bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of Physical Activity on Bone Mineral Content and Density in Overweight and Obese Children with Low Adherence to the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern
Authors: Muñoz-Hernandez Victoria , Arenaza Lide , Gracia-Marco Luis , Medrano Maria , Merchan Ramirez Elisa , D. Martinez Avila Wendy , Oses Maddi , R. Ruiz Jonatan , B. Ortega Francisco , Labayen Idoia
Published: August 2018

The objective of the present cross-sectional study was to examine the associations of physical activity and the adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern (MDP) with bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) in children with overweight and obesity. A total of 177 (n = 80 girls) children with overweight and obesity aged 8 to 12 years old participated in the study. Both BMC and BMD were assessed by Dual-Energy X-ray absorptiometry. Dietary patterns were assessed by the KIDMED questionnaire and two 24-hour recalls. Physical activity was assessed by accelerometers for 7 consecutive days (24 hours/day). Low adherence to the MDP was observed in 82.4% of participants. Higher physical activity levels (of at least moderate intensity) and lower sedentary time were significantly associated with BMC and BMD in children with low adherence to the MDP (all p < 0.05). No associations were observed between physical activity and BMC and BMD in children with high adherence to the MDP. In conclusion, engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity and reducing the time spent in sedentary behavior might be particularly beneficial for improving bone health in overweight or obese children with poor adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern.
Vegetable Diversity, Injurious Falls, and Fracture Risk in Older Women: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Sim Marc , Blekkenhorst Lauren C. , Lewis Joshua R. , Bondonno Catherine P. , Devine Amanda , Zhu Kun , Woodman Richard J. , Prince Richard L. , Hodgson Jonathan M.
Published: August 2018

The importance of vegetable diversity for the risk of falling and fractures is unclear. Our objective was to examine the relationship between vegetable diversity with injurious falling and fractures leading to hospitalization in a prospective cohort of older Australian women (n = 1429, ≥70 years). Vegetable diversity was quantified by assessing the number of different vegetables consumed daily. Vegetable intake (75 g servings/day) was estimated using a validated food frequency questionnaire at baseline (1998). Over 14.5 years, injurious falls (events = 568, 39.7%), and fractures (events = 404, 28.3%) were captured using linked health records. In multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models, women with greater vegetable diversity (per increase in one different vegetable/day) had lower relative hazards for falls (8%; p = 0.02) and fractures (9%; p = 0.03). A significant interaction between daily vegetable diversity (number/day) and total vegetable intake (75 g servings/day) was observed for falls (pinteraction = 0.03) and fractures (pinteraction < 0.001). The largest benefit of higher vegetable diversity were observed in the one third of women with the lowest vegetable intake (<2.2 servings/day; falls HR 0.83 95% CI (0.71–0.98); fractures HR 0.74 95% CI (0.62–0.89)). Increasing vegetable diversity especially in older women with low vegetable intake may be an effective way to reduce injurious fall and fracture risk.
Early Events in Japanese Encephalitis Virus Infection: Viral Entry
Authors: Yun Sang-Im , Lee Young-Min
Published: August 2018

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a mosquito-borne zoonotic flavivirus, is an enveloped positive-strand RNA virus that can cause a spectrum of clinical manifestations, ranging from mild febrile illness to severe neuroinvasive disease. Today, several killed and live vaccines are available in different parts of the globe for use in humans to prevent JEV-induced diseases, yet no antivirals are available to treat JEV-associated diseases. Despite the progress made in vaccine research and development, JEV is still a major public health problem in southern, eastern, and southeastern Asia, as well as northern Oceania, with the potential to become an emerging global pathogen. In viral replication, the entry of JEV into the cell is the first step in a cascade of complex interactions between the virus and target cells that is required for the initiation, dissemination, and maintenance of infection. Because this step determines cell/tissue tropism and pathogenesis, it is a promising target for antiviral therapy. JEV entry is mediated by the viral glycoprotein E, which binds virions to the cell surface (attachment), delivers them to endosomes (endocytosis), and catalyzes the fusion between the viral and endosomal membranes (membrane fusion), followed by the release of the viral genome into the cytoplasm (uncoating). In this multistep process, a collection of host factors are involved. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the viral and cellular components involved in JEV entry into host cells, with an emphasis on the initial virus-host cell interactions on the cell surface.
A High-Performance and Low-Cost Soy Flour Adhesive with a Hydroxymethyl Melamine Prepolymer
Authors: Zhang Meng , Zhang Yi , Chen Mingsong , Gao Qiang , Li Jianzhang
Published: August 2018

