bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dem quality assessment with a 3d printed gravel bed applied to stereo photogrammetry
Authors: Bertin S. , Friedrich H. , Delmas P. , Chan E. , Gimel'farb G.
Published: June 2014

Using stereo photogrammetry to obtain digital elevation models (DEMs) for surface topography analysis is becoming popular in hydraulic research, especially for coarse gravel beds. This paper assesses the DEM quality by using a realistic 3D printed gravel‐bed model, with known elevations every 0·25 mm, as ground truth. Two Nikon D5100 cameras and non‐proprietary photogrammetric software for camera calibration and DEM reconstruction are used for the study. A measured DEM is compared point by point with the ground truth and displays a very high measurement accuracy. The 3D printing of ground truths facilitates fast and versatile evaluation of both the DEM quality and the sensitivity of its errors to changes in surface topography and collection parameters. It has the potential to streamline evaluations of calibration and image quality, as well as error filtering strategies. Ultimately, 3D printed models will help in exploring stereomatching error reductions in occluded regions and defining the most suitable strategy for gravel‐bed DEM collection, both in air and through water.
The Effects of Isoflavones on Androgens and Glucocorticoids During Puberty on Male Wistar Rats
Authors: Caceres S , Silvan G , Martinez‐Fernandez L , Illera MJ , Millan P , Monsalve B , Peña L , Illera JC
Published: June 2014

Contents

Isoflavones are the most common phytoestrogens found in human diets. However, it is still not clear whether isoflavones have effects on the reproductive and the endocrine systems under normal dietary intake and overdose. The aim of this study was to determine how the most important isoflavones, genistein and daidzein, affect androgen and glucorticoid levels on male prepuberal rats. A hundred and seventy‐five 30‐day‐old male Wistar rats were dosed orally by stomach tube every day for 35 days, with saline solution, low and high doses of genistein, daidzein and a mixture of both. Serum samples were analysed by an enzyme immunoassay for hormone determinations. In control group, there was a peak of testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone levels associated to the onset of puberty, at the third week. However, in low‐dose groups, the same peak was found at the fourth week (p < 0.05), indicating a delay in the onset of puberty in these groups. Moreover, high doses groups serum androgen levels were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the control group from the first week until fifth week. This fact was supported by a epididymal histological analysis that indicate in low doses there were several content of spermatozoa at fourth week and in high doses there were few content of spermatozoa. Besides, corticosterone levels followed the same pattern of androgens in all groups. We can conclude that oral administration of isoflavones in male rats decreased the secretion of androgens and glucocorticoids causing a delay in the onset of puberty and may cause physiological and developmental problems.
Husbandry Factors and the Resumption of Luteal Activity in Open and Zero‐Grazed Dairy Cows in Urban and Peri‐Urban Kampala, Uganda
Authors: Kanyima BM , Båge R , Owiny DO , Ntallaris T , Lindahl J , Magnusson U , Nassuna‐Musoke MG
Published: June 2014

Contents

The study investigated the influence of selected husbandry factors on interval to resumption of post‐partum cyclicity among dairy cows in urban and peri‐urban Kampala. A prospective study of 85 day post‐partum period of 59 dairy cows in open (n = 38) and zero grazing (n = 21) systems was conducted on 24 farms. Cows of parity 1–6 were recruited starting 15–30 days post‐partum. Progesterone (P4) content in milk taken at 10–12 day intervals was analysed using ELISA. The cow P4 profiles were classified into ‘normal’ (< 56 days), ‘delayed’ (> 56 days), ‘ceased’ or ‘prolonged’ (if started < 56 days but with abnormal P4 displays) resumption of luteal activity and tested for association with husbandry and cow factors. Of the 59 cows, luteal activity in 81.4% resumed normally and in 18.6%, delayed. Only 23.7% maintained regular luteal activity, while the others had ceased (10.2%), prolonged (37.3%) or unclear luteal activity (20.3%). There were no differences between open and zero‐grazed cows. Milk production was higher (p < 0.05) in zero than open grazing, in urban than peri‐urban and in cows fed on brew waste (p < 0.001) compared with mill products and banana peels. Results suggest that luteal activity resumes normally in a majority of cows, although only a minority experienced continued normal cyclicity once ovulation had occurred, in the two farming systems irrespective of feed supplements or water, and that supplementing with brew waste is beneficial for milk production.
Adolescent Problem Behavior in Toronto, Canada
Authors: Strohschein Lisa , Matthew Alvinelle
Published: June 2014

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative association of unique aspects of social capital at the level of families, schools, and neighborhoods on adolescent self‐reported violence, property crimes, and substance use. Data come from the 2006 Canadian International Youth Survey that asked adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 in the metropolitan city of Toronto (N = 3, 101) about their problem behavior. Poisson regression models revealed that parental monitoring, school performance, peer approval of illegal activities, and neighborhood social disorder were consistently associated with all three adolescent problem behaviors, net of controls. Results were more mixed for remaining measures of social capital on adolescent problem behavior. Interestingly, neighborhood cohesion was a significant predictor of adolescent substance use, but operated in a direction that was contrary to the proposed hypotheses. These findings highlight the importance of teasing out how different facets of social capital in different environments are linked to adolescent problem behavior.
Biodiversity and biogeography in Madagascar: revision of the endemic flea beetle genus NeoderaDuvivier, 1891 with description of 19 new species (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini)
Authors: D'ALESSANDRO PAOLA , URBANI FABRIZIA , BIONDI MAURIZIO
Published: June 2014

