bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radiculo-pial spinal arteriovenous fistulas treated with coils: Report of two cases
Authors: Batista André Lima , Romero Diego Gutierrez , Gentric Jean-Christophe , Weill Alain , Raymond Jean , Roy Daniel
Published: June 2015

Spinal pial arteriovenous fistulas (SPAVFs) are rare lesions that present more frequently in young patients. Lesions located on radiculo-pial arteries without involvement of the anterior spinal artery are even rarer. SPAVFs may present with mass effect, venous congestion or hemorrhage. Most often, treatment is performed either by surgery or endovascularly with fluid embolic material. Use of microcoils has not been reported for this condition.

We present two cases of radiculo-pial high-flow SPAVFs in two patients in their early 30 s. One patient presented with abrupt headache without proof of hemorrhage and the other one with trigeminal neuralgia resulting from dilated posterior fossa draining veins remote from the fistula. Both patients were successfully treated with endovascular shunt closure using microcoils with resolution of symptoms and disappearance of the dilated veins at follow-up.

With recent advances in microcatheter technology, distal navigation and microcoil embolization offers another option for these cases that may be safer than fluid embolic material.
Protocol for prevention of spinal cord ischemia after thoracoabdominal aortic surgery
Authors: Hobbs Reilly D , Ullery Brant W , Mentzer Allison R , Cheung Albert T
Published: June 2015

Objective

This manuscript was written to present a systemic protocol for the prevention, early detection, and treatment of spinal cord ischemia following open and endovascular thoracoabdominal aortic operations.

Methods

This protocol was a collaborative effort between surgeons, anesthesiologists and intensivists. It was implemented at our institution in November 2007. Nurses are trained to prevent, rapidly detect and ultimately aid in the treatment of spinal cord ischemia.

Results

Implementation of this protocol has aided in prevention, detection and treatment of spinal cord ischemia in patients after open and endovascular thoracoabdominal aortic operations.

Conclusion

Standardized care and reliance on trained nursing staff to monitor for symptoms following thoracoabdominal aortic operations are safe and aid in the rapid detection, treatment and reversal of spinal cord ischemia.
The effectiveness of Colourful Semantics on narrative skills in children with intellectual disabilities in Sri Lanka
Authors: Hettiarachchi Shyamani
Published: June 2015

Background:

Children diagnosed with intellectual difficulties experience difficulties with narrative skills, due to limited syntactic knowledge. The Colourful Semantics approach with thematic roles and a colour coding system may encourage syntactic development in children experiencing intellectual disabilities.

Aim:

To evaluate the effectiveness of using the Colourful Semantics approach to develop narrative skills in Sri Lankan Tamil-speaking children diagnosed with intellectual difficulties.

Methods:

Thirty Sri Lankan Tamil-speaking children identified with intellectual difficulties were included. The Colourful Semantics approach was offered twice a week for 6 weeks, facilitated by the class teachers. Pre- and post-intervention narrative skill assessments were undertaken and analysed for content and syntactic structures.

Results:

The results indicate positive changes post-intervention on the qualitative and quantitative narrative skills measures undertaken on content and syntactic structures.

Conclusions and Implications:

The Colourful Semantics approach is an effective therapy approach to support development of narrative skills in children with intellectual difficulties.
Gestational weight gain and medical outcomes of pregnancy
Authors: Ferraro Zachary M , Contador Fernanda , Tawfiq Afaf , Adamo Kristi B , Gaudet Laura
Published: June 2015

This narrative review discusses gestational weight gain (GWG) and medical outcomes of pregnancy, including metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal and psychiatric systems. Taken as a whole, the available evidence shows that excessive GWG increases the risk of all medical complications of pregnancy, and negatively impacts the long-term health and weight of both mothers and their offspring. Briefly, interventions to encourage appropriate GWG are discussed and readers are directed to resources to facilitate discussion of pregnancy weight.
Questions people ask about stroke: What’s changed in 20 years?
Authors: Dickerson Josie , Forster Anne
Published: June 2015

Objectives:

Care for patients after stroke has been transformed over the last two decades. We explored one patient-centred outcome: the type and range of questions asked after stroke through a publically available helpline. We compared data from 1990 to 2013 to see whether the positive changes in stroke care are reflected in the types and quantity of inquiries from patients and their families.

Methods:

All of the inquiries received by the UK Stroke Association helpline between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2014 were collated and compared to the data collected and previously reported by Hanger and Mulley between May and September 1990.

Results:

In 1990, the most common inquiry was for more information about stroke (22.5% (429/1908)). In 2013, the most common question remained the same, with 25.4% (2601/10,233) of all callers asking what is a stroke. Specific medical questions increased from 4.2% (80/1908) in 1990 to 10.5% (1074/10,233) in 2013. Queries about support with home care reduced from 9.4% (180/1908) in 1990 to 2.6% (257/10,233) in 2013. Questions about recovery and rehabilitation were frequent in both 1990 (11.1% (212/1908)) and 2013 (13.2% (1353/10,233)).

