bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying and Mitigating the Risks of Shallow Flow in Deepwater Cementing Operations
Authors: Bogaerts M.. , DeBruijn G. G. , Moretti F.. , Voon E..
Published: June 2012

Deepwater cementing poses many challenges across the world as drilling operations move towards greater water depths. The Deepwater Cementing Review Team (SPE WVS 035), gathered to provide oversight to the deepwater cementing job programs within the corporation and to insure they meet the industry standards, has reviewed so far more than 1200 jobs spread over 30 countries worldwide. About 10% of the reviewed jobs are riser-less surface casing cement jobs.

When present, shallow flow is one of the biggest risks in cementing surface casings. Not achieving zonal isolation can result in the loss of the well or expensive remedial work. Early identification of potential shallow flow is crucial as it gives time to optimize the cement job following industry best practices, such as API RP 65 and API ST 65 – Part 2.

Three important factors for a successful cement job in case of shallow flow are proper centralization, good mud removal and slurry selection. If shallow flow is present, the surface casing must be properly centralized to achieve flow around the entire casing. Conventional cement systems are widely and successfully used for surface casings. However, if shallow flow is identified, more advanced cement systems, such as foam cement or optimized particle-size distribution cement, are used.

Zonal isolation of shallow flow zones can be obtained through cementation when the engineering guidelines are followed and focus is placed on proper design and execution. A statistical analysis of the surface casing designs reviewed shows the risk of shallow gas and demonstrates that shallow flow can be prevented, after the flow potential is identified. The key is early identification of shallow flow and open discussion between the operator and the service company.
A risk assessment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in swimming pools: a review
Authors: Rice Scott A. , van den Akker Ben , Pomati Francesco , Roser David
Published: June 2012

Despite routine monitoring and disinfection, treated swimming pools are frequently contaminated with the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can represent a significant public health threat. This review was undertaken to identify the current understanding of risk factors associated with pool operation with respect to P. aeruginosa. The ecology and factors that promote growth of P. aeruginosa in the pool environment are complex and dynamic and so we applied a systematic risk assessment approach to integrate existing data, with the aim to improve pool management and safety. Sources of P. aeruginosa, types of infections, dose responses, routes of transmission, as well as the efficacy of current disinfectant treatments were reviewed. This review also highlights the critical knowledge gaps that are required for a more robust, quantitative risk assessment of P. aeruginosa. Quantitative risk management strategies have been successfully applied to drinking water systems and should similarly be amenable to developing a better understanding of the risk posed by P. aeruginosa in swimming pools.
Importance of strain type to predict the toxicological risk associated with Microcystis aeruginosa blooms: comparison of Microtox® analysis and immunoassay
Authors: D'ors A. , Bartolomé M. C. , Sánchez-Fortún S.
Published: June 2012

The occurrence of toxic cyanobacterial blooms in aquatic environments, associated with human health problems and animal deaths, has increased the need for rapid, reliable and sensitive methods to determine the toxicity of microcystin produced by cyanobacteria. An in vitro Microtox® system and a commercially available microcystin ELISA were used to screen out the potential risk associated with selected Microcystis aeruginosa strains (Ma1D–Ma8D). Results showed the existence of three differentiated groups in the selected M. aeruginosa strains. Strains Ma7D and Ma6D were determined to be very toxic, strains Ma2D, Ma1D and Ma5D as moderately toxic and strains Ma8D, Ma4D and MA3D as non-toxic. These results agreed with the microcystin concentration values obtained by immunoassay. Although the data obtained by other authors clearly show that Microtox® is not sensitive to microcystins, our results suggested that this bioluminescence assay may prove useful in the preliminary screening of cyanobacterial blooms for microcystin-based toxicity. Additionally, the combination of immunodetection and toxicity-based Microtox® provides a useful addition to the methods already available for detection of cyanobacterial toxins.
Composition and stability of bacterial communities associated with granular activated carbon and anthracite filters in a pilot scale municipal drinking water treatment facility
Authors: Shirey T. B. , Thacker R. W. , Olson J. B.
Published: June 2012

Granular activated carbon (GAC) is an alternative filter substrate for municipal water treatment as it provides a high surface area suitable for microbial colonization. The resulting microbial growth promotes biodegradation of organic materials and other contaminants from influent waters. Here, the community structure of the bacteria associated with three GAC and two anthracite filters was examined over 12 months to monitor changes in community composition. Nearly complete 16S rRNA genes were polymerase chain reaction amplified for terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analyses. The identity of commonly occurring peaks was determined through the construction of five representative 16S rRNA clone libraries. Based on sequence analysis, the bacterial communities associated with both anthracite and GAC filters appear to be composed of environmentally derived bacteria, with no known human pathogens. Analysis of similarity tests revealed that significant differences in bacterial community structure occurred over time, with filter substrate playing an important role in determining community composition. GAC filters exhibited the greatest degree of bacterial community variability over the sampling period, while anthracite filters showed a lower degree of variability and less change in community composition. Thus, GAC may be a suitable biologically active filter substrate for the treatment of municipal drinking water.
A time series study of drug sales and turbidity of tap water in Le Havre, France
Authors: Beaudeau Pascal , Le Tertre Alain , Zeghnoun Abdelkrim , Zanobetti Antonella , Schwartz Joel
Published: June 2012

