bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Respiratory Monitoring System Using a Flow Microsensor and an Accelerometer
Authors: Mellal Idir , Laghrouche Mourad , Bui Hung Tien
Published: April 2017

This paper describes a non-invasive system for respiratory monitoring using a Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) flow sensor and an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) accelerometer. The designed system is intended to be wearable and used in a hospital or at home to assist people with respiratory disorders. To ensure the accuracy of our system, we proposed a calibration method based on ANN (Artificial Neural Network) to compensate the temperature drift of the silicon flow sensor. The sigmoid activation functions used in the ANN model were computed with the CORDIC (COordinate Rotation DIgital Computer) algorithm. This algorithm was also used to estimate the tilt angle in body position. The design was implemented on reconfigurable platform FPGA.
Influence of chemical structure of branched and dendritic organosilicon luminophores on their optical and thermal properties
Authors: Borshchev Oleg V. , Kleymyuk Elena A. , Surin Nikolay M. , Svidchenko Evgeniya A. , Fedorov Yuriy V. , Dmitryakov Petr V. , Chvalun Sergei N. , Ponomarenko Sergei A.
Published: April 2017

Synthesis and investigation of optical and thermal properties of a homologous series of highly luminescent nanostructured organosilicon luminophores (NOLs) containing different donor to acceptor ratio (D:A) are reported. Each of the NOL consists of a 1,4-bis(5-phenylthienyl-2-yl)benzene (PTPTP) acceptor unit and four, six or twelve 2,2′-bithienyl donor fragments connected to each other through two or six silicon atoms. These complex molecules show a “molecular antenna” effect with high efficiency of intramolecular energy transfer about 97-98% combined with excellent photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield of 84-91% and fast PL decay time of 0.90-0.95 ns. A significant increase of the molar extinction coefficient from 94 000 to 257 000 M
Synthesis and effects of flavonoid structure variation on amyloid-β aggregation
Authors: Matos Ana M. , Cristóvão Joana S. , Yashunsky Dmitry V. , Nifantiev Nikolay E. , Viana Ana S. , Gomes Cláudio M. , Rauter Amélia P.
Published: April 2017

Dietary flavonoids and synthetic derivatives have a well-known potential for biomedical applications. In this perspective, we report herein new methodologies to access chrysin and 5,7-dihydroxychromone, and these structures were combined with those of naturally occurring quercetin, luteolin, (+)-dihydroquercetin and apigenin to assemble a set of polyphenols with structure variations for in vitro testing over the aggregation of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) amyloid peptide Aβ1−42. Using thioflavin-T (ThT) monitored kinetics and subsequent mechanistic analysis by curve fitting, we show that catechol-type flavonoids reduce Aβ1−42 fibril content by 30% at molar ratios over 10. Without affecting secondary nucleation, these compounds accelerate primary nucleation events responsible for early primary oligomer formation, putatively redirecting the latter into off-pathway aggregates. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging of reaction end-points allowed a comprehensive topographical analysis of amyloid aggregate populations formed in the presence of each compound. Formation of Aβ1−42 small oligomers, regarded as the most toxic amyloid structures, seems to be limited by flavonoids with a C2 phenyl group, while flavonol 3-OH is not a beneficial structural feature. Overall, the diversity of structural variations within flavonoids opens avenues for their development as chemical tools in the treatment of AD by tackling the formation and distribution of neurotoxic oligomers species.
Dynamic stability of nanocomposite viscoelastic cylindrical shells coating with a piezomagnetic layer conveying pulsating fluid flow
Authors: Arani Ali Ghorbanpour , Mortazavi Seyed Abolfazl , Maraghi Zahra Khoddami
Published: April 2017

In this study, the dynamic stability of an embedded viscoelastic composite cylindrical shell reinforced by boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) is investigated. The composite cylindrical shell is coated by a viscoelastic piezomagnetic layer and subjected to combined magneto-electro-mechanical loads. The composite polymer matrix and the coating layer are made of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and iron oxide (CoFe2O4), respectively. The composite cylindrical shell conveys pulsating fluid flows, which results in harmonic oscillations. The equivalent characteristics of composite are determined using micro-electro-mechanical models. Considering the magneto-electro-mechanical coupling, motion equations are obtained using Hamilton’s principle. Results show the influences of fluid velocity, geometrical parameters of shell, viscoelastic foundation, orientation angle and percentage of BNNTs on the resonance frequency and stability of a PVDF-coated nanocomposite shell. The result of this study may be used for the design of rotating machines, hydraulic systems and motors.
Effect of neutron irradiation on neat epoxy resin stability in shielding applications
Authors: Adeli Ruhollah , Shirmardi Seyed Pezhman , Abbasi Hassan , Ahmadi Seyed Javad
Published: April 2017

Epoxy resin is a thermoset polymer and is one of the main candidates for radiation shielding application. In this investigation, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen analysis showed that the presence of the light element of nitrogen in cured epoxy could lead to more effective neutron shielding ability compared with physical curing. The effect of neutron irradiation of amine-cured epoxy was studied by infrared spectroscopy. Neat epoxy samples were irradiated at the core of the Tehran Research Reactor in the same neutron flux in the order of 1013 (neutron/cm2×s) at several radiation times (up to 12 h). The results indicated that neutron irradiation caused moderate changes in peak absorption locations of epoxy spectra. This result indicates that, in this neutron flux and irradiation time, the molecular structure of epoxy remains stable.
Formulacity in ESP Teaching: A Case of Doing a Balancing Act Between Form and Meaning
Authors: Gutowska Urszula
Published: April 2017