Conclusion:

The transformation in stroke services has not been reflected in this patient-level outcome in the United Kingdom. Many stroke survivors and their families still struggle with understanding their condition and treatment options.
Listening to Voices and Visualizing Data in Qualitative Research
Authors: Chandler Rasheeta , Anstey Erica , Ross Henry
Published: June 2015

One of the tenets of qualitative research is the emphasis and honoring of the participants’ own words as generative of meaning and knowledge; yet it is rare to hear the actual voices of the research participants in a presentation or in text. Qualitative research dissemination has relied on dense transcribed text; these “mountains of words” do not lend themselves to the space limitations of academic journals or condensed visual elements such as summary charts, tables, or graphs. Technological advancements have the potential to revolutionize dissemination efforts, especially for qualitative research. The use of audio clips in poster and oral presentations, as well as embedded within written manuscripts plays with the interstices between the research participants and the observer. Infograms are effective ways of conveying a story visually. We demonstrate how combining audio clips and infographics can be a unique hypermodal dissemination possibility for qualitative results.
Effect of Chloroethane Spray in the Treatment of Spastic Torticollis in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Nibhanipudi Kumara V.
Published: June 2015

Objective. A study to determine the efficacy of chloroethane spray compared to normal saline in the treatment of spastic torticollis in children and adolescents. Hypothesis. Chloroethane spray is more superior to normal saline for the treatment of spastic torticollis in children and adolescents in the pediatric emergency room. Design. Prospective randomized study. Setting. Urban inner-city hospital pediatric emergency department. Methods and Results. All children and adolescents (between the ages of 1 and 16 years) presenting to the author with the complaint of stiff neck were enrolled in the study. A total of 132 patients were enrolled. After complete evaluation to rule out cervical spine injury, a central neurological cause, patients were enrolled in the study. Sixty-six patients were treated with chloroethane spray to the neck and the other 66 were given normal saline as placebo. Sixty-three out of 66 patients treated with chloroethane spray achieved relief in 5 minutes as demonstrated by painless and free movement of the head and neck. No adverse effects were observed. The patients treated with placebo have no relief in 5 minutes. To test the null hypothesis that the percentages improved in the 2 groups equally, we calculated the Z statistic. The Z statistic of 24 corresponded to a P value of <.0001, whether the test is 1-sided or 2-sided. Chloroethane spray treatment was superior to placebo with a high statistical significance. Conclusion. For children and adolescents with spastic torticollis chloroethane spray was more superior to normal saline in the pediatric emergency room.
Some fixed point theorems for $(\alpha,\psi)$-rational type contractive mappings
Authors: Alsulami Hamed H , Chandok Sumit , Taoudi Mohamed-Aziz , Erhan İnci M
Published: June 2015

In this paper, we introduce the concept of $(\alpha,\psi)$
(
α
,
ψ
)
-rational type contractive mappings and provide sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of a fixed point for such class of generalized nonlinear contractive mappings in the setting of generalized metric spaces. We also deduce several interesting corollaries.
Attractive points and convergence theorems for normally generalized hybrid mappings in CAT(0) spaces
Authors: Kaewkhao A , Inthakon W , Kunwai K
Published: June 2015

We prove △-convergence theorems of Mann type to the set of attractive points of normally generalized hybrid mappings in $\operatorname {CAT}(0)$
CAT
(
0
)
spaces. Consequently, our main result can be applied to the result of Takahashi, Wong and Yao (Journal of Nonlinear and Convex Analysis 15:1087-1103, 2014, Theorem 5.1).
Relationship between coseismic slip and static stress drop of similar aftershocks of the 2007 Noto Hanto earthquake
Authors: Urano Suguru , Hiramatsu Yoshihiro , Yamada Takuji ,   The Group for the Joint Aftershocks Observations of the 2007 Noto Hanto Earthquake
Published: June 2015

We have investigated the spatial distribution of the static stress drop of similar aftershocks of the 2007 Noto Hanto earthquake, central Japan, and have examined the relationship between the coseismic slip of the mainshock and the static stress drop of the similar aftershocks. The static stress drop is estimated by using the empirical Green’s function method for P- and S-waves. The estimated static stress drop approximately ranges from 5 to 20 MPa, which is a typical range of values for tectonic earthquakes. The static stress drops of the aftershocks in a large slip area of the mainshock tend to be larger than those in a small slip area. This suggests a large difference between the strength and the dynamic stress level in the large slip area and a small difference in the small slip area if the final stress level is equal to the dynamic stress level.
Union dyeing of cotton/nylon blended fabric by plasma-nano chitosan treatment
Authors: Kaliyamoorthi Karthikeyan , Thangavelu Ramachandran
Published: June 2015

