bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Language deficits in schizophrenia and autism as related oscillatory connectomopathies: an evolutionary account
Authors: Murphy Elliot , Benítez-Burraco Antonio
Published: March 2016

Schizophrenia (SZ) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterised by marked language deficits, but it is not clear how these arise from gene mutations associated with the disorders. Our goal is to narrow the gap between SZ and ASD and, ultimately, give support to the view that they represent abnormal (but related) ontogenetic itineraries for the human faculty of language. We will focus on the distinctive oscillatory profiles of the SZ and ASD brains, in turn using these insights to refine our understanding of how the brain computes language by exploring a novel model of linguistic feature-set composition. We will argue that brain rhythms constitute the best route to interpreting language deficits in both conditions and mapping them to neural dysfunction and risk alleles of the genes. Importantly, candidate genes for SZ and ASD are overrepresented among the gene sets believed to be important for language evolution. This translational effort may help develop an understanding of the aetiology of SZ and ASD and their high prevalence among modern populations.
Minimising corruption in Myanmar: an impossible dream?
Authors: Quah Jon S.T.
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explain why corruption is a serious problem in Myanmar and why the anti-corruption measures initiated by its military government are ineffective.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper describes Myanmar’s unfavourable policy context and analyses the perceived extent and causes of corruption in Myanmar before evaluating the effectiveness of its anti-corruption measures.

Findings

– Myanmar’s location in a bad neighbourhood surrounded by corrupt countries, its vulnerability to the natural resource curse and ethnic conflict, as well as more than five decades of ineffective military rule have hindered its anti-corruption efforts. Corruption remains a serious problem in Myanmar because of the military regime’s lack of political will and failure to address these causes: low salaries; red tape; weak rule of law; and cultural factors. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC)’s performance during its first two years cannot be assessed because of the lack of information on its budget, personnel and activities. As the ACC is led by two former military generals, it is not perceived to be independent, and has been criticised for focusing on investigating corruption cases and corruption prevention at the expense of corruption education.

Originality/value

– This paper will be of interest to those policy-makers, scholars and anti-corruption practitioners, who are interested in learning about the causes of rampant corruption in Myanmar and why the anti-corruption measures initiated have failed to curb it.
Facing co-occurrence of underweight and overweight populations worldwide
Authors: Abbade Eduardo Botti , Dewes Homero
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the situation and trends regarding prevalence of underweight, overweight, and undernourished populations worldwide. Thus, we defend that the conditions of hunger, underweight, overweight, and obesity are seen as anomalies resulting from nutritional and dietary food insecurity related to the concept of malnutrition.

Design/methodology/approach

– This investigation was conducted through an ecological study, using indicators related to undernourishment, underweight, and overweight. Data, obtained through the WHO and United Nations, were analyzed through scatter plots and angular coefficient from linear regression.

Findings

– Evidence suggests that some nations have high levels of undernourished and overweight populations at the same time. Results showed a significant reduction in the prevalence of underweight children and a significant increase in the prevalence of overweight children worldwide. Western Pacific has shown declining trends in both overweight and underweight children. Southern Africa has shown a strong increase in its child overweight population and no downward trend in its underweight child population.

Practical implications

– The authors defend that programs and actions better aligned to diagnoses of some countries that face problems related to both underweight and overweight/obesity conditions are needed. This investigation can help public and private efforts to combat underweight and overweight diagnoses worldwide.

Originality/value

– The authors present evidence of the co-occurrence of underweight and overweight in child populations worldwide. Thus, the authors show alarming trends regarding to these diagnoses.
Seafood safety compliance with hygiene regulations within Vietnamese domestic distribution chains
Authors: Luu Phuc Hong , Dunne Michael P , Pearse Warwick , Davies Belinda
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– In order to improve the safety of seafood in the domestic seafood distribution chains (DSDCs) in Vietnam, a better understanding of current hygiene and practices compliance with government regulations is needed. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

– Infrastructure conditions and documents related to hygiene procedures of 50 trading places were evaluated using checklists. The hygiene handling practices of 135 fish distributors were also observed by using notational analysis methods. This notational analysis method focused on actions related to microbiological contamination in terms of hand washing or glove changing and the cleaning and sanitising of tools and equipment. Additionally, microbiological quality of 135 samples of raw finfish at points along distribution chains was compared with national standards.

Findings

– The results indicated that all trading places could be classified as non-compliant or seriously non-compliant with the regulations. The practices of fish distributors were also assessed to be at high risk for contamination of raw fish. The findings showed that approximately 42 and 39 per cent of samples from fishing ports and fish markets, respectively were classified as unacceptable according to the microbiological standards of Vietnam.

Research limitations/implications

– The present study is limited to research only from fish landing at fishing ports to the distribution to consumers at retail markets.