To improve the performance of a soy flour (SF)-based adhesive, a low-cost hydroxymethyl melamine prepolymer (HMP) was synthesized and then used to modify the SF-based adhesive. The HMP was characterized, and the performance of the adhesive was evaluated, including its residual rate, functions, thermal stability, and fracture section. Plywood was fabricated to measure wet shear strength. The results indicated that the HMP preferentially reacted with polysaccharose in SF and formed a cross-linking network to improve the water resistance of the adhesive. This polysaccharose-based network also combined with the HMP self-polycondensation network and soy protein to form an interpenetrating network, which further improved the water resistance of the adhesive. With the addition of 9% HMP, the wet shear strength (63 °C) of the plywood was 1.21 MPa, which was 9.3 times that of the SF adhesive. With the HMP additive increased to 15%, the shear strength (100 °C) of the plywood was 0.79 MPa, which met the plywood requirement for exterior use (≥0.7 MPa) in accordance with Chinese National Standard (GB/T 9846.3-2004). With the addition of 9% and 15% HMP, the residual rates of the adhesive improved by 5.1% and 8.5%, respectively. The dense interpenetrating network structure improved the thermal stability of the resultant adhesive and created a compact fracture to prevent moisture intrusion, which further increased the water resistance of the adhesive.
Accelerated RAPID Model Using Heterogeneous Porous Objects
Authors: Huang Huaguo
Published: August 2018

To enhance the capability of three-dimensional (3D) radiative transfer models at the kilometer scale (km-scale), the radiosity applicable to porous individual objects (RAPID) model has been upgraded to RAPID3. The major innovation is that the homogeneous porous object concept (HOMOBJ) used for a tree crown scale is extended to a heterogeneous porous object (HETOBJ) for a forest plot scale. Correspondingly, the radiosity-graphics-combined method has been extended from HOMOBJ to HETOBJ, including the random dynamic projection algorithm, the updated modules of view factors, the single scattering estimation, the multiple scattering solutions, and the bidirectional reflectance factor (BRF) calculations. Five cases of the third radiation transfer model intercomparison (RAMI-3) have been used to verify RAPID3 by the RAMI-3 online checker. Seven scenes with different degrees of topography (valleys and hills) at 500 m size have also been simulated. Using a personal computer (CPU 2.5 GHz, memory 4 GB), the computation time of BRF at 500 m is only approximately 13 min per scene. The mean root mean square error is 0.015. RAPID3 simulated the enhanced contrast of BRF between backward and forward directions due to topography. RAPID3 has been integrated into the free RAPID platform, which should be very useful for the remote sensing community. In addition, the HETOBJ concept may also be useful for the speedup of ray tracing models.
Assessment of Radiometric Resolution Impact on Remote Sensing Data Classification Accuracy
Authors: Verde Natalia , Mallinis Giorgos , Tsakiri-Strati Maria , Georgiadis Charalampos , Patias Petros
Published: August 2018

Improved sensor characteristics are generally assumed to increase the potential accuracy of image classification and information extraction from remote sensing imagery. However, the increase in data volume caused by these improvements raise challenges associated with the selection, storage, and processing of this data, and with the cost-effective and timely analysis of the remote sensing datasets. Previous research has extensively assessed the relevance and impact of spatial, spectral and temporal resolution of satellite data on classification accuracy, but little attention has been given to the impact of radiometric resolution. This study focuses on the role of radiometric resolution on classification accuracy of remote sensing data through different classification experiments over three different sites. The experiments were carried out using fine and low scale radiometric resolution images classified through a bagging classification tree. The classification experiments addressed different aspects of the classification road map, including among others, binary and multiclass classification schemes, spectrally and spatially enhanced images, as well as pixel and objects as units of the classification. In addition, the impact of image radiometric resolution on computational time and the information content in fine- and low-resolution images was also explored. While in certain cases, higher radiometric resolution has led to up to 8% higher classification accuracies compared to lower resolution radiometric data, other results indicate that higher radiometric resolution does not necessarily imply improved classification accuracy. Also, classification accuracy of spectral indices and texture bands is not related so much to the radiometric resolution of the original remote sensing images but rather to their own radiometric resolution. Overall, the results of this study suggest that data selection and classification need not always adhere to the highest possible radiometric resolution.
Linking Heat Source–Sink Landscape Patterns with Analysis of Urban Heat Islands: Study on the Fast-Growing Zhengzhou City in Central China
Authors: Zhao Hongbo , Zhang Hao , Miao Changhong , Ye Xinyue , Min Min
Published: August 2018

Globally, the urban heat island (UHI) effect is a major problem which leads to urban residents suffering from adverse urban ecological environments and serious health risks. Understanding the impacts of urban landscape features on the thermal environment has been an important focus across various fields of research. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impacts of urban heat source–sink landscape patterns on urban heat islands, using the fast-growing Zhengzhou City in central China as the case study. Landsat data (captured in 1996, 2006, and 2014), various geospatial approaches, and correlation analysis were applied to facilitate the analysis. Based on the contributions of the urban landscape to land surface temperature (LST), we empirically identified the heat sources and heat sinks. Then, the composition and configurations of heat source and sink landscapes were estimated by a series of spatial metrics at the landscape and class levels. The results showed that the overall mean land surface temperature (LST) in the study area increased by 2.72 °C from 1996 to 2014. This observed increasing trend in overall mean LST is consistent with the process of rapid urbanization in the study area, which was evidenced by the dramatic increase in impervious surfaces and the substantial loss in vegetation cover. Generally, as observed, landscape composition has a stronger influence on LST than does landscape configuration. For heat sources, the proportion, size, aggregation, and density of patches have positive effects on LST, while adjusting the spatial distribution and abundance of urban landscape are effective ways to control the UHI effects. In contrast, the percentage, size, density, and aggregation of heat sink patches have negative effects on LST. Additionally, the effects of increasing total patch edges and shape complexity should be considered when mitigating the UHI effect. These findings are beneficial for furthering our understanding of how urban landscape patterns affect UHI, and they can help optimize urban landscape patterns to alleviate the UHI effect and enhance sustainable development in the study area.
Colour Classification of 1486 Lakes across a Wide Range of Optical Water Types
Authors: Lehmann Moritz K. , Nguyen Uyen , Allan Mathew , Van der Woerd Hendrik Jan
Published: August 2018

