bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of hOGG1 C1245G Polymorphism in the Susceptibility to Lupus Nephritis and Modulation of the Plasma 8-OHdG in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Lee Hui-Ting , Lin Chen-Sung , Lee Chyou-Shen , Tsai Chang-Youh , Wei Yau-Huei
Published: February 2015

We investigated whether the C1245G polymorphism of human 8-oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) gene confers the susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) occurrence of lupus nephritis and affects the plasma level of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in patients with SLE. A total of 45 healthy controls and 85 SLE patients were recruited. The C1245G polymorphism of the hOGG1 gene was determined by direct sequencing. The frequency of occurrence of the hOGG1 1245 GG genotype in SLE patients was 31.8% (27/85), which is lower than that of healthy controls of 53.3% (24/45). Thirty-three (33/85, 38.8%) SLE patients developed lupus nephritis. Significantly, SLE patients harboring the hOGG1 1245 GG genotype had a higher incidence to develop lupus nephritis than did those harboring the hOGG1 1245 CC or CG genotype (15/27, 55.6% vs.18/58, 31.0%, p = 0.031). Divided into subgroups, SLE patients harboring the hOGG1 1245 GG genotype had the highest plasma levels of 8-OHdG among patients with all genotypes, with regard to the coexistence of lupus nephritis (p = 0.020, ANOVA), including those with nephritis harboring the hOGG1 1245 CC or CG genotypes (p = 0.037), those without nephritis harboring the hOGG1 1245 GG genotype (p = 0.050), and those without nephritis harboring the hOGG1 1245 CC or CG genotype (p = 0.054). We conclude that the C1245G polymorphism of hOGG1 may be one of the factors that confer the susceptibility to lupus nephritis and modulate the plasma level of 8-OHdG in patients with SLE.
Functional Characterization of the FNT Family Nitrite Transporter of Marine Picocyanobacteria
Authors: Maeda Shin-ichi , Murakami Akio , Ito Hisashi , Tanaka Ayumi , Omata Tatsuo
Published: February 2015

Many of the cyanobacterial species found in marine and saline environments have a gene encoding a putative nitrite transporter of the formate/nitrite transporter (FNT) family. The presumed function of the gene (designated nitM) was confirmed by functional expression of the gene from the coastal marine species Synechococcus sp. strain PCC7002 in the nitrite-transport-less mutant (NA4) of the freshwater cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus strain PCC7942. The NitM-mediated nitrite uptake showed an apparent Km (NO2−) of about 8 μM and was not inhibited by nitrate, cyanate or formate. Of the nitM orthologs from the three oceanic cyanobacterial species, which are classified as α-cyanobacteria on the basis of the occurrence of Type 1a RuBisCO, the one from Synechococcus sp. strain CC9605 conferred nitrite uptake activity on NA4, but those from Synechococcus sp. strain CC9311 and Prochlorococcus marinus strain MIT9313 did not. A strongly conserved hydrophilic amino acid sequence was found at the C-termini of the deduced NitM sequences from α-cyanobacteria, with a notable exception of the Synechococcus sp. strain CC9605 NitM protein, which entirely lacked the C-terminal amino acids. The C-terminal sequence was not conserved in the NitM proteins from β-cyanobacteria carrying the Type 1b RuBisCO, including the one from Synechococcus sp. strain PCC7002. Expression of the truncated nitM genes from Synechococcus sp. strain CC9311 and Prochlorococcus marinus strain MIT9313, encoding the proteins lacking the conserved C-terminal region, conferred nitrite uptake activity on the NA4 mutant, indicating that the C-terminal region of α-cyanobacterial NitM proteins inhibits the activity of the transporter.
The Structure of FeAl Sinters Fabricated Using Cyclic Loading
Authors: Durejko Tomasz , Ziętala Michał , Bojar Zbigniew
Published: February 2015

A two stage process including a sintering under a cyclic loading is proposed as an alternative fabrication method of dense FeAl intermetallics from elemental powder mixtures. The first stage (pre-sintering) is conducted at two temperature values (620 °C and 670 °C, respectively) under a static and a cyclic loading with a frequency of 20, 40 and 60 Hz. The second one includes a pressureless sintering at temperature of 1250 °C, under a protective argon atmosphere. A suitable selection of pre-sintering parameters (temperature, type and frequency of pressing) allows approximately five times grain size reduction of FeAl phase in comparison to particle size of raw Fe and Al powder material (40–60 µm), as well as induces an effective fragmentation of oxide layers. For the sinters obtained using 60 Hz loading frequency an oxide particle size of 4.0 or 4.5 µm (smaller for sintering with liquid phase) is observed. Material obtained after the full heat treatment are characterized by a fine-grained structure of chemically homogeneous FeAl phase with uniformly distributed Al2O3 spherical particles along grain boundaries. Moreover, it was found that temperature and frequency of loading during the presintering process also affect a consolidation level of the Fe-Al powder mixture, which increases with rising both temperature and frequency.
DMSP-OLS Radiance Calibrated Nighttime Lights Time Series with Intercalibration
Authors: Hsu Feng-Chi , Baugh Kimberly , Ghosh Tilottama , Zhizhin Mikhail , Elvidge Christopher
Published: February 2015