The 80,000 inhabitants of the lower part of Le Havre obtain their water supply from two karstic springs, Radicatel and Saint-Laurent. Until 2000, the Radicatel water was settled when turbidity exceeded 3 NTU, then filtered and chlorinated, whereas the Saint-Laurent water was simply chlorinated. Our study aimed to characterize the link between water turbidity and the incidence of acute gastroenteritis (AGE). Records on drug sales used for the treatment of AGE were collected from January 1994 to June 1996 (period 1) and from March 1997 to July 2000 (period 2). Daily counts of drug sales were modeled using a Poisson Regression. We used data set 2 as a discovery set, identifying relevant (i.e. both significant and plausible) exposure covariates and lags. We then tested this model on period 1 as a replication dataset. In period 2, the daily drug sales correlated with finished water turbidity at both resources. Settling substantially modified the risk related to turbidity of both raw and finished waters at Radicatel. Correlations were reproducible in period 1 for water from the Radicatel spring. Timeliness of treatment adaptation to turbidity conditions appears to be crucial for reducing the infectious risk due to karstic waters.
Context-Bounded Analysis For Concurrent Programs With Dynamic Creation of Threads
Authors: Atig Mohamed Faouzi , Bouajjani Ahmed , Qadeer Shaz
Published: June 2012

Context-bounded analysis has been shown to be both efficient and effective at
finding bugs in concurrent programs. According to its original definition,
context-bounded analysis explores all behaviors of a concurrent program up to
some fixed number of context switches between threads. This definition is
inadequate for programs that create threads dynamically because bounding the
number of context switches in a computation also bounds the number of threads
involved in the computation. In this paper, we propose a more general
definition of context-bounded analysis useful for programs with dynamic thread
creation. The idea is to bound the number of context switches for each thread
instead of bounding the number of switches of all threads. We consider several
variants based on this new definition, and we establish decidability and
complexity results for the analysis induced by them.
A note on the expressive power of linear orders
Authors: Schwentick Thomas , Schweikardt Nicole
Published: June 2012

This article shows that there exist two particular linear orders such that
first-order logic with these two linear orders has the same expressive power as
first-order logic with the Bit-predicate FO(Bit). As a corollary we obtain that
there also exists a built-in permutation such that first-order logic with a
linear order and this permutation is as expressive as FO(Bit).
Timed Parity Games: Complexity and Robustness
Authors: Chatterjee Krishnendu , Henzinger Thomas A. , Prabhu Vinayak S.
Published: June 2012

We consider two-player games played in real time on game structures with
clocks where the objectives of players are described using parity conditions.
The games are \emph{concurrent} in that at each turn, both players
independently propose a time delay and an action, and the action with the
shorter delay is chosen. To prevent a player from winning by blocking time, we
restrict each player to play strategies that ensure that the player cannot be
responsible for causing a zeno run. First, we present an efficient reduction of
these games to \emph{turn-based} (i.e., not concurrent) \emph{finite-state}
(i.e., untimed) parity games. Our reduction improves the best known complexity
for solving timed parity games. Moreover, the rich class of algorithms for
classical parity games can now be applied to timed parity games. The states of
the resulting game are based on clock regions of the original game, and the
state space of the finite game is linear in the size of the region graph.
Second, we consider two restricted classes of strategies for the player that
represents the controller in a real-time synthesis problem, namely,
\emph{limit-robust} and \emph{bounded-robust} winning strategies. Using a
limit-robust winning strategy, the controller cannot choose an exact
real-valued time delay but must allow for some nonzero jitter in each of its
actions. If there is a given lower bound on the jitter, then the strategy is
bounded-robust winning. We show that exact strategies are more powerful than
limit-robust strategies, which are more powerful than bounded-robust winning
strategies for any bound. For both kinds of robust strategies, we present
efficient reductions to standard timed automaton games. These reductions
provide algorithms for the synthesis of robust real-time controllers.
Prediction of electric conductivity for ionic liquids by two chemometrics methods
Authors: Cao Yu , Yu Jia , Song Hang , Wang Xianlong , Yao Shun
Published: June 2012

In recent years, the study of properties of ionic liquids (ILs) and their
structures has developed to a great extent. Among the common physicochemical
properties of pure ILs, electric conductivity (EC) is of crucial importance
for both practical and fundamental levels. In order to develop effective
models for predicting EC value of various ILs, the relationship between the
structural descriptors and the EC of thirty-five ionic liquids at different
temperatures has been investigated by multi linear regression (MLR) and back
propagation artificial neural network (ANN), respectively. As a result, a
three layer ANN with four variables selected by MLR model as input node was
set up successfully. The descriptors selected by MLR were suitable and
significant to be the input nodes of the ANN model in this study. And the
calculated ionic conductivities by ANN model with high correlation
coefficient and low root mean squared error were quantitative in good
agreement with the experimental values, and it was proved better than the MLR
model.
Common Worlds: Reconceptualising Inclusion in Early Childhood Communities
Authors: Taylor Affrica , Giugni Miriam
Published: June 2012

