bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Symptoms of Autonomic Dysfunction in Systemic Sclerosis Assessed by the COMPASS-31 Questionnaire
Authors: Adler Brittany L. , Russell James W. , Hummers Laura K. , McMahan Zsuzsanna H.
Published: June 2018

Objective.

Autonomic dysfunction is a known complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc) that can affect vascular tone, gastrointestinal (GI) motility, heart rate, and blood pressure control. We sought to quantify autonomic symptom burden in SSc, and to define the characteristics of patients with SSc and autonomic dysfunction.

Methods.

Patients with SSc were consecutively recruited during routine clinical visits at the Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center and asked to complete the Composite Autonomic Symptom Score (COMPASS)-31 questionnaire, a validated tool to assess symptoms of autonomic dysfunction. We determined the relationship between various clinical and serological features of SSc and the total COMPASS-31 scores and domain-specific scores using the Student t test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test for dichotomous variables and linear regression analysis for continuous variables.

Results.

The study included 104 patients with SSc who completed the COMPASS-31 questionnaire. The mean COMPASS-31 score in this cohort was 24.9 ± 15.5, higher than COMPASS-31 scores from previously published healthy controls (8.9 ± 8.7). Compared to patients with mild or absent GI disease, patients with significant GI disease had higher scores across several subdomains of the COMPASS-31, including orthostatic intolerance (median 10.0 vs 0, p = 0.006) and secretomotor dysfunction (median 6.4 vs 4.3, p = 0.03). There was also a dose-response relationship between GI disease severity and autonomic symptom burden.

Conclusion.

Symptoms of autonomic dysfunction are common in SSc. Patients with more severe GI disease in SSc report more symptoms of dysautonomia across many facets of the autonomic nervous system.
Vestiges d’un habitat rural  du xie siècle :  le Nouzeau à Gurgy (Yonne)
Authors: Jolly Virginie , Ravoire Fabienne , Legros Vincent , Putelat Olivier , Aumard Sylvain , Deflou-Leca Noëlle , Bouquillon Anne , Bocquet-Liénard Anne
Published: June 2018

Le site du Nouzeau à Gurgy (Yonne) est un habitat du Moyen Âge central, caractérisé par des structures fossoyées (cabanes excavées, fosses, silos) qui paraît assez isolé – mais la limite sud de son extension n’a pu être fouillée. Son statut a pu être appréhendé grâce à la découverte d’un outillage métallique abondant, varié et caractéristique. Un assemblage de restes fauniques témoigne des pratiques agro-pastorales spécifiques qui pourraient révéler un site d’élevage d’ovins, bien que des volailles, des porcs, des bovins et des équidés soient aussi présents. Des couteaux, une pointe de flèche et surtout des éléments de serrures, une coupelle et une clé de porte sont autant de témoins matériels singuliers dans un tel contexte. Le mobilier céramique, abondant, permet de dater le site et d’entrevoir ses réseaux d’approvisionnement en poterie de terre. Cette exploitation pourrait être liée à une dépendance monastique de l’abbaye Saint-Germain d’Auxerre.
Association Rule Hiding in Privacy Preserving Data Mining
Authors: Mohan S. Vijayarani , Angamuthu Tamilarasi
Published: June 2018

This article describes how privacy preserving data mining has become one of the most important and interesting research directions in data mining. With the help of data mining techniques, people can extract hidden information and discover patterns and relationships between the data items. In most of the situations, the extracted knowledge contains sensitive information about individuals and organizations. Moreover, this sensitive information can be misused for various purposes which violate the individual's privacy. Association rules frequently predetermine significant target marketing information about a business. Significant association rules provide knowledge to the data miner as they effectively summarize the data, while uncovering any hidden relations among items that hold in the data. Association rule hiding techniques are used for protecting the knowledge extracted by the sensitive association rules during the process of association rule mining. Association rule hiding refers to the process of modifying the original database in such a way that certain sensitive association rules disappear without seriously affecting the data and the non-sensitive rules. In this article, two new hiding techniques are proposed namely hiding technique based on genetic algorithm (HGA) and dummy items creation (DIC) technique. Hiding technique based on genetic algorithm is used for hiding sensitive association rules and the dummy items creation technique hides the sensitive rules as well as it creates dummy items for the modified sensitive items. Experimental results show the performance of the proposed techniques.
Considering the alternative: Bakhtin’s carnivalesque and convergence of worlds of animals and humans in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi
Authors: Marais Susan
Published: June 2018

Yann Martel’s Life of Pi recontextualises the traditional castaway narrative’s rationalist and reductivist worldview by incorporating carnivalised writing, or the carnivalesque, to examine alternative or ‘non-human’ ways of encountering the world. It is this subversive and liberating approach towards dominant cultural forms and beliefs that is manifested in Life of Pi through grotesque realism. Grotesque realism, as defined in Mikhail Bakhtin’s Rabelais and his world, is relevant to Martel’s novel, as this convention purports that animals embody the raw physicality of existence through their instinctual and amoral nature. In the context of the novel, carnivalesque writing contributes to the blurring of boundaries between human and animal in a way that also reveals the transformative abilities of storytelling. The dissolution of boundaries that separate humans from animals and the rational from the irrational emphasises the redeeming potential in alternative – or imaginative – ways of interpreting existence and, ultimately, casts light on uncanny spaces of existence such as loss, suffering and deprivation.
Reliable Consultant Level Data from An Acute Medical Unit: A Powerful Tool for Improvement
Authors: Beckett DJ , Spears M , Thomson E
Published: June 2018