Remote sensing by satellite-borne sensors presents a significant opportunity to enhance the spatio-temporal coverage of environmental monitoring programmes for lakes, but the estimation of classic water quality attributes from inland water bodies has not reached operational status due to the difficulty of discerning the spectral signatures of optically active water constituents. Determination of water colour, as perceived by the human eye, does not require knowledge of inherent optical properties and therefore represents a generally applicable remotely-sensed water quality attribute. In this paper, we implemented a recent algorithm for the retrieval of colour parameters (hue angle, dominant wavelength) and derived a new correction for colour purity to account for the spectral bandpass of the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI). We used this algorithm to calculate water colour on almost 45,000 observations over four years from 1486 lakes from a diverse range of optical water types in New Zealand. We show that the most prevalent lake colours are yellow-orange and blue, respectively, while green observations are comparatively rare. About 40% of the study lakes show transitions between colours at a range of time scales, including seasonal. A preliminary exploratory analysis suggests that both geo-physical and anthropogenic factors, such as catchment land use, provide environmental control of lake colour and are promising avenues for future analysis.
Focusing High-Resolution Airborne SAR with Topography Variations Using an Extended BPA Based on a Time/Frequency Rotation Principle
Authors: Lin Chunhui , Tang Shiyang , Zhang Linrang , Guo Ping
Published: August 2018

With the increasing requirement for resolution, the negligence of topography variations causes serious phase errors, which leads to the degradation of the focusing quality of the synthetic aperture (SAR) imagery, and geometric distortion. Hence, a precise and fast algorithm is necessary for high-resolution airborne SAR. In this paper, an extended back-projection (EBP) algorithm is proposed to compensate the phase errors caused by topography variations. Three-dimensional (3D) variation will be processed in the time-domain for high-resolution airborne SAR. Firstly, the quadratic phase error (QPE) brought by topography variations is analyzed in detail for high-resolution airborne SAR. Then, the key operation, a time-frequency rotation operation, is applied to decrease the samplings in the azimuth time-domain. Just like the time-frequency rotation of the conventional two-step approach, this key operation can compress data in an azimuth time-domain and it reduces the computational burden of the conventional back-projection algorithm, which is applied lastly in the time-domain processing. The results of the simulations validate that the proposed algorithm, including frequency-domain processing and time-domain processing can obtain good focusing performance. At the same time, it has strong practicability with a small amount of computation, compared with the conventional algorithm.
Young People’s Perspectives on and Experiences of Health-Related Social Media, Apps, and Wearable Health Devices
Authors: Goodyear Victoria , Armour Kathleen
Published: August 2018

It has been reported from numerous international and socio-economic contexts that young people are becoming increasingly interested in and/or using social media, apps, and wearable devices for their health. Yet, there are few robust empirical accounts on the types of health-related information young people find, select, and use, the reasons for their choices, and how young people use these technologies in a way that influences their health-related knowledge and behaviors. This paper synthesizes findings from three separate projects that investigated over 1600 young people’s (age 13–19) perspectives on and experiences of health-related social media, apps, and wearable health devices. The findings show that young people are both critical and vulnerable users and generators of digital health technologies. Many young people experience a range of positive benefits for their physical activity, diet/nutritional, and body image related behaviors. Yet there are a number of risks, and young people report on the power of digital health technologies to shape, influence, and change their health-related behaviors. The paper concludes by providing new and evidence-based direction and guidance on how relevant adults (including teachers, parents/guardians, health professionals/practitioners, policy-makers, and researchers) can better understand and support young people’s engagement with digital health technologies.
Participation as Relational Space: A Critical Approach to Analysing Participation in Sustainability Research
Authors: Fritz Livia , Binder Claudia
Published: August 2018