The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program-Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) stable lights products are made using operational OLS data collected at high gain settings, resulting in sensor saturation on brightly lit areas, such as city centers. This has been a paramount shortcoming of the DMSP-OLS stable lights time series. This study outlines a methodology that greatly expands the dynamic range of the OLS data using observations made at different fixed-gain settings, and by incorporating the areas not affected by saturation from the stable lights product. The radiances for the fixed-gain data are computed based on each OLS sensor’s pre-flight calibration. The result is a product known as the OLS radiance calibrated nighttime lights. A total of eight global datasets have been produced, representing years from 1996 to 2010. To further facilitate the usefulness of these data for time-series analyses, corrections have been made to counter the sensitivity differences of the sensors, and coefficients are provided to adjust the datasets to allow inter-comparison.
Terrestrial Laser Scanning as an Effective Tool to Retrieve Tree Level Height, Crown Width, and Stem Diameter
Authors: Srinivasan Shruthi , Popescu Sorin , Eriksson Marian , Sheridan Ryan , Ku Nian-Wei
Published: February 2015

Accurate measures of forest structural parameters are essential to forest inventory and growth models, managing wildfires, and modeling of carbon cycle. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) fills the gap between tree scale manual measurements and large scale airborne LiDAR measurements by providing accurate below crown information through non-destructive methods. This study developed innovative methods to extract individual tree height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and crown width of trees in East Texas. Further, the influence of scan settings, such as leaf-on/leaf-off seasons, tree distance from the scanner, and processing choices, on the accuracy of deriving tree measurements were also investigated. DBH was retrieved by cylinder fitting at different height bins. Individual trees were extracted from the TLS point cloud to determine tree heights and crown widths. The R-squared value ranged from 0.91 to 0.97 when field measured DBH was validated against TLS derived DBH using different methods. An accuracy of 92% (RMSE = 1.51 m) was obtained for predicting tree heights. The R-squared value was 0.84 and RMSE was 1.08 m when TLS derived crown widths were validated using field measured crown widths. Examples of underestimations of field measured forest structural parameters due to tree shadowing have also been discussed in this study. The results from this study will benefit foresters and remote sensing studies from airborne and spaceborne platforms, for map upscaling or calibration purposes, for aboveground biomass estimation, and prudent decision making by the forest management.
Social Policies in Contemporary Latin America: Families and Poverty in the Social Protection Systems
Authors: González Cristina
Published: February 2015

This article examines the impact of social policies on the living conditions of poor families—particularly women—in Latin America from the late 1980s to the present. It identifies three distinct trends of familialism in the region’s social protection systems. The first social policy trend is characterized by poverty alleviation policies addressing the family in an “elliptical” way, taking for granted the idea of a nuclear family. The distinguishing trait of the second trend is the appearance of social programs aimed at families and stressing the role of women as chief caregivers and administrators. And finally, the third policy trend is defined by an expansion of more universal social programs targeting children and the elderly. Despite the recent emergence of programs with gender specific goals, social policies continue to put a great burden on female workers. For example, many subsidies to poor families deliver money directly to women, improving their intra-family bargaining power, but this translates also into an increase of responsibilities and the ensuing overload of work. Consequently, social policies in Latin America need to aim at encouraging a more egalitarian distribution of housework and care work within the family, especially given how well-established androcentrism is in the region.
Macrophage‐dependent clearance of systemically administered B16BL6‐derived exosomes from the blood circulation in mice
Authors: Imai Takafumi , Takahashi Yuki , Nishikawa Makiya , Kato Kana , Morishita Masaki , Yamashita Takuma , Matsumoto Akihiro , Charoenviriyakul Chonlada , Takakura Yoshinobu
Published: February 2015

Previous studies using B16BL6‐derived exosomes labelled with gLuc–lactadherin (gLuc‐LA), a fusion protein of Gaussia luciferase (a reporter protein) and lactadherin (an exosome‐tropic protein), showed that the exosomes quickly disappeared from the systemic circulation after intravenous injection in mice. In the present study, the mechanism of rapid clearance of intravenously injected B16BL6 exosomes was investigated. gLuc‐LA‐labelled exosomes were obtained from supernatant of B16BL6 cells after transfection with a plasmid DNA encoding gLuc‐LA. Labelling was stable when the exosomes were incubated in serum. By using B16BL6 exosomes labelled with PKH26, a lipophilic fluorescent dye, it was demonstrated that PKH26‐labelled B16BL6 exosomes were taken up by macrophages in the liver and spleen but not in the lung, while PKH26‐labelled exosomes were taken up by the endothelial cells in the lung. Subsequently, gLuc‐LA‐labelled B16BL6 exosomes were injected into macrophage‐depleted mice prepared by injection with clodronate‐containing liposomes. The clearance of the intravenously injected B16BL6 exosomes from the blood circulation was much slower in macrophage‐depleted mice than that in untreated mice. These results indicate that macrophages play important roles in the clearance of intravenously injected B16BL6 exosomes from the systemic circulation.
TEMPO-derived spin labels linked to the nucleobases adenine and cytosine for probing local structural perturbations in DNA by EPR spectroscopy
Authors: Gophane Dnyaneshwar B , Sigurdsson Snorri Th
Published: February 2015