The development of a novel database interrogating the patient management system in the Acute Medical Unit at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Scotland, has allowed, for the first time, acquisition of reliable individual consultant-level process and outcome data over a 2-year period. These data have a number of uses, including understanding the level of variation between consultant physicians in AMU across key indicators, such as direct discharge percentage (67.5-44.3%), and readmission percentage (4.0-6.8%). Looking at overnight admissions only effectively excluded case mix as a confounder to identify variation in 30-day mortality (0-2.8%). This has allowed benchmarking, and exploring of relationships between volume of work, physician experience, and patient outcomes. For example, no significant relationship was seen between direct discharge percentage and readmission percentage. Furthermore it is extremely useful for individual clinician appraisal and governance. Finally it has practical uses when designing consultant rotas in order to minimise system variation. A key consideration throughout this work has been clear provenance and local clinical ownership of these data, unlike centrally generated data that may not accurately reflect Acute Medical Unit activity.
Anterior Spinal Artery Syndrome from Type a Aortic Dissection in a Patient with Marfan Syndrome Due to a Novel Fibrillin Mutation
Authors: Cheng K , Perenyei M , Sayeed R
Published: June 2018

Type A aortic dissection is a rare but important cardiac surgical emergency. Few reports exist in the literature describing anterior spinal artery syndrome as a presenting feature.

We report a case of anterior spinal artery syndrome due to aortic dissection in a patient with Marfan syndrome caused by a novel fibrillin mutation. A 53-year old female presented with chest pain and sudden-onset paralysis. Neurological examination revealed normal upper limb examination, reduced lower limb power and reflexes but normal sensation. CT scanning revealed type A acute aortic dissection which was treated with emergent cardiac surgical repair. At clinic follow up 3 years later, signs of Marfan syndrome were opportunistically noted and genetic testing revealed a novel mutation in the Fibrillin 1 gene.

This case emphasises the importance of a good initial clinical assessment, including thorough neurological examination, as well as a low threshold of clinical suspicion for an aortic dissection in such a constellation of symptoms. The importance of family history should also be emphasised given the coincidental diagnosis of Marfan syndrome in a first-degree relative. Furthermore, this case illustrates the classical signs of anterior spinal artery syndrome.
Drug Induced Thrombotic Microangiopathy Caused by Levofloxacin
Authors: Kazi S , Preston GC
Published: June 2018

Thrombotic microangiopathy is a rare but serious manifestation of a variety of diseases. The key features are microangiopathic haemolysis, thrombocytopaenia, renal dysfunction and neurological symptoms. Here we discuss the case of a previously well male presenting with community-acquired pneumonia who developed thrombotic microangiopathy during admission. This case illustrates the difficulties in the differential diagnosis and reminds us of the importance of the peripheral blood film in identifying the cause of thrombocytopaenia. One life-threatening cause of thrombotic microangiopathy is thrombotic thrombocytopaenia purpura and when that diagnosis is suspected emergency plasma exchange is essential. Many drugs can cause thrombotic microangiopathy and here we highlight the commonly-prescribed antibiotic levofloxacin as the culprit.
Collectors of Natural Knowledge: The Edinburgh Medical Society and the Associational Culture of Scotland and the North Atlantic World in the 18Th Century
Authors: Jones C
Published: June 2018