Grammar teaching has never belonged to mainstream ESP teaching/ learning practices. However, this apparent lack of concern with grammar in ESP materials runs counter to both subjective and objective needs of ESP learners. The first part of the paper presents students′ views on deficiencies of coursebooks for teaching English for Medical Purposes (EMP) as well as author’s reflective thinking on the needs of medical undergraduates of vocational schools in Poland. It is suggested that some of the deficiencies of the materials might be remedied and the students′ needs better taken care of if explicit teaching of formulaic language is introduced into ESP classroom environment. It is hypothesized that explicit teaching of formulaic language may stimulate grammar development in the long term and foster communicative competence of ESP learners in the short term. Therefore, the second part of the paper proposes pedagogically relavant classification of medical formulaic sequences motivated by the lexicogrammatical features of Medical English. The third part of the paper shows in what way the proposed classification of formulaic sequences might help teachers of medical English design tasks that are conducive to the development of formulaic competence of students of English for Medical Purposes.
Machine Translation in the Hands of Trainee Translators – an Empirical Study
Authors: Sycz-Opoń Joanna , Gałuskina Ksenia
Published: April 2017

Automated translation (machine translation, MT) is systematically gaining popularity among professional translators, who claim that editing MT output requires less time and effort than translating from scratch. MT technology is also offered in leading translator’s workstations, e.g., SDL Trados Studio, memoQ, Déjà Vu and Wordfast. Therefore, the dilemma arises: should MT be introduced into formal translation training? In order to answer this question, first, it is necessary to understand how trainee translators actually use MT.

This study is an attempt to obtain this knowledge. The methodology applied in this investigation is text analysis. During the experiment sessions the students were asked to translate a legal text using MT tools, which in practice meant the post-editing of the MT raw output. The post-edited versions of the text underwent analysis in order to answer the following research questions:

- What are the most typical errors contained in both French and English MT output?

- How critical are the students towards the text generated by MT?

- How perceptive are the students during the post-editing task?

- Are they able to detect and correct errors using their knowledge and skills?

The results of this study suggest that the post-editing of the MT raw output is as demanding for translation students as traditional translation, however, it requires a different set of skills, such as critical thinking and perceptiveness. Therefore, a special kind of training related to the effective use of MT technology should be implemented during translation classes.
Self-Interest or Solidarity?
Authors: Mueller Sean , Vatter Adrian , Schmid Charlie
Published: April 2017

This article puts the self-interest hypothesis to an empirical test by analysing the 2004 referendum on fiscal equalisation in Switzerland. That vote put forth a series of reforms which created regional winners and loser in terms of having to pay or receiving unconditional funding. Although Switzerland is usually portrayed as a paradigmatic case in terms of inter-regional solidarity and national integration, we show that rational and selfish cost-benefit calculations strongly mattered for the end-result. We rely on a multi-level model with referendum and other data on more than 2700 municipalities and all 26 cantons. More broadly, our findings confirm that rational choice theory works well for voting on straightforward monetary issues with a clearly defined group of winners and losers. However, symbolic interests such as party strength and cultural predispositions against state intervention and in favour of subsidiarity also matter and need to be taken into account alongside.
Das baryzentrische Verhältnis als Invariante der projektiven Geometrie
Authors: Erdnüß Bastian
Published: April 2017

Invarianten in der Geometrie helfen, unwesentliche Aspekte eines Problems beiseite zu lassen, um so das
Wesentliche in den Vordergrund zu rücken. Die fundamentale Invariante der projektiven Geometrie ist das Doppelverhältnis,
eine Invariante von vier kollinearen Punkten. Sie ist für das Verständnis und die anschauliche Vorstellung der projektiven
Ebene von zentraler Bedeutung. Alle anderen Invarianten der projektiven Geometrie lassen sich auf das Doppelverhältnis
zurückführen, allerdings wertet dies andere Invarianten nicht ab, denn auch sie tragen zum Verständnis der projektiven
Geometrie bei. In diesem Artikel wird eine Verallgemeinerung des Doppelverhältnisses auf Punktkonfigurationen in
höherdimensionalen projektiven Räumen vorgestellt. Die wesentliche Erkenntnis besteht darin, dass das Verhältnis
baryzentrischer Koordinaten projektiv invariant ist. In diesem Artikel werden die Eigenschaften der Invariante besprochen
und exemplarische Anwendungen zur Kamerapositionsbestimmung und 3D-Punkt-Rekonstruktion vorgestellt.
Models and Algorithms for Estimation and Minimization of the Risks Associated with Dredging
Authors: Mamunts D. , Sokolov S. , Nyrkov A. , Chernyi S. , Bukhurmetov M. , Kuznetsov V.
Published: April 2017