Three 2´-deoxynucleosides containing semi-flexible spin labels, namely TA, UA and UC, were prepared and incorporated into deoxyoligonucleotides using the phosphoramidite method. All three nucleosides contain 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) connected to the exocyclic amino group; TA directly and UA as well as UC through a urea linkage. TA and UC showed a minor destabilization of a DNA duplex, as registered by a small decrease in the melting temperature, while UA destabilized the duplex by more than 10 °C. Circular dichroism (CD) measurements indicated that all three labels were accommodated in B-DNA duplex. The mobility of the spin label TA varied with different base-pairing partners in duplex DNA, with the TA•T pair being the least mobile. Furthermore, TA showed decreased mobility under acidic conditions for the sequences TA•C and TA•G, to the extent that the EPR spectrum of the latter became nearly superimposable to that of TA•T. The reduced mobility of the TA•C and TA•G mismatches at pH 5 is consistent with the formation of TAH+•C and TAH+•G, in which protonation of N1 of A allows the formation of an additional hydrogen bond to N3 of C and N7 of G, respectively, with G in a syn-conformation. The urea-based spin labels UA and UC were more mobile than TA, but still showed a minor variation in their EPR spectra when paired with A, G, C or T in a DNA duplex. UA and UC had similar mobility order for the different base pairs, with the lowest mobility when paired with C and the highest when paired with T.
Is Neck Circumference an Indicator for Metabolic Complication of Childhood Obesity?
Authors: Hassan Nayera E. , Atef Abeer , El-Masry Sahar A. , Ibrahim Amany , Al-Tohamy Muhammad , Rasheed Enas Abdel , Ahmed Elashry Galal Ismail
Published: February 2015

BACKGROUND: The possible role of neck circumference (NC) for screening childhood obesity and its complication is not well characterized.AIM: To assess NC and to explore its increase as risk factor with metabolic syndrome (MS) variables. METHODS: Cross sectional case-control study included 50 obese children (BMI â‰¥95th percentile) and 50 healthy (BMI 15th-â€¹85th percentile). All were subjected to clinical examination, measuring blood pressure (BP), body weight, height, NC, waist (WC) and hip (HC)., fasting blood glucose, insulin and lipid profile. Â RESULTS: MS was detected among 52% of obese participants, but not among controls (0%). Clinical parameters and most of the laboratory values were higher in subjects with MS than in non-metabolic subjects, with statistical significance only in blood pressure and triglycerides. Among obese without MS, NC showed significantly positive correlations with age, weight, height, WC, HC and negative with LDL. While among Obese with MS, NC showed significantly positive correlations with age, weight, height, BMI-SDS, WC, HC and DBP.CONCLUSION: NC can be considered as a good indicator and predictor for obesity, especially central obesity. However, NC has no relation with lipid profile or fasting blood sugar.
Relevant Factors in Sustainable Urban Development of Urban Planning Methodology and Implementation of Concepts for Sustainable Planning (Planning Documentation for the Master Plan Skopje 2001-2020)
Authors: Sofeska Emilija
Published: February 2015

Cities as complex and multilayer systems are part of a sustainable policy, because they are huge consumers of resources and show clear signs of unsustainable behavior. Cities around the world today are faced with intense degradation, pollution, overpopulation, etc. Sustainable development refers to the environmental, economic and sociological processes in the city and its physical structure.  Researchers and planners are therefore encouraged to think about the city that will focus on self-regulation. Therefore challenge for this research. This research paper explores the relationship between urban development and sustainable development through the relevant factors and indicators in the methodology of sustainable urban planning. The knowledge obtained should help considers and methods for encourage sustainable urban planning thought in the Republic of Macedonia.The subject of this research is implementation of sustainable concepts and how they affect the methodology of urban planning. In this sense, the focus is on identifying the indicators and factors relevant to sustainable development where the aim is to systematize the concepts of sustainable urban development and operationalization in urban planning documentation and development of the city Skopje.This paper attempts to encourage research and further deepening the methodology of sustainable urban planning. Given the nature of this research work consistently are observed ambitions that I had in conducting and systematization of the factors that reflect sustainable urban development, while, in exposure to the material and setting up of the thesis, parallel are reviewed several aspects that are distributed concentrically and are embedded in the concluding observations of the actual state of the model implementations in the planning of the city of Skopje.
Tactics for Transforming the Housing Structure, New Housing Models. Upgrading Novo Maalo, Skopje, Tactics for Transformation of the Housing Texture
Authors: Petrov Gordan
Published: February 2015

