bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chikungunya virus infections among travellers returning to Spain, 2008 to 2014
Authors: Fernandez-Garcia Maria Dolores , Bangert Mathieu , de Ory Fernando , Potente Arantxa , Hernandez Lourdes , Lasala Fatima , Herrero Laura , Molero Francisca , Negredo Anabel , Vázquez Ana , Minguito Teodora , Balfagón Pilar , de la Fuente Jesus , Puente Sabino , Ramírez de Arellano Eva , Lago Mar , Martinez Miguel , Gascón Joaquim , Norman Francesca , Lopez-Velez Rogelio , Sulleiro Elena , Pou Diana , Serre Nuria , Roblas Ricardo Fernández , Tenorio Antonio , Franco Leticia , Sanchez-Seco Maria Paz
Published: September 2016

Since the first documented autochthonous transmission of chikungunya virus in the Caribbean island of Saint Martin in 2013, the infection has been reported within the Caribbean region as well as North, Central and South America. The risk of autochthonous transmission of chikungunya virus becoming established in Spain may be elevated due to the large numbers of travellers returning to Spain from countries affected by the 2013 epidemic in the Caribbean and South America, as well as the existence of the Aedes albopictus vector in certain parts of Spain. We retrospectively analysed the laboratory diagnostic database of the National Centre for Microbiology, Institute of Health Carlos III (CNM-ISCIII) from 2008 to 2014. During the study period, 264 confirmed cases, of 1,371 suspected cases, were diagnosed at the CNM-ISCIII. In 2014 alone, there were 234 confirmed cases. The highest number of confirmed cases were reported from the Dominican Republic (n = 136), Venezuela (n = 30) and Haiti (n = 11). Six cases were viraemic in areas of Spain where the vector is present. This report highlights the need for integrated active case and vector surveillance in Spain and other parts of Europe where chikungunya virus may be introduced by returning travellers.
Interactive Map to Illustrate Seat Distributions of Political Party Support Levels: A Web GIS Application
Authors: Chen Yifei , Perrella Andrea M. L.
Published: September 2016

Canada's new electoral order of 338 districts, updated in October 2013, was in effect for the October 2015 federal election. A Web GIS application was developed using the new electoral map to display seat projections generated by the Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy (LISPOP). Seat projections convert, or “project,” public opinion support for the major political parties into a distribution of electoral seats for each party, based on a detailed analysis of an aggregation of polls. The map was published through ArcGIS Server, and coding language HTML and JavaScript implemented the required functions. Two key interactive features of the map include: (1) pop-up windows that provide the 2011 election result and LISPOP's current seat projection when hovering over a constituency; and (2) a drop-down menu that direct users to a desired region. The use of ArcGIS software enables fast and effective updates before and during the election.
Unifying Prospects: Tinting Geological Maps in Nineteenth-Century Britain
Authors: Ksiazkiewicz Allison
Published: September 2016

Geologically interested savants of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries described three-dimensional spatial relationships through the visual language of maps and sections of the Earth. At this time, there was a debate whether colour or line should feature in mapping our strata. Colour was an identifying characteristic of Wernerian mineralogy, but the exact manner in which colour should be employed in representing a mineralogical landscape remained controversial. According to the engineer and geologist William Smith (1769–1839), words or symbols, engraved on a map, marred a visual simplicity that accommodated an immediate understanding of the area represented. Colour enabled a quick and rational study of the countryside so that the savant instantly visualized the logic of the landscape. André-Jean-Marie Brochant de Villiers (1792–1857), professor of geology and mineralogy at École des Mines, argued differently. In a letter to Thomas Webster (1773–1844), he remarked on the difficulty of correlating colours in the key with those of strata when studying Greenough's Map of England and Wales (1819). By examining techniques of representation and the use of colour, this paper discusses the importance of aesthetics in the depiction of geological landscape.
Social Networks as Predictors of the Harm Suffered by Victims of a Large-Scale Ponzi Scheme
Authors: Nash Rebecca , Bouchard Martin , Malm Aili
Published: September 2016

Ponzi schemes are a type of social network where investors are recruited by a variety of social actors. This study uses network analysis to investigate whether the type of social tie that influenced victims of the Eron Ponzi scheme to invest is associated with the different harms victims experienced from their involvement in the fraud. The results reveal that trust in social ties is associated with increases in many of the types of harm reported by victims. The findings also reveal that victims who were influenced to invest by multiple types of social ties generally reported lower levels of harm.
Impact of Number of Fibromyalgia Tender Points on Disease Activity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients
Authors: Chowdhury Salauddin Mamun , Chowdhury Mohiuddin Humayun Kabir , Hossain Syed Zakir , Rana Masud , Hossain Mohammad Zaid , Yesmin Sabrina
Published: September 2016

