bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inmunopatología de la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica
Authors: Martínez-Aguilar Nora Ernestina , Vargas-Camaño María Eugenia , Hernández-Pliego Rogelio Ramsés , Chaia-Semerena Genny Margarita , Pérez-Chavira María del Rosario
Published: January 2018

La enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) es una enfermedad común, prevenible y tratable que presenta una fisiopatología compleja y un proceso inmunopatológico aún más complicado. El objetivo de esta revisión fue analizar los aspectos inmunopatológicos de la EPOC, para lo cual se llevó a una cabo una pesquisa bibliográfica de los documentos más relevantes indexados en la base de datos PubMed durante los últimos 10 años. Diversos aspectos pudieron concluirse: en la inmunopatología de la EPOC existen cambios inflamatorios, inmunológicos y no inmunológicos con un desequilibrio en el estrés oxidativo, así como alteraciones en la relación proteasas/antiproteasas debidas a efectos genéticos, epigenéticos, ambientales directos e indirectos. La EPOC produce daño tisular irreversible e inflamación crónica con alteración de la reparación tisular que induce obstrucción crónica de la vía aérea, bronquitis, enfisema y daño sistémico. Las comorbilidades resultantes más comunes son enfermedad cardiovascular, síndrome metabólico, osteoporosis, depresión, disfunción músculo esquelética, incremento de la edad biológica, cáncer pulmonar y otros tipos de neoplasias. En la concepción de la EPOC es indispensable reconocer que es una enfermedad no transmisible y prevenible.
Frecuencia de reactividad cutánea hacia alérgenos alimentarios en pacientes alérgicos
Authors: Camero-Martínez Heriberto , López-García Aída Inés , Rivero-Yeverino Daniela , Caballero-López Chrystopherson Gengyny , Arana-Muñoz Oswaldo , Papaqui-Tapia Sergio , Rojas-Méndez Isabel Cristina , Vázquez-Rojas Elizabeth
Published: January 2018

Antecedentes: Se considera que la alergia alimentaria tiene una prevalencia mundial de 2 a 10 %.Objetivo: Determinar la frecuencia de reactividad cutánea hacia alérgenos alimentarios por grupos de edad.Métodos: Estudio observacional, descriptivo, transversal y prolectivo. Se incluyeron pacientes de 2 a 64 años de edad con cuadro compatible de enfermedad alérgica. Se efectuaron pruebas por punción cutánea con alérgenos alimentarios. Se estimaron frecuencias y porcentajes.Resultados: Se incluyeron 191 pacientes, 63.4 % fue del sexo femenino. La edad promedio fue 22.5 años; 19.3 % mostró reactividad cutánea positiva al menos a un alimento. La distribución por grupo etario fue la siguiente: preescolares 13.5 %, escolares 24.3 %, adolescentes 2.7 % y adultos 59.5 %. Los diagnósticos fueron rinitis alérgica 84.3 %, asma 19.4 %, urticaria 14.1 % y dermatitis atópica 8.4 %. La distribución de la frecuencia de reactividad cutánea positiva en orden descendente fue 5.2 % a soya, 4.7 % a durazno, 3.6 % a uva, naranja y manzana, 3.1 % a nuez y 2.6 % a piña, aguacate, tomate y atún.Conclusión: La frecuencia de reactividad cutánea para alérgenos alimentarios fue similar a la informada en la literatura nacional y latinoamericana, pero la sensibilización para cada alérgeno específico varió en cada grupo etario.
Los exosomas de las células presentadoras de antígeno y su papel en la regulación de las respuestas inmunológicas
Authors: Maravillas-Montero José Luis , Martínez-Cortés Ismael
Published: January 2018

Las células liberan biomoléculas de diversa naturaleza a su entorno para comunicarse con las células vecinas. Además de dichas moléculas, secretan también elementos más complejos como las vesículas; estructuras compuestas por bicapas lipídicas con proteínas transmembranales que encierran un contenido hidrofílico. Los exosomas son un subtipo pequeño de estas vesículas (de 30 a 150 nm), producidos por una amplia variedad de tipos celulares incluyendo las neuronas, células tumorales, células epiteliales y células del sistema inmunológico. De entre estas últimas, las células presentadoras de antígeno se han caracterizado como productoras de exosomas con contenido variable, tanto en condiciones de reposo como en aquellas que derivan de su estimulación o maduración. En los últimos años el estudio de los exosomas ha aumentado debido a que se ha demostrado que dichas vesículas poseen propiedades inmunomoduladoras, razón por la que ostentan un gran potencial en aplicaciones de diagnóstico y desarrollo de terapias en diferentes patologías con componentes inflamatorios.
Sensibilización IgE y las condiciones sociodemográficas como determinantes en la gravedad del asma
Authors: Gaviria Rodrigo , Ocampo Jaime , Londoño Julián , Calvo Víctor , Cardona Ricardo , Sánchez Jorge
Published: January 2018