‘Common worlds' is a conceptual framework developed to reconceptualise inclusion in early childhood communities. Common worlds take account of children's relations with all the others in their worlds — including the more-than-human others. The ethics and politics of living together in these common worlds is the central concern of this article. The article begins by charting the interdisciplinary scholarship that has inspired the development of this worlds framework. In particular, the authors acknowledge those feminist relational theorists and philosophers who have helped then to de-centre their understandings of the human (and hence the child), and to refresh their thinking about human/more-than-human relations. Place is also pivotal to an understanding of common worlds, as it is the locus of human and more-than-human differences and relations. In the second half of the article, the authors build upon the traditions of place-attuned pedagogies to suggest that common worlds, like places, are inherently pedagogical. They propose that common worlds is both a generative framework for reconceptualising childhood, and a pedagogical opportunity for practising a politically attuned and non-human-centric ethics of inclusion within early childhood.
Encounters with a Life(Less) Baby Doll: Rethinking Relations of Agency through a Collectively Lived Moment
Authors: MacRae Christina
Published: June 2012

This article reflects on the significance of a series of encounters with a baby doll in an early years' classroom during an artist residency. The article takes an event when a small group of children encounter a baby doll as its starting point. By connecting this shared lived moment with Deleuze and Guattari's idea of machinic production and collective enunciation three significant shifts in the author's thinking occur. First, accepted notions of agency are called into question. Second, the boundary between adult artistic production and children's productions become entangled so that both ‘child’ and ‘adult’ are decentred at key moments. Third, distinctions between object and human are dissolved so that boundary marking between things and people also becomes complicated.
Audit Quality and the Trade-Off between Accretive Stock Repurchases and Accrual-Based Earnings Management
Authors: Burnett Brian M. , Cripe Bradrick M. , Martin Gregory W. , McAllister Brian P.
Published: June 2012

We examine whether audit quality affects the trade-off between accrual-based and real earnings management. We hypothesize that firms motivated to manage earnings per share (EPS) to meet or beat consensus analysts' forecasts are more likely to engage in accretive stock repurchases (a form of real earnings management) when their ability to manage earnings through accruals is constrained by high audit quality. We find that firms with high audit quality are more likely to use accretive stock repurchases and less likely to use accrual-based earnings management to meet or beat consensus analysts' forecasts. Our results are robust to various controls for endogeneity concerns.
Effect of oral administration of pimobendan in cats with heart failure
Authors: Gordon Sonya G. , Saunders Ashley B. , Roland Risa M. , Winter Randolph L. , Drourr Lori , Achen Sarah E. , Hariu Crystal D. , Fries Ryan C. , Boggess May M. , Miller Matthew W.
Published: June 2012

Objective—To determine the effect of PO administration of pimobendan on clinical and echocardiographic variables and survival time in cats with heart failure characterized by ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Design—Retrospective cohort study.

Animals—27 client-owned cats (16 male and 11 female) with heart failure, treated with pimobendan (mean ± SD dosage, 0.26 ± 0.08 mg/kg [0.118 ± 0.036 mg/lb], PO, q 12 h).

Procedures—Information on medical history, laboratory results, diagnostic imaging findings, treatments received, and survival time were obtained from medical records of cats that received pimobendan because of cardiac disease. When possible, additional follow-up information was obtained through telephone interviews with referring veterinarians and owners.

Results—The mean ± SD age of all 27 cats was 8.9 ± 5.2 years. All cats had received several cardiac medications. Types of heart disease represented included unclassified cardiomyopathy (CM; n = 11 [41%]), dilated CM (8 [30%]), arrhythmogenic right ventricular CM (4 [15%]), congenital heart disease (3 [11 %]), and hypertrophic CM with regional hypokinesis (1 [4%]). All cats had ventricular systolic dysfunction. One cat with systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve became severely hypotensive after initial administration of pimobendan and was excluded from the survival analysis. Median survival time was 167 days (95% confidence interval, 32 to 339 days).

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Pimobendan appeared to be well tolerated in cats with heart failure characterized by ventricular systolic dysfunction of various etiologies. Cats with systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve may develop systemic hypotension when treated with pimobendan. Additional studies are needed to establish dosages for pimobendan and its effects before it can be recommended for treatment of cats with CHF.
Increase of biogas production from pretreated hay and leaves using wood-rotting fungi
Authors: Mackuľak Tomáš , Prousek Josef , Švorc Ľubomír , Drtil Miloslav
Published: June 2012

