bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of submerged large woody debris from single-beam echo soundings
Authors: White Laurent , Hodges Ben R. , Austin Barney N. , Osting Tim D.
Published: October 2015

Submerged large woody debris (LWD) in rivers and streams appears as spikes in bathymetry data collected at a decimeter resolution with a single-beam echo sounder. The LWD signal distorts any subsequent interpolation of bathymetry to an hydraulic model mesh or to a triangulated irregular network (TIN) for Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Two methods for separating the submerged LWD from the background bathymetry are investigated: 1) a new σ-discrimination method and 2) an adaptation of prior scale-space analysis techniques. The former is shown to effectively separate LWD from the background bathymetry. However, the latter is shown to be ineffective for this purpose. Separation of the background bathymetry and LWD signal allows the quantity and distribution of LWD to be separately mapped, providing a resource for biologists, geomorphologists and hydraulic engineers whose studies may be affected by the presence of LWD.
Drinking water quality and solar disinfection: Effectiveness in peri-urban households in Nepal
Authors: Rainey Rochelle C. , Harding Anna K.
Published: October 2015

The study examined pH, turbidity and fecal contamination of drinking water from household water storage containers, wells and taps, and the Godawari River, and tested the effectiveness of solar disinfection (SODIS) in reducing levels of fecal contamination from household containers. The research was conducted in 40 households in a village 6 km outside the capital city of Kathmandu, Nepal. Three rounds of data were collected: a baseline in March 2002 followed by training in solar disinfection, and follow-ups in June and July 2002. Untreated drinking water was found to have levels of contamination ranging from 0 to too numerous to count fecal coliform CFU 100 ml−1. Source water was significantly more contaminated than water from the household storage containers. Wells were less contaminated than taps. SODIS reduced the level of contamination under household conditions. Turbidity from taps was above 30 NTU in the rainy season, above the maximum for effective solar disinfection. SODIS was routinely adopted by only 10% of the participating households during the study.
Setting priorities for environmental sanitation interventions based on epidemiological criteria:A Brazilian study
Authors: Heller Léo , Colosimo Enrico A. , Antunes Carlos M. F.
Published: October 2015

The present study addresses the use of analytical epidemiologic approaches to subsidize the establishment of priorities in environmental sanitation interventions. An epidemiological investigation was carried out in 1993 in the urban area of Betim, a southeast Brazilian City of 160,000 inhabitants. The case-control ‘inclusive’ (or case-cohort) design, with a sample of 997 cases and 999 controls, was employed. Cases were defined as children of less than five years of age presenting diarrhoea episodes, while controls were randomly selected among children of the same age, living in the study area. After logistic regression adjustment, 11 of several exposure variables analysed were significantly associated with diarrhoea. Four different criteria, using as risk measures the relative risk, the attributable risk, the standardized coefficient of the logistic regression and the cost standardized coefficient, were used in order to define intervention priorities.
Significance of private water supply wells in a rural Nevada area as a route of exposure to aqueous arsenic
Authors: Walker Mark , Benson Marnee , Shaw W. Douglass
Published: October 2015

In many rural areas domestic drinking water needs are met by a mixture of public water supplies and private water supplies. Private supplies are not subject to the regulations and management requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Amendments to the SDWA recently lowered the standard for arsenic from 50 to 10 ppb in public water supplies (effective in 2006). Churchill County, Nevada, has approximately 25,000 residents. Slightly more than half (13,500) rely on private domestic wells for water supply. Ample data and media publicity about high arsenic concentrations in water supplies and a federally led investigation of a leukaemia cluster suggested that residents of the county would be aware that arsenic concentrations in private wells were highly likely to exceed the 10 ppb standard. A survey carried out in 2002 showed that a majority of respondents (72%) consumed water from private wells and among them a minority (38%) applied treatment. Maximum, median and minimum concentrations of arsenic from all samples (n = 351) were 2,100, 26 and <3 ppb, respectively. Seventy-four per cent of all samples exceeded 10 ppb. A majority (87%) of those who applied treatment consumed tap water. The relatively low rate of application of treatment suggested that these rural residents did not recognize that consumption could have associated health risks. However, those who applied treatment were ∼0.3 times as likely to be consuming water with > 10 ppb arsenic than those who consumed water that was not treated. In areas where concentrations of arsenic have been demonstrated to be high, it may be important to conduct a focused educational effort for private well owners to ensure that they take the steps needed to assess and reduce risks associated with contaminants found in tap water, including arsenic. An educational effort could include promoting sampling efforts to determine the magnitude of arsenic concentrations, explaining the risk associated with arsenic consumption and providing information about choices for home treatment systems that are likely to be effective in removing arsenic. This may be especially important in rural areas where adverse health effects are not evident to local populations.
The adsorption of cyanobacterial hepatoxins as a function of soil properties
Authors: Miller Megge J. , Hutson John , Fallowfield Howard J.
Published: October 2015

