bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ventriculoperitoneal shunt with a rare twist: small-bowel ischemia and necrosis secondary to knotting of peritoneal catheter
Authors: Tan Lee A. , Kasliwal Manish K. , Moftakhar Roham , Munoz Lorenzo F.
Published: July 2014

Small-bowel ischemia and necrosis due to knotting of the peritoneal catheter is an extremely rare complication related to a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS). A 3-month-old girl, with a history of Chiari II malformation and myelomeningocele (MM) after undergoing right occipital VPS insertion and MM repair at birth, presented to the emergency department with a high-grade fever. Examination of a CSF sample obtained via shunt tap raised suspicion for the presence of infection. Antibiotic therapy was initiated, and subsequently the VPS was removed and an external ventricular drain was placed. Intraoperatively, as attempts at pulling the distal catheter from the scalp incision were met with resistance, the distal catheter was cut and left in the abdomen while the remainder of the shunt system was successfully removed. While the patient was awaiting definitive shunt revision surgery to replace the VPS, she developed abdominal distension due to small-bowel obstruction. An emergency exploratory laparotomy revealed a knot in the distal catheter looping around and strangulating the distal ileum, causing small-bowel ischemia and necrosis in addition to the obstruction. A small-bowel resection with ileostomy was performed, with subsequent placement of ventriculoatrial shunt for treatment of hydrocephalus. The authors report this exceedingly rare clinical scenario to highlight the fact that any retained distal catheter must be carefully managed with immediate abdominal exploration to remove the distal catheter to avoid bowel necrosis as pulling of a knotted peritoneal catheter may strangulate the bowel and cause ischemia, with significant clinical morbidity and possible mortality.
Risk factors for delayed infections after spinal fusion and instrumentation in patients with scoliosis
Authors: Shen Jianxiong , Liang Jinqian , Yu Haiquan , Qiu Guixing , Xue Xuhong , Li Zheng
Published: July 2014

Object

There are limited published data about the risk factors for the development of delayed infections after spinal fusion and instrumentation in the population with scoliosis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the predictive factors of development of delayed infections in patients with scoliosis who underwent surgical treatment.

Methods

A total of 17 patients with scoliosis and delayed infections were identified from 3463 patients with scoliosis who received surgical treatment. The control group was composed of 85 patients with scoliosis without infections, matched for sex, age, approximate date of surgery, and diagnosis. These 2 groups were compared for demographic distribution and clinical data to investigate the predictive factors of delayed infections.

Results

The overall incidence rate of delayed infections was 0.49%. The variables of age, body mass index, and number of levels fused were similar between the 2 groups. The average primary curve magnitude for the delayed infection and control (uninfected) groups was 80.4° ± 27.0° (range 47°–135°) and 66.3° ± 11.6° (range 42°–95°), respectively (p = 0.001). Operation time in the group with delayed infections was 384.7 ± 115.9 minutes versus 254.4 ± 79.2 minutes in the control group (p = 0.000), and estimated blood loss was 1342.2 ± 707.2 ml versus 833.9 ± 235.6 ml (p = 0.000) in these 2 groups, respectively. The perioperative mean red blood cell transfusion requirement in the delayed infection group was significantly higher than that found in patients without infections (2.8 ± 2.3 units/patient versus 1.1 ± 1.6 units/patient, respectively; p = 0.000). Logistic regression analysis showed that operation time and allogenic blood transfusion were the 2 independent predictors of delayed infections (odds ratio [OR] 1.021, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.010–1.033, and OR 1.546, 95% CI 1.048–2.278, respectively).

Conclusions

The occurrence of a delayed infection in patients with scoliosis who undergo surgical treatment is most likely multifactorial and is related to surgical time and the use of allogenic blood transfusion.
Feeds and feeding of livestock in Bangladesh: performance, constraints and options forward
Authors: Huque KS , Sarker NR
Published: July 2014

Fibrous feeds mostly of crop residues, green grasses, and tree foliages and leaves support bulk diets of farm animals being raised mostly by smallholders. The roughage DM produced (51056 million kg) surpasses its demand (49200 million Kg) by 3.77%, but losses and otherwise uses result in production deficit of 44.5%. An average 56.2% deficit of roughage DM and 80.0% of concentrate DM results in a very poor plane of nutrition for farm animals. It supports an average diet containing 6.75 MJME/Kg DM and 1.63% DCP with the feed produced or 7.74 MJME/Kg DM and 2.32% DCP with the feed available, while a miserly calculation demands an average diet of at least 6.50 MJME/ Kg DM and 4.50% DCP. Brans and oilcakes sharing the bulk amount of concentrate feeds, except cereal maize being produced recently, often limit options for formulation of diets of higher metabolizability and quality protein including balancing of micronutrients essential for supporting nutritional planes for high yielding animals. Annual biomass demand and supply mismatch, harvest loss, bulk transfer problem, and otherwise uses of fibrous residues further limit feed supply to animals irrespective of their quality. Commercial poultry, on the other hand, is largely based on imported feeds except a part of corn. Different form of premixes, steroids, antibiotics and enzymes with or without knowing their quality and residual impacts on human health also used for poultry and bovine animals posing threats to food safety sometimes. The present poor plane of nutrition is not conducive to support an increased production of local or crossbred animals. Diversification and production of quality feeds and fodders, synchronization of feed production and availability to animals, strengthening feed milling capacity, conservation and improvement of new pasturage systems, mitigation of climate change impacts and domestic protection to feed safety and quality feed import are some of the options forward to increased supply of feeds and fodders help increased production and productivity of farm animals in the country.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjas.v43i1.19378 Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2014. 43 (1): 1-10
Selection of Black Bengal buck based on fertility and field progeny performance
Authors: Afrin S , Debnath S , Rahman ANMI , Paul RC , Khandoker MAMY
Published: July 2014