Wood-decaying mushrooms can be applied for the pretreatment of lignocellulosic substrates such as leaves, hay and straw. The use of wood-decaying fungus Auricularia auricula-judae for the decomposition of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) leaves and hay is discussed in the proposed paper. Such pretreated substrate was employed in the anaerobic processes for biogas production. Comparison of pretreated and non-pretreated substrate revealed that an increase of 15 % in the biogas production can be achieved using the pretreated substrate. Composition of organic compounds in the sludge during the anaerobic process was identified by HPLC. The obtained results show that the utilization of pretreated leaves and hay leads to a gradual increase of the concentration of formic, acetic, and volatile fatty acids as well as to the formation of some aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols.
Analysis of prescription and consumption of medicines in children and adolescents
Authors: Lehocká Ľ. , Fulmeková M. , Masaryková L.
Published: June 2012

Analysis of prescription and consumption of medicines in children and adolescents

In our study we analysed the prescription and consumption of medicines in children and adolescents. A total of 5200 medical prescriptions realized by a community pharmacy were evaluated. By selection of medical prescriptions prescribed to patients in the age group of up to 18 years of age a study group of 233 prescriptions was made. The group was identified by age and sex of the patients. In the group of prescriptions we analysed the incidence of individual diagnoses and consumption of medicines from different points of view, according to age, sex and rate of individual diagnoses according to the ATC system. Based on our analysis it was concluded, that the most frequent diseases affecting children and adolescents are diseases of the respiratory system, diseases of the ear and mastoid process, digestive system and skin diseases. With the exception of diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, the incidence of all diseases is quite similar in both sexes. In the present, the consumption of prescription medicines used by children and adolescents is still very high mainly in the age group from 7 to 15 years of age.
Thermal diffusivity measurement of copper nanofluid using pulsed laser thermal lens technique
Authors: Zamiri R. , Azmi B. Z. , Shahril Husin M. , Zamiri G. , Ahangar H. A. , Rizwan Z.
Published: June 2012

The pulsed laser thermal lens technique was used to study the thermal diffusivity of fluids containing copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) prepared by γ-irradiation method. The samples were prepared for the different concentrations of Cu precursor at 20.KGy dose. A Q-switched Nd-YAG pulsed laser of wavelength 532.nm was used as an excitation source and He-Ne laser was used as a probe beam in the present thermal lens experiment. It was found that the thermal diffusivity of the solution depends on the density of Cu-NPs.
Assembling and Dissembling
Authors: Koyama Jill P. , Varenne Hervé
Published: June 2012

In this piece, the authors examine educational policy by focusing on the ways in which actors “play” or selectively follow, negotiate, and appropriate cultural instructions and rules. They outline a framework that situates assemblage, a notion utilized in actor-network theory, within the critical cultural study of policy. Treating policy assemblage as a dynamic cultural form, they argue, provides a way of revealing the complexities of sociomaterial connections inherent to policy implementation. The authors pay particular attention to what happens when disparate actors join together to perform policy-directed tasks. It is within these heterogeneous and hybrid linkages that policy negotiations and controversies can become productive play. The authors briefly discuss the dynamic composition of productive policy play. Then, applying it to a controversy revealed in the ethnographic analysis of No Child Left Behind conducted by the first author, they demonstrate the framework’s usefulness in considering the sociocultural processes of policy in action.
Clinicohistopathological Correlation in Leprosy
Authors: Mathur M C , Ghimire R B K , Shrestha P , Kedia S K
Published: June 2012

Background Leprosy is a chronic, infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It is classified into five groups based on clinical, histological, microbiological and immunological criteria (Ridley & Jopling Classification). However, a great variation has been observed in the interpretation of histopathological examination ok skin biopsies and clinical presentation of the disease. Objective To correlate clinical diagnosis with histopathological diagnosis of leprosy patients in Nepal. Methods A retrospective hospital-based study was conducted among patients with all clinical types of leprosy, classified as per the Ridley-Jopling classification. Skin biopsies were taken from active lesions in all patients and were stained with Hematoxylin & Eosin stain and modified Fite-Ferraco stain for identification of Mycobacterium leprae. The histopathological findings were compared with clinical diagnoses. Results A total 156 patients were studied, out of which 84 (53.8%) males and 72 (46.1%) females between 8 and 86 years of age. The majority of patients 33 (23.57%) were in the age group of 21-30 years and least affected was children below 10 years 1(0.007%).Overall coincidence of clinical and histopathological diagnoses of classification was seen in 115 cases (80.4%). The maximum correlation (95.2%) was noted in LL patients (p value 0.000049) followed by BT(89.74%), TT (73.2%), BL(72.4%), BB(64.7%). Conclusion Leprosy still continues to be one of the common infectious disease in Nepal and skin biopsy is a useful tool in confirming the clinical diagnosis of leprosy as well as for the therapeutic guide. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/kumj.v9i4.6338 Kathmandu Univ Med J 2011;9(4):248-51
Prevalance of Noise Induced Hearing Loss among Traffic Police Personnel of Kathmandu Metropolitan City
Authors: Shrestha I , Shrestha B L , Pokharel M , Amatya R C M , Karki D R
Published: June 2012