Antecedentes: en Latinoamérica existen pocos datos acerca de los factores que influyen en el control y la gravedad del asma.Objetivo: describir la asociación entre la sensibilización IgE a alérgenos intradomiciliarios y las condiciones de vivienda en la gravedad del asma.Método: se evaluó la sensibilización a aeroalérgenos mediante la realización de la prueba de escarificación y los datos sociodemográficos en una población entre 6 y 14 años de edad con diagnóstico de asma. El control del asma se midió de acuerdo con los resultados espirométricos y a la aplicación del Asthma Control Test, la gravedad y el control de los síntomas según la guía GINA.Resultados: se incluyeron 150 pacientes residentes del Valle de Aburrá, Colombia. La mediana de edad de los participantes fue de 11 años, 95 (63.3 %) de sexo masculino. El 92 % de los pacientes residía en el área urbana. La sensibilización a ácaros fue la más prevalente, tanto en el grupo de pacientes controlados como no controlados. La sensibilización a cucaracha y algunas condiciones de pobreza fueron factores determinantes para la gravedad de asma.Conclusión: las condiciones de pobreza parecen favorecer el desarrollo de asma grave y a su vez la sensibilización IgE a cucaracha. Esta sensibilización podría servir como biomarcador de gravedad.
Fragmentos de memoria inmunológica: entrevista al doctor Renato Berrón
Authors: Rodríguez-González Mónica , Lugo-Reyes Saúl Oswaldo , Venegas-Montoya Edna , Scheffler-Mendoza Selma Cecilia
Published: January 2018

El doctor Renato Daniel Berrón Pérez fundó el Departamento de Inmunología Clínica del Instituto Nacional de Pediatría. Nació el 17 de octubre de 1934 y falleció el 13 de febrero del 2017, en la Ciudad de México. Su color favorito era el rojo. Vivía con su querida esposa Martha Yolanda. Tuvo 8 hijos y 8 nietos. Era dueño de un perro Schnauzer llamado "Diva". Actualmente en México existen alrededor de 800 médicos alergólogos/inmunólogos clínicos gracias al campo que abrió el doctor Berrón, como resultado de circunstancias y suerte en una vida muy interesante. Este es el principio de nuestra historia
Tafsir Realis terhadap Makna dan Simbol Alquran bagi Masyarakat Kabupaten Probolinggo
Authors: Mun'im A Rafiq Zainul
Published: January 2018

Realist Interpretation and Symbolic Meaning of the Quran for the Society of Probolinggo Regency. All Moslem scholars believe that people have own ways to respond, interact, and function Quranic verses within their lives. Their effort is only to maintain the majesty of the Quran. Therefore, this study will examine how does the symbolization of Quranic verses has functions for, how do they elucidate and interpret, how do their interpretation and symbolization of Quranic verses take a position in Quranic discourse, especially in Probolinggo. The qualitative paradigm was chosen to clarify those questions. Meanwhile, the approach to data is Turner’s processional approach of symbolism and Levi Strauss’ structuralism. Through this discussion, the result of research concluded that the symbolization of Quranic verses has four functions, mainly (1) source of religious teaching; key element of ritual and ceremonial activities; ornament of calligraphy; and mystical medium, (2) symbolization of verses indicates Probolinggo people’s stance in using Quran; the meaning of symbolized verses is possible to trace from their consciousness and unconsciousness, and (3) interpretation and symbolization of Quranic verses take a position in the light of realist interpretation and meaningful interpretation as well as the living Quran, which have implied not only theoretical study of Quranic verses, but also practical function for society in the real life.
Study on Internal Timber Demand Supply Ratio in Community Forest Users’ Groups of Middle Mountain Region of Nepal
Authors: Sapkota Bishwa Bandhu , Bhattarai Kisman , Rimal Simant
Published: January 2018

Higher internal timber demand compared to the supply capacity of forest has been attributing to scarcity of timber within Community Forest Users’ Groups (CFUGs) and subsequently posing risk to the sustainability of forest. It is therefore becoming crucial to examine the factors behind such high demand to supply ratio and quantify their relationship to help in optimum allocation of forest resources to the community. In this study, we selected potential variables that could affect the internal demand-supply (DS) ratio in a community forest users’ groups, examined their correlation with it, and develop a parsimonious model that could explain the relationship between them using linear regression technique and Akaike Information Criterion methodology. The correlation coefficient analysis showed that household density (0.75) had very strong relationship whereas other predictor variables such as, growing stock per hectare (0.35), percentage of households involved in agriculture (0.37), area of forest (-0.39), percentage of timber yielding species in a forest (-0.56), and percentage of rich household (0.62) in a CFUG had weak to fair relationship with DS ratio. Among the four different models designed with the top three highly correlating variables, the third model utilizing household density and percentage of timber yielding species proved to be most parsimonious model. The developed linear model is of high relevance for forest officials in rational and scientific formation of community forest users’ group and handover of forest resources to such groups. International Journal of EnvironmentVolume-6, Issue-4, Sep-Nov 2017, page: 42-55
Increasing papers’ discoverability with precise semantic labeling: The sci.AI publishing platform
Authors: Gurinovich Roman , Pashuk Alexander , Petrovskiy Yuriy , Dmitrievskij Alex , Kuryan Oleg , Scerbacov Alexei , Tiggre Antonia , Moroz Elena , Buinitskaya Yuliya , Nikolsky Yuri
Published: January 2018