Background: Fibromyalgia tender points (FMTP) have consistently reported higher number count in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients compared with the general population.Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the association and impact of fibromyalgia tender points on disease activity in SLE patients.Methods: Sixty seven female SLE patients and equal number of asymptomatic, age and sex matched control subjects were enrolled in this observational study. The study was performed between April 2005 and October 2006. After fulfilling the certain inclusion criteria, obtained data were recorded in a structured questionnaire. 18 FMTP sites and 6 control sites were examined by standardized manual tender point survey system. Systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) was used covering all 9 organs and 24 descriptors with pre assigned severity weights. The scores ranged from 0 ( no disease activity) to 105 ( maximum disease activity). Both the SLE cases and the control group were classified into two subgroups namely 0-10 FMTP having 10 or less FMTP and >11 FMTP bearing 11or more tender points.Results: The age (mean ± SD) of the SLE patients and controls were 26.82 ± 8.02 and 29.67± 10.80 years respectively. No significant difference in age (p = 0.091) and in family income (p = 0.065) was observed but significant difference was observed in level of education ( p = 0.009) and in occupation ( p = 0.004) . At enrolment, the number of FMTP (mean ± SD) in SLE patients and control groups were 8.80±6.40 and 3.63±4.90 respectively. The difference was significant (p<0.001). The SLEDAI score (mean ± SD) in SLE patients was 11.75±9.85. Further, the SLEDAI score of 0-10 FMTP and >11FMTP subgroups of SLE were 8.49±7.34 and 17.58±11.17 respectively. The difference was again significant (p<0.001). Hence the disease activity was positively correlated (r=+0.439, p<0.001) with FMTPs in SLE patients. Meanwhile, no significant correlation was observed between disease duration (r= +0.085, p = 0.495) and SLEDAI and similarly no significant correlation was also observed in disease duration with FMTP; 0-10 and >11FMTP groups of SLE (p = 0.605)Conclusions: SLE patients with higher number of FMTPs are significantly associated with increased scores of SLEDAI. Hence, it can be said that there is a linear correlation between the number of FMTPs and the disease activity in SLE patients. Interestingly, no significant correlation was observed between disease duration and SLEDAI as well as between disease duration and FMTP.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 24, No.2, October, 2015, Page 99-107
Study on Plasma D-Dimer for Early Diagnosis of Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Sarkar Paritosh Kumar , Baqui Murshed , Chowdhury Mohammad Shah Jahirul Hoque , Saha Konol , Alamgir Md Abdullah , Iqbal Roushan , Ghose Swapon Kumar , Habib Mansur , Hoque Md Azharul , Mondal Badrul Alam , Quraishi Firoz Ahmed , Mohammad Quazi Deen
Published: September 2016

Background: Plasma D-Dimer is a biomarker of thrombo-embolism and a sensitive indicator of subclinical coagulopathy. Its level begins to rise within the first 6 hours of onset of symptoms of acute ischemic stroke. The availability of a rapid diagnostic test like plasma D-Dimer in acute ischemic stroke would be a substantial adjunct to CT and MRI. The test for plasma D-Dimer is quick and easy to perform based on principle of latex agglutination. This study is taken to estimate Plasma D-Dimer level in ischemic stroke patients and to see its role in early diagnosis, and also to differentiate different types of acute ischemic stroke in Bangladeshi population.Methods: This case control study was conducted in Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) from July 2010 to June 2012. Plasma D-Dimer was estimated by latex agglutination method in DMCH laboratory. Fifty stroke patients (age, 58.36±14.8 years; sex-M/F: 34/16) and 50 age matched control (58.80±15.01 years; sex-M/F: 36/14) were enrolled. In ischemic stroke group all patients were presented from 4 hours to 3 days. CT scan of brain revealed both cortical and subcortical lesion (56%), subcortical lesion (34%) and cortical lesion (10%). The CT volume of the involved brain lesion was 19.95±4.92 cm3. The value of plasma D-Dimer were evaluated in both control and ischemic stroke patients, correlated with CT size of infract and different types of acute ischemic strokes.Results: Qualitative analysis of plasma D-Dimer reveals 76% positive and 24% negative in the ischemic stroke group. On the other hand, plasma D-Dimer value was only 6% positive and 94% negative in the control group. Qualitative analysis of plasma D-Dimer differs significantly (c2=50.64; p=0.001) between the two groups. The analysis also reveals 76% sensitivity and 94% specificity of the Plasma D-Dimer test. Quantitative measurement of plasma D-Dimer (p=0.001) was 804±120 hg/ml and 126±16 hg/ml in ischemic and control groups respectively. The plasma concentration of D-Dimer between the two groups was statistically highly significant (t=31.21; p=0.001). Mean plasma D-Dimer level was highest in embolic infarct (1700±964 hg/ml) followed by atherothrombotic (536±234 hg/ml) and lowest in lacunar (100±00 hg/ml) subtype.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 24, No.2, October, 2015, Page 117-125
A 2-Year Follow-Up Study of Patients On Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) In Specialized Hospitals In Dhaka, Bangladesh
Authors: Arefin Mohammad Shakib Uz Zaman , Islam Md Nazrul , Ahmed Parvez Iftekhar , Rashid Harun Ar
Published: September 2016

Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) is an established form of dialysis in Bangladesh now-a-days. It was a retrospective analysis, where we studied on 107 cases of CAPD patients in different specialized hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The aim of this study was to describe experience of CAPD in our setup and its impact on survival.Male and female ratio was 54:53.Mean age was 60±11.2years. Main causes of ESRD were diabetic nephropathy (58.9%).53.3% of patient prefered CAPD as a mode of renal replacement therapy to other modalities.32.7% patient suffered from peritonitis. Exit site infection occurred in 9.3%. Among non- infectious complications pain during dialysis(30.8%) was most common. Mean Blood urea was 19.15mg/dl; serum creatinine 633micromol/L.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 24, No.2, October, 2015, Page 132-135
Outcomes of Early Endoscopic Realignment of Post-Traumatic Complete Posterior Urethral Rupture
Authors: Rahman Md Mizanur , Chowdhury Md Shafiqul Alam , Rahman Md Mostafizur , Miah Md Johirul Islam , Ghosh Kartik Chandra , Islam Md Nazmul , Rahman Md Mostafizur , Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed , Karmaker Uttam , Khan Md Shamim Hossain
Published: September 2016

Objective: To report the experience with patients treated by early endoscopic realignment of complete post-traumatic rupture urethra.Methods: The cross sectional study included 30 patients in Dhaka Medical College Hospital and different private hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh, between April 2010 and March 2014 with post traumatic complete posterior urethral disruption. Pre-operative retrograde urethrography (RGU), micturition cysto urethrography (MCU) and ultrasonography (USG) of abdomen were performed to identify and to evaluate the Urethral defect length, the bladder neck competence, the prostate position and extend of pelvic hematoma. In second week after trauma, antegrade and retro-grade urethroscopy were performed to identify both urethral ends and insert a catheter. Before removal of catheter, Patients were followed up by pericatheter urethrogram after 4 weeks completed postoperative period. If extravasation seen, catheter was again maintained for another 2 weeks. Follow up was done by abdominal ultrasound and uroflowmetry 3 monthly up to 6 months and 6 monthly thereafter. RGU and MCU were performed 8 weeks after removal of catheter. Urinary continence and post-operative erectile dysfunction were assessed by direct patient interview.Results: 30 patients in the age group 18-60 years (mean 36 years) were treated. Patients were followed up for 12 to 36 months. Complete healing of the urethra occurred in 10 patients. Passable urethral stricture developed in 12 patients. Complete urethral obstruction occurred in 8 patients.Conclusion: Early endoscopic realignment for complete posterior urethral rupture is a feasible technique with no or minimal intra-operative complications. The technique is successful as the definite line of therapy in reasonable number of patients and it is seems to be effective Intervention for the prevention of inevitable urethral stricture formation.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 24, No.2, October, 2015, Page 136-140
Outcome of Standard Induction Therapy with Daunorubicin and Ara-C (3+7) in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Islam Mohammad Manirul , Rahman Md Mizanur , Ferdous Jannatul , Akter Mafruha , Nazneen Humayra , Ali Mohammad , Nazneen Shahela , Ahmed Salsabil Masuma , Khan Mohiuddin Ahmed , Salma Salma , Ara Tasneem , Biswas Akhil Ronjan , Khatun Hazera , Dilshad Dilshad
Published: September 2016

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clonal, malignant disease of hematopoietic tissue.Main variables precluding cure are the treatment-related mortality and relapse rates.The most common induction chemotherapy regimens in AML involve the use of cytarabine (Ara-C) and an anthracycline. It was observational study carried out in the inpatient Department of Hematology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, from July 2009 to June 2014.76 newly diagnosed cases of AML patients between 15 year to 60 yearwere enrolled in this study. All patient received standard induction therapy with Daunorubicin 45mg/m2 I/V for 3 days and Ara-C 100mg/m2 I/V over 24 hours for 7 days. A bone marrow aspirate to assess remission status was carried out at day 28+, after the peripheral recovery.The mean age of the patients were 35.12±12.45 years, ranging from 17 to 55 years. 68% were male and 32% cases were female. Total 34(44.7%) patient achieved complete remission (CR), out of them 17% had t(8:21), 5.8% had inv16 and only 2.9% was FLT3 positive. 26(34%) patient achieved partial remission (PR), 11% had t(8:21) and 3.8% inv16. 13.1% patient failed to achieve any remission (Non responder, NR) and 6 patient (7.8%) died during induction therapy. Age, performance status and cytogenetics had significant influence (P<0.025, P<0.030 and P<0.003 respectively) on the outcome. The presenting peripheral blast percent (%) also had a significant influence (P=0.012) on the outcome after induction therapy.Complete remission rate is significantly lower in our center comparing discussed study. This is probably due to lack of modern hospital facility and socio-economic condition of our patients.Cytogenetic analysis provides the most powerful independent predictor of disease outcome. To improve outcome, all the supportive measures have to be improved and more tools are required in identifying the good prognostic groups.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 24, No.2, October, 2015, Page 141-145
‘A journey without direction’: British Queer Cinema post-Jarman
Authors: Griffiths Robin
Published: September 2016

This article explores the place of contemporary British-based queer film-making in relation to an allegedly post-Thatcher era in which the struggles and oppressions that were so key to the radical currency of earlier iconic queer film-makers seemingly no longer hold the same social and political charge. The defiant eroticism, sexual politics and renewed militancy that was so characteristic of Derek Jarman's work throughout the 1980s and early 1990s in particular emerged as a quintessentially British part of a much broader wave of artistic dissidence. But did Jarman's work, and his position as the self-proclaimed voice of political dissent, play a role in influencing the direction of the British queer cinema that has emerged in the decades after his death in 1994? And just how ‘queer’ are such acclaimed films as Weekend (2011), Lilting (2014) and Pride (2014) when viewed through the analytical prism of a contemporary milieu steeped in the neo-liberal politics of homonormativity?
Romantic Refractions: Light Effects in Ruskin's Poetry
Authors: Garratt Peter
Published: September 2016