There are a lot of models and algorithms to minimize risks during dredging operations and they are not without drawbacks. The paper describes the authors’ approach to solving this problem. Mathematical models are proposed and on their basis software is developed. Methods of the risk theory are used to minimize the risks. In this paper a consequence of influence refers to the deviation from the goal expressed in the expected results and the deviation of certain criterion factors. In this case, we mean any measure of quality. In its turn, risk factors reduce criterion factors. These factors are divided into categories - general transportation risks and risks of transporting ground. In these categories, one may derive the following risks - incidents at transport resulting from the impact of a set of random factors including the human one. For risk analysis and management, in addition to identifying critical chains of risk situations, the stochastic model for evaluating the chains is set forth. In order to implement this algorithm, the mathematical package Maple is used, which allows for conducting the required calculations with a software package including the Graph Theory. The paper presents fragments of the code listing.
Reliability and Fall Risk Detection for the BESTest and Mini-BESTest in Older Adults
Authors: Anson Eric , Thompson Elizabeth , Ma Lei , Jeka John
Published: April 2017

Background & Purpose:

Test stability and test-retest reliability have not previously been reported for either the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) or mini-BESTest (mBEST) in a population of older adults with nonspecific balance limitations. Furthermore, no criterion for identifying change greater than chance has been reported in older adults with nonspecific balance problems using either BESTest or mBEST scores. The purposes of this study were to determine test stability over time, test-retest reliability, to identify minimum detectable change for the BESTest and mBEST in a population of older adults with nonspecific balance problems. In addition, the ability of the BESTest and mBEST to identify past fallers was characterized.

Methods:

This was an observational study with 58 adults 65 years or older with a history of falls or self-reported balance problem. The BESTest and mBEST were administered to all participants at the beginning and end of 4 weeks. Test-retest reliability was calculated with intraclass correlations, and minimum detectable change was calculated at the 95% confidence level (MDC95). Receiver operating characteristics were used to characterize the sensitivity and specificity of the BESTest and mBEST to identify older adults who had previously fallen.

Results:

Balance scores did not significantly change over a 4-week period. Test-retest reliability for the BESTest (0.86) and mBEST (0.84) was good to excellent. MDC95 scores were identified for the BESTest (8.9) and mBEST (4).

Conclusions:

The BESTest and mBEST scores were stable and reliable over a period of 4 weeks for a population of older adults with self-reported balance problems or a history of falling. MDC95 scores allow interpretation of change in BESTest and mBEST scores following rehabilitation.
Effective Surface Preparation Technique for Cementitious Samples in Nanoindentation Testing
Authors: Chow PengLoy , Barbhuiya Salim
Published: April 2017

The nanomechanical properties of cementitious materials determined by nanoindentation largely depend on the surface roughness and intrinsic material porosity of the samples. Studies have shown that high surface roughness causes an overall reduction in the measured indentation modulus and hardness. Therefore, it is important to reduce the surface roughness to a desirable value by means of polishing. However, polishing causes damage to the cement matrix. Thus, the most challenging task is to obtain a reasonable surface roughness with minimum disturbance to the microstructure of the samples. This paper discusses an effective surface preparation technique that would meet the roughness criteria for nanoindentation. With the application of Taguchi method, the optimum parameter combinations and relative contributions of various controlling factors such as force, speed, and time of polishing were determined. A second-order response surface model was developed based on signal to noise ratio to establish the relationship between the controlling factors and surface roughness. Finally, the predicted surface roughness values from both Taguchi method and response surface model were compared with the experimental values of the optimized confirmation runs and a good agreement was achieved.
Versatility of Piezoelectric Ring Actuator Technique (P-RAT) for Characterization of Cement Paste and Mortar
Authors: Naji S. , Karray M. , Khayat K. H.
Published: April 2017

Piezoelectric ring-actuator technique (P-RAT) enables the measurement of shear wave (S-wave) velocity (Vs) of a cement-based material, which is directly related to its elastic shear modulus (G). The P-RAT can produce high quality signals with low energetic primary waves (P-waves), thus resulting in precise measurements of S-wave velocity. This paper checked the reliability of the P-RAT to monitor the setting time using the frequency spectrum of the received signals. A possibility of using the P-RAT to monitor the elastic shear modulus of the cement pastes and mortars starting at an early age was studied. This paper also discussed signal processing techniques, including phase shift correction and the first arrival time that can be used to determine the variation of Vs of cement paste and mortar, which can be interpreted to determine setting time. In total, 16 cement paste and mortar mixtures proportioned with different water-to-cement ratios (w/c), high-range water-reducing admixture dosages, and sand volume fractions were investigated. In addition to Vs measurements, the frequency content of the received signals was shown to offer another alternative to determine setting time of cement paste and mortar. To monitor the elastic shear modulus of cement paste and mortar from 1 up to 56 days, a test setup with two P-RAT sensors mounted on opposite sides of a clamping vice was developed for measuring Vs of different hardened material in shape and thickness.
Investigating the Influence of Biological Sex on the Behavioral and Neural Basis of Face Recognition
Authors: Scherf K. Suzanne , Elbich Daniel B. , Motta-Mena Natalie V.
Published: April 2017