Current union dyeing processes rely on one or two dye baths with one or two dyes for cotton/nylon blend fabrics. For 50:50 cotton/nylon fabrics, cotton is dyed first under alkaline condition with reactive dyes and then the nylon is dyed with acid dyes under acidic condition. Atmospheric plasma- nano Chitosan treatment as an environmentally friendly method was employed to modify surface properties of cotton/nylon blend fabrics to develop union dyeing with acid dyes. Cellulose fibers when immersed in water produce a negative electro-kinetic potential. The negative charge on the fiber repels the anionic dye ions and consequently the exhaustion of the dye bath is limited. When the fabric is treated with chitosan, the primary hydroxyl groups of cellulose is partially modified into amide groups, which intern leads the cellulose to act like as polyamide fiber. Experimental work was carried out on finding the possibility of one bath dyeing of plasma- chitosan pretreated cotton/nylon fabric with acid dyes. Plasma treated cotton/nylon surface characteristics were evaluated using FTIR. The surface activation using air plasma introduces different functional groups in cotton/nylon blend fabric. The effect of plasma-nano chitosan pretreatment on dye ability, fastness, and few physicochemical properties has been investigated, and results are presented. The cotton/nylon sample treated with 0.3% of chitosan nanoparticles had higher K/S values, washing, and crocking fastness. New method of union dyeing showed good fastness properties and offers the option of eco-friendly.
Repeated hepatic resections and radio-frequency ablations may improve the survival of adult undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver: report of two cases
Authors: Masuda Toshiro , Beppu Toru , Doi Koichi , Miyata Tatsunori , Nakagawa Shigeki , Okabe Hirohisa , Hayashi Hiromitsu , Ishiko Takatoshi , Iyama Ken-ichi , Baba Hideo
Published: June 2015

Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver (UESL) in adults, especially over 30 years old, is quite rare. We report two adult UESL patients that one of them survived 62 months and one is now surviving more than 65 months treated with repeated hepatic resections and radio-frequency ablations. Although UESL is an entirely unusual and aggressive tumor, multidisciplinary treatments including repeated hepatic resections and radio-frequency ablations may provide a longer survival.
Fracture intensity attribute for the Tensleep reservoir at Teapot Dome, Wyoming, USA
Authors: Kavousi Ghahfarokhi Payam , Wilson Thomas H.
Published: June 2015

The Tensleep oil reservoir at Teapot Dome, Wyoming, USA, is a naturally fractured tight sandstone reservoir that has been considered for carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery ([Formula: see text]-EOR) and sequestration. Interpretation of open fractures identified in wireline image logs from the field suggests that the reservoir fracture network is dominated by early formed structural hinge-oblique fractures with interconnectivity enhanced by hinge-parallel and hinge-perpendicular fracture sets. Previous studies show that 3D seismic scale discontinuity attributes are dominated by more recent hinge-parallel and strike slip trends. The most negative curvature attribute that we used highlights concave features attributed to subtle traveltime delay through fracture zones and small faults or flexures associated with the fracture swarms. The poststack discontinuity extraction workflow incorporated seismic spectral blueing (SSB) to enhance the resolution of the seismic data. The SSB process is followed by computation of the short-wavelength most negative curvature. Subsequently, the minimum similarity attribute is applied to accentuate regions with minimum similarity of curvature. An edge-illumination process is then applied to the minimum similarity of the most negative curvature output. Discontinuities extracted through edge illumination locate regions of minimal similarity in curvature along fracture zones or small fault boundaries. This workflow enhances hinge-oblique discontinuities without azimuthal filtering and provides a fracture intensity attribute, which is used as an input to distribute the fracture intensity through the model discrete fracture network. Qualitative correlation of production data to extracted discontinuities suggests that wells located on hinge-oblique discontinuities are more productive than other wells in the field.
Ground-penetrating radar imaging of Albian rudist buildups, central Texas
Authors: Janson Xavier , Lee Keumsuk , Zahm Chris , Kerans Charles
Published: June 2015

Rudist buildups are important reservoirs in many Cretaceous fields in the Middle East, but they are generally near or below seismic resolution. The dimension, shape, and architecture of rudist buildups can be assessed using outcrop, although only partly so because of pseudo-2D observations of geobodies intersecting with the outcrop. We used ground-penetrating radar to enhance our understanding of the shape, dimension, and architecture of Albian rudist buildups in two outcrops in Texas. In the Lake Georgetown spillway, caprinid rudist buildups are 10–30 m wide and 2–7 m high. They are elliptical with an aspect ratio of as much as 1.7. They show no or very little flank development. The older buildup exposed in the Red Bluff Creek area displays 10- to 25-m-wide and 5- to 10-m-high in situ caprinid rudist mound core accumulations with as much as 100-m-wide reworked flanks in the shallower part of the depositional profile. Downdip along the depositional profile, caprinid buildups are 5–20 m wide and 3–7 m high with no flank debris. The buildups in the Lake Georgetown area have similar architecture and comparable size with the downdip buildups exposed in Red Bluff Creek. These buildups were compared with other outcropping Albian buildups in Texas that have different sizes, shapes, and stratigraphic architecture to provide dimensional data that could be used in subsurface reservoir modeling, either for calibrating variogram ranges or to build training images. The rudist buildups exposed in Texas are an order of magnitude smaller than those present in the subsurface in the Middle East, but they have comparable stratigraphic architecture. The size difference might be the result of subsurface buildups being mapped using well-log or core correlations or seismic extractions that cannot resolved at that scale of heterogeneity.
Geophysical basin modeling: Effective stress, temperature, and pore pressure uncertainty
Authors: De Prisco Giuseppe , Thanoon David , Bachrach Ran , Brevik Ivar , Clark Stephen A. , Corver Maarten P. , Pepper Randolph E. F. , Hantschel Thomas , Helgesen Hans Kristian , Osypov Konstantin , Leirfall Olav K.
Published: June 2015