This study was aimed for selection of Black Bengal bucks based on their fertility and the performance of their progeny in field condition. Data on buck were collected from a nucleus breeding flock and on progeny at field level. The traits considered were birth weight, weight at every 3-m interval up to 12 m of age. Average daily gain (g/day) on 90 progeny produced from 10 bucks and semen parameters on these bucks were collected. Heritability estimates obtained for birth weight, 3, 6, 9 and 12-m weights and average daily gain of progeny were found to be 0.41±0.08, 0.49±0.07, 0.46±0.08, 0.48±0.28, 0.50±0.09 and 0.49±0.06, respectively. The high heritability estimates of body weights indicated that there is a good opportunity for genetic improvement of this trait in a selection scheme. Heritability estimates obtained for semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, sperm livability and normal sperm were 0.11±0.04, 0.25±0.07, 0.13±0.08, 0.12±0.08 and 0.06±0.03, respectively. The highest non return rate was observed in bucks of 32, 52 and 57 (66.67±6.75%). The lowest was found in buck 48 (41.67±5.65%). Among 10 bucks, first 3 top buck IDs were 52, 57 and 54 on the basis of BV at birth weight. Selection index of bucks for all traits was calculated and bucks were ranked accordingly. The highest selection index of three bucks ID were 52, 7 and 4 (1009.39, 934.595 and 865.808, respectively). It can be concluded that these top ranking three bucks can be selected and conserved for production and preservation of frozen semen for long term use.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjas.v43i1.19379 Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2014. 43 (1): 11-20
Effect of different levels of Dhania seed (Coriandrum sativum) on the performance of broiler
Authors: Rashid MM , Ahammad MU , Ali MS , Rana MS , Ali MY , Sakib N
Published: July 2014

A total of 72 as hatched Cobb 500 broilers were fed ad libitum on a diet with 0 %, 0.5 %, 1.0 % and 1.5 % of coriander seed meal (CSM) to assess its feeding value. Treatment group with 1.5 % of CSM significantly (p<0.05) affected live weight of broilers at the age of 28 and 35 days. Among the dietary groups there is no significant difference in feed intake and feed efficiency. Meat yield characteristics especially abdominal fat level decreased significantly (p<0.01) at 1.5 % level of CSM. Cost of production per kg live broiler decreased when dietary inclusion level was increased. Profit per kg of live broiler was significantly (p<0.05) increased with the increase levels of dietary CSM. These results suggest that the CSM could be considered as a potential natural growth promoter for poultry, and showed the best responses at a 1.5 % level of inclusion. It was concluded that the supplementation of the coriander seed meal to broiler diet had beneficial effects on body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and carcass yield.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjas.v43i1.19383 Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2014. 43 (1): 38-44
Production of Sonali chicken in selected areas of Gazipur district - an economic study
Authors: Uddin MT , Mitu SJ , Begum IA
Published: July 2014

This study attempts to conduct an economic analysis and resource use efficiency for Sonali chicken production covering five villages of Sadar Upazila under Gazipur district. Primary data were collected from 60 purposively selected Sonali chicken rearers for this study. Descriptive and functional analysis were employed to achieve the objectives of the study. The major findings of the study are that total cost for 1000 birds were estimated at Tk. 120613 per batch. Average gross margin and average net returns for 1000 birds was calculated at Tk. 57240 and Tk. 52059 per batch. An average gross return for 1000 birds was estimated at Tk. 172672 per batch. Benefit cost ratio was found 1.4 for Sonali chicken production. Labour, veterinary and medicine and electricity cost had positive and significant impact on Sonali chicken production. Resource use efficiency was calculated by the ratio of marginal value product and marginal factor cost. Finally, the study also identified some of the major problems associated with Sonali chicken farming and suggested some possible steps for overcoming these problems.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjas.v43i1.19386 Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2014. 43 (1): 56-61
Injuries of cattle and buffaloes during transportation and slaughter at Chittagong city corporation of Bangladesh
Authors: Kober AKMH , Bari MS , Rakib MR , Ali MS
Published: July 2014