A revision of the Malagasy flea beetle genus Neodera Duvivier is provided. This genus includes 31 species of which 19 are new to science: Neodera amplicollis sp.n., N. breviantennata sp.n., N. didiensis sp.n., N. diversitarsis sp.n., N. jenisi sp.n., N. kraussi sp.n., N. longicollis sp.n., N. marojejyensis sp.n., N. nigrotibialis sp.n., N. opaca sp.n., N. pauliani sp.n., N. perroti sp.n., N. peyrierasi sp.n., N. reducta sp.n., N. similvadoni sp.n., N. sogai sp.n., N. speronata sp.n., N. straminoides sp.n. and N. vadoni sp.n.. The following two synonymies are proposed: N. fraterna Duvivier = N. amarella Bechyné and N. fulva Jacoby = N. hilari Bechyné. In addition, neotypes for N. emarginata Duvivier and N. fraterna Duvivier, and lectotypes for N. fulva Jacoby, N. imitatrix Duvivier, N. madagassa (Harold), N. picticornis (Harold), N. transversicollis Jacoby and N. varicornis (Harold) are designated. Additionally, the revision comprises a key for the identification of all 31 species considered, some habitus photos, microscope and scanning electron micrographs of many diagnostic characters, including median lobe of aedeagus and spermatheca. A first phylogenetic analysis based on parsimony is also provided. It is used with distributional data to put forward hypotheses about the natural history of the taxon in the light of the species differentiation models proposed thus far for Madagascar.

This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CABEB580-7591-4F49-A838-280C6DE0B0F9.
Defining acceptable epidemiology ranges in donor populations based on the contamination risk of finished plasma‐derived products
Authors: Lovick S. , Bycholski K. , Gröner A.
Published: June 2014

Background

For a given plasma‐derived product, the risk of final product contamination by hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus depends upon the epidemiology in the donor population, the virus load in a donation, the product yield and the effective virus reduction capacity in manufacturing.

Study Design and Methods

A Monte Carlo simulation model was developed to estimate the risk of virus contamination of a final product resulting from virus contamination of plasma pools for fractionation. The model was run for both source and recovered plasma at various incidence rates for the three viruses to determine virus loads in minipools and fractionation pools resulting from donations with virus levels below test sensitivities. Together with the virus reduction capacity and yield of a theoretical worst case plasma‐derived product, the contamination risk in a final vial was calculated.

Results

Acceptable upper‐bound centre‐level incidence rates in the donor population (per donor centre) result in final products with very high margins of virus safety; the largest determinant of these ‘Process Limits’ is the virus reduction capacity of the manufacturing process. Short donation intervals and long inventory hold periods for source plasma compensates the lower incidence rates typically observed in recovered plasma donors.

Conclusions

The model calculates process limits for epidemiological data at collection centres based on an appropriate margin of virus safety for final products. The model also takes into consideration the impact of different donor/donation management systems for source and recovered plasma on the number of low viraemic donations entering the plasma pool for fractionation.
Variant Influenza Associated with Live Animal Markets, Minnesota
Authors: Choi M. J. , Morin C. A. , Scheftel J. , Vetter S. M. , Smith K. , Lynfield R. ,   The Variant Influenza Investigation Team
Published: June 2014

Variant influenza viruses are swine‐origin influenza A viruses that cause illness in humans. Surveillance for variant influenza A viruses, including characterization of exposure settings, is important because of the potential emergence of novel influenza viruses with pandemic potential. In Minnesota, we have documented variant influenza A virus infections associated with swine exposure at live animal markets.
Ankle dorsiflexor muscle size, composition and force with ageing and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Maddocks Matthew , Jones Matthew , Snell Thomas , Connolly Bronwen , de Wolf‐Linder Susanne , Moxham John , Rafferty Gerrard F.
Published: June 2014

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

The study examined the relationship between muscle size and strength in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients as well as young and elderly healthy control subjects. We hypothesized that ankle dorsiflexor muscle strength would be reduced by COPD as well as by ageing, and that this would be as a result of changes in both size and composition of the muscle.

What is the main finding and its importance?

These data demonstrate that the loss of skeletal muscle strength in COPD was related to changes in muscle composition, with infiltration of non‐contractile tissue beyond that seen during normal ageing.