Seismic interpretation is a complex process, in which many data types are considered and integrated to create a structural and/or stratigraphic model. In many cases, interpreters rely only on a seismic image or its attributes obtained after data processing and migration. Traditionally, interpretation was started after seismic imaging with little feedback to the seismic imaging process. However, modern depth imaging and tomography require integrating geologic concepts and constraints into the imaging process. Interaction between an interpreter, earth-model builder, and depth imager becomes necessary to improve the accuracy of seismic-derived structures and stratigraphic models. We have developed an example of closing the loop between geophysics and geology via a 3D geophysical basin modeling workflow that uses geologic concepts and rock-physics modeling to estimate a prior anisotropic seismic velocity model. In addition, the use of a geomechanical model to understand stress regimes in the area of interest and to map stress perturbations into a velocity perturbation ensures a stress-consistent earth model. Because the predictive capability of a numerical simulator was strictly related to the quantification of uncertainties related to its inputs (e.g., geometry, boundary conditions, and constitutive laws), uncertainty should be quantified at basin-length scales and geologic time scales. We used the Logan prospect in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico as an example to demonstrate the workflow.
miR-146a targets c-Fos expression in human cardiac cells
Authors: Palomer Xavier , Capdevila-Busquets Eva , Botteri Gaia , Davidson Mercy M. , Rodríguez Cristina , Martínez-González José , Vidal Francisco , Barroso Emma , Chan Tung O. , Feldman Arthur M. , Vázquez-Carrera Manuel
Published: June 2015

miR-146a is a microRNA whose transcript levels are induced in the heart upon activation of NF-κB, a transcription factor induced by pro-inflammatory molecules strongly related to the pathogenesis of cardiac disorders. The main goal of this study consisted in studying new roles of miR-146a in cardiac pathological processes caused by the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α. Our results demonstrate that miR-146a transcript levels were sharply increased in cardiac ventricular tissue of transgenic mice with specific overexpression of TNF-α in the heart, and also in a cardiomyocyte cell line of human origin (AC16) exposed to TNF-α. Among all the in silico predicted miR-146a target genes, c-Fos mRNA and protein levels notably decreased after TNF-α treatment or miR-146a overexpression. These changes correlated with a diminution in the DNA-binding activity of AP-1, the c-Fos-containing transcription factor complex. Interestingly, AP-1 inhibition was accompanied by a reduction in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 mRNA levels in human cardiac cells. The specific regulation of this matrix metalloproteinase by miR-146a was further confirmed at the secretion and enzymatic activity levels, as well as after anti-miR-mediated miR-146a inhibition. The results reported here demonstrate that c-Fos is a direct target of miR-146a activity and that c-Fos/AP-1 pathway downregulation by miR-146a has the capacity to inhibit MMP-9 activity. Given that MMP-9 is an AP-1 target gene involved in cardiac remodeling, myocardial dysfunction and progression of heart failure, these findings suggest that miR-146a may be a new and promising therapeutic tool for treating cardiac disorders associated with enhanced inflammation in the heart.
Haltere mechanosensory influence on tethered flight behavior inDrosophila
Authors: Mureli Shwetha , Fox Jessica L.
Published: June 2015

In flies, mechanosensory information from modified hindwings known as halteres is combined with visual information for wing-steering behavior. Haltere input is necessary for free flight, making it difficult to study the effects of haltere ablation under natural flight conditions. We thus used tethered flies to examine the relationship between halteres and the visual system using wide-field motion or moving figures as visual stimuli. Haltere input was altered by surgically decreasing its mass, or by removing it entirely. Haltere removal does not affect the flies’ ability to flap or steer their wings, but it does increase the temporal frequency at which they modify their wingbeat amplitude. Reducing the haltere mass decreases the optomotor reflex response to wide-field motion, and removing the haltere entirely does not further decrease the response. Decreasing the mass does not attenuate the response to figure motion, but removing the entire haltere does attenuate the response. When flies are allowed to control a visual stimulus in closed-loop conditions, haltereless flies fixate figures with the same acuity as intact flies, but cannot stabilize a wide-field stimulus as accurately as intact flies can. These manipulations suggest that the haltere mass is influential in wide-field stabilization, but less so in figure tracking. In both figure and wide-field experiments, we observe responses to visual motion with and without halteres, indicating that during tethered flight, intact halteres are not strictly necessary for visually-guided wing-steering responses. However, the haltere feedback loop may operate in a context-dependent way to modulate responses to visual motion.
Characterising multi-level effects of an acute pressure exposure on a shallow-water invertebrate: insights into the kinetics and hierarchy of the stress response
Authors: Morris J. P. , Thatje S. , Ravaux J. , Shillito B. , Hauton C.
Published: June 2015