In the field of sustainability, scholars, and policy-makers herald the transformative power of participation in knowledge production. However, a discrepancy between these expectations and the limited understanding of the complex interactions constituting participation processes can be observed. With the aim of critically analysing these complex interactions, this paper develops a conceptual perspective on participation as a relational space which is formed in the interplay of structures and processes. This perspective is applied to the analysis of empirical literature in sustainability research, development research, and science and technology studies. The literature review guided by the proposed conceptualisation systematically draws together the rich experience with participation in knowledge production. Elements constituting participation spaces along the dimensions ‘structures’ and ‘actors’ are identified and discussed in relation to ‘processes’ of space-making: (i) (in)coherences with reference system, (ii) resources, (iii) timing, (iv) expectations, (v) mutual trust, and (vi) worldviews and values. Power relations are found to pervade the three dimensions. Enhanced conceptual-analytical clarity of the elements constituting participation spaces provides a differentiated basis for discussing the transformative power of participatory knowledge production. By stimulating reflexivity on the making of participation, this approach contributes to better understanding when spaces of participation have the capacity to become spaces of transformation.
Multiple Types of Plug-In Charging Facilities’ Location-Routing Problem with Time Windows for Mobile Charging Vehicles
Authors: Cui Shaohua , Zhao Hui , Zhang Cuiping
Published: August 2018

Increasing attention is being paid to the technology of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) because of their environmental friendliness. However, their short range, extended recharging times, and insufficient charging facilities hinder the improvement in the market share of BEVs. As a remedy, this paper presents a novel approach to providing a service for the battery charge replenishment of BEVs. Instead of using traditional alternative methods by only providing a charging service in a fixed location, such as battery-swapping and charging lanes, the novel charge replenishment is provided by mobile charging vehicles (MCVs), which could offer a charging service at any time and at location requested. To consider the limited running range and the opportunity to recharge from MCVs, as well as to determine the location strategy of multiple types of plug-in charging facility locations and the routing plan of the MCVs simultaneously, the location routing problem (LRP) that can integrate two decision levels, with a strategic level (location) and tactical level (routing), is applied. Then, we present the multiple types of plug-in charging facilities’ location-routing problem with time windows for mobile charging vehicles (MTPCF-LRPwTW-MCVs), and formulate the MTPCF-LRPwTW-MCVs as a mixed integer linear program for the convenience of solving. To demonstrate the model, test instances are designed and computational results are presented. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses on battery capacity, recharging rate, and so on, are also examined. The results show that with the increase of the battery capacity or the improvement of the charging rate of the charging facilities, the service efficiency of the MCVs can reasonably be improved. Therefore, the proposed method could be used in real world problems.
Assessing the Runoff Reduction Potential of Highway Swales and WinSLAMM as a Predictive Tool
Authors: Young Bailee N. , Hathaway Jon M. , Lisenbee Whitney A. , He Qiang
Published: August 2018

Across the United States, the impacts of stormwater runoff are being managed through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) in an effort to restore and/or maintain the quality of surface waters. State transportation authorities fall within this regulatory framework, being tasked with managing runoff leaving their impervious surfaces. Opportunely, the highway environment also has substantial amounts of green space that may be leveraged for this purpose. However, there are questions as to how much runoff reduction is provided by these spaces, a question that may have a dramatic impact on stormwater management strategies across the country. A highway median swale, located on Asheville Highway, Knoxville, Tennessee, was monitored for hydrology over an 11-month period. The total catchment was 0.64 ha, with 0.26 ha of roadway draining to 0.38 ha of a vegetated median. The results of this study indicated that 87.2% of runoff volume was sequestered by the swale. The Source Loading and Management Model for Windows (WinSLAMM) was used to model the swale runoff reduction performance to determine how well this model may perform in such an application. To calibrate the model, adjustments were made to measured on-site infiltration rates, which was identified as a sensitive parameter in the model that also had substantial measurement uncertainty in the field. The calibrated model performed reasonably with a Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency of 0.46. WinSLAMM proved to be a beneficial resource to assess green space performance; however, the sensitivity of the infiltration parameter suggests that field measurements of this characteristic may be needed to achieve accurate results.
TRP Channels as Sensors of Bacterial Endotoxins
Authors: Boonen Brett , Alpizar Yeranddy A. , Meseguer Victor M. , Talavera Karel
Published: August 2018

The cellular and systemic effects induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) have been solely attributed to the activation of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signalling cascade. However, recent studies have shown that LPS activates several members of the Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) family of cation channels. Indeed, LPS induces activation of the broadly-tuned chemosensor TRPA1 in sensory neurons in a TLR4-independent manner, and genetic ablation of this channel reduced mouse pain and inflammatory responses triggered by LPS and the gustatory-mediated avoidance to LPS in fruit flies. LPS was also shown to activate TRPV4 channels in airway epithelial cells, an effect leading to an immediate production of bactericidal nitric oxide and to an increase in ciliary beat frequency. In this review, we discuss the role of TRP channels as sensors of bacterial endotoxins, and therefore, as crucial players in the timely detection of invading gram-negative bacteria.
Involvement of Osteocytes in the Action of Pasteurella multocida Toxin
Authors: Heni Hannah , Ebner Julia K. , Schmidt Gudula , Aktories Klaus , Orth Joachim H. C.
Published: August 2018