This paper reappraises the role of medical clubs and societies in the production and consumption of knowledge in 18th-century Scotland and the wider North Atlantic world. It focuses on the Edinburgh Medical Society, founded in 1731 by Alexander Monro primus; and on the student Medical Society, founded in 1734 and constituted in 1737 as the Medical Society of Edinburgh, ultimately becoming the Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh in 1778. The paper examines how Monro, as editor of the transactions of the Edinburgh Medical Society, sought to adapt medical learning to a world of polite sociability; and how that world came under pressure in the student Medical Society, where prevailing orthodoxies, such as the system of Herman Boerhaave and, later, William Cullen, were challenged. In the febrile atmosphere of the 1790s, William Thomson accused the Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh of promoting visionary theories and abandoning the proper experimental method in medical science. Yet with its overarching commitment to the sceptical and empirical principles laid down by the Royal Society of London (founded in 1660), the Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh provided a model for the establishment of similar clubs and societies on both sides of the Atlantic.
Influence of gravity waves on the climatology of high-altitude
Martian carbon dioxide ice clouds
Authors: Yiğit Erdal , Medvedev Alexander S. , Hartogh Paul
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Carbon dioxide (CO2) ice clouds have been routinely observed in the middle atmosphere of Mars. However, there are still uncertainties concerning physical mechanisms that control their altitude, geographical, and seasonal distributions. Using the Max Planck Institute Martian General Circulation Model (MPI-MGCM), incorporating a state-of-the-art whole atmosphere subgrid-scale gravity wave parameterization (Yiğit et al., 2008), we demonstrate that internal gravity waves generated by lower atmospheric weather processes have wide reaching impact on the Martian climate. Globally, GWs cool the upper atmosphere of Mars by ~10 % and facilitate high-altitude CO2 ice cloud formation. CO2 ice cloud seasonal variations in the mesosphere and the mesopause region appreciably coincide with the spatio-temporal variations of GW effects, providing insight into the observed distribution of clouds. Our results suggest that GW propagation and dissipation constitute a necessary physical mechanism for CO2 ice cloud formation in the Martian upper atmosphere during all seasons.
Physical-controlled CO2 effluxes from reservoir surface in the upper
Mekong River Basin: a case study in the Gongguoqiao Reservoir
Authors: Lin Lin , Lu Xixi , Liu Shaoda , Fu Kaidao
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Impounding has greatly altered carbon cycle in rivers. To quantify this effect, we measured CO2 effluxes from a mountainous valley-type reservoir in the upper Mekong River (Lancang River in China) and compared with those from the pristine river channel. Evasion rates from reservoir surface was 408 mg m−2 d−1 and 305 mg m−2 d−1 in the dry season and rainy season respectively, much lower than those from river channel of 2168 mg m−2 d−1 and 374 mg m−2 d−1. Lower efflux in the rainy season deviated from the traditional theory that rainfalls can bring more organic carbon for mineralization and increase the efflux. The analysis found that efflux was closely related to the physical mixing process of inflow and reservoir water. The light overflow rich in CO2 in dry season contact the atmosphere directly and release more gases while the underflow in warm wet season leaved insufficient time for mineralization and hardly support high efflux in surface water. Evasion rate at the downstream of the dam was also limited due to surface water withdrawal. Lastly, the littoral zone was found to be a hotspot for CO2 emission despite its limited area leading to its negligible contribution in total annual emission rate. In contrast, diurnal efflux variability in the littoral zone indicates that the effluxes were significantly higher at night than in the daytime, which increased the annual emission rate to by a half.
Remote and local drivers of oxygen and nitrate variability in the
shallow oxygen minimum zone off Mauritania in June 2014
Authors: Thomsen Soeren , Karstensen Johannes , Kiko Rainer , Krahmann Gerd , Dengler Marcus , Engel Anja
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Upwelling systems play a key role in the global carbon and nitrogen cycles and are also of local relevance due to their high productivity and fish resources. To capture and understand the high spatial and temporal variability of physical and biogeochemical parameters found in these regions novel measurement technics have to be combined in an interdisciplinary manner. Here we use high-resolution glider-based physical-biogeochemical observations in combination with ship-based underwater vision profiler, sensor and bottle data to investigate the drivers of oxygen and nitrate variability across the shelf break off Mauritania in June 2014. Distinct oxygen and nitrate variability shows up in our glider data. High oxygen and low nitrate anomalies were clearly related to water mass variability and probably linked to ocean transport. Low oxygen and high nitrate patches co-occurred with enhanced turbidity signals close to the seabed, which suggests locally high microbial respiration of resuspended organic matter near the sea floor. This interpretation is supported by high particle abundance observed by the underwater vision profiler and enhanced particle-based respiration rate estimates close to the seabed. Discrete in-situ measurements of dissolved organic carbon and amino acids suggest the formation of dissolved organic carbon due to particle dissolution near the seabed fueling additional microbial respiration. Our high-resolution interdisciplinary observations highlight the complex interplay of remote and local physical-biogeochemical drivers of oxygen and nitrate variability off Mauritania, which cannot be captured by classical shipboard observations alone.
A Lost History: Writing the Influenza Epidemic in Pennsylvania, 1918–1922
Authors: Higgins James E.
Published: June 2018

The one-hundredth anniversary of the influenza pandemic offers scholars, teachers, and students an opportunity to explore the history of Pennsylvania's epidemic experience through easily accessible local records. This brief historiography of Pennsylvania-related source material aims to encourage new research and facilitate a more detailed analysis of the epidemic in the Commonwealth.
Prosodic focus in English vs. French: A scope account
Authors: Vander Klok Jozina , Goad Heather , Wagner Michael
Published: June 2018

We compare the use of prosodic prominence in English and French to convey focus. While previous studies have found these languages, and Germanic vs. Romance more generally, to differ in their use of prominence to encode focus (e.g., Ladd 1990; 1996; 2008; Lambrecht 1994; Cruttenden 1997; 2006), exactly what underlies the difference remains an open question. We investigate two possibilities: The difference between the languages could be due to a difference in their phonology, restricting the circumstances in which material can be prosodically reduced, as proposed in Féry (2014). Alternatively, there could be syntactic, semantic, and/or pragmatic differences concerning when prominence can be used to encode focus. We compare these hypotheses in a production study which varied the type of focus context (corrective, contrastive, parallelism) to establish the contextual conditions on when a shift in prosodic prominence can occur. The results confirm earlier claims that French uses prosodic prominence to encode focus in corrections, but fails to prosodically encode other types of focus, in contrast to English. We further find that French and English encode focus with very similar acoustic means. Our results show that both languages have the phonological/phonetic means to encode focus using prominence shifts, but differ with respect to the semantic and pragmatic circumstances in which they use them. We propose that these semantic/pragmatic differences between English and French are a result of differences in the syntactic scope possibilities of the focus operator involved in prosodic focus marking.
Analysis of Relationships between Coaches' Organizational Justice and Leader-Member Exchange by Structural Equation Modeling
Authors: Akyel Yakup
Published: June 2018

