bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Section 302 and 404(b) Internal Control Disclosures on Prospective Investors' Judgments and Decisions: An Experimental Study
Authors: Church Bryan K. , Schneider Arnold
Published: March 2016

This paper reports the results of an experiment designed to investigate participants' reaction to quarterly and annual internal control disclosures. Quarterly disclosures include managers' disclosure of no control deficiencies, a significant deficiency, or a material weakness. Annual disclosures include the auditors' opinion on internal control, which either affirms managers' earlier disclosure or reveals new information. We find that participants react negatively to the disclosure of a material weakness, as might be expected. Participants invest less in a target company when internal control is ineffective rather than effective. By comparison, participants do not react negatively to the disclosure of a significant deficiency. Indeed, we find that they react positively to such disclosure accompanied by a clean (unqualified) audit opinion on internal control. Subsequent analyses indicate that participants' investment decisions are affected by their assessments of the reliability of financial statements and the credibility of management.
Immune polarization by hookworms: taking cues from T helper type 2, type 2 innate lymphoid cells and alternatively activated macrophages
Authors: Nair Meera G. , Herbert De'Broski R.
Published: March 2016

Cellular and molecular investigation of parasitic helminth infections has greatly accelerated the understanding of type 2 immune responses. However, there remains considerable debate regarding the specific leucocytes that kill parasites and whether these mechanisms are distinct from those responsible for tissue repair. Herein, we chronicle discoveries over the past decade highlighting current paradigms in type 2 immunity with a particular emphasis upon how CD4+ T helper type 2 cells, type 2 innate lymphoid cells and alternatively activated macrophages coordinately control helminth‐induced parasitism. Primarily, this review will draw from studies of the murine nematode parasite Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, which bears important similarities to the human hookworms Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. Given that one or more hookworm species currently infect millions of individuals across the globe, we propose that vaccine and/or pharmaceutical‐based cure strategies targeting these affected human populations should incorporate the conceptual advances outlined herein.
Comparison of severe acute respiratory illness (sari) and clinical pneumonia case definitions for the detection of influenza virus infections among hospitalized patients, western Kenya, 2009‐2013
Authors: Makokha Caroline , Mott Joshua , Njuguna Henry N. , Khagayi Sammy , Verani Jennifer R. , Nyawanda Bryan , Otieno Nancy , Katz Mark A.
Published: March 2016

Although the severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) case definition is increasingly used for inpatient influenza surveillance, pneumonia is a more familiar term to clinicians and policymakers. We evaluated WHO case definitions for severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) and pneumonia (Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) for children aged <5 years and Integrated Management of Adolescent and Adult Illnesses (IMAI) for patients aged ≥13 years) for detecting laboratory‐confirmed influenza among hospitalized ARI patients. Sensitivities were 84% for SARI and 69% for IMCI pneumonia in children aged <5 years and 60% for SARI and 57% for IMAI pneumonia in patients aged ≥13 years. Clinical pneumonia case definitions may be a useful complement to SARI for inpatient influenza surveillance.
Half of 23 Belgian dog breeds has a compromised genetic diversity, as revealed by genealogical and molecular data analysis
Authors: Wijnrocx K. , François L. , Stinckens A. , Janssens S. , Buys N.
Published: March 2016

The genetic diversity in 23 dog breeds raised in Belgium was investigated using both genealogical analysis and microsatellite markers. Some of these breeds are native breeds, with only small populations maintained. Pedigree and molecular data, obtained from the Belgian kennel club, were used to calculate the inbreeding coefficients, realised effective population size as well as probabilities of gene origin and average observed heterozygosity. Inbreeding coefficients ranged from 0.8 to 44.7% and realised effective population size varied between 3.2 and 829.1, according to the used method and breed. Mean observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.47 to 0.73. Both pedigree and molecular methods reveal low genetic diversity and presence of bottlenecks, especially in native Belgian breeds with small population sizes. Furthermore, principal component analysis on the set of investigated diversity parameters revealed no groups of breeds that could be identified in which similar breeding strategies could be applied to maintain genetic diversity.
Formative feedback to transfer self‐regulation of task‐oriented reading strategies
Authors: Llorens A.C. , Vidal‐Abarca E. , Cerdán R.
Published: March 2016

The study includes two experiments to analyse the effects of automatic formative feedback designed to promote the transfer of self‐regulation of strategic decisions in task‐oriented reading (e.g. answering questions from an available text). Secondary‐school students read and answered multiple‐choice comprehension questions from two texts having them available while receiving consistent feedback about their performance and strategic decisions. Then, they read a different text and answered questions also with the text available, but receiving no feedback. In Experiment 1, we tested two feedback procedures that differed in task conditions and the feedback information associated to these conditions. The most effective was a procedure that forced students to select relevant text information to answer each question and provided accurate feedback based on that selection. Experiment 2 was designed to disentangle the role played by the selection task from that played by the feedback provided. We found that the two components contribute to transfer the self‐regulation strategies, although each one has a specific role for different strategies. Theoretical and practical implications of the studies are discussed.
MEAN inhibits hepatitis C virus replication by interfering with a polypyrimidine tract‐binding protein
Authors: Xue Jihua , Liu Yanning , Yang Ying , Wu Shanshan , Hu Ying , Yang Fan , Zhou Xiaotang , Wang Jing , Chen Feng , Zheng Min , Zhu Haihong , Chen Zhi
Published: March 2016