Hydrostatic pressure is an important, ubiquitous, environmental variable of particular relevance in the marine environment. However, it is widely overlooked despite recent evidence that some marine ectotherms may be demonstrating climate-driven bathymetric range shifts. Wide ranging effects of increased hydrostatic pressure have been observed from the molecular level through to the behavioural level. Still, no study has simultaneously examined these multiple levels of organisation in a single experiment in order to understand the kinetics, hierarchy, and interconnected nature of such responses during an acute exposure, and over a subsequent recovery period. Herein, we quantify the transcription of a set of previously characterised genes during, and following, an acute pressure exposure in adults of the shrimp Palaemonetes varians. Further, we perform respiratory rate and behavioural analysis over the same period. Increases in gene expression were observed during, and following, exposure in genes associated with stress and metabolism. Respiratory rate increased during exposure, and into the recovery period. Finally, differential behaviour was observed under elevated hydrostatic pressure in comparison to ambient pressure. Characterising generalised responses to acute elevated pressure is a vital pre-cursor to longer–term, acclimation-based pressure studies. Results provide a novel insight into what we term the overall stress response (OSR) to elevated pressure; a concept that we suggest to be applicable to other environmental stressors. We highlight the importance of considering more than a single component of the stress response in physiological studies, particularly in an era where environmental multi-stressor studies are proliferating.
Electrospray Delivery of Insulin Lowers Blood Glucose in Rats
Authors: Koike Kanako , Ikemoto Kazuto , Sakai Takafumi
Published: June 2015

Most peptide or protein-based drugs like insulin require an injection for delivery. Alternatives routes of delivery could potentially improve treatment efficacy and clearly improve the patient’s quality of life. Herein, we evaluated an electrospray delivery method for dosing insulin in rats. We found that an electrospray formulation of insulin in aqueous deoxycholic acid (DCA) was effective at transporting insulin into the bloodstream of rats and thereby lowering blood glucose. Our analysis indicated that the inclusion of DCA likely enables insulin uptake both by decreasing the particle size of electrosprayed droplets and by dissolving a layer of mucosal cells.
The Heat Generation Behavior for Y3Fe5O12 Ferrite Powder with Addition of Lanthanum in an AC Magnetic Field
Authors: Hirazawa Hideyuki , Yoshikawa Syo , Aono Hiromichi , Naohara Takashi , Maehara Tsunehiro , Watanabe Yuji
Published: June 2015

Y3Fe5O12 ferrite powder with addition of La having high heat generation ability in an AC magnetic field was prepared by reverse coprecipitation method. The highest heat generation temperature was obtained for the La 0.3 mol added sample calcined at 1150 °C.
Synthesis of (Silico)aluminophosphate Molecular Sieves Using an Alkanolamine as a Novel Organic Structure-directing Agent
Authors: Li Xiying , Chaikittisilp Watcharop , Liu Zhendong , Yanaba Yutaka , Yoshikawa Takeshi , Wakihara Toru , Okubo Tatsuya
Published: June 2015

An alkanolamine, N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine, is used as an organic structure-directing agent (OSDA) to synthesize aluminophosphate (AlPO-5) and silicoaluminophosphate (SAPO-5 and -34) molecular sieves. The phase selectivity among them is feasible by optimizing experimental conditions wherein high concentrations of OSDA and silicon source favor the formation of SAPO-34. In addition, the phase selectivity between SAPO-5 and SAPO-34 is examined in detail by altering the chemical compositions of the raw materials.
A New Liquid Chromatography—Mass Spectrometry-Based Method to Quantitate Exogenous Recombinant Transferrin in Cerebrospinal Fluid: A Potential Approach for Pharmacokinetic Studies of Transferrin-Based Therapeutics in the Central Nervous Systems
Authors: Wang Shunhai , Bobst Cedric E. , Kaltashov Igor A.
Published: June 2015

Transferrin (Tf) is an 80 kDa iron-binding protein that is viewed as a promising drug carrier to target the central nervous system as a result of its ability to penetrate the blood–brain barrier. Among the many challenges during the development of Tf-based therapeutics, the sensitive and accurate quantitation of the administered Tf in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) remains particularly difficult because of the presence of abundant endogenous Tf. Herein, we describe the development of a new liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry-based method for the sensitive and accurate quantitation of exogenous recombinant human Tf in rat CSF. By taking advantage of a His-tag present in recombinant Tf and applying Ni affinity purification, the exogenous human serum Tf can be greatly enriched from rat CSF, despite the presence of the abundant endogenous protein. Additionally, we applied a newly developed 18O-labeling technique that can generate internal standards at the protein level, which greatly improved the accuracy and robustness of quantitation. The developed method was investigated for linearity, accuracy, precision, and lower limit of quantitation, all of which met the commonly accepted criteria for bioanalytical method validation.
Saving Lives at Birth: The Impact of Home Births on Infant Outcomes
Authors: Daysal N. Meltem , Trandafir Mircea , van Ewijk Reyn
Published: June 2015

Many developed countries have recently experienced sharp increases in home birth rates. This paper investigates the impact of home births on the health of low-risk newborns using data from the Netherlands, the only developed country where home births are widespread. To account for endogeneity in location of birth, we exploit the exogenous variation in distance from a mother's residence to the closest hospital. We find that giving birth in a hospital leads to substantial reductions in newborn mortality. We provide suggestive evidence that proximity to medical technologies may be an important channel contributing to these health gains. (JEL I11, I12, J13, J16)
The Rise of Fringe Competitors in the Wake of an Emerging Middle Class: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Eizenberg Alon , Salvo Alberto
Published: June 2015

