bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Racial differences in the association between heart rate variability and left ventricular mass
Authors: Hill LaBarron K. , Watkins Lana L. , Hinderliter Alan L. , Blumenthal James A. , Sherwood Andrew
Published: April 2017

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Decreased heart rate variability (HRV) is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, including greater left ventricular mass (LVM). Despite their enhanced CVD risk profile, African Americans have been shown to exhibit higher HRV, relative to Whites; however, it is unclear whether this pattern extends to the association between HRV and LVM.

What is the main finding and its importance?

Using ECG and echocardiographic data, HRV was positively associated with LVM in a non‐clinical sample of African Americans. These findings suggest that current assumptions regarding the meaning of higher HRV might not be universal, which might have implications for HRV as a risk marker among African Americans.

Increased left ventricular mass (LVM) is an early precursor of target organ damage attributable to hypertension. Diminished parasympathetic cardiac control has been linked to both hypertension onset and left ventricular impairment; however, emerging evidence suggests that this pattern might be different in African Americans. The present study sought to determine whether race impacts the relationship between parasympathetic cardiac control and LVM. The LVM was assessed via echocardiography in a sample (n = 148) of African American and White adults (mean age 33.20 ± 5.71 years) with normal or mildly elevated blood pressure. Parasympathetic cardiac control was assessed by a measure of high‐frequency heart rate variability (HF‐HRV) determined from ECG recordings during 5 min of rest. In regression analysis, greater HF‐HRV was associated with greater LVM among African Americans (P = 0.002) but was not related to LVM in Whites (P = 0.919). These are the first data to demonstrate that race moderates the relationship between HRV and LVM and further suggest that race might be an important factor in the association between parasympathetic cardiac control and other cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Experimental Investigation of Convection Heat Transfer in High Pressure and High Temperature Gas Flows
Authors: Valentín Francisco I. , Anderson Ryan , Kawaji Masahiro
Published: April 2017

This work focuses on an experimental investigation of convection heat transfer to a gas in a vertical tube under strongly heated conditions at high temperatures and pressures up to 943 K and 65 bar. A unique test facility for convection heat transfer experiments has been constructed, and used to obtain experimental data useful for better understanding and validation of numerical simulation models. This test facility consists of a single flow channel in a 2.7 m long, 0.11 m diameter graphite column with four 2.3 kW heaters placed symmetrically around the 16.8 mm diameter flow channel. Upward flow convection experiments with air and nitrogen were conducted for inlet Reynolds numbers from 1300 to 60,000, thus covering laminar, transition, and fully turbulent flow regimes. Experiments were performed at different flow rates (3.8 × 10−4 to 1.5 × 10−2 kg/s) and heater power up to 6 kW. Importantly, the data analysis considered the thermophysical properties of the gas and graphite changing with temperature and pressure. Nusselt number results are further compared to existing correlations. The effect of pressure and heater power on degraded heat transfer is examined. The analyses of the experimental data showed significant reductions in Reynolds number of up to 50% and Nusselt numbers of up to 90% between the gas inlet and outlet.
Periodically pulsed laser-assisted tunneling may generate terahertz radiation
Authors: Hagmann Mark J. , Coombs Dmtrij G. , Yarotski Dmitry A.
Published: April 2017

A mode-locked ultrafast laser focused on the tunneling junction of a scanning tunneling microscope superimposes harmonics of the laser pulse repetition frequency on the direct current tunneling current. The power measured at the first 200 harmonics (up to 14.85 GHz) varies as the inverse square of the frequency due to shunting by the stray capacitance and the resistance in the circuit. However, Fourier analysis suggests that within the tunneling junction there is no significant decay of the harmonics until terahertz frequencies comparable to the reciprocal of the laser pulse-width. Two different types of analysis are used to model the generation of the frequency comb within the tunneling junction. Similar results are obtained, suggesting that the harmonics may extend to terahertz frequencies. Thus, the tunneling junction may be used as a subnanometer sized source of terahertz radiation.
Robust speaker identification via fusion of subglottal resonances and cepstral features
Authors: Guo Jinxi , Yang Ruochen , Arsikere Harish , Alwan Abeer
Published: April 2017

This letter investigates the use of subglottal resonances (SGRs) for noise-robust speaker identification (SID). It is motivated by the speaker specificity and stationarity of subglottal acoustics, and the development of noise-robust SGR estimation algorithms which are reliable at low signal-to-noise ratios for large datasets. A two-stage framework is proposed which combines the SGRs with different cepstral features. The cepstral features are used in the first stage to reduce the number of target speakers for a test utterance, and then SGRs are used as complementary second-stage features to conduct identification. Experiments with the TIMIT and NIST 2008 databases show that SGRs, when used in conjunction with power-normalized cepstral coefficients and linear prediction cepstral coefficients, can improve the performance significantly (2%–6% absolute accuracy improvement) across all noise conditions in mismatched situations.
A cross-dialectal acoustic study of Saterland Frisian vowels
Authors: Schoormann Heike E. , Heeringa Wilbert J. , Peters Jörg
Published: April 2017

Previous investigations on Saterland Frisian report a large vowel inventory, including up to 20 monophthongs and 16 diphthongs in stressed position. Conducting a cross-dialectal acoustic study on Saterland Frisian vowels in Ramsloh, Scharrel, and Strücklingen, the objective is to provide a phonetic description of vowel category realization and to identify acoustic dimensions which may enhance the discrimination of neighboring categories within the crowded vowel space of the endangered minority language. All vowels were elicited in a /hVt/ frame. Acoustic measurements included vowel duration, mid-vowel F1 and F2, and the amount of spectral change and the spectral rate of change. The results suggest instances of phonetic attrition, i.e., merged categories, precisely where contrasts were reported to be on the retreat. The cross-dialectal comparison showed differences between the three dialects primarily within the F1 dimension at the 20% measurement point. The findings presented here contribute to the description of an endangered minority language and add to the question of which acoustic variables are used in languages with large vowel inventories to maintain or enhance the existing contrasts. Furthermore, the results underline the importance of the consideration of inter-speaker variability as well as measurements beyond the vowel target.
How many images are in an auditory scene?
Authors: Zhong Xuan , Yost William A.
Published: April 2017

If an auditory scene consists of many spatially separated sound sources, how many sound sources can be processed by the auditory system? Experiment I determined how many speech sources could be localized simultaneously on the azimuth plane. Different words were played from multiple loudspeakers, and listeners reported the total number of sound sources and their individual locations. In experiment II the accuracy of localizing one speech source in a mixture of multiple speech sources was determined. An extra sound source was added to an existing set of sound sources, and the task was to localize that extra source. In experiment III the setup and task were the same as in experiment I, except that the sounds were tones. The results showed that the maximum number of sound sources that listeners could perceive was limited to approximately four spatially separated speech signals and three for tonal signals. The localization errors increased along with the increase of total number of sound sources. When four or more speech sources already existed, the accuracy in localizing an additional source was near chance.
Diabetes mellitus and acquired haemophilia: new association?
Authors: Tavares Bello Carlos , Vasylenko Yuliya , Esteves José , Vasconcelos Carlos Augusto
Published: April 2017

Diabetes mellitus encompasses a group of highly prevalent carbohydrate metabolic disorders with an increasing incidence. Some subtypes are thought to be associated with other immune-mediated diseases. Acquired haemophilia on the other hand is a quite rare autoimmune disease that is thought to be secondary to the emergence of inhibiting anticoagulation factor VIII antibodies (inhibitors) in patients with previously normal haemostatic function. More recently, numerous different diseases have been associated with acquired haemophilia namely immune-mediated diseases, drugs and solid and haematologic neoplasms. The authors report on a case of a patient with new onset acquired haemophilia arising in the setting of diabetic ketoacidosis.
Integrating dispersal proxies in ecological and environmental research in the freshwater realm
Authors: Heino Jani , Alahuhta Janne , Ala-Hulkko Terhi , Antikainen Harri , Bini Luis Mauricio , Bonada Núria , Datry Thibault , Erős Tibor , Hjort Jan , Kotavaara Ossi , Melo Adriano S. , Soininen Janne
Published: April 2017

Dispersal is one of the key mechanisms affecting the distribution of individuals, populations, and communities in nature. Despite advances in the study of single species, it has been notoriously difficult to account for dispersal in multispecies metacommunities, where it potentially has strong effects on community structure beyond those of local environmental conditions. Dispersal should thus be directly integrated in both basic and applied research by using proxies. Here, we review the use of proxies in the current metacommunity research, suggest new proxies, and discuss how proxies could be used in community modelling, particularly in freshwater systems. We suggest that while traditional proxies may still be useful, proxies formerly utilized in transport geography may provide useful novel insights into the structuring of biological communities in freshwater systems. We also suggest that understanding the utility of such proxies for dispersal in metacommunities is highly important for many applied fields such as freshwater bioassessment, conservation planning, and recolonization research in the context of restoration ecology. These research fields have often ignored spatial dynamics and focused mostly on local environmental conditions and changes therein. Yet, the conclusions of these applied studies may change considerably if dispersal is taken into account.
Inflation and bounce from classical and loop quantum cosmology imperfect fluids
Authors: Oikonomou V. K.
Published: April 2017

We investigate how various inflationary and bouncing cosmologies can be realized by imperfect fluids with a generalized equation of state, in the context of both classical and loop quantum cosmologies. With regards to the inflationary cosmologies, we study the intermediate inflation scenario, the [Formula: see text] inflation scenario and two constant-roll inflation scenarios, and with regards to the bouncing cosmologies, we study the matter bounce scenario, the singular bounce and the super bounce scenario. Within the context of the classical cosmology, we calculate the spectral index of the power spectrum of primordial curvature perturbations, the scalar-to-tensor ratio and the running of the spectral index and we compare the resulting picture with the Planck data. As we demonstrate, partial compatibility with the observational data is achieved in the imperfect fluid description, however none of the above scenarios is in full agreement with data. This result shows that although it is possible to realize various cosmological scenarios using different theoretical frameworks, it is not guaranteed that all the theoretical descriptions are viable.
Dynamic Responses of Interspersed Railway Tracks to Moving Train Loads
Authors: Kaewunruen Sakdirat , Lewandrowski Tomasz , Chamniprasart Kritditorn
Published: April 2017