The poetry of John Ruskin – which amounts to a surprisingly large body of work, mostly written in the 1830s and 1840s – reveals the stirrings of the moral perceptual attitude that would emerge with such distinctive force in Modern Painters, yet one guided by the influences of Keats, Shelley and Byron as much as the natural theology of Wordsworth (despite Modern Painters taking its epigraph from The Excursion). Although in some respects a poetry of post-Romantic transition, Ruskin's work also demonstrates a consistent interest in light – in ways that affirm its imaginative commerce with second-generation Romanticism – while exploring light's physical properties and dynamic environmental effects. Focusing in particular on his prize-winning poem ‘Salsette and Elephanta’ (1839), I suggest that Ruskin's poems establish possibilities that reach beyond merely received metaphorical meanings (light as redemptive telos and/or abstract condition of the visible) and instead look forward to the overdetermined stylisations typical of his mature prose works.
Byron, Barrett Browning and the Organization of Light
Authors: Barton Anna
Published: September 2016

Feminist readings of Casa Guidi Windows frequently invoke Canto IV of Childe Harold's Pilgrimage as a significant intertext for Barrett Browning, identifying in Barrett's Italy a direct retort to Byron's representation of the Italian nation as a languishing female body, which returns to it the potential agency inherent in the republican body politic. But Barrett's Italy not only challenges Byron's account of Italy as the feminine victim of masculine history, it also negotiates the obliterating glare of Byronic light. Responding to recent interpretations of the poem's windows as apertures that compromise the division between public masculine and private feminine space, this article explores the ways Casa Guidi, both the poem and the home that it describes, represent a liberal architectonics that is as concerned with resisting as it is with celebrating the subliming forces of indifferent nature and international politics. One of the ways in which that resistance is performed is via the poet's negotiation of Italian light, natural, divine and artistic, a negotiation through which Barrett describes a post-Romantic feminine poetics that realigns poetic form and the domestic, and suggests both as spaces through which light may break.
‘The Changed Measures of Light’: Post-Romanticism and Geoffrey Hill's Difficult Revelations
Authors: O'Neill Michael
Published: September 2016

It is this essay's working hypothesis that, for the contemporary poet, Romanticism amounts to more than a set of possibilities from which the poet strolling round the thematic and prosodic shopping mall can select, before nipping off to the Renaissance palazzo or Modernist speakeasy. It is more like an ineluctable predicament, like a genetic make-up, or wave after wave of after-shock. Geoffrey Hill is a poet whose influences and allusions cover a prodigious range of authors and languages, but they operate in the radiant shadow of Romantic poetry and culture. For Hill, a key aspect of the Romantic bequest is the guilt indistinguishable from writing poetry, a guilt paradoxically expiable only in poetry. Hill is post-Romantic in the way in which he positions himself amidst the ruins of tradition, nowhere more so than in his dealings with light, both a property of poems by dead poets and a perpetually tantalising gift to the living.
Joint predictiveness in inflectional paradigms
Authors: Bonami Olivier , Beniamine Sacha
Published: September 2016

This paper contributes to addressing the Paradigm Cell Filling Problem (PCFP) in inflectional paradigms, as defined by Ackerman et al. (2009) . We define a method for extending the use of conditional entropy to address the PCFP to prediction based on multiple paradigm cells. We apply this method to French and European Portugese and show that, on average, knowledge of multiple paradigm cells is dramatically more predictive than knowledge of a single cell. Moreover, this new entropy measure proves useful in studying principal parts systems, which correspond to sets of predictors yielding a null entropy. Using a graded measure allows us to highlight the relevance of non-categorical or “good enough” principal parts systems.
Intersecting formatives and inflectional predictability: How do speakers and learners predict the correct form of Murrinhpatha verbs?
Authors: Mansfield John
Published: September 2016

This article investigates the phenomenon of inflection by intersecting formatives, that is to say, where an exponence is encoded by a combination of independently distributed phonological increments. Formative independence is defined in terms of conditional entropy. The verb inflection system of Murrinhpatha, an Aboriginal language of northern Australia, is analysed as a particularly complex example of intersecting formatives, and in general we can say that inflectional exponence in this language is highly irregular or unpredictable. Recent information-theoretic approaches to morphology provide us with methods for formalising and measuring the unpredictability of Murrinhpatha verb inflection. We add a distinct formalism that models the probability of correct inflectional prediction given incomplete knowledge of the inflectional paradigms in the language. We argue that this is a particularly relevant model for Murrinhpatha speaker/learners, because the language has a small, closed class of finite verb lexemes, most of which have their own idiosyncratic inflectional paradigm. There are not productively applied inflectional classes. In this model of inflectional predictability, intersecting formatives are in some cases the only chance a learner/speaker has of predicting the correct form.
Raman Spectra of ZrS2 and ZrSe2 from Bulk to Atomically Thin Layers
Authors: Mañas-Valero Samuel , García-López Víctor , Cantarero Andrés , Galbiati Marta
Published: September 2016