We are witnessing a dynamic development of our society, which undoubtedly require integration of new architectural concepts that will suit the modern way of life in the city. Subject of analysis and design of this master thesis is the contemporary transformations of urban texture in marginalized areas which undoubtedly belong and are part of the urban fabric, finding an alternative solution for the physical and social devastating processes that are fragmenting and deconstructing the residential tissue of the city. The first part of this paper treats topics that indicate different types of upgrading and layering of the urban tissue, followed by a number of historical examples and projects. The next step is chronological and morphological decomposition of Skopje, recognizing the urban fragments in the city and the urban layers created at the end of the XIX and throughout the XX century. The design concept for the chosen fragment is a totally new re-thinking for a possible transformation; it fits the current needs and resolves the existing problems but in the same time it is a recognizable, in terms of that is based on the already processed theories of transformation and reconstruction of the city. The project proposes to retain the existing structure of the neighborhood (Novo Maalo), not because it is in good physical condition, but because of the very people and for their convenience of the human scale space, the atmosphere that reigns in the neighborhood, a sense of belonging and of course, the social aspect of the neighborhood. It allows through tactics of upgrading or adding another, parallel level of the new neighborhood, shape defined by the street pattern of the neighborhood. The line bridge structure functionally connects two parts of the city, also retaining and complementing quality of life and finally giving a response to the current destructive processes of the housing texture in the neighborhood.
Gene Polymorphisms of 22 Cytokines in Macedonian Children with Hyperimmunoglobulinemia E
Authors: Hristomanova Mitkovska Slavica , Trajkov Dejan , Mihajlovikj Jelena , Spiroski Mirko
Published: February 2015

Introduction: For some time it is known that cytokines and their receptors are encoded by highly polymorphic genes. These polymorphisms can be responsible for differences in the production of cytokines between individuals. Large number of the polymorphisms within the regulatory regions of the cytokine genes is in correlation with the production and there are variations among populations. Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze association between polymorphisms in the IFN-gamma, IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-1R, IL-1RA, IL-2, IL-4, IL-4Ralpha, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12B, TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha and hyperimmunoglobulinemia E.Material and Methods: The study included 28 unrelated patients with high IgE levels in serum and the control group consisted of 301 unrelated healthy individuals. Cytokine genotyping was performed with PCR-SSP method. We analyzed the allele frequencies, genotypes, haplotypes and diplotypes of the cytokine genes. The differences were analyzed using Ï‡2 test, odds ratio and Confidence Interval.Results: Susceptible association with hyperimmunoglobulinemia E was found for four different cytokine alleles (IL-4 -33/T, TGF-beta1 cdn25/C, IL-1 alpha -889/T andTNF-alpha -238/A), ten different genotypes (IL4 -1098/G:G, IL4 -33/T:T, IL-1 alpha -889/C :T, IFN gamma utr5644/A:T, TGF-beta1 cdn25/C:G, IL-6  -174/G:G, IL-1 beta -511/C:T, IL-10 -1082/A:G, TNF alpha -238/A:G andIL-1 beta +3962/C:T) and five different combinations of haplotypes (IL-4/GTT, IL-4/TCT, IL-6/TCC, TNF-alpha/GA and TGF-beta1/CC). Protective association with hyperimmunoglobulinemia E was found in four cytokine alleles (IL-4 -33/C, TGF-beta1 cdn25/G, IL-1 alpha -889/C andTNF-alpha -238/G), three genotypes (IL-10 -1082/A:A, IL-1 alpha -889/C:C i IL4 -33/C:C) and for only one haplotype (IL-4/GCC).Conclusion: Several susceptible and protective associations between cytokine gene polymorphisms and hyperimmunoglobulinemia E were found. However, it is still speculative weather these polymorphisms contribute to susceptibility/protection from hyperimmunoglobulinemia E or they might be in significant linkage disequilibrium with some unknown gene responsible for the disease. It is also possible that different ethnical groups show different association with cytokine polymorphisms.
Immunological and Immunogenetic Changes in Children with Autistic Disorder in Republic of Macedonia
Authors: Spiroski Mirko Zhivko
Published: February 2015

AIM: The aim of the study was to present our results about immunological and immunogenetic investigations in children with autistic disorder in Republic of Macedonia.METHODS: Infantile autism was diagnosed by DSM-IV and ICD-10 criteria. Plasma samples were collected from 35 autistic subjects, and their 21 siblings (biological brothers and sisters) who served as healthy controls. Plasma samples were separated by centrifugation and stored at –20°C until the determination. Plasma immunoglobulin classes (IgM, IgA, IgG) and subclasses (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4) were determined using a nephelometer Analyzer. Specific IgA and IgG antibodies against some food allergens, as well as total IgE have been determined with automated immunofluorescent device with solid phase - UniCAP 100 (AmershamBiosciences). HLA DNA typing of class I genes was performed using a Reverse Line Strip method (RLS), and the Sequencing Based Typing method (SBT) was used for typing of class II genes.RESULTS: Children with autism had significantly higher plasma concentrations of IgG4 (p<0.001) compared to their siblings (healthy brothers or sisters). IgE specific antibodies, as well as plasma concentration of total IgE were statistically significant higher in plasma of participants with autism. Multiple comparisons for the IgA variable have shown statistically significant differences between children with autistic disorder from the fathers and mothers (p < 0.001), and healthy brothers and sisters from the fathers and mothers (p < 0.001). Our results showed significantly increased frequencies of HLA-C*03 (OR = 2.74*; c2= 4.68; p = 0.03), and HLA-DRB1*01 (OR = 3.10*; c2= 6.26; p = 0.012) alleles in autistic patients when compared to the controls.CONCLUSION: Children with autism have increased plasma concentration of immunoglobulines. Our results demonstrate an association of HLA-C*03 and HLA-DRB1*01 alleles with Macedonian autistic patients. Comparison between healthy children and children with autistic disorder from the same family should be tested for immunoglobulin classes and subclasses in order to avoid differences between generations.
Using economics to support emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) detection strategies
Authors: Campbell Michael , Weersink Alfons , McKenney Daniel W. , Ryall Krista
Published: February 2015