Loss of skeletal muscle strength is a well‐recognized feature of ageing and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Reductions in muscle size provide only a partial explanation for this loss of strength, and additional contributory factors remain undetermined. We hypothesized that reductions in skeletal muscle strength, as measured in the ankle dorsiflexor muscles, would be reduced with ageing and COPD as a result of changes in both size and composition of the tibialis anterior muscle. Twenty healthy young subjects, 18 healthy elderly subjects and 17 patients with COPD were studied. Ankle dorsiflexor muscle strength was assessed by maximal voluntary contraction (ADMVC) and 100 Hz supramaximal electrical stimulation of the peroneal nerve (100 HzAD). Tibialis anterior cross‐sectional area (TACSA) and composition, as assessed by echo intensity (TAEI), were measured using ultrasonography. Despite a lack of differences in TACSA between groups, ADMVC and 100 HzAD were significantly reduced in COPD patients compared with both healthy elderly and healthy young subjects, when expressed as absolute values and when normalized to TACSA (P < 0.01). The TAEI was, however, higher in COPD patients compared with healthy elderly (P = 0.025) and healthy young subjects (P = 0.0008), suggesting increased levels of non‐contractile tissue. Across all participants, ADMVC and 100 HzAD correlated positively with TACSA (r = 0.78, P < 0.0001) and negatively with TAEI (r = −0.46, P < 0.0005). The variance in 100 HzAD was best explained with a regression model incorporating TACSA, TAEI, age and COPD status (r2 = 0.822, P = 0.001). These data demonstrate that the loss of skeletal muscle strength in COPD is related to changes in muscle composition, with infiltration of non‐contractile tissue beyond that seen during normal ageing.
Spatial effects of shifting prisms on properties of posterior parietal cortex neurons
Authors: Karkhanis Anushree N. , Heider Barbara , Silva Fabian Muñoz , Siegel Ralph M.
Published: June 2014

Key points

The posterior parietal cortex contains multiple spatial representations and is involved in online monitoring of visually guided hand movements.

Single unit recordings were performed in two areas of macaque monkey posterior parietal cortex during a visually guided reaching task with variable eye position.

To test the adaptability of neural responses, shifting prisms were introduced to create a discrepancy between perceived and actual reach location.

The majority of neurons changed average firing rate and/or eye position tuning during the prism exposure.

The direction of tuning change did not correlate with the direction of prism shift, suggesting more generalized network effects due to the perturbation.

Population analysis using Euler angles and translations demonstrated systematic transformations between conditions supporting the notion of network behaviour.

The posterior parietal cortex contains neurons that respond to visual stimulation and motor behaviour. The objective of the current study was to test short‐term adaptation in neurons in macaque area 7a and the dorsal prelunate during visually guided reaching using Fresnel prisms that displaced the visual field. The visual perturbation shifted the eye position and created a mismatch between perceived and actual reach location. Two non‐human primates were trained to reach to visual targets before, during and after prism exposure while fixating the reach target in different locations. They were required to reach to the physical location of the reach target and not the perceived, displaced location. While behavioural adaptation to the prisms occurred within a few trials, the majority of neurons responded to the distortion either with substantial changes in spatial eye position tuning or changes in overall firing rate. These changes persisted even after prism removal. The spatial changes were not correlated with the direction of induced prism shift. The transformation of gain fields between conditions was estimated by calculating the translation and rotation in Euler angles. Rotations and translations of the horizontal and vertical spatial components occurred in a systematic manner for the population of neurons suggesting that the posterior parietal cortex retains a constant representation of the visual field remapping between experimental conditions.
Early Model-Based Design and Verification of Automotive Control System Software Implementations
Authors: Shahbakhti Mahdi , Reza Amini Mohammad , Li Jimmy , Asami Satoshi , Karl Hedrick J.
Published: June 2014

Verification and validation (V&V) are essential stages in the design cycle of automotive controllers to remove the gap between the designed and implemented controller. In this paper, an early model-based methodology is proposed to reduce the V&V time and improve the robustness of the designed controllers. The application of the proposed methodology is demonstrated on a cold start emission control problem in a midsize passenger car. A nonlinear reduced order model-based controller based on singular perturbation approximation (SPA) is designed to reduce cold start hydrocarbon (HC) emissions from a spark ignition (SI) combustion engine. A model-based simulation platform is created to verify the controller robustness against sampling, quantization, and fixed-point arithmetic imprecision. In addition, the results from early model-based verification are used to identify and remove sources of errors causing propagation of numerical imprecision in the controller structure. Thus the structure of the controller is modified to avoid or to reduce the level of numerical noise in the controller design. The performance of the final modified controller is validated in real-time by testing the control algorithm on a real engine control unit. The validation results indicate the modified controller is 17–63% more robust to different implementation imprecision while it requires lower implementation cost. The proposed methodology from this paper is expected to reduce typical V&V efforts in the development of automotive controllers.
Multi-Objective Wind Farm Layout Optimization Considering Energy Generation and Noise Propagation With NSGA-II
Authors: Yin Kwong Wing , Yun Zhang Peter , Romero David , Moran Joaquin , Morgenroth Michael , Amon Cristina
Published: June 2014