In this study, it was aimed to determine to what extent coaches’ organizational justice levels were explained by a leader-member exchange. This study was conducted by using correlational survey model and its sub-purposes were to determine the coaches’ organizational justice levels and to examine the differences in organizational justice levels according to their demographics. 230 coaches participated in the study. As a result of the study, it was determined that the organizational justice level of the coaches is generally moderate. It was found that coaches’ organizational justice levels did not differ significantly among their genders, age, and marital status; on the other hand, those levels differed significantly among their seniority and ranks.  As a result of the structural equation modeling, it was found that the coaches’ leader-member exchange level was a positive and significant predictor (R2 = 0.53) of their organizational justice level.
Working in Higher Education in France Today: A Specific Challenge for Women
Authors: Devineau Sophie , Couvry Camille , Féliu François , Renard Anaïs
Published: June 2018

By 2017, French higher education had undergone a dramatic restructuration following the Bologna process twenty years earlier which impact all the European universities (Rüegg, 2010), and the implementation of the French LRU in 2007 (Stavrou, 2017). Some studies examined this new model’s effect on university academics through international or european comparative approaches (Musselin, 2008 ; Tiechler, Höhle, 2013). A decade after the French LRU, our particular focus concerns the activity of women with children like in others organizations (Bercot, 2014). The associate professors have to overcome in a very competitive context where the time management is a real challenge as the 3 coordinators at different levels in the faculty point it out. At first, an extensive survey (1409 returned questionnaires) shows that women are significantly more concern than men by these contraints. Then, in a qualitative approach, some 28 biographical interviews identify the different strategies women find.
Ideology, Leaders and Employee Behaviour: An Integration of Transformational Leadership Theory
Authors: Coffie Rosemary B. , Coleman Rachel Esi
Published: June 2018

Myriad of literature and studies on ideology articulate it as a concept and theory elaborating on its formation process, attributions and connotations; laying emphasis on it as a social or political science concept without inclining it to employee behaviour in businesses. This paper investigates the role of ideologies of leaders in their decision making and its effect on employee behaviour, focusing on entrepreneurs of SMEs and their employees in Ghana. The study adopts the quantitative approach using structured questionnaires as the main data collection tool. Considering conservatism and liberalism as the main forms of leadership ideologies, the transformational leadership theory is used as the lens to explain the authors’ synthesised concept of leadership ideologies and employee behaviour. A regression analysis, utilising the tolerance statistical model, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the variance inflation factor (VIF) is used to assess the multicollinearity (correlations) that exists between the variables. The coefficients of correlation reveal a positive relationship between leadership ideologies and employee behaviour. The study establishes that employee behaviour, to a limited degree is determined by the ideologies held by leaders. The researchers recommend liberalism as a more favourable leadership ideology for encouraging the realization of individual potentials of employees, enhancing creativity and cohesiveness at the workplace such as attained under transformational leadership.
The Effect of Using Different Detergents in Cleaning Cows' Udders on The Microbial Content of Produced Milk
Authors: Alrabadi Nizar Issa , Sultan Kamel I.
Published: June 2018

This study investigated the effect of different detergents used to clean cows' udders on the microbial content of the produced milk using twenty cows in Ajloun, a northern city in Jordan. The milking process was repeated from same cows on three successive days. On day 1, we milked the cows after cleaning their udders using water only. This was repeated on the two successive days. Thereafter, the cows were milked after cleaning their udders by a different detergent each day. The process was also repeated for three successive days for each detergent. Microbial Analysis was carried out on the collected milk samples. The results indicated that cleaning cows' udders before milking has improved the hygiene conditions and reduced the total bacterial count, total coliform, staphylococci and enterococci spp counts and the values of yeast and molds. Different detergents had different effects on the microbial counts. Finally, the effectiveness of the detergent differed according to its brand. Our findings are important to public health because milk has been a traditional food and ironically a very potent carrier of gastrointestinal infections, if contaminated.
Arendt and Rhetoric
Authors: Yeatman Anna ,   DePaul University
Published: June 2018

Rhetoric concerns how in speech human beings open up a place for civil possibility, a place where, as a community of speakers and hearers, they engage with questions of how best to conceive and respond to challenges arising out of the world that they share. In rhetoric the community of speakers and hearers is not only called into being but so too the nature of the topos or place that is shared, a determination that is timely or historical. The recent publication of Heidegger’s 1924 lectures on Aristotle’s Rhetoric explores this idea of rhetoric. These lectures raise questions for how and whether Heidegger sustained this conception in his later work, and also questions for how this conception may have influenced Arendt’s approach to political thought. Arendt’s conception of the role of the spectator who engages in the activity of understanding in order to “try to be at home in the world” is especially pertinent here. Arendt’s writing, so far as it calls into being a rhetorical relationship between her “speech” and her hearers/readers, is best appreciated as rhetoric.
From the President of RUSA: Libraries and Local News: Expanding Journalism, Another User Service Grounded in Reference
Authors: LeBeau Chris
Published: June 2018

