bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards an understanding of consumer recycling from an ethical perspective
Authors: Culiberg Barbara
Published: October 2013

Recycling is a post‐purchase consumer activity where the consumer usually considers not only individual but also social goals, ideas and ideologies. Accordingly, ethics is an inherent part of recycling; however, very few studies have explored this behaviour from an ethical point of view. The purpose of this paper is to explain consumer recycling by taking a multifaceted ethical approach. The conceptual model builds on theoretical underpinnings related to ethical consumption by exploring the extensions of the theory of planned behaviour, Jones' ethical decision‐making model and Holbrook's conceptualization of ethical consumption. Thus, the attitude‐intention framework incorporates three ethics‐related concepts: (1) moral obligation, i.e. the level of guilt to perform the behaviour, (2) moral intensity, i.e. the moral issue characteristics, and (3) collectivism, i.e. an individual‐level value orientation. The data were collected from a sample of Slovenian consumers, using an online consumer panel. The sample reflected the Slovenian population in terms of gender and age. The proposed conceptual model was tested using structural equation modelling. The results suggest the proposed ethical concepts play a significant role in the attitude‐intention framework. The more collectivistic individuals have more positive attitudes towards recycling. Moreover, the more consumers perceive recycling as morally intense, the more favourable their attitudes are. In turn, attitudes positively affect intentions to recycle. In addition, higher levels of moral obligation positively influence intentions to recycle. The only hypothesis that is not supported in this study refers to the influence of moral intensity on intentions to recycle. The implications for public policymakers and social marketers stem from a complex interplay of the antecedents of recycling behaviour. Future studies could go in several directions by extending the model to other moral issues, conducting a study in a cross‐cultural setting or taking a longitudinal approach.
TWO‐STEP ESTIMATION OF A MULTI‐VARIATE LÉVY PROCESS
Authors: Esmaeili Habib , Klüppelberg Claudia
Published: October 2013

Based on the concept of a Lévy copula to describe the dependence structure of a multi‐variate Lévy process, we present a new estimation procedure. We consider a parametric model for the marginal Lévy processes as well as for the Lévy copula and estimate the parameters by a two‐step procedure. We first estimate the parameters of the marginal processes and then estimate in a second step only the dependence structure parameter. For infinite Lévy measures, we truncate the small jumps and base our statistical analysis on the large jumps of the model. Prominent example will be a bivariate stable Lévy process, which allows for analytic calculations and, hence, for a comparison of different methods. We prove asymptotic normality of the parameter estimates from the two‐step procedure, and in particular, we derive the Godambe information matrix, whose inverse is the covariance matrix of the normal limit law. A simulation study investigates the loss of efficiency because of the two‐step procedure and the truncation.
Electoral Budget Cycles in Legislatures
Authors: Wehner Joachim
Published: October 2013

This article examines electoral cycles in legislative budget decisions. Where local structures play an important role in candidate selection and election, legislators' incentives to amend the executive spending proposal can depend on the proximity of elections, leading to more spendthrift behavior in the run‐up to popular votes. However, stringent budget institutions can counteract this tendency. Using a unique dataset of executive spending proposals and approved budgets inSweden, I find strong empirical support for these predictions. Future studies of electoral cycles should pay greater attention to separating the contributions of the legislative and executive stages of the budgetary process and the conditions that foster electoral cyclicality in legislatures.
Risk for anxiety and implications for treatment: developmental, environmental, and genetic factors governing fear regulation
Authors: Hartley Catherine A. , Casey B.J.
Published: October 2013

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders, affecting as many as 10% of youth, with diagnoses peaking during adolescence. A core component of these disorders is an unremitting fear in the absence of present threat. One of the most commonly used therapies to treat these disorders is exposure‐based cognitive behavioral therapy that identifies the source of the fear and anxiety and then desensitizes the individual to it. This treatment builds on basic principles of fear‐extinction learning. A number of patients improve with this therapy, but 40–50% do not. This paper provides an overview of recent empirical studies employing both human imaging and cross‐species behavioral genetics to examine how fear regulation varies across individuals and across development, especially during adolescence. These studies have important implications for understanding who may be at risk for anxiety disorders and for whom and when during development exposure‐based therapies may be most effective.
Event‐related potentials reveal the effect of prior knowledge on competition for representation and attentional capture
Authors: Hilimire Matthew R. , Corballis Paul M.
Published: October 2013

Objects compete for representation in our limited capacity visual system. We examined how this competition is influenced by top‐down knowledge using event‐related potentials. Competition was manipulated by presenting visual search arrays in which the target or distractor was the only color singleton compared to displays in which both singletons were presented. Experiments 1 and 2 manipulated whether the observer knew the color of the target in advance. Experiment 3 ruled out low‐level sensory explanations. Results show that, under conditions of competition, the distractor does not elicit an N2pc when the target color is known. However, the N2pc elicited by the target is reduced in the presence of a distractor. These findings suggest that top‐down knowledge can prevent the capture of attention by distracting information, but this prior knowledge does not eliminate the competitive influence of the distractor on the target.
Shouldn't Physical Capital Also Matter for Multinational Enterprise Activity?
Authors: Bergstrand Jeffrey H. , Egger Peter
Published: October 2013