Cyanobacterial hepatotoxins present a risk to public health when present in drinking water supplies. Existing removal strategies, although efficient, are not economically viable or practical for remote Australian communities and developing nations. Bank filtration is a natural process and a potential low cost, toxin removal strategy. Batch studies were conducted in 12 texturally diverse soils to examine the soil properties influencing the adsorption of the cyanobacterial hepatotoxins, microcystin-LR and nodularin. Sorption isotherms were measured. Freundlich and linear isotherms were observed for both toxins with adsorption coefficients not exceeding 2.75 l kg−1 for nodularin and 3.8 l kg−1 for microcystin. Significant positive correlations were identified between hepatotoxin sorption and clay and silt contents of the soils. Desorption of toxins was also measured in three different soils. Pure nodularin and microcystin-LR readily desorbed from all soils.
BP Neural Network Model-Based Physical Exercises and Dietary Habits Relationships Exploration
Authors: Guo Xingwei , Zhang Xuesheng , Sun Yi
Published: October 2015

With the continuous progress of society and increment of social pressure, people have paid little and little attentions to physical exercises and dietary necessity. Taking Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shijiazhuang and Baotou university students as research objects, targeted at physical exercises time and dietary habits, it starts investigation. Making principal component analysis of investigation results, it indicates that cereal intake is principal component in dietary habits; strenuous exercise time and general physical exercise time are the principal components in physical exercise. Utilizing BP neural network model, and analyzing these seven cities’ physical exercises and dietary habits conditions, the result indicates that except for Shenzhen, all the other six cities haven’t reached the standard.
Preparation and Antioxidant Activity of Purple Potato Wine
Authors: Zhong-hua Liu , Jie Guo
Published: October 2015

Purple potatoes were used as raw material to study the purple potato wine production process and antioxidant activity. This paper analyzed different fermentation time, fermentation temperature, yeast inoculum, initial pH, the initial sugar content on alcohol and anthocyanin contents of purple potato wine by single factor experiments and response surface methodology(RSM). The results showed that the optimum fermentation conditions of purple potato wine were as follows: fermentation temperature was 26oC, yeast inoculum was 0.15%, fermentation time was 7 d, initial pH was 3.0 and initial sugar content was 11 %. Under these conditions the alcohol and anthocyanin contents of purple potato wine could reach 10.55%/Vol and 6.42 μg/mL, respectively. The purple potato wine was purple, bright in colour, pleasant fragrance and pure taste. Prepared purple potato wine had the ability of reducing Fe3+ and scavenging superoxide anion radicals, which meant that purple potato wine had certain antioxidant activity.
Therapeutic Exercise Training to Reduce Chronic Headache in Working Women: Design of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Rinne Marjo , Garam Sanna , Häkkinen Arja , Ylinen Jari , Kukkonen-Harjula Katriina , Nikander Riku
Published: October 2015

Background

Cervicogenic headache and migraine are common causes of visits to physicians and physical therapists. Few randomized trials utilizing active physical therapy and progressive therapeutic exercise have been previously published. The existing evidence on active treatment methods supports a moderate effect on cervicogenic headache.

Objective

The aim of this study is to investigate whether a progressive, group-based therapeutic exercise program decreases the intensity and frequency of chronic headache among women compared with a control group receiving a sham dose of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and stretching exercises.

Design

A randomized controlled trial with 6-month intervention and follow-up was developed. The participants were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control group.

Setting

The study is being conducted at 2 study centers.

Patients

The participants are women aged 18 to 60 years with chronic cervicogenic headache or migraine.

Intervention

The treatment group's exercise program consisted of 6 progressive therapeutic exercise modules, including proprioceptive low-load progressive craniocervical and cervical exercises and high-load exercises for the neck muscles. The participants in the control group received 6 individually performed sham TENS treatment sessions.

Measurements

The primary outcome is the intensity of headache. The secondary outcomes are changes in frequency and duration of headache, neck muscle strength, neck and shoulder flexibility, impact of headache on daily life, neck disability, fear-avoidance beliefs, work ability, and quality of life. Between-group differences will be analyzed separately at 6, 12, and 24 months with generalized linear mixed models. In the case of count data (eg, frequency of headache), Poisson or negative binomial regression will be used.

Limitations

The therapists are not blinded.

Conclusions

The effects of specific therapeutic exercises on frequency, intensity, and duration of chronic headache and migraine will be reported.
Event-Based Model for Optimizing Shunting Yard Operations
Authors: Saeednia Mahnam , Bruckmann Dirk , Weidmann Ulrich
Published: October 2015

Shunting is an important component of single-wagon-load railway operations. It consists of splitting incoming freight trains and forming new outgoing trains by reassembling the wagons from different incoming trains. The efficiency of shunting operations has a major impact on the performance of rail freight services. An event-based model is proposed for sorting trains for shunting at a hump shunting yard, which is capable of handling real-time changes in the system. In this model, various events are designed for managing changes in the system over time. At each time step, the optimal sequence of trains for shunting is determined to maximize the throughput of the shunting yard. The model was tested in a benchmark study and was shown to be an improvement over the previous solutions as well as solutions based on the first-in, first-out strategy.
Caffeine Consuming Children and Adolescents Show Altered Sleep Behavior and Deep Sleep
Authors: Aepli Andrina , Kurth Salome , Tesler Noemi , Jenni Oskar , Huber Reto
Published: October 2015