Originality/value

– Recommendations for improving food safety in the DSDCs in Vietnam have been developed from the findings of this study and are provided. However, due to similarities with fish distribution chains in other countries, these recommendations may have broader application.
Effects of member size and selective incentives of agricultural cooperatives on product quality
Authors: Cai Rong , Ma Wanglin , Su Ye
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effects of member size and external incentives (food safety certification and target market) on cooperative’s product quality, using data collected from 135 apple producing cooperatives in China.

Design/methodology/approach

– Given that different indicator variables were used to measure apple quality, the authors employed a principle component analysis method to reduce the measurement dimension. An ordinary least square regression was employed to analyse the effects of member size and selective incentives of agricultural cooperatives on product quality.

Findings

– The empirical results show that member size and cooperative’s product quality bear an inverse “U-shape” relationship, and food safety certification and target market variables tend to positively and significantly influence cooperative’s product quality. In particular, the cooperatives with more food safety certificates and targeting supermarkets and export enterprises are more likely to supply high-quality products.

Originality/value

– This study provides the first attempt to measure apple quality and investigate the factors that influence cooperative’s product quality.
What will happen to the “American Dream”? Four scenarios for opportunity in the United States to 2035
Authors: Millett Stephen  M.
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– To further a dialog about the future of opportunities in America, this exercise imagines what life would be like in four alternative possibilities, or scenarios, emerging from now to the year 2035.

Design/methodology/approach

– The logical basis for these four possible futures is that technological, political, economic and social factors – and the decisions of voters and their leaders–will result in either many or few opportunities which will be available to many or few players.

Findings

– The central question is what scenario do we really want to live in and what decisions need to be taken to increase its likelihood of occurring? Conversely, which future is the most undesirable and what can we do to prevent it?

Practical implications

– The scenarios illuminate the choices that need to be explored now to better anticipate and react to the challenges of the future.

Originality/value

– By selecting just two ranges of conditions–opportunity and participation–the author is able to imagine futures that have elements of utopia and dystopia.
Shifting notions of disability in Brazil
Authors: Rios Clarice , Costa Andrada Barbara
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to comment on the article by Forrester-Jones and Carvalho and examine some issues on notions of disability in Brazil.

Design/methodology/approach

– Analysis of the specialized literature and a critical appraisal of key issues regarding notions of disability in Brazil.

Findings

– The authors focus on three issues: what could be characterized as learning disability in Brazil and how social movements, institutions and public policies shape and are shaped by local conceptions of disability; the limits of individual autonomy, independence and freedom in the case of learning disabilities and the social and historical particularities of the Brazilian case; and the role of the APAES and Pestalozzi Society both as a site of social exclusion and, more recently, as a source of expertise in the movement toward the development of “inclusive special education.”

Originality/value

– The commentary highlights some of the complexities of the local field of disability in Brazil.
A √k-l Turbulence Model for Fluids Engineering Applications
Authors: Goldberg Uriel
Published: March 2016

A turbulence closure based on transport equations for the square-root of the kinetic energy of turbulence, q=k1/2 and the length-scale, , is proposed and tested. The model is topography parameter free (no wall distance needed), uses local wall proximity indicators instead, and is meant to be applicable to both wall-bounded and free shear flows. Solving directly for the turbulence length-scale, invoking Dirichlet boundary conditions for both q and  and the fact that q varies linearly across the viscous sublayer contribute to reduced sensitivity of this model to near-wall grid concentration (as long as the sublayer is resolved) and to less numerical stiffness, hence faster convergence. A variable Cm parameter is featured in this model to account for non-simple shear where mean strain and vorticity rates are different. Several cases, covering a wide variety of flows, are presented to demonstrate the model’s performance. Fluids engineers whose work involves complex 3D topologies, particularly with non-stationary grids which require re-computing wall distance arrays at each time-step (a heavy demand on time and budget) may appreciate the fact that no distance arrays are needed for the q-  model.
Influence of Cerium on the Deformation and Corrosion of Magnesium
Authors: Tekumalla Sravya , Seetharaman Sankaranarayanan , Quy Bau Nguyen , Leong Eugene Wong Wai , Sim Goh Chwee , Shabadi Rajashekara , Gupta Manoj
Published: March 2016

In this study, a new magnesium (Mg) alloy containing 0.4% Ce was developed using the technique of disintegrated melt deposition followed by hot extrusion. The tensile and compressive properties of the developed Mg–0.4Ce alloy were investigated before and after heat treatment with an intention of understanding the influence of cerium on the deformation and corrosion of magnesium. Interestingly, cerium addition has enhanced the strength (by 182% and 118%) as well as the elongation to failure of Mg (by 93% and 8%) under both tensile and compressive loadings, respectively. After heat treatment, under compression, the Mg–0.4Ce(S) alloy exhibited extensive plastic deformation which was 80% higher than that of the as-extruded condition. Considering the tensile and compressive flow curves, the as-extruded Mg–0.4Ce and the heat treated Mg–0.4Ce(S) alloys exhibited variation in the nature and shape of the curves which indicates a disparity in the tensile and compressive deformation behavior. Hence, these tensile and compressive deformation mechanisms were studied in detail for both as-extruded as well as heat treated alloys with the aid of microstructural characterization techniques (scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), selective area diffraction (SAD), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Furthermore, results of immersion tests of both as-extruded and heat treated alloys revealed an improved corrosion resistance (by ∼3 times in terms of % weight loss) in heat treated state vis-a-vis the as-extruded state.
A Statistical Model for Torsional Friction of Plate-on-Plate Contact
Authors: Niu Chengchao , Shibo Wang
Published: March 2016