The foreign direct investment (FDI) literature has generally failed to find strong systematic evidence of “vertical” motivations in bilateral aggregate FDI and foreign affiliate sales (FAS) data, despite recent evidence of vertical FDI in firm‐level data. Moreover, a Bayesian analysis of the empirical determinants of FDI (and FAS) flows reveals that the parent country's physical capital per worker has a strong positive effect on FDI alongside typical gravity‐equation variables; however, this variable is ignored in the knowledge‐capital (KC) model and most empirical work. We address these two puzzles by introducing relative factor endowment differences into the three‐factor, three‐country knowledge and physical capital extension of the 2 × 2 × 2 KC model. Using a numerical version of our model, we show that horizontal and vertical multinational enterprises' (MNEs') headquarters surface in different parts of the Edgeworth box relating the parent country's skilled labor share relative to its physical capital share (of the parent's and host's endowments). The key economic insight is that horizontal MNE headquarters will be relatively more abundant than vertical MNE headquarters in countries that are abundant in physical capital relative to skilled labor, because of the multi‐plant (single‐plant) structure of horizontal (vertical) MNEs—assuming plants (headquarters) use physical capital (skilled labor) relatively intensively in their setups. The theoretical relationships suggest augmenting empirical FAS gravity equations with (polynomials of) the parent's skilled labor share alongside the parent's physical capital share to explain in aggregate bilateral data the coexistence of horizontal and vertical FAS. The theoretical and empirical results shed light on the positive effect of parent's physical capital share on FAS flows, but also suggest that MNE headquarters may be prominent in parent countries with relatively high and low skilled labor shares—once physical capital is accounted for—a result not suggested by the two‐factor KC model.
Shared Renewable Resources: Gains from Trade and Trade Policy
Authors: Takarada Yasuhiro , Dong Weijia , Ogawa Takeshi
Published: October 2013

This paper examines the effects of international trade and trade policy in a two‐country, two‐good model with an open‐access renewable resource that is internationally shared. We show that both countries may still benefit from trade when they specialize in the production of their comparative advantage good, although the shared resource is reduced by trade. In addition, we demonstrate that the steady state utility of a resource‐good importing country may be reduced by trade, even if it specializes in the production of a non‐resource good. Import tariffs and export taxes on a resource good may increase or decrease the shared stock level depending on the production patterns in a trading steady state. The trade policy is likely to be Pareto‐improving when the shared stock rises, while both countries may be made worse off by the trade policy when the shared stock falls.
Cyclist Drag in Team Pursuit: Influence of Cyclist Sequence, Stature, and Arm Spacing
Authors: Defraeye Thijs , Blocken Bert , Koninckx Erwin , Hespel Peter , Verboven Pieter , Nicolai Bart , Carmeliet Jan
Published: October 2013

In team pursuit, the drag of a group of cyclists riding in a pace line is dependent on several factors, such as anthropometric characteristics (stature) and position of each cyclist as well as the sequence in which they ride. To increase insight in drag reduction mechanisms, the aerodynamic drag of four cyclists riding in a pace line was investigated, using four different cyclists, and for four different sequences. In addition, each sequence was evaluated for two arm spacings. Instead of conventional field or wind tunnel experiments, a validated numerical approach (computational fluid dynamics) was used to evaluate cyclist drag, where the bicycles were not included in the model. The cyclist drag was clearly dependent on his position in the pace line, where second and subsequent positions experienced a drag reduction up to 40%, compared to an individual cyclist. Individual differences in stature and position on the bicycle led to an intercyclist variation of this drag reduction at a specific position in the sequence, but also to a variation of the total drag of the group for different sequences. A larger drag area for the group was found when riding with wider arm spacing. Such numerical studies on cyclists in a pace line are useful for determining the optimal cyclist sequence for team pursuit.
Flight performance of the International Space Station active rack isolation system
Authors: Bushnell Glenn S. , Fialho Ian J. , Allen James L. , Quraishi Naveed
Published: October 2013

Space flight experiment test results of a Space Station Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS) are presented. The purpose of ARIS is to isolate microgravity sensitive science experiments mounted in Space Station racks from structural vibrations present on the large Space Station orbital structure. The ARIS is shown to solve the very difficult and challenging low frequency isolation problem by providing over an order of magnitude reduction in the acceleration at 0.1 Hz. The Station displacement response to crew motion is discussed along with the control method that ARIS employs to maintain microgravity performance while limiting the motion between the Station and the isolated rack. The dramatic difference between the Station acceleration levels during crew awake and sleep periods are presented. Some microgravity experiments are sensitive to angular acceleration, so both the translational and angular accelerations of the isolated rack are presented. The performance at frequencies up to 300 Hz was measured by exciting the Station structure with a proof-mass shaker and a hammer and these results, and the impacts from payload fans are presented. ARIS has been in operation for two years and three Zeolite Crystal Growth Experiments have been supported.
Performance of vector sensors in noise
Authors: Cox Henry , Baggeroer Arthur
Published: October 2013

Vector sensors are super gain devices that can provide ‘‘array gain’’ against ocean noise with a point sensor. As supergain devices they have increased sensitivity to nonacoustic noise components. This paper reviews and summarizes the processing gain that is achievable in various noise fields. Comparisons are made with an omni-directional sensor and with the correlation of a pair of closely spaced omni-directional sensors. Total processing gain that consists of both spatial and temporal gain is considered so that a proper analysis and interpretation of multiplicative processing can be made. The performance of ‘‘intensity sensors’’ (pressure times velocity) that are obtained by multiplying the omnidirectional component with a co-located dipole is also considered. A misinterpretation, that is common in the literature, concerning the performance of intensity sensors is discussed. The adaptive cardioid processing of vector sensors is also reviewed.
Highly directional receivers using various combinations of scalar, vector, and dyadic sensors
Authors: McConnell James A.
Published: October 2013

The generalized theory of directional sensors is presented in the form of the Taylor series expansion of the acoustic pressure about a point in space. If the expansion is truncated to second order, the analysis of scalar, vector, and dyadic sensors can be made and corresponds to the zeroth-, first-, and second-order gradient of the acoustic pressure. This translates into using a sufficient number of omni-directional hydrophones or a multimode hydrophone in conjunction with the appropriate finite-differencing operations to achieve the desired beam patterns. