bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tear film osmolality and electrolyte composition in healthy horses
Authors: Best Lori J. , Hendrix Diane V. H. , Ward Daniel A.
Published: November 2015

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the tear film osmolality and electrolyte composition in healthy horses.

ANIMALS 15 healthy adult horses.

PROCEDURES Each horse was manually restrained, and an ophthalmic examination, which included slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, and a Schirmer tear test, was performed. Tear samples were collected from both eyes with microcapillary tubes 3 times at 5-minute intervals. The tear samples for each horse were pooled, and the osmolality and electrolyte concentrations were measured. The mean (SD) was calculated for each variable to establish preliminary guidelines for tear film osmolality and electrolyte composition in healthy horses.

RESULTS The mean (SD) tear film osmolality was 283.51 (9.33) mmol/kg, and the mean (SD) sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium concentrations were 134.75 (10), 16.3 (5.77), 3.48 (1.97), and 1.06 (0.42) mmol/L, respectively. The sodium concentration in the tear film was similar to that in serum, whereas the potassium concentration in the tear film was approximately 4.75 times that of serum.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results provided preliminary guidelines with which tear samples obtained from horses with keratopathies can be compared. Measurement of tear film osmolality in these horses was easy and noninvasive. The tear film concentration of divalent cations was greater than expected and was higher than the divalent cation concentrations in the tear films of rabbits and humans. These data may be clinically useful for the diagnosis and monitoring of hyperosmolar ocular surface disease in horses.
Effect of castration on the urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio of male dogs
Authors: Bertieri Marie-Blanche , Lapointe Catherine , Conversy Bérénice , Gara-Boivin Carolyn
Published: November 2015

OBJECTIVE To assess the urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR) of healthy sexually intact male dogs and to compare the UPCR of these dogs before and after castration.

ANIMALS 19 client- or shelter-owned healthy adult sexually intact male dogs.

PROCEDURES Physical, hematologic, and biochemical examinations and urinalysis (including calculation of the UPCR) were performed on each dog. Dogs were then castrated, and physical examination and urinalysis (including calculation of the UPCR) were performed again at least 15 days after castration.

RESULTS A dipstick test yielded positive results for protein in the urine of 10 sexually intact male dogs, but the UPCR was < 0.5 for all sexually intact male dogs. Mean UPCR for sexually intact male dogs was 0.12 (range, 0.10 to 0.32). The UPCR was < 0.2 for all castrated dogs, except for 1. Mean UPCR for all castrated dogs was 0.08 (range, 0.05 to 0.69). There was a significant difference between mean UPCR before and after castration.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE In this study, pathological proteinuria was not detected in sexually intact male dogs. Positive results for a urine dipstick test should be interpreted with caution in sexually intact male dogs and should be confirmed by assessment of the UPCR. An increased UPCR in sexually intact male dogs may be considered abnormal.
Constraints to attendance at visitor attractions: the case of museums, zoos and botanic gardens
Authors: Nowacki Marek
Published: November 2015

The paper has employed a three-factor model of constraints, which differentiates intrapersonal, interpersonal and structural. The study was carried out on a sample of N = 981 adult residents of Poland. The three most common barriers constraining attendance at attractions were identified: availability, high entrance fees and lack of time. The constraints were found to be related to a number of socio-demographic characteristics, such as gender, age, education, size of place of residence and household income per capita. Three market segments limited by similar constraints and showing similar attraction attendance behaviour were identified with their socio-demographic characteristics.
Nesting Preferences for Two Woodpecker Species (Dendrocopos Major and Dendrocopos Medius) in Comana Forest, Southern Romania/ Preferințele de cuibărit la două specii de ciocănitori (Dendrocopos Major şi Dendrocopos Medius), în Pădurea Comana, Sudul României
Authors: Damoc Ioana , Sahlean Tiberiu , Ion Roxana , Ion Mihaela , Meşter Lotus Elena
Published: November 2015

The main goal of this study is to get a better insight of the habitat requirements for the Great- and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers. Woodpeckers are forest specialists, threatened all over Europe mainly by the loss of forest habitats and also by the loss in quality of the habitat by reducing the food sources and nesting sites. Both species showed a strong preference for oaks, lime, large trees and dead wood for nesting, but Middle Spotted Woodpecker proved to be more selective in terms of tree species. Nest-height was influenced by tree diameter. Both species have the same nesting preferences for Turkey oak, lime and Pedunculate oak, in a Quercetum farnetto-cerris type of forest. The orientation of the nest hole on the tree was mainly NE-E-SE for Middle Spotted Woodpecker and N-NE-E for Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Geochemical Parameters of Water Quality of Karra River, Hetauda Industrial Area, Central Nepal
Authors: Kayastha Sandhana Pradhanang
Published: November 2015