MEAN (6‐methoxyethylamino‐numonafide) is a small molecule compound, and here, we report that it effectively inhibits hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in an HCV cell culture system using a JC1‐Luc chimeric virus, with a 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 2.36 ± 0.29 μM. Drug combination usage analyses demonstrated that MEAN was synergistic with interferon α, ITX5061 and ribavirin. In addition, MEAN effectively inhibits N415D mutant virus and G451R mutant viral infections. Mechanistic studies show that the treatment of HCV‐infected hepatocytes with MEAN inhibits HCV replication but not translation. Furthermore, treatment with MEAN significantly reduces polypyrimidine tract‐binding protein (PTB) levels and blocks the cytoplasmic redistribution of PTB upon infection. In the host cytoplasm, PTB is directly associated with HCV replication, and the inhibition of HCV replication by MEAN can result in the sequestration of PTB in treated nuclei. Taken together, these results indicate that MEAN is a potential therapeutic candidate for HCV infection, and the targeting of the nucleo‐cytoplasmic translocation of the host PTB protein could be a novel strategy to interrupt HCV replication.
Host‐derived salivary biomarkers in diagnosing periodontal disease: systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: de Lima Caroline L. , Acevedo Ana Carolina , Grisi Daniela C. , Taba Mario , Guerra Eliete , De Luca Canto Graziela
Published: March 2016

Aim

To systematically evaluate the accuracy of host‐derived salivary biomarkers in the diagnosis of periodontal disease based on the given sensitivity and specificity information.

Materials and Methods

Studies were eligible for inclusion if they had compared the diagnostic application of salivary biomarkers with clinical examination of periodontal disease. A detailed search was performed in five databases without restrictions on subject age, chronology, or language. Additionally, a partial grey‐literature search was conducted. The revised Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool and Meta‐analysis were used to evaluate the selected studies.

Results

From the 905 screened studies, four were included in the qualitative and quantitative analysis. One biomarker, macrophage inflammatory protein‐1α (MIP‐1α), had excellent diagnostic accuracy and two, interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), showed acceptable diagnostic values. However, the only biomarker considered excellent was evaluated in a single study, which may reduce the robustness of the results.

Conclusion

There is currently limited evidence to confirm the diagnostic capability of salivary biomarkers in the clinical assessment of periodontal disease. Notwithstanding, the summary findings showed the growing importance of salivary biomarker, and can guide larger, well‐controlled, diagnostic accuracy studies. Likewise, although not conclusive, MIP‐1α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6 may be promising biomarkers for future studies.
Fecundity regulation by atresia in turbot Scophthalmus maximus in the Baltic Sea
Authors: Nissling A. , Thorsen A. , da Silva F. F. G.
Published: March 2016

Down‐regulation of fecundity through oocyte resorption was assessed in Baltic Sea turbot Scophthalmus maximus at three locations in the period from late vitellogenesis in April to spawning during June to July. The mean ± s.d. total length of the sampled fish was 32·7 ± 3·1 cm and mean ± s.d. age was 6·2 ± 1·5 years. Measurements of atresia were performed using the ‘profile method’ with the intensity of atresia adjusted according to the ‘dissector method’ (10·6% adjustment; coefficient of determination was 0·675 between methods). Both prevalence (portion of fish with atresia) and intensity (calculated as the average proportion of atretic cells in fish displaying atresia) of atresia were low in prespawning fish, but high from onset of spawning throughout the spawning period. Atretic oocytes categorized as in early alpha and in late alpha state occurred irrespective of maturity stage from late prespawning individuals up to late spawning fish, showing that oocytes may become atretic throughout the spawning period. Observed prevalence of atresia throughout the spawning period was almost 40% with an intensity of c. 20%. This indicates extensive down‐regulation, i.e. considerably lower realized (number of eggs spawned) v. potential fecundity (number of developing oocytes), suggesting significant variability in reproductive potential. The extent of fecundity regulation in relation to fish condition (Fulton's condition factor) is discussed, suggesting an association between levels of atresia and fish condition.
Ultrasonic‐Assisted Extraction of Phenols, Flavonoids, and Biocompounds with Inhibitory Effect Against Salmonella Typhimurium and Staphylococcus Aureus from Cactus Pear
Authors: Espinosa‐Muñoz V. , RoldáN‐cruz C.A. , HernáNdez‐Fuentes A.D. , Quintero‐Lira A. , Almaraz‐Buendía I. , Campos‐Montiel R.G.
Published: March 2016

