloy Craig R. , Pascual Juan M.
Published: February 2019

Decreased metabolic flux due to deficient mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase causes excitability dysfunction that can be modulated by acetate.
A rare complication of the duodenal diverticulum
Authors: Sugimoto Hiroshi , Fujikawa Aoi , Kishida Akihiro
Published: February 2019

Introduction

An 80-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with severe right-sided abdominal pain that had started after her last meal. Physical examination revealed fever (38.6°C) and rebound tenderness in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. The laboratory studies showed a leucocyte count of 11.3×109/L (normal, 3.7–8.0×109/L) and a C-reactive protein level of 2.34 mg/dL (normal, <0.03 mg/dL). There were no other significant findings. A CT scan of the abdomen with contrast revealed retroperitoneal air around a duodenal diverticulum (figures 1 and 2).

Figure 1

Computed tomography scan of the abdomen with contrast (coronal section). A diverticulum in the second portion of the duodenum (arrow) and retroperitoneal air (asterisk) are shown.

Figure 2

Computed tomography scan of the abdomen with contrast (axial section). The area with retroperitoneal air (asterisk) is marked.

Question

What is the most likely diagnosis and the cause underlying the condition?
LncRNA-ANRIL inhibits cell senescence of vascular smooth muscle cells by regulating miR-181a/Sirt1
Authors: Tan Pan , Guo Yong-Hong , Zhan Jun-Kun , Long Li-Min , Xu Mei-Li , Ye Ling , Ma Xin-Yu , Cui Xing-Jun , Wang Hai-Qin
Published: February 2019

Background: Cardiovascular disease is one of the major threats to human life and health, and vascular aging is an important cause of its occurrence. Antisense non-coding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL) is a kind of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) that plays important roles in cell senescence. However, the role and mechanism of ANRIL in senescence of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are unclear. Methods: Cell viability and cell cycle were evaluated using an MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. Senescence-associated (SA)-β-galactosidase (gal) staining was used to determine cell senescence. Dual luciferase reporter assays were conducted to confirm the binding of ANRIL and miR-181a, as well as miR-181a and Sirt1. The expression of ANRIL, miR-181a, and Sirt1 was determined using qRT-PCR and protein levels of SA-β-gal and p53–p21 pathway-related proteins were evaluated by Western blotting. Results: ANRIL and Sirt1 were down-regulated, whereas miR-181a was up-regulated in aging VSMCs. In young and aging VSMCs, over-expression of ANRIL could down-regulate miR-181a and up-regulate Sirt1. MTT and SA-β-gal staining assays showed that over-expression of ANRIL and inhibition of miR-181a promoted cell viability and inhibited VSMC senescence. The dual-luciferase reporter assay determined that miR-181a directly targets ANRIL and the 3′-UTR of Sirt1. Furthermore, over-expression of ANRIL inhibited cell cycle arrest and the p53–p21 pathway. Conclusion: ANRIL promotes cell viability and inhibits senescence in VSMCs, possibly by regulating miR-181a/Sirt1, and alleviating cell cycle arrest by inhibiting the p53–p21 pathway. This study provides novel insights for the role of ANRIL in the development of cell senescence.
Uptake and trophic changes in polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the benthic marine food chain in southwestern British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Burd Brenda , Lowe Chris , Morales-Caselles Carmen , Noel Marie , Ross Peter , Macdonald Tara
Published: February 2019

We examined the physical and geochemical effects of sediment on the uptake of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) into marine sediment feeders and their transfer to higher trophic fauna. Sediment PBDEs increased with % total organic carbon (%TOC), organic carbon (OC) flux and grain size (%fines). Tissue PBDE variance was best explained ( R2 = 0.70) by sediment acid volatile sulfides (AVS), PBDEs, and organic lability and input, with the highest values near wastewater outfalls. Dry weight tissue/sediment PBDEs declined with increasing sediment PBDEs, resulting in tissue dilution (ratio <1) at >10 000 pg/g in harbours. Ratios also decreased with increasing %fines, resulting in regional differences. These patterns imply that high levels of fines and high sediment concentrations make PBDEs less bioavailable.