Water samples of Karra river from Hetauda industrial area were collected during pre monsoon (May 2012) to assess water chemistry (Ca2+, Na+, K+, HCO3-, NO3-, SO42-, Cl-, F- and H4SiO4) and evaluate influence of natural processes and anthropogenic activities viz. industrial and agricultural inputs. The pollution was more severe near the industrial stretches due to direct discharge of the treated and untreated effluents from industries. Carbonate contribution was noted ~36.2 % from carbonate weathering and ~ 63.8 % from silicate weathering.Journal of Institute of Science and Technology, 2015, 20(2): 31-36
Differentiation of Fourier Series via Orthogonal Derivative
Authors: Cruz-Santiago R. , López-Bonilla J. , López-Vázquez R.
Published: November 2015

It is very known that if the operator d/dx acts on each term into a convergent Fourier Series (FS), then it may result a divergent series. This situation is remedied applying the symmetric derivative to FS, which implies the existence of the important Fejér-Lanczos Factors. In this paper, we show that the orthogonal derivative also leads to these Factors.Journal of Institute of Science and Technology, 2015, 20(2): 113-114
Broken Time Reversal-Symmetry State in a Long Josephson Junction
Authors: Ghimire Bal Ram
Published: November 2015

Abstract on the PDFJournal of Institute of Science and Technology, 2015, 20(2): 115-121
Comments on the Journal of Institute of Science & Technology (JIST) Vol. 19, No. 2, 2014
Authors: Koirala Madan
Published: November 2015

Journal of Institute of Science and Technology, 2015, 20(2): 156-156
Editorial
Authors: Breen Deborah , Mom Gijs
Published: November 2015

“Mobility crisis”: These are the words used by Anumita Roychoudhury, the
executive director of Delhi’s Centre for Science and Environment, to describe
the growing pollution in India, especially in large cities like Delhi, as a result
of the dramatic increase in the use of motorized vehicles in the past two
decades. Although the population of Delhi and its surrounding cities more
than doubled (to twenty-two million) between 1991 and 2011, she points out
that registered cars and motorbikes increased fivefold, to eight million.1 Th is
growth, along with increased but poorly regulated construction, underinvestment
in public transport, and local and national policies that privilege automobiles
at the expense of other forms of transport, has resulted in pollution
rates that are now, according to a World Health Organization report, the worst
in the world.2
“Turban-clad” British Subjects
Authors: Rhook Nadia
Published: November 2015

The late nineteenth century saw a wave of Indian migrants arrive in Victoria, many of whom took up the occupation of hawking. These often-described “turban-clad hawkers” regularly became visible to settlers as they moved through public space en route to the properties of their rural customers. This article explores how the turban became a symbol of the masculine threat Indians posed to the settler order of late nineteenth-century Victoria, Australia. This symbolism was tied up with the two-fold terrestrial and oceanic mobility of 'turban-clad' men; mobilities that took on particular meanings in a settler-colonial context where sedentarism was privileged over movement, and in a decade when legislators in Victoria and across the Australian colonies were working out ways to exclude Indian British subjects from the imagined Australian nation. I argue that European settlers' anxieties about the movements of Indian British subjects over sea and over land became metonymically conflated in ways that expressed and informed the late nineteenth-century project to create a settled and purely white nation. These findings have repercussions for understandings of the contemporaneous emergence of nationalisms in other British settler colonies.
Innovation through Collaboration
Authors: Dixon Carol
Published: November 2015

The true meaning of collaborative contemporary arts practice is personified by El Hadji Sy (El Sy), the internationally renowned painter, curator and live performance installationist who – along with fellow Senegalese intellectual and activist Issa Samb and theatre director Yussufa John – founded the influential Dakar-based collective Laboratoire AGIT’ART.
Indigenous Mobility and Settler State Transfer
Authors: Mo'e'hahne Ho'esta , Young Alex Trimble
Published: November 2015

The Exiles, United States, 1961, Kent Mackenzie (producer, director, and writer),
starring Yvonne Williams, Homer Nish, Tommy Reynolds, Rico Rodriguez, Clifford
Ray Sam, Clydean Parker, and Mary Donahue. 2008 DVD release by Milestone
Films.
A Comparative Perspective of Asbestos as an Industrial and Environmental Hazard
Authors: Erker Paul
Published: November 2015

Asbestos as a widely used hazardous material shows an unprecedented, but also exemplary, 'career of a substance' from miracle fiber to deadly dust with epidemic dimensions. In the case studies of four countries, the specific constellations of the asbestos problem are outlined and the story of the interaction of scientific knowledge, corporate practice, and public policy is traced. The analysis focuses on three aspects: the connection between industrial disease and environmental disease, the issue of asbestos knowledge and legislation, and the actions of the major players - the government of each country, multinational corporations, and the victims of asbestos-related diseases. The asbestos story illustrates impressively how much time is required for a society to recognize and deal with the risks of hazardous industrial substances. And the global dimension shows that a precarious substance can still become an acute problem again even after decades of political and scientific regulation.
Transition Towards Green Water Economies: Surrounding Issues and Needed Capacity Development
Authors: Hamdy Atef
Published: November 2015

Challenges faced by more and more countries in their struggle for economic and social development are increasingly related to water. The water sector shows an emerging global crisis, presenting shortages, quality deterioration, flood impacts, increased competition for use and governance problems. In the mean time notable population growth, increasing water consumption and climate change have created severe limitations for social, economic and human development and poverty alleviation. This brings us to the question: why is water resource development and management a main instrument in creating a green economy? The answer to this question can be found in the definition of green economy (UNEP, 2011) as one which results in improving human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. Accordingly, it is quite evident that green growth, fundamentally based on water resource development, is an outcome of green economy and that a green economy cannot be totally green unless it addresses water issues. In other words, a blue economy is a prerequisite of a green economy. Considering the core features of green economy, it is quite obvious that water-use efficiency and improving crop water productivity, i.e increasing crop by drop, are central aspects of green economy. This directly indicates the crucial role regional and locally adapted water management strategies could have in underpinning the transition towards the green economy in the water sector. Equally, policy reforms should implement integrated land and water resource management through innovative capacity development approaches, focusing on the water demand side rather than the supply side, promoting water use efficiency and the sustainable use of waste water as an additional water source. Moving towards a green economy through water resource management, specific attention should be given to capacity development programmes; to developing and retaining local capacity for sustainable maintenance of green technology; and to establishing an appropriate valuation, charging and allocation system. In the Mediterranean, transitioning to a green water economy requires a fundamental shift in the way we think and act. For this to happen, investments in people's capacities and fulfilment of their entitlement are needed by means of greater education, training, information, awareness, understanding and participation in decision-making processes. Investments and technological progress are important in moving towards a green water economy, but equally important are awareness, motivation and empowerment of individuals and communities.
Oriental Democracy
Authors: Mikhail Alan
Published: November 2015

Montesquieu, Hegel, Marx, Weber, and Wittfogel all employed the concept of Oriental despotism to describe forms of non-European politics. Although each of these thinkers used the idea in different ways for different purposes, they all accepted that one of its crucial aspects was the notion that irrigation produced forms of authoritarian politics. With the world's longest river and one of history's oldest civilisations, Egypt was seen as the quintessential example of Oriental despotism. This article uses the copious sources of the Ottoman period of rule in Egypt to tell quite a different story of irrigation and politics. It shows how peasant cultivators held much of the power in the cooperative arrangements of imperially-coordinated localism that characterised the management of irrigation in rural Egypt. Egyptian peasants had the autonomy and wherewithal to initiate and control repairs to the countryside's irrigation network from beginning to end. They - not the imperial state - were thus the most vital actors in the politics and economics of rural Ottoman Egypt.
Environment, Food Security and Conflict Narratives in the Middle East
Authors: Woertz Eckart
Published: November 2015

The article questions neo-Malthusian theories that attempt to explain conflict and food security in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as the consequence of environmental stress factors like water scarcity, drought and climate change. Instead it argues that socio-political factors are key in understanding conflicts in the region. The environment is a quintessentially human category and susceptible to adaptation, not an external variable that mechanically triggers socio-political consequences. Particular emphasis is laid on the cases of Syria and Darfur. The article then shows how the natural endowments of the MENA shaped food security before the advent of oil and globalised food trade. It concludes with an attempt to find a balanced explanation of the role of environmental factors in MENA food security today.
Understanding Perceptions of Protected Area Management in Developing Countries: The Case of Nigeria National Parks
Authors: Ogunjinmi Anthony Adekunle , Aiyeloja Adedapo Ayo , Osunsina Israel Oluyinka Oloyede , Ogunjinmi Kehinde Oluwaseye
Published: November 2015

The study aimed to understand local communities' perceptions of Nigeria National Parks and was conducted in ten per cent of the communities within 0-10km of park boundaries. Data were obtained from 10 per cent of the total household heads through questionnaire administration and were analysed with descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression. A large percentage of the respondents were male; their median age was 42 years; 56.6 per cent had non-formal education; the median annual income was N7000 (US$ 43.75); and 86.9 per cent were farmers. The respondents had generally negative perceptions of park management over issues of strict protection, penalties, impact of existence of parks on their communities and exclusion from park management. Education (beta = 0.10, p<0.01), income (beta =0.12, p<0.01) and community distance from park boundary (beta = 0.31, p<0.01) were the best predictors of local communities' perceptions. There is an urgent need for a sustained policy on access to formal education in communities around Nigeria National Parks; for rural development policies that enhance income from farming and other non-farm alternative livelihood activities; for the sharing or recycling of revenue between the local communities and the parks; employment and infrastructural development; community involvement in park management and decision-making; and alternative dispute resolutions to ensure positive perceptions of the parks and other protected areas.
The big smallness of Tuvalu
Authors: Goldsmith Michael
Published: November 2015

This paper considers the question of how it is that the independent Polynesian microstate of Tuvalu has managed to place itself at the centre of worldwide discussion about global climate change and possible sea level rise. It argues that much of the publicity Tuvalu has accrued derives from its leaders’ long established statecraft in which assertions of agency and claims to vulnerability can be deployed in complementary ways to further Tuvalu’s interests. The management of such statecraft reveals the ways in which ‘smallness’ can underpin and galvanise global messages.
Gone with(in) the Chesapeake Bay's waters: Reflections on society's thresholds to migration given island sinking
Authors: Richter Ina
Published: November 2015