The “emerging middle class” is a force of economic importance in many consumer markets around the globe. A striking phenomenon in some of these markets is the growth of “generic,” low-price brands. This paper examines these phenomena in Brazil's large soft drink market. Our study draws on data sources that capture both social mobility and market outcomes. Our analysis suggests that the emergence of a price-sensitive, new middle class aided the staggering growth of a fringe of generic producers. Our estimated demand model rationalizes a drastic price cut, led by Coca-Cola, that allowed it to contain the fringe's growth. (JEL D12, L11, L66, L81, M37, O12, O14)
Incentives, Commitments, and Habit Formation in Exercise: Evidence from a Field Experiment with Workers at a Fortune-500 Company
Authors: Royer Heather , Stehr Mark , Sydnor Justin
Published: June 2015

Financial incentives have shown strong positive short-run effects for problematic health behaviors that likely stem from time inconsistency. However, the effects often disappear once incentive programs end. This paper analyzes the results of a large-scale workplace field experiment to examine whether self-funded commitment contracts can improve the long-run effects of an incentive program. A four-week incentive program targeting use of the company gym generated only small lasting effects on behavior. Those that also offered a commitment contract at the end of the program, however, showed demand for commitment and significant long-run changes, detectable even several years after the incentive ended. (JEL D03, I10, J32)
The Girl Next Door: The Effect of Opposite Gender Friends on High School Achievement
Authors: Hill Andrew J.
Published: June 2015

This paper finds that a student's share of opposite gender school friends negatively affects high school GPA. It uses the gender composition of schoolmates in an individual's neighborhood as an instrument for the gender composition of an individual's self-reported friendship network. The effect occurs across all subjects for students older than 16, but only in mathematics and science for younger students. Additional results indicate effects may operate inside the classroom through difficulties getting along with the teacher and paying attention, and outside the classroom through romantic relationships. (JEL I21, J13, J16)
The Effect of Income on Religiousness
Authors: Buser Thomas
Published: June 2015

How does income affect religiousness? Using self-collected survey data, we estimate the effects of income on religious behavior. As a source of exogenous income variation we use a change in the eligibility criteria for a government cash transfer in Ecuador and apply a regression discontinuity strategy to estimate causal effects. We find significant effects of income on religiousness. Families that earn more go to church more often. Families that earn more are also more likely to be members of an Evangelical community rather than of the mainstream Catholic Church. (JEL D14, H23, J12, J31, O15, Z12)
Nonlinear Lattice-Based Model for Cyclic Analysis of Reinforced Normal and High-Strength Concrete Columns
Authors: Kwon Minho , Cho Chang-Geun , Kim Jinsup , Spacone Enrico
Published: June 2015

As a practical approach, the strut-tie model has been widely used, but not able to inform deformational responses of the structures. A lattice model is a good alternative as a nonlinear prediction since it can provide information on strength as well as deformation in concrete structures. In this study, a two-dimensional lattice-based model of RC columns is newly formulated in normal and high-strength concrete. Constitutive laws of concrete have been attempted by including the confinement effect of normal concrete and high-strength concrete. The effective width of concrete struts is determined by the principle of minimization of the strain energy based on the preanalysis. Cyclic analyses of reinforced normal and high-strength concrete columns are compared with several experiments. The results demonstrated that the strengths, deformations, and hysteretic behaviors were well matched with those of experiments, and the proposed model was useful in seismic assessment and performance-based design of RC structures.
Nonlinear Bending Response and Buckling of Channel Section Beams of Finite Length under Minor-Axis Pure Bending
Authors: Yuan Weibin , Chen Changyi
Published: June 2015

In this paper, the geometric nonlinear bending response of channel-section beams of finite length is investigated by using energy methods. The basic assumptions used in the present study are that the total strain energy of a channel-section beam subjected to pure bending can be simplified into a two-stage analysis process. One is the local bending response of the web behaving as the plate; the other is the overall bending response as a beam with flattened section. Analytical solutions for both static and dynamic instabilities of channel section beams of finite length subjected to pure bending about its minor axis are derived by applying the minimum potential energy principle. To validate the analytical solution developed, geometric nonlinear finite element analyses are also conducted. Good agreement between the present solution and the FEA results is demonstrated. The effect of beam's length on the critical load is also discussed.
Bearing Strength of Stainless Steel Bolted Connections
Authors: Yang Lu , Wang Yuanqing , Guan Jian , Zhang Yong , Shi Yongjiu
Published: June 2015

The present investigation studies the load bearing performance of stainless steel bolted connections. The austenitic stainless steel developed in China containing approximately 17% of Cr, which could be graded as EN 1.4401, has been selected for this research. In order to study the bearing strength of stainless steel bolted connections, experimental tests on 5 specimens have been conducted. In addition, complementary finite element (FE) models, which have been validated by the test results, have been adopted to analyse the effect of the key factors for bearing strength of the stainless steel bolted connections. The key factors include end distance, thickness of connecting plate, diameter of stainless steel bolt and edge distance. According to the FEA results, the loading capacity increases with the increase of the thickness of the plate and the diameter of the bolt approximate linearly. However, the end distance and edge distance have a comparatively complicated influence on the loading capacity of the connection. Based on mathematical analysis of the experimental and FEA results, a calculation method as well as its simplified form for the bearing strength of stainless steel bolted connections has been proposed.
Material Properties of Cold-Formed and Hot-Finished Elliptical Hollow Sections
Authors: Quach Wai-Meng , Young Ben
Published: June 2015