Always on the prowl for new user services, I was intrigued by a program held at my local public library in 2009 called “Democracy and Decline in Local Reporting.” The topic has stuck with me ever since. At the time, our city’s newspaper was experiencing severe financial challenges, which residents found alarming. With newspapers across the country in similar straits, the library assembled a panel to discuss alternatives for gathering and distributing local news to communities. Nearly ten years later, the situation has not improved much for local community news coverage. Thinking back to that library panel, I’ve decided to further investigate the impacts of, and possible solutions for, this problem. This piece attempts to reinvigorate a news initiative and promote a user service that has foundations in traditional reference. It is a service that offers opportunities for both public and academic libraries. The initiative is a community-centric public service centered on news.
Amplify Your Impact: An Interview with Mark Aaron Polger, Editor of Marketing Libraries Journal
Authors: Eva Nicole , Shea Erin
Published: June 2018

Mark Aaron Polger is the First Year Outreach Librarian at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York (CUNY), where his responsibilities include promoting library services and resources as well as providing instruction to first year students. Polger is also an Information Literacy Instructor at ASA College. His research interests include library marketing, outreach, and user experience design. He is active in LLAMA as the chair of the PR XChange Committee as well as the co-chair of the Annual PR XChange Awards Competition. Regionally, he is an active executive board member of ACRL/NY (Association of College and Research Libraries, Greater Metropolitan New York Area), where he serves on the planning committee of the annual symposium and co-chairs the User Experience Discussion Group. Locally, he co-chairs meetings in New York City for ACRL National’s Library Marketing and Outreach Interest Group. He is also a member of the planning committee of the annual Library Marketing and Communications Conference (LMCC). He is co-chair of the LACUNY (Library Association of the CUNY) Library Marketing and Outreach Roundtable Discussion Group.Currently, Polger is the founder and editor-in-chief of the new open-access, peer-reviewed Marketing Libraries Journal, which was launched in fall 2017.Originally from Montreal, Canada, Polger holds a BA in Sociology from Concordia University (1999), an MLIS from the University of Western Ontario (2000), an MA in Sociology from University of Waterloo (2004), and a BEd in Adult Education from Brock University (2009). He is currently a third-year PhD student in the Curriculum, Instruction, and the Science of Learning Program at SUNY University at Buffalo. He moved to New York City in 2008.The first issue of Marketing Libraries Journal was published in fall 2017. We wanted to ask Mark about his inspiration to create this new publication.—Editors
Singleness, religiosity, and the implications for counselors: The Indonesian case
Authors: Himawan Karel Karsten , Bambling Matthew , Edirippulige Sisira
Published: June 2018

This paper explores the unique role of religiosity in assisting Indonesian singles (extensively refer to those who are never married) and how it relates to the counseling and therapeutic practices with never-married clients. Whereas the role of religiosity has been drawn into scholarly attention for its effectiveness in dealing with many situations that are particularly related to social stigma, little is known regarding its role in assisting singles to overcoming stigma due to their singleness. Indonesian society regards marriage as a social achievement and this perception places singles in an undervalued position. On the contrary, the society regards positively those who demonstrate religious attributes. Therefore, religiosity is a potential factor that mediates social perception of singles who attach themselves to religious attributes (such as: religious symbols and rituals). Using database search methodology, this paper presents an overview of how religiosity assists singles in overcoming their challenges and discusses the implications of those dynamics in counseling settings.
On political activism in digital games
Authors: Cermak-Sassenrath Daniel
Published: June 2018

This project investigates how players of digital games apply their own play with the intent to transmit political messages to other players. Acts of activism are collected from a sample of commercial multiplayer online games; three taxonomies are proposed of which one is used to present the findings, and popular patterns or structures of activism are identified. It is found that in-game activism often takes its cue from activism in everyday life, but that some original topics emerge, for example, the ownership of virtual worlds and practices of in-game political activism such as novel forms of rallies. Current political activism often appears to utilize generic and widely-shared game mechanics, rather than mechanics specific to individual games or genres. Games are therefore selected for their topics, availability, and costs, and popularity with the target audience
Western Balkans, Albania and the Diatribe between Development and Change
Authors: Jeha Ilda , Çabiri Ylli
Published: June 2018

While there is a clear tendency to address research of the ratio between change and development for very specific cases in comparison with the level of various countries, we think that we should go beyond such situation and focus rather on analysing and studying transition in former Communist countries. Such analysis could even lead to finding out the reasons for more attention being paid to change instead of development, but the influence of the tendency of the international partners in Albania and the entire region of the Western Balkan in favour of change and to the detriment of development has had its adverse and irreparable consequences.
BREXIT: New challenges for the World Trade
Authors: Ramírez Poggi Olga Elena , Veraldi Roberto , Medicina Leuzzi María Belén , Delgado Mondragón Mayra Alejandra
Published: June 2018