The number of published findings in biomedicine increases continually. At the same time, specifics of the domain’s terminology complicates the task of relevant publications retrieval. In the current research, we investigate influence of terms’ variability and ambiguity on a paper’s likelihood of being retrieved. We obtained statistics that demonstrate significance of the issue and its challenges, followed by presenting the sci.AI platform, which allows precise terms labeling as a resolution.
Development of MGDA Software for Calculation of Patient Specific Mean Glandular Dose during Mammography
Authors: Nahar Meherun , Sazzad M , Mollah Abdus Sattar , Mohammad Akramuzzaman Mir
Published: January 2018

Abstract not availableBangladesh J. Nuclear Med. 18(2): 156-160, July 2015
Dynamic and Quantitative Assessment of Blood Coagulation Status with an Oscillatory Rheometer
Authors: Kunnakattu Silju-John , Groß Theresia , Knieps Juvano , Kemper Tim , Fennrich Stefan , Rauch Nicole , Wendel Hans , Stoppelkamp Sandra
Published: January 2018

During open heart surgery, the haemostasis status of a patient has to be monitored permanently in order to quickly and reliably detect bleeding or coagulation-based disorders. Currently, no single medical device is available to provide a comprehensive solution for monitoring the coagulation status (coagulation, platelets and fibrinolysis). We intend to approach this problem with a rheological method. Here, we compared the performance of an oscillatory rheometer with a medical reference device, a ball coagulometer. Measuring the extrinsic coagulation (prothrombin time; PT), various heparin concentrations (0.5–2.0 IU/mL) could be differentiated and also discriminated from the intrinsic coagulation (activated partial thromboplastin time; aPTT) providing comparable clotting times between rheometer and ball coagulometer. In addition, the oscillatory rheometer was capable to detect the antagonising of heparin with the equimolar concentration of protamine and also the titration of various protamine concentrations (0.5–3.0 IU/mL) to a fixed heparin concentration (2 IU/mL). The addition of increasing concentrations of heparin to citrated blood prolonged the clotting time (CT), changed the slope calculated by linear regression of the elastic and viscous shear moduli (i.e., information of the coagulation process) and changed the value of the shear moduli at the end of the measurement (300 s). These results indicate that the oscillatory rheometer is capable to dynamically measure the haemostasis status with different activators and various inhibitor concentrations.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Biosensors in 2017
Authors:   Biosensors Editorial Office
Published: January 2018

Peer review is an essential part in the publication process, ensuring that Biosensors maintains high quality standards for its published papers.[...]
Energy Consumption Optimization and User Comfort Management in Residential Buildings Using a Bat Algorithm and Fuzzy Logic
Authors: Fayaz Muhammad , Kim DoHyeun
Published: January 2018

Energy management in residential buildings has grabbed the attention of many scientists for the last few years due to the fact that the residential sector consumes the highest amount of total energy produced by different energy resources. To manage the energy in residential buildings effectively, an efficient energy control system is required, capable of decreasing the total energy consumption without compromising the user-preferred environment inside the building. In the literature, many approaches have been proposed to achieve the goals of minimizing the energy consumption and maximizing the user preferred comfort by keeping different parameters under consideration, but all these methods face some problems in resolving the issue properly. The bat algorithm is one of the most recently introduced optimization approaches that has drawn the attention of researchers to apply it for solving different types of optimization problems. In this paper, the bat algorithm is applied for energy optimization in residential buildings, which is one of the most focused optimization problems in recent years. Three environmental parameters, namely temperature, illumination and air quality are bat algorithm inputs and optimized values of these parameters are the outputs. The error difference between the environmental parameters and optimized parameters are inputs of the fuzzy controllers which give energy as output which in turn change the status of the concerned actuators. It is proven from the experimental results that the proposed approach has been effectively successful in managing the whole energy consumption management system.
Removal of Synthetic Dyes by Dried Biomass of Freshwater Moss Vesicularia Dubyana: A Batch Biosorption Study
Authors: Pipíška Martin , Valica Martin , Partelová Denisa , Horník Miroslav , Lesný Juraj , Hostin Stanislav
Published: January 2018

In this work the biosorption of cationic dyes thioflavin T (TT) and methylene blue (MB) from single and binary solutions on dried biomass of freshwater moss Vesicularia dubyana as a function of contact time, pH, and biomass or sorbate concentration has been investigated. The prediction of maximum sorption capacities using adsorption isotherm models were also realized. Biosorption of TT and MB is a rapid process strongly affected by solution pH. Maximum sorption capacities Qmax calculated from Langmuir isotherm were 119 ± 11 mg/g for TT and 229 ± 9 mg/g for MB. In binary mixture, the presence of MB caused significant decrease of TT sorption, advocating the competitive sorption between TT and MB. Results revealed that V. dubyana biomass exhibited significantly higher affinity to thiazine dye MB in comparison with benzothiazole dye TT from both single and binary solutions. Based on the obtained results, the competitive effects in binary system can substantially influence the sorption process and should be thoroughly evaluated before application of selected adsorbents for removal of basic dyes from colored effluents.
Earthquake Magnitude and Shaking Intensity Dependent Fragility Functions for Rapid Risk Assessment of Buildings
Authors: Nollet Marie-José , Abo El Ezz Ahmad , Surprenant Oliver , Smirnoff Alex , Nastev Miroslav
Published: January 2018