There is interest in understanding the influence of biological factors, like sex, on the organization of brain function. We investigated the influence of biological sex on the behavioral and neural basis of face recognition in healthy, young adults. In behavior, there were no sex differences on the male Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT)+ or the female CFMT+ (that we created) and no own-gender bias (OGB) in either group. We evaluated the functional topography of ventral stream organization by measuring the magnitude and functional neural size of 16 individually defined face-, two object-, and two place-related regions bilaterally. There were no sex differences in any of these measures of neural function in any of the regions of interest (ROIs) or in group level comparisons. These findings reveal that men and women have similar category-selective topographic organization in the ventral visual pathway. Next, in a separate task, we measured activation within the 16 face-processing ROIs specifically during recognition of target male and female faces. There were no sex differences in the magnitude of the neural responses in any face-processing region. Furthermore, there was no OGB in the neural responses of either the male or female participants. Our findings suggest that face recognition behavior, including the OGB, is not inherently sexually dimorphic. Face recognition is an essential skill for navigating human social interactions, which is reflected equally in the behavior and neural architecture of men and women.
Structural basis for ligand capture and release by the endocytic receptor ApoER2
Authors: Hirai Hidenori , Yasui Norihisa , Yamashita Keitaro , Tabata Sanae , Yamamoto Masaki , Takagi Junichi , Nogi Terukazu
Published: April 2017

Apolipoprotein E receptor 2 (ApoER2) is a close homologue of low‐density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) that mediates the endocytosis of ligands, including LDL particles. LDLR family members have been presumed to explore a large conformational space to capture ligands in the extended conformation at the cell surface. Ligands are subsequently released through a pH‐titrated structural transition to a self‐docked, contracted‐closed conformation. In addition to lipoprotein uptake, ApoER2 is implicated in signal transduction during brain development through capture of the extracellular protein reelin. From crystallographic analysis, we determine that the full‐length ApoER2 ectodomain adopts an intermediate contracted‐open conformation when complexed with the signaling‐competent reelin fragment, and we identify a previously unappreciated auxiliary low‐affinity binding interface. Based on mutational analyses, we propose that the pH shift during endocytosis weakens the affinity of the auxiliary interface and destabilizes the ligand–receptor complex. Furthermore, this study elucidates that the contracted‐open conformation of ligand‐bound ApoER2 at neutral pH resembles the contracted‐closed conformation of ligand‐unbound LDLR at acidic pH in a manner suggestive of being primed for ligand release even prior to internalization.
Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 in an Indian cohort: a longitudinal study
Authors: Zaidi Ghazala , Bhatia Vijayalakshmi , Sahoo Saroj K , Sarangi Aditya Narayan , Bharti Niharika , Zhang Li , Yu Liping , Eriksson Daniel , Bensing Sophie , Kämpe Olle , Bharani Nisha , Yachha Surendra Kumar , Bhansali Anil , Sachan Alok , Jain Vandana , Shah Nalini , Aggarwal Rakesh , Aggarwal Amita , Srinivasan Muthuswamy , Agarwal Sarita , Bhatia Eesh
Published: April 2017

Objective

Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS1) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by progressive organ-specific autoimmunity. There is scant information on APS1 in ethnic groups other than European Caucasians. We studied clinical aspects and autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene mutations in a cohort of Indian APS1 patients.

Design

Twenty-three patients (19 families) from six referral centres in India, diagnosed between 1996 and 2016, were followed for [median (range)] 4 (0.2–19) years.

Methods

Clinical features, mortality, organ-specific autoantibodies and AIRE gene mutations were studied.

Results

Patients varied widely in their age of presentation [3.5 (0.1–17) years] and number of clinical manifestations [5 (2–11)]. Despite genetic heterogeneity, the frequencies of the major APS1 components (mucocutaneous candidiasis: 96%; hypoparathyroidism: 91%; primary adrenal insufficiency: 55%) were similar to reports in European series. In contrast, primary hypothyroidism (23%) occurred more frequently and at an early age, while kerato-conjunctivitis, urticarial rash and autoimmune hepatitis were uncommon (9% each). Six (26%) patients died at a young age [5.8 (3–23) years] due to septicaemia, hepatic failure and adrenal/hypocalcaemic crisis from non-compliance/unexplained cause. Interferon-α and/or interleukin-22 antibodies were elevated in all 19 patients tested, including an asymptomatic infant. Eleven AIRE mutations were detected, the most common being p.C322fsX372 (haplotype frequency 37%). Four mutations were novel, while six others were previously described in European Caucasians.

Conclusions

Indian APS1 patients exhibited considerable genetic heterogeneity and had highly variable clinical features. While the frequency of major manifestations was similar to that of European Caucasians, other features showed significant differences. A high mortality at a young age was observed.
Caracterización de la movilidad en bicicleta en el Campus Universitario Rodrigo Facio, Universidad de Costa Rica
Authors: Hernández Vega Henry
Published: April 2017

El presente artículo tiene como objetivo caracterizar a las personas que viajan en bicicleta hacia la Universidad de Costa Rica por medio de un análisis de los resultados de la Encuesta de Transporte realizada por el Programa de Infraestructura del Transporte (PITRA) del Laboratorio Nacional de Materiales y Modelos Estructurales de la Universidad de Costa Rica en el 2013. Con los datos de los viajes en bicicleta se determinó que un 42 % de los usuarios encuestados que asisten a la universidad en bicicleta lo hacen desde distancias que se ubican entre los dos y los cinco kilómetros. Además, un 62 % de quienes utilizan este medio de transporte tarda 30 minutos o menos en realizar el recorrido diario hacia la Universidad. Existe una diferencia por sexo respecto al uso de la bicicleta dado que el 81 % de las personas ciclistas corresponde a hombres y el 19 % a mujeres. La ausencia de espacio exclusivo para bicicletas es uno de los principales problemas experimentados por los ciclistas y las ciclistas. Vehículos transitando a altas velocidades, la presencia de vehículos pesados y la conducción nocturna sin presencia de iluminación en la vía son factores que influyen en la percepción de seguridad que tienen las personas ciclistas en sus itinerarios. Finalmente, la existencia de infraestructura exclusiva para ciclistas en la vía, la implementación de espacios de parqueo y educación para los conductores y las conductoras se consideran como las principales incentivos para el uso de la bicicleta.
Innovative Use of the Electronic Health Record to Support Harm Reduction Efforts
Authors: Hyman Daniel , Neiman Jenae , Rannie Michael , Allen Renee , Swietlik Marguerite , Balzer Andrea
Published: April 2017

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Awareness of the impact of preventable harm on patients and families has resulted in extensive efforts to make our health care systems safer. We determined that, in our hospital, patients experienced 1 of 9 types of preventable harm approximately every other day. In an effort to expedite early identification of patients at risk and provide timely intervention, we used the electronic health record’s (EHR) documentation to enable decision support, data capture, and auditing and implemented reporting tools to reduce rates of harm.

METHODS:

Harm reduction strategies included aggregating data to generate a risk profile for hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) for all inpatients. The profile includes links to prevention bundles and available care guidelines. Additionally, lists of patients at risk for HACs autopopulate electronic audit tools contained within Research Electronic Data Capture, and data from observational audits and EHR documentation populate real-time dashboards of bundle compliance. Patient population summary reports promote the discussion of relevant HAC prevention measures during patient care and unit leadership rounds.

RESULTS:

The hospital has sustained a >30% reduction in harm for 9 types of HAC since 2012. In 2014, the number of HACs with >80% bundle adherence doubled coincident with the progressive rollout of these EHR-based interventions.

CONCLUSIONS:

Existing EHR documentation and reporting tools may be effective adjuncts to harm reduction initiatives. Additional study should include an evaluation of scalability across organizations, ongoing bundle adherence, and individual tests of change to isolate interventions with the highest impact on our results.
Epidemiology of Cerebrospinal Fluid Cultures and Time to Detection in Term Infants
Authors: Leazer Rianna , Erickson Natasha , Paulson James , Zipkin Ronen , Stemmle Monica , Schroeder Alan R. , Bendel-Stenzel Michael , Fine Bryan R.
Published: April 2017

BACKGROUND:

Although meningitis is rare in previously healthy term infants, lumbar puncture is often performed to evaluate for source of illness. This study was performed to determine the time to detection for positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures and to provide an update on the current epidemiology of bacterial meningitis in term infants.

METHODS:

This study was a multicenter, retrospective review of positive CSF cultures in infants ≤90 days of age. Specimens were drawn in the emergency department or inpatient setting between January 2000 and December 2013. Cultures were deemed true pathogens or contaminant species based on the attending physician’s treatment plan. Cultures from premature infants, an operative source, or those with significant medical history were excluded.

RESULTS:

A total of 410 positive CSF culture results were included, with 53 (12.9%) true pathogens and 357 (87.1%) contaminant species. The mean ± SD time to detection for true pathogens was 28.6 ± 16.8 hours (95% confidence interval, 24–33.2); for contaminant species, it was 68.1 ± 36.2 hours (95% confidence interval, 64.3–71.9). Forty-three true-positive cases (81.1%) were positive in ≤36 hours. The most common pathogen was group B Streptococcus (51%), followed by Escherichia coli (13%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (9%).

CONCLUSIONS:

The majority of pathogenic bacteria in CSF exhibit growth within 36 hours. Most growth from CSF cultures in febrile infants is treated as contamination. The epidemiology of meningitis has remained constant, with group B Streptococcus as the predominant pathogen, despite changes noted in the epidemiology of bacteremia in this population.
Variación genética en especies de cícadas estrechamente relacionadas en Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae: Cycadales) mediante el uso de RAPDs
Authors: Pérez-Farrera Miguel A. , Vovides Andrew P. , González Dolores , López Sergio , Hernandez-Sandoval Luis , Martínez Mahinda
Published: April 2017

The Ceratozamia norstogii complex from Southern Mexico is made up of four closely related taxa and occurs in similar habitats (Quercus forest). All have linear-lanceolate leaflets with great similarity between them, especially in juvenile stages, but differentiate with age. There has been debate regarding delimitation of species due to character loss in herbarium specimens. The aim of this study was to determine the genetic variation, and to measure genetic similarity between the four taxa. We studied populations in Cintalapa (Chiapas) for C. alvarezii and C. norstogii; the Sierra Atravesada (Oaxaca) for C. chimalapensis, and Villa Flores (Chiapas) for C. mirandae. One population for each taxon was sampled (only one population is known for C. alvarezii) 11-15 randomly chosen adult individuals were sampled. Twenty-eight primers were tested of which five were polymorphic using the RAPD’S technique. The data were analyzed using Bayesian methods. Results revealed low genetic diversity, and a differentiation was found between species, suggesting a recent divergence. A previous morphological and anatomical study on the complex has found the taxa to be distinct. However, the results of this study have shown that the C. norstogii species complex is in a divergence process, probably through genetic drift and founder effects.
Taxones superiores de hormigas como sustitutos de la riqueza de especies, en una cronosecuencia de bosques secundarios, bosque primario y sistemas agroforestales en la Amazonía Oriental, Brasil
Authors: Gutiérrez Jhonatan Andrés Muñoz , Roussea Guillaume Xavier , Andrade-Silva Joudellys , Delabie Jacques Hubert Charles
Published: April 2017