Dry weight PBDEs increased >100× between background deposit feeders and predators (polychaetes, crabs, bottom fish, seal), but lipid normalized PBDEs barely increased (<1.3%), suggesting remarkably high uptake in low-lipid sediment feeders, and that PBDEs don’t accumulate at higher trophic levels, but lipid content does. Filter feeders had lower lipid-normalized PBDEs than deposit feeders, highlighting the importance of food resources in higher trophic fauna for bioaccumulation.

The most profound congener change occurred with sediment uptake, with nona/deca-BDEs declining and tetra-hexa-BDEs increasing. Harbour sediment feeders had more deca-BDEs than other samples, suggesting PBDEs mostly pass unmodifed through them. Deca-BDEs persist patchily in all tissues, reflecting variable dependence on sediment/pelagic food.
Interval Methods in Knowledge Representation
Authors: Kreinovich Vladik
Published: February 2019

Please send your abstracts (or copies of papers that you want to see reviewed here) to vladik@utep.edu, or by regular mail to Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
A LoRaWAN Testbed Design for Supporting Critical Situations: Prototype and Evaluation
Authors: Navarro-Ortiz Jorge , Ramos-Munoz Juan J. , Lopez-Soler Juan M. , Cervello-Pastor Cristina , Catalan Marisa
Published: February 2019

The Internet of Things is one of the hottest topics in communications today, with current revenues of $151B, around 7 billion connected devices, and an unprecedented growth expected for next years. A massive number of sensors and actuators are expected to emerge, requiring new wireless technologies that can extend their battery life and can cover large areas. LoRaWAN is one of the most outstanding technologies which fulfill these demands, attracting the attention of both academia and industry. In this paper, the design of a LoRaWAN testbed to support critical situations, such as emergency scenarios or natural disasters, is proposed. This self-healing LoRaWAN network architecture will provide resilience when part of the equipment in the core network may become faulty. This resilience is achieved by virtualizing and properly orchestrating the different network entities. Different options have been designed and implemented as real prototypes. Based on our performance evaluation, we claim that the usage of microservice orchestration with several replicas of the LoRaWAN network entities and a load balancer produces an almost seamless recovery which makes it a proper solution to recover after a system crash caused by any catastrophic event.
Conservative Treatment of Spontaneous Rectus Sheath Hematomas: Single Center Experience and Literature Review
Authors: Karapolat Banu , Tasdelen Halil Afsin , Korkmaz Hatice Ayca Ata
Published: February 2019

Introduction. Spontaneous rectus sheath hematoma (SRSH) is characterized by bleeding within the rectus abdominis muscle sheath, one of the rare causes of acute abdominal pain. Early diagnosis is imperative in SRSH to prevent complications and the treatment is usually conservative. We intended to present in this study our experience with SRSH patients with respect to diagnostic evaluation and management of their disease. Materials and Methods. In this retrospective study, 14 patients who had received treatment for SRSH in our clinic between January 2012 and December 2017 were assessed in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics, comorbidities, laboratory parameters, diagnostic approach methods, treatment practices, length of hospital stay, and patient outcomes. Results. The patients consisted of 10 (71.4%) females and 4 males (28.6%). The age of the patients ranged between 47 and 93 with a mean age of 66.5 ± 12.1. Anticoagulant treatments were being administered to 5 (35.7%) patients, antiplatelet treatments to 4 (28.5%) patients, and both anticoagulant and antiplatelet treatments to 4 (28.5%) patients. The most common triggering factor was severe cough and the most common initial symptom acute abdominal pain (71.4%). In physical examinations, the entire patients had generalized abdominal tenderness, 10 (71.4%) voluntary guarding and 7 (50%) a right lower quadrant mass. The diagnosis was confirmed by abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography. Based on the computed tomography findings, the disease was classified as Type 2 found in 9 (64.3%) patients, Type 1 in 3 (21.4%) patients, and Type 3 in 2 (14.2%) patients. All the patients were treated conservatively. They were hospitalized for 1 to 23 days. There was no mortality. All the patients were followed up between 3 months and 2 years and no recurrence was recorded. Conclusion. Considering the presence of SRSH particularly in older female patients who use anticoagulant drugs and have newly developed an abdominal pain and a palpable mass after coughing spells is the key to make an early and correct diagnosis and to prevent possible morbidity and mortality with an appropriate treatment method.
Green Start‐Ups’ Attitudes towards Nature When Complying with the Corporate Law
Authors: Robina-Ramírez Rafael , Fernández-Portillo Antonio , Díaz-Casero Juan Carlos
Published: February 2019