The study was conducted to ascertain the injuries of cattle and buffaloes at selected livestock markets of Bangladesh during transportation and slaughter. A total of 290 (212 cattle and 78 water buffalo) at Sagorica cattle market and 57 (24 cattle and 33 buffalo) at Fringibazar and Pahartali slaughter houses of Chittagong were examined during the period from January to April 2013. The frequency of different injuries during handling, transportation and slaughtering were assessed. The data of different type of injuries (e.g. abrasion, laceration, bleeding, swelling, scarification and wound) were collected from the market and slaughter houses by using visual observation and palpation method. The frequency of abrasion, laceration, bleeding, swelling and scarification of cattle were 73, 45, 4, 3, 67 and 87%, and of buffaloes were 71, 9, 23 nd 41%, respectively. All the injuries were higher in Haryana than Rajasthani, Shahiwal and Exotic non descriptive cattle breeds. The tail injury in cattle and buffaloes was 65 and 23%, respectively. In the slaughter house, the frequency of abrasion, laceration, penetration and scarification were 79, 75, 8, 75 in cattle, and 85, 70, 0 and 67% in buffaloes, respectively. From these findings it could be concluded that proper handling and care should be taken to avoid different injuries of cattle and buffaloes during transportation and slaughter.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjas.v43i1.19389 Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2014. 43 (1): 74-77
Buckling behaviour of underwater vessels by experimental, numerical and analytical approaches
Authors: Govindaraj Moorthy , Murthy HN Narasimha , Patil Shivkumar , K. Sudarsan , O.R Nandagopan , K. Ajith Kumar , Munishaiah Krishna
Published: July 2014

This paper reports the buckling behaviour of glass/vinylester polymer composite filament wound shells of underwater vessels. The shells were tested for buckling under hydrostatic loading and microstrains as a function of applied hydrostatic pressure were measured. Numerical analysis was performed for critical buckling pressure based on Block Lancoz buckling analysis and for Von-Mises stresses and strains based on static analysis using ANSYS. Von-Mises stresses corresponding to hydrostatic pressures were computed analytically by Reduced Stiffness Matrix method. The numerical results of critical buckling pressure for 10 mm thick vessels showed 7.12 % deviation from the experimental results. The microstrains predicted by FEA were in good agreement with the experimental strains. Von-Mises stresses predicted by FEA agreed well with the analytical computations.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jname.v11i1.16087
Sea wave modelling for motion control applications
Authors: Shameem B M , Anantha Subramanian V
Published: July 2014

The modelling of sea environment is important in designing an effective motion control system for any marine vehicle. Inadequate representation of the components of a typical random sea might lead to poor performance of the control system. A multiple output system such as the one having components of wave elevation and slope, facilitates designing the control system taking into account the different degrees of freedom. The method of modelling the sea environment presented here, provides the basis for the design of motion control systems for multiple degree of freedom cases, which give rise to excitation forces and moments acting on the marine vehicle. The method used here models the sea environment using Gaussian white noise and shaping filter to generate a multiple output form of the random sea state.  In the first step a given standard wave spectrum is approximated using a rational polynomial, the coefficients of the polynomial are obtained by least square fitting method to best match the spectrum. The established rational polynomial is then decomposed to get the transfer function of the shaping filter. The wave slope spectrum is similarly approximated using the same rational polynomial. The transfer functions of the two components of amplitude and slope,  representing the filters are combined to generate a state space form. Using the white noise as input, the state space form obtains the wave elevation and slope as outputs. By performing spectral analysis using Welch method, the quality of the obtained output is checked against the targetted spectrum. The application of the simulated wave slope spectrum in a closed loop state space model is demonstrated as applied to  the roll stabilization characteristics of a stationary ship using a passive tank.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jname.v11i1.17768
Chinese Scholarship and the Interpretation and Translation of the Qur'an
Authors: Ming Ma Zhan
Published: July 2014

The Qur'an has, for obvious reasons, been of the greatest interest to Chinese Muslims from the arrival of Islam on the shores of China to the current day. Over 20 Chinese translations of the Qur'an have been produced throughout the history of Chinese Islam, some with simple marginalia to help non-Arabic speaking Chinese Muslims interpret the meanings of the verses. Furthermore, Chinese translations of some Arabic tafāsīr have recently appeared, such as the Mukhtasar tafsīr Ibn Kathīr, and for the first time in the history of China, a tafsīr mūjiz li'l-Qurʾān in Chinese has been prepared by a group of Muslim scholars.

This article aims to present an introduction to the work of Chinese scholars in commentating on the Qur'an in general, and to discuss the aforementioned tafsīr mūjiz li'l-Qurʾān in some detail, focussing on the methodological aspects that distinguish it from other translations. The introduction presents a brief history of the translation of the Qur'an in China. Part One discusses the efforts of Chinese scholars to provide commentary on the meanings of the Qur'an, and gives examples of their strengths and weaknesses. Part Two presents the authors of the tafsīr and discusses the reasons for its production, and its methodology, giving examples which illustrate its strengths. Finally, the conclusion summarises the major points discussed in the article, and its recommendations.
Seeing the Axial Line: Evidence from Wayfinding Experiments
Authors: Emo Beatrix
Published: July 2014

Space-geometric measures are proposed to explain the location of fixations during wayfinding. Results from an eye tracking study based on real-world stimuli are analysed; the gaze bias shows that attention is paid to structural elements in the built environment. Three space-geometric measures are used to explain the data: sky area, floor area and longest line of sight. Together with the finding that participants choose the more connected street, a relationship is proposed between the individual cognitive processes that occur during wayfinding, relative street connectivity measured through space syntactic techniques and the spatial geometry of the environment. The paper adopts an egocentric approach to gain a greater understanding on how individuals process the axial map.
Overcoming Hypoxic-Resistance of Tumor Cells to TRAIL-Induced Apoptosis through Melatonin
Authors: Lee You-Jin , Lee Ju-Hee , Moon Ji-Hong , Park Sang-Youel
Published: July 2014