This paper investigates novel dynamic phenomena of interspersed railway tracks. The interspersed method is commonly carried out by spot-replacing old timber sleepers with new concrete sleepers. Although this interspersed approach provides a short-term solution, such method has a negative effect on the long-term performance of railway tracks. It is evident that the performance of interspersed tracks can quickly deteriorate after some years. As a result, this paper is the first to evaluate dynamic responses of the interspersed track caused by a moving train load in order to understand the root cause of swift track deterioration. Interspersed track models in three-dimensional space have been developed using a finite element package, STRAND7. The model was validated earlier with experimental results. Parametric studies have been conducted to evaluate dynamic responses of the interspersed railway tracks, including dynamic displacement, frontal uplift, rear uplift and accelerations of rail over sleeper, rail at midspan, sleeper at rail seat, and sleeper at midspan. Dynamic amplification phenomena are highlighted as they convey a new insight into dynamic phenomena identifying the real source of track deterioration.
Leveraging Fog Computing for Scalable IoT Datacenter Using Spine-Leaf Network Topology
Authors: Okafor K. C. , Achumba Ifeyinwa E. , Chukwudebe Gloria A. , Ononiwu Gordon C.
Published: April 2017

With the Internet of Everything (IoE) paradigm that gathers almost every object online, huge traffic workload, bandwidth, security, and latency issues remain a concern for IoT users in today’s world. Besides, the scalability requirements found in the current IoT data processing (in the cloud) can hardly be used for applications such as assisted living systems, Big Data analytic solutions, and smart embedded applications. This paper proposes an extended cloud IoT model that optimizes bandwidth while allowing edge devices (Internet-connected objects/devices) to smartly process data without relying on a cloud network. Its integration with a massively scaled spine-leaf (SL) network topology is highlighted. This is contrasted with a legacy multitier layered architecture housing network services and routing policies. The perspective offered in this paper explains how low-latency and bandwidth intensive applications can transfer data to the cloud (and then back to the edge application) without impacting QoS performance. Consequently, a spine-leaf Fog computing network (SL-FCN) is presented for reducing latency and network congestion issues in a highly distributed and multilayer virtualized IoT datacenter environment. This approach is cost-effective as it maximizes bandwidth while maintaining redundancy and resiliency against failures in mission critical applications.
An Intuitionistic Fuzzy Stochastic Decision‐Making Method Based on Case‐Based Reasoning and Prospect Theory
Authors: Li Peng , Yang Yingjie , Wei Cuiping
Published: April 2017

According to the case‐based reasoning method and prospect theory, this paper mainly focuses on finding a way to obtain decision‐makers’ preferences and the criterion weights for stochastic multicriteria decision‐making problems and classify alternatives. Firstly, we construct a new score function for an intuitionistic fuzzy number (IFN) considering the decision‐making environment. Then, we aggregate the decision‐making information in different natural states according to the prospect theory and test decision‐making matrices. A mathematical programming model based on a case‐based reasoning method is presented to obtain the criterion weights. Moreover, in the original decision‐making problem, we integrate all the intuitionistic fuzzy decision‐making matrices into an expectation matrix using the expected utility theory and classify or rank the alternatives by the case‐based reasoning method. Finally, two illustrative examples are provided to illustrate the implementation process and applicability of the developed method.
Modeling and Identification of Podded Propulsion Unmanned Surface Vehicle and Its Course Control Research
Authors: Mu Dongdong , Wang Guofeng , Fan Yunsheng , Zhao Yongsheng
Published: April 2017

The response model of podded propulsion unmanned surface vehicle (USV) is established and identified; then considering the USV has characteristic of high speed, the course controller with fast convergence speed is proposed. The idea of MMG separate modeling is used to establish three‐DOF planar motion model of the podded propulsion USV, and then the model is simplified as a response model. Then based on field experiments, the parameters of the response model are obtained by the method of system identification. Unlike ordinary ships, USV has the advantages of fast speed and small size, so the controller needs fast convergence speed and strong robustness. Based on the theory of multimode control, a fast nonsingular terminal sliding mode (FNTSM) course controller is proposed. In order to reduce the chattering of system, disturbance observer is used to compensate the disturbance to reduce the control gain and RBF neural network is applied to approximate the symbolic function. At the same time, fuzzy algorithm is employed to realize the mode soft switching, which avoids the unnecessary chattering when the mode is switched. Finally the rapidity and robustness of the proposed control approach are demonstrated by simulations and comparison studies.
A New Variational Assimilation Method Based on Gradient Information from Satellite Data
Authors: Zhong Bo , Wang Yun-Feng , Ma Gang , Ma Xin-Yuan , Yang Lu
Published: April 2017

With the development of meteorological observation technology, satellite data have found increasingly wide use in the numerical weather prediction field. However, there are various observational biases in satellite data, including a random bias brought about by complex weather systems and a systematic bias caused by the instrument itself, which greatly influence the quality of satellite data. A gradient information assimilation method is proposed in this paper to eliminate systematic bias. This method uses a gradient operator for gradient transformation between the model variable and observation variable and reaches the objective of eliminating systematic bias. An ideal experiment of variational data assimilation is conducted using the Community Radiative Transfer Model (CRTM) and Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) data, indicating that only assimilating gradient information can eliminate the smooth systematic bias in observation data. Then, a numerical simulation of tropical cyclone (TC) Megi and data assimilation experiment are conducted using the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) and WRF Data Assimilation (WRFDA) model as well as the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) data. The results show that the method of gradient information assimilation can improve the accuracy of TC tracks forecast and is also applicable for dealing with unreliable satellite data.
Remarks on Pressure Blow-Up Criterion of the 3D Zero-Diffusion Boussinesq Equations in Margin Besov Spaces
Authors: Fu Min , Cai Chao
Published: April 2017