Recently, the environmental impact of wind farms has been receiving increasing attention. As land is more extensively exploited for onshore wind farms, they are more likely to be in proximity with human dwellings, increasing the likelihood of a negative health impact. Noise generation and propagation remain an important concern for wind farm's stakeholders, as compliance with mandatory noise limits is an integral part of the permitting process. In contrast to previous work that included noise only as a design constraint, this work presents continuous-location models for layout optimization that take noise and energy as objective functions, in order to fully characterize the design and performance spaces of the wind farm layout optimization (WFLOP) problem. Based on Jensen's wake model and ISO-9613-2 noise calculations, single- and multi-objective genetic algorithms (GAs) are used to solve the optimization problem. Results from this bi-objective optimization model illustrate the trade-off between energy generation and noise production by identifying several key parts of Pareto frontiers. In particular, it was observed that different regions of a Pareto front correspond to markedly different turbine layouts. The implications of noise regulation policy—in terms of the actual noise limit—on the design of wind farms are discussed, particularly in relation to the entire spectrum of design options.
Mathematical Approach to Model Foldable Conical Structures Using Conformal Mapping
Authors: Ishida Sachiko , Nojima Taketoshi , Hagiwara Ichiro
Published: June 2014

A new approach for obtaining the crease patterns of foldable conical structures from crease patterns of cylindrical structures based on the origami folding theory using conformal mapping is presented in this paper. Mapping for flow with circulation, which is the so-called polar conversion, is demonstrated as an example. This mapping can be used to produce similar elements and maintain the regularity of fold lines. This is a significant advantage when the mapping approach is used to produce foldable structures, because it is relatively easy to control angles between fold lines. Thus, this proposed approach enables us to design complex structures from simple original structures systematically, maintaining advanced characteristics particular to origami such as folding up spatial structures onto a plane and expanding them at will. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first attempt to disclose a comprehensive design approach that can simplify the conventional design process. The proposed design approach can be addressed for further foldable structures such as circular membranes and toroidal tubes to broaden the design possibility of foldable mechanical products.
Dynamics Analysis of Cycloidal Speed Reducers With Pinwheel and Nonpinwheel Designs
Authors: Hsieh Chiu-Fan
Published: June 2014

Cycloidal speed reducers are composed primarily of an eccentric shaft, output parts, and a set comprising a cycloidal gear and pinwheel with pins or a cycloidal gear and cycloid internal gear. This paper investigates the contact and collision conditions of these components, as well as their stress variations during the transmission process. To do so, a system dynamics analysis model of a cycloidal speed reducer is constructed, together with dynamics analysis models for two design types: A traditional pinwheel design and a nonpinwheel design (i.e., a design in which a cycloid internal gear replaces the pinwheel). Based on the theory of gearing, a mathematical model of the pinwheel with pins, cycloidal gear, and cycloid internal gear is then built from which the component geometry can be derived. These dynamics analysis models, constructed concurrently, are used to investigate the components' movements and stress variations, and determine the differences between the transmission mechanisms. The results indicate that the nonpinwheel design effectively reduces vibration, stress value, and stress fluctuation, thereby enhancing performance. An additional torsion test further suggests that the nonpinwheel design's output rate is superior to that of the traditional pinwheel design.
Statistical Learning Algorithms to Compensate Slow Visual Feedback for Industrial Robots
Authors: Wang Cong , Lin Chung-Yen , Tomizuka Masayoshi
Published: June 2014

Vision guided robots have become an important element in the manufacturing industry. In most current industrial applications, vision guided robots are controlled by a look-then-move method. This method cannot support many new emerging demands which require real-time vision guidance. Challenge comes from the speed of visual feedback. Due to cost limit, industrial robot vision systems are subject to considerable latency and limited sampling rate. This paper proposes new algorithms to address this challenge by compensating the latency and slow sampling of visual feedback so that real-time vision guided robot control can be realized with satisfactory performance. Statistical learning methods are developed to model the pattern of target's motion adaptively. The learned model is used to recover visual measurement from latency and slow sampling. The imaging geometry of the camera and all-dimensional motion of the target are fully considered. Tests are conducted to provide evaluation from different aspects.
A New Heat Transfer Correlation for Turbulent Flow of Air With Variable Properties in Noncircular Ducts
Authors: Wang Peng , Yang Mo , Wang Zhiyun , Zhang Yuwen
Published: June 2014

Turbulent flow and heat transfer of air with variable properties in a set of regular polygonal ducts and circular tube have been numerically simulated. All the ducts have the same hydraulic diameter as their characteristic lengths in the Reynolds number. The flow is modeled as three-dimensional (3D) and fully elliptic by using the finite volume method and the standard k-ε turbulence model. The results showed that the relatively strong secondary flow could be observed with variable properties fluid. For the regular polygonal ducts, the local heat transfer coefficient along circumferential direction is not uniform; there is an appreciable reduction in the corner region and the smaller the angle of the corner region, the more appreciable deterioration the corner region causes. The use of hydraulic diameter for regular polygonal ducts leads to unacceptably large errors in turbulent heat transfer determined from the circular tube correlations. Based on the simulation results, a correction factor is proposed to predict turbulent heat transfer in regular polygonal ducts.
Ether- and Ester-Bound
iso
-Diabolic Acid and Other Lipids in Members of Acidobacteria Subdivision 4
Authors: Sinninghe Damsté Jaap S. , Rijpstra W. Irene C. , Hopmans Ellen C. , Foesel Bärbel U. , Wüst Pia K. , Overmann Jörg , Tank Marcus , Bryant Donald A. , Dunfield Peter F. , Houghton Karen , Stott Matthew B.
Published: June 2014