A statistical model for torsional friction of plate-on-plate contact is constructed. The torsional responses including T–θ curves, proportion of slip asperities, and the radius of gross slip can be obtained from the model. The torsional friction response of monomer cast (MC) nylon against 316L stainless steel was calculated with this model and a torsional friction experiment of MC nylon against 316L stainless steel was performed to verify the model. The calculated T–θ curves exhibit different shapes under different torsional angular displacements. The calculations demonstrated that the torsional regime determined only through T–θ curves was inaccurate. The statistical results of asperities located at the torsional interface more directly reflected the torsional regime. The T–θ curves obtained from theoretical calculation and experiments are consistent in shapes, whereas the torque magnitude from the theoretical calculation is larger than that from experiments. When gross slip is indicated by the maximum torque on the T–θ curves, about 93% of the contact asperities were in a slip status rather than 100% and the gross slip radius in the whole torsional contact interface was about 3 mm.
Unsteady Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics of Fluid Flow Over a Shrinking Permeable Infinite Long Cylinder
Authors: Elnajjar Emad J. , Al-Mdallal Qasem M. , Allan Fathi M.
Published: March 2016

The present work studies the unsteady, viscous, and incompressible laminar flow and heat transfer over a shrinking permeable cylinder. The unsteady nonlinear Navier–Stokes and energy equations are reduced, using similarity transformations, to a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The boundary conditions associated with the governing equations are the time dependent surface temperature and flow conditions. The method of solution is based on a combination of the implicit Runge–Kutta method and the shooting method. The present study predicts two solutions for both the flow and heat transfer fields, and a unique solution at a specific critical unsteadiness parameter. An analysis of the results, for a specific suction parameter, suggests that the corresponding unique unsteadiness parameter does not depend on the Prandtl number. However, the unique rate of heat transfer is increasing as the Prandtl number increases. In addition, our results confirm that the unique value of heat transfer rate increases as the suction parameter increases, regardless the value of the Prandtl number.
Low-frequency signals produced by Northeast Atlantic killer whales (Orcinus orca)
Authors: Samarra Filipa I. P. , Deecke Volker B. , Miller Patrick J. O.
Published: March 2016

Killer whale acoustic behavior has been extensively investigated; however, most studies have focused on pulsed calls and whistles. This study reports the production of low-frequency signals by killer whales at frequencies below 300 Hz. Recordings were made in Iceland and Norway when killer whales were observed feeding on herring and no other marine mammal species were nearby. Low-frequency sounds were identified in Iceland and ranged in duration between 0.14 and 2.77 s and in frequency between 50 and 270 Hz, well below the previously reported lower limit for killer whale tonal sounds of 500 Hz. Low-frequency sounds appeared to be produced close in time to tail slaps, which are indicative of feeding attempts, suggesting that these sounds may be related to a feeding context. However, their precise function is unknown, and they could be the by-product of a non-vocal behavior rather than a vocal signal deliberately produced by the whales. Although killer whales in Norway exhibit similar feeding behavior, this sound has not been detected in recordings from Norway to date. This study suggests that, like other delphinids, killer whales produce low-frequency sounds, but further studies will be required to understand whether similar sounds exist in other killer whale populations.
Relationships between non-acoustic factors and subjective reactions to floor impact noise in apartment buildings
Authors: Park Sang Hee , Lee Pyoung Jik , Yang Kwan Seop , Kim Kyoung Woo
Published: March 2016

The aim of this study was to provide an understanding of how residents in apartment buildings perceive and react to impact sounds coming from the upstairs neighbours' dwellings. Based on existing theoretical and empirical studies on environmental noise, a conceptual model was developed to explain relationships among noise annoyance and non-acoustic factors. The model was then tested using structural equation modelling with survey data from residents living in apartment buildings (N = 487). The findings showed that the conceptual model was consistent with other models developed for environmental noises. The results indicated that annoyance induced by floor impact noise was associated with perceived disturbance, coping, and self-reported health complaints. Noise sensitivity had a direct impact on perceived disturbance and an indirect impact on annoyance, and moderating variables affected the non-acoustic factors. Exposure to footstep noises increased the impact size of noise sensitivity to disturbance. Predictability, marital status, and house ownership were found to influence the relationship between attitudes towards authorities and coping. In addition, a negative attitude towards neighbours (i.e., the noise source) moderated the positive relationship between annoyance and coping.
MyOSD 2014: Evaluating Oceanographic Measurements Contributed by Citizen Scientists in Support of Ocean Sampling Day
Authors: Schnetzer Julia , Kopf Anna , Bietz Matthew J. , Buttigieg Pier Luigi , Fernandez-Guerra Antonio , Ristov Aleksandar Pop , Glöckner Frank Oliver , Kottmann Renzo
Published: March 2016