An integrated web application, referred to as ER2 for rapid risk evaluator, is under development for a user-friendly seismic risk assessment by the non-expert public safety community. The assessment of likely negative consequences is based on pre-populated databases of seismic, building inventory and vulnerability parameters. To further accelerate the computation for near real-time analyses, implicit building fragility curves were developed as functions of the magnitude and the intensity of the seismic shaking defined with a single intensity measure, input spectral acceleration at 1.0 s implicitly considering the epicentral distance and local soil conditions. Damage probabilities were compared with those obtained with the standard fragility functions explicitly considering epicentral distances and local site classes in addition to the earthquake magnitudes and respective intensity of the seismic shaking. Different seismic scenarios were considered first for 53 building classes common in Eastern Canada, and then a reduced number of 24 combined building classes was proposed. Comparison of results indicate that the damage predictions with implicit fragility functions for short (M ≤ 5.5) and medium strong motion duration (5.5 < M ≤ 7.5) show low variation with distance and soil class, with average error of less than 3.6%.
Impact of Age and Hearing Impairment on Work Performance during Long Working Hours
Authors: Wagner-Hartl Verena , Grossi Nina , Kallus K.
Published: January 2018

Based on demographic prognoses, it must be assumed that a greater number of older workers will be found in the future labor market. How to deal with their possible age-related impairments of sensory functions, like hearing impairment and work performance during extended working time, has not been addressed explicitly until now. The study addresses this interplay. The study was performed on two consecutive days after normal working hours. The 55 participants had to “work” in the study at least three additional hours to simulate a situation of long working hours. The tested measures for (job) performance were: general attention, long-term selective attention, concentration, and reaction time. All of the investigated variables were taken at both days of the study (2 × 2 × 2 repeated measurement design). The results show effects for age, the interaction of hearing impairment and time of measurement, and effects of the measurement time. Older participants reacted slower than younger participants did. Furthermore, younger participants reacted more frequently in a correct way. Hearing impairment seems to have a negative impact especially on measures of false reactions, and therefore especially on measurement time 1. The results can be interpreted in a way that hearing-impaired participants are able to compensate their deficits over time.
Spatial and Seasonal Dynamics of Water Environmental Capacity in Mountainous Rivers of the Southeastern Coast, China
Authors: Liu Qiankun , Jiang Jingang , Jing Changwei , Qi Jiaguo
Published: January 2018

The south-east littoral is one of the most populous and developed regions in China suffering from serious water pollution problems, and the Xian-Jiang Basin in the mid of this region is among the most polluted watersheds. Critical information is needed but lacking for improved pollution control and water quality assessment, among which water environmental capacity (WEC) is the most important variable but is difficult to calculate. In this study, a one-dimensional water quality model combined with a matrix calculation algorithm was first developed and calibrated with in-situ observations in the Xian-Jiang basin. Then, the model was applied to analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of WEC of the entire basin. The results indicated that, in 2015, the total pollutant discharges into the river reached 6719.68 t/yr, 488.12 t/yr, and 128.57 t/yr for COD, NH3-N and TP, respectively. The spatial pattern suggested a strong correlation between these water contaminants and industrial enterprises, residential areas, and land-use types in the basin. Furthermore, it was noticed that there was a significant seasonal pattern in WEC that the dry season pollution is much greater than that in the plum season, while that in the typhoon season appears to be the weakest among all seasons. The WEC differed significantly among the 24 sub-basins during the dry season but varied to a smaller extent in other seasons, suggesting differential complex spatial-temporal dependency of the WEC.
A Qualitative Study of HR/OHS Stress Interventions in Australian Universities
Authors: Pignata Silvia , Winefield Anthony , Boyd Carolyn , Provis Chris
Published: January 2018

To enhance the understanding of psychosocial factors and extend research on work stress interventions, we investigated the key human resource (HR)/occupational health and safety (OHS) stress interventions implemented at five Australian universities over a three-year period. Five senior HR Directors completed an online survey to identify the intervention strategies taken at their university in order to reduce stress and enhance employee well-being and morale. We also explored the types of individual-, organization-, and individual/organization-directed interventions that were implemented, and the strategies that were prioritized at each university. Across universities, the dominant interventions were strategies that aimed to balance the social exchange in the work contract between employee-organization with an emphasis on initiatives to: enhance training, career development and promotional opportunities; improve remuneration and recognition practices; and to enhance the fairness of organizational policies and procedures. Strategies to improve work-life balance were also prominent. The interventions implemented were predominantly proactive (primary) strategies focused at the organizational level and aimed at eliminating or reducing or altering work stressors. The findings contribute to the improved management of people at work by identifying university-specific HR/OHS initiatives, specifically leadership development and management skills programs which were identified as priorities at three universities.
Mangiferin Accelerates Glycolysis and Enhances Mitochondrial Bioenergetics
Authors: Liu Zhongbo , Apontes Pasha , Fomenko Ekaterina , Chi Nan , Schuster Victor , Kurland Irwin , Pessin Jeffrey , Chi Yuling
Published: January 2018