Recently,
iso
-diabolic acid (13,16-dimethyl octacosanedioic acid) has been identified as a major membrane-spanning lipid of subdivisions 1 and 3 of the
Acidobacteria
, a highly diverse phylum within the
Bacteria
. This finding pointed to the
Acidobacteria
as a potential source for the bacterial glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers that occur ubiquitously in peat, soil, lakes, and hot springs. Here, we examined the lipid composition of seven phylogenetically divergent strains of subdivision 4 of the
Acidobacteria
, a bacterial group that is commonly encountered in soil. Acid hydrolysis of total cell material released
iso
-diabolic acid derivatives in substantial quantities (11 to 48% of all fatty acids). In contrast to subdivisions 1 and 3 of the
Acidobacteria
, 6 out of the 7 species of subdivision 4 (excepting “
Candidatus
Chloracidobacterium thermophilum”) contained
iso
-diabolic acid ether bound to a glycerol in larger fractional abundance than
iso
-diabolic acid itself. This is in agreement with the analysis of intact polar lipids (IPLs) by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), which showed the dominance of mixed ether-ester glycerides.
iso
-Diabolic acid-containing IPLs were not identified, because these IPLs are not released with a Bligh-Dyer extraction, as observed before when studying lipid compositions of subdivisions 1 and 3 of the
Acidobacteria
. The presence of ether bonds in the membrane lipids does not seem to be an adaptation to temperature, because the five mesophilic isolates contained a larger amount of ether lipids than the thermophile “
Ca
. Chloracidobacterium thermophilum.” Furthermore, experiments with
Pyrinomonas methylaliphatogenes
did not reveal a major influence of growth temperature over the 50 to 69°C range.
Insect Gut Bacterial Diversity Determined by Environmental Habitat, Diet, Developmental Stage, and Phylogeny of Host
Authors: Yun Ji-Hyun , Roh Seong Woon , Whon Tae Woong , Jung Mi-Ja , Kim Min-Soo , Park Doo-Sang , Yoon Changmann , Nam Young-Do , Kim Yun-Ji , Choi Jung-Hye , Kim Joon-Yong , Shin Na-Ri , Kim Sung-Hee , Lee Won-Jae , Bae Jin-Woo
Published: June 2014

Insects are the most abundant animals on Earth, and the microbiota within their guts play important roles by engaging in beneficial and pathological interactions with these hosts. In this study, we comprehensively characterized insect-associated gut bacteria of 305 individuals belonging to 218 species in 21 taxonomic orders, using 454 pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes. In total, 174,374 sequence reads were obtained, identifying 9,301 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) at the 3% distance level from all samples, with an average of 84.3 (±97.7) OTUs per sample. The insect gut microbiota were dominated by
Proteobacteria
(62.1% of the total reads, including 14.1%
Wolbachia
sequences) and
Firmicutes
(20.7%). Significant differences were found in the relative abundances of anaerobes in insects and were classified according to the criteria of host environmental habitat, diet, developmental stage, and phylogeny. Gut bacterial diversity was significantly higher in omnivorous insects than in stenophagous (carnivorous and herbivorous) insects. This insect-order-spanning investigation of the gut microbiota provides insights into the relationships between insects and their gut bacterial communities.
Does Campylobacter jejuni Form Biofilms in Food-Related Environments?
Authors: Teh Amy Huei Teen , Lee Sui Mae , Dykes Gary A.
Published: June 2014

Campylobacter jejuni
is one of the most frequent causes of bacterial gastrointestinal food-borne infection worldwide. This species is part of the normal flora of the gastrointestinal tracts of animals used for food production, including poultry, which is regarded as the primary source of human
Campylobacter
infections. The survival and persistence of
C. jejuni
in food processing environments, especially in poultry processing plants, represent significant risk factors that contribute to the spread of this pathogen through the food chain. Compared to other food-borne pathogens,
C. jejuni
is more fastidious in its growth requirements and is very susceptible to various environmental stressors. Biofilm formation is suggested to play a significant role in the survival of
C. jejuni
in the food production and processing environment. The aims of this minireview were (i) to examine the evidence that
C. jejuni
forms biofilms and (ii) to establish the extent to which reported and largely laboratory-based studies of
C. jejuni
biofilms provide evidence for biofilm formation by this pathogen in food processing environments. Overall existing studies do not provide strong evidence for biofilm formation (as usually defined) by most
C. jejuni
strains in food-related environments under the combined conditions of atmosphere, temperature, and shear that they are likely to encounter. Simple attachment to and survival on surfaces and in existing biofilms of other species are far more likely to contribute to
C. jejuni
survival in food-related environments based on our current understanding of this species.
Automated Design of Probes for rRNA-Targeted Fluorescence
In Situ
Hybridization Reveals the Advantages of Using Dual Probes for Accurate Identification
Authors: Wright Erik S. , Yilmaz L. Safak , Corcoran Andrew M. , Ökten Hatice E. , Noguera Daniel R.
Published: June 2014