The first Ocean Sampling Day (OSD) took place on June 21, 2014. In a coordinated effort, an internationally distributed group of scientists collected samples from marine surface waters in order to study microbial diversity on a single day with global granularity. Concurrently, citizen scientists enriched the OSD initiative through the MyOSD project, providing additional oceanographic measurements crucial to the contextualization of microbial diversity. Clear protocols, a user-friendly smartphone application, and an online web-form guided citizens in accurate data acquisition, promoting quality submissions to the project’s information system. To evaluate the coverage and quality of MyOSD data submissions, we compared the sea surface temperature measurements acquired through OSD, MyOSD, and automatic
in situ
systems and satellite measurements. Our results show that the quality of citizen-science measurements was comparable to that of scientific measurements. As 79% of MyOSD measurements were conducted in geographic areas not covered by automatic
in situ
or satellite measurement, citizen scientists contributed significantly to worldwide oceanographic data gathering. Furthermore, survey results indicate that participation in MyOSD made citizens feel more engaged in ocean issues and may have increased their environmental awareness and ocean literacy.
The First Three Years of a Community Lab: Lessons Learned and Ways Forward
Authors: Scheifele Lisa Z. , Burkett Thomas
Published: March 2016

The highly specialized nature of scientific research has erected substantial barriers between professional scientists and the laity, who have become distanced from the process of discovery. The Do-It-Yourself Biology movement seeks to remove these impediments, with community laboratories serving as vehicles for public engagement and participation in scientific inquiry. We describe our experience establishing and maintaining the BUGSS community lab in Baltimore. While each community lab is distinct in its structure, culture, and programming, we hope that this review of our experience will serve as a resource to inform those who seek to understand this growing movement and those who plan to establish their own community labs.
Controversy in Biology Classrooms—Citizen Science Approaches to Evolution and Applications to Climate Change Discussions
Authors: Yoho Rachel A. , Vanmali Binaben H.
Published: March 2016

The biological sciences encompass topics considered controversial by the American public, such as evolution and climate change. We believe that the development of climate change education in the biology classroom is better informed by an understanding of the history of the teaching of evolution. A common goal for science educators should be to engender a greater respect for and appreciation of science among students while teaching specific content knowledge. Citizen science has emerged as a viable yet underdeveloped method for engaging students of all ages in key scientific issues that impact society through authentic data-driven scientific research. Where successful, citizen science may open avenues of communication and engagement with the scientific process that would otherwise be more difficult to achieve. Citizen science projects demonstrate versatility in education and the ability to test hypotheses by collecting large amounts of often publishable data. We find a great possibility for science education research in the incorporation of citizen science projects in curriculum, especially with respect to “hot topics” of socioscientific debate based on our review of the findings of other authors. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
Can a Diary Encourage Others to be Citizen Scientists?Review of:
Diary of a Citizen Scientist Chasing Tiger Beetles and Other New Ways of Engaging the World;
Sharman Apt Russell; (2014). Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR. 222 pages.
Authors: Kavouras Jerry H.
Published: March 2016

Review of: Diary of a Citizen Scientist Chasing Tiger Beetles and Other New Ways of Engaging the World; Sharman Apt Russell; (2014). Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR. 222 pages.
A Progressive Reading, Writing, and Artistic Module to Support Scientific Literacy
Authors: Stockwell Stephanie B.
Published: March 2016

Scientific literacy, marked by the ability and willingness to engage with scientific information, is supported through a new genre of citizen science—course-based research in association with undergraduate laboratories. A three-phased progressive learning module was developed to enhance student engagement in such contexts while supporting three learning outcomes: I) present an argument based on evidence, II) analyze science and scientists within a social context, and III) experience, reflect upon, and communicate the nature of scientific discovery. Phase I entails guided reading and reflection of citizen science–themed texts. In Phase II, students write, peer-review, and edit position and counterpoint papers inspired by the following prompt, “Nonscientists should do scientific research.” Phase III involves two creative assignments intended to communicate the true nature of science. Students work collaboratively to develop public service announcement–like poster campaigns to debunk a common misconception about the nature of science or scientists. Individually, they create a work of art to communicate a specific message about the raw experience of performing scientific research. Suggestions for implementation and modifications are provided. Strengths of the module include the development of transferable skills, temporal distribution of grading demands, minimal in-class time needed for implementation, and the inclusion of artistic projects to support affective learning domains. This citizen science–themed learning module is an excellent complement to laboratory coursework, as it serves to surprise, challenge, and inspire students while promoting disciplinary values.
Addressing Common Student Technical Errors in Field Data Collection: An Analysis of a Citizen-Science Monitoring Project
Authors: Philippoff Joanna , Baumgartner Erin
Published: March 2016