Pasteurella multocida toxin (PMT) causes progressive atrophic rhinitis with severe turbinate bone degradation in pigs. It has been reported that the toxin deamidates and activates heterotrimeric G proteins, resulting in increased differentiation of osteoclasts and blockade of osteoblast differentiation. So far, the action of PMT on osteocytes, which is the most abundant cell type in bone tissue, is not known. In MLO-Y4 osteocytes, PMT deamidated heterotrimeric G proteins, resulting in loss of osteocyte dendritic processes, stress fiber formation, cell spreading and activation of RhoC but not of RhoA. Moreover, the toxin caused processing of membrane-bound receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) to release soluble RANKL and enhanced the secretion of osteoclastogenic TNF-α. In a co-culture model of osteocytes and bone marrow cells, PMT-induced osteoclastogenesis was largely increased as compared to the mono-culture model. The enhancement of osteoclastogenesis observed in the co-culture was blocked by sequestering RANKL with osteoprotegerin and by an antibody against TNF-α indicating involvement of release of the osteoclastogenic factors from osteocytes. Data support the crucial role of osteocytes in bone metabolism and osteoclastogenesis and identify osteocytes as important target cells of PMT in progressive atrophic rhinitis.
A Systems Approach to Study Immuno- and Neuro-Modulatory Properties of Antiviral Agents
Authors: Zusinaite Eva , Ianevski Aleksandr , Niukkanen Diana , Poranen Minna M. , Bjørås Magnar , Afset Jan Egil , Tenson Tanel , Velagapudi Vidya , Merits Andres , Kainov Denis E.
Published: August 2018

There are dozens of approved, investigational and experimental antiviral agents. Many of these agents cause serious side effects, which can only be revealed after drug administration. Identification of the side effects prior to drug administration is challenging. Here we describe an ex vivo approach for studying immuno- and neuro-modulatory properties of antiviral agents, which may be associated with potential side effects of these therapeutics. The current approach combines drug toxicity/efficacy tests and transcriptomics, which is followed by mRNA, cytokine and metabolite profiling. We demonstrated the utility of this approach with several examples of antiviral agents. We also showed that the approach can utilize different immune stimuli and cell types. It can also include other omics techniques, such as genomics and epigenomics, to allow identification of individual markers associated with adverse reactions to antivirals with immuno- and neuro-modulatory properties.
Navajo in the typology of internally-headed relatives
Authors: Bogal-Allbritten Elizabeth , Moulton Keir
Published: August 2018

This paper considers the semantics of Navajo internally-headed relative clauses (IHRCs) with quantified heads. The results of storyboard-based fieldwork show that when the quantifier ’ałníí’dóó ‘half’ occurs in RC-internal position, it necessarily takes RC-internal scope. This result suggests that Navajo IHRCs are amenable to analyses given to Japanese IHRCs (Hoshi 1995; Shimoyama 1999) but challenges claims by Faltz (1995) and Grosu (2012), who argue that t’áá ’ałtso ‘all’ invariably takes RC-external scope. We show that while IHRCs with t’áá ’ałtso do not have precisely the truth conditions expected for EHRCs, their truth conditions differ from what might be expected given a Shimoyama-style IHRC analysis (pace Grosu 2012). However, we consider one way to explain this behavior while maintaining surface scope for all Navajo quantifiers.
Sequence of optional tense
Authors: Bochnak M. Ryan
Published: August 2018

In English, sentences containing a past tense in the complement clause of a past-marked propositional attitude predicate (e.g, John said Mary was sick) are ambiguous between a simultaneous and a back-shifted reading, in a phenomenon known as Sequence of Tense. In languages like Japanese, only a shifted reading is available for such past-under-past sentences. Two families of theories have been proposed in the literature to account for this variation: structural and pragmatic. Structural accounts rely on a syntactic rule or licensing condition to derive simultaneous readings of embedded clauses. Pragmatic accounts rely on competition between past and present tense in embedded clauses to derive the readings. In this paper, I provide new data from Washo, an optional tense language, to weigh in on these theories. In Washo, both tensed and (past-oriented) tenseless embedded clauses can have simultaneous and back-shifted readings. I argue that structural approaches can account for the Washo generalizations fairly straightforwardly, while pragmatic approaches encounter difficulties. The result is that the distribution of simultaneous readings cross-linguistically is more fruitfully viewed as a syntactic phenomenon rather than a pragmatic one.
Pragmatic effects of `more than' and `at least' in incremental interpretation
Authors: Alexandropoulou Stavroula , Dotlačil Jakub , Nouwen Rick
Published: August 2018

We investigate the incremental interpretation of comparative and superlative numeral modifiers by manipulating the speaker’s epistemic state in an eye-tracking reading experiment. The results reveal a different processing profile for two types of numeral modifiers. We take this difference to point to a difference in the source and nature of the attested effects (e.g., Quantity- vs. Manner-based pragmatic reasoning). Our findings inform the existing theoretical landscape, invalidating a number of accounts of speaker ignorance effects with numeral modifiers and giving support to Quantity-based accounts of such effects with superlative modifiers.
Prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of ear pathogens isolated from patients in Tripoli, north of Lebanon
Authors: Hamze Monzer , Osman Marwan , Mallat Hassan , Achkar Marcel
Published: August 2018