Caffeine is the most commonly ingested psychoactive drug worldwide with increasing consumption rates among young individuals. While caffeine leads to decreased sleep quality in adults, studies investigating how caffeine consumption affects children’s and adolescents’ sleep remain scarce. We explored the effects of regular caffeine consumption on sleep behavior and the sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) in children and adolescents (10–16 years). While later habitual bedtimes (Caffeine 23:14 ± 11.4, Controls 22:17 ± 15.4) and less time in bed were found in caffeine consumers compared to the control group (Caffeine 08:10 ± 13.3, Controls 09:03 ± 16.1), morning tiredness was unaffected. Furthermore, caffeine consumers exhibited reduced sleep EEG slow-wave activity (SWA, 1–4.5 Hz) at the beginning of the night compared to controls (20% ± 9% average reduction across all electrodes and subjects). Comparable reductions were found for alpha activity (8.25–9.75 Hz). These effects, however, disappeared in the morning hours. Our findings suggest that caffeine consumption in adolescents may lead to later bedtimes and reduced SWA, a well-established marker of sleep depth. Because deep sleep is involved in recovery processes during sleep, further research is needed to understand whether a caffeine-induced loss of sleep depth interacts with neuronal network refinement processes that occur during the sensitive period of adolescent development.
Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a 1D Chained Coordination Polymer Constructed from Ca2+ and 2-[(E)-(2-Furoylhydrazono)methyl]benzenesulfonate
Authors: Tai Xi-Shi , Wang Xin
Published: October 2015

A new Ca(II) coordination polymer, [{CaL2·(H2O)2·2H2O}]n (1) (L = 2-[(E)-(2-furoylhydrazono)methyl]benzenesulfonate), has been obtained by one-pot method, and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectrum, and X-ray single-crystal diffraction. The results showed that the Ca(II) coordination crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group with P21212, a = 16.355(3) Å, b = 17.478(4) Å, c = 5.4549(11) Å, α =β = γ = 90.00°, V = 1559.3(5) Å3, Z = 2, Mr = 698.69, Dc = 1.488 g/cm3, T = 293(2) K, F(000) = 724, μ(MoKa) = 0.408 mm−1, R = 0.0703 and wR = 0.1848. The Ca(II) ion is coordinated with four O atoms from two L ligands and two O atoms from two coordinated H2O molecules, and generates a distorted octahedral geometry. The 1D chained structure of Ca(II) coordination polymer is constructed from the bridging of SO3– groups. The 3D network structure is formed by the hydrogen bonds and π-π interaction between 1D chains.
Thermal BEC Black Holes
Authors: Casadio Roberto , Giugno Andrea , Micu Octavian , Orlandi Alessio
Published: October 2015

We review some features of Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) models of black holes obtained by means of the horizon wave function formalism. We consider the Klein–Gordon equation for a toy graviton field coupled to a static matter current in a spherically-symmetric setup. The classical field reproduces the Newtonian potential generated by the matter source, while the corresponding quantum state is given by a coherent superposition of scalar modes with a continuous occupation number. An attractive self-interaction is needed for bound states to form, the case in which one finds that (approximately) one mode is allowed, and the system of N bosons can be self-confined in a volume of the size of the Schwarzschild radius. The horizon wave function formalism is then used to show that the radius of such a system corresponds to a proper horizon. The uncertainty in the size of the horizon is related to the typical energy of Hawking modes: it decreases with the increasing of the black hole mass (larger number of gravitons), resulting in agreement with the semiclassical calculations and which does not hold for a single very massive particle. The spectrum of these systems has two components: a discrete ground state of energy m (the bosons forming the black hole) and a continuous spectrum with energy ω > m (representing the Hawking radiation and modeled with a Planckian distribution at the expected Hawking temperature). Assuming the main effect of the internal scatterings is the Hawking radiation, the N-particle state can be collectively described by a single-particle wave-function given by a superposition of a total ground state with energy M = Nm and Entropy 2015, 17 6894 a Planckian distribution for E > M at the same Hawking temperature. This can be used to compute the partition function and to find the usual area law for the entropy, with a logarithmic correction related to the Hawking component. The backreaction of modes with ω > m is also shown to reduce the Hawking flux. The above corrections suggest that for black holes in this quantum state, the evaporation properly stops for a vanishing mass.
Planning of Green Space Ecological Network in Urban Areas: An Example of Nanchang, China
Authors: Li Haifeng , Chen Wenbo , He Wei
Published: October 2015

Green space plays an important role in sustainable urban development and ecology by virtue of multiple environmental, recreational, and economic benefits. Constructing an effective and harmonious urban ecological network and maintaining a sustainable living environment in response to rapid urbanization are the key issues required to be resolved by landscape planners. In this paper, Nanchang City, China was selected as a study area. Based on a series of landscape metrics, the landscape pattern analysis of the current (in 2005) and planned (in 2020) green space system were, respectively, conducted by using FRAGSTATS 3.3 software. Considering the actual situation of the Nanchang urban area, a “one river and two banks, north and south twin cities” ecological network was constructed by using network analysis. Moreover, the ecological network was assessed by using corridor structure analysis, and the improvement of an ecological network on the urban landscape was quantitatively assessed through a comparison between the ecological network and green space system planning. The results indicated that: (1) compared to the green space system in 2005, the planned green space system in 2020 of the Nanchang urban area will decline in both districts (Changnan and Changbei districts). Meanwhile, an increase in patch density and a decrease in mean patch size of green space patches at the landscape level implies the fragmentation of the urban green space landscape. In other words, the planned green space system does not necessarily improve the present green space system; (2) the ecological network of two districts has high corridor density, while Changnan’s ecological network has higher connectivity, but Changbei’s ecological network is more viable from an economic point of view, since it has relatively higher cost efficiency; (3) decrease in patch density, Euclidean nearest neighbor distance, and an increase in mean patch size and connectivity implied that the ecological network could improve landscape connectivity greatly, as compared with the planned green space system. That is to say, the planned ecological network would reduce landscape fragmentation, and increase the shape complexity of green space patches and landscape connectivity. As a result, the quality of the urban ecological environment would be improved.
A Case Study Perspective on Working with ProUCL and a State Environmental Agency in Determining Background Threshold Values
Authors: Daniel David
Published: October 2015

ProUCL is a software package made available by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide environmental scientists with better tools with which to conduct statistical analyses. ProUCL has been in production for over ten years and is in its fifth major version. In time, it has included more sophisticated and appropriate analysis tools. However, there is still substantial criticism of it among statisticians for its various omissions and even its philosophical approach. Due to limited resources, some state agencies have set ProUCL as a standard by which all state-mandated environmental analyses are compared, despite the EPA’s more open acceptance of other software products and methodologies. As such, it can be difficult for state-supervised sites to convince the state to allow the use of more appropriate methodologies or different software. In the current case study, several such instances arose and substantial resources were invested to demonstrate the appropriateness of alternative methodologies, sometimes without acquiring acceptance by the state despite sound statistical demonstration. In particular, efforts were made to address: inappropriate outlier detection, upper tolerance limit (UTL) calculations based on gamma distributions when non-detects were present, and inappropriate use of nonparametric UTL formulas.
The Tribology of Explanted Hip Resurfacings Following Early Fracture of the Femur
Authors: Lord James , Langton David , Nargol Antoni , Meek R.M. , Joyce Thomas
Published: October 2015

A recognized issue related to metal-on-metal hip resurfacings is early fracture of the femur. Most theories regarding the cause of fracture relate to clinical factors but an engineering analysis of failed hip resurfacings has not previously been reported. The objective of this work was to determine the wear volumes and surface roughness values of a cohort of retrieved hip resurfacings which were removed due to early femoral fracture, infection and avascular necrosis (AVN). Nine resurfacing femoral heads were obtained following early fracture of the femur, a further five were retrieved due to infection and AVN. All fourteen were measured for volumetric wear using a co-ordinate measuring machine. Wear rates were then calculated and regions of the articulating surface were divided into “worn” and “unworn”. Roughness values in these regions were measured using a non-contacting profilometer. The mean time to fracture was 3.7 months compared with 44.4 months for retrieval due to infection and AVN. Average wear rates in the early fracture heads were 64 times greater than those in the infection and AVN retrievals. Given the high wear rates of the early fracture components, such wear may be linked to an increased risk of femoral neck fracture.
Study of the Biotransformation of Tongmai Formula by Human Intestinal Flora and Its Intestinal Permeability across the Caco-2 Cell Monolayer
Authors: Wu Shuai , Xu Wei , Wang Fu-Rong , Yang Xiu-Wei
Published: October 2015

Tongmai formula (TMF) is a well-known Chinese medicinal preparation that contains isoflavones as its major bioactive constituents. As traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) are usually used by oral administration, their fate inside the intestinal lumen, including their biotransformation by human intestinal flora (HIF) and intestinal absorption deserves study. In this work TMF extract was incubated with human intestinal bacteria under anaerobic conditions and the changes in the twelve main constituents of TMF were then investigated. Their intestinal permeabilities, i.e., the transport capability across the intestinal brush border were investigated with a human colon carcinoma cell line (Caco­2) cell monolayer model to predict the absorption mechanism. Meanwhile, rapid HPLC-DAD methods were established for the assay. According to the biotransformation curves of the twelve constituents and the permeability coefficients, the intestinal absorption capacity of the typical compounds was elevated from the levels of 10−7 cm/s to 10−5 cm/s from those of the original compounds in TMF. Among them the main isoflavone glycosides puerarin (4), mirificin (6) and daidzin (7) were transformed into the same aglycone, daidzein (10). Therefore it was predicted that the aglycone compounds might be the real active ingredients in TMF. The models used can represent a novel path for the TCM studies.
Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Simultaneous Extraction for Preparation of Genipin from Bark of Eucommia ulmoides after Ultrasound, Microwave Pretreatment
Authors: Li Lili , Guo Yupin , Zhao Lianfei , Zu Yuangang , Gu Huiyan , Yang Lei
Published: October 2015

A continuous process based on the combination of ultrasounds and/or microwaves pretreatments followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and simultaneous extraction (EHSE) has been proposed to recover genipin from Eucommia ulmoides bark. At first, in the pretreatment step, the mixture of 1.0 g dried bark powder and 10 mL deionized water were irradiated by microwave under 500 W for 10 min. Then, in hydrolysis step, the optimal conditions were as follows: 0.5 mg/mL of cellulase concentration, 4.0 pH of enzyme solution, 24 h of incubation time and 40 °C of incubation temperature. After incubation, 10 mL ethanol was added to extract genipin for 30 min by ultrasound. After EHSE treatment, the yield of genipin could reach 1.71 μmol/g. Moreover, scanning electron micrographs illustrated that severe structural disruption of plant was obtained by EHSE. The results indicated that the EHSE method provided a good alternative for the preparation of genipin from Eucommia ulmoides bark as well as other herbs.
Charting a Path to Success in Virtual Screening
Authors: Forli Stefano
Published: October 2015

Docking is commonly applied to drug design efforts, especially high-throughput virtual screenings of small molecules, to identify new compounds that bind to a given target. Despite great advances and successful applications in recent years, a number of issues remain unsolved. Most of the challenges and problems faced when running docking experiments are independent of the specific software used, and can be ascribed to either improper input preparation or to the simplified approaches applied to achieve high-throughput speed. Being aware of approximations and limitations of such methods is essential to prevent errors, deal with misleading results, and increase the success rate of virtual screening campaigns. In this review, best practices and most common issues of docking and virtual screening will be discussed, covering the journey from the design of the virtual experiment to the hit identification.
Polymorph Impact on the Bioavailability and Stability of Poorly Soluble Drugs
Authors: Censi Roberta , Di Martino Piera
Published: October 2015

Drugs with low water solubility are predisposed to poor and variable oral bioavailability and, therefore, to variability in clinical response, that might be overcome through an appropriate formulation of the drug. Polymorphs (anhydrous and solvate/hydrate forms) may resolve these bioavailability problems, but they can be a challenge to ensure physicochemical stability for the entire shelf life of the drug product. Since clinical failures of polymorph drugs have not been uncommon, and some of them have been entirely unexpected, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) has required preliminary and exhaustive screening studies to identify and characterize all the polymorph crystal forms for each drug. In the past, the polymorphism of many drugs was detected fortuitously or through manual time consuming methods; today, drug crystal engineering, in particular, combinatorial chemistry and high-throughput screening, makes it possible to easily and exhaustively identify stable polymorphic and/or hydrate/dehydrate forms of poorly soluble drugs, in order to overcome bioavailability related problems or clinical failures. This review describes the concepts involved, provides examples of drugs characterized by poor solubility for which polymorphism has proven important, outlines the state-of-the-art technologies and discusses the pertinent regulations.
Pharmacist and Physician Interpretation of Abbreviations for Acetaminophen Intended for Use in a Consumer Icon
Authors: Shiffman Saul , Cotton Helene , Jessurun Christina , Sembower Mark , Pype Steve , Phillips Jerry
Published: October 2015

Concomitant use of multiple acetaminophen medications is associated with overdose. To help patients identify acetaminophen medications and thus avoid concomitant use, an icon with an abbreviation for “acetaminophen” has been proposed for all acetaminophen medications. This study assessed pharmacists’ and physicians’ use and interpretation of abbreviations for “acetaminophen”, to identify abbreviations with other meanings that might cause confusion. Physicians (n = 150) reported use and interpretation of candidate abbreviations Ac and Acm. Pharmacists (n = 150) interpretations of prescription orders using the candidate abbreviations APAP, Ac, Ace and Acm in typed, handwritten or spoken form, were judged for critical confusions likely to cause patient harm. Critical confusion was rare, except for omission by pharmacists of the acetaminophen dose for Hydrocodone/APAP prescriptions (10%). Ac was in common use to indicate “before meals”, and was interpreted as such, but some physicians (8%) said they use Ac to indicate anticoagulant drugs. Most pharmacists (54%) interpreted Ace as acetaminophen, and none interpreted it as referring to ACE-inhibitors. Acm was rarely used in prescriptions, had no common interfering meanings, and was often (63%) interpreted as acetaminophen, especially when prescribed in combination with an opiate (85%). The data validated concerns about abbreviations in prescribing: all abbreviations resulted in some misinterpretations. However, Acm was rarely misinterpreted, was readily associated with “acetaminophen”, and seemed appropriate for use in a graphic icon to help consumers/patients identify acetaminophen medications.
Scale Issues Related to the Accuracy Assessment of Land Use/Land Cover Maps Produced Using Multi-Resolution Data: Comments on “The Improvement of Land Cover Classification by Thermal Remote Sensing”. Remote Sens. 2015, 7(7), 8368–8390
Authors: Johnson Brian
Published: October 2015