The scientific value of citizen-science programs is limited when the data gathered are inconsistent, erroneous, or otherwise unusable. Long-term monitoring studies, such as Our Project In Hawai’i’s Intertidal (OPIHI), have clear and consistent procedures and are thus a good model for evaluating the quality of participant data. The purpose of this study was to examine the kinds of errors made by student researchers during OPIHI data collection and factors that increase or decrease the likelihood of these errors. Twenty-four different types of errors were grouped into four broad error categories: missing data, sloppiness, methodological errors, and misidentification errors. “Sloppiness” was the most prevalent error type. Error rates decreased with field trip experience and student age. We suggest strategies to reduce data collection errors applicable to many types of citizen-science projects including emphasizing neat data collection, explicitly addressing and discussing the problems of falsifying data, emphasizing the importance of using standard scientific vocabulary, and giving participants multiple opportunities to practice to build their data collection techniques and skills.
Enhancement of Ebola Virus Infection via Ficolin-1 Interaction with the Mucin Domain of GP Glycoprotein
Authors: Favier Anne-Laure , Gout Evelyne , Reynard Olivier , Ferraris Olivier , Kleman Jean-Philippe , Volchkov Viktor , Peyrefitte Christophe , Thielens Nicole M.
Published: March 2016

Ebola virus infection requires the surface viral glycoprotein to initiate entry into the target cells. The trimeric glycoprotein is a highly glycosylated viral protein which has been shown to interact with host C-type lectin receptors and the soluble complement recognition protein mannose-binding lectin, thereby enhancing viral infection. Similarly to mannose-binding lectin, ficolins are soluble effectors of the innate immune system that recognize particular glycans at the pathogen surface. In this study, we demonstrate that ficolin-1 interacts with the Zaire Ebola virus (EBOV) glycoprotein, and we characterized this interaction by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. Ficolin-1 was shown to bind to the viral glycoprotein with a high affinity. This interaction was mediated by the fibrinogen-like recognition domain of ficolin-1 and the mucin-like domain of the viral glycoprotein. Using a ficolin-1 control mutant devoid of sialic acid-binding capacity, we identified sialylated moieties of the mucin domain to be potential ligands on the glycoprotein. In cell culture, using both pseudotyped viruses and EBOV, ficolin-1 was shown to enhance EBOV infection independently of the serum complement. We also observed that ficolin-1 enhanced EBOV infection on human monocyte-derived macrophages, described to be major viral target cells,. Competition experiments suggested that although ficolin-1 and mannose-binding lectin recognized different carbohydrate moieties on the EBOV glycoprotein, the observed enhancement of the infection likely depended on a common cellular receptor/partner. In conclusion, ficolin-1 could provide an alternative receptor-mediated mechanism for enhancing EBOV infection, thereby contributing to viral subversion of the host innate immune system.

IMPORTANCE
A specific interaction involving ficolin-1 (M-ficolin), a soluble effector of the innate immune response, and the glycoprotein (GP) of EBOV was identified. Ficolin-1 enhanced virus infection instead of tipping the balance toward its elimination. An interaction between the fibrinogen-like recognition domain of ficolin-1 and the mucin-like domain of Ebola virus GP occurred. In this model, the enhancement of infection was shown to be independent of the serum complement. The facilitation of EBOV entry into target host cells by the interaction with ficolin-1 and other host lectins shunts virus elimination, which likely facilitates the survival of the virus in infected host cells and contributes to the virus strategy to subvert the innate immune response.
Adverse drug reactions in neonates: a prospective study
Authors: Belén Rivas Ana , Arruza Luis , Pacheco Enrique , Portoles Antonio , Diz Jorge , Vargas Emilio
Published: March 2016

Aim

To investigate the frequency and characteristics of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in hospitalised neonates to obtain a better understanding of and improvement in neonatal healthcare.

Methodology

A prospective cohort study. Data were collected on 313 neonates and 2166 drug prescriptions. Clinical characteristics of patients, drugs administered and ADRs were prospectively recorded and analysed. Informed consent was obtained in all cases.