In the race towards two-dimensional electronic and optoelectronic devices, semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) from group VIB have been intensively studied in recent years due to the indirect to direct band-gap transition from bulk to the monolayer. However, new materials still need to be explored. For example, semiconducting TMDCs from group IVB have been predicted to have larger mobilities than their counterparts from group VIB in the monolayer limit. In this work we report the mechanical exfoliation of ZrX2 (X = S, Se) from bulk down to the monolayer and we study the dimensionality dependence of the Raman spectra in ambient conditions. We observe Raman signal from bulk to few layers and no shift in the peak positions is found when decreasing the dimensionality. While a Raman signal can be observed from bulk to a bilayer for ZrS2, we could only detect signal down to five layers for flakes of ZrSe2. These results show the possibility of obtaining atomically thin layers of ZrX2 by mechanical exfoliation and represent one of the first steps towards the investigation of the properties of these materials, still unexplored in the two-dimensional limit.
Will the Steam Coal Price Rebound under the New Economy Normalcy in China?
Authors: Guo Xiaopeng , Wei Yanan , Yuan Jiahai
Published: September 2016

The steam coal price in China has been continuously decreasing since the second half of 2012. Constant low price of coal will accelerate the development of thermal power, cause more serious air pollution problems, and bring adverse influence to China’s energy reformation in the future. Therefore, analyzing the factors underlying the phenomenon of the decreasing steam coal price is significant. In this study, we first qualitatively analyze five main factors, namely, economy, supply, demand, substitutes, and port stocks. On the basis of the relationships among these five factors, we obtain the causality diagram and the system flow diagram of coal price for further quantitative research. Then, we conduct an empirical analysis using the system dynamics (SD) method and determine the simulated price from 2012 to 2017. Finally, we discuss the running results and come to the conclusion that the steam coal price will continue to decrease under the combined actions of the five main factors and it will not rebound in the near future.
Daylight Management in Mediterranean Cities: When Shortage Is Not the Issue
Authors: Lopez-Besora Judit , Serra-Coch Glòria , Coch Helena , Isalgue Antonio
Published: September 2016

Natural resources such as daylight and sunlight are highly appreciated in countries with prevailing overcast skies. Taking advantage of this scarce resource contributes to saving energy on artificial lighting. In contrast to northern, southern European cities are distinguished by a large number of days with direct sunlight caused by a propitious climate condition. While it is a positive issue in terms of energy availability, the abundance of it can be counterproductive if management measures are not taken. Apart from the thermal consequences, lighting penetration into buildings causes a great contrast between inside and outside. This is especially critical when the visual system does not have enough time to adapt, as happens at entrance areas. The aim of this study is to analyze the light contrast between these areas and the urban outside in sunny conditions. To attain this objective, light data from five entrance spaces and their contiguous streets were analyzed and measured. The results were divided into three zones in the visual scene, showing an increasing contrast from top to bottom of the visual field. It may be concluded that interventions applied to urban areas and building pavements can improve visual adaptation in the transition zone.
Medically Serious and Non-Serious Suicide Attempts in Persons Aged 70 and Above
Authors: Wiktorsson Stefan , Olsson Petter , Waern Margda
Published: September 2016

High rates of suicide are observed among older adults in many countries worldwide. In clinical settings, those who make a medically serious suicide attempt are generally considered to be at higher risk of subsequent suicide than those who make less serious attempts. Medically serious attempts in older clinical cohorts are, however, relatively understudied. The aim was to compare older adult suicide attempters (70+) who did or did not make medically serious attempts. We hypothesized, in line with the Interpersonal Model of suicide, that social problems and feelings of being a burden would be associated with medical seriousness. Participants (n = 101) were recruited in hospitals in the aftermath of a suicide attempt; they took part in an interview with a research psychologist. Attempters with (n = 28) and without (n = 73) medically serious attempts were compared. Major depression was common in both groups, and scores on the Geriatric Depression Scale did not differ. However, older adults who made medically serious attempts scored higher on the Brief Scale of Anxiety and lower on the Mini Mental State Examination than their peers who made less serious attempts. Medically serious attempters more often attributed the attempt to social problems as well as problems with functioning and autonomy, but perceived burdensomeness was not associated with seriousness. Findings may help to inform clinicians who meet and treat older suicidal persons.
Using Fenton Oxidation to Simultaneously Remove Different Estrogens from Cow Manure
Authors: Sun Minxia , Xu Defu , Ji Yuefei , Liu Juan , Ling Wanting , Li Shunyao , Chen Mindong
Published: September 2016