Much remote sensing (RS) research focuses on fusing, i.e., combining, multi-resolution/multi-sensor imagery for land use/land cover (LULC) classification. In relation to this topic, Sun and Schulz [1] recently found that a combination of visible-to-near infrared (VNIR; 30 m spatial resolution) and thermal infrared (TIR; 100–120 m spatial resolution) Landsat data led to more accurate LULC classification. They also found that using multi-temporal TIR data alone for classification resulted in comparable (and in some cases higher) classification accuracies to the use of multi-temporal VNIR data, which contrasts with the findings of other recent research [2]. This discrepancy, and the generally very high LULC accuracies achieved by Sun and Schulz (up to 99.2% overall accuracy for a combined VNIR/TIR classification result), can likely be explained by their use of an accuracy assessment procedure which does not take into account the multi-resolution nature of the data. Sun and Schulz used 10-fold cross-validation for accuracy assessment, which is not necessarily inappropriate for RS accuracy assessment in general. However, here it is shown that the typical pixel-based cross-validation approach results in non-independent training and validation data sets when the lower spatial resolution TIR images are used for classification, which causes classification accuracy to be overestimated.
Response to Johnson B.A. Scale Issues Related to the Accuracy Assessment of Land Use/Land Cover Maps Produced Using Multi-Resolution Data: Comments on “The Improvement of Land Cover Classification by Thermal Remote Sensing”. Remote Sens. 2015, 7, 8368–8390
Authors: Sun Liya , Schulz Karsten
Published: October 2015

Following the suggestion made by Johnson (Johnson B.A., 2015), a polygon-based cross validation (CV) method is compared to the pixel-based CV method to classify different levels of land cover categories using a single-date Landsat 8 image and time series of Landsat TM images. Also, different variants of band combinations, with and without the thermal bands, were considered. The results demonstrate that the inclusion of thermal information into the classification process will improve the classification performance, as was already shown in our original study (Sun and Schulz, 2015). However, it is also demonstrated that the polygon-based CV method produced lower overall accuracy values when compared to the pixel-based CV method. This confirms the argument made by Johnson that a correlation of calibration and validation data due to random sampling of multi-scale data will overestimate the performance of the classifier, and independent polygon-based CV methods have to be applied instead.
On the Continuity of the Hutchinson Operator
Authors: Barnsley Michael , Leśniak Krzysztof
Published: October 2015

We investigate when the Hutchinson operator associated with an iterated function system is continuous. The continuity with respect to both the Hausdorff metric and Vietoris topology is carefully considered. An example showing that the Hutchinson operator on the hyperspace of nonempty closed bounded sets need not be Hausdorff continuous is given. Infinite systems are also discussed. The work clarifies and generalizes several partial results scattered across the literature.
The Inhibitory Effect of Botulinum Toxin Type A on Rat Pyloric Smooth Muscle Contractile Response to Substance P In Vitro
Authors: Shao Yu-Feng , Xie Jun-Fan , Ren Yin-Xiang , Wang Can , Kong Xiang-Pan , Zong Xiao-Jian , Fan Lin-Lan , Hou Yi-Ping
Published: October 2015

A decrease in pyloric myoelectrical activity and pyloric substance P (SP) content following intrasphincteric injection of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) in free move rats have been demonstrated in our previous studies. The aim of the present study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of BTX-A on rat pyloric muscle contractile response to SP in vitro and the distributions of SP and neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R) immunoreactive (IR) cells and fibers within pylorus. After treatment with atropine, BTX-A (10 U/mL), similar to [D-Arg1, D-Phe5, D-Trp7,9, Leu11]-SP (APTL-SP, 1 μmol/L) which is an NK1R antagonist, decreased electric field stimulation (EFS)-induced contractile tension and frequency, whereas, subsequent administration of APTL-SP did not act on contractility. Incubation with BTX-A at 4 and 10 U/mL for 4 h respectively decreased SP (1 μmol/L)-induced contractions by 26.64% ± 5.12% and 74.92% ± 3.62%. SP-IR fibers and NK1R-IR cells both located within pylorus including mucosa and circular muscle layer. However, fewer SP-fibers were observed in pylorus treated with BTX-A (10 U/mL). In conclusion, BTX-A inhibits SP release from enteric terminals in pylorus and EFS-induced contractile responses when muscarinic cholinergic receptors are blocked by atropine. In addition, BTX-A concentration- and time-dependently directly inhibits SP-induced pyloric smooth muscle contractility.
Conditional Order-m Efficiency of Wastewater Treatment Plants: The Role of Environmental Factors
Authors: Fuentes Ramón , Torregrosa Teresa , Ballenilla Enrique
Published: October 2015