Background Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a major preventable occupational health hazard. Objective To measure permanent threshold shift in traffic police personnel due to noise exposure and to examine whether it was associated with duration of noise exposure, years of work and risk factors. Methods Cross sectional, descriptive study conducted at Dhulikhel hospital, Kathmandu University Hospital in 110 responding traffic police personnel. Detailed history and clinical examination of ear, impedence audiometry and pure tone audiometry was performed. Results Mean age group was 29.82 years; 82(74.5%) were males and 28 (25.5%) were females. Mean duration of service is 11.86 years. Twenty six (23.6%) had tinnitus and 39(35.5%) had blocked sensation in ear. Sixty five (59.1%) worked between 10-19 years. Alcohol and smoking shows positive impact on NIHL (p value =0.00). Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval were 4.481 (1.925-10.432) and 6.578 (2.306-18.764) respectively. Among 73(66.4%) noise induced hearing loss positive cases, bilateral involvement was seen in 45 (40.9%) and unilateral in 28(25.4 %) cases. Among unilateral cases most were left sided. Hearing threshold at 4 kHz increased according to age and duration of service. Conclusion Traffic police personnel are in constant risk of noise induced hearing loss. Screening for hearing loss is recommended for people exposed to noise.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/kumj.v9i4.6343 Kathmandu Univ Med J 2011;9(4):274-8
Outcome of Head Injury Patients Undergoing Surgical Management: A Tertiary Level Experience
Authors: Shrestha A , Joshi R M , Thapa A , Devkota U P , Gongal D N
Published: June 2012

Background Head injury is the major cause of death in a neurosurgical patient. Objective To find the outcome, and treatment modality affecting the outcome in patients with head injury. Methods Nine hundred eighty seven patients presenting to National Institute of Neurological and Allied Sciences, Kathmandu, with head injury from September 2009 to October 2010 were included in the study. Patients were categorized according to post resuscitation Glasgow Coma Score. Outcome was assessed at discharge using Glasgow Outcome Score and analyzed for any correlation with modality of treatment and severity of injury. Results Among 987 patients with head injury,152 (15.4%) had severe, 126 (12.8%) had moderate and 709 (71.8%) had mild head injuries. Three hundred twelve (31.6%) patients required definitive and supportive surgical intervention. One hundred eighty two required cranial surgical intervention. Overall mortality was 10% (99), 137 patients (13.9%) had unfavorable outcome and 850 (86.1%) had favorable Glasgow Outcome Score of 4 and 5. Mortality was 53.2%, 9.5% and 0.8% in severe, moderate and mild head injury group respectively. Mortality rate was significantly higher (64.6%) in severe head injury group managed conservatively than those in same group treated with supportive and definite surgical intervention (44.8%) (p=0.016). Conclusion Mortality in head injury patients depend upon severity of injury. Mortality in severe head injury group can be reduced by supportive and definite surgical intervention.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/kumj.v9i4.6345 Kathmandu Univ Med J 2011;9(4):283-5
Operative Fixation of Displaced Middle Third Clavicle (Edinburg Type 2) Fracture with Superior Reconstruction Plate Osteosynthesis
Authors: Dhoju D , Shrestha D , Parajuli N P , Shrestha R , Sharma V
Published: June 2012

Background Conservative management of middle third clavicle fracture has been recently reported with suboptimal outcomes. Despite higher nonunion rates in initial open reduction and internal fixation, understanding the problem better and taking in accounts of previous shortcomings, such fractures can be optimally treated by open reduction and internal fixation with reconstruction plate. Objective To study the outcome of middle third clavicle fracture treated with superior reconstruction plating in terms of function using Constant shoulder score, union time and rate, complications and patient satisfaction. Methods Twenty patients with displaced middle third clavicle fracture (Edinburg type 2) treated with open reduction and internal fixation with reconstruction plate implanted in superior surface were prospectively followed for at least one year after surgery. Results There were 20 patients, 16 males and 4 females. The mean age of the patients was 31.5 years with SD 11.5 years (range 15-60 years) and 5 patients (25%) had associated injuries. All fractures united in 16 weeks or less in near anatomic position with complication in 2 (5%) patients, one deep infection and one frozen shoulder which on subsequent management recovered well. There was no nonunion or implant failure. The average Constant score was 97.45 in one year follow up and the patients were relatively satisfied with the treatment.The most common indication (25%) for hardware removal was young age of the patient, hardware prominence and occasional discomfort Conclusion This small series shows that displaced midshaft clavicle fracture can be optimally treated with operative fixation implanting the reonstruction plate in superior surface with six cortical purchases on either side and supervised physiotherapy, although subsequent surgery for implant removal might be necessary.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/kumj.v9i4.6346 Kathmandu Univ Med J 2011;9(4):286-90
Comparative Study of 5 % Potassium Hydroxide Solution Versus 0.05% Tretinoin Cream for Molluscum Contagiosum in Children
Authors: Rajouria E A , Amatya A , Karn D
Published: June 2012