The presence of estrogens in livestock excrement has raised concerns about their potential negative influence on animals and the overall food cycle. This is the first investigation to simultaneously remove estrogens, including estriol (E3), bisphenol A (BPA), diethylstilbestrol (DES), estradiol (E2), and ethinyl estradiol (EE2), from cow manure using a Fenton oxidation technique. Based on the residual concentrations and removal efficiency of estrogens, the Fenton oxidation reaction conditions were optimized as follows: a H2O2 dosage of 2.56 mmol/g, a Fe(II) to H2O2 molar ratio of 0.125 M/M, a solid to water mass ratio of 2 g/mL, an initial pH of 3, and a reaction time of 24 h. Under these conditions, the simultaneous removal efficiencies of E3, BPA, DES, E2, and EE2, with initial concentrations in cow manure of 97.40, 96.54, 100.22, 95.01, and 72.49 mg/kg, were 84.9%, 99.5%, 99.1%, 97.8%, and 84.5%, respectively. We clarified the possible Fenton oxidation reaction mechanisms that governed the degradation of estrogens. We concluded that Fenton oxidation technique could be effective for efficient removal of estrogens in livestock excrement. Results are of great importance for cow manure reuse in agricultural management, and can be used to reduce the threat of environmental estrogens to human health and ecological safety.
Image Reconstruction and Evaluation: Applications on Micro-Surfaces and Lenna Image Representation
Authors: Mayyas Mohammad
Published: September 2016

This article develops algorithms for the characterization and the visualization of micro-scale features using a small number of sample points, with the goal of mitigating the measurement shortcomings, which are often destructive or time consuming. The popular measurement techniques that are used in imaging of micro-surfaces include the 3D stylus or interferometric profilometry and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), where both could represent the micro-surface characteristics in terms of 3D dimensional topology and greyscale image, respectively. Such images could be highly dense; therefore, traditional image processing techniques might be computationally expensive. We implement the algorithms in several case studies to rapidly examine the microscopic features of micro-surface of Microelectromechanical System (MEMS), and then we validate the results using a popular greyscale image; i.e., “Lenna” image. The contributions of this research include: First, development of local and global algorithm based on modified Thin Plate Spline (TPS) model to reconstruct high resolution images of the micro-surface’s topography, and its derivatives using low resolution images. Second, development of a bending energy algorithm from our modified TPS model for filtering out image defects. Finally, development of a computationally efficient technique, referred to as Windowing, which combines TPS and Linear Sequential Estimation (LSE) methods, to enhance the visualization of images. The Windowing technique allows rapid image reconstruction based on the reduction of inverse problem.
PSO-Based Algorithm Applied to Quadcopter Micro Air Vehicle Controller Design
Authors: Tran Huu-Khoa , Chiou Juing-Shian
Published: September 2016

Due to the rapid development of science and technology in recent times, many effective controllers are designed and applied successfully to complicated systems. The significant task of controller design is to determine optimized control gains in a short period of time. With this purpose in mind, a combination of the particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based algorithm and the evolutionary programming (EP) algorithm is introduced in this article. The benefit of this integration algorithm is the creation of new best-parameters for control design schemes. The proposed controller designs are then demonstrated to have the best performance for nonlinear micro air vehicle models.
Pb-Isotopic Study of Galena by LA-Q-ICP-MS: Testing a New Methodology with Applications to Base-Metal Sulphide Deposits
Authors: McFarlane Christopher , Soltani Dehnavi Azam , Lentz David
Published: September 2016

In situ laser ablation quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to measure Pb isotopes in galena. Data acquisition was optimized by adjusting spot size, energy density, and ablation time to obtain near steady-state low relative standard deviation (%RSD) signals. Standard-sample bracketing using in-house Broken Hill galena as external reference standard was used and offline data reduction was carried out using VizualAge for Iolite3. Using this methodology, galena grain in polished thin sections from selected massive sulphide deposits of the Bathurst Mining Camp, Canada, were tested and compared to previously published data. Absolute values and errors on the weighted mean of ~20 individual analyses from each sample compared favourably with whole-rock Pb-Pb isotope data. This approach provides a mean to obtain rapid, accurate, and moderately (0.1% 2σ) precise Pb isotope measurements in galena and is particularly well suited for exploratory or reconnaissance studies. Further refinement of this approach may be useful in exploration for volcanogenic massive sulphides deposits and might be a useful vectoring tool when complemented with other conventional exploration techniques.
ent-Pimarane and ent-Kaurane Diterpenes from Aldama discolor (Asteraceae) and Their Antiprotozoal Activity
Authors: Nogueira Mauro , Da Costa Fernando , Brun Reto , Kaiser Marcel , Schmidt Thomas
Published: September 2016

Aldama discolor (syn.Viguiera discolor) is an endemic Asteraceae from the Brazilian “Cerrado”, which has not previously been investigated for its chemical constituents and biological activity. Diterpenes are common secondary metabolites found in Aldama species, some of which have been reported to present potential antiprotozoal and antimicrobial activities. In this study, the known ent-3-α-hydroxy-kaur-16-en-18-ol (1), as well as three new diterpenes, namely, ent-7-oxo-pimara-8,15-diene-18-ol (2), ent-2S,4S-2-19-epoxy-pimara-8(3),15-diene-7β-ol (3) and ent-7-oxo-pimara-8,15-diene-3β-ol (4), were isolated from the dichloromethane extract of A. discolor leaves and identified by means of MS and NMR. The compounds were assayed in vitro against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, T. cruzi and Leishmania donovani, Plasmodium falciparum and also tested for cytotoxicity against mammalian cells (L6 cell line). The ent-kaurane 1 showed significant in vitro activity against both P. falciparum (IC 50 = 3.5 μ M) and L. donovani (IC 50 = 2.5 μ M) and ent-pimarane 2 against P. falciparum (IC 50 = 3.8 μ M). Both compounds returned high selectivity indices (SI >10) in comparison with L6 cells, which makes them interesting candidates for in vivo tests. In addition to the diterpenes, the sesquiterpene lactone budlein A (5), which has been reported to possess a strong anti-T. b. rhodesiense activity, was identified as major compound in the A. discolor extract and explains its high activity against this parasite (100% growth inhibition at 2 μ g/mL).
Effect of Graphene-Graphene Oxide Modified Anode on the Performance of Microbial Fuel Cell
Authors: Yang Na , Ren Yueping , Li Xiufen , Wang Xinhua
Published: September 2016