The growing economic and environmental importance of managing water resources at a global level also entails greater efforts and interest in improving the functioning and efficiency of the increasingly more numerous wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this context, this study analyzes the efficiency of a uniform sample of plants of this type located in the region of Valencia (Spain). The type of efficiency measure used for this (conditional order-m efficiency) allows continuous and discrete contextual variables to be directly involved in the analysis and enables the assessment of their statistical significance and effect (positive or negative). The main findings of the study showed that the quality of the influent water and also the size and age of the plants had a significant influence on their efficiency levels. In particular, as regards the effect of such variables, the findings pointed to the existence of an inverse relationship between the quality of the influent water and the efficiency of the WWTPs. Also, a lower annual volume of treated water and more modern installations showed a positive influence. Additionally, the average efficiency levels observed turned out to be higher than those reported in previous studies.
Understanding Groundwater Storage Changes and Recharge in Rajasthan, India through Remote Sensing
Authors: Chinnasamy Pennan , Maheshwari Basant , Prathapar Sanmugam
Published: October 2015

Groundwater management practices need to take hydrogeology, the agro-climate and demand for groundwater into account. Since agroclimatic zones have already been demarcated by the Government of India, it would aid policy makers to understand the status of groundwater recharge and discharge in each agroclimatic zone. However, developing effective policies to manage groundwater at agroclimatic zone and state levels is constrained due to a paucity of temporal data and information. With the launch of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission in 2002, it is now possible to obtain frequent data at broad spatial scales and use it to examine past trends in rain induced recharge and groundwater use. In this study, the GRACE data were used to estimate changes to monthly total water storage (TWS) and groundwater storage in different agroclimatic zones of Rajasthan, India. Furthermore, the long-term annual and seasonal groundwater storage trends in the state were estimated using the GRACE data and the trends were compared with those in rainfall data. The methodology based on GRACE data was found to be useful in detecting large scale trends in groundwater storage changes covering different agroclimatic zones. The analysis of data shows that groundwater storage trends depend on rainfall in previous years and, therefore, on the antecedent moisture conditions. Overall, the study indicates that if suitable groundwater recharge methods and sites are identified for the state, there is potential to achieve more groundwater recharge than what is currently occurring and, thus, enhancing the availability of water for irrigated agriculture.
Distributivity and Logical Form in the Emergence of Universal Quantification
Authors: Philip William
Published: October 2015

No abstract
Improved Bone Formation in Osteoporotic Rabbits with the Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 (rhBMP-2) Coated Titanium Screws Which Were Coated By Using Plasma Polymerization Technique
Authors: Gulsen Salih , Cokeliler Dilek , Goktas Hilal , Kucukturhan Aysu , Ozcil Bilgehan , Caner Hakan
Published: October 2015

Delaying of bone fusion in osteoporotic patients underwent spinal stabilization surgery leads to screw loosening, and this causes pseudoarticulation, mobility and fibrosis at vertebral segments. To prevent these complications, the screws coated with recombinant bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) could be used. To verify this hypothesis, we coated 5 Titanium screws with rhBMP-2 using plasma polymerization method, and also used 10 uncoated screws for making comparison between coated and uncoated screws in different groups. And 15 skeletally mature white New Zealand female rabbits were assigned into three different groups: Group 1(N = 5): No osteoporosis induction and insertion of uncoated Titanium screw into right sacrum of each rabbit in group 1; group 2 (N = 5): Osteoporosis induction and insertion of uncoated Titanium screw into right sacrum of each rabbit in group 2; group 3 (N = 5) rhBMP-2 coated Titanium screw inserted into right sacrum of each rabbit in group 3. In summary, using of these coated screws provides new bone formation, but causes less fibrosis and less inflammation than uncoated screws at the interface between the coated screw and bone. Then the plasma polymerization technique provides controlled releasing of rhBMP-2 from the screw to the bone tissue in osteoporotic rabbits.
Serum Asymmetric Dimethylarginine, and Adiponectin as Predictors of Atherosclerotic Risk among Obese Egyptian Children
Authors: Abdel Hameed Enas R. , El-Alameey Inas R. , Sherif Lobna S. , Khairy Sahar A. , Megawer Amr S. , Youness Eman R. , El-Shiemy Aisha Mohamed
Published: October 2015

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, hypertension, premature atherosclerosis, and coronary artery disease in the future.AIM: This study is designed to assess the relationship between serum adiponectin, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), and lipid profile among Egyptian overweight and obese children.METHODS: This cross sectional case control study included 40 selected pre-pubertal overweight and obese children, 24 girls (60%) and 16 boys (40%) aged between 5 to 13 years (8.85 Â± 2.7 years), from new cases attending the National nutrition institute clinic during 2013. Forty apparently healthy children of matched age and sex were recruited as a control group.RESULTS: Obese group showed highly significant higher levels of serum ADMA, triglycerides, and total cholesterol compared with healthy controls (P <0.000 in all). However, serum adiponectin levels were highly significant lower in obese children compared to healthy controls (P < 0.000). Serum ADMA showed significant positive correlations with height, serum total cholesterol and serum triglycerides levels and significant negative correlation with the body mass index and weight for age z score.Â  Serum adiponectin showed significant negative correlations with BMI, weight, and weight for age z score and significant positive correlation with serum triglycerides. By linear regression analysis; serum adiponectin, and serum triglycerides levels were significant predictors of high serum ADMA level (p =0.045 and 0.015 respectively). BMI, weight, height and serum triglycerides were significant predictors of low serum adiponectin levels (p = 0.005, 0.022, 0.026 and 0.015 respectively).CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed that ADMA, Adiponectin and lipid profile can be considered as predictive biomarkers in prediction and prevention of atherosclerotic risk in the future among overweight and obese Egyptian children.
Computerized Dynamic Posturography in Patients with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy and Visual Feedback-Based Balance Training Effects
Authors: Ahmed Mohieldin M. , Mosalem Douaa M. , Tarshouby Wafaa A. , Alfeeli Aziz K. , Baqer Ayyoub B. , Mohamed Mohamed H.
Published: October 2015