This study is focused on the pressure blow-up criterion for a smooth solution of three-dimensional zero-diffusion Boussinesq equations. With the aid of Littlewood-Paley decomposition together with the energy methods, it is proved that if the pressure satisfies the following condition on margin Besov spaces,π(x,t)∈L2/(2+r)(0,T;B˙∞,∞r)forr=±1,then the smooth solution can be continually extended to the interval(0,T⁎)for someT⁎>T. The findings extend largely the previous results.
The Role of Phosphorus Slag in Steam-Cured Concrete
Authors: Liu Jin , Wang Dongmin
Published: April 2017

Steam curing is an effective method to increase the hydration degree of binder containing phosphorus slag. The role of phosphorus slag in steam-cured concrete was investigated by determining the hydration heat, hydration products, nonevaporable water content, pore structure of paste, and the compressive strength and chloride ion permeability of concrete. The results show that elevated steam curing temperature does not lead to new crystalline hydration products of the composite binder containing phosphorus slag. Elevating steam curing temperature enhances the early hydration heat and nonevaporable water content of the binder containing phosphorus slag more significantly than increasing steam curing time, and it also results in higher late-age hydration degree and finer pore structure. For steam-cured concrete containing phosphorus slag, elevating curing temperature from 60°C to 80°C tends to decrease the late-age strength and increase the chloride permeability. However, at constant curing temperature of 60°C, the steam-cured concrete containing phosphorus slag can achieve satisfied demoulding strength and late-age strength and chloride permeability by extending the steam curing duration.
The Retina of Asian and African Elephants: Comparison of Newborn and Adult
Authors: Kuhrt Heidrun , Bringmann Andreas , Härtig Wolfgang , Wibbelt Gudrun , Peichl Leo , Reichenbach Andreas
Published: April 2017

Elephants are precocial mammals that are relatively mature as newborns and mobile shortly after birth. To determine whether the retina of newborn elephants is capable of supporting the mobility of elephant calves, we compared the retinal structures of 2 newborn elephants (1 African and 1 Asian) and 2 adult animals of both species by immunohistochemical and morphometric methods. For the first time, we present here a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative characterization of the cellular composition of the newborn and the adult retinas of 2 elephant species. We found that the retina of elephants is relatively mature at birth. All retinal layers were well discernible, and various retinal cell types were detected in the newborns, including Müller glial cells (expressing glutamine synthetase and cellular retinal binding protein; CRALBP), cone photoreceptors (expressing S-opsin or M/L-opsin), protein kinase Cα-expressing bipolar cells, tyrosine hydroxylase-, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-, calbindin-, and calretinin-expressing amacrine cells, and calbindin-expressing horizontal cells. The retina of newborn elephants contains discrete horizontal cells which coexpress ChAT, calbindin, and calretinin. While the overall structure of the retina is very similar between newborn and adult elephants, various parameters change after birth. The postnatal thickening of the retinal ganglion cell axons and the increase in ganglion cell soma size are explained by the increase in body size after birth, and the decreases in the densities of neuronal and glial cells are explained by the postnatal expansion of the retinal surface area. The expression of glutamine synthetase and CRALBP in the Müller cells of newborn elephants suggests that the cells are already capable of supporting the activities of photoreceptors and neurons. As a peculiarity, the elephant retina contains both normally located and displaced giant ganglion cells, with single cells reaching a diameter of more than 50 µm in adults and therefore being almost in the range of giant retinal ganglion cells found in aquatic mammals. Some of these ganglion cells are displaced into the inner nuclear layer, a unique feature of terrestrial mammals. For the first time, we describe here the occurrence of many bistratified rod bipolar cells in the elephant retina. These bistratified bipolar cells may improve nocturnal contrast perception in elephants given their arrhythmic lifestyle.
Pure Amorphagnosia without Tactile Object Agnosia
Authors: Kubota Shinichirou , Yamada Mai , Satoh Hideyo , Satoh Akira , Tsujihata Mitsuhiro
Published: April 2017

A 54-year-old female showed amorphagnosia without ahylognosia and tactile agnosia 40 days after the onset of right cerebral infarction. Her basic somatosensory functions were normal. The appreciation of substance qualities (hylognosia) was preserved, but the patient’s inability to recognize the size and shape (morphagnosia) was confined to 2- and 3-dimensional shapes (amorphagnosia) in the left hand. However, the patient’s ability to recognize real daily objects was well preserved. Brain MRI after admission showed ischemic lesions confined to the right pre- and postcentral gyri and the medial frontal cortex on DWI and FLAIR images. An analysis of SPECT images revealed that the most decreased areas were localized to the pre- and postcentral gyri, superior and inferior parietal lobules, supramarginal gyrus, and angular gyrus. Considering the previous reported cases, the responsible lesion for the impaired perception of hylognosia and morphagnosia may not necessarily be confined to the right hemisphere. To date, 5 reports (6 cases) of tactile agnosia have been published; 4 cases presented with both ahylognosia and amorphagnosia, while 1 presented with only amorphagnosia, and another showed amorphagnosia and mild ahylognosia. Our case is the first to present with only amorphagnosia without tactile agnosia. The mechanism for the well-preserved recognition of real objects may depend on the preserved hylognosia. Of note, there have been no reports showing only ahylognosia without amorphagnosia. Further studies are necessary to clarify whether or not patients with preserved hylognosia or morphagnosia retain the ability to perceive real objects.
Multisystem Disease, Including Eosinophilia and Progressive Hyper-Creatine-Kinase-emia over 10 Years, Suggests Mitochondrial Disorder
Authors: Finsterer Josef , Huber Johannes
Published: April 2017

Background: Eosinophilia has not been reported as a manifestation of a mitochondrial disorder (MID). Here, we report a patient with clinical features suggesting a MID and permanent eosinophilia, multisystem disease, and progressive hyper-creatine-kinase (CK)-emia for at least 10 years. Materials and Methods: Methods applied included a clinical exam, blood chemical investigations, electrophysiological investigations, imaging, and invasive cardiological investigations. The patient was repeatedly followed up over several years. He required replacement cardiac surgery. Results: In a 57-year-old male, eosinophilia was first detected at the age of 44 years and has remained almost constantly present until today. In addition to eosinophilia, he developed progressive hyper-CK-emia at the age of 47 years. His history was further positive for hepatopathy, hyperlipidemia, hypothyroidism, renal insufficiency, spontaneous Achilles tendon rupture, double vision, exercise intolerance, muscle aching, mild hypoacusis, sensory neuropathy, seizures, and mitral insufficiency/stenosis requiring valve replacement therapy, oral anticoagulation, and pacemaker implantation. Based on the multisystem nature of his abnormalities and permanent hyper-CK-emia, a MID was suspected. Conclusion: Eosinophilia can be associated with a MID with myopathy, possibly as a reaction to myofiber necrosis. If eosinophilia is associated with progressive hyper-CK-emia and multisystem disease, a MID should be suspected.
Nivolumab Therapy for Synchronous ALK-Positive Lung Cancer and Gastric Cancer
Authors: Yamasaki Masahiro , Saito Naomi , Hada Yu , Miyamoto Sayaka , Okanobu Hideharu , Ikeda Naoya , Daido Wakako , Ishiyama Sayaka , Deguchi Naoko , Taniwaki Masaya , Ohashi Nobuyuki
Published: April 2017

Nivolumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor with demonstrated efficacy against several malignant tumors. Alterations in driver oncogenes such as EGFR and ALK are a poor prognostic factor in nivolumab therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), whereas a smoking history is a well-known, favorable prognostic factor. However, an efficacy of nivolumab therapy for multiple primary malignant tumors (MPMTs) has not been reported, and its efficacy for driver oncogene-positive NSCLC in smokers is unclear. Herein, we report the case of a patient with a history of heavy smoking who developed synchronous ALK-positive NSCLC and gastric cancer that responded to nivolumab therapy. A 76-year-old man who was a heavy smoker presented to our hospital with symptoms of hoarseness and dysphagia. He was ultimately diagnosed with ALK-positive advanced NSCLC. An ALK inhibitor (alectinib) was administered, and the lung cancer lesions showed improvement. The alectinib therapy was continued for 5 months. Thereafter, the lesions in the left lower lobe of the lung showed regrowth. During the same period, the patient experienced epigastric pain. Gastrointestinal endoscopy examination revealed gastric cancer. He was administered nivolumab to treat both the lung cancer and the gastric cancer. Two months later, both the lung lesions and the gastric lesions had diminished in size. Nivolumab therapy might be an effective therapy for synchronous MPMTs and NSCLC in heavy smokers, even if the lung cancer possesses driver oncogene mutations.
The Effect of Retraining on Treatment Success, Quality of Life, and Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Using an Insulin Pump
Authors: Ozgen Saydam Basak , Yilmazmis Fatma , Aydin Nalan , Bektas Belgin , Yilmaz Simge , Cavdar Umit , Ozisik Secil , Akinci Baris
Published: April 2017

Objective: To investigate the effect of insulin pump user retraining on treatment success, quality of life, and metabolic parameters of patients with type 1 diabetes using continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. Subjects and Methods: A total of 35 subjects participated in this prospective study. All patients were given insulin pump user retraining. Their knowledge level and application skills, metabolic parameters, quality of life, and satisfaction from treatment were evaluated at baseline and after 6 months. Results: There was significant improvement in patients' knowledge and application skills after insulin pump user retraining (self-assessment of user skills: 69.7 ± 11.5 vs. 76.3 ± 11.3, p < 0.001; knowledge level on technical issues: 3.3 ± 1.1 vs. 4.1 ± 1.8, p = 0.003; glucose monitoring: 27.1 ± 5.8 vs. 29.2 ± 5.6, p = 0.006; management of hyperglycemia: 13.1 ± 3.2 vs. 15.7 ± 3.4, p < 0.001; management of pump and infusion site problems: 8.8 ± 2.6 vs. 10.6 ± 2.6, p = 0.001). Hemoglobin (Hb)A1c levels of patients with poor glycemic control improved after retraining (8.61% ± 0.78 vs. 8.23% ± 0.79, p = 0.02). However, no significant improvement in quality of life and treatment satisfaction parameters were found. Conclusion: Management of type 1 diabetes in insulin pump users can be significantly improved by retraining. Even a basic short-term retraining program helps patients to increase their knowledge level and ability to more effectively use the insulin pump. The fact that retraining significantly improves glycemic parameters in patients with poor metabolic control indicates that priority should be given to this group of patients. Further studies with individualized training programs in larger sample sizes with long-term follow-up are needed to establish the importance of retraining and create re-education plans for patients with type 1 diabetes using an insulin pump.
A Comparison of Three Different Volumes of Levobupivacaine for Caudal Block in Children Undergoing Orchidopexy and Inguinal Hernia Repair
Authors: Marjanovic Vesna , Budic Ivana , Stevic Marija , Simic Dusica
Published: April 2017