The inferior hydrophilicity of graphene is an adverse factor to the performance of the graphene modified anodes (G anodes) in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In this paper, different amounts of hydrophilic graphene oxide (GO) were doped into the modification layers to elevate the hydrophilicity of the G anodes so as to further improve their performance. Increasing the GO doped ratio from 0.15 mg·mg−1 to 0.2 mg·mg−1 and 0.25 mg·mg−1, the static water contact angle (θc) of the G-GO anodes decreased from 74.2 ± 0.52° to 64.6 ± 2.75° and 41.7 ± 3.69°, respectively. The G-GO0.2 anode with GO doped ratio of 0.2 mg·mg−1 exhibited the optimal performance and the maximum power density (Pmax) of the corresponding MFC was 1100.18 mW·m−2, 1.51 times higher than that of the MFC with the G anode.
Scale Effects of the Relationships between Urban Heat Islands and Impact Factors Based on a Geographically-Weighted Regression Model
Authors: Luo Xiaobo , Peng Yidong
Published: September 2016

Urban heat island (UHI) effect, the side effect of rapid urbanization, has become an obstacle to the further healthy development of the city. Understanding its relationships with impact factors is important to provide useful information for climate adaptation urban planning strategies. For this purpose, the geographically-weighted regression (GWR) approach is used to explore the scale effects in a mountainous city, namely the change laws and characteristics of the relationships between land surface temperature and impact factors at different spatial resolutions (30–960 m). The impact factors include the Soil-adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), the Index-based Built-up Index (IBI), and the Soil Brightness Index (NDSI), which indicate the coverage of the vegetation, built-up, and bare land, respectively. For reference, the ordinary least squares (OLS) model, a global regression technique, is also employed by using the same dependent variable and explanatory variables as in the GWR model. Results from the experiment exemplified by Chongqing showed that the GWR approach had a better prediction accuracy and a better ability to describe spatial non-stationarity than the OLS approach judged by the analysis of the local coefficient of determination (R2), Corrected Akaike Information Criterion (AICc), and F-test at small spatial resolution (< 240 m); however, when the spatial scale was increased to 480 m, this advantage has become relatively weak. This indicates that the GWR model becomes increasingly global, revealing the relationships with more generalized geographical patterns, and then spatial non-stationarity in the relationship will tend to be neglected with the increase of spatial resolution.
Real-Time Measurement of Width and Height of Weld Beads in GMAW Processes
Authors: Pinto-Lopera Jesús , S. T. Motta José , Absi Alfaro Sadek
Published: September 2016

Associated to the weld quality, the weld bead geometry is one of the most important parameters in welding processes. It is a significant requirement in a welding project, especially in automatic welding systems where a specific width, height, or penetration of weld bead is needed. This paper presents a novel technique for real-time measuring of the width and height of weld beads in gas metal arc welding (GMAW) using a single high-speed camera and a long-pass optical filter in a passive vision system. The measuring method is based on digital image processing techniques and the image calibration process is based on projective transformations. The measurement process takes less than 3 milliseconds per image, which allows a transfer rate of more than 300 frames per second. The proposed methodology can be used in any metal transfer mode of a gas metal arc welding process and does not have occlusion problems. The responses of the measurement system, presented here, are in a good agreement with off-line data collected by a common laser-based 3D scanner. Each measurement is compare using a statistical Welch’s t-test of the null hypothesis, which, in any case, does not exceed the threshold of significance level α = 0.01, validating the results and the performance of the proposed vision system.
A Self-Powered Insole for Human Motion Recognition
Authors: Han Yingzhou , Cao Yalu , Zhao Jingjing , Yin Yajiang , Ye Liangchen , Wang Xiaofeng , You Zheng
Published: September 2016

Biomechanical energy harvesting is a feasible solution for powering wearable sensors by directly driving electronics or acting as wearable self-powered sensors. A wearable insole that not only can harvest energy from foot pressure during walking but also can serve as a self-powered human motion recognition sensor is reported. The insole is designed as a sandwich structure consisting of two wavy silica gel film separated by a flexible piezoelectric foil stave, which has higher performance compared with conventional piezoelectric harvesters with cantilever structure. The energy harvesting insole is capable of driving some common electronics by scavenging energy from human walking. Moreover, it can be used to recognize human motion as the waveforms it generates change when people are in different locomotion modes. It is demonstrated that different types of human motion such as walking and running are clearly classified by the insole without any external power source. This work not only expands the applications of piezoelectric energy harvesters for wearable power supplies and self-powered sensors, but also provides possible approaches for wearable self-powered human motion monitoring that is of great importance in many fields such as rehabilitation and sports science.
Evolutionary and Holistic Assessment of Green-Grey Infrastructure for CSO Reduction
Authors: Alves Alida , Sanchez Arlex , Vojinovic Zoran , Seyoum Solomon , Babel Mukand , Brdjanovic Damir
Published: September 2016