Deforestation in Amazon forests is one of the main causes for biodiversity loss worldwide. Ants are key into the ecosystem because act like engineers; hence, the loss of ants’ biodiversity may be a guide to measure the loss of essential functions into the ecosystems. The aim of this study was to evaluate soil ant’s richness and to estimate whether higher taxa levels (Subfamily and Genus) can be used as surrogates of species richness in different vegetation types (fallows, old-growth forests and agroforestry systems) in Eastern Amazon. The samples were taken in 65 areas in the Maranhão and Pará States in the period 2011-2014. The sampling scheme followed the procedure of Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility (TSBF). Initially, the vegetation types were characterized according to their age and estimated species richness. Linear and exponential functions were applied to evaluate if higher taxa can be used as surrogates and correlated with the Pearson coefficient. In total, 180 species distributed in 60 genera were identified. The results showed that ant species richness was higher in intermediate fallows (88) and old secondary forest (76), and was lower in agroforestry systems (38) and mature riparian forest (35). The genus level was the best surrogate to estimate the ant’s species richness across the different vegetation types, and explained 72-97 % (P < 0.001) of the total species variability. The results confirmed that the genus level is an excellent surrogate to estimate the ant’s species richness in the region and that both fallows and agroforestry systems may contribute in the conservation of Eastern Amazon ant community.
Distribution of the deep-sea genus Bathypterois (Pisces: Ipnopidae) in the Eastern Central Pacific
Authors: Cruz-Acevedo Edgar , Betancourt-Lozano Miguel , Aguirre-Villaseñor Hugo
Published: April 2017

The genus Bathypterois (tripod fish) comprises 19 species of deep-sea fishes distributed worldwide. The biology and distribution of the species of this genus are relatively poorly known throughout the Eastern Central Pacific (ECP). This work aims to update the geographic and bathymetric distribution of species of Bathypterois throughout the ECP. To describe the influence of depth, temperature and dissolved oxygen concentrations (DO) on latitudinal and depth distribution of members of the genus throughout the Mexican Pacific, 51 specimens of B. atricolor (12 trawls) and 112 of B. ventralis (18 trawls), collected during TALUD project, were analyzed. Bathypterois atricolor had broader environmental niches (depth: 0.47, temperature: 0.46, DO: 0.39), and inhabits deeper and colder sites (Electivity positives: > 1 000 m, < 3.2 °C, 1.0-1.62 mL/L) than B. ventralis, which had narrow environmental niches (depth: 0.34, temperature: 0.32, DO: 0.28), with high affinity to warmer sites and lower DO concentrations (Electivity positives: 778-1 400 m, 3.3-5.8 °C, < 1.0 mL/L). Both species used different environmental strata (niche overlap; depth: 0.34, temperature: 0.32, DO: 0.28). The adaptation of B. atricolor to live in a broad range of DO concentrations explains its almost circumglobal distribution, while B. ventralis lives almost permanently in the Oxygen Minimum Zone (< 0.05 mL/L), so the DO could be a limiting factor, reducing its potential geographic and bathymetric distributions. None of these species had been previously recorded in the central Gulf of California, and B. ventralis had not been recorded along the West coast of Baja California. This study confirms that both species have a continuous distribution within the ECP, our new records extended the known northernmost range for B. atricolor by 886 km (from 22°46' N to 30°45’ N) and for B. ventralis by 645 km (from 21°18’ N to 27°07’ N).
Divergent predation environment between two sister species of livebearing fishes (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae) predicts boldness, activity, and exploration behavior
Authors: Money David Andrus , Ingley Spencer J. , Johnson Jerald B.
Published: April 2017

Predators can influence a variety of prey traits, including behavior. Traits such as boldness, activity rate, and tendency to explore can all be shaped by predation risk. Our study examines the effects of predation on these behaviors by considering a natural system in which two sister species of livebearing fishes, Brachyrhaphis roseni and B. terrabensis, experience divergent predation environments. In February of 2013, we collected fish in the Río Chiriquí Nuevo drainage, Chiriquí, Panama, and conducted behavioral assays. Using open-field behavioral assays, we evaluated both juveniles and adults, and males and females, to determine if there were differences in behavior between ontogenetic stages or between sexes. We assessed boldness as ‘time to emerge’ from a shelter into a novel environment, and subsequently measured activity and exploration within that novel environment. We predicted that B. roseni (a species that co-occurs with predators) would be more bold, more active, and more prone to explore, than B. terrabensis (a species that does not co-occur with predators). In total, we tested 17 juveniles, 21 adult males, and 20 adult females of B. roseni, and 19 juveniles, 19 adult males, and 18 adult females of B. terrabensis. We collected all animals from streams in Chiriquí, Panama in February 2013, and tested them following a short acclimation period to laboratory conditions. As predicted, we found that predation environment was associated with several differences in behavior. Both adult and juvenile B. roseni were more active and more prone to explore than B. terrabensis. However, we found no differences in boldness in either adults or juveniles. We also found a significant interaction between ‘sex’ and ‘species’ as predictors of boldness and exploration, indicating that predation environment can affect behaviors of males and females differently in each species. Our work demonstrates the importance of considering sex and life history stage when evaluating the evolution of behavior.
Reproductive pattern of the large fruit-eating bat, Artibeus amplus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in the Venezuelan Andes
Authors: Ruiz-Ramoni Damián , Ramoni-Perazzi Paolo , Munoz-Romo Mariana
Published: April 2017