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and is home to numerous small islands. Many of these have already vanished, and those remaining are continuing to lose ground. Over a few decades several of these small places were abandoned as the waters started to roll over the lands around the mid-nineteenth century. Houses were torn down, while some people moved within or to other islands and others migrated to solid ground when other measures failed to secure the small islands. Some people left earlier than others, but there were moments when it became difficult to retain the society of the islands. By telling the story of the Chesapeake Islands, this paper outlines the reactions of individuals and society to changes in their living environment. The aim of the article is thereby to explore the variables influencing human thresholds to migration in times of changing environments. Societal factors, as well as natural stimuli, are explored that led to migration at a certain time and place. By drawing attention to the sinking islands in the Chesapeake, I advocate the consideration of examples from the Western Hemisphere in debates on island loss and migration.
Small islands in documentary film
Authors: von Mossner Alexa Weik
Published: November 2015

Documentary filmmakers have recently begun focusing on the vulnerable ecologies of low-lying islands, among them Briar March’s
There Once Was an Island
and Jon Shenk’s
The Island President
. The strength of documentary film is that it can make visible the gradual and long-distance ecological effects of climate change while also confronting viewers with the faces and voices of some of the human recipients of related forms of transnational environmental injustice and destruction. The two films highlight the diversity of small islands in environmental and social indicators and also focus on very different aspects of the affected communities’ responses to climate-related disaster risk drivers. Whereas March uses a participant observation approach to highlight local adaptation practices and the threat of relocation, Shenk’s fly-on-the-wall documentary offers viewers insights into Mohamed Nasheed’s political battle to get the world leaders behind global mitigation practices that will help save the Maldives and other low-lying islands from submergence. They thereby remind their audiences that the world has a responsibility toward the inhabitants of small islands, exactly because they are at the forefront of global environmental change and therefore among those who bear the brunt of our collective carbon emissions.
Otosclerosis and Fitness to Fly
Authors: Ballivet de Régloix Stanislas , Gauthier Jérome , Pons Yoann , Maurin Olga , Genestier Louise , Kossowski Michel
Published: November 2015

BACKGROUND: When an aircrew member is referred for otosclerosis, his flight fitness may be questionable. The objective of this retrospective study was to describe a case series of otosclerosis in an aircrew population and to discuss the decisions about their flight waivers.METHODS:
There were 27 aircrew members who were referred to the ENT-Head and Neck Surgery Department of the National Pilot Expertise Center. Their medical files were retrospectively examined.RESULTS: Out of 16 patients who had surgery, 2 did not obtain a flight fitness waiver afterwards.
Among the 14 who received waivers, 12 had no restrictions on their flight fitness. Among the nonoperated patients, 1 of 11 did not obtain a waiver. Seven patients were declared medically fit to fly without a waiver and three obtained a waiver.DISCUSSION: Fitness was based on auditory
and balance statuses and the follow-up of these findings. A postoperative CT-scan and the operative report were used to determine the quality of stapes surgery. Professional speech audiometry in noise might be as interesting. The results made it possible to determine a patient’s fitness
to fly with a waiver, which is more or less associated with restrictions. In our series, only 3 aircrew members out of 27 did not obtain a flight fitness waiver. The few published studies on the resumption of flight for patients who underwent surgery and our experience in France with similar
waivers in commercial and military aviation suggest that under certain conditions and after relevant vestibulocochlear assessment, stapes surgery may allow for a safe recovery of aviation activity.Ballivet de Régloix S, Gauthier J, Pons Y, Maurin O, Genestier L, Kossowski M. Otosclerosis and fitness to fly. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2015; 86(12):1039–1045.
The First Decade of ISS Exercise: Lessons Learned on Expeditions 1–25
Authors: Hayes Judith
Published: November 2015

INTRODUCTION: Long-duration spaceflight results in musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory, and sensorimotor deconditioning. Historically, exercise has been used as a countermeasure to mitigate these deleterious effects that occur as a consequence of microgravity exposures. The International
Space Station (ISS) exercise community describes their approaches, biomedical surveillance, and lessons learned in the development of exercise countermeasure modalities and prescriptions for maintaining health and performance among station crews. This report is focused on the first 10 yr of
ISS defined as Expeditions 1–25 and includes only crewmembers with missions > 30 d on ISS for all 5 partner agencies (United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada). All 72 cosmonauts and astronauts participated in the ISS exercise countermeasures program. This Supplement presents
a series of papers that provide an overview of the first decade of ISS exercise from a multidisciplinary, multinational perspective to evaluate the initial countermeasure program and record its operational limitations and challenges. In addition, we provide results from standardized medical
evaluations before, during, and after each mission. Information presented in this context is intended to describe baseline conditions of the ISS exercise program. This paper offers an introduction to the subsequent series of manuscripts.Hayes J. The first decade of ISS exercise: lessons
learned on Expeditions 1–25. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2015; 86(12, Suppl.):A1–A6.
Orthostatic Intolerance After ISS and Space Shuttle Missions
Authors: Lee Stuart M. C. , Feiveson Alan H. , Stein Sydney , Stenger Michael B. , Platts Steven H.
Published: November 2015