A solid tumor is often exposed to hypoxic or anoxic conditions; thus, tumor cell responses to hypoxia are important for tumor progression as well as tumor therapy. Our previous studies indicated that tumor cells are resistant to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced cell apoptosis under hypoxic conditions. Melatonin inhibits cell proliferation in many cancer types and induces apoptosis in some particular cancer types. Here, we examined the effects of melatonin on hypoxic resistant cells against TRAIL-induced apoptosis and the possible mechanisms of melatonin in the hypoxic response. Melatonin treatment increased TRAIL-induced A549 cell death under hypoxic conditions, although hypoxia inhibited TRAIL-mediated cell apoptosis. In a mechanistic study, hypoxia inducible factor-1α and prolyl-hydroxylase 2 proteins, which increase following exposure to hypoxia, were dose-dependently down-regulated by melatonin treatment. Melatonin also blocked the hypoxic responses that reduced pro-apoptotic proteins and increased anti-apoptotic proteins including Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. Furthermore, melatonin treatment reduced TRAIL resistance by regulating the mitochondrial transmembrane potential and Bax translocation. Our results first demonstrated that melatonin treatment induces apoptosis in TRAIL-resistant hypoxic tumor cells by diminishing the anti-apoptotic signals mediated by hypoxia and also suggest that melatonin could be a tumor therapeutic tool by combining with other apoptotic ligands including TRAIL, particularly in solid tumor cells exposed to hypoxia.
Catalpol Ameliorates Sodium Taurocholate-Induced Acute Pancreatitis in Rats via Inhibiting Activation of Nuclear Factor Kappa B
Authors: Xiao Wen , Yin Guo , Fan Yu , Qiu Lei , Cang Xiao , Yu Ge , Hu Yan , Xing Miao , Wu De , Wang Xing , Hu Guo , Wan Rong
Published: July 2014

Catalpol, an iridoid glucoside extracted from the traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Rehmannia glutinosa, is reported to exert neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and anti-apoptotic effects. The main aim of the present study was to investigate whether catalpol ameliorates experimental acute pancreatitis (AP) induced by sodium taurocholate (STC). AP was induced in rats via retrograde injection of 4% STC (0.1 mL/100 g) into the biliopancreatic duct. Rats were pre-treated with saline or catalpol (50 mg/kg) 2 h before STC injection. At 12, 24 and 48 h after injection, the severity of AP was evaluated using biochemical and morphological analyses. Pretreatment with catalpol led to a significant reduction in serum amylase and lipase activities, pancreatic histological damage, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α levels, and activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Moreover, administration of catalpol increased the viability of pancreatic acinar cells and inhibited NF-κB expression in vitro. Our results collectively support the potential of catalpol as a highly effective therapeutic agent for treatment of AP.
Surface Coating of Oxide Powders: A New Synthesis Method to Process Biomedical Grade Nano-Composites
Authors: Palmero Paola , Montanaro Laura , Reveron Helen , Chevalier Jérôme
Published: July 2014

Composite and nanocomposite ceramics have achieved special interest in recent years when used for biomedical applications. They have demonstrated, in some cases, increased performance, reliability, and stability in vivo, with respect to pure monolithic ceramics. Current research aims at developing new compositions and architectures to further increase their properties. However, the ability to tailor the microstructure requires the careful control of all steps of manufacturing, from the synthesis of composite nanopowders, to their processing and sintering. This review aims at deepening understanding of the critical issues associated with the manufacturing of nanocomposite ceramics, focusing on the key role of the synthesis methods to develop homogeneous and tailored microstructures. In this frame, the authors have developed an innovative method, named “surface-coating process”, in which matrix oxide powders are coated with inorganic precursors of the second phase. The method is illustrated into two case studies; the former, on Zirconia Toughened Alumina (ZTA) materials for orthopedic applications, and the latter, on Zirconia-based composites for dental implants, discussing the advances and the potential of the method, which can become a valuable alternative to the current synthesis process already used at a clinical and industrial scale.
Insect-Induced Daidzein, Formononetin and Their Conjugates in Soybean Leaves
Authors: Murakami Shinichiro , Nakata Ryu , Aboshi Takako , Yoshinaga Naoko , Teraishi Masayoshi , Okumoto Yutaka , Ishihara Atsushi , Morisaka Hironobu , Huffaker Alisa , Schmelz Eric , Mori Naoki
Published: July 2014