This paper examines how Spanish green start‐ups develop improved attitudes towards nature. Despite the prevalence of theories based on green entrepreneurs, very little research has been conducted on how green attributes influence nature in the framework of the new Spanish Criminal Code in what concerns corporate compliance. One hundred and fifty‐two start‐ups were interviewed in 2018. Smart PLS Path Modelling has been used to build an interaction model among variables. The results obtained have a significant theoretical and practical implication since they add new findings to the current literature on how start‐ups incorporate the recent Criminal Code in their environmental decisions. The model reveals a strong predictive power (R‐squared = 77.9%). There are grounds to say that start‐ups should implement effective monitoring systems and new organisational standards, in addition to developing surveillance measures to avoid unexpected sanctions.
Characterization of Slow and Fast Fading in Off-Body Communication at 2.45 GHz with Space Diversity Scheme in an Indoor Environment
Authors: Wiszniewski Szymon , Ambroziak Slawomir J.
Published: February 2019

The characterization of slow and fast fading in wireless body area networks with space diversity scheme has been presented. The analysis, based on the measurements at 2.45 GHz in an indoor environment, has shown that for all investigated configurations of receiving wearable antennas, the correlation coefficient values of the received signals’ parameters are below the assumed value of 0.5, being close to zero for the vast majority of cases. It has been shown that the slow fading component may be modelled by a lognormal distribution with zero average and the standard deviation from the range of [1.43, 1.98] dB. The fast fading component is the best modelled by a Rice distribution with the noncentrality parameter and the scale parameter being in the range [0.8125, 0.9624] and [0.5269, 0.6954], respectively.
Adaptive Fuzzy Super‐Twisting Sliding Mode Control for Microgyroscope
Authors: Fei Juntao , Feng Zhilin
Published: February 2019

This paper proposes a novel adaptive fuzzy super‐twisting sliding mode control scheme for microgyroscopes with unknown model uncertainties and external disturbances. Firstly, an adaptive algorithm is used to estimate the unknown parameters and angular velocity of microgyroscopes. Secondly, in order to improve the performance of the system and the superiority of the super‐twisting algorithm, this paper utilizes the universal approximation characteristic of the fuzzy system to approach the gain of the super‐twisting sliding mode controller and identify the gain of the controller online, realizing the adaptive adjustment of the controller parameters. Simulation results verify the superiority and the effectiveness of the proposed approach, compared with adaptive super‐twisting sliding mode control without fuzzy approximation; the proposed method is more effective.
ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ОЦІНЮВАННЯ БОЛЮ У ДІТЕЙ З ОСОБЛИВИМИ ПОТРЕБАМИ
Authors: Ivanova S. V. , Haliyash N. B.
Published: February 2019

У статті порушено проблему необхідності належного оцінювання болю у дітей з особливими потребами задля надання їм ефективної реабілітаційної допомоги. Враховуючи фізіологію персистуючого болю та його негативний вплив на дитячий організм, показано необхідність впровадження релевантних методів оцінювання болю, а саме шкал DAN, CRIES, TVP та FLACC у практику спеціалізованих закладів, які опікуються особами з особливими потребами, зокрема будинків-інтернатів для дітей з вадами розумового або фізичного розвитку.
БІОЕТИЧНІ ПРОБЛЕМИ ЕВТАНАЗІЇ В УКРАЇНІ
Authors: Reha N. I. , Hospodarskyy I. Ya. , Reha O. R.
Published: February 2019