Results

116 different ADRs were detected. 17% of the neonates experienced at least one of these ADRs. Systemic antimicrobials and caffeine citrate were the drugs that most commonly caused ADRs. According to the ADR Severity Assessment Scale, 41% were mild, 42% were moderate and 17% were severe. Of the ADRs identified, 11% were classified as ‘certain’ by the Naranjo method and 20% were classified as ‘defined’ by the Karch and Lasagna modified algorithm. Most of the ADRs detected were related to feed intolerance, phlebitis and tachycardia. Most were acute (73%) and lasted between 1 and 7 days (39%). After the occurrence of an ADR, it was necessary to initiate specific treatment in 44 cases, discontinue the drugs involved in 30 cases, and reduce the drug dose in another 30 cases. An association was shown between the number of drugs prescribed and ADR onset.

Conclusions

There is a high incidence of ADRs in hospitalised newborns, which increases with the number of prescriptions.
Role of community pharmacists in the use of antipsychotics for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD): a qualitative study
Authors: Maidment Ian D , Aston Lydia , Hilton Andrea , Iqbal Naveed , Child Anne , Shaw Rachel
Published: March 2016

Objective

This study aimed to use qualitative methodology to understand the current role of community pharmacists in limiting the use of antipsychotics prescribed inappropriately for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.

Design

A qualitative study employing focus groups was conducted. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Setting

3 different geographical locations in the England.

Participants

Community pharmacists (n=22).

Results

The focus groups identified an array of factors and constraints, which affect the ability of community pharmacists to contribute to initiatives to limit the use of antipsychotics. 3 key themes were revealed: (1) politics and the medical hierarchy, which created communication barriers; (2) how resources and remit impact the effectiveness of community pharmacy; and (3) understanding the nature of the treatment of dementia.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that an improvement in communication between community pharmacists and healthcare professionals, especially general practitioners (GPs) must occur in order for community pharmacists to assist in limiting the use of antipsychotics in people with dementia. Additionally, extra training in working with people with dementia is required. Thus, an intervention which involves appropriately trained pharmacists working in collaboration with GPs and other caregivers is required. Overall, within the current environment, community pharmacists question the extent to which they can contribute in helping to reduce the prescription of antipsychotics.
Qualitative study to conceptualise a model of interprofessional collaboration between pharmacists and general practitioners to support patients' adherence to medication
Authors: Rathbone Adam P , Mansoor Sarab M , Krass Ines , Hamrosi Kim , Aslani Parisa
Published: March 2016

Objectives

Pharmacists and general practitioners (GPs) face an increasing expectation to collaborate interprofessionally on a number of healthcare issues, including medication non-adherence. This study aimed to propose a model of interprofessional collaboration within the context of identifying and improving medication non-adherence in primary care.

Setting

Primary care; Sydney, Australia.

Participants

3 focus groups were conducted with pharmacists (n=23) and 3 with GPs (n=22) working in primary care.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Qualitative investigation of GP and pharmacist interactions with each other, and specifically around supporting their patients’ medication adherence. Audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim and transcripts thematically analysed using a combination of manual and computer coding.

Results

3 themes pertaining to interprofessional collaboration were identified (1) frequency, (2) co-collaborators and (3) nature of communication which included 2 subthemes (method of communication and type of communication). While the frequency of interactions was low, the majority were conducted by telephone. Interactions, especially those conducted face-to-face, were positive. Only a few related to patient non-adherence. The findings are positioned within contemporary collaborative theory and provide an accessible introduction to models of interprofessional collaboration.

Conclusions

This work highlighted that successful collaboration to improve medication adherence was underpinned by shared paradigmatic perspectives and trust, constructed through regular, face-to-face interactions between pharmacists and GPs.
Abstracts from international Emergency Medicine journals
Authors: Weber Ellen J
Published: March 2016

Editor's note:EMJhas partnered with the journals of multiple international emergency medicine societies to share from each a highlighted research study, as selected by their editors.Ellen J Weber
Biochemical and molecular responses of herbaceous peony to high temperature stress
Authors: Wu Yan-Qing , Zhao Da-Qiu , Han Chen-Xia , Tao Jun
Published: March 2016

To clarify the theoretical basis of the differences in high temperature stress tolerance among herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.), we investigated the heat injury index of twelve P. lactiflora cultivars. Of these, heat-tolerant ‘Zifengyu’ and moderately heat-tolerant ‘Hongyanzhenghui’ were selected to study the biochemical and molecular responses to high temperature stress. ‘Zifengyu’ had reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content, increased soluble sugar, chlorophyll (Chl) a, Chl b, Chl a + b. and carotenoid contents, as well as elevated antioxidant enzymes activities, photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr) and relatively intact cellular structures compared with ‘Hongyanzhenghui’, especially when the temperature was the highest. Additionally, we isolated partial cDNAs of two heat shock protein genes (HSP60 and HSP90) from P. lactiflora, which were 880-bp and 1077-bp nucleotides in length, respectively. The expression levels of PlHSP60, PlHSP70 and PlHSP90 were lower in ‘Zifengyu’ than in ‘Hongyanzhenghui’ for the first three of four developmental stages examined. These results indicated that heat-tolerant P. lactiflora cultivar could effectively scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), protect cellular structures, reduce thermal damage and delay the death of plants by enhancing antioxidant enzymes activities and HSP expression under high temperature stress. These findings provide a theoretical basis for breeding heat-tolerant P. lactiflora cultivars.
Genetic identification of 43 elite clonal accessions ofPopulus deltoidesby SSR fingerprinting
Authors: Liu Hailin , Yang Wanxu , Hou Jing , Hu Nan , Yin Tongming , Li Shuxian
Published: March 2016

In this study, 43 elite clones of Populus deltoides were fingerprinted with ABI 3730 capillary electrophoresis by using six SSR primer pairs. Based on the fingerprinting profiles, 62 polymorphic bands were generated with a mean number of 10 alleles per locus, and allele numbers amplified by each primer in these clones ranged from 5 (NJFUP-poly10) to 16 (NJFUP-poly07). The power of discrimination values for these primer pairs ranged from 0.80 to 0.94, with an average value of 0.89. Among the six primer pairs, the most efficient primer pair for genetic discrimination of these elite clones was NJFUP-poly02, which could identify 22 of the 43 elite clones directly. In conclusion, all the 43 elite clones of P. deltoides could be discriminated unambiguously based on their genotypes at the six SSR loci. The combination of all six loci gave considerable reliability and accuracy for genetic identification of these clonal accessions. Subsequently, genetic relationship of these clones was plotted by the UPGMA clustering and principle component analysis. Results of both analyses indicated that clone “C7-1” had the largest genetic distance from the other clones, followed by clone “C51-1” and a subgroup comprising clone “C100-3” and “C62-3”. These clones are proposed to be possibly more affected by the inter-specific gene introgression.
Postharvest performance of cut ‘White Prosperity’ gladiolus spikes in response to nano- and other silver sources
Authors: Ahmad Iftikhar , Saleem Muhammad , Dole John M.
Published: March 2016

A study was conducted to compare the efficacy of nano-silver (NS), silver thiosulfate (STS), and silver nitrate as novel postharvest treatments, and evaluate the potential of nano-silver pulse (higher concentration) or vase (lower concentration) applications on postharvest performance of cut gladiolus (Gladiolus hybrids ‘White Prosperity’) spikes. Among silver compounds, spikes kept in silver nitrate had longest vase life. Spikes placed in STS at 10 or 20 mg L−1 had longer vase life than stems placed in NS, but similar to the stems placed in water. For NS pulse applications, spikes pulsed with 50 mg L−1 NS for 1 h at 20 ± 2 °C had 2.2 d longer vase life compared to the spikes in water. Pulsing of spikes for 1 h extended the vase life of cut gladiolus compared with 4 or 8 h pulsing durations. Spikes kept continuously in NS until end of vase life resulted in 4.2 d longer vase life at a lower concentration of 0.01 mg L−1. With increasing NS concentration to 10 mg L−1, vase life decreased to similar vase life as with tap water. The results demonstrated that NS at a 50 mg L−1 pulse for 1 h or 0.01 mg L−1 vase application can be used for extending vase life of cut gladiolus spikes.
Molecular characterization of pear 14-3-3b gene regulated during fruit development
Authors: Shi Haiyan , Zhao Yujing , An Xuemin , Zhang Yuxing
Published: March 2016

Plant 14-3-3 proteins (14-3-3s) are known to function in protein–protein interactions that mediate signal transduction pathways regulating many biological processes. The cDNA encoding putative 14-3-3 protein was isolated from pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) and designated Pp14-3-3b. Using the PCR amplification technique, the genomic clone corresponding to Pp14-3-3b was isolated and shown to contain six introns. Phylogenetic analysis clearly demonstrated that Pp14-3-3b was classified into the non-ɛ class of 14-3-3 superfamilies. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated that the expression of the Pp14-3-3b gene was developmentally regulated in fruit. This study suggested that Pp14-3-3b might be involved in fruit ripening and the senescence of pear.
Physical properties of an Orthic Black Chernozem after 5 years of liquid and solid pig manure application to annual and perennial crops
Authors: Adesanya Theresa , Akinremi Olalekan , Zvomuya Francis
Published: March 2016

Pig (Sus scrofa) manure is added to the soil to supply nutrients and improve soil properties. To our knowledge, no direct comparison has been made on the effect of liquid pig manure (LPM) and solid pig manure (SPM) on the physical properties of a prairie soil. This study was established in 2009 at the University of Manitoba’s Ian Morrison Research Station in Carman, Manitoba. The treatment design was a split-plot structure with cropping system as the main plot and manure treatments as subplots. Five years after the study was initiated, soil samples were collected from the 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm depth intervals for determination of bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), and water retention at field capacity and permanent wilting point (PWP). For wet aggregate stability, samples were collected from the 0–5 cm layer. Land application of SPM significantly decreased bulk density by 14%, significantly increased Ksatby 110% in the 0–10 cm layer, and resulted in a 30% increase in wet aggregate stability (P < 0.05). In perennial plots, SPM increased water retention at field capacity, PWP, and available water in the 0–10 cm compared with annual plots. This was not the case for LPM-amended soils. We conclude that SPM has the potential as an organic amendment to improve the physical properties of the topsoil.
A novel crowd flow model based on linear fractional stable motion
Authors: Wei Juan , Zhang Hong , Wu Zhenya , He Junlin , Guo Yangyong
Published: March 2016