On June 23, 2016, Britain marked the exit from the European Union. The result led to a permanent closure to the EU, always marked by not joining the Euro by Great Britain itself, with political, social and economic consequences, although England still an important country in Europe. The intent of this paper is to analyse the socio-economic and political implications of this Exit from the Euro zone.
Is right coronary artery chronic total vessel occlusion impacting the surgical revascularization results of patients with multivessel disease? A retrospective study
Authors: Konstanty-Kalandyk Janusz , Bartuś Krzysztof , Piątek Jacek , Kędziora Anna , Darocha Tomasz , Bryniarski Krzysztof L. , Wróżek Marcin , Ceranowicz Piotr , Bartuś Stanisław , Bryniarski Leszek , Kapelak Bogusław
Published: June 2018

Introduction

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) is common in the presence of other significantly narrowed coronary arteries. The impact of total occlusion and its association with completeness of revascularization on patients with multivessel disease undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) remains largely unknown.

Aim

The aim of our study was to compare CABG operation characteristics, as well as 30-day mortality, incidence of post-operative major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) between patients with and without CTO in right coronary artery (RCA).

Materials and Methods

A total of 156 consecutive patients were included in the analysis. CTO of RCA or right posterior descending artery (RPD) was diagnosed in 57 patients (CTO-RCA group). Coronary stenosis without CTO in RCA was diagnosed in 99 patients (nonCTO-RCA group). Baseline characteristics were comparable in both groups.

Results

The majority of patients had class II (49.1% vs. 46%, p = 0.86) or class III (42.1% vs. 43%, p = 1.0) Canadian Cardiovascular Society grading system symptoms. Patients in the CTO-RCA group had in average 2.2 grafts implanted, as opposed to 2.4 grafts in patients in the nonCTO-RCA group (p = 0.003). Graft to the RCA was performed in 40.3% patients in the CTO-RCA group and in 81% patients in the nonCTO-RCA group (p = 0.001). The 30-day mortality from any cause or cardiac cause did not differ between groups (7% vs. 2%, p = 0.14 and 3.5% vs. 2%, p = 0.57 respectively). In a multivariate analysis CTO in RCA or RPD and peripheral artery disease were independent predictors of post-operative MACCE (7.9 (1.434–43.045) p = 0.02; 18.8 (3.451–101.833) p < 0.01, respectively).

Conclusions

Chronic total occlusion of RCA was found to be associated with smaller number of grafts performed during the CABG procedure. Although mortality between patients in the CTO-RCA and nonCTO-RCA groups did not differ, patients in the CTO-RCA group had higher incidence of post-operative MACCE.
Comparison of the effects of a kinase‐dead mutation of FERONIA on ovule fertilization and root growth of Arabidopsis
Authors: Haruta Miyoshi , Gaddameedi Vilas , Burch Heather , Fernandez Donna , Sussman Michael R.
Published: June 2018

A plasma membrane receptor protein kinase, FERONIA (FER), regulates various aspects of plant reproductive and vegetative growth. In roots, binding of a peptide ligand to FER causes rapid suppression of cell elongation whereas in ovules, FER is involved in gametophyte interactions. Here, we examined the effect of a mutation that eliminates kinase activity, on both ovule fertilization and root growth, using the same batch of seeds containing a kinase‐dead mutation. The kinase‐dead mutation of FER reduced the ability to complement fer‐4 knockout phenotypes, compared with wild‐type sequence in root, but not in ovules. Our results support a model in which cell type‐specific regulatory mechanisms, such as different interacting partners and/or downstream signaling events, lead to cell type‐specific functions of FER.
Role of an isoform‐specific residue at the calmodulin–heme (NO synthase) interface in the FMN – heme electron transfer
Authors: Li Jinghui , Zheng Huayu , Wang Wei , Miao Yubin , Sheng Yinghong , Feng Changjian
Published: June 2018

The interface between calmodulin (CaM) and the NO synthase (NOS) heme domain is the least characterized interprotein interface that the NOS isoforms must traverse through during catalysis. Our previous molecular dynamics simulations predicted a salt bridge between K497 in human inducible NOS (iNOS) heme domain and D118(CaM). Herein, the FMN – heme interdomain electron transfer (IET) rate was found to be notably decreased by charge‐reversal mutation, while the IET in the iNOS K497D mutant is significantly restored by the CaM D118K mutation. The results of wild‐type protein with added synthetic peptides further demonstrate the critical nature of K497 relative to the rest of the peptide sequence in modulating the IET. These data provide definitive evidence supporting the regulatory role of the isoform‐specific K497 residue.
Copper‐Catalyzed One‐Pot Approach to α‐Aryl Amidines via Truce‐Smiles Rearrangement
Authors: Huang Ying , Yi Weiyin , Sun Qihui , Yi Fengping
Published: June 2018

A copper‐catalyzed one‐pot approach to α‐aryl amidines from terminal alkynes, sulfonyl azides, and aryl sulfonamides via a Truce‐Smiles rearrangement under mild condition in good to excellent yields was reported for the first time. The formation of such aryl‐sp3 C−C bond previously could not be directly achieved by the common method. The stoichiometry of substrates played an important role in improving the yields of desired products. In addition, two sets of signals were observed in the 1H NMR spectra of α‐aryl amidines and their possible cause was investigated by the control experiments as well.