У статті розглянуто актуальну проблему евтаназії. Проаналізовано питання життя і смерті як ключові при вирішенні проблеми евтаназії. Представлено філософсько-правовий аналіз цієї проблеми, а також моральний її аспект. Розглянуто поняття паліативно-хоспісної допомоги як альтернативи евтаназії.
НАДМІРНЕ СПОЖИВАННЯ ЦУКРУ ТА ЦУКРОВИЙ ДІАБЕТ У ДИТЯЧОМУ ВІЦІ
Authors: Nadtochiy K. O.
Published: February 2019

У статті проаналізовано взаємозв’язок між вживанням доданих цукрів та проблемою цукрового діабету в дітей.
ФОРМУВАННЯ ЗДОРОВОГО СПОСОБУ ЖИТТЯ В ПІДЛІТКОВОМУ ВІЦІ – ЗАПОРУКА ЗБЕРЕЖЕННЯ ЗОРОВОГО ПОТЕНЦІАЛУ НАЦІЇ
Authors: Bohdanets I. O. , Petrenko N. V.
Published: February 2019

У статті наведено результати анкетування студентів щодо способу їх життя та виявлення можливих чинників, які погіршують стан їх здоров’я.
ЕМОЦІЙНА КОМПЕТЕНТНІСТЬ МЕДИЧНОЇ СЕСТРИ ЯК СКЛАДОВА ЇЇ ПРОФЕСІЙНОЇ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТІ
Authors: Lukina G. O. , Mishurenko O. V.
Published: February 2019

У статті розглянуто сутність та структуру поняття «емоційний інтелект». Опрацьовані складові поняття «емоційний інтелект» у психолого-педагогічній літературі. Акцентовано увагу на важливості формування емоційного інтелекту в контексті професійної компетентності медичної сестри.
ОСВОЄННЯ СУЧАСНИХ КЛІНІЧНИХ ПРОТОКОЛІВ МЕДИЦИНИ НЕВІДКЛАДНИХ СТАНІВ – СУТТЄВА СКЛАДОВА У ЯКІСНІЙ ПРАКТИЧНІЙ РОБОТІ БРИГАД ЕКСТРЕНОЇ (ШВИДКОЇ) МЕДИЧНОЇ ДОПОМОГИ
Authors: Liakhovych R. M.`` , Kitsak Ya. M. , Dzhus M. Ya. , Liakh V. I. , Doroshenko B. V.
Published: February 2019

У статті висвітлено проблемні питання з теоретичної підготовки та практичної діяльності працівників екстреної (швидкої) медичної допомоги. Зокрема, вказано на важливу роль в освоєнні ними сучасних клінічних протоколів, зроблено акцент на необхідності застосування прогресивних алгоритмів догоспітальної медичної допомоги із реалізацією як вітчизняних, так і зарубіжних протоколів. Розкрито інноваторську методику працівників кафедри екстреної та невідкладної медичної допомоги ДВНЗ «Тернопільський державний медичний університет імені І. Я. Горбачевського МОЗ України».
Productive profile of cattle-rearing farms in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, 2002
Authors: Alves Cristiane de Morais , Dorneles Elaine Maria Seles , Oliveira Luciana Faria de , Ferreira Neto José Soares , Gonçalves Vitor Salvador Picão , Lôbo José Ricardo , Heinemann Marcos Bryan , Lage Andrey Pereira
Published: February 2019

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, with the aim to assess aspects of cattle production. A multistage clustering model was used to select 2,202 farms in seven cattle production strata in the state, and a questionnaire was applied to obtain information related to the characterization of the farms and their management of animal reproduction and production. The study showed that livestock-rearing in Minas Gerais continues to be unspecialized. Triângulo Mineiro and North were the regions that used most technology and had highest beef cattle activity. The Zona da Mata region showed the least use of technology and had the smallest farms. Milk production in this state was distributed among all strata, but was concentrated among a few producers in the stratum of highest production, especially in the region of Alto Paranaíba. This study showed a great heterogeneity among the strata regarding the characteristics of type of exploitation, type of rearing, herd size, specialization and milk production. Thus, it validated the stratification established by the Ministério da Agricultura Pecuária e Abastecimento – MAPA (Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply), thereby suggesting that these strata should be maintained for further epidemiological studies.
Diabetes Mellitus and Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Schmidt Ann Marie
Published: February 2019

Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people with types 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus. Although beneficial roles for strict control of hyperglycemia have been suggested, such a strategy is not without liabilities. Specifically, the risk of hypoglycemia and its consequences remain an omnipresent threat with such approaches. The advent of the CVOT (Cardiovascular Outcomes Trials) for new antidiabetes mellitus treatments has uncovered unexpected benefits of cardiovascular protection in some of the new classes of agents, such as the GLP-1 RAs (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) and the SGLT-2 (sodium-glucose cotransporter-2) inhibitors. Further, state-of-the-art approaches, such as antibodies to PCKSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9); RNA therapeutics; agents targeting distinct components of the immune/inflammatory response; and novel small molecules that block the actions of RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products) signaling, also hold potential as new therapies for diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Finally, interventions such as weight loss, through bariatric surgery, may hold promise for benefit in diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In this Brief Review, some of the novel approaches and emerging targets for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease are discussed. Ultimately, identification of the optimal timing and combinations of such interventions, especially in the context of personalized approaches, together with emerging disease-modifying agents, holds great promise to reduce the burden that diabetes poses to the cardiovascular system.
Comparison of the Effects of Glucagon-Like Peptide Receptor Agonists and Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors for Prevention of Major Adverse Cardiovascular and Renal Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Zelniker Thomas A. , Wiviott Stephen D. , Raz Itamar , Im KyungAh , Goodrich Erica L. , Furtado Remo H.M. , Bonaca Marc P. , Mosenzon Ofri , Kato Eri T. , Cahn Avivit , Bhatt Deepak L. , Leiter Lawrence A. , McGuire Darren K. , Wilding John P.H. , Sabatine Marc S.
Published: February 2019

Background:

Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RA) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have emerged as 2 new classes of antihyperglycemic agents that also reduce cardiovascular risk. The relative benefits in patients with and without established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease for different outcomes with these classes of drugs remain undefined.

Methods:

We performed a systematic review and trial-level meta-analysis of GLP1-RA and SGLT2i cardiovascular outcomes trials using the PubMed and EMBASE databases (Excerpta Medica Database). The primary outcomes were the composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular death (MACE); hospitalization for heart failure; and progression of kidney disease.

Results:

In total, data from 8 trials and 77 242 patients, 42 920 (55.6%) in GLP1-RA trials, and 34 322 (44.4%) in SGLT2i trials, were included. Both drug classes reduced MACE in a similar magnitude with GLP1-RA reducing the risk by 12% (hazard ratio [HR], 0.88; 95% CI, 0.84–0.94;
P
<0.001) and SGLT2i by 11% (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.83–0.96;
P
=0.001). For both drug classes, this treatment effect was restricted to a 14% reduction in those with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.80–0.93;
P
=0.002), whereas no effect was seen in patients without established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.87–1.19;
P
=0.81;
P
interaction, 0.028). SGLT2i reduced hospitalization for heart failure by 31% (HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.61–0.79;
P
<0.001), whereas GLP1-RA did not have a significant effect (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.83–1.04;
P
=0.20). Both GLP1-RA (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.75–0.89;
P
<0.001) and SGLT2i (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.58–0.67;
P
<0.001) reduced the risk of progression of kidney disease including macroalbuminuria, but only SGLT2i reduced the risk of worsening estimated glomerular filtration rate, end-stage kidney disease, or renal death (HR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.48–0.64;
P
<0.001).