Background Molluscum contagiosum is one of the commonest cutaneous viral infections in children. All treatment modalities are associated with substantial pain, tissue destruction, and frequent recurrence. Objectives To compare the efficacy and side effects of KOH 5% solution with tretinoin 0.05% cream for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum in children. Methods Fifty patients were randomly divided into 2 groups; 25 each for 5% KOH solution and 0.05% tretinoin cream. The given medication was applied at bed time over molluscum lesions. The assessment of response and side effects were performed weekly for 4 weeks. Results At the end of 4 weeks, the mean lesion count decreased from 9.48±3.00 SD to 1.67±0.58 SD and from 8.35±2.82 SD to 2.00±1.00 SD in patients treated with 5% KOH solution and 0.05% tretinoin cream respectively. Conclusion The result of both KOH and tretinoin showed good response, well tolerated by children but between the two, KOH showed fast recovery and most lesions were resolved before 4 week. The side effects could be minimized if applied as stated above. On the other hand, tretinoin showed delayed response and even some of lesion extended beyond 4 week but the side effect were less, and hence can be used in recurrent cases.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/kumj.v9i4.6347 Kathmandu Univ Med J 2011;9(4):291-4
Qualitative Research and Its Place in Health Research in Nepal
Authors: Van Teijlingen E , Simkhada B , Porter M , Simkhada P , Pitchforth E , Bhatta P
Published: June 2012

There has been a steady growth in recent decades in Nepal in health and health services research, much of it based on quantitative research methods. Over the same period international medical journals such as The Lancet, the British Medical Journal (BMJ), The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and the Journal of Family Planning & Reproductive Health Care and many more have published methods papers outlining and promoting qualitative methods. This paper argues in favour of more high-quality qualitative research in Nepal, either on its own or as part of a mixed-methods approach, to help strengthen the country’s research capacity. After outlining the reasons for using qualitative methods, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the three main approaches: (a) observation; (b) in-depth interviews; and (c) focus groups. We also discuss issues around sampling, analysis, presentation of findings, reflexivity of the qualitative researcher and theory building, and highlight some misconceptions about qualitative research and mistakes commonly made.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/kumj.v9i4.6350 Kathmandu Univ Med J 2011;9(4):301-5
Adjunctive Orthodontic Treatment with Lingual Orthodontic System
Authors: Kafle D , Humagain M , Upadhaya C
Published: June 2012

The lingual orthodontic therapy though started in 1972, could not be popular till the beginning of 1990. In Nepal it does not have a history of more than a year. It is started in Dhulikhel Hospital for the first time in Nepal. Usually orthodontic therapy is meant for putting braces on the labial surface of the teeth which is called labial orthodontic system. Lingual orthodontic system is a purely invisible kind of orthodontic therapy in which braces are placed behind the teeth. The advantages of lingual orthodontic therapy are: invisibility, better biomechanics and improved patient compliance. On the other hand it is difficult to master and costlier than labial orthodontics. We have presented six adjunctive orthodontic cases treated by lingual system with the same end result comparable to labial orthodontic system. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/kumj.v9i4.6351 Kathmandu Univ Med J 2011;9(4):306-9
Garden/ /Suburbia: Mapping the Non-Aristocratic in Lawrence Park
Authors: Bennett Melanie
Published: June 2012

Garden/ /Suburbia is an mp3-led sound and live performance walk conceived by Melanie Bennett with the collaboration of Hartley Jafine, Aaron Collier, and Andy Houston. A partly site-specific/partly ethnographic performance walk, it took place in and around the north Toronto neighbourhood of Lawrence Park in April 2010 as a workshop and then again in June 2010 for the Performance Studies International conference. The event was a research-led project that combined strategies of auto-ethnography, site-specificity, and participatory practices as an attempt to create a performance that was reflexive and intersubjective. This article will describe how auto-ethnography was used in Garden/ /Suburbia to generate alternative fictions to the uncontested histories and ‘realities’ embedded into Lawrence Park's discourse.
Highway to the Valley
Authors: La Flamme Michelle
Published: June 2012

A performance event celebrating 25 years of Tomson Highway's play The Rez Sisters is used as a sample case to analyse issues of indigeneity, performance and identity for a group of Aboriginal actors, academics and community members. This specific performance event demonstrated how several different communities can coalesce around a single unifying script. In addition, this performance event articulated how the play affected individual Aboriginal women and the event utilised several cultural features that reflected a specific community's protocols. As context, the author considers how institutional support and a policy of indigenization provided the possibility of an academic event to honor one of Canada's most celebrated Aboriginal playwrights.
Fresh Print in Canada
Authors: Alvarez Natalie
Published: June 2012

Fresh Print in Canada (Introduction to Views and Reviews), by Natalie Alvarez

Bienvenue (Review of Erin Hurley, National Performance: Representing Quebec from Expo 67 to Céline Dion), by Jen Harvie

Canada's Feminist Past, Present, and Future (Review of Shelley Scott, Nightwood Theatre: A Woman's Work Is Always Done), by Kim Solga

Taking Root, Routing Talk: Charting the Terrain of Asian Canadian Theatre (Review of Nina Lee Aquino and Ric Knowles, eds., Asian Canadian Theatre: New Essays on Canadian Theatre), by Parie Leung