Early detection of emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennisFairmaire; Coleoptera: Buprestidae) infestation is problematic, with visual indicators not appearing until late during an infestation, and detection methods often requiring substantial trade-offs between information yielded and cost. Decision makers must determine which detection methods provide sufficiently valuable information that matches their objectives and adhere to budget constraints. Notably, decision makers from different organisations often have different objectives; hence their perceptions of costs and benefits of these choices can vary. Economic thought and analysis can provide useful insights for decision makers concerned with understanding and balancing costs and benefits associated with detection strategies. Here we provide a brief review of economic studies of EAB and present a conceptual framework on the detection strategy problem drawing on “information economics”.
Association of severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI) with probable autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome-variant
Authors: Berio A. , Mangiante G. , Piazzi A.
Published: February 2015

The paper reported on a case of severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI) associated with a probable autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome variant (Dianzani autoimmune lymphoproliferative disease) (DALD). A male patient with typical features of SMEI and a SCN1A gene variant presented in the first year of life with multiple lymph nodes, palpable liver at 2 cm from the costal margin, neutropenia, dysgammaglobulinemia, relative and sometimes absolute lymphocytosis. Subsequently the patient presented with constantly raised IgA in serum and positive antinuclear and thyroid antimicrosomal antibodies. The diagnosis of probable autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome was made; arthritis, skin and throat blisters, which appeared subsequently led to the diagnosis of linear IgA disease. On the basis of these unique associations, the Authors hypothesized that autoimmunity may be partly responsible of the severe epileptic symptomatology, perhaps mediated by autoantibodies against sodium channels or by accompanying cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. Corticosteroid treatment ameliorated the epilepsy and laboratory tests. Future studies will be necessary to evaluate the relevance of autoimmunity in SMEI.
Pediatric blunt renal trauma with wide fragments dislocation: successful organ saving management by internal stenting and percutaneous perirenal drain
Authors: Olivieri C. , Grella M.G. , Catania V.D. , Contini A.C. , Briganti V. , Calisti A.
Published: February 2015

Children have an high risk of renal damage as a result of blunt trauma. Conservative management is always recommended for lower grades (I to III) but is rather controversial whenever high grade injuries (grade IV and V) are concerned. We describe a case of successful conservative management in grade IV renal injury occurred in a 9-years-old girl with blunt trauma.
Preoperative distraction in children: hand-held videogames vs clown therapy
Authors: Messina M. , Molinaro F. , Meucci D. , Angotti R. , Giuntini L. , Cerchia E. , Bulotta A.L. , Brandigi E.
Published: February 2015

Anxiety in children undergoing surgery is characterized by feelings of tension, apprehension, nervousness and fear which may manifest differently. Postoperative behavioural changes such as nocturnal enuresis, feeding disorders, apathy, and sleep disturbances may stem from postoperative anxiety. Some Authors pointed out that over 60% of children undergoing surgery are prone to developing behavioural alterations 2 weeks after surgery. Variables such as age, temperament and anxiety both in children and parents are considered predictors of such changes.1 Studies were published describing how psycho-behavioural interventions based on play, learning and entertainment in preparing children for surgery, may reduce preoperative anxiety. Clown-therapy is applied in the most important paediatric facilities and has proved to diminish children’s emotional distress and sufferance, as well as consumption of both analgesics and sedatives and to facilitate the achievement of therapeutic goals. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of clown-therapy during the child’s hospital stay, with a view to optimizing treatment and care, preventing behavioural alterations and enhancing the child’s overall life quality.
28th Congress of the Italian Society of Neonatology - Lombardy section | Bergamo, 30-31 January 2015
Authors: Musi Luciano , Frigiola Alessandro , Giovannini Marcello , Rosti Luca
Published: February 2015

This abstract book contains the abstracts presented at the 28th Congress of the Italian Society of Neonatology - Lombardy section | Bergamo, 30-31 January 2015
Stratigraphy, tectonic evolution and structural analysis of the Halfway River map area (94B), northern Rocky Mountains, British Columbia
Authors: Thompson R I
Published: February 2015