BACKGROUND: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) often has reduced stability during standing conditions.AIM: To compare balance control in diabetic patients and normal subjects using computerized dynamic posturography and to assess effect of visual feedback-based balance training in DPN.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 57 patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus and 30 age-matched normal control subjects were recruited. The sensory organization test was done before and after the training program.RESULTS: There was a significant decrease of mean (Â± SD) of composite equilibrium score and somatosensory ratio score between subgroups of DPN and control healthy group (p < 0.05).Â  There was a significant increase of mean (Â± SD) of composite equilibrium score and the somatosensory ratio score after treatment as compared to results before training (p < 0.05) in mild DPN.Â  Moreover, there were a significant correlation between composite equilibrium score and disease duration before training in the severe DPN (r = 0.368, p < 0.05).Â CONCLUSIONS: Computerized dynamic posturography is an important quantitative tool in the assessment of posture instability and allows for early disclosure of the failure of the postural control system. Visual feedback-based balance training was shown to be a promising method for fall prevention among early diabetes mellitus with peripheral neuropathy.
â€œChair Standâ€ Test as Predictor of Brazilian Elderly Men Fallers
Authors: Coqueiro Raildo , Santos Kleyton , Schettino Ludmila , Barbosa Aline , Pereira Rafael , Fernandes Marcos
Published: October 2015

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between fall and performance in the â€œchair standâ€ test; and evaluate this test as a predictor of community-dwelling Brazilian elderly men fallers.MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a study based on secondary data derived from a population-based epidemiological study involving 143 elderly men. The association between fall and performance in the â€œchair standâ€ test was tested with the Poisson regression technique (robust model adjusted by age). The discriminatory power of the â€œchair standâ€ test was determined by the ROC curve. In all analyses the level of significance adopted was 5% (Î± = 0.05). The data were analyzed in the IBM SPSS and MedCalc. The participantsâ€™ age ranged from 60 to 105 years (73.4 Â± 9.4 years). The time for performing the test ranged from 6 s to 31 s (13.2 Â± 5.0 s) and 17.7% (n = 25) reported having suffered at least one fall in the last 12 months.RESULTS: The Poisson multiple regression model (adjusted by age) showed that the spent time to perform the â€œchair standâ€ test was positively associated (PR = 1.08; CI95% = 1.02 - 1.14; P = 0.009) with the occurrence of fall in the last 12 months. The power of the â€œchair standâ€ test to discriminating the elderly who suffered fall may be visualized by means of the ROC curve parameters. The value of AUC indicates that the â€œchair standâ€ test was able to discriminate individuals who suffered and those who did not suffered fall. The cut-off point of 12 s was the one that best discriminated the occurrence of fall, presenting sensitivity = 68.4% and specificity = 60.0%.CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that the â€œchair standâ€ test was associated with fall and presented predictive potential for elderly men fallers.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Never-Smoking Female Workers Exposed to Cotton Dust
Authors: Minov Jordan , Karadzinska-Bislimovska Jovanka , Tutkun Engin , Vasilevska Kristin , Risteska-Kuc Snezana , Stoleski Saso , Mijakoski Dragan
Published: October 2015

AIM: Textile workers in their work environment are exposed to airborne particulate from natural and synthetic origin. In the present study we aimed at assessment of prevalence and characterstics ofÂ  COPD in never-smoking female workers employed at cotton weaving sector in textile manufacture.MATERIAL AND METHODS: In order to assess chronic prevalence and characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in textile industry we performed a cross-sectional study including 47 never-smoking female cotton workers (aged 36 to 56 years) and an equal number of never-smoking female office workers studied as a control. Evaluation of examined subjects consisted of completion of a questionnaire, baseline spirometry, and bronchodilator reversibility testing.RESULTS: We found higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms in cotton workers with significant difference for phlegm and dyspnea. Majority of the chronic respiratory symptoms in cotton workers were work-related. With exception of the mean value of forced vital capacity (FVC), the mean values of all other measured spirometric parameters in cotton workers were significantly lower than in office workers. The prevalence of COPD was significantly higher in cotton workers than in office workers (11.4% vs. 2.3%, P = 0,027). COPD in cotton workers was significantly associated with age higher than 45 years and with duration of exposure longer than 20 years.CONCLUSION: Our findings support data about relationship between occupational exposure to organic dust in textile workers and persistent airflow limitation.