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of 3 different volumes of 0.25% levobupivacaine caudally administered on the effect of intra- and postoperative analgesia in children undergoing orchidopexy and inguinal hernia repair. Subjects and Methods: Forty children, aged 1-7 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I and II, were randomized into 3 different groups according to the applied volumes of 0.25% levobupivacaine: group 1 (n = 13): 0.6 mL∙kg-1; group 2 (n = 10): 0.8 mL∙kg-1; and group 3 (n = 17): 1.0 mL∙kg-1. The age, weight, duration of anesthesia, onset time of intraoperative analgesic, dosage, and addition of intraoperative fentanyl were compared among the groups. The time to first use of the analgesic and the number of patients who required analgesic 24 h after surgery in the time intervals within 6 h, between 6 and 12 h, and between 12 and 24 h postoperatively were evaluated among the groups. Statistical analyses were performed with a Dunnett t test, ANOVA, or Kruskal-Wallis test and χ2 test. Logistic regression analysis was used in order to examine predictive factors on duration of postoperative analgesia. Results: Age, weight, duration of anesthesia, onset time of intraoperative analgesic, dosage, and addition of intraoperative fentanyl were similar among the groups. The time to first analgesic use did not differ among the groups, and logistic regression modelling showed that using the 3 different volumes of levobupivacaine had no predictive influence on duration of postoperative analgesia. The numbers of patients who required analgesics within 6 h (3/2/3), between 6 and 12 h (3/1/3), and between 12 and 24 h (1/0/2) after surgery were similar among the groups. Conclusion: The 3 different volumes of 0.25% levobupivacaine provided the same quality of intra- and postoperative pain relief in pediatric patients undergoing orchidopexy and inguinal hernia repair.
Inibição da resposta de hipersensibilidade do Tipo I da prole de camundongos mediada pela imunização materna com o ácaro Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus
Authors: Victor Jefferson Russo , Duarte Alberto José da Silva , Sato Maria Notomi
Published: April 2017

A exposição precoce a alérgenos associada a tendência dos neonatos a desenvolverem respostas do tipo Th2 pode contribuir com o desenvolvimento da alergia durante a infância. O efeito da imunização de camundongos fêmeas A/Sn pré concepção com o ácaro Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp), foi analisado na resposta de hipersensibilidade tipo I da prole híbrida. A cinética da imunização dos filhotes com Dp foi avaliada da idade neonatal até a adulta. As proles de mães imunes não demonstraram evidência de sensibilização pré ou pós natal ao alérgeno pela análise dos alótipos de anticorpos. A imunização com Dp das proles derivadas de mães imunizadas no período neonatal e após o desmame revelou uma significativa inibição da produção de anticorpos IgE e IgG1 anti-Dp, permanecendo diminuída mesmo após os desafios alergênicos secundários. A inibição da resposta foi específica para o Dp considerando que a imunização com antígeno heterólogo induziu similar produção de anticorpos IgE ao grupo de proles controles. A imunização materna com Dp sugere proteger o desenvolvimento precoce de alergia nos filhotes.
Valor preditivo da medida da cintura e da relação cintura-quadril no diagnóstico do diabetes melito e da dislipidemia
Authors: Calich Ana Luísa Garcia , Brunoni André Russowsky , Mansini Renato , Santo Fábio Rodrigues Ferreira do Espírito , Benseñor Isabela M.
Published: April 2017

Introdução: O índice de obesidade está aumentando no Brasil.A medida da cintura (MC) é uma boa medida para a avaliação da obesidade localizada e é mais fácil de ser adquirida do que a relação cintura quadril (RCQ). Entretanto, os efeitos da obesidade regional foram melhores descritos entre a RCQ e fatores de risco cardiovasculares. Objetivo: testar se a medida da cintura isolada é melhor do que a RCQ para predizer diabetes e dislipidemia. Métodos: analisamos a razão de verossimilhança positiva e negativa da MC e RCQ numa amostra de 202 homens e mulheres com idade variando de 20 a 74 anos e aparentemente saudáveis como fator preditivo para diabetes e dislipidemia. Resultados: (1) Para mulheres, a RCQ foi melhor fator preditivo para o diagnostico dediabetes (RV+ = 2,5 e RV- = 0,2) e dislipidemia (RV+2,5 e RV-=0,2) comparado a MC (diabetes, RV+ = 1,9 e RV- = 0,4; dislipidemia, RV+ = 1,6 e RV- = 0,6); (2) Para homens, a MC foi melhor fator preditivo para o diagnostico de diabetes (RV+ = 2,4 e RV- = 0,6) e dislipidemia (RV+ = 5 e RV- = 0,5) do que a RCQ (diabetes, RV+ = 1,0 e RV- = 0,9; dislipidemia, RV+ = 2,1 e RV- = 0,7). Conclusão: A MC e a RCQ se comportam diferentes entre homens e mulheres.
Edição Especial: Dossiê Habitação como Patrimônio Cultural
Authors: Silva Fernanda Fernandes da
Published: April 2017