Recent research suggests future alterations in rainfall patterns due to climate variability, affecting public safety and health in urban areas. Urban growth, one of the main drivers of change in the current century, will also affect these conditions. Traditional drainage approaches using grey infrastructure offer low adaptation to an uncertain future. New methodologies of stormwater management focus on decentralized approaches in a long-term planning framework, including the use of Green Infrastructure (GI). This work presents a novel methodology to select, evaluate, and place different green-grey practices (or measures) for retrofitting urban drainage systems. The methodology uses a hydrodynamic model and multi-objective optimization to design solutions at a watershed level. The method proposed in this study was applied in a highly urbanized watershed to evaluate the effect of these measures on Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO) quantity. This approach produced promising results and may become a useful tool for planning and decision making of drainage systems.
Examining the Designation Effect of Marine Protected Areas: The Case of Akaroa, New Zealand
Authors: Shone Michael C. , Espiner Stephen , Stewart Emma J.
Published: September 2016

The designation effect of terrestrial protected areas (e.g., national parks) has an extensive literature; however, much less has been written about the nature of this effect in marine environments. This study therefore explores the relationship between marine conservation designation
and tourist visitation in Akaroa, New Zealand. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected via a visitor survey (n = 106) and semistructured interviews with marine tourism operators (n = 12). The results indicate a moderate association between designation and tourist visitation
with respect to the selection and purchase of marine tourism activities. In addition, the results identify areas of disagreement between the perspectives of visitors and marine tourism operators regarding the strength of this association. It is concluded that the conditions created by the
designation exert a stronger influence over tourist visitation than the designation "label" itself.
Scuba Diving Tourism Impacts and Environmental Influences on the Patrolling Behavior of Grey Nurse Sharks (Carcharias taurus): A Preliminary Assessment Using Acoustic Telemetry at Fish Rock, Australia
Authors: Smith Kirby R. , Scarpaci Carol , Otway Nicholas M.
Published: September 2016

The patrolling behavior of the critically endangered grey nurse shark (Carcharias taurus) comprising the occupation of, and movements between, two locations at Fish Rock (off eastern Australia) was documented using passive acoustic telemetry. Sharks occupied the locations symmetrically, asymmetrically, randomly, and nonrandomly. Passive acoustic telemetry was also used to provide a preliminary assessment of the impacts of scuba diving tourism on patrolling behavior. Maintaining natural behaviors unaffected by anthropogenic disturbances including scuba diving tourism is essential for the recovery and long-term conservation of this critically endangered species. The patrolling behavior of replicate sharks on any given day was similar but varied subtly and sometimes markedly in the periods before, during, and after scuba diving typically occurs. In contrast, patrolling behavior varied substantially among days with and without scuba diving; however, this was not statistically significant. Scuba diving did not impact the occupation of, or movements between, the locations by grey nurse sharks. Instead it is likely that the sharks responded to oceanographic features, localized currents, and prevailing sea conditions by adopting a range of swimming behaviors to conserve energy, and this accounted for the variation in patrolling behavior among days. Future research at other aggregation sites, during different lunar phases and with sharks at various life history stages should be done to confirm the findings of this first assessment and to enhance the generality of the results to grey nurse sharks elsewhere. Regular monitoring of grey nurse shark scuba diving tourism should be done to ensure that any anthropogenic disturbances are identified so that mitigation can be implemented.
A Giant Opportunity: The Economic Impact of Manta Rays on the Mozambican Tourism Industry—An Incentive for Increased Management and Protection
Authors: Venables Stephanie , Winstanley Giles , Bowles Libby , Marshall Andrea D.
Published: September 2016

Manta rays are internationally threatened species and population declines have been reported in various locations worldwide. As iconic megafauna species, they are also major drawcards for wildlife tourism industries. Economic valuation of these industries can provide an incentive for the protection of species and natural habitats through the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs) and the restriction of harvesting or trade. Site-specific estimates are essential, particularly in developing countries, to promote the nonconsumptive use of resources and develop appropriate management strategies. This study represents the first localized estimate of the economic benefits of manta ray tourism in Mozambique. Data from 478 tourist expenditure surveys, 15 stakeholder surveys, and yearly diver numbers provided by coastal tour operators were used to estimate the economic impact of manta ray tourism in the Inhambane Province. Manta ray–focused tours were estimated to be worth US$10.9 million per year in direct revenue to dive operators in the Inhambane Province, with an estimated direct economic impact (including associated tourism expenditures) of US$34.0 million annually. In the absence of manta ray tourism, between $16.1 million and $25.7 million would be lost to the region each year. Tourist and stakeholder survey responses emphasized the importance of manta rays to Mozambican coastal tourism. Both parties highlighted the need for increased protection of marine species and their environment and showed strong support for the implementation of MPAs along the Inhambane coast.