Bimodal polyestry is the most common reproductive pattern in tropical bats, and it consists in producing one offspring per female twice a year. Reproductive patterns are closely related to rainfall regimes, frequently occurring twice a year in tropical regions. The goal of our study was to determine the reproductive pattern of the large fruit-eating bat, Artibeus amplus Handley, 1987 in a cave in the Venezuelan Andes inhabited by a large, stable colony. Thus, in this study we describe for the first time this important biological aspect of this unknown Neotropical bat species through the examination of external reproductive characteristics of males (inguinal or scrotal testes) and females (pregnant, lactating, post-lactating), based on 211 individuals (120 males and 91 females) captured between September 2008 and August 2009, in Cueva del Parque Las Escaleras, Estado Táchira, Venezuela. During this period of monthly sampling for a full year, most males displayed large scrotal testes, averaging 10 mm maximum length. The examination of females indicated that although pregnancy was first observed in November 2008, it reached a maximum during January and February 2009. Although adult males with scrotal testes throughout the year could imply that females have more than one pregnancy, our results suggested a seasonally monoestrous reproductive pattern for A. amplus. This study represents the first report of reproductive pattern for this poorly-known Neotropical frugivorous species. The observed monoestrous reproductive pattern supports the existence of synchronization between precipitation and reproduction. This synchronization has been frequently observed in most species of fruit bats. In this study, Artibeus amplus presumably adjust the parturition to anticipate the rainy season, as a strategy that allows maintenance of offspring during high availability of fruits.
Diel variation in the catch of the shrimp Farfantepenaeus duorarum (Decapoda, Penaeidae) and length-weight relationship, in a nursery area of the Terminos Lagoon, Mexico
Authors: Brito Roberto , Gelabert Rolando , Amador del Ángel Luís Enrique , Alderete Ángel , Guevara Emma
Published: April 2017

The pink shrimp, Farfantepenaeus duorarum is an important commercial species in the Gulf of Mexico, which supports significant commercial fisheries near Dry Tortugas, in Southern Florida and in Campeche Sound, Southern Gulf of Mexico. There is information about the nictemeral behavior of the pink shrimp related to sunset, what is crucial to more accurate estimation of shrimp population biomass, and to assess the potential of this resource and its proper management. To contribute to the knowledge and the population dynamics of the species, shrimp surveys were conducted in a nursery area near “El Cayo” in the Northeastern part of Terminos Lagoon, Mexico during October 2010. Three sampling sites with substrate covered by submerged vegetation were chosen; two set of samples were collected at each site, one in the morning and the other just after sunset. Three trawls were performed per sampling site using a small otter trawl. A total of 1 418 shrimp (between 5.5 to 28.8 mm Carapace Length (CL)) were collected during the study; 1 416 F. duorarum and only two individuals of Litopenaeus setiferus. Shrimps CL and Total Length (TL) were measured in mm and individuals were weighted to the nearest 0.01 g. In general, shrimp biomass and density were significantly higher in all sites during dusk (biomass = 46.36 g.100 m-2, n = 1 344), than daylight samples (biomass = 2.78 g.100 m-2, n = 72). The One-way ANOVA and the Tukey test performed to evaluate variability in CL found significant differences between sites (CL = 14.12 mm, 12.46 mm and 15.13 mm, for site 1, 2 and 3 respectively, F = 64.92, P < 0.001) which might be related to the substrate type. The length-weight relationships reflected positive allometric growth for juveniles but isometric for subadults and two nonlinear power functions were estimated (W = 0.0004CL3.157 for juveniles, and W = 0.0009CL2.902 for subadults). The results of the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) test indicated that the Total Length - Carapace Length (TL-CL) relationships were significantly different between juveniles and subadults, and two linear equations (TL = 2.615 + 4.476CL and TL = 8.931 + 4.062CL for juveniles and subadults respectively) were fitted. It is important that population assessment takes into account the day or night period as a bias factor when sampling the abundance of the juveniles of F. duorarum in this important nursery ground of the Campeche Sound.
Comparative morphology of gonads from six species of fish belonging to the family Anostomidae (Characiformes: Anostomidae)
Authors: Arantes Fabio Pereira , Silva Fabiano Andrade , Santos José Enemir , Rizzo Elizete , Sato Yoshimi , Bazzoli Nilo
Published: April 2017