In response to attack by bacterial pathogens, soybean (Gylcine max) leaves accumulate isoflavone aglucones, isoflavone glucosides, and glyceollins. In contrast to pathogens, the dynamics of related insect-inducible metabolites in soybean leaves remain poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed the biochemical responses of soybean leaves to Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) herbivory and also S. litura gut contents, which contain oral secretion elicitors. Following S. litura herbivory, soybean leaves displayed an induced accumulation of the flavone and isoflavone aglycones 4’,7-dihyroxyflavone, daidzein, and formononetin, and also the isoflavone glucoside daidzin. Interestingly, foliar application of S. litura oral secretions also elicited the accumulation of isoflavone aglycones (daidzein and formononetin), isoflavone 7-O-glucosides (daidzin, ononin), and isoflavone 7-O-(6’-O-malonyl-β-glucosides) (malonyldaidzin, malonylononin). Consistent with the up-regulation of the isoflavonoid biosynthetic pathway, folair phenylalanine levels also increased following oral secretion treatment. To establish that these metabolitic changes were the result of de novo biosynthesis, we demonstrated that labeled (13C9) phenylalanine was incorporated into the isoflavone aglucones. These results are consistent with the presence of soybean defense elicitors in S. litura oral secretions. We demonstrate that isoflavone aglycones and isoflavone conjugates are induced in soybean leaves, not only by pathogens as previously demonstrated, but also by foliar insect herbivory.
Studies on Cytotoxic Constituents from the Leaves of Elaeagnus oldhamii Maxim. in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer A549 Cells
Authors: Liao Chi-Ren , Kuo Yueh-Hsiung , Ho Yu-Ling , Wang Ching-Ying , Yang Chang , Lin Cheng-Wen , Chang Yuan-Shiun
Published: July 2014

Elaeagnus oldhamii Maxim. is a commonly used traditional herbal medicine. In Taiwan the leaves of E. oldhamii Maxim. are mainly used for treating lung disorders. Twenty five compounds were isolated from the leaves of E. oldhamii Maxim. in the present study. These included oleanolic acid (1), 3-O-(Z)-coumaroyl oleanolic acid (2), 3-O-(E)-coumaroyl oleanolic acid (3), 3-O-caffeoyl oleanolic acid (4), ursolic acid (5), 3-O-(Z)-coumaroyl ursolic acid (6), 3-O-(E)-coumaroyl ursolic acid (7), 3-O-caffeoyl ursolic acid (8), 3β, 13β-dihydroxyolean-11-en-28-oic acid (9), 3β, 13β-dihydroxyurs-11-en-28-oic acid (10), uvaol (11), betulin (12), lupeol (13), kaempferol (14), aromadendrin (15), epigallocatechin (16), cis-tiliroside (17), trans-tiliroside (18), isoamericanol B (19), trans-p-coumaric acid (20), protocatechuic acid (21), salicylic acid (22), trans-ferulic acid (23), syringic acid (24) and 3-O-methylgallic acid (25). Of the 25 isolated compounds, 21 compounds were identified for the first time in E. oldhamii Maxim. These included compounds 1, 4, 5 and 8–25. These 25 compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activity against the growth of non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells by the MTT assay, and the corresponding structure-activity relationships were discussed. Among these 25 compounds, compound 6 displayed the best activity against the A549 cell line in vitro (CC50 = 8.56 ± 0.57 μg/mL, at 48 h of MTT asssay). Furthermore, compound 2, 4, 8 and 18 exhibited in vitro cytotoxicity against the A549 cell line with the CC50 values of less than 20 μg/mL at 48 h of MTT asssay. These five compounds 2, 4, 6, 8 and 18 exhibited better cytotoxic activity compared with cisplatin (positive control, CC50 value of 14.87 ± 1.94 μg/mL, at 48 h of MTT asssay). The result suggested that the five compounds might be responsible for its clinical anti-lung cancer effect.
The Catch-22 of Pharmacy Practice in Pakistan’s Pharmacy Education
Authors: Abbas Atta
Published: July 2014

New developments in the pharmacy education structure in Pakistan led to the formation of a separate department grouping high specialized services/subjects. However, inadequate planning has exposed a vacuity, as the educational authorities failed to develop a workforce before creating the specialized department. As a result, this vacuum is on the verge of being impinged by pharmacy professionals specialized in entirely different domains which would be detrimental to the future prospects of the development of pharmacy practice in Pakistan.
Salt Effect on Osmotic Pressure of Polyelectrolyte Solutions: Simulation Study
Authors: Carrillo Jan-Michael , Dobrynin Andrey
Published: July 2014

Abstract: We present results of the hybrid Monte Carlo/molecular dynamics simulations of the osmotic pressure of salt solutions of polyelectrolytes. In our simulations, we used a coarse-grained representation of polyelectrolyte chains, counterions and salt ions. During simulation runs, we alternate Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulation steps. Monte Carlo steps were used to perform small ion exchange between simulation box containing salt ions (salt reservoir) and simulation box with polyelectrolyte chains, counterions and salt ions (polyelectrolyte solution). This allowed us to model Donnan equilibrium and partitioning of salt and counterions across membrane impermeable to polyelectrolyte chains. Our simulations have shown that the main contribution to the system osmotic pressure is due to salt ions and osmotically active counterions. The fraction of the condensed (osmotically inactive) counterions first increases with decreases in the solution ionic strength then it saturates. The reduced value of the system osmotic coefficient is a universal function of the ratio of the concentration of osmotically active counterions and salt concentration in salt reservoir. Simulation results are in a very good agreement with osmotic pressure measurements in sodium polystyrene sulfonate, DNA, polyacrylic acid, sodium polyanetholesulfonic acid, polyvinylbenzoic acid, and polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride solutions.
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Interferometry for Assessing Wenchuan Earthquake (2008) Deforestation in the Sichuan Giant Panda Site
Authors: Chen Fulong , Guo Huadong , Ishwaran Natarajan , Zhou Wei , Yang Ruixia , Jing Linhai , Chen Fang , Zeng Hongcheng
Published: July 2014