For the evacuation dynamics in indoor space, a novel crowd flow model is put forward based on Linear Fractional Stable Motion. Based on position attraction and queuing time, the calculation formula of movement probability is defined and the queuing time is depicted according to linear fractal stable movement. At last, an experiment and simulation platform can be used for performance analysis, studying deeply the relation among system evacuation time, crowd density and exit flow rate. It is concluded that the evacuation time and the exit flow rate have positive correlations with the crowd density, and when the exit width reaches to the threshold value, it will not effectively decrease the evacuation time by further increasing the exit width.
Incorporating Computation Time Measures During Heterogeneous Features Selection in a Boosted Cascade People Detector
Authors: Mekonnen Alhayat Ali , Lerasle Frédéric , Herbulot Ariane , Briand Cyril
Published: March 2016

In this paper, we investigate the notion of incorporating feature computation time (CT) measures during feature selection in a boosted cascade people detector utilizing heterogeneous pool of features. We present various approaches based on pareto-front analysis, CT weighted adaboost, and Binary Integer Programming (BIP) with comparative evaluations. The novel feature selection method proposed based on BIP — the main contribution — mines heterogeneous features taking both detection performance and CT explicitly into consideration. The results demonstrate that the detector using this feature selection scheme exhibits low miss rates (MRs) with significant boost in frame rate. For example, it achieves a [Formula: see text] less MR at [Formula: see text] FPPW compared to Dalal and Triggs HOG detector with a [Formula: see text]x speed improvement. The presented extensive experimental results clearly highlight the improvements the proposed framework brings to the table.
HSBS: A Human’s Heat Signature and Background Subtraction Hybrid Approach for Crowd Counting and Analysis
Authors: Negied Nermin Kamal Abdel-Wahab , Hemayed Elsayed B. , Fayek Magda
Published: March 2016

This work presents a new approach for crowd counting and classification based upon human thermal and motion features. The technique is efficient for automatic crowd density estimation and type of motion determination. Crowd density is measured without any need for camera calibration or assumption of prior knowledge about the input videos. It does not need any human intervention so it can be used successfully in a fully automated crowd control systems. Two new features are introduced for crowd counting purpose: the first represents thermal characteristics of humans and is expressed by the ratio between their temperature and their ambient environment temperature. The second describes humans motion characteristics and is measured by the ratio between humans motion velocity and the ambient environment rigidity. Each ratio should exceed a certain predetermined threshold for human beings. These features have been investigated and proved to give accurate crowd counting performance in real time. Moreover, the two features are combined and used together for crowd classification into one of the three main types, which are: fully mobile, fully static, or mix of both types. Last but not least, the proposed system offers several advantages such as being a privacy preserving crowd counting system, reliable for homogeneous and inhomogeneous crowds, does not depend on a certain direction in motion detection, has no restriction on crowd size. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.
Improved CTT-SP Algorithm with Critical Path Method for Massive Data Storage in Scientific Workflow Systems
Authors: Fan Lei , Meng Sha , Liu Xiyang , Liang Yanfang
Published: March 2016

Scientific WorkFlows (SWFs) play significant roles in scientific research and engineering simulation, which are often data intensive and has complex data dependencies. The storage of massive intermediate datasets has great impacts on the performance and the quality of service of a SWF system, which has become a difficult and complex task. Through analyzing the cost transitive tournament shortest path (CTT-SP)-based algorithm proposed for the intermediate data storage in SWF systems, the disadvantage of the CTT-SP algorithm over its sensitivity to the main branches can be found. We proposed an improved CTT-SP algorithm based on the critical path method (CPM), aiming at reducing the sensitivity of the main branch and improving the performance of the algorithm. By adding the generation information of the datasets on the arrows, the data dependency graph of a SWF can be converted to an activity on arrow (AOA) net. Then, the critical path of the AOA net is used to be the main branch of the CTT-SP algorithm, which can reduce the impacts of the main branch and keep the quality of service of the SWF systems. Experiments are designed to test the impacts of the main branches and the performance of the improved CTT-SP algorithms. The results show the significant impacts of the main branches on the performance of the CTT-SP algorithm and the effectiveness of the CPM on improving the performance of the CTT-SP algorithm. Comparison results demonstrate the positiveness and effectiveness of the improved CTT-SP algorithm.