A Cautionary Tale of Performance Ethnography (Review of Magdalena Kazubowski-Houston, Staging Strife: Lessons from Performing Ethnography with Polish Roma Women), by Brian Rusted
Coupling ice flow models of varying orders of complexity with the Tiling method
Authors: Seroussi Helene , Ben Dhia Hachmi , Morlighem Mathieu , Larour Eric , Rignot Eric , Aubry Denis
Published: June 2012

Ice flow numerical models are essential for predicting the evolution of ice sheets in a warming climate. Recent research emphasizes the need for higher-order and even full-Stokes flow models, instead of the traditional shallow-ice approximation, whose assumptions are not valid in certain critical areas. These higher-order models are, however, computationally intensive and difficult to use at the continental scale. Here we present a new technique, the Tiling method, to couple ice flow models of varying orders of complexity. The goal of the method is to limit the spatial extent of where higherorder models are applied to reduce the computational cost, while maintaining the model precision. We apply this method on synthetic geometries to demonstrate its practical use. We first use a geometry for which all models yield the same results to check the consistency of the method. Then we apply our method to a geometry for which a full-Stokes model is required in the vicinity of the ice front. Our results show that the hybrid models present significant improvements over mono-model approaches and reduce computational times.
Foliar epidermal characters and petiole anatomy of four species of Citrus L. (Rutaceae) in South-western Nigeria
Authors: Ogundare C.S. , Saheed S.A.
Published: June 2012

Studies on the leaf epidermal characters and petiole anatomy of four species of Citrus L. viz., C. limon (L.) Burm., C. paradisi Macf., C. reticulata Blanco and C. sinensis (L.) Osbeck were carried out to establish and document their foliar anatomical characters with the aim of separating them from the modified varieties been cultivated globally. Leaf epidermal features that revealed close relationship among these taxa include hypostomatic condition, stomata shape and type, presence of secretory cavity on the adaxial surface, and polygonal shape of epidermal cells. The absence of secretory cavity on the abaxial surface separates C. limon and C. sinensis from others. Petiole anatomy revealed that the outline is flat without ribs in C. sinensis, convex with short ribs in C. reticulata, convex with long ribs in C. paradisi while in C. limon it is circular without ribs. Presence of trichomes and crystals distinguishes C. paradisi from the rest.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v19i1.10938Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 19(1): 25-31, 2012 (June)
Seedling morphology of four species of Ocimum L. (Lamiaceae) and its taxonomic significance
Authors: Singh Ajai Kumar
Published: June 2012

Not available.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v19i1.10946Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 19(1): 89-92, 2012 (June)
Bibliography of Flora and Ethnobiology in West Bengal by Sunit Mitra
Authors: Alam Md. Khairul
Published: June 2012

Not applicable.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v19i1.10949Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 19(1): 99, 2012 (June)
Guéris-toi toi-même: La réflexivité du jugement dans la Comédie de Mont-de-Marsan de Marguerite de Navarre
Authors: Francis Scott
Published: June 2012

Cette étude propose de réévaluer la Comédie de Mont-de-Marsan, chef-d’œuvre du théâtre profane de Marguerite de Navarre, en se concentrant moins sur le contenu idéologique de la pièce que sur son vocabulaire et son interpellation du spectateur. En traçant le champ lexical du jugement à travers les personnages de la Supersticieuse et la Sage, elle démontre la façon dont la Comédie met en scène l'interdiction biblique de juger son prochain et la difficulté d'obéir à cette interdiction. Le jugement se révèle réflexif: en jugeant le comportement des autres ou même en leur reprochant ce jugement, la Supersticieuse et la Sage se condamnent et témoignent de l'incapacité de l’être humain à gagner le salut par l'adhésion à la doctrine. Le spectateur, invité à juger dès le début de la pièce, est amené à se voir dans ces personnages et à reconnaître sa propre tendance pécheresse à juger.
L'homologue: Bataille et la récriture de soi
Authors: Cornille Jean-Louis
Published: June 2012

It has often been said that Georges Bataille, in his fictional work, experimented with notions such as excess, loss and heterogeneity, notions which are at the core of his philosophical work. A closer look at two of his main narratives, Histoire de l'oeil (1928) and Le Bleu du ciel (1935), allows us to see parallels and repetitive structures that would hint at another tendency at work in his writing: a tendency towards homogenization of the narrative components concerned, in sharp contrast to the forces of heterogeneity.
Ethical Madness? Khady Sylla's Documentary Practice in Une Fenêtre ouverte
Authors: Pugsley Bronwen
Published: June 2012

The Senegalese artist Khady Sylla, most celebrated for her writing, is a highly accomplished filmmaker whose innovative and challenging autobiographical documentary on mental health, Une Fenêtre ouverte (2005), has been the subject of very little academic interest. This paper will read Une Fenêtre ouverte as a poetic, performative, and reflexive autobiographical documentary, focusing in particular on the ethical implications and formal innovations of Khady Sylla's documentary practice. My reading of this film will therefore be primarily informed by the points of tension and ambiguity in the relationship between the filmmaker and her main participant, which require an engagement with the issues of responsibility and consent. I will also demonstrate the significance of this relationship in terms of the self and the therapeutic nature of the autobiographical endeavour. Finally, this essay will highlight innovative formal aspects of Une Fenêtre ouverte, such as the visibility of the apparatus, evidence of staging, and the centrality of self-performance.
Macroautophagy and Cell Responses Related to Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Lipid Metabolism and Unconventional Secretion of Proteins
Authors: Demine Stéphane , Michel Sébastien , Vannuvel Kayleen , Wanet Anaïs , Renard Patricia , Arnould Thierry
Published: June 2012