One of the main causes of hyperglycemia is inefficient or impaired glucose utilization by skeletal muscle, which can be exacerbated by chronic high caloric intake. Previously, we identified a natural compound, mangiferin (MGF) that improved glucose utilization in high fat diet (HFD)-induced insulin resistant mice. To further identify the molecular mechanisms of MGF action on glucose metabolism, we conducted targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics studies of glycolyic and mitochondrial bioenergetics pathways in skeletal muscle. These data revealed that MGF increased glycolytic metabolites that were further augmented as glycolysis proceeded from the early to the late steps. Consistent with an MGF-stimulation of glycolytic flux there was a concomitant increase in the expression of enzymes catalyzing glycolysis. MGF also increased important metabolites in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, such as α-ketoglutarate and fumarate. Interestingly however, there was a reduction in succinate, a metabolite that also feeds into the electron transport chain to produce energy. MGF increased succinate clearance by enhancing the expression and activity of succinate dehydrogenase, leading to increased ATP production. At the transcriptional level, MGF induced mRNAs of mitochondrial genes and their transcriptional factors. Together, these data suggest that MGF upregulates mitochondrial oxidative capacity that likely drives the acceleration of glycolysis flux.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of JCM in 2017
Authors:   JCM Editorial Office
Published: January 2018

Peer review is an essential part in the publication process, ensuring that JCM maintains high quality standards for its published papers. In 2017, a total of 116 papers were published in the journal.[...]
On the Tautomerism of N-Substituted Pyrazolones: 1,2-Dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-ones versus 1H-Pyrazol-3-ols
Authors: Arbačiauskienė Eglė , Krikštolaitytė Sonata , Mitrulevičienė Aiva , Bieliauskas Aurimas , Martynaitis Vytas , Bechmann Matthias , Roller Alexander , Šačkus Algirdas , Holzer Wolfgang
Published: January 2018

The tautomerism of 1-phenyl-1,2-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-One was investigated. An X-ray crystal structure analysis exhibits dimers of 1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-3-ol units. Comparison of NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectra in liquid state (1H, 13C, 15N) with those of “fixed” derivatives, as well as with the corresponding solid state NMR spectra reveal this compound to exist predominantly as 1H-pyrazol-3-ol molecule pairs in nonpolar solvents like CDCl3 or C6D6, whereas in DMSO-d6 the corresponding monomers are at hand. Moreover, the NMR data of different related 1H-pyrazol-3-ol derivatives are presented.
Prognostic Significance of Activated Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule (ALCAM) in Association with Promoter Methylation of the ALCAM Gene in Breast Cancer
Authors: Jeong Young , Oh Hoon , Park Sung , Bong Jin
Published: January 2018

Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) has been implicated in tumorigenesis. In this study, we studied DNA methylation status of the ALCAM gene using pyrosequencing in breast cancer tissues. We analyzed the association between the methylation status of the ALCAM gene and its expression. Also, the effects of inflammation on the ALCAM gene methylation and its expression were investigated. The ALCAM gene methylation was associated with the ALCAM transcripts in tumor tissues. The methylation status of the ALCAM gene was not significantly different between tumor and normal tissues. The level of ALCAM transcripts was associated with the expression of TNFα, NF-κB p50, IL-4, and intratumoral inflammation. The IHC expression of ALCAM was associated with histologic grade, HER2 overexpression and molecular subtype. The expression of TNFα, NF-κB p50, and IL-4 showed significant association with the clinicopathologic characteristics. In conclusion, the ALCAM gene methylation was related to the level of ALCAM transcripts. Also, the level of ALCAM transcripts was associated with the inflammatory markers in breast cancer. Our results suggest that the methylation of the ALCAM gene contributes to the decreased expression of ALCAM. Also, ALCAM is linked to the inflammatory response in breast cancer.
Higher Protein Intake Is Not Associated with Decreased Kidney Function in Pre-Diabetic Older Adults Following a One-Year Intervention—A Preview Sub-Study
Authors: Møller Grith , Rikardt Andersen Jens , Ritz Christian , P. Silvestre Marta , Navas-Carretero Santiago , Jalo Elli , Christensen Pia , Simpson Elizabeth , Taylor Moira , Martinez J. , Macdonald Ian , Swindell Nils , Mackintosh Kelly , Stratton Gareth , Fogelholm Mikael , Larsen Thomas , Poppitt Sally , Dragsted Lars , Raben Anne
Published: January 2018

Concerns about detrimental renal effects of a high-protein intake have been raised due to an induced glomerular hyperfiltration, since this may accelerate the progression of kidney disease. The aim of this sub-study was to assess the effect of a higher intake of protein on kidney function in pre-diabetic men and women, aged 55 years and older. Analyses were based on baseline and one-year data in a sub-group of 310 participants included in the PREVIEW project (PREVention of diabetes through lifestyle Intervention and population studies in Europe and around the World). Protein intake was estimated from four-day dietary records and 24-hour urinary urea excretion. We used linear regression to assess the association between protein intake after one year of intervention and kidney function markers: creatinine clearance, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR), urinary urea/creatinine ratio (UCR), serum creatinine, and serum urea before and after adjustments for potential confounders. A higher protein intake was associated with a significant increase in UCR (p = 0.03) and serum urea (p = 0.05) after one year. There were no associations between increased protein intake and creatinine clearance, eGFR, ACR, or serum creatinine. We found no indication of impaired kidney function after one year with a higher protein intake in pre-diabetic older adults.
Investigation on Reference Frames and Time Systems in Multi-GNSS
Authors: Nicolini Luca , Caporali Alessandro
Published: January 2018