Three experimental variables [methanol concentration, extraction time, and material‐to‐solvent ratio (w/v)] were optimized in the ultrasonic‐assisted, Box‐Behnken extraction of biocompounds (total phenols and flavonoids) from xoconostle (Opuntia oligacantha) to determine the antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus. The total phenols and inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus were optimal with 10 min of ultrasound and 40% methanol, and a ratio of 1:20 (w/v); the total flavonoids was optimal with 20 min of ultrasound, 40% methanol, and a 1:30 ratio (w/v); and the biocompound effect on Salmonella typhimurium was optimal with 10 min of ultrasound, 60% methanol and a ratio of 1:10 (w/v). The polynomial equations showed satisfactory accuracy in predicting the extraction yield. The total phenol content and Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus parameters were fit to a quadratic model, while for flavonoids, the fit was linear. The results showed that biocompounds extracted from xoconostle have a high inhibitory effect on Salmonella typhimurium and a moderate effect on Staphylococcus aureus. These xoconostle extracts can be used as a natural antibacterial additive in the food industry.

Practical Application

The use of natural antibacterial compounds in the food industry has been increasing. Xoconostle is the acidic fruit of the Nopal, or the cactus pear, which is endemic in the Americas. In this study, three variables of the ultrasound‐assisted extraction of biocompounds from xoconostle were optimized for antibacterial activity using the surface‐response Box‐Behnken design, namely, the methanol concentration, extraction time, and material‐to‐solvent ratio (w/v). The results showed that the best conditions for the extraction of phenols and biocompounds with inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus were the same, while the optimal conditions for the extraction of flavonoids and biocompounds with inhibitory activity against Salmonella typhimurium were different. The ultrasound‐assisted xoconostle extractions of flavonoids, phenols, and biocompounds with antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria have potential applications as food additives.
Neuropsychological Profile and Dementia Symptom Recognition in Help‐Seekers in a Community Early‐Detection Program in Hong Kong
Authors: Tang Jennifer Y.‐M. , Wong Gloria H.‐Y. , Ng Carmen K.‐M. , Kwok Dorothy T.‐S. , Lee Maggie N.‐Y. , Dai David L.‐K. , Lum Terry Y.‐S.
Published: March 2016

Objectives

To examine the neuropsychological and clinical profile of help‐seekers in an early‐detection community dementia program and to explore any relationship between profiles and time to seek help.

Design

Cross‐sectional.

Setting

Early‐detection community dementia program.

Participants

Help‐seekers (N = 1,005) with subjective cognitive complaints or complaints from an informant.

Measurements

Neurocognitive testing, including the Cantonese Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clock Drawing Test, Digit Span, and Fuld Object Memory Evaluation and other clinical and functioning assessments, including the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental ADLs (IADLs), and depressive symptoms. Time since the person or an informant reported that they first noticed symptoms.

Results

Eighty‐six percent of help‐seekers had at least very mild dementia (CDR score ≥0.5). Cognitive performance was moderately impaired (mean MMSE score 18.4 ± 6.1). They required some assistance with IADLs, had very mild ADL impairments, and had few depressive symptoms. Median time to seek assessment was 12 months (interquartile range 7–30 months) according to the person or the informant (an adult child in 75% of the sample). Using the median‐split method, time to seek assessment was classified as early (0–12 months) and late (>12 months). Worse cognitive and IADL performance but not ADL performance or depressive symptoms were observed in late than in early help‐seekers. Longer time intervals between symptom recognition and early assessment showed a trend of further impairments on all measures except ADLs.

Conclusion

A time interval of more than 12 months between symptom recognition and early assessment appears to be associated with worse cognitive function upon presentation.
Cognitive Reserve, Incident Dementia, and Associated Mortality in the Ibadan Study of Ageing
Authors: Ojagbemi Akin , Bello Toyin , Gureje Oye
Published: March 2016

Objectives

To describe factors associated with incident dementia and dementia mortality over 5 years in a large community sample of elderly persons.

Design

Longitudinal investigation of a household multistage probability sample.

Setting

Eight contiguous states of the Yoruba‐speaking region of Nigeria.

Participants

Individuals aged 65 and older (N = 2,149).

Measurements

Dementia was diagnosed using tools previously validated in the population. Incident cases of dementia over three follow‐up waves were determined after censoring cases in the preceding wave. Information on mortality was collected from key informants in subjects' households.

Results

A dementia incident rate was found of 20.9 per 1,000 person‐years (95% confidence interval (CI) = 17.7–24.9). The adjusted mortality hazard for those with dementia was 1.5 (95% CI = 1.1–2.1). Along with previously identified social and demographic factors, poor predementia cognitive function (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.1–2.8) and low occupational complexity (HR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.3–8.0) were associated with incident dementia.

Conclusion

The findings confirm the low incidence of dementia in this population, as previously reported. The condition is nevertheless associated with higher risk of mortality. Along with some features of social disadvantage, proxies of lower cognitive reserve were risk factors for incident dementia.
Intrapartum and Postpartum Transfers to a Tertiary Care Hospital from Out‐of‐Hospital Birth Settings: A Retrospective Case Series
Authors: Lundeen Tiffany
Published: March 2016

Introduction

This study describes the reasons for and outcomes of maternal transfers from private homes and freestanding birthing suites to a large academic hospital in order to better understand and meet the needs of transferring women and their families.

Methods

The convenience sample included all adult women admitted to the labor and birth unit or emergency room within a 5‐year period who: 1) had planned to give birth out‐of‐hospital but developed complications at term before the onset of labor and were admitted to the hospital for labor induction; 2) had planned to give birth at home or in a birthing suite but transferred to the hospital during labor; or 3) arrived at the hospital for care within 24 hours after a planned birth at home or in a birthing suite. Descriptive data for each transfer were obtained from the medical record.

Results

Fifty‐one transfers were identified: 11 prior to labor, 38 during labor, and 2 postpartum. Only 4 transfers were considered urgent by the referring provider. The most common reasons for intrapartum transfer were prolonged labor (n = 19) and desire for epidural analgesia (n = 10). Only 25% of the medical records had documentation that the referring provider accompanied the woman to the hospital during the care transition or was involved in her hospital course; however, the prenatal and/or intrapartum records had been delivered by the referring provider, were referenced in the hospital admission note, and had become part of the permanent hospital medical record for 85% of the women. On average, one transfer per year was complicated by neonatal morbidity, and one transfer per year involved significant disagreement between hospital providers and the women presenting for care.

Discussion

Collecting and reviewing data about a facility's perinatal transfer events can help the local multi‐stakeholder group appraise current practice and plan for quality improvement.
Mitochondrial dysfunction precedes depression of AMPK/AKT signaling in insulin resistance induced by high glucose in primary cortical neurons
Authors: Peng Yunhua , Liu Jing , Shi Le , Tang Ying , Gao Dan , Long Jiangang , Liu Jiankang
Published: March 2016

Recent studies have demonstrated brain insulin signaling impairment and mitochondrial dysfunction in diabetes. Hyperinsulinemia and hyperlipidemia arising from diabetes have been linked to neuronal insulin resistance, and hyperglycemia induces peripheral sensory neuronal impairment and mitochondrial dysfunction. However, how brain glucose at diabetic conditions elicits cortical neuronal insulin signaling impairment and mitochondrial dysfunction remains unknown. In the present study, we cultured primary cortical neurons with high glucose levels and investigated the neuronal mitochondrial function and insulin response. We found that mitochondrial function was declined in presence of 10 mmol/L glucose, prior to the depression of AKT signaling in primary cortical neurons. We further demonstrated that the cerebral cortex of db/db mice exhibited both insulin resistance and loss of mitochondrial complex components. Moreover, we found that adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) inactivation is involved in high glucose‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance in primary cortical neurons and neuroblastoma cells, as well as in cerebral cortex of db/db mice, and all these impairments can be rescued by mitochondrial activator, resveratrol. Taken together, our results extend the finding that high glucose (≥10 mmol/L) comparable to diabetic brain extracellular glucose level leads to neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction and resultant insulin resistance, and targeting mitochondria‐AMPK signaling might be a promising strategy to protect against diabetes‐related neuronal impairment in central nerves system.

image

We found that high glucose (≥10 mmol/L), comparable to diabetic brain extracellular glucose level, leads to neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction and resultant insulin resistance in an AMPK‐dependent manner, and targeting mitochondria‐AMPK signaling might be a promising strategy to protect against diabetes‐related neuronal impairment in central nerves system.
Exploring the Masculine Identity in the Context of HIV Prevention in Chile
Authors: Ferrer Lilian , Cianelli Rosina , Villegas Natalia , Reed Reiley , Bernales Margarita , Repetto Paula , Hufstader Theodore , Lara Loreto , Irarrázabal Lisette , Peragallo‐Montano Nilda
Published: March 2016

Purpose

This study aims to describe human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐related knowledge and beliefs, as well as understanding attitudes towards masculinity in the context of HIV prevention, held among Chilean men.

Design

This study reports the qualitative findings of a sequential qualitative‐quantitative mixed methodology study: Bringing men into HIV Prevention in Chile, NIH R01 TW007674‐03.

Methods

Twenty in‐depth interviews using a qualitative, descriptive approach to elicit information for the study were conducted among men residing in two communities of low socio‐economic status in Santiago, Chile.

Findings

Content analysis of interviews revealed three main themes regarding machismo and how it relates to HIV: sexuality and machismo, the changing nature of machismo, and violence against women.

Conclusions

Addressing HIV and intimate partner violence through developing education programs tailored to meet the needs of Chilean men are needed to include men in HIV prevention efforts.

Clinical Relevance

Specifically, incorporating ideas of what men consider healthy masculinity and working to destigmatize men who have sex with men are important steps in addressing the negative aspects of machismo.
RESEARCH ON THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY: STATE OF THE ART AND NEW DIRECTIONS OFF THE BEATEN TRACK AWAY FROM THEATRICAL RELEASE
Authors: Kumb Florian , Kunz Reinhard , Siegert Gabriele
Published: March 2016

The motion picture industry has been subject of extensive academic research over the last decades. However, most scholars focused on the U.S. theatrical motion picture market. The number of research activities regarding even more profitable release windows, such as home video or television, has been substantially lower. Although international distribution is essential for a motion picture project to break even, there has been little significant re‐search on most other markets. This paper aims at summarizing the current state of research on the motion picture industry, particularly from marketing and management perspective, revealing research gaps, and proposing recommendations for future research endeavors. Therefore, a three‐pillar scheme is developed to systemize previous findings: Research on intraorganizational decision making, contractual relationships between national stakeholders, and international market competition are differentiated. Since these insights are mainly derived from U.S. theatrical exhibition, they can hardly be applied to other markets and exhibition windows. Thus, potential research areas are identified to expand knowledge of posttheatrical and international markets.
Usefulness of Frequency Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Compared with Intravascular Ultrasound as a Guidance for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Kim In‐Cheol , Yoon Hyuck‐Jun , Shin Eun‐Seok , Kim Min‐Seok , Park Jincheol , Cho Yun‐Kyeong , Park Hyoung‐Seob , Kim Hyungseop , Nam Chang‐Wook , Han Seong‐Wook , Kim Yoon‐Nyun , Kim Kwon‐Bae , Hur Seung‐Ho
Published: March 2016

Objectives

To compare outcomes and rates of optimal stent placement between optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background

Unlike IVUS‐guided PCI, rates of clinical outcomes and optimal stent placement have not been well characterized for OCT‐guided PCI.

Methods

The study enrolled 290 patients who underwent implantation of a second generation drug eluting stent under OCT (122 patients) or IVUS (168 patients) guidance. The two groups were compared after adjusting for baseline differences using 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) (114 patients in each group). Optimal stent placement was defined as achieving an adequate lumen (optimal minimum stent area [MSA > 4.85 mm2 for OCT, >5 mm2 for IVUS] or a final MSA ≥ 90% of the distal reference lumen area, without edge dissection, incomplete stent apposition, or tissue prolapse), or otherwise performing additional interventions to address suboptimal post‐stenting OCT or IVUS findings. The primary endpoint was one‐year cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE; cardiac death, myocardial infarction and target lesion revascularization). Definite or probable stent thrombosis (ST) rates were evaluated.

Results

In adjusted comparisons between OCT and IVUS groups, there was no significant difference in rates of MACE (3.5% vs. 3.5%, P = 1.000) and ST (0% vs. 0.9%, P = 1.000) at 1 year, optimal stent placement (89.5% vs. 92.1%, P = 0.492), and further intervention (7.9% vs.13.2%, P = 0.234), despite OCT significantly more frequently detecting tissue prolapse (97.4% vs. 47.4%, P < 0.001), and numerically more edge dissection (10.5% vs. 4.4%, P = 0.078) or incomplete stent apposition (48.2% vs. 36.8%, P = 0.082).

Conclusions

OCT guidance showed comparable results to IVUS in mid‐term clinical outcomes, suggesting that OCT can be an alternative tool for stent placement optimization. (J Interven Cardiol 2016;29:216–224)
The AART of Ethnography: A Critical Realist Explanatory Research Model
Authors: Decoteau Claire Laurier
Published: March 2016

Critical realism is a philosophy of science, which has made significant contributions to epistemic debates within sociology. And yet, its contributions to ethnographic explanation have yet to be fully elaborated. Drawing on ethnographic data on the health‐seeking behavior of HIV‐infected South Africans, the paper compares and contrasts critical realism with grounded theory, extended case method and the pragmatist method of abduction. In so doing, it argues that critical realism makes a significant contribution to causal explanation in ethnographic research in three ways: 1) by linking structure to agency; 2) by accounting for the contingent, conjunctural nature of causality; and 3) by using surprising empirical findings to generate new theory. The paper develops the AART (abduction, abstraction, retroduction, testing) research schema and illustrates its strengths by employing a Bourdieusian field analysis as a model for morphogenetic explanation.
Charles Gleyre's ‘Les Romains’: Classics and nationalism in Swiss art
Authors: Warren Richard
Published: March 2016

This article looks at an example of how classical antiquity was used by a nineteenth‐century Swiss painter and explores the national dimension of one of his works. Through an examination of the painting, Les Romains passant sous le joug, its Swiss artist Charles Gleyre and his commission from the canton of Vaud, it will elaborate an example of how a classical legend was transformed in an artistic representation of the nation.
Using Public Information to Estimate Self‐Employment Earnings of Informal Suppliers
Authors: Alm James , Erard Brian
Published: March 2016