Background. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a severe public health problem. However, infected patients are usually treated empirically without preceding culture or antibiotics susceptibility testing, which may increase the antibiotic resistance level. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of common bacterial uropathogens isolated in Akkar governorate, North Lebanon.
Methods. Spot midstream from urine samples from 9662 patients presenting UTI symptoms who came to Youssef Hospital Center located in Akkar governorate, were collected in sterile plastic cups. Culture, identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing were performed through conventional tools according to the manufacturer’s recommended procedures and the recommendations of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing.
Results. Overall, a total of 1009 bacterial uropathogens were isolated. Escherichia coli was predominant and represented 72.5% of all isolates , followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (8.2%), Enterococcus spp. (5.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.5%), Proteus spp. (3%), Enterobacter spp. (2%), Staphylococcus aureus (2%), Streptococcus agalactiae (1.6%), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (0.4%), Acinetobacter baumannii (0.2%) and Providencia rettgeri (0.1%). Moreover, the mean antibiotic resistance rates of isolates was relatively high, but similar to previous investigations reported in our country.
Conclusion. To our knowledge, this is the first investigation reporting epidemiological data regarding the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of uropathogens isolated from patients in Akkar governorate. Our data indicated the urgent need of a strategic plan to tackle antibiotic resistance, particularly in deprived regions with poor healthcare structures such as Akkar governorate.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3823/801
Bioluminescence-based detection of astrocytes apoptosis and ATP depletion induced by biologically relevant level aflatoxin B1
Authors: Vahidi-Ferdowsi P. , Mehrzad J. , Malvandi A.M. , Hosseinkhani S.
Published: August 2018

Although brain accumulation of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) suggests potential impact on brain cells, including astrocytes, there still exists a scarcity of research on this issue within the literature. This research investigates the apoptosis effect of AFB1 on primary mouse astrocytes. To this aim, a MTT colorimetric assay on astrocytes was performed to measure the toxicity/LC50 of various concentrations (0-320,000 nM) of AFB1 for 24 h. Further, the astrocytes were exposed to concentrations of 8, 16 and 32 nM of AFB1 for 24, 48 and 72 h. Concentration of intracellular ATP) and caspase-3/7 activity was then determined by luciferase-dependent bioluminescence. Furthermore, the percentage of apoptotic cells was obtained using flow cytometry (annexin V+/propidium iodide (PI)−; cytochromec release from mitochondria, a hallmark of cell damage, was carried out by Western blot as well. MTT assay at post-exposure hours (PEH) 24 revealed that the LC50 of AFB1 was ~80,000 nM. Though at PEH 48 only 32 nM of AFB1 resulted in a significant diminished intracellular ATP content, at PEH 72 both 8 and 32 nM of AFB1 led to a significant ATP depletion in astrocytes. Similar patterns of changes were observed in bioluminescence intensity of AFB1-treated astrocytes. Flow cytometry-based annexin V and PI staining of astrocytes at PEH 24, 48 and 72 showed that 32 nM of AFB1 significantly and time dependently increased the percentage of apoptotic astrocytes (annexin V+/PI−). With 32 nM of AFB1, caspase-3/7 activity in astrocytes was increased ~4-fold at PEH 72. A remarkable release of cytochromec was only detected in astrocytes exposed to 32 nM AFB1 for PEH 72. The results indicated that a biologically relevant level of AFB1 (32 nM) induces apoptosis in astrocytes through ATP depletion and caspases activation.
BIOCOMPATIBILITY EVALUATION OF DRUG RELEASING ABSORBABLE VASCULAR STENTS
Authors: Liu Si W. , Weng Ching S. , Wang Wei J. , Liu Yuan H. , Wu Vin C. , Wang Ming C.
Published: August 2018

This study examined the biocompatibility of blood vessels and a biodegradable drug-loaded vascular stent. The Traditional Chinese Medicine System Laboratory of Chung Yuan Christian University prepared the vascular stent, and our study verified the sustained release of drugs from the stent when it was within blood vessels. A platelet adhesion experiment revealed that stents with less surface roughness resulted in a reduction in the number of adhered platelets and decreased fibrinogen accumulation. The results of a hemolysis experiment verified that the hemolysis index was between 1% and 1.4%, within the range of no hemolysis and would not cause hypoxia. Subsequently, a drug release rate experiment indicated that the amount of released everolimus increased with time. The greatest amount of drug that was released occurred at 8[Formula: see text]h, with a release rate of 36.95%. A swelling rate experiment revealed that the degree of swelling of the hyaluronic acid (HA) that contained everolimus was 10 times less than that of the original HA; therefore, the use of a material with a low swelling rate in vascular stents did not immediately cause an obstruction in blood vessels. A lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) toxicity experiment revealed that the percentage of LDH released was 13–18%. This indicated that the cell viability was not affected and that there was no cytotoxicity; thus, the stent was suitable for use in blood vessels. This study proved that the prepared biodegradable drug-loaded vascular stent had favorable blood compatibility, no cytotoxicity, and a suitable drug release rate. Moreover, the drug release material was made from a material with a low degree of swelling. As a result of our findings, this new type of stent is suitable for application in blood vessels.
Financial Time Series Forecasting Using Empirical Mode Decomposition and FNN: A Study on Selected Foreign Exchange Rates
Authors: Nanthakumaran P. , Tilakaratne C. D.
Published: August 2018