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Jardim América: da casa de alguns a território preservado da metrópole? Preservação dos bairros-jardins (desde o modelo e concepção)
Authors: Wolff Silvia
Published: April 2017

Discute-se a presença de bairros-jardins na cidade de São Paulo. Baseada em dados sobre a história da introdução pela loteadora Cia. City do modelo garden city no pioneiro bairro Jardim América, reflete-se sobre as dificuldades de preservação do fato urbanístico, reconhecido como de origem modelar, mas também local de moradia de pessoas cujos hábitos estão em mudança permanente e que habitam uma metrópole dinâmica.
Depoimentos: habitação como patrimônio cultural
Authors: Camargo Mônica Junqueira de , Acayaba Marlene Milan , Treib Marc , Bucci Angelo , Lenate Doris , Jáuregui Jorge Mario
Published: April 2017

Depoimentos: habitação como patrimônio cultural Introdução: ideias e recortesMônica Junqueira de CamargoUniversidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo Residências em São Paulo: 1947-1975Marlene Milan Acayaba Mais que a casa: dois conjuntos modernos de moradias norte-americanasMarc TreibUniversidade Da Califórnia, Berkeley, Estado Unidos  O caso da Casa Olga BaetaAngelo BucciUniversidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil Experiência de moradia na Vila Maria ZéliaDoris LenateAssociação Cultural Vila Maria Zélia, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil Habitação de interesse socialJorge Mario JáureguiUniversidade de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Restauração de casas bandeiristas: experimentações e permanência
Authors: Mayumi Lia
Published: April 2017

Este artigo busca demonstrar como a restauração arquitetônica das casas bandeiristas teve papel essencial no processo de atribuição de significação simbólica a tais moradias rurais, assim como na construção de um modelo conceitual e técnico de intervenção arquitetônica que definiu a tipologia da casa bandeirista tal como a conhecemos hoje. O artigo abordará as restaurações de cinco casas do acervo municipal, e uma casa de propriedade privada.
New species and new records of Dicranocentrus Schött, 1893 (Collembola: Entomobryidae) from Southeastern Brazil
Authors: Xisto Thiago , de Mendonça Maria Cleide
Published: April 2017

Aimed at extending the incipient knowledge of Dicranocentrus in Brazil, in this study we describe and illustrate the morphology and chaetotaxy of four new species from Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais and São Paulo States and also two new records of D. heloisae for Minas Gerais and São Paulo States. The new species D. magnus sp.n., D. albicephalus sp.n. and D. marimutti sp.n. belong to the gracilis-group and D. pikachu sp.n. to the marias-group. A map with their distribution in Brazil and a table with Neotropical species’ main characteristics are also provided. The species herein reported represent the first record of Dicranocentrus for São Paulo State.
Two new species of Pavonia (Malvoideae, Malvaceae) from southern Bahia, Brazil
Authors: GONÇALEZ VICTOR M. , PFEIL BERNARD E. , ANTONELLI ALEXANDRE , DUARTE MARÍLIA C.
Published: April 2017

Two new species of Pavonia subgenus Goetheoides are described (Pavonia gerleniae and Pavonia macrobracteolata) from the wet coastal forests of eastern Brazil. This increases the number of species in the subgenus to 30, which is considered a high level of diversity for arborescent species in this geographically and ecologically limited area. We present morphological descriptions and comments, taxonomic relationships, pictures and conservation status of these species.
Typifications of the Linnaean name Equisetum hyemale and E. ×moorei (Equisetaceae)
Authors: FERRER-GALLEGO P. PABLO , LAGUNA EMILIO , ROSSELLÓ JOSEP A.
Published: April 2017

The lectotypes of the names Equisetum hyemale Linnaeus (1753: 1062) and E. ×moorei Newman (1854: 19) (Equisetaceae) are designated. Previously, a neotype for E. hyemale was selected by Hauke in 1962 from a specimen kept at LINN. However, this typification is rejected since there are two original elements that may contribute to a correct lectotypification of the name. Therefore this choice is ineffective and should be rejected. An illustration from Mattioli (1586) is designated as the lectotype. On the other hand, in order to avoid any ambiguity in the interpretation of the lectotype, an epitype is also selected. A lectotype for E. ×moorei, the putative hybrid between E. hyemale and E. ramosissimum Desfontaines (1799: 398–399) is designated on the basis of a specimen kept at DBN.
Bridging Nongeoscience STEM Majors to the Geoscience Workforce through a Skills Training and Enrichment Program
Authors: Blake Reginald , Liou-Mark Janet , Norouzi Hamidreza , Vladutescu Viviana , Yuen-Lau Laura , Ikramova Malika
Published: April 2017