Fluorescence
in situ
hybridization (FISH) is a common technique for identifying cells in their natural environment and is often used to complement next-generation sequencing approaches as an integral part of the full-cycle rRNA approach. A major challenge in FISH is the design of oligonucleotide probes with high sensitivity and specificity to their target group. The rapidly expanding number of rRNA sequences has increased awareness of the number of potential nontargets for every FISH probe, making the design of new FISH probes challenging using traditional methods. In this study, we conducted a systematic analysis of published probes that revealed that many have insufficient coverage or specificity for their intended target group. Therefore, we developed an improved thermodynamic model of FISH that can be applied at any taxonomic level, used the model to systematically design probes for all recognized genera of bacteria and archaea, and identified potential cross-hybridizations for the selected probes. This analysis resulted in high-specificity probes for 35.6% of the genera when a single probe was used in the absence of competitor probes and for 60.9% when up to two competitor probes were used. Requiring the hybridization of two independent probes for positive identification further increased specificity. In this case, we could design highly specific probe sets for up to 68.5% of the genera without the use of competitor probes and 87.7% when up to two competitor probes were used. The probes designed in this study, as well as tools for designing new probes, are available online (
http://DECIPHER.cee.wisc.edu
).
Objectively assessed physical activity, adiposity, and inflammatory markers in people with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Hamer Mark , Hackett Ruth A , Bostock Sophie , Lazzarino Antonio I , Carvalho Livia A , Steptoe Andrew
Published: June 2014

Objective

Inflammatory processes may play an important role in the development of acute coronary syndromes in people with type 2 diabetes; thus, strategies to control inflammation are of clinical importance. We examined the cross-sectional association between objectively assessed physical activity and inflammatory markers in a sample of people with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Participants were 71 men and 41 women (mean age=63.9±7 years), without a history of cardiovascular disease, drawn from primary care clinics. Physical activity was objectively measured using waist-worn accelerometers (Actigraph GT3X) during waking hours for seven consecutive days.

Results

We observed inverse associations between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (per 10 min) with plasma interleukin-6 (B=−0.035, 95% CI −0.056 to −0.015), interleukin-1ra (B=−0.033, 95% CI −0.051 to −0.015), and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (B=−0.011, 95% CI −0.021 to 0.000). These associations largely persisted in multivariable adjusted models, although body mass index considerably attenuated the effect estimate.

Conclusions

These data demonstrate an inverse association between physical activity and inflammatory markers in people with type 2 diabetes.
Improving the management of patients with acute red eyes in a large London Emergency Department
Authors: Saifuddin Aamir , Brookes Rachel
Published: June 2014

Anecdotal evidence suggested that the management of patients with eye complaints in the Emergency Department (ED) at King's College Hospital, London was suboptimal. Acute ophthalmology is often poorly covered at undergraduate level in the United Kingdom which can affect patient safety. Furthermore, it was notoriously difficult to obtain specialist advice within working hours. Contact lens (CL) wearers are prone to Pseudomonas conjunctivitis which requires certain antibiotics and mismanagement of this has led to sight-threatening consequences locally. Junior doctor surveys suggested under-confidence in managing eye problems and initial audit showed that eye assessments are frequently incomplete during ED clerkings. For example, CL status and visual acuity were documented in 63% and 77% of cases respectively; however, these were increased when a dedicated pro forma was used. To address these multiple issues, a new 'eye examination pro forma' was created, along with integrated clinical guidelines based on local expert practice. This would prompt staff to elicit key information to help guide management. A new referral pathway was also introduced to facilitate access to ophthalmology services. On re-auditing seven months later, the new pro forma was completed for only 28% of patients, though this was associated with a higher rate of documentation of all parameters. The referral pathways worked efficiently and patients with red flag features were identified and managed more appropriately than before. We learnt that it is important that someone personally drives the innovations from the outset, otherwise prolonged change is difficult. Secondly, junior doctors may not be proficient with slit lamp use, for instance, so targeted teaching is required, not simply new pathways. Full engagement with the pro forma and effective patient management should then improve simultaneously. Specific teaching is now being implemented and permanent staff have been recruited to oversee the project. We plan to re-audit in November 2014.
Management of anaemia and blood transfusion in critical care - implementing national guidelines in ICU
Authors: Watson Sethina , Kendrick Kate
Published: June 2014

Anaemia in intensive care is common, with approximately 50% of patients receiving a red cell transfusion. Recognised complications from transfusion include 'transfusion associated lung injury', infection, and organ failure progression. Most cohort studies show a positive relationship between red cell transfusion and adverse outcomes. In 2012, the British Committee for Standards in Haematology issued guidelines for red cell (RBC) transfusion in critical care. They recommend a haemoglobin transfusion trigger of below 70 g/dL unless the patient is bleeding, has acute sepsis, neurological injury, or an acute coronary syndrome.