Receivers able to track satellites belonging to different GNSSs (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) are available on the market. To compute coordinates and velocities it is necessary to identify all the elements that contribute to interoperability of the different GNSSs. For example the timescales kept by different GNSSs have to be aligned. Receiver-specific biases, or firmware-dependent biases, need to be calibrated. The reference frame used in the representation of the orbits must be unique. In this paper we address the interoperability issues from the standpoint of a Single Point Positioning (SPP) user, i.e., using pseudoranges and broadcast ephemeris. The biases between GNSSs timescales and receiver-dependent biases are analyzed for a set of 31 MGEX (Multi-GNSS Experiment) stations over a time span of more than three years. Time series of biases between timescales of GPS (Global Positioning System), GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System), SBAS (Satellite Based Augmentation System) and NAVIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) are investigated, in addition to the identification of events like discontinuity of receiver-dependent biases due to firmware updating. The GPS broadcast reference frame is shown to be aligned to the one (IGS14) realized by the precise ephemeris of CODE (Center for Orbit Determination in Europe) to within 0.1 m and 2 milliarcsec, with values dependent on whether IIR-A, IIR-B/M or IIF satellite blocks are considered. Larger offsets are observed for GLONASS, up to 1 m for GLONASS K satellites. For Galileo the alignment of the broadcast orbit to IGS14/CODE is again at the 0.1 m and several milliarcsec level, with the FOC (Full Operational Capability) satellites slightly better than IOV (In Orbit Validation). For BeiDou an alignment of the broadcast frame to IGS14/CODE comparable to GLONASS is observed, regardless of whether IGSO (Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit) or MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) satellites are considered. For all satellites, position differences according to the broadcast ephemeris relative to IGS14/CODE orbits are projected to the radial, along-track and crosstrack triad, with the largest periodic differences affecting mostly the along track component. Sudden discontinuities at the level of up to 1 m and 2–3 ns are observed for the along-track component and the satellite clock, respectively. The time scales of GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, SBAS and NAVIC are very closely aligned to GPS, with constant offsets depending on receiver type. The offset of the BeiDou time scale to GPS has an oscillatory pattern with peak-to-peak values up to 100 ns. To characterize receiver-dependent biases the average of six Septentrio receivers is taken as reference, and relative offsets of the other receiver types are investigated. These receiver-dependent biases may depend on the individual station, or for the same station on the update of the firmware. A detailed calibration history is presented for each multiGNSS station studied.
Recognition of Activities of Daily Living Based on Environmental Analyses Using Audio Fingerprinting Techniques: A Systematic Review
Authors: Pires Ivan , Santos Rui , Pombo Nuno , Garcia Nuno , Flórez-Revuelta Francisco , Spinsante Susanna , Goleva Rossitza , Zdravevski Eftim
Published: January 2018

An increase in the accuracy of identification of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) is very important for different goals of Enhanced Living Environments and for Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) tasks. This increase may be achieved through identification of the surrounding environment. Although this is usually used to identify the location, ADL recognition can be improved with the identification of the sound in that particular environment. This paper reviews audio fingerprinting techniques that can be used with the acoustic data acquired from mobile devices. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in order to identify relevant English language works aimed at the identification of the environment of ADLs using data acquired with mobile devices, published between 2002 and 2017. In total, 40 studies were analyzed and selected from 115 citations. The results highlight several audio fingerprinting techniques, including Modified discrete cosine transform (MDCT), Mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients (MFCC), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Gaussian mixture models (GMM), likelihood estimation, logarithmic moduled complex lapped transform (LMCLT), support vector machine (SVM), constant Q transform (CQT), symmetric pairwise boosting (SPB), Philips robust hash (PRH), linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and discrete cosine transform (DCT).
Drying-Wetting Cycles: Effect on Deep Soil Carbon
Authors: Qi Ji , Markewitz Daniel , Foroughi Maryam , Jokela Eric , Strahm Brian , Vogel Jason
Published: January 2018

In the Southeast United States (U.S.), the climate is predicted to be warmer and have more severe drought in the summer. Decreasing rainfall in summer months should create more severe soil drying, which will eventually affect re-wetting cycles deeper in the soil profile. Changing drying-wetting cycles in this deeper portion of the profile may impact the soil C pool, the largest pool of terrestrial C globally. The aim of this research is to study the effect of drying-wetting cycles on deep soil C. A soil incubation experiment was established using four soils that are part of a simulated drought experiment in Oklahoma, Virginia, Georgia, and Florida. Soils were incubated from as many as eight layers up to a depth of 3.0 m. During incubations, soil respiration was generally greatest in surface soils and declined with depth. When compared to soils that were kept constantly moist, drying-wetting cycles did not consistently stimulate more soil respiration. Soil respiration as a proportion of total soil C, however, was higher in soils below 1 m than above. Total C (R2 = 0.82) and hydrolysable C (R2 = 0.77) were the best predictors for soil respiration. Assuming that there was no other factor (i.e., new carbon inputs) affecting soil respiration at depth other than soil moisture cycles, this study indicates that there would be no significant change to soil respiration in deep soils under more severe drying-wetting cycles.
Identifying Sustainable Wood Sources for the Construction Industry: A Case Study
Authors: Li Shenghan , Wu Huanyu , Ding Zhikun
Published: January 2018