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular deconditioning apparently progresses with flight duration, resulting in a greater incidence of orthostatic intolerance following long-duration missions. Therefore, we anticipated that the proportion of astronauts who could not complete an orthostatic
tilt test (OTT) would be higher on landing day and the number of days to recover greater after International Space Station (ISS) than after Space Shuttle missions.METHODS: There were 20 ISS and 65 Shuttle astronauts who participated in 10-min 80° head-up tilt tests 10 d before
launch, on landing day (R+0), and 3 d after landing (R+3). Fisher’s Exact Test was used to compare the ability of ISS and Shuttle astronauts to complete the OTT. Cox regression was used to identify cardiovascular parameters associated with OTT completion and mixed model analysis was
used to compare the change and recovery rates between groups.RESULTS: The proportion of astronauts who completed the OTT on R+0 (2 of 6) was less in ISS than in Shuttle astronauts (52 of 65). On R+3, 13 of 15 and 19 of 19 of the ISS and Shuttle astronauts, respectively, completed
the OTT. An index comprised of stroke volume and diastolic blood pressure provided a good prediction of OTT completion and was altered by spaceflight similarly for both astronaut groups, but recovery was slower in ISS than in Shuttle astronauts.CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of ISS
astronauts who could not complete the OTT on R+0 was greater and the recovery rate slower after ISS compared to Shuttle missions. Thus, mission planners and crew surgeons should anticipate the need to tailor scheduled activities and level of medical support to accommodate protracted recovery
after long-duration microgravity exposures.Lee SMC, Feiveson AH, Stein S, Stenger MB, Platts SH. Orthostatic intolerance after ISS and Space Shuttle missions. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2015; 86(12, Suppl.):A54–A67.
Intersectional Analysis of Gender in Indian Children's Literature: Comparison of Novels Written in English and Gujarati
Authors: Vyas Diti
Published: November 2015

This paper examines the validity of perceived associations of ‘parochialism’ and social conservatism with regional language literature (RLL) and ‘modernity’ and ‘progressiveness’ with Indian writing in English (IWE), through a comparative examination of gender in Indian children's literature in English (ICLE) and children's literature in Gujarati (CLG). For this purpose, it adopts an intersectional framework which studies how gender functions in conjunction with other identity markers, rather than operating in isolation. The conclusions emerging from this feminist analysis of intersections of gender with other systems of oppression such as caste, class and community in Indian children's novels in English and Gujarati challenge the associations of ‘parochialism’ with RLL and ‘modernity’ with IWE. They reveal that while both ICLE and CLG are similar in silencing dalit girls/women, and in enforcing minority community stereotypes as far as Muslim masculinity is concerned, CLG shows progressive trends by undertaking to re-gender dalit masculinity and by sensitively exploring gender and class intersection in the construction of poor women.
The Bogdanov–Takens Normal Form: A Minimal Model for Single Neuron Dynamics
Authors: Pereira Ulises , Coullet Pierre , Tirapegui Enrique
Published: November 2015

Conductance-based (CB) models are a class of high dimensional dynamical systems derived from biophysical principles to describe in detail the electrical dynamics of single neurons. Despite the high dimensionality of these models, the dynamics observed for realistic parameter values is generically planar and can be minimally described by two equations. In this work, we derive the conditions to have a Bogdanov–Takens (BT) bifurcation in CB models, and we argue that it is plausible that these conditions are verified for experimentally-sensible values of the parameters. We show numerically that the cubic BT normal form, a two-variable dynamical system, exhibits all of the diversity of bifurcations generically observed in single neuron models. We show that the Morris–Lecar model is approximately equivalent to the cubic Bogdanov–Takens normal form for realistic values of parameters. Furthermore, we explicitly calculate the quadratic coefficient of the BT normal form for a generic CB model, obtaining that by constraining the theoretical I-V curve’s curvature to match experimental observations, the normal form appears to be naturally cubic. We propose the cubic BT normal form as a robust minimal model for single neuron dynamics that can be derived from biophysically-realistic CB models.
Epidemiology of Unintentional Child Injuries in the Makwanpur District of Nepal: A Household Survey
Authors: Pant Puspa , Towner Elizabeth , Ellis Matthew , Manandhar Dharma , Pilkington Paul , Mytton Julie
Published: November 2015

Secondary sources of information indicate that the proportion of child deaths due to injuries is increasing in Nepal. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of unintentional injuries in children, explore risk factors and estimate the burden faced by families and the community in the Makwanpur district. We conducted a household survey in Makwanpur, covering 3441 households. Injuries that occurred during the 12 months before the survey and required treatment or caused the child to be unable to take part in usual activities for three or more days were included. We identified 193 cases of non-fatal unintentional child injuries from 181 households and estimated an annual rate of non-fatal injuries of 24.6/1000 children; rates for boys were double (32.7/1000) that for girls (16.8/1000). The rates were higher among the children of age groups 1–4 years and 5–9 years. Falls were the most common cause of non-fatal child injuries followed by burns in preschool children and road traffic injuries were the most likely cause in adolescence. Mean period of disability following injury was 25 days. The rates and the mechanisms of injury vary by age and gender. Falls and burns are currently the most common mechanisms of injury amongst young children around rural homes.
Potential Threats Posed by New or Emerging Marine Biotoxins in UK Waters and Examination of Detection Methodologies Used for Their Control: Cyclic Imines
Authors: Davidson Keith , Baker Clothilde , Higgins Cowan , Higman Wendy , Swan Sarah , Veszelovszki Andrea , Turner Andrew
Published: November 2015

Cyclic imines (CIs) are a group of phytoplankton produced toxins related to shellfish food products, some of which are already present in UK and European waters. Their risk to shellfish consumers is poorly understood, as while no human intoxication has been definitively related to this group, their fast acting toxicity following intraperitoneal injection in mice has led to concern over their human health implications. A request was therefore made by UK food safety authorities to examine these toxins more closely to aid possible management strategies. Of the CI producers only the spirolide producer Alexandrium ostenfeldii is known to exist in UK waters at present but trends in climate change may lead to increased risk from other organisms/CI toxins currently present elsewhere in Europe and in similar environments worldwide. This paper reviews evidence concerning the prevalence of CIs and CI-producing phytoplankton, together with testing methodologies. Chemical, biological and biomolecular methods are reviewed, including recommendations for further work to enable effective testing. Although the focus here is on the UK, from a strategic standpoint many of the topics discussed will also be of interest in other parts of the world since new and emerging marine biotoxins are of global concern.
Generation of Oil Droplets in a Non-Newtonian Liquid Using a Microfluidic T-Junction
Authors: Chiarello Enrico , Derzsi Ladislav , Pierno Matteo , Mistura Giampaolo , Piccin Evandro
Published: November 2015

We have compared the formation of oil drops in Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids in a T-junction microfluidic device. As Newtonian fluids, we used aqueous solutions of glycerol, while as non-Newtonian fluids we prepared aqueous solutions of xanthan, a stiff rod-like polysaccharide, which exhibit strong shear-thinning effects. In the squeezing regime, the formation of oil droplets in glycerol solutions is found to scale with the ratio of the dispersed flow rate to the continuous one and with the capillary number associated to the continuous phase. Switching to xanthan solutions does not seem to significantly alter the droplet formation process. Any quantitative difference with respect to the Newtonian liquid can be accounted for by a suitable choice of the capillary number, corresponding to an effective xanthan viscosity that depends on the flow rates. We have deduced ample variations in the viscosity, on the order of 10 and more, during normal operation conditions of the T-junction. This allowed estimating the actual shear rates experienced by the xanthan solutions, which go from tens to hundreds of s−1.
Assessment of Diet and Physical Activity in Paediatric Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Patients: A United Kingdom Case Control Study
Authors: Gibson Philippa , Lang Sarah , Gilbert Marianne , Kamat Deepa , Bansal Sanjay , Ford-Adams Martha , Desai Ashish , Dhawan Anil , Fitzpatrick Emer , Moore J. , Hart Kathryn
Published: November 2015

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in children, with prevalence rising alongside childhood obesity rates. This study aimed to characterise the habitual diet and activity behaviours of children with NAFLD compared to obese children without liver disease in the United Kingdom (UK). Twenty-four biopsy-proven paediatric NAFLD cases and eight obese controls without biochemical or radiological evidence of NAFLD completed a 24-h dietary recall, a Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ), a Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) and a 7-day food and activity diary (FAD), in conjunction with wearing a pedometer. Groups were well matched for age and gender. Obese children had higher BMI z-scores (p = 0.006) and BMI centiles (p = 0.002) than participants with NAFLD. After adjusting for multiple hypotheses testing and controlling for differences in BMI, no differences in macro- or micronutrient intake were observed as assessed using either 24-h recall or 7-day FAD (p > 0.001). Under-reporting was prevalent (NAFLD 75%, Obese Control 87%: p = 0.15). Restrained eating behaviours were significantly higher in the NAFLD group (p = 0.005), who also recorded more steps per day than the obese controls (p = 0.01). In conclusion, this is the first study to assess dietary and activity patterns in a UK paediatric NAFLD population. Only a minority of cases and controls were meeting current dietary and physical activity recommendations. Our findings do not support development of specific dietary/ physical activity guidelines for children with NAFLD; promoting adherence with current general paediatric recommendations for health should remain the focus of clinical management.
Feral Information Systems Creation as Sensemaking
Authors: Houghton Luke , Kerr Don
Published: November 2015