The Halfway River map area encompasses a segment of the Canadian Rocky Mountains between the Peace (lat. 56°N) and Halfway (lat. 57°N) rivers. On the east is the Alberta Plateau, a region of flat-lying Cretaceous strata having little relief; bisecting
the map area from south to north is the Foothills structural subprovince, a belt of folded Carboniferous through Lower Cretaceous strata forming long parallel ridges breached by east-flowing streams; on the west is the Rocky Mountains structural subprovince, consisting of folded and thrust faulted
Upper Proterozoic through Carboniferous strata sculpted into jagged peaks. Relief within the Foothills and Rocky Mountains sub provinces averages 1000 m. Passive margin sedimentation persisted from the Late Proterozoic until the Late Jurassic. Alpine orogenesis began late in the Jurassic and lasted
until the early Tertiary. Thrusts and detached folds formed along the eastern margin of the fold and thrust belt' and migrated eastward ahead of the advancing deformation front. The passive margin (miogeocline) succession is about 12 000 m thick and represents a westward thickening wedge of shelf
carbonates that "shaled out" into off-shelf, fine grained, clastic sediments. The overlying synorogenic foreland basin succession has a maximum thickness of 4000 m within an eastward tapering wedge made up of deltaic and prodeltaic marine shale, siltstone and sandstone with minor conglomerate.
Supracrustal shortening across the area is about 60 km; including 25 to 30 km within the chevron and box folds of the Foothills subprovince. There are 11 producing gas fields east of the Foothills subprovince. Coal is known within Cretaceous strata, lead and zinc occur in brecciated Silurian and
Devonian carbonate strata, and a carbonatite deposit occurs within Lower Ordovician carbonate strata.
An updated seismic shothole drillers' log-based assessment of potential granular aggregate resources and bedrock outcrop and subcrop occurrences, Ka'a'gee Tu Candidate Protected area, southern Northwest Territories
Authors: Smith I R , Lesk-Winfield K
Published: February 2015

This publication's purpose is to provide information on the location and thickness of potential granular aggregate resources (gravel and sand) and bedrock outcrop/subcrop localities which may host suitable quarry material in the vicinity of the Ka'a'gee Tu
Candidate Protected Area, southern Northwest Territories. Newly acquired archival seismic shothole drillers-log data from Shell Canada, ConocoPhillips Canada, and Paramount Resources, are used to update previous reconstructions of potential granular aggregate
deposits (Open File 6058) and bedrock outcrop/subcrop occurrences (Open File 6410). A total of 713 potential granular aggregate deposits and 4264 bedrock outcrop/subcrop occurrences have been added to the thematic GIS which is presented here. Application of this information is considered beneficial
to all manner of regional, community, and resource infrastructure development, and may be incorporated into decision making by those planning the geographical extents and limitations to development in the proposed Ka'a'gee Tu Candidate Protected Area.
Embryological Remnants of the Thyroid Gland and their Significance in Thyroidectomy
Authors: Fernando R , Rajapaksha Anuradha , Ranasinghe Narada , Gunawardana Duminda
Published: February 2015

Thyroid gland has three main embryological remnants: pyramidal lobe, tubercle of Zuckerkandl and thyrothymic remnants. They are commonly missed or misidentified during dissection. Each of these remnants plays a critical role in thyroidectomy as they help to identify the relevant anatomy and therefore help prevent accidental damage to other structures in close proximity during dissection.

In this article, we describe the current knowledge of each of these remnants and their significance in thyroidectomy.

Conclusion

It is important that all these remnants are objectively looked for and removed during surgery in order to prevent recurrences.

How to cite this article

Fernando R, Rajapaksha A, Ranasinghe N, Gunawardana D. Embryological Remnants of the Thyroid Gland and their Significance in Thyroidectomy. World J Endoc Surg 2014;6(3):110-112.
Unusual Presentation of Pheochromocytoma with Polyphagia
Authors: PRK Bhargav
Published: February 2015

Pheochromocytoma is adrenal medullary tumor known to present in protean ways, especially in children. Here we describe a case of adrenal pheochromocytoma in young girl of 13 years presenting with polyphagia as a predominant symptom. She was successfully treated with laparoscopic adrenalectomy.

How to cite this article

Bhargav PRK. Unusual presentation of Pheochromocytoma with Polyphagia. World J Endoc Surg 2014;6(3):113-114.
Chylothorax Following Thyroid Surgery: A Report of two Cases and Review of Management Strategies
Authors: Samarasam Inian , Gnanamuthu Birla Roy , Nalukurthi Siddhartha Chakravarthy , Kishore Johnraj , Paul Mj
Published: February 2015

Chylothorax is a rare complication following thyroid surgery. Management of this complication can be conservative or surgical. We report two cases of chylothorax following excision of retrosternal goiter and neck dissection. The relevant literature is reviewed regarding the management strategy, highlighting the importance of surgical anatomy.

How to cite this article

Nalukurthi SC, Kishore J, Samarasam I, Gnanamuthu BR, Paul Mj. Chylothorax Following Thyroid Surgery: A Report of two Cases and Review of Management Strategies. World J Endoc Surg 2014;6(3):115-118.
Cardiac Myxoma in a case of Carney Complex
Authors: Pande Shantanu , Chandra Bipin , Majumdar Gauranga , Agarwal Surendra
Published: February 2015

How to cite this article

Majumdar G, Agarwal S, Pande s, Chandra B, Tewari P. Cardiac Myxoma in a case of Carney Complex. World J Endoc Surg 2014;6(3):127-128.
Patient Satisfaction Survey at a Tertiary Care Speciality Hospital
Authors: Gupta Shakti Kumar , Garg Neeraj , Mahesh R
Published: February 2015

Introduction

Patient satisfaction is one of the most important parameters of quality. The measurement of patient satisfaction is an important tool for research, administration, and planning. Client satisfaction is a crucial index for determining the quality services and the way in which they are provided by medical staff. The patient satisfaction is of paramount importance in ensuring better quality on the way to total quality management. Patient satisfaction survey are important from the view of improvement of quality of services and to attain the maximum satisfaction of the in-patients.