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has been an unparalleled tool in cloudy and rainy regions as it allows observations throughout the year because of its all-weather, all-day operation capability. In this paper, the influence of Wenchuan Earthquake on the Sichuan Giant Panda habitats was evaluated for the first time using SAR interferometry and combining data from C-band Envisat ASAR and L-band ALOS PALSAR data. Coherence analysis based on the zero-point shifting indicated that the deforestation process was significant, particularly in habitats along the Min River approaching the epicenter after the natural disaster, and as interpreted by the vegetation deterioration from landslides, avalanches and debris flows. Experiments demonstrated that C-band Envisat ASAR data were sensitive to vegetation, resulting in an underestimation of deforestation; in contrast, L-band PALSAR data were capable of evaluating the deforestation process owing to a better penetration and the significant coherence gain on damaged forest areas. The percentage of damaged forest estimated by PALSAR decreased from 20.66% to 17.34% during 2009–2010, implying an approximate 3% recovery rate of forests in the earthquake impacted areas. This study proves that long-wavelength SAR interferometry is promising for rapid assessment of disaster-induced deforestation, particularly in regions where the optical acquisition is constrained.
Miniaturizable Ion-Selective Arrays Based on Highly Stable Polymer Membranes for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Mir Mònica , Lugo Roberto , Tahirbegi Islam , Samitier Josep
Published: July 2014

Poly(vinylchloride) (PVC) is the most common polymer matrix used in the fabrication of ion-selective electrodes (ISEs). However, the surfaces of PVC-based sensors have been reported to show membrane instability. In an attempt to overcome this limitation, here we developed two alternative methods for the preparation of highly stable and robust ion-selective sensors. These platforms are based on the selective electropolymerization of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), where the sulfur atoms contained in the polymer covalently interact with the gold electrode, also permitting controlled selective attachment on a miniaturized electrode in an array format. This platform sensor was improved with the crosslinking of the membrane compounds with poly(ethyleneglycol) diglycidyl ether (PEG), thus also increasing the biocompatibility of the sensor. The resulting ISE membranes showed faster signal stabilization of the sensor response compared with that of the PVC matrix and also better reproducibility and stability, thus making these platforms highly suitable candidates for the manufacture of robust implantable sensors.
Using Remote Sensing to Identify Changes in Land Use and Sources of Fecal Bacteria to Support a Watershed Transport Model
Authors: Butler Sean , Webster Tim , Redden Anna , Rand Jennie , Crowell Nathan , Livingstone William
Published: July 2014

The contamination of shellfish harvesting areas by fecal bacteria in the Annapolis Basin of Nova Scotia, Canada, is a recurring problem which has consequences for industry, government, and local communities. This study contributes to the development of an integrated water quality forecasting system to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of industry management. The proposed integrated forecasting framework is composed of a database containing contamination sources, hydrodynamics of the Annapolis Basin, Escherichia coli (E. coli) loadings and watershed hydrology scenarios, coupled with environmental conditions of the region (e.g., temperature, precipitation, evaporation, and ultraviolet light). For integration into this framework, this study presents a viable methodology for assessing the contribution of fecal bacteria originating from a watershed. The proposed methodology investigated the application of high resolution remote sensing, coupled with the commercially available product, MIKE 11, to monitor watershed land use and its impact on water quality. Remote sensing proved to be an extremely useful tool in the identification of sources of fecal bacteria contamination, as well as the detection of land use change over time. Validation of the MIKE 11 model produced very good agreement (R2 = 0.88, E = 0.85) between predicted and observed river flows, while model calibration of E. coli concentrations showed fair agreement (R2 = 0.51 and E = 0.38) between predicted and observed values. A proper evaluation of the MIKE 11 model was constrained due to limited water sampling. However, the model was very effective in predicting times of high contamination for use in the integrated forecasting framework, especially during substantial precipitation events.
Utilization of Ion-Exclusion Chromatography for Water Quality Monitoring in a Suburban River in Jakarta, Indonesia
Authors: Kozaki Daisuke , Ozaki Takashi , Nakatani Nobutake , Mori Masanobu , Tanaka Kazuhiko
Published: July 2014

We evaluated the use of ion-exclusion chromatographic systems for analyzing the behavior of inorganic ions (e.g., bicarbonate, sulfate, chloride, nitrate, phosphate, dissolved silicate, sodium, ammonium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium ions) in a suburban river located in Jakarta, Indonesia. Carbonate, phosphate, and silicate ion concentrations were determined using ion-exclusion chromatography (IEC) on a weakly acidic cation-exchange resin column (WCX) in the H+-form with water eluent. Other ions were identified by ion-exclusion/cation-exchange chromatography (IEC/CEC) on a WCX column with tartaric acid eluent. The use of IEC systems for water quality monitoring was advantageous for the following reasons: (1) the concentrations of analyte ions, except NO3− and silicate ions, increased from upstream to downstream; and (2) the speciation of inorganic nitrogen ions could be analyzed by single injection into the IEC/CEC. The IEC approach provided beneficial information for the construction of sewage treatment facilities in our study area. Results showed that (1) the analyte concentrations for samples obtained in the downstream area were higher than those in the upstream area owing to contamination by domestic sewage; (2) the concentrations of NO3− and NH4+ correlated with the concentration of dissolved oxygen; and (3) bicarbonate concentrations increased downstream, likely due to respiration of bacteria and dissolution of concrete under low-oxygen conditions.
Graminées nouvelles ou peu connues d'Afrique Tropicale
Authors: Jacques-Félix H. , Lebrun J.-P.
Published: July 2014