Conclusions:

In trials reported to date, GLP1-RA and SGLT2i reduce atherosclerotic MACE to a similar degree in patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, whereas SGLT2i have a more marked effect on preventing hospitalization for heart failure and progression of kidney disease. Their distinct clinical benefit profiles should be considered in the decision-making process when treating patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
When Does Money Stick in Education? Evidence from A Kinked Grant Rule
Authors: Saastamoinen Antti , Kortelainen Mika
Published: February 2019

We study the effects of intergovernmental grants on school spending within the Finnish system of high school education funding. Using a kinked grant rule, the system allocates lump-sum intergovernmental grants to local high school education providers. Utilizing the quasi-experimental variation in grants given by the rule, we identify the effects of the grants on municipal high school education expenditures. Our results indicate that the grants stimulate spending, while local tax rates or revenues do not seem to be responsive to the grants, suggesting the presence of a typical flypaper effect. However, we also consider the possibility that the grant responses might be heterogeneous among municipalities. Based on our heterogeneity results, the grant response is positively associated with the share of the high school age population, and a higher share of elderly persons is related to a lower propensity to spend on education out of grant funding. This result is in line with the idea of intergenerational conflict in education spending preferences presented in education finance literature.
A new species of reed snake, Calamaria (Squamata: Colubridae), from the Central Truong Son (Annamite mountain range), Vietnam
Authors: ZIEGLER THOMAS , QUYET LE KHAC
Published: February 2019

A new species of Calamaria is described from the Truong Son (Annamite mountain range) of Quang Binh province in central Vietnam. The new species is characterized by its dark, iridescent body with four yellowish to beige zigzag shaped bands, light dorsal markings on base and tip of tail, light venter, modified maxillary teeth, large size (455 mm total length), tail tapering gradually to a point, reduction to five dorsal scale rows on tail, 198 ventral scales, 21 divided subcaudals, four supralabials (second and third entering orbit), five infralabials, mental not touching anterior chin shields, three gular scales in midline between posterior chin shields and first ventral, rostral being wider than high, paraparietal being surrounded by six shields and scales, and by the absence of a preocular scale. The new taxon is known only from a single adult female specimen that was collected in a primary limestone forest cave. It is the fifth species of Calamaria recorded from Vietnam.
Two new species of Pseudecheneis, rheophilic catfishes (Teleostei: Sisoridae) from Nepal
Authors: NG HEOK HEE , EDDS DAVID R.
Published: February 2019

Two new species of sisorid catfish of the genus Pseudecheneis are described from tributaries of the Ganges River in Nepal: Pseudecheneis crassicauda and P. serracula. Pseudecheneis crassicauda can be distinguished from congeners by a unique combination of 38–39 vertebrae, caudal peduncle depth 6.0–6.6% SL, eye diameter 7.5–8.3% HL, length of adipose-fin base 20.3–24.3% SL, pelvic fins reaching the base of the first anal-fin ray, and the presence of pale spots on the body. Pseudecheneis serracula can be distinguished from congeners in having a unique combination of 36–38 vertebrae, strongly elevated neural spines of the last 2–3 preanal and first 6–7 postanal vertebrae, length of adipose-fin base 26.8–30.4% SL, pelvic fins reaching the base of the first analfin ray, and the presence of pale spots on the body.
Edaphic and plant inhabiting oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) from Cerrado and Mata Atlantica ecosystems in the State of São Paulo, southeast Brazil
Authors: OLIVEIRA ANIBAL R. , NORTON ROY A. , DE MORAES GILBERTO J.
Published: February 2019

Forest sites in the eastern half of the State of São Paulo were surveyed to determine the oribatid mite fauna in areas of Cerrado (dry savannah) and Mata Atlântica (tropical rain forest) ecosystems. Samples of bark, fruits, leaves, litter, soil and terminal shoots were taken from selected species of Myrtaceae (Cerrado) and Arecaceae (Mata Atlântica). Fifty-six oribatid species, belonging to 48 genera in 34 families, were represented. Seven of these are new records for the State of São Paulo, and 20 are new records for Brazil.
Notes on Afrotropical Cydnidae (Heteroptera) with emphasis on vehicle-mounted net samples and description of a new species from Liberia, West Africa
Authors: KRÜGER ANDREAS , LIS JERZY A.
Published: February 2019