RBC transfusions in a single intensive care unit (ICU) were prospectively assessed for compliance with national guidance. Each transfusion was categorised with a traffic light system: red for inappropriate, green for appropriate, and amber for those that were not clearly appropriate or inappropriate.

The quality improvement project began with a clinical effectiveness audit of doctors' knowledge of critical care transfusion thresholds. Two quality improvement interventions were used: 1) a local blood transfusion guideline was produced and posters were placed in the ICU 2) this guidance was attached to the transfusion prescriptions. Data was collected after each intervention. A total of 30 random adult RBC transfusions were analysed between August 2013 and February 2014.

Despite good results from the effectiveness audit an assessment of RBC transfusions demonstrated room for improvement. Prior to introduction of the guideline intervention, a total of two transfusions were green, one red and seven amber. Following both interventions there were seven green transfusions and three amber. No transfusions were classed as inappropriate. According to additional trust based ICU transfusion records, there was approximately a 50% reduction (41 to 18 RBC transfusions) in overall blood transfusions following the first intervention in October 2013.

Simple interventions to raise awareness such as surveys, posters, and reminders can dramatically improve RBC prescribing in accordance to evidence based guidelines. Making prescribers aware of guidelines can dramatically reduce the total number of overall transfusions and increase transfusion appropriateness.
Effects of hatchery chum salmon fry on density-dependent intra- and interspecific competition between wild chum and masu salmon fry
Authors: Hasegawa Koh , Morita Kentaro , Ohkuma Kazumasa , Ohnuki Tsutomu , Okamoto Yasutaka
Published: June 2014

Stocking with hatchery fish is the principal method for harvest augmentation and, recently, restoring endangered populations. However, there is increasing concern about the negative effects of competition between hatchery and wild fish. In this study, enclosure experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of hatchery chum salmon fry (Oncorhynchus keta) on wild masu (Oncorhynchus masou) and chum salmon fry through density-dependent competition. For masu and chum salmon, density-dependent performance (foraging rate and growth) varied depending on the presence or absence of competitor species. The negative effects on the foraging rate (evaluated by stomach content mass) and growth of wild masu salmon caused by wild conspecifics were greater than those exerted by wild and hatchery chum salmon. Wild chum salmon decreased foraging rate with increasing density of conspecifics and masu salmon and also in the presence of hatchery chum salmon. Although we could not evaluate growth under interspecific competition, wild chum salmon show body mass loss in the presence of hatchery chum salmon. These results suggest that the effects of stocking with hatchery chum salmon vary depending on the interacting species.
Enhanced stability and emission intensity of aqueous CdTe/CdS core–shell quantum dots with widely tunable wavelength
Authors: Wang Hongyu , Xu Ling , Liu Ni , Zhang Renqi , Xu Jun , Su Weining , Yu Yao , Ma Zhongyuan , Li Wei , Chen Kunji
Published: June 2014

The stability and photoluminescence (PL) emission intensity of quantum dots (QDs) are particularly interesting for various bioapplications. In this paper, monodisperse CdTe/CdS core–shell QDs were synthesized in aqueous phase. The size of CdTe core and the thickness of CdS shell played important roles in the properties of CdTe/CdS QDs. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the average diameters of CdTe/CdS core–shell QDs increased to ∼5 nm compared with that of CdTe core QDs (∼3.6 nm). X-ray diffraction patterns show that the CdTe/CdS core–shell QDs possess cubic zinc blende structure. After the overgrowth of CdS shell on CdTe core, a widely tunable PL emission wavelength (485–720 nm) of the core–shell QDs can be obtained, which covers nearly the full visible spectrum. The PL intensity of the CdTe/CdS core–shell QDs shows two-fold increase compared with that of the CdTe core QDs. PL results show that the photostability of the samples is enhanced through the growth of CdS on the CdTe QDs.
A Class of Linear Multi-Objective Decision Making Model Based on Level-2 TFNwTFC Coefficients and Its Application to Supplier Selection
Authors: Zhou Xiaoyang , Xu Jiuping , Zhu Qing
Published: June 2014

In this paper, we concentrate on a class of linear multi-objective decision making models with level-2 TFNwTFC coefficients. Firstly, we define a level-2 triangular fuzzy number with a triangular fuzzy centre(TFNwTFC) based on level-2 fuzzy set theory, and propose a theorem on how to transform it into an (α, β)-level trapezoidal fuzzy number(TrFN). Secondly, in order to deal with the linear multi-objective decision making model with TrFN coefficients, we present an expected multi-objective model with chance constraints, and discuss its equivalent model. Then the ε-constraint method is employed to determine a solution to the crisp equivalent model. Finally, a supplier selection problem is used to illustrate the proposed models and approaches.
Some Generalized Dual Hesistant Fuzzy Geometric Aggregation Operators and Applications
Authors: Yu Dejian
Published: June 2014