This paper discussed the role of actors in creating their own sensemaking devices as Feral Information Systems. In particular, we explore how Feral Information Systems (FIS) are actually a creative way to work around complex information systems and need to be acknowledged as such. We use the sensemaking framework to explore how new FIS are developed as a sensemaking device in order assist in daily important tasks. We conclude with suggestions for future research.
A Venom Gland Extracellular Chitin-Binding-Like Protein from Pupal Endoparasitoid Wasps, Pteromalus Puparum, Selectively Binds Chitin
Authors: Zhu Yu , Ye Xin-Hai , Liu Yang , Yan Zhi-Chao , Stanley David , Ye Gong-Yin , Fang Qi
Published: November 2015

Chitin-binding proteins (CBPs) are present in many species and they act in a variety of biological processes. We analyzed a Pteromalus puparum venom apparatus proteome and transcriptome and identified a partial gene encoding a possible CBP. Here, we report cloning a full-length cDNA of a sequence encoding a chitin-binding-like protein (PpCBP) from P. puparum, a pupal endoparasitoid of Pieris rapae. The cDNA encoded a 96-amino-acid protein, including a secretory signal peptide and a chitin-binding peritrophin-A domain. Phylogenetic analysis of chitin binding domains (CBDs) of cuticle proteins and peritrophic matrix proteins in selected insects revealed that the CBD of PpCBP clustered with the CBD of Nasonia vitripennis. The PpCBP is specifically expressed in the venom apparatus of P. puparum, mostly in the venom gland. PpCBP expression was highest at day one after adult eclosion and much lower for the following five days. We produced a recombinant PpCBP and binding assays showed the recombinant protein selectively binds chitin but not cellulose in vitro. We infer that PpCBP serves a structural role in the venom reservoir, or may be injected into the host to help wound healing of the host exoskeleton.
Major Hydraulic Projects, Coalitions and Conflict. Seville’s Harbour and the Dredging of the Guadalquivir (Spain)
Authors: Vargas Jesús , Paneque Pilar
Published: November 2015

Major hydraulic projects have a long tradition in Spain and must be contextualised within the framework of the so-called “hydraulic paradigm”, according to which demand must be met with a sustained increase in supply. These large projects, which include but are not limited to the construction of large reservoirs, share a series of characteristics: their implementation relies on state economic and ideological support, their socioeconomic impact tends to be overestimated, their cost tends to be underestimated, they are presented as politically neutral, and they are the source of socio-environmental conflict. In order to gain a better understanding of this, we analyse the conflict generated by the dredging of the Guadalquivir River (Proyecto de Mejora de Accesos Marítimos al Puerto de Sevilla—MAM), a project aimed at improving navigability and access to the harbour of Seville (Spain). This project has highlighted the tensions underlying decision-making processes which pitch hegemonic policy makers against the rest of the stakeholders, as well as the lack of integrative and adaptive perspectives, institutional transparency and effective participation of all stakeholders in hydraulic policies.
Au nanoparticle-based sensor for apomorphine detection in plasma
Authors: Zanchi Chiara , Lucotti Andrea , Tommasini Matteo , Trusso Sebastiano , de Grazia Ugo , Ciusani Emilio , Ossi Paolo M
Published: November 2015

Artificially roughened gold surfaces with controlled nanostructure produced by pulsed laser deposition have been investigated as sensors for apomorphine detection aiming at clinical application. The use of such gold surfaces has been optimized using aqueous solutions of apomorphine in the concentration range between 3.3 × 10−4 M and 3.3 × 10−7 M. The experimental parameters have been investigated and the dynamic concentration range of the sensor has been assessed by the selection of two apomorphine surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) peaks. The sensor behavior used to detect apomorphine in unfiltered human blood plasma is presented and discussed.
Influence of wide band gap oxide substrates on the photoelectrochemical properties and structural disorder of CdS nanoparticles grown by the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method
Authors: Malashchonak Mikalai V , Mazanik Alexander V , Korolik Olga V , Streltsov Еugene А , Kulak Anatoly I
Published: November 2015

The photoelectrochemical properties of nanoheterostructures based on the wide band gap oxide substrates (ZnO, TiO2, In2O3) and CdS nanoparticles deposited by the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method have been studied as a function of the CdS deposition cycle number (N). The incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) passes through a maximum with the increase of N, which is ascribed to the competition between the increase in optical absorption and photocarrier recombination. The maximal IPCE values for the In2O3/CdS and ZnO/CdS heterostructures are attained at N ≈ 20, whereas for TiO2/CdS, the appropriate N value is an order of magnitude higher. The photocurrent and Raman spectroscopy studies of CdS nanoparticles revealed the occurrence of the quantum confinement effect, demonstrating the most rapid weakening with the increase of N in ZnO/CdS heterostructures. The structural disorder of CdS nanoparticles was characterized by the Urbach energy (EU), spectral width of the CdS longitudinal optical (LO) phonon band and the relative intensity of the surface optical (SO) phonon band in the Raman spectra. Maximal values of EU (100–120 meV) correspond to СdS nanoparticles on a In2O3 surface, correlating with the fact that the CdS LO band spectral width and intensity ratio for the CdS SO and LO bands are maximal for In2O3/CdS films. A notable variation in the degree of disorder of CdS nanoparticles is observed only in the initial stages of CdS growth (several tens of deposition cycles), indicating the preservation of the nanocrystalline state of CdS over a wide range of SILAR cycles.
Analytical model of composite floors with steel fibre reinforced concrete slab subjected to fire
Authors: GOREMIKINS Vadims , ŠEJNOHA Jiří , WALD František , BEDNÁŘ Jan
Published: November 2015