An enduring problem in the analysis of tax evasion is the difficulty of its measurement. An especially troublesome component of tax evasion arises from informal suppliers, such as self‐employed domestic workers, street‐side vendors, and moonlighting tradesmen. We develop in this paper a new approach for estimating self‐employment earnings of informal suppliers. Our methodology involves using national survey results on self‐employment earnings within a carefully selected set of industry categories where informal activities are concentrated. Then, by comparing these national survey results on self‐employment earnings to Internal Revenue Service statistics on the amounts actually reported for tax purposes, it is possible to estimate the extent of noncompliance within the selected industry categories. Our methodology relies on survey respondents being reasonably forthcoming about their earnings, which we are able to confirm through some validation exercises.
Translation of phenotypic diversity of Sorghum bicolor axillary branched mutant into exploitable heterosis
Authors: Immadi Shobha , Maralappanavar Manjula S. , Patil Shreekant S. , Sajjanar Gowramma M.
Published: March 2016

Lack of variability in sorghum is the main reason for the stagnation in crop improvement including low heterosis. Studies on somaclonal mutations of sorghum have led to the development of a diverse axillary branched grain sorghum mutant, SbABM of postrainy season variety A‐1 (Annigeri‐1) which bears multiple panicles. Considering its developmental significance and phenotypic diversity, this mutant was subjected to detailed genetic analysis. To exploit its genetic potentiality, the mutant was involved in a full diallel study along with ruling varieties to assess the combining ability and to quantify the magnitude of heterosis. SbABM performed exceptionally well in hybrid combinations for all the traits. Mean squares due to genotypes were highly significant for all the traits. The results on general combining ability revealed that SbABM was significantly better general combiner for all the traits studied. Majority of the hybrids involving SbABM as parental line exhibited high degree of heterosis for most of the traits, finally contributing to overall plant's vigour. However, SbABM did not restore fertility on both milo and maldandi cytoplasm.
A Robust Digital Watermarking Algorithm for Copyright Protection of Aerial Photogrammetric Images
Authors: Hsu Pai‐Hui , Chen Chih‐Cheng
Published: March 2016

Current research on digital watermarking for the copyright protection of digital multimedia data has led to fairly advanced techniques with fruitful results. However, there remains a lack of research on digital watermarking for geospatial data, which is very costly to produce but is of great importance and with wide application. In this study an analysis and discussion of digital watermarking is carried out for digital aerial photogrammetric images. Focusing on the requirements for the main applications of such images, a feature‐based digital watermarking algorithm is proposed. Testing and analysis of the robustness of the watermark is performed to achieve the goal of copyright protection, even after image processing and geometric transformation have been undertaken on the watermarked image. Furthermore, the image quality is (almost) preserved to avoid detrimental effects on subsequent applications. The experimental results prove that the proposed watermarking method has a certain degree of robustness and can resist most types of image‐processing and geometric attacks, while maintaining the data quality of the aerial images.
Cytotoxic cell involvement in human cutaneous leishmaniasis: assessments in active disease, under therapy and after clinical cure
Authors: Cunha C. F. , Ferraz R. , Pimentel M. I. F. , Lyra M. R. , Schubach A. O. , Da‐Cruz A. M. , Bertho A. L.
Published: March 2016

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an important public health issue worldwide. The control of Leishmania infection depends on cellular immune mechanisms, and the inflammatory response may contribute to pathogenesis. A beneficial role of CD8+ T lymphocytes has been proposed; nevertheless, other studies suggest a cytotoxic role of CD8+ T lymphocytes involved in tissue damage, showing controversial role of these cells. The goal of the current study was to understand the immunopathology of CL and determine the profile of cytotoxic cells – such as CD4+ T, natural killer and natural killer T cells – that might be involved in triggering immunological mechanisms, and may lead to cure or disease progression. The frequencies of cytotoxic cell populations in peripheral blood, obtained from patients with active disease, during treatment and after clinical healing, were assessed by flow cytometry. Cytotoxicity could not be related to a deleterious role in Leishmania braziliensis infection, as patients with active CL showed similar percentages of degranulation to healthy individuals (HI). Cured patients exhibited a lower percentage of degranulating cells, which may be due to a downregulation of the immune response. The understanding of the immunopathological mechanisms involved in CL and the commitment of cytotoxic cells enables improvements in therapeutic strategies.
Counting by Weighing: Know Your Numbers with Confidence
Authors: Liu W. , Han Y. , Bretz F. , Wan F. , Yang P.
Published: March 2016

Counting by weighing is often more efficient than counting manually, which is time consuming and prone to human errors, especially when the number of items (e.g. plant seeds, printed labels or coins) is large. Papers in the statistical literature have focused on how to count, by weighing, a random number of items that is close to a prespecified number in some sense. The paper considers the new problem, arising from a consultation with a company, of making inference about the number of 1p coins in a bag with known weight for infinitely many bags, by using the estimated distribution of coin weight from one calibration data set only. Specifically, a lower confidence bound has been constructed on the number of 1p coins for each of infinitely many future bags of 1p coins, as required by the company. As the same calibration data set is used repeatedly in the construction of all these lower confidence bounds, the interpretation of coverage frequency of the lower confidence bounds that is proposed is different from that of a usual confidence set.
Severe cryptococcal‐associated neurological immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in a renal transplant recipient treated with adalimumab
Authors: Deshayes S. , Bouvier N. , Chatelet V. , Hurault de Ligny B. , Dargère S. , Bonhomme J. , Béchade C.
Published: March 2016