The exchange rate, an economic indicator of the country is the relative price of one country’s currency in terms of another country’s currency. The stability of the exchange rate is important for a stable economic growth. Exchange rate series are non-linear and non-stationary. The fluctuations in the forecasting exchange rate are very important to the economy of the country. Researchers have proposed many hybrid machine learning models to get a more accurate forecast. This study proposes a hybrid forecasting model using Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) and Feedforward Neural Network (FNN) for foreign exchange rates forecasting and comparing its performance with widely used Non-linear Autoregressive (NAR) and Support Vector Regression (SVR) models. EMD is used to decompose the original non-linear and non-stationary series into several Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) and one residual. The hybrid model is then used to forecast the exchange rate with IMFs and residual obtained as inputs. Empirical results obtained from forecasting daily exchange rates of Sri Lankan Rupees to Euro and Yen showed that the proposed EMD-FNN model outperforms NAR and SVR models without time series decomposition.
An unusual case of sudden onset headache due to pituitary apoplexy: a case report and review of the new UK guidelines
Authors: Tedd HM , Tuckett J , Arun C , Dhar A
Published: August 2018

Spontaneous pituitary apoplexy in the absence of a known pre-existing pituitary adenoma is a very rare cause of sudden onset headache, but can be potentially sight- and life-threatening. We describe a case of a 37-year-old man who presented to the Emergency Department with a severe headache, associated nausea, vomiting and features of meningism. A suspected clinical diagnosis of subarachnoid haemorrhage led to an urgent computed tomography scan of the head demonstrating a large pituitary macroadenoma. A diagnosis of pituitary apoplexy was suspected and he was transferred as an emergency case to the regional tertiary hospital for management. A further urgent magnetic resonance imaging scan showed haemorrhage into the pituitary adenoma, confirming pituitary apoplexy. We discuss this clinical condition and the new UK national guidelines which have recently been published to improve clinical assessment, investigation and management of patients with suspected pituitary apoplexy.
The 1918–19 influenza pandemic revisited
Authors: Jivraj N , Butler A
Published: August 2018

The worldwide influenza outbreak of 1918–19 was a medical catastrophe, causing the deaths of around 50 million people. There is evidence however that the major wave, in November 1918, was not part of the pandemic that started in the summer of 1918. The virus responsible for the major wave has been isolated but the structural features responsible for its severity remain incompletely understood. In 1918–19 influenza was an infection so little understood that the government was unsure of what action to take. In contrast, during the pandemic starting in 2009, international and national bodies used many means of communication to keep the public fully informed, with beneficial results. In addition, antiviral agents, a vaccine and antibiotics to treat secondary infection were available. Such a response is possible only with appropriate funding and a comprehensive medical infrastructure, making the potential outbreak of severe influenza in a poor part of the world a matter of grave concern.
Employment Outcomes After Vocational Training for People With Chronic Psychiatric Disorders: A Multicenter Study
Authors: Lee Hui-Ling , Hwang Eric J. , Wu Shang-Liang , Tu Wei-Mo , Wang Ming Hung , Chan Fong
Published: August 2018

People with a chronic psychiatric disorder (CPD) have low employment rates worldwide. This multicenter retrospective cohort study examined the employment outcomes of an innovative in-house vocational training program for people with CPD in Taiwan and explored which program parameters significantly predicted outcomes. Data were retrieved from the records of 323 participants who completed the training program. Satisfactory employment rates were found at 1 (52.9%), 3 (60.4%), and 6 (65.6%) mo posttraining, and 38.7% of participants demonstrated high employment sustainability (employed throughout the first 6 mo posttraining). Three program parameters significantly predicted employment outcomes: (1) occupational therapists’ pursuit of additional training or short-term apprenticeship pertinent to clients’ job interests, (2) posttraining vocational counseling provided by community-based occupational therapists, and (3) the duration of 6 mo posttraining to allow clients to prepare for competitive employment. Occupational therapist–led in-house vocational training is a promising alternative to traditional vocational training for people with CPD.
Almost first-degree stochastic dominance for transformations and its application in insurance strategy
Authors: Zhao Feng , Gao Jianwei , Gu Yundong
Published: August 2018

Almost stochastic dominance is a relaxation of stochastic dominance, which allows small violations of stochastic dominance rules to avoid situations where most decision makers prefer one alternative to another but stochastic dominance cannot rank them. The authors first discuss the relations between almost first-degree stochastic dominance (AFSD) and the second-degree stochastic dominance (SSD), and demonstrate that the AFSD criterion is helpful to narrow down the SSD efficient set. Since the existing AFSD criterion is not convenient to rank transformations of random variables due to its relying heavily on cumulative distribution functions, the authors propose the AFSD criterion for transformations of random variables by means of transformation functions and the probability function of the original random variable. Moreover, they employ this method to analyze the transformations resulting from insurance and option strategy.
A self-efficacy informed approach to anonymously locating digital disruptors
Authors: Popham James F.
Published: August 2018