Macroautophagy has important physiological roles and its cytoprotective or detrimental function is compromised in various diseases such as many cancers and metabolic diseases. However, the importance of autophagy for cell responses has also been demonstrated in many other physiological and pathological situations. In this review, we discuss some of the recently discovered mechanisms involved in specific and unspecific autophagy related to mitochondrial dysfunction and organelle degradation, lipid metabolism and lipophagy as well as recent findings and evidence that link autophagy to unconventional protein secretion.
Making School Happen: Children-Parent-Teacher Collaboration as A Practice of Citizenship
Authors: Sarmento Teresa , Freire Ilda
Published: June 2012

The exercise of citizenship is today understood as a duty and as a right to be enjoyed within any educational context. Within the school, all of its protagonists are invited to exercise practices of citizenship. No one is excluded; even the less important parties have the right to participate in decisions that, for some reason, may have an influence on their academic life. The citizenship of the child is, thus, a challenge to the changing political, social and educational structures, to the transformation of institutions and to cultural renewal. The existence of harmonious relations between the educational community, the school, the children and the family is dependent on everyone’s ability to understand and communicate with each other. Parents and teachers have made a commitment to a fruitful and unison dialogue on behalf of the quality of education. In this article, we set out from an analysis of the new social realities and of the different meanings assigned to education, to afterwards reflect upon the current educational values and upon the practices that are consistent with those purposes. Citizenship, as well as autonomy, rise, thus, as central concepts, in which each educational community finds reasons for Making School Happen.
Two LQRI based Blade Pitch Controls for Wind Turbines
Authors: Park Sungsu , Nam Yoonsu
Published: June 2012

As the wind turbine size has been increasing and their mechanical components are built lighter, the reduction of the structural loads becomes a very important task of wind turbine control in addition to maximum wind power capture. In this paper, we present a separate set of collective and individual pitch control algorithms. Both pitch control algorithms use the LQR control technique with integral action (LQRI), and utilize Kalman filters to estimate system states and wind speed. Compared to previous works in this area, our pitch control algorithms can control rotor speed and blade bending moments at the same time to improve the trade-off between rotor speed regulation and load reduction, while both collective and individual pitch controls can be designed separately. Simulation results show that the proposed collective and individual pitch controllers achieve very good rotor speed regulation and significant reduction of blade bending moments.
The Role of PPARα in Metformin-Induced Attenuation of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Acute Cardiac Ischemia/Reperfusion in Rats
Authors: Barreto-Torres Giselle , Parodi-Rullán Rebecca , Javadov Sabzali
Published: June 2012

Metformin, an anti-diabetic drug, exerts cardioprotection against ischemia-reperfusion (IR) through the activation of AMPK. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these beneficial effects remain elusive. In this study, we examined the role of PPARα in mediating cardioprotective effects of metformin on mitochondria. Hearts of male Sprague-Dawley rats perfused by Langendorff were subjected to IR in the presence or absence of metformin and the PPARα inhibitor, GW6471. IR reduced cardiac function and compromised the structural integrity of cardiac cells evidenced by increased LDH release from the hearts. In addition, IR induced mitochondrial dysfunction as evidenced by reduced respiration and increased mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) opening. However, metformin-treated hearts demonstrated improved post-ischemic recovery of cardiac function and reduced cell death that were associated with increased state 3 respiration at complexes I and II (by 27% and 32%, respectively, both p < 0.05) and decreased PTP opening (by 27%, p < 0.05) compared to untreated hearts. The protective effects of metformin on cardiac function and mitochondria were blocked by GW6471. Thus, our results demonstrate that inhibition of PPARα attenuates the beneficial effects of metformin on mitochondria in acute IR.
Clinical Neuroprotective Drugs for Treatment and Prevention of Stroke
Authors: Kikuchi Kiyoshi , Uchikado Hisaaki , Morioka Motohiro , Murai Yoshinaka , Tanaka Eiichiro
Published: June 2012

Stroke is an enormous public health problem with an imperative need for more effective therapies. In therapies for ischemic stroke, tissue plasminogen activators, antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants are used mainly for their antithrombotic effects. However, free radical scavengers, minocycline and growth factors have shown neuroprotective effects in the treatment of stroke, while antihypertensive drugs, lipid-lowering drugs and hypoglycemic drugs have shown beneficial effects for the prevention of stroke. In the present review, we evaluate the treatment and prevention of stroke in light of clinical studies and discuss new anti-stroke effects other than the main effects of drugs, focusing on optimal pharmacotherapy.