Cryptococcosis is a major concern in organ transplant recipients. A decrease in immunosuppressants following the initiation of antifungal therapy is currently recommended, but can occasionally be complicated by the onset of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). We report on a case of cryptococcosis in a kidney transplant recipient, compounded by severe neurological IRIS, the outcome of which was unfavorable despite the use of anti‐tumor necrosis factor‐alpha monoclonal antibodies.
Acute kidney injury in pregnancy and the use of non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs
Authors: Wiles Kate S , Banerjee Anita
Published: March 2016

Key content

Serum creatinine falls in normal pregnancy and a new serum creatinine level above 90 micromol/l in pregnancy should trigger investigation for acute kidney injury.

Causes of acute kidney injury in pregnancy include pre‐eclampsia,HELLP(haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count), microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia, acute fatty liver of pregnancy, lupus nephritis, renal tract obstruction and drug use.

Non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause acute kidney injury as well as cardiovascular and gastrointestinal adverse effects.

NSAIDs should be avoided in pre‐eclampsia, volume depletion, acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease.

WhenNSAIDs are used, ibuprofen has the best safety profile. It should be used at the lowest effective dose and discontinued as soon as possible.

Learning objectives

To be able to diagnose acute kidney injury in pregnancy and understand the importance of supportive treatment.

To gain an overview of the possible causes of acute kidney injury in pregnancy and their management.

To appreciate the adverse effect profile ofNSAIDs and be able to modify prescribing for high‐risk patients.

Ethical issues

When prescribing in pregnancy and the postpartum period the risks and benefits of treatment must be considered for each individual patient.

Acute kidney injury in pregnancy is more prevalent in low and middle income countries where there is often a lower provision of supportive renal care.
Origin of and resulting floristic composition from seedbanks in agroforestry systems of Tomé‐Açu, Eastern Amazon
Authors: Lacerda F , Miranda I , Lima T T S , Mafra N A , Leão F M , Do Vale I , Bispo C J C , Kato O R
Published: March 2016

The objective of this study was to verify the origin of and resulting floristic composition from seedbanks in different agroforestry systems in Tomé‐Açu, Brazil. The seedbanks were sampled in three smallholder farmers (Demonstration Units = DU), each with three agroforestry treatments and secondary forest as control. Seedling emergence in a glasshouse was used to quantify and identify the seeds collected in 2008. The floristic composition of the above‐ground community was characterised with annual floristic surveys from 2008 to 2011. The total densities and diversity of the seedbanks were not different among the treatments within a given DU, but differences occurred among DU. The most abundant woody species had higher seed densities in the secondary forests than in DU. Conversely, among the herbaceous species, two groups were differentiated: species with similar densities between the DU and the secondary forest and species with higher density in the DU. In the DU, the similarity between the floristic composition of the seedbank and the flora surveyed in 2008 was high, but decreased in subsequent years. The species present in the seedbank of agroforestry systems are highly influenced by the secondary forest, but provide little information about the floristic composition that will arise in the future.
‘Adipaging’: ageing and obesity share biological hallmarks related to a dysfunctional adipose tissue
Authors: Pérez Laura M. , Pareja‐Galeano Helios , Sanchis‐Gomar Fabián , Emanuele Enzo , Lucia Alejandro , Gálvez Beatriz G.
Published: March 2016

The increasing ageing of our societies is accompanied by a pandemic of obesity and related cardiometabolic disorders. Progressive dysfunction of the white adipose tissue is increasingly recognized as an important hallmark of the ageing process, which in turn contributes to metabolic alterations, multi‐organ damage and a systemic pro‐inflammatory state (‘inflammageing’). On the other hand, obesity, the paradigm of adipose tissue dysfunction, shares numerous biological similarities with the normal ageing process such as chronic inflammation and multi‐system alterations. Accordingly, understanding the interplay between accelerated ageing related to obesity and adipose tissue dysfunction is critical to gain insight into the ageing process in general as well as into the pathophysiology of obesity and other related conditions. Here we postulate the concept of ‘adipaging’ to illustrate the common links between ageing and obesity and the fact that, to a great extent, obese adults are prematurely aged individuals.