Young, politically motivated, and technologically savvy individuals have been instrumental in bringing about social change through the first decades of the twenty-first century. These tech-savvy “disruptors” anonymously champion counter-hegemonic discourse and ideology by manipulating networked forms of communication. The shielding effects of these anonymous interactions also pose significant challenges for the observation and study of disruptors. The current study proposes that elements of the theory of self-efficacy, particularly mastery experiences, can be leveraged to anonymously locate disruptors from a generalized sample based on their. It employs an adapted version of the Computer Self-Efficacy Scale with a large non-random sample to test this hypothesis. Principal component analysis of the scale identifies three components in the scale — “simple,” “moderate,” and “difficult” task efficacy — that account for a majority of the variation in the sample. Components are then compared with other measures of technological skill and internet usage characteristics to better confirm the scale’s effectiveness in locating disruptors.
Online self-representation in Brazil's favelas: Personalising the periphery
Authors: Levy Helton
Published: August 2018

This paper focuses on blogs, Web sites, and social media pages produced from Brazil’s favelas to study existing notions of online self-representation. Semi-structured interviews conducted with 21 media producers questioned if favela media can really forge a new image of dwellers by creating new representations or by reversing past media stereotypes. Results revealed that dwellers have often appeared in their own media as new community leaders, or as journalists, and frequently, as conveyors of culture and personality. This paper shows that personalising the life in favelas is emphasised, through which producers tailor a more individualist, less-victimised image of themselves.
I get by with a little help from my friends: The ecological model and support for women scholars experiencing online harassment
Authors: Hodson Jaigris , Gosse Chandell , Veletsianos George , Houlden Shandell
Published: August 2018

This article contributes to understanding the phenomenon of online abuse and harassment toward women scholars. We draw on data collected from 14 interviews with women scholars from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and report on the types of supports they sought during and after their experience with online abuse and harassment. We found that women scholars rely on three levels of support: the first level includes personal and social support (such as encouragement from friends and family and outsourcing comment reading to others); the second includes organizational (such as university or institutional policy), technological (such as reporting tools on Twitter or Facebook), and sectoral (such as law enforcement) support; and, the third includes larger cultural and social attitudes and discourses (such as attitudes around gendered harassment and perceptions of the online/offline divide). While participants relied on social and personal support most frequently, they commonly reported relying on multiple supports across all three levels. We use an ecological model as our framework to demonstrate how different types of support are interconnected, and recommend that support for targets of online abuse must integrate aspects of all three levels.
Editorial
Authors: Vaz Caroline De F�tima Matiello
Published: August 2018

O ano de 2018 traz novidades para o peri�dico Secretariado Executivo em Revist@. A principal delas reside nos n�meros anuais da revista, que, a partir dessa edi��o, ser�o dois n�meros anuais, um de janeiro a junho e outro de julho a dezembro. Al�m disso, est� sendo renovado e reestruturado o conselho editorial.

Todas as novidades fazem parte de um conjunto de a��es que visam a moderniza��o e reestrutura��o do peri�dico, o qual completou 13 anos de atividades em 2018, sendo um dos poucos peri�dicos espec�ficos da �rea secretarial.

Desse modo, desejamos uma excelente leitura e boas produ��es cient�ficas.

Ma. Caroline de F�tima Matiello Vaz
CO2 Flux from Tropical Land Uses on Andisol in West Java, Indonesia
Authors: Hendri Jon , Sumawinata Basuki , Baskoro Dwi Putro Tejo
Published: August 2018

This study measured CO2 flux by segregating effect of root respiration and organic matter decomposition by microbes. The study involved a mineral soil containing high organic matter (Andisols), in the tropic devoted to different land uses i.e. natural forest, tea plantation, and horticultural farm CO2 emission from those land uses were compared to from peatland. Observed CO2 fluxes came out in the following order: bare plot  7.32, tea plantation  10.22, horticultural farm  15.60, and natural forest  15.62 Mg C-CO2 ha-1 yr-1. While, root respiration accounted for substantial proportions: tea plantation  28%, horticultural farm  53%, and natural forest  53%. Soil temperature demonstrated a significant positive correlation with the CO2 flux, except in the natural forest. On the other hand, water-filled pore spaces displayed varying correlation with site CO2 flux: a negative relationship in both bare plot and tea plantation, appreciably positive in the horticultural farm, and weakly related in the natural forest. Soil respiration and C-organic content appeared to be strongly correlated; the rate of soil respiration increased with higher C-organic content. In field, CO2 flux from organic matter decomposition in Andisols, Latosols, and peatland ranged from 5.35-13.22 Mg C-CO2 ha-1 yr-1, with root respiration contributing most of the flux, which was, in turn, influenced by type vegetation, humidity and soil temperature.Keywords: CO2 flux; decomposition; horticultural farm; natural forest; organic matter; tea plantation [How to Cite: Jon H, Suwardi, B Sumawinata and DPT Baskoro. 2014. CO2 Flux from Tropical Land Uses on Andisol in West Java, Indonesia. J Trop Soils 19: 121-130. Doi: 10.5400/jts.2014.19.3.121]