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Large Scale Geographical Mapping of Essential Oil Volatiles in Heracleum (Apiaceae): Identification of Novel Compounds and Unraveling Cryptic Variation
Authors: Falahati‐Anbaran Mohsen , Mohammadi Bazargani Mitra , Rohloff Jens
Published: June 2018

Conspecific populations of plants in their native range are expected to show considerable variation due to long‐term ecological and evolutionary factors. We investigated the levels of secondary metabolites in Heracleum including H. persicum a valuable medicinal plant to depict the magnitude of cryptic variation and the potential significance of novel chemical traits. The essential oil volatiles from fruits of 34 populations from different species of Heracleum in Iranian distribution range and a native of H. sphondylium and an invasive population of H. persicum from Norway were analyzed with GC/MS. Out of 48 compounds identified, a contrasting pattern in the level of two major compounds, octyl acetate and hexyl butyrate was found among all studied species. Interestingly, a significant geographic pattern was observed; the hexyl butyrate/octyl acetate ratio was high (range 1.8 – 3.2) in the northwestern Iranian populations of H. persicum compared to that in northern and central populations (range 0.3 – 0.9). Four populations from Zagros mountains also exhibited a unique composition. Anethole was found in two populations of H. persicum from central Zagros, which has not been previously reported for essential oil of fruits of Heracleum so far. The results suggest high efficiency of large scale sampling from distribution range of species in identifying novel compounds. The unique pattern of geographic structuring also provides novel information to unravel cryptic variation in Heracleum.
Recent fire activity in the boreal eastern interior of North America is below that of the past 2000 yr
Authors: Waito Justin , Girardin Martin P. , Tardif Jacques C. , Conciatori France , Bergeron Yves , Ali Adam A.
Published: June 2018

The North American boreal forest has been developing since the end of the last glaciation approximately 10,000 yr ago. With climate warming and human occupation, it is anticipated that fire danger, ignition, and activity will be increasing, compromising forests’ benefits for generations to come. In this study, we show, however, that a century of rapid climate changes and human densification has had the opposite effect in the boreal eastern interior of the North American continent, reducing biomass burning to values below two millennia of historical levels. A multi‐millennial fire history was reconstructed for eight forested landscapes from the Lake of the Woods Ecoregion (LWE) located at the boreal–prairie ecotone. Fire history was reconstructed using a combination of archival (period 1920–2010), tree‐ring (stand initiations and fire scars: period 1690–2010), and lake sediment charcoal (2500BPto present) records. The archival record revealed recent large fires (>200 ha) in 1948, 1980, and 1988. An additional 19 fires were identified by the fire‐scar record. Fire events in 1805, 1840, 1863, and the 1890s were identified in numerous locations around multiple lakes suggesting that they were of large extents. In accordance with the tree‐ring record, the charcoal accumulation rate (CHAR) peak record generally identified the major fires but tended to lag from the tree‐ring records by several decades. WithinLWE, the long‐term charcoal record revealed thatCHARwas higher for each lake in the earlier portion of the record including the warm Medieval Climate Anomaly (AD−900 toAD1000), followed by a progressive decrease toward the cool Little Ice Age period. This decline was abruptly interrupted in the mid‐ to late 19th century with large synchronized fires, also reported over western and central North America, and resumed approximately four decades later. Fire disturbance level is today below the historical range, despite the accentuated climate warming. Aging of the forest landscape may create biodiversity loss notably in fire‐adapted species while at the same time setting the tone for major fires in upcoming decades if no action is taken for managing fuels.
Safe Drinking Water Act Makes Deep Impact on Some Utilities
Authors: Robischon John
Published: June 2018

The author expresses his concern about the impact of the Safe Drinking Water Act on smaller water utilities. Some of the problems foreseen are the financial burden of mandatory testing for a wide group of contaminants and the monitoring of those contaminants, the aesthetic standards which will need to be adopted, public notification of variances, noncompliance and exemptions which could cause undue alarm among users of the water utilities, and finally the costs and benefits of the new act.
Jar Tests Improve Water Quality
Authors: Price Ben
Published: June 2018

Jar test procedures, significance, and test equipment are discussed. The jar test determines the most effective chemical coagulant or combination of coagulants for treatment of water from a particular raw water source.
Stiff Monitoring Reduces Customer Gripes In Newark
Authors: Lakshman Bangalore T.
Published: June 2018

Customer complaints of red and brown water, bad taste and odor, and white stains on dishes were reduced 60 percent after the Newark, Delaware water system implemented a stiff monitoring procedure in their utility. The procedure and nature of customer complaints are discussed.
Sonar Used to Determine Solids Thickness in Minneapolis Plant
Authors: LaPointe Gene E.
Published: June 2018