This paper presents the material properties of both cold-formed and hot-finished elliptical hollow sections. The material properties of the elliptical hollow sections caused by different formation processes are investigated. Tensile coupon specimens extracted from different locations across the cross-sections were tested. The mechanical properties of the cold-formed and hot-finished elliptical hollow sections, such as the initial Young's modulus, 0.2% proof stress (yield stress), ultimate tensile strength, strains at ultimate strength and fracture as well as Ramberg-Osgood parameter that describe the shape of stress-strain curve, were obtained. The mechanical properties of the cold-formed elliptical hollow section obtained from the coupon tests were compared with those of the hot-finished elliptical hollow section. In addition, residual strains in the cold-formed and hot-finished elliptical hollow sections were also measured. The strain measurements involved both the longitudinal and transverse directions across the cross-sections, and the residual strain distributions in the cold-formed and hot-finished elliptical hollow sections were plotted. In this study, the test data obtained from the tensile coupon tests and the residual strain measurements for both cold-formed and hot-finished elliptical hollow sections are valuable information for future analytical, numerical and theoretical studies on elliptical hollow sections.
A molecular phylogeny and classification of the Eleusininae with a new genus, Micrachne (Poaceae: Chloridoideae: Cynodonteae)
Authors: Peterson Paul M. , Romaschenko Konstantin , Arrieta Yolanda Herrera
Published: June 2015

The subtribe Eleusininae (Poaceae: Chloridoideae: Cynodonteae) is a diverse group containing about 212 species in 31 genera found primarily in low latitudes in Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas, and the classification among these genera and species is poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated the following 28 Eleusininae genera: Acrachne, Afrotrichloris, Apochiton, Astrebla, Austrochloris, Brachyachne, Chloris, Chrysochloa, Coelachyrum, Cynodon, Daknopholis, Dinebra, Diplachne, Disakisperma, Eleusine, Enteropogon, Eustachys, Harpochloa, Leptochloa, Lepturus, Lintonia, Microchloa, Ochthochloa, Oxychloris, Saugetia, Schoenefeldia, Stapfochloa, and Tetrapogon. The goals of our study were to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the subtribe Eleusininae using molecular data with increased species sampling compared to earlier studies. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted on 402 samples, of which 148 species (342 individuals) were in the Eleusininae, using four plastid (rpl32‐trnL spacer, ndhA intron, rps16‐trnK spacer, rps16 intron) and nuclear ITS 1 & 2 (ribosomal internal transcribed spacer) sequences to infer evolutionary relationships and revise the classification. We found strong support for the following Eleusininae lineages: Acrachne, Apochiton, Astrebla, Austrochloris, Chloris, Chrysochloa, Cynodon, Daknopholis, Dinebra, Diplachne, Disakisperma, Eleusine, Enteropogon, Eustachys, Leptochloa, Lepturus, Micrachne gen. nov., Stapfochloa, and Tetrapogon, and moderate support for Harpochloa and Microchloa. Four species of Brachyachne, including the type, are imbedded within Cynodon; Oxychloris scariosa (monotypic) is sister to Harpochloa‐Microchloa; Coelachyrum is polyphyletic since C. lagopoides, Apochiton burttii, and C. poiflorum form a grade, with the latter species sister to Eleusine; Schoenefeldia appears paraphyletic since Afrotrichloris martinii and Schoenefeldia transiens together are sister to Schoenefeldia gracilis; Saugetia fasciculata, Enteropogon brandegeei, and E. chlorideus are embedded within Tetrapogon; Lintonia nutans and Ochthochloa compressa are embedded in Chloris; and Enteropogon mollis and Chloris exilis are embedded in Leptochloa. Our plastid and ITS analyses show rearrangement of lineages within Acrachne and Chloris, indicating possible hybridization events or evidence for multiple origins. The molecular results support recognition of a new genus, Micrachne with five species and emendation of Stapfochloa with six species. We provide 22 new combinations, Chloris flagellifera, Ch. nutans, Cynodon ambiguus, C. prostratus, Diplachne divaricatissima, Leptochloa anisopoda, L. exilis, Micrachne fulva, M. obtusiflora, M. patentiflora, M. pilosa, M. simonii, Stapfochloa berroi, S. canterae, S. ciliata, S. elata, S. parvispicula, Tetrapogon brandegeei, T. chlorideus, T. fasciculatus, T. pleistachyus, and T. roxburghiana; a new name, Cynodon simonii; and lectotypify Eleusine flagillifera.
The Influence of the Factors of Production on Labor Income in the Pre-crisis Economy of Russia
Authors: Басовский  , Basovskiy Leonid , Басовская  , Basovskaya Elena
Published: June 2015

The econometric models constructed in work have established the basic production factors determining the level of the labor income in the country. Capital-labor, human capital and new technologies in 2010-2013 explained 71.6% of the labor income in the country. The effect of changes in the level of human capital on labor income surpasses the impact of changes and the degree of capital-diffusion of new technologies. In the pre-crisis period, the influence of the main production factors on the income of the employed population of Russia has declined under the influence of pass laws that formed unfavorable for economic development institutional environment.
EFFECTS OF GATING SYSTEM DESIGN ON TENSILE PROPERTIES OF CAST ALUMINIUM 6063 ALLOY
Authors: Akinlabi Oyetunji , Ayodele Adedeke
Published: June 2015