Aims and objectives

The aim of the study is to assess the level of satisfaction of in-patients at Tertiary care speciality hospital and to find out the causes for dissatisfaction. The objectives set were, to study the level of satisfaction of in-patients in private and General wards at Tertiary care speciality hospital and to find the causes for dissatisfaction, if any and suggest remedial measures.

Methodology

A questionnaire based study where views of inpatient were taken regarding various clinical and support services. The data were collected from different patient care areas over a period of 2 months, and analyzed to determine the biggest dissatisfying factors among the patients.

Observations

More than 88% of the patients have rated the services as Excellent/Good. The areas where the satisfaction level is low is the cleanliness specially in the toilets and the quality of food served to the patients. As far as clinical care is concerned 95% of the patients are satisfied with the level and expertise of professional care but suggested for development of soft skills in doctors and paramedics.

Conclusion

The study suggests that a majority of in-patients are highly satisfied with the services of the Hospital. The study recommends for the need to develop soft skills among Doctor and paramedics and to improve upon the level of cleanliness and quality of dietary services.

How to cite this article

Garg N, Gupta SK, Mahesh R. Patient Satisfaction Survey at a Tertiary Care Speciality Hospital. Int J Res Foundation Hosp Healthc Adm 2014;2(2):79-83.
Technical Specification and Bid Evaluation: Major Bottlenecks in Equipment Procurement in a Public Sector Tertiary Care Hospital
Authors: Prabhakar Shweta , Singhal AK , Vardhan Shikha
Published: February 2015

Introduction

The innovation of modern medical equipment with wide diversity has contributed immensely in improving the quality of healthcare and state of health profile of nations. For effective and efficient control on procurement of medical equipment, it is required to control the lead time (internal) as limited scope exists in case of external lead time.

Objectives

The study was conducted to analyze the lead time with an aim to identify the issues/bottlenecks and to suggest the appropriate remedial measures in a public sector Tertiary care Hospital.

Materials and methods

A retrospective exploratory study was undertaken. A total of 50 such capital equipment was procured in this hospital during March 2007 to 2010 (3 years) were included in this study.

Results

It was observed that the procurement procedure in public sector tertiary care hospital is as per the standard guidelines prescribed by Government of India in General Financial Rules and guidelines issued by MOHFW and DGHS in this regard. The lead time analysis showed that there is a variation in the total lead time, internal lead time (ILT), external lead time (ELT) and their components. It was observed that ILT2 and ILT4 component constituted around 70% of the total ILT for almost all the equipments under study. In case of ELT, 75% time was consumed by ELT1, i.e. the delivery time and receipt of equipment.

Conclusion

Since activities in both ILT2 and ILT4, i.e. laying down the technical specification and bid evaluation are the responsibility of the individual department, the overall delay can also be attributed to the individual departments. This is in contrast to the general impression that there is delay on the part of purchase department. On an analysis of lead time as per VED category, it has been concluded that no concept of VED analysis is applied in the procurement of equipment. On further analysis of lead time analysis, it was concluded that the shortest time was taken by proprietary purchase followed by open tender and maximum time in open tender where approval from higher authority was required.

How to cite this article

Prabhakar S, Singhal AK, Vardhan S. Technical Specification and Bid Evaluation: Major Bottlenecks in Equipment Procurement in a Public Sector Tertiary Care Hospital. Int J Res Foundation Hosp Healthc Adm 2014;2(2): 103-110.
Planning and Designing of a Sleep Center
Authors: Kant Sunil , Gupta Shakti Kumar , Singh Madhav Madhusudan , Patnaik Saroj Kumar , Chandrasekhar R
Published: February 2015

Sleep disorders have become very common in today's world. The various sleep related disorders are increasing at an alarming proportion. The first sleep clinics in the United States were established in the 1970s by interested doctors and technicians; sleep centers are specialized centers where an individual is provided home like environment and surroundings and his sleep cycle is monitored. Active therapeutic and diagnostic interventions are also done here. This article discusses various planning and designing issues of sleep center.

How to cite this article

Patnaik SK, Gupta SK, Kant S, Chandrasekhar R, Singh MM. Planning and Designing of a Sleep Center. Int J Res Foundation Hosp Healthc Adm 2014; 2(2):117-120.
The Consumer Protection Act: A Review of Legal Perspective
Authors: Kapoor Pawan , Singh Madhav Madhusudan , Patnaik Saroj , Chaturvedi Manu , Srivastava Pradeep
Published: February 2015

The fast pace of commercialization and globalization is affecting all spheres of life, the medical profession is also affected by this socioeconomic phenomena. The consumer protection act (CPA) enacted in 1986 intended to provide effective and efficient safeguards to the consumers against various types of exploitations and unfair practices. This review article aims to augment awareness of medical practitioners regarding CPA and how to prevent litigations.