In fishes, gonad morphology is an important parameter to understand the reproductive biology, phylogenetic relationships and systematic studies. The main objective of this study was to make a comparative analysis of the morphology of mature ovary and testis in six fish species of the family Anostomidae. A total of 212 specimens, presenting maturing gonads, were captured from the São Francisco River, Três Marias Reservoir area, in Southeastern Brazil, between August 2008 and December 2010. The six analyzed species had mature ovaries and showed a grayish color. In vitellogenic oocytes (VO), cortical alveoli (CA) were composed by small vesicles in all Leporinus species, but in Leporellus vittatus and Schizodon knerii the CA were large vesicles. However, the CA of all species showed similar histochemical content. The pellucid zone consists of two layers to all species, but it was thicker in S. knerii (11.5 ± 1.8 µm) than in L. vittatus (9.0 ± 0.8 µm) and Leporinus species (3.5 ± 0.6 - 8.7 ± 0.9 µm). Follicular cells of the VO were respectively cubic and prismatic in animal and vegetative poles of S. knerii (22.3 ± 3.2 and 61.1 ± 9.6 µm), and squamous in the other species (1.3 ± 0.3 - 1.6 ± 0.3 µm). Females of S. knerii and males of L. vittatus showed lower values of gonadosomatic index (GSI) than the other assessed species. All evaluated species presented testicular morphology similar to most neotropical Characiformes, with unrestricted spermatogonial testis and anastomosing tubular organization of seminiferous tubules. Phenotypical differences in the vitellogenic oocyte of Anostomidae fishes, confirmed the taxonomic position of S. knerii as different genus in relation to Leporinus and L. vittatus. Despite being placed in different genera, the characteristics of the vitellogenic oocytes of L. vittatus were similar to those found in the studied Leporinus.
Patrones comportamentales de fóridos (Diptera: Phoridae) parasitoides de Atta colombica (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Authors: Bedoya Cochet Robin , Ortega León Ángela , Ortiz Reyes Adriana
Published: April 2017

In ecology, the success of parasitoid-host interactions is determined by the behavior of seeking, recognition, attack and defense deployed by the participants in the interaction. Our study aimed to understand the behavioral patterns between parasitoid phorids and their host Atta colombica from a forest fragment of Córdoba department, Colombia. We observed three nests of Atta colombica, from December 2013 to Januray 2015 (including dry and rainy seasons), for a total effort of 189 hours. We observed Phorids, their attacks to ants and collected their loads; we also considered differences in the way the parasitoids attacked and observed the microhabitat they preferred. A total of 52 individuals of Eibesfeldtphora attae and 54 of Apocephalus colombicus were collected. Apparently there was no preference for the size of the ants that were attacked by phorids, but larger loads were selected to land on them. When the ants responded to the phorid attack, they used individual defenses (adopting positions or increasing their speed) or grupal defenses (closer ants attacking the phorid). Parasitoid phorids have specialized their behavior, in order to ensure a successful attack on their host, who responded by modifying its behavior, according to the attacker (parasitoid).
Variaciones adaptativas en la talla de la megafauna bentónica de fondos blandos tropicales en función de parámetros bióticos y abióticos
Authors: Gómez Luis Alfonso , García Camilo Bernando
Published: April 2017

Understanding and predicting adaptations in body size of megabenthic invertebrates remains a major challenge in marine macroecology. This study was conducted in order to investigate size variations of benthic megafauna in the tropics and to identify the effect of biotic and abiotic factors that may produce changes to these organisms, testing unresolved hypothesis and paradigms of deep sea ecology from subtropical and temperate areas. The study area covered the continental shelf of the Colombian Caribbean. The samples were collected during 1998, 2001 and 2005, using semi-globe demersal net for a water depth of 10 to 500 m. The most common species were selected for further study: Eudolium crosseanum, Cosmioconcha nitens, Nuculana acuta (mollusks), Astropecten alligator, Brissopsis atlantica, B. elongata (equinoderms), Anasimus latus, Chasmocarcinus cylindricus and Achelous spinicarpus (crustaceans). Generalized Additive Models were used to detect significant changes in size and to infer the effects of biotic and environmental factors on organisms’ size. The dependent variable was size and the predicting model variables were depth, temperature, intraspecific density, interspecific density, richness, latitude, and longitude. A total of 7 000 individuals were measured. Six species showed an increase in body size towards deeper and colder sites. These species inhabit shallow and deep environments that exceed a variation in temperature of 10 °C. There was a remarkable size reduction in areas affected by the Magdalena River, possibly due to major physicochemical changes caused by the river. This region has the lowest planktonic primary productivity within the study area. An increase in sizes was observed north of the Magdalena River, between a longitude of 74°W and 71°W and latitude of 11°N y 13°N, which may be attributable to the coastal upwelling occurring in this part of Colombia. The relationship between the density of benthic organisms and size was not clear. However, five species showed an inverse relation with intraspecific density and three with interspecific density. Temperature and depth were the variables that best explained the variations in size. Most of the studied species showed an increase in body size when temperature dropped along the bathymetric range. The trend of increasing size in deeper zones is contrary to the prediction of the optimal size theoretical model (but consistent with recent studies), which indicates a reduction in organisms’ size in the deep sea, due to food limitation with increasing depth. It is possible that this increase in size is an adaptation to maximize energy, which is frequently observed in the coldest habitats of several species. Future studies in Caribbean should examine variations in size of benthic megafauna towards deeper zones (more than 500 m), were temperature is less variable and then other factors can play a more important role determining the size of these organisms.