The City of Minneapolis Water Department has instituted a technique using a sonar sounder to determine the thickness of solids concentrated in their lime sludge dewatering plant. The use of this device is discussed.
Daily Records Help Small Utilities Give Service
Authors: Thomas Donald
Published: June 2018

In order to provide the needed quality of service demanded by water customers, programs of preventative maintenance and good record keeping are essential. Daily entries regarding equipment and stand‐by power units will help deter any major problems.
Thickening Methods and Treatment Processes for Sludge
Authors: Doe Peter W.
Published: June 2018

Various methods of sludge thickening are discussed including the use of settling basins or tanks, tube settlers and lamella settlers, stirrers, centrifuges, and settling aids. Also presented is a brief discussion of dewatering and the processes to accomplish this, such as lagooning, drying beds, vacuum filters, centrifuges, filter press, freezing and thawing.
Are You Ready for the Safe Drinking Water Act?
Authors: Hoffbuhr Jack , Chaussee Dean
Published: June 2018

The EPA's Interim Primary Drinking Water Regulations are discussed including definitions of a public water system, maximum contaminant levels, and monitoring of sampling frequencies.
Recoating Storage Tanks as a Part of Tank Maintenance
Authors: Mueller K. C. V.
Published: June 2018

Application techniques, specifications, inspection and maintenance record keeping are covered in this article about recoating storage tanks.
The Safe Drinking Water Act Goes Into Effect Next Month — Are You Prepared?
Authors: Hoffbuhr Jack , Chaussee Dean
Published: June 2018

With the Safe Drinking Water Act going into effect, most water systems will not be able to set up their own labs and will need to rely on state or commercial facilities. It is recommended that systems using surface sources purchase their own nephelometer to run daily turbidity tests. The new act will require accurate recordkeeping and reporting, various reports that must be sent to the state, and public notification of customers if their water system is in violation of the Interim Primary Regulations.
Addition of GAC to Filter Beds
Authors: Ferrara A. P.
Published: June 2018

The procedures for adding granular activated carbon to filter beds are discussed. Some of the topics considered are filter sterilization and bed measurements, filling filters or columns from bulk trucks, bag loading of filters, initial backwashing and bed measurement.
Procedures and Equipment for the Membrane Filter Technique
Authors: Rock Richard A.
Published: June 2018

The membrane filter technique is used extensively for drinking water analysis because its speed and direct readout allow for a quick response to suspect drinking water conditions and testing of new mains. The steps followed in the technique are outlined.
Adequate Storage Capacity is Vital for Peak Demands
Authors: Proudfit D.P.
Published: June 2018

This article is from a paper presented at the 95th AWWA Annual Conference in Minneapolis June 1976. Three types of storage facilities are discussed including clearwell storage, ground storage and elevated storage. Also provided are considerations for the optimum amount of storage, demand ratios and the cost effectiveness of storage requirements.
Valves — Care and Maintenance Part IV
Authors: Lakshman B.T.
Published: June 2018

Highlighted in this article are the benefits and necessity of a good inspection and maintenance program for valves. Implementation of such a program will help avoid serious problems and inconveniences to the water consumer.
Providing Electrical Jumpers at Meter Settings
Authors: Riederer C. F.
Published: June 2018

The need for permanent and temporary jumpers around meters to prevent electrical shock to workers and consumers is discussed along with the requirements of the National Electric Code (NEC).
Cleaning and Recoating Your Storage Tanks
Authors: Miller Al
Published: June 2018

Cleaning, recoating and disinfecting water storage tanks will assure water quality and prevent taste and odor problems. Care of tanks can be broken down into inspection, cleaning and coating, and a follow‐up service program. These areas are further discussed in this article.
The Changing Picture of Water Supply and Treatment
Authors: Kincannon Don F.
Published: June 2018

Water is treated to make it aesthetically appealing to the consumer and to kill bacteria in order to make it free from disease‐causing organisms. However, with demands for water increasing, utilities must use water sources which are more contaminated than were previously accepted. New water treatment technology must be discovered in order to make this kind of water usable. One alternative to developing new treatment processes is the transfer of water from water‐rich to waterpoor areas. Now is the time to decide how future water needs will be met.
Winterize Now—Part II
Authors: Mahon Gerald
Published: June 2018

This article presents the experience of water utility operators in Minnesota and Maine preparing for winter operations. Topics discussed include adequate protective clothing for service crews, fall flushing programs for hydrants, insulation of manholes and pits, installation of water mains and services below the frost line, proper thawing of frozen water lines, and considerations for efficient use of storage tanks, transmission facilities, construction equipment, and fuel supplies.
Operator Training A Co‐Op Effort in State of Washington
Authors: Delvecchio Fred
Published: June 2018

The state of Washington offers its water and wastewater operators various workshops led by experts, followed in some cases by actual hands‐on training. The goals of these workshops are continued upgrading and training of operators. Several of the workshops and benefits to operators are described.
Underwater Maintenance—Part II
Authors: Preston Allan
Published: June 2018

The second in a two‐part series, this article covers the training, certification, safety record, and distribution maintenance system procedures and applications of the Underwater Services Unit of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.