The effects of gating system design on the tensile strength properties of cast Al-Mg-Si alloy component were studied, with gating sprue diameters of 10 mm and 12 mm respectively for pressurized and non-pressurized systems. A match plate pattern was made for channels and mould cavity preparation, while the pouring temperature is at 6800C maintained as the optimum temperature. The variation with respect to increasing ingate of 1 to 3 was observed, the resulting castings from the gating system were compared for tensile strength using instron tensile test machine. The non-pressurized system with reduced turbulence and increasing cross sectional area towards the mould cavity, had finally increased the tensile strength. The result shows that 2-ingate pressurized gating system with 10 mm sprue diameter designed type has improved tensile strength. While the non-pressurized system with reduced turbulence and increasing cross sectional area towards the mould cavity, had finally increase the tensile strength.
EFFECT OF STRAIN RATE ON HOT DUCTILITY OF LOW CARBON STEEL
Authors: Misicko Rudolf , Longauerova Margita , Vojtko Marek , Konradyova Jana , Ahmidat Fedakova Sandra
Published: June 2015

Tensile strength and reduction of area for low carbon steel (LC) were measured. The experiment was performed in the high temperature region of stabile austenite at strain rates of 1 x 10-3 s-1 and 1 x10-2 s-1 usinga thermo-mechanical simulator GLEEBLE 1500. Tensile tests were carried out at test temperatures of 1000 - 1300 °C after heating to the solution temperature of 1350 °C.The change of strain rate did not influence the strength values more significantly; however, it had effect on high temperature plastic properties at temperatures under solidification and also around 1100°C.The low ductility at 1100°C for the higher strain rates was caused probably by deformation induced precipitation of Al based particles along the prior austenite grain boundaries. It led to intergranular fracture, brought into effect by cleavage mechanism. The ratio of Mn/S is an important factor in LC steel, influencing the hot ductility. At low rates of Mn/S ≤ 20, there is a high probability of embrittlement in the stable austenite region. However, the higher ratio of Mn/S and low sulphur content, as it was in the tested steel, cannot warrant sufficient hot ductility in the stabile austenite region, and this way it excludes cracking during continuous casting. The plasticity also depends on the strain rate used. The low strain rate of 1 x 10- 3 s-1 can eliminate the embrittlement in the tested low carbon steel with Al and N2 content of 0.049 % and 0.0068 %, respectively.
Kazimiera Jagniewska: The Victim of Soviet Crimes in Lviv in 1941
Authors: Naleźniak Paweł
Published: June 2015

This article is an original text, groundbreaking in the literature of the subject, presenting the biography of Kazimiera Jagniewska (1915-1941), a scout and teacher of Polish. Jagniewska was a student of the Queen Jadwiga National Girls’ Middle School in Lviv, where she joined the XI Lviv Team of the Polish Scouting Association. She performed the functions of patrol leader, team aide and team leader in the Association. She published her first literary texts in a school paper „Ogniwo” and in a scouts’ periodical „Skrzydła”. After graduating from high school (1934), she studied Polish philology at the Jan Kazimierz Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Lviv (1934-1939). In the summer of 1939, she completed her sudies without graduation and was in the process of preparing her thesis, but she could not obtain a master’s degree due to the outbreak of World War II. She also began a course to becoe a scoutmaster in 1939. She has written a „Diary of a Wanderer” [Dzienniczek Wędrowniczki], which is an invaluable source of knowledge on the history of Lviv scouts.In the Armenian Cathedral her patrol listened to sermons of Father Jan Bogdanowicz. On February 19, 1937 she appeared with her Girl Guide patrol at the Polish Radio in Lviv in the broadcast Youth of Lviv in Front of the Microphone with a radio play „Girl Guide”. She organized summer and winter camps (Duszatyn, Łomna, Skole, Tarnawka and Ustrzyki in the Bieszczady Mountains, Kazimierz on the Vistula River and Worochta in the Eastern Carpathians). She participated in jointly organized camps of Polish and Romanian Girl Guides (around 1937-1939). She became friends with a Romanian scout – Simona Calargi. A group of Girl Guides from Romania visited Poland and went to Vilnius, Lviv and Troki in the summer of 1937. With Polish Girl Guides she participated in trips to Romania, visiting the city of Bucharest (Bucureşti), Sinaia, Brasov and Chernivtsi. Along with Lviv Girl Guides in Bucharest she was invited by the queen mother Mary Alexandra Victoria Sachen-Coburg-Gotha, and their camp in Predal was visited by the royal aide Major Sidorowicz. She was also a member of the Association of Academic All-Polish Youth, and in her views were silimar to that of national organizations. Communism and anti-Semitism were alien to her. This article attempts to characterize Jagniewska’s personality and her system of values. After the Soviet aggression against Poland (1939), she participated in the defense of Lviv in the Polish auxiliary service, among other places at the Technical University of Lviv. During the occupation by Soviet Russia (1939-1941) she worked in the Polish scout conspiracy in Lviv. On June 24 or 25, 1941, she was arrested by the Soviet NKVD, imprisoned, interrogated on suspicion of belonging to the „Armed Polish Scouting Association”. NKVD also falsely accused her of spying for the Germans. She was shot on June 28, 1941 in Lviv in NKVD prison at Łącki Street. She was buried in the Janowski cemetery.