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Modeling Nonuniform Bleed in Axial Compressors
Authors: Grimshaw S. D. , Pullan G. , Hynes T. P.
Published: March 2016

The coupling between the bleed system and the flowfield of a downstream compressor stage is studied using two approaches. In the first approach, three-dimensional, full annulus, unsteady computations simulate the flow in a low-speed research compressor with nonuniform bleed extraction. Comparisons with experimental data show that the flow prediction in the main annulus is accurate to within 0.005 of flow coefficient and 0.5deg of flow angle. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is then used to provide a description of flow within the bleed system itself. In the second approach, a two-dimensional mean radius model, similar to that adopted by Hynes and Greitzer in the previous work on compressor stability, is used to simulate the response of the compressor to nonuniform bleed. This model is validated against experimental data for a single-stage compressor, and despite the inherent assumptions (two-dimensional flow and simplified compressor response), provides a satisfactory prediction of the flow for preliminary design purposes with orders of magnitude less computational cost than full 3D CFD. The model is then used to investigate the effect of different levels of bleed nonuniformity and of varying the axial distance between the bleed and the downstream stage. Reducing bleed nonuniformity and moving the stage away from the bleed slot are predicted to reduce the circumferential nonuniformity of the flow entering the stage.
Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of Healthy and Defective Red Blood Cell Settling in Blood Plasma
Authors: Hashemi Z. , Rahnama M. , Jafari S.
Published: March 2016

In this paper, an attempt has been made to study sedimentation of a red blood cell (RBC) in a plasma-filled tube numerically. Such behaviors are studied for a healthy and a defective cell which might be created due to human diseases, such as diabetes, sickle-cell anemia, and hereditary spherocytosis. Flow-induced deformation of RBC is obtained using finite-element method (FEM), while flow and fluid–membrane interaction are handled using lattice Boltzmann (LB) and immersed boundary methods (IBMs), respectively. The effects of RBC properties as well as its geometry and orientation on its sedimentation rate are investigated and discussed. The results show that decreasing frontal area of an RBC and/or increasing tube diameter results in a faster settling. Comparison of healthy and diabetic cells reveals that less cell deformability leads to slower settling. The simulation results show that the sicklelike and spherelike RBCs have lower settling velocity as compared with a biconcave discoid cell.
Physics-Based Flexible Tire Model Integrated With LuGre Tire Friction for Transient Braking and Cornering Analysis
Authors: Yamashita Hiroki , Jayakumar Paramsothy , Sugiyama Hiroyuki
Published: March 2016

In transient vehicle maneuvers, structural tire deformation due to the large load transfer causes abrupt change in normal contact pressure and slip distribution over the contact patch, and it has a dominant effect on characterizing the transient braking and cornering forces including the history-dependent friction-induced hysteresis effect. To account for the dynamic coupling of structural tire deformations and the transient tire friction behavior, a physics-based flexible tire model is developed using the laminated composite shell element based on the absolute nodal coordinate formulation and the distributed parameter LuGre tire friction model. In particular, a numerical procedure to integrate the distributed parameter LuGre tire friction model into the finite-element based spatial flexible tire model is proposed. To this end, the spatially discretized form of the LuGre tire friction model is derived and integrated into the finite-element tire model such that change in the normal contact pressure and slip distributions over the contact patch predicted by the deformable tire model enters into the spatially discretized LuGre tire friction model to predict the transient shear contact stress distribution. By doing so, the structural tire deformation and the LuGre tire friction force model are dynamically coupled in the final form of the equations, and these equations are integrated simultaneously forward in time at every time step. The tire model developed is experimentally validated and several numerical examples for hard braking and cornering simulation are presented to demonstrate capabilities of the physics-based flexible tire model developed in this study.
Postbuckling of Hyperelastic Plates
Authors: Zhang Chi , Wu Jian , Hwang Keh-Chih , Huang Yonggang
Published: March 2016

Curvature is simply expressed as the second derivative of the plate deflection in prior studies of post-buckling of plates. It is shown in this paper that the higher-order terms in curvature should be retained, consistent with Koiter's post-buckling theory. This paper also solves the dilemma whether the increase of post-buckling load is proportional to the square of the ratio of the post-buckling deflection w to the plate thickness t, (w/t)2, as in most prior studies, or to the characteristic in-plane length L of the plate, (w/L)2, as discovered in some recent studies.
Tensile Stability of Medial Arterial Tissues
Authors: Levy Alan J. , Zhang Xinyu
Published: March 2016

Tensile stability of healthy medial arterial tissue and its constituents, subject to initial geometrical and/or material imperfections, is investigated based on the long wavelength approximation. The study employs existing constitutive models for elastin, collagen, and vascular smooth muscle which comprise the medial layer of large elastic (conducting) arteries. A composite constitutive model is presented based on the concept of the musculoelastic fascicle (MEF) which is taken to be the essential building block of medial arterial tissue. Nonlinear equations governing axial stretch and areal stretch imperfection growth quantities are obtained and solved numerically. Exact, closed-form results are presented for both initial and terminal rates of imperfection growth with nominal load. The results reveal that geometrical imperfections, in the form of area nonuniformities, and material imperfections, in the form of constitutive parameter nonuniformities, either decrease or increase only slightly with increasing nominal load; a result which is to be expected for healthy tissue. By way of contrast, an examination of a simple model for elastin with a degrading stiffness gives rise to unbounded imperfection growth rates at finite values of nominal load. The latter result indicates how initial geometrical and material imperfections in diseased tissues might behave, a topic of future study by the authors.