Under fire, membrane action plays an important role in the performance of slabs subjected to large deflections. In this paper, a new model is proposed based on a proper approximation of horizontal displacements for a simply sup­ported composite slab. The novelty of the proposed approach consists in a special treatment of the system of shape func­tions for the “in-plane” displacements. Moreover, a load applied to the slab is divided into two components, so that one component is balanced by the membrane forces, while the second one is transmitted by the bending forces (including transfer of shear and moment). The deflection due to thermal elongations is replaced by the identical deflection caused by a fictitious load. Unknown parameters are calculated using the principle of virtual displacements. The effectiveness of the model is validated by the results obtained from experiments.
Characterization of H5N1 influenza A virus that caused the first highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al-Qahtani Ahmed Ali , Mubin Muhammad , Almajhdi Fahad N. , Alarifi Saud , Dela Cruz Damian M. , Rehman Muhammad Shah Nawaz ul , Ismail Mahmoud Moussa , Ahmed Nisar , Al-Blowi Mohamed H. , Khalak Hanif , Al-Ahdal Mohammed N.
Published: November 2015

Introduction: Saudi Arabia (SA) experienced a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 outbreak in domesticated birds in 2007. Methodology: Forty-three hemagglutinin (HA) and 41 neuraminidase (NA) genes of HPAI H5N1 viruses were sequenced and phylogenetic analyses of completely sequenced genes were performed to compare with other viral HA and NA gene sequences available in the public databases. Results: Molecular characterization of the H5N1 viruses revealed two genetically distinct clades, 2.2.2 and 2.3.1, of H5N1 viruses circulating in the area. Amino acid sequence analysis of the HA gene indicated that the virus from 2.2.2 contained the sequence SPQGERRRK-R/G at the cleavage site, while the virus from 2.3.1 contained the sequence SPQRERRRK-R/G. Additionally, a few mutations with amino acid substitutions such as M226I at N-link glycosylation site were identified in two of these isolates. Amino acid sequence of the NA gene showed a 20-amino-acid deletion in the NA stalk region, required for enhanced virulence of influenza viruses and its adaptation from wild birds to domestic chickens. As close contact between humans and birds is unavoidable, there is a need for a thorough understanding of the virus epidemiology, factors affecting the spread of the virus, and molecular characterization such as phylogeny and substitution rates of H5N1 viruses circulating in the region. Conclusion: Two genetically distinct clades were found to be circulating in the country, which could likely result in recombination and emergence of more virulent viral strains. These findings could be helpful for the authorities devising control measures against these viruses.
Neurologic melioidosis presented as encephalomyelitis and subdural collection in two male labourers in India
Authors: Saravu Kavitha , Kadavigere Rajagopal , Shastry Ananthakrishna Barkur , Pai Rohit , Mukhopadhyay Chiranjay
Published: November 2015

Two distinct and potentially deceitful cases of neurologic melioidosis are reported. Case 1: A 39-year-old alcoholic and uncontrolled diabetic male presented with cough, fever, and left focal seizures with secondary generalization. An magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan revealed a small peripherally enhancing subdural collection along the interhemispheric fissure suggestive of minimal subdural empyema. Blood culture grew Burkholderia pseudomallei. Patient was diagnosed with disseminated bacteraemic melioidosis with subdural empyema. He was successfully treated with ceftazidime-cotrimoxazole-doxycycline. Case 2: A 45-year-old male presented with left lower limb weakness, difficulty in passing urine and stool, and back pain radiating to lower limbs. Neurological examination revealed flaccid left lower limb with absent deep tendon reflexes and plantar reflex. Spinal MRI showed T2 hyperintensity from D9 to L1 suggestive of demyelination. Patient was treated with high dose methylprednisolone. By day 3 of steroid treatment, lower limb weakness progressed. Subsequent MRI showed extensive cord hyperintensity on T2 weighted sequence extending from C5 to conus medullaris consistent with demyelination. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture grew B. pseudomallei, and the patient was given meropenem-cotrimoxazole. After three weeks of parenteral treatment, the lower limbs remained paralyzed. Patient was discharged on oral cotrimoxazole-doxycycline. Conclusions: Melioidosis should be considered as a differential in focal suppurative central nervous system (CNS) lesions, meningoencephalitis, or encephalomyelitis in endemic areas. CNS infections must be ruled out prior to steroid administration. The role of corticosteroids in demyelinating CNS melioidosis has been refuted. This is a rare documentation of effect of unintentional corticosteroid treatment in melioidosis.