Description de deux espèces nouvelles : Digitaria Tisserantii et Ischaemum amethystinum ; statut nouveau pour une forme à arête simple d'Aristida Cumingiana ; localités nouvelles d'espèces rares.
Lung Registration Using Automatically Detected Landmarks
Authors: Rühaak J. , Werner R. , Handels H. , Modersitzki J. , Polzin T.
Published: July 2014

Objectives: Accurate registration of lung CT images is inevitable for numerous clinical applications. Usually, nonlinear intensity-based methods are used. Their accuracy is typically evaluated using corresponding anatomical points (landmarks; e.g. bifurcations of bronchial and vessel trees) annotated by medical experts in the images to register. As image registration can be interpreted as correspond ence finding problem, these corresponding landmarks can also be used in feature-based registration techniques. Recently, approaches for automated identification of such landmark correspondences in lung CT images have been presented. In this work, a novel combination of variational nonlinear intensity-based registration with an approach for automated landmark correspond ence detection in lung CT pairs is presented and evaluated.

Methods: The main blocks of the proposed hybrid intensity- and feature-based registration scheme are a two-step landmark correspondence detection and the so-called CoLD (Combining Landmarks and Distance Measures) framework. The landmark correspondence identification starts with feature detection in one image followed by a blockmatching-based transfer of the features to the other image. The established correspond ences are used to compute a thin-plate spline (TPS) transformation. Within CoLD, the TPS transformation is improved by minimization of an objective function consisting of a Normalized Gradient Field distance measure and a curvature regularizer; the landmark correspondences are guaranteed to be preserved by optimization on the kernel of the discretized landmark constraints.

Results: Based on ten publicly available end-inspiration/expiration CT scan pairs with anatomical landmark sets annotated by medical experts from the DIR-Lab database, it is shown that the hybrid registration approach is superior in terms of accuracy: The mean distance of expert landmarks is decreased from 8.46 mm before to 1.15 mm after registration, outperforming both the TPS transformation (1.68 mm) and a nonlinear registration without usage of automatically detected landmarks (2.44 mm). The improvement is statistically significant in eight of ten datasets in comparison to TPS and in nine of ten datasets in comparison to the intensity-based registration. Furthermore, CoLD globally estimates the breathing-induced lung volume change well and results in smooth and physiologically plausible motion fields of the lungs.

Conclusions: We demonstrated that our novel landmark-based registration pipeline outperforms both TPS and the underlying nonlinear intensity-based registration without landmark usage. This highlights the potential of automatic landmark correspondence detection for improvement of lung CT registration accuracy.
Prioritising Lexical Patterns to Increase Axiomatisation in Biomedical Ontologies
Authors: Fernández-Breis J. T. , Stevens R. , Mikroyannidi E. , Quesada-Martínez M.
Published: July 2014

Introduction: This article is part of the Focus Theme of Methods of Information in Medicine on “Managing Interoperability and Complexity in Health Systems”.

Objectives: In previous work, we have defined methods for the extraction of lexical patterns from labels as an initial step towards semi-automatic ontology enrichment methods. Our previous findings revealed that many biomedical ontologies could benefit from enrichment methods using lexical patterns as a starting point. Here, we aim to identify which lexical patterns are appropriate for ontology enrichment, driving its analysis by metrics to prioritised the patterns.

Methods: We propose metrics for suggesting which lexical regularities should be the starting point to enrich complex ontologies. Our method determines the relevance of a lexical pattern by measuring its locality in the ontology, that is, the distance between the classes associated with the pattern, and the distribution of the pattern in a certain module of the ontology. The methods have been applied to four significant biomedical ontologies including the Gene Ontology and SNOMED CT.

Results: The metrics provide information about the engineering of the ontologies and the relevance of the patterns. Our method enables the suggestion of links between classes that are not made explicit in the ontology. We propose a prioritisation of the lexical patterns found in the analysed ontologies.

Conclusions: The locality and distribution of lexical patterns offer insights into the further engineering of the ontology. Developers can use this information to improve the axiomatisation of their ontologies.
Computerized Diagnosis of Respira tory Disorders
Authors: Saraclar M. , Kahya Y. P. , Sen I.
Published: July 2014

Introduction: This article is part of the Focus Theme of Methods of Information in Medicine on “Biosignal Interpretation: Advanced Methods for Studying Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems”.

Objectives: This work proposes an algorithm for diagnostic classification of multi-channel respiratory sounds.