Information aggregation has been investigated and applied to many fields. This paper focuses on geometric aggregation operators under dual hesitant fuzzy environment. We develop some new geometric aggregation operators, such as the generalized dual hesitant fuzzy weighted geometric (GDHFWG) operator, the generalized dual hesitant fuzzy ordered weighted geometric (GDHFOWG) operator and the generalized dual hesitant fuzzy hybrid geometric (GDHFHG) operator. Some numerical examples are given to illustrate the developed operators. Finally, we give an application of our proposed operators to multi-criteria decision making with dual hesitant fuzzy information, a real decision making problem about human resource generalist selection is forwarded to show the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Multiplicative Sets
Authors: Jiang Yuan , Xu Zeshui , Xu Jiuping
Published: June 2014

A generalization of the notion of intuitionistic multiplicative set (IMS) is given in this paper, which is called interval-valued intuitionistic multiplicative set (IVIMS). The IVIMS uses an unsymmetrical scale (Saaty's 1-9 scale) instead of the ordinary symmetrical scale in an intuitionistic fuzzy set or an interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy set. IVIMSs can reflect our intuition more objectively in some special situations. The basic component of an IVIMS is interval-valued intuitionistic multiplicative number (IVIMN). To rank IVIMNs, the comparison laws are developed. Based on the pseudo-multiplication, we explore some interval-valued intuitionistic multiplicative operations and obtain several specific results when some specific forms are assigned. In addition, some distance measures and weighted distance measures between IVIMSs are developed to describe the difference of any two IVIMSs. By analyzing the range of the uncertain degree, a generalized interval-valued intuitionistic multiplicative set is presented, which is a generalization of the notions of IMS and IVIMS. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate our results.
A Fuzzy Associative Classification Approach to Visual Concept Detection
Authors: Mangalampalli Ashish , Pudi Vikram
Published: June 2014

In this paper we present a novel associative classification algorithm for visual concept detection using interest points (color descriptors). Our algorithm relies on fuzzy (soft) partitions to generate a per-descriptor record model which is used for training associative classifiers. In this paper, we use the first 10000 images of the MIR Flickr dataset (with 38 visual concepts — 14 regular annotation topics and 24 pre-annotations) for evaluating our algorithm. Because of its fuzzy nature, our approach also handles polysemy and synonymy (common problems in most crisp (non-fuzzy) image classifiers) very well. As associative classification leverages frequent patterns mined from a given dataset, its performance as adjudged from average area under curve (AUC) values over three-fold cross validation is very good, especially for regular annotation topics and for “scenic” concepts. Our approach has the added advantage that the rules used for classification have clear semantics, and can be comprehended easily, unlike other classifiers, such as SVM, which act as black-boxes. From an empirical perspective (on the MIR Flickr dataset), the performance of our algorithm is much better, than that of either bag-of-words (Linear SVM and SVM RBF Kernel) or Linear SVM based on fuzzy (soft) partitions—both benchmark approaches are based on interest points (color descriptors).
Comparative Study of Influence of Noise on Power Frequency Estimation of Sine wave Using Interpolation FFT
Authors: Wen He , Meng Zhuo , Teng Zhaosheng , Guo Siyu , Yang Yuxiang
Published: June 2014

This paper compares performances of frequency estimations provided by different interpolation fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithms under white Gaussian noises. Firstly, accuracies of frequency estimation algorithms are evaluated by deriving analytical expressions of variances of frequency estimation. Then, theoretical results are validated by means of computer simulations. It is shown that the trade-off between biases and variances of frequency estimation is unavoidable. From both theoretical and simulation results, it can be concluded that variances of frequency estimation are proportional to the noise variance and inverse proportional to the length of FFT.
A wavelet-based approach to quantify the anisotropy degree of spatial random point configurations
Authors: D'Ercole Roberto , Mateu Jorge
Published: June 2014

A two-dimensional point process, if considered as a random measure, can be expressed as a countable sum of Delta Dirac measures concentrated at some random points. Then a continuous wavelet transform can be applied to obtain information on some structural properties. We introduce the notions of wavelet-based isotropy, main anisotropy direction and anisotropy degree to characterize the implicit anisotropic structure of the point process. We propose several statistical hypothesis tests that are proved to be useful to test for the presence of anisotropy. An application to a real case is also included.
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF DOMAIN DECOMPOSITION METHOD WITH SPARSE MATRIX STORAGE SCHEMES IN MODERN SUPERCOMPUTER
Authors: MUKADDES ABUL MUKID MOHAMMAD , OGINO MASAO , SHIOYA RYUJI
Published: June 2014

The use of proper data structures with corresponding algorithms is critical to achieve good performance in scientific computing. The need of sparse matrix vector multiplication in each iteration of the iterative domain decomposition method has led to implementation of a variety of sparse matrix storage formats. Many storage formats have been presented to represent sparse matrix and integrated in the method. In this paper, the storage efficiency of those sparse matrix storage formats are evaluated and compared. The performance results of sparse matrix vector multiplication used in the domain decomposition method is considered. Based on our experiments in the FX10 supercomputer system, some useful conclusions that can serve as guidelines for the optimization of domain decomposition method are extracted.
On a lower bound for ‖(4/3)k‖
Authors: Pupyrev Yury
Published: June 2014

We prove that [Formula: see text] where ‖ ⋅ ‖ is the distance to the nearest prime.