How to cite this article

Singh MM, Patnaik S, Kapoor P, Chaturvedi M, Srivastava P. The Consumer Protection Act: A Review of Legal Perspective. Int J Res Foundation Hosp Healthc Adm 2014;2(2):121-129.
Annual cycles of organochlorine pesticide enantiomers in Arctic air suggest changing sources and pathways
Authors: Bidleman T. F. , Jantunen L. M. , Hung H. , Ma J. , Stern G. A. , Rosenberg B. , Racine J.
Published: February 2015

Abstract. Air samples collected during 1994–2000 at the Canadian Arctic air monitoring station Alert (82°30' N, 62°20' W) were analysed by enantiospecific gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for α-hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH), trans-chlordane (TC) and cis-chlordane (CC). Results were expressed as enantiomer fractions (EF = peak areas of (+)/[(+) + (−)] enantiomers), where EFs = 0.5, < 0.5 and > 0.5 indicate racemic composition, and preferential depletion of (+) and (−) enantiomers, respectively. Long-term average EFs were close to racemic values for α -HCH (0.504 ± 0.004, n = 197) and CC (0.505 ± 0.004, n = 162), and deviated farther from racemic for TC (0.470 ± 0.013, n = 165). Digital filtration analysis revealed annual cycles of lower α-HCH EFs in summer–fall and higher EFs in winter–spring. These cycles suggest volatilization of partially degraded α-HCH with EF < 0.5 from open water and advection to Alert during the warm season, and background transport of α-HCH with EF > 0.5 during the cold season. The contribution of sea-volatilized α-HCH was only 11% at Alert, vs. 32% at Resolute Bay (74.68° N, 94.90° W) in 1999. EFs of TC also followed annual cycles of lower and higher values in the warm and cold seasons. These were in phase with low and high cycles of the TC/CC ratio (expressed as FTC = TC/(TC+CC)), which suggests greater contribution of microbially "weathered" TC in summer–fall versus winter–spring. CC was closer to racemic than TC and displayed seasonal cycles only in 1997–1998. EF profiles are likely to change with rising contribution of secondary emission sources, weathering of residues in the environment, and loss of ice cover in the Arctic. Enantiomer-specific analysis could provide added forensic capability to air monitoring programs.
Towards the retrieval of tropospheric ozone with the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI)
Authors: Mielonen T. , de Haan J. F. , van Peet J. C. A. , Eremenko M. , Veefkind J. P.
Published: February 2015

Abstract. We have assessed the sensitivity of the operational Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) ozone profile retrieval algorithm to a number of a priori and radiative transfer assumptions. We studied the effect of stray light correction, surface albedo assumptions and a priori ozone profiles on the retrieved ozone profile. Then, we studied how to modify the algorithm to improve the retrieval of tropospheric ozone. We found that stray light corrections have a significant effect on the retrieved ozone profile but mainly at high altitudes. Surface albedo assumptions, on the other hand, have the largest impact at the lowest layers. Choice of an ozone profile climatology which is used as a priori information has small effects on the retrievals at all altitudes. However, the usage of climatological a priori covariance matrix has a significant effect. Based on these sensitivity tests, we made several modifications to the retrieval algorithm: the a priori ozone climatology was replaced with a new tropopause-dependent climatology, the a priori covariance matrix was calculated from the climatological ozone variability values, and the surface albedo was assumed to be linearly dependent on wavelength in the 311.5–330 nm channel. As expected, we found that the a priori covariance matrix basically defines the vertical distribution of degrees of freedom for a retrieval. Moreover, our case study over Europe showed that the modified version produced over 10% smaller ozone abundances in the troposphere which reduced the systematic overestimation of ozone in the retrieval algorithm and improved correspondence with Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Instrument (IASI) retrievals. The comparison with ozonesonde measurements over North America showed that the operational retrieval performed better in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UTLS), whereas the modified version improved the retrievals in the lower troposphere and upper stratosphere. These comparisons showed that the systematic biases in the OMI ozone profile retrievals are not caused by the a priori information but by some still unidentified problem in the radiative transfer modelling. Instead, the a priori information pushes the systematically wrong ozone profiles towards the true values. The smaller weight of the a priori information in the modified retrieval leads to better visibility of tropospheric ozone structures, because it has a smaller tendency to damp the variability of the retrievals in the troposphere. In summary, the modified retrieval unmasks systematic problems in the radiative transfer/instrument model and is more sensitive to tropospheric ozone variation; that is, it is able to capture the tropospheric ozone morphology better.
Internet Control or Internet Censorship? Comparing the Control Models of China, Singapore, and the United States to Guide Taiwan’s Choice
Authors: Li Jeffrey (Chien-Fei)
Published: February 2015

Internet censorship refers to a government’s unjustified scrutiny and control of online speech or government-approved control measures. The danger of Internet censorship is its chilling effect and substantial harm on free speech, a cornerstone of democracy, in cyberspace. This article compares China’s blocking and filtering system, Singapore’s class license system, and the United States’ government-private partnership model and identifies the features of each model. This article also explores the pros and cons of each model under international human rights standards. By finding lessons from each of the models, this article contends that Taiwan should retain its current minimal Internet control model. Further, Taiwan should fix flaws in its current Internet control system, including the private partnership model adopted by the Copyright Act, to be consistent with Article19.3 of the ICCPR.