Methods: 14-channel respiratory sounds are modeled assuming a 250-point second order vector autoregressive (VAR) process, and the estimated model parameters are used to feed a support vector machine (SVM) classifier. Both a three-class classifier (healthy, bronchi ectasis and interstitial pulmonary disease) and a binary classifier (healthy versus pathological) are considered.

Results: In the binary scheme, the sensitivity and specificity for both classes are 85% ± 8.2%. In the three-class classification scheme, the healthy recall (95% ± 5%) and the interstitial pulmonary disease recall and precision (100% ± 0% both) are rather high. However, bronchiectasis recall is very low (30% ± 15.3%), resulting in poor healthy and bronchiectasis precision rates (76% ± 8.7% and 75% ± 25%, respectively). The main reason behind these poor rates is that the bronchiectasis is confused with the healthy case.

Conclusions: The proposed method is promising, nevertheless, it should be improved such that other mathematical models, additional features, and/or other classifiers are to be experimented in future studies.
Synthesis and solvodynamic diameter measurements of closely related mannodendrimers for the study of multivalent carbohydrate–protein interactions
Authors: Chabre Yoann M , Papadopoulos Alex , Arnold Alexandre A , Roy René
Published: July 2014

This paper describes the synthesis of three closely related families of mannopyranoside-containing dendrimers for the purpose of studying subtle structural parameters involved in the measurements of multivalent carbohydrate–protein binding interactions. Toward this goal, two trimers 5 and 9, three 9-mers 12, 17, 21, and one 27-mer 23, varying by the number of atoms separating the anomeric and the core carbons, were synthesized using azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAc). Compound 23 was prepared by an efficient convergent strategy. The sugar precursors consisted of either a 2-azidoethyl (3) or a prop-2-ynyl α-D-mannopyranoside (7) derivative. The solvodynamic diameters of 9-mer 12, 17, and 21 were determined by pulsed-field-gradient-stimulated echo (PFG-STE) NMR experiments and were found to be 3.0, 2.5, and 3.4 nm, respectively.
PROACTIVE MEASURES OF GOVERNMENTAL DEBT GUARANTEES TO FACILITATE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS PROJECT
Authors: Tserng Hui Ping , Ho Shih-Ping , Chou Jui-Sheng , Lin Chieh
Published: July 2014

Governmental Debt Guarantees (GDGs) are often used to encourage involvement by promoters and financial institutions in Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) projects. However, even after demonstrating the bankability of a project and reducing debt cost, the success of the project may be prevented by the lack of long-term commitment from shareholders. Equity contributions by promoters in the project company may be recovered from earnings on short-term construction activities. Based on lesson learned from early PPP projects with GDG, the hold-up problem for government in the view of transaction cost economic (TCE) theory may worsen if the designed contractual structure does not adequately manage opportunistic behaviours from promoters. This study empirically examined the effects of a structured GDG mechanism with particular complementary measures applied in joint projects to develop the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations. A GDG game model was then applied to bridge the theoretical gap based on the Taipei MRT experience. The analysis shows that requiring the promoter to provide sufficient equity and ensuring the commitment of the lender to provide the loan are the appropriate proactive measures. This study demonstrates its practical value for policy makers by combining case study, TCE and game theory in contractual issues.
A REAL-TIME LOCATION-BASED CONSTRUCTION LABOR SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Authors: Lee Kwang-Pyo , Lee Hyun-Soo , Park Moonseo , Kim Hyunsoo , Han Sangwon
Published: July 2014

The construction industry continues to record a high number of accidents compared to other industries. Furthermore, the ramifications of construction accidents are growing in terms of both economic loss and loss of life with trends toward larger-scale, more complex projects. For this reason, there is an increasing awareness of the importance of safety management in the construction industry, and the need for more effective safety management techniques. This paper introduces a real-time location-based construction labor safety management system that tracks and visualizes workers’ locations in real-time and sends early warnings to endangered workers. The system is developed by integrating: a real-time locating system (RTLS) for tracking of workers’ location; a location monitoring system for mapping the workers location on a computerized building model; and alarm technology for sending early warnings. The developed system has been applied to an apartment project and an RTLS technology test center in Korea, and proved to be effective in tracking and monitoring workers in real-time and preventing construction accidents. It is envisioned that the developed system will enable proactive construction safety management in South Korea and the methodologies developed in this study will be applicable to other contexts with minimal customization.
REWORK IN HIGHWAY PROJECTS
Authors: Forcada Nuria , Rusiñol Gerard , MacArulla Marcel , Love Peter E. D.
Published: July 2014

There is limited systematic knowledge available about the dynamics of rework in highway projects, despite the fact that they frequently exceed budget and schedule by more than 10%. A case study of a Spanish highway project, which experienced a significant cost overrun as a result of rework, is examined and the causal factors that contributed to its occurrence are determined. Through observation and subsequent analysis of interviews and documentation a high degree of interdependency existed between perceived causes of rework. This resulted in the nomenclature of Project, Organization and People to be adopted and used to develop the rework generic systemic model. Scope changes, high complexity, poor skill levels and unexpected underground services were found to be the most significant causes of rework. The developed model provides managers with insights about the interdependencies and behaviour between key influencing variables in highway projects and can be used to stimulate learning and process improvements in future highway projects.