New York City College of Technology has created a year-round geoscience workforce preparation and geoscience career mentoring program for nongeoscience, minority science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students beginning at the critical juncture of their junior year. The overall goal of the program is to create a viable pathway to the geoscience workforce by tapping into a nontraditional pool of students. Each year 12 students are recruited to participate in a structured geoscience workforce model program that consists of geoscience exposure, preparation, apprenticeship, and experience. The students not only receive support with cohort-building activities, but they also participate in two geoscience internship programs that equip them with geoscience knowledge; geoscience workforce skills; summer internships at a federal, local, or private geoscience facilities; mentoring by geoscience practitioners; and networking opportunities with geoscience companies and geoscience professional societies. The expectation through this unique initiative is that many students who would otherwise not pursue a geoscience career may now choose to follow a geoscience corridor that could lead to lucrative geoscience careers. This paper focuses on the 4-day geoscience workforce skills training and enrichment component of the program. This important enrichment component pivots students from the geoscience theory taught in class to geoscience applications and workforce preparedness. The 4-day program may serve as a model and best practice for preparing nongeoscience STEM students with the skills needed for the geoscience workforce. Preliminary results show that the nongeoscience STEM student participants increased their geoscience awareness, knowledge, and skills competencies and their interest in the geosciences was heightened.
Aerosol- and Droplet-Dependent Contact Freezing: Parameterization Development and Case Study
Authors: Hande Luke B. , Hoose C. , Barthlott C.
Published: April 2017

A parameterization for contact freezing is presented that combines theoretical expressions for determining the collision efficiency with experimentally determined freezing efficiency results. The parameterization has dependencies on aerosol and cloud droplet physical properties, including electric charges, as well as ambient temperature and humidity. The highest freezing rate is obtained at large aerosol and large cloud droplet sizes, and at cold temperatures and low relative humidities, with typical dust aerosol and droplet properties. The number concentration of ice nucleating particles (INPs) in the contact freezing mode are generally lower than those in the immersion freezing or deposition nucleation mode; however, under certain conditions contact INP concentrations can exceed those of the other modes. The new parameterization is used in a high-resolution, semi-idealized simulation of a deep convective cloud, and a number of sensitivity studies are performed. Results indicate the greatest sensitivity is to the best-fit function to laboratory data. The simulations show that droplet properties and ambient relative humidity contribute significantly to contact freezing.
Tech Talk (12) Down to Earth: A Discussion of the General Requirements for the Earthing of Control and Instrumentation Systems
Authors: Otterson David W
Published: April 2017

This paper addresses accepted practice for the earthing of control systems in a variety of environments and is intended to give control and instrument technicians and engineers a basic understanding of the power supply earthing systems to which their equipment is connected. The general requirements for earthing in hazardous areas are also discussed.
First survey on prison life in Chile: A social work call for prison reform
Authors: Sanhueza Guillermo , Brander Francisca , Fuenzalida Fernando
Published: April 2017

Based on survey data from a first nationwide assessment ( n = 2093), we analyze the situation of Chilean prisons from an anti-oppressive, social work perspective. Our main findings reveal that many inmates experienced mistreatment from guards and/or from fellow prisoners, had limited access to in-prison programs, and reported poor infrastructure conditions. Inmates also identified priorities for improving prisons. Finally, we created an ‘oppression index’ and linked it to accessing in-prison programs, discovering that those with lower scores (less oppressed) tended to participate more frequently. Finally, we suggest some changes to the prison system and to the role of social work within it.
Le Lions Clubs au Bénin : un club caritatif qui pratique une liturgie à dessein politique
Authors: De Hasque Jean-Frédéric
Published: April 2017

The comparison of meetings and protocol of the Lions Clubs in a ritual, offers an opportunity to measure the political impact of this community and the effect the meetings have outside the circle. The study also allows us to understand the importance of the Lions Clubs in Africa, where it cannot be reduced to a meeting of wealthy people seduced by the opulence and the opportunity to find new sources of profit. Lions are compared by population to diplomats because of their appearance, wearing uniforms and medals and are received by the highest political authorities from other nations. In the West this behaviour is seen as a caricature of governance but for members the meetings offer occasions for work and friendship. This appears like political religion because of the hidden goal: to conquer the independence of Africa in the Lions Clubs. This objective is facilitated by the explosion in the number of African members showing the social movement that rages at the top levels of society. The African elite, by its transformation of charity into political rally, proposes a new form of pan-Africanism.
The state of the art: Practical theology yesterday, today and tomorrow
Authors: Graham Elaine
Published: April 2017

Practical theology has undergone a number of significant transformations over the past 30 years, moving from the terminology of ‘pastoral’, with an emphasis on the personal cure of souls, to ‘practical’, in which questions of methods, sources and norms figure prominently as part of an enquiry into the dynamic interplay between the practices of faith and theological tradition. This article investigates further these characteristics of practical theology, including the ‘turn to practice’ and the ‘turn to experience’, or reflexivity, in which a sophisticated and critical attention to the positionality of the researcher forms a significant hermeneutical tool. Yet further challenges await: the enduring dilemma of the proper balance between received tradition and contemporary practice; and, in the face of religious and cultural pluralism, the question of how far practical theology should remain an exclusively Christian tradition.