Wood is generally considered as a sustainable construction material. However, there are not sufficient wood resources in many countries or regions, especially those short of land resources. These countries and regions have to import wood from overseas. Therefore, it is imperative to determine how to choose sustainable importing sources in order to improve the sustainability performance of using wood in construction. This study compares the sustainability performance of wood imported from different regions by considering wood harvesting, manufacture, and transportation. A framework accounting energy consumption and CO2 emissions is developed for sustainability assessment. The results show that importing wood from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to Taiwan demands a relatively lower amount of energy than from other regions. Specifically, importing wood from Canada (West) demands the lowest amount of energy (2095 MJ/m3), while importing wood form Brazil consumes the highest amount of energy (5356 MJ/m3). In addition, findings showed that the CO2 emissions generated from importing wood from Sweden are significant lower than those from other regions, although the energy consumed during the importing process is relatively high. The study also revealed that the wood manufacturing process and marine transportation contribute to the most energy consumption and CO2 emissions among all importing processes analysed from most of studied regions.
Lake Area Analysis Using Exponential Smoothing Model and Long Time-Series Landsat Images in Wuhan, China
Authors: Duan Gonghao , Niu Ruiqing
Published: January 2018

The loss of lake area significantly influences the climate change in a region, and this loss represents a serious and unavoidable challenge to maintaining ecological sustainability under the circumstances of lakes that are being filled. Therefore, mapping and forecasting changes in the lake is critical for protecting the environment and mitigating ecological problems in the urban district. We created an accessible map displaying area changes for 82 lakes in the Wuhan city using remote sensing data in conjunction with visual interpretation by combining field data with Landsat 2/5/7/8 Thematic Mapper (TM) time-series images for the period 1987–2013. In addition, we applied a quadratic exponential smoothing model to forecast lake area changes in Wuhan city. The map provides, for the first time, estimates of lake development in Wuhan using data required for local-scale studies. The model predicted a lake area reduction of 18.494 km2 in 2015. The average error reached 0.23 with a correlation coefficient of 0.98, indicating that the model is reliable. The paper provided a numerical analysis and forecasting method to provide a better understanding of lake area changes. The modeling and mapping results can help assess aquatic habitat suitability and property planning for Wuhan lakes.
Mixing Matrix Estimation of Underdetermined Blind Source Separation Based on Data Field and Improved FCM Clustering
Authors: Guo Qiang , Li Chen , Ruan Guoqing
Published: January 2018

In modern electronic warfare, multiple input multiple output (MIMO) radar has become an important tool for electronic reconnaissance and intelligence transmission because of its anti-stealth, high resolution, low intercept and anti-destruction characteristics. As a common MIMO radar signal, discrete frequency coding waveform (DFCW) has a serious overlap of both time and frequency, so it cannot be directly used in the current radar signal separation problems. The existing fuzzy clustering algorithms have problems in initial value selection, low convergence rate and local extreme values which will lead to the low accuracy of the mixing matrix estimation. Consequently, a novel mixing matrix estimation algorithm based on data field and improved fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering is proposed. First of all, the sparsity and linear clustering characteristics of the time–frequency domain MIMO radar signals are enhanced by using the single-source principal value of complex angular detection. Secondly, the data field uses the potential energy information to analyze the particle distribution, thus design a new clustering number selection scheme. Then the particle swarm optimization algorithm is introduced to improve the iterative clustering process of FCM, and finally get the estimated value of the mixing matrix. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm improves both the estimation accuracy and the robustness of the mixing matrix.
Gravitational Waves, μ Term and Leptogenesis from B − L Higgs Inflation in Supergravity
Authors: Pallis Constantinos
Published: January 2018

We consider a renormalizable extension of the minimal supersymmetric standard model endowed by an R and a gauged B − L symmetry. The model incorporates chaotic inflation driven by a quartic potential, associated with the Higgs field which leads to a spontaneous breaking of U(1) B − L , and yields possibly detectable gravitational waves. We employ quadratic Kähler potential with a prominent shift-symmetric part proportional to c − and a tiny violation, proportional to c + , included in a logarithm with prefactor − N < 0 . An explanation of the μ term of the MSSM is also provided, consistently with the low energy phenomenology, under the condition that one related parameter in the superpotential is somewhat small. Baryogenesis occurs via non-thermal leptogenesis which is realized by the inflaton’s decay to the lightest or next-to-lightest right-handed neutrino with masses lower than 1.8 × 10 13 GeV. Our scenario can be confronted with the current data on the inflationary observables, the baryon asymmetry of the universe, the gravitino limit on the reheating temperature and the data on the neutrino oscillation parameters, for 0.012 ≲ c + / c − ≲ 1/N and gravitino as light as 1 TeV.
Feasibility of Assessing Patient Health Benefits and Incurred Costs Resulting from Early Dysphagia Intervention during and Immediately after Chemoradiotherapy for Head-and-Neck Cancer
Authors: Martino R. , Ringash J. , Durkin L. , Greco E. , Huang S. Hui , Xu W. , Longo C. J.
Published: January 2018