Notes on the Cydnidae fauna in Liberia, sampled with a vehicle-mounted net, the species taxonomy and general distribution are reported, including the description of Chilocoris elongatus sp. nov. In addition, new country records are provided for Angola, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guine    a-Bissau, Namibia, Niger, Republic of South Africa, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
From saline to salty? Heterolepidoderma sinus (Chaetonotida, Chaetonotidae) from subsaline coal mine settling ponds
Authors: KOLICKA MAŁGORZATA
Published: February 2019

Gastrotrichs are a permanent and common element of meiofauna communities. They inhabit wide range of aquatic and semi-aquatic niches, including a variety of anthropogenic habitats, such as the sand filters of a cold marine mesocosm (Parent et al. 2001) or palm houses (e.g. Kolicka et al. 2013), and extreme natural habitats like hot springs (Guerne 1888) or hydrothermal vent zones (Kieneke & Zekely 2007).
Diagnostic Efficiency of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Positron Emission Tomography/ Computed Tomography for Pelvic Neoplasms
Authors: Liu Guan-Yuan , Li Xue
Published: February 2019

Objective: To evaluate the clinical diagnosis value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for pelvic neoplasms, and make comparisons between them, thereby to provide necessary references for health informatics. Methods:
This retrospective analysis was carried out on the basis of 169 medical records of patients suffering from pelvic neoplasms in our hospital from February 2011 to February 2017. The definitive diagnosis was made by postoperative pathologic examinations, and all the participants ever reveiwed
MRI or/and PET/CT examinations prior to surgery. The coincidence rates between MRI (or/and PET/CT) and pathological examinations were compared, respectively. The parameters of diagnostic efficiency including sensitivity, specitivity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive
value were calculated, respectively. In further, we then made comprehensive comparison between MRI and PET/CT to provide references for clinical practice. The informed consents of patients were obtained beforehand, and this research protocol was approved by institutional review board in our
hospital. Results: The total number of identified patients was 386, and the age range of these incuded participants was 37–84 (mean age: 68.3 years old). 124 patients ever underwent MRI, and 137 patients underwent PET/CT, and 125 patients underwent MRI and PET/CT. The resection
specimens of 386 patients with pelvic neoplasms were subjected to pathological examinations, and it could be confirmed that 38 patients suffered from fibroid, 121 suffered from cervical cancer, 93 suffered from endometrial cancer, 105 suffered from ovarian cancer, 29 suffered from benign ovarian
tumor. The accuracy rate of MRI in detecting pelvic malignancies was 81.55%, PET/CT was 94.74%, and MRI combined with PET/CT was 97.06%. PET/CT is superior in staging pelvic malignancies and detecting distant metastasis, when compared with CT. But the combination of PET/CT and MRI could not
obviously improve the accuracy rate of pelvic malignancies diagnosis. Conclusions: The primary pelvic neoplasms included fibroid, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, and benign ovarian tumor. The total accuracy rate of MRI diagnosis was lower than PET/CT and the combination
of MRI and PET/CT. Nevertheless, the combination of MRI and PET/CT resulted in additional medical costs, which could not bring more benefits for patients with pelvic malignancies. Whether the combination of MRI and PET/CT should be adopted needs further randomized controlled trials and economic
evaluation to evaluate.
Hidden Infarcts Detected by a High b-Value Diffusion-Weighted Imaging: A Parameter-Optimized Study
Authors: Song Xiubao , Xu Xi , Ye Yufeng , Liang Jianye , Ma Mengjie , Peng Qiwen
Published: February 2019

Objective: Small infarcts are easily missed on conventional sequences or a standard b-value diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). This study aims to investigate the signal characteristics of DWI with different b-values and matrixes in acute cerebral infarction, and
evaluate the feasibility of high b-values used in DWI. Methods: Twenty-nine cases of clinically diagnosed acute cerebral infarction were included prospectively in this study. The patients underwent MRI examinations, including routine T1WI, T2WI, T2 Flair, and different b-value
DWIs (b = 1000, 1500, and 2000 s/mm2 with matrix 160 × 160. In addition, b = 1000 DWI was divided into two groups with different matrixes of 128 × 128 and 160 × 160. The differences of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR),
contrast ratio (CR), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values between the different b-values and matrixes DWI were compared. Results: Visually, b =1500 and b = 2000 DWI showed more scattering and micro-lesions than a standard DWI. The lesions shown in the
high b-value DWI were more conspicuous and brighter. Quantitatively, with the increase in b-values, the SNR, CNR, and ADC values decreased gradually, but the CR increased gradually. With a reduction in the matrix size, the SNR and CNR improved (all the results were statistically
significant with good inter-observer reliability). Conclusions: A high b-value for DWI is beneficial for the detection of micro- and hyperacute infarction, but the image quality declines. However, reducing the matrix size appropriately could make up for this deficiency.
A New Discrete Wavelet Transform Algorithm Based on Frame Theory and Its Application to Brain MRI Segmentation
Authors: Paul Tuhin Utsab , Bandhyopadhyay Samir Kumar , Chakraborty Sayantan
Published: February 2019

Automated brain tumor detection from MRI images is a very challenging job in today's modern medical imaging research. MRI is used to take image of soft tissues of human body. It is very helpful for analyzing human organs without surgical intervention. For automatic detection of tumor,
segmentation of brain image is required. Segmentation partitions the image into distinct regions based on various parameters. It is the most important and challenging area of computer aided clinical diagnostic tools. Although Conventional segmentation approaches are computationally efficient,
but have low quality of edge and feature detection. Here, we propose an algorithm on frame theoretic methods and the discrete wavelet transform and apply it to brain MRIs. Significant gains in performance are observed over conventional segmentation algorithms.
Accurate Extraction of Coronary Vascular Structures in 2D X-ray Angiogram Using Vascular Topology Information in 3D Computed Tomography Angiography
Authors: Park Taeyong , Lim Sunhye , Jeong Heeryeol , Shin Juneseuk , Lee Jeongjin
Published: February 2019

Since the 2D X-ray angiogram enables the detection of vascular stenosis in real-time, it is essential for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the accurate vascular structure is very difficult to determine due to background clutter and loss of depth information of 2D projection.
To cope with these difficulties, we propose a fast and accurate extraction method of a vascular structure in 2D X-ray angiogram (XA) based on the vascular topology information of 3D computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the same patient. First, an initial vascular structure is robustly
extracted based on vessel enhancement filtering. Then, 2D XA and 3D CTA are spatially aligned by 2D–3D registration. Finally, the 2D vascular structure is accurately reconstructed based on 3D vascular topology information by measuring the similarity of 2D and 3D vascular segments. Experimental
results showed the fast and accurate extraction of a vascular structure using 10 images each of the left coronary artery (LCA) and right coronary artery (RCA). Our method can be used as a computer-aided technology for PCI. Our method can be applied to the study of other various types of vessels.
Focal Liver Lesion Classification Based on Receiver Operating Characteristic Analysis
Authors: Chen Yufei , Zhang Cheng , Liu Xianhui , Wang Gang
Published: February 2019

Background: Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) on Focal Liver Lesion (FLL) has been widely researched. It aims at classifying liver images into malignant or benign, so as to help doctors to make corresponding diagnosis. In most existing CAD systems, the automatic decision strategies on
challenging cases usually lead to risky diagnosis. Objective: In this paper, we adopted a ROC optimal abstention model for FLL classification to reduce the misclassification risk. Method: The workflow of ROC based FLL classification includes the stages of feature extraction, statistic for
building ROC curve and ROC optimal abstaining classification. Through investigating the properties of ROC, we can automatically find two optimal thresholds for building the abstention model. A part of cases refrains from being classified to achieve the lowest misclassification cost. Results:
The model classifies the FLL medical records into positive (malignant), negative (benign) and abstaining cases. The abstained challenging cases can be carefully examined by experts in order to reduce the misclassification risk. Conclusion: Abundant experiments indicate that the proposed method
can achieve satisfied results and is effective for FLL diagnosis.