Background: Resource limitations affect the intensity of speech–language pathology (SLP) dysphagia interventions for patients with head-and-neck cancer (HNC). The objective of the present study was to assess the feasibility of a prospective clinical trial that would evaluate the effects on health and patient costs of early SLP dysphagia intervention for HNC patients planned for curative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Methods: Patients with HNC planned for curative CCRT were consecutively recruited and received dysphagia-specific intervention before, during, and for 3 months after treatment. Swallowing function, body mass index, health-related quality of life (QOL), and out-of-pocket costs were measured before CCRT, at weeks 2 and 5 during CCRT, and at 1 and 3 months after CCRT. Actuarial percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) removal rates and body mass index in the study patients and in a time-, age-, and disease-matched cohort were compared. Results: The study enrolled 21 patients (mean age: 54 years; 19 men). The study was feasible, having a 95% accrual rate, 10% attrition, and near completion of all outcomes. Compared with the control cohort, patients receiving dysphagia intervention trended toward a higher rate of PEG removal at 3 months after CCRT [61% (32%–78%) vs. 53% (23%–71%), p = 0.23]. During CCRT, monthly pharmaceutical costs ranged between $239 and $348, with work loss in the range of 18–30 days for patients and 8–12 days for caregivers. Conclusions: We demonstrated the feasibility of comparing health and economic outcomes in patients receiving and not receiving early SLP dysphagia intervention. These preliminary findings suggest that early SLP dysphagia intervention for HNC patients might reduce PEG dependency despite worsening health. Findings also highlight effects on financial security for these patients and their caregivers.
Survivorship Care Plans for Breast Cancer Patients: Understanding the Quality of the Available Evidence
Authors: D’Souza V. , Daudt H. , Kazanjian A.
Published: January 2018

Aim: The overall goal of the present study was to contribute to consistency in the provincial approach to survivorship care planning through knowledge synthesis and exchange. Our review focused on the research concerning the physical and emotional challenges of breast cancer (BCa) patients and survivors and the effects of the interventions that have been used for lessening those challenges. Methods: The psychosocial topics identified in BCa survivorship care plans created by two different initiatives in our province provided the platform for our search criteria: quality of life (QOL), sexual function, fatigue, and lifestyle behaviours. We conducted an umbrella review to retrieve the best possible evidence, and only reviews investigating the intended outcomes in BCa survivors and having moderate-to-high methodologic quality scores were included. Results: Of 486 reports retrieved, 51 reviews met the inclusion criteria and form part of the synthesis. Our results indicate that BCa patients and survivors experience numerous physical and emotional challenges and that interventions such as physical activity, psychoeducation, yoga, and mindfulness-based stress reduction are beneficial in alleviating those challenges. Conclusions: Our study findings support the existing survivorship care plans in our province with respect to the physical and emotional challenges that BCa survivors often face. However, the literature concerning cancer risks specific to BCa survivors is scant. Although systematic reviews are considered to be the “gold standard” in knowledge synthesis, our findings suggest that much remains to be done in the area of synthesis research to better guide practice in cancer survivorship.
Identifying Barriers to Accrual in Radiation Oncology Randomized Trials
Authors: Laba J. M. , Senan S. , Schellenberg D. , Harrow S. , Mulroy L. , Senthi S. , Swaminath A. , Kopek N. , Pantarotto J.R. , Pan L. , Pearce A. , Warner A. , Louie A.V. , Palma David A.
Published: January 2018

Background: Data about factors driving accrual to radiation oncology trials are limited. In oncology, 30%–40% of trials are considered unsuccessful, many because of poor accrual. The goal of the present study was to inform the design of future trials by evaluating the effects of institutional, clinician, and patient factors on accrual rates to a randomized radiation oncology trial. Methods: Investigators participating in sabr-comet (NCT01446744), a randomized phase ii trial open in Canada, Europe, and Australia that is evaluating the role of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (sabr) in oligometastatic disease, were invited to complete a survey about factors affecting accrual. Institutional ethics approval was obtained. The primary endpoint was the annual accrual rate per institution. Univariable and multivariable linear regression analyses were used to identify factors predictive of annual accrual rates. Results: On univariable linear regression analysis, off-trial availability of sabr (p = 0.014) and equipoise of the referring physician (p = 0.014) were found to be predictive of annual accrual rates. The annual accrual rates were lower when centres offered sabr for oligometastases off-trial (median: 3.7 patients vs. 8.4 patients enrolled) and when referring physicians felt that, compared with having equipoise, sabr was beneficial (median: 4.8 patients vs. 8.4 patients enrolled). Multivariable analysis identified perceived level of equipoise of the referring physician to be predictive of the annual accrual rate (p = 0.023). Conclusions: The level of equipoise of referring physicians might play a key role in accrual to radiation oncology randomized controlled trials. Efforts to communicate with and educate referring physicians might therefore be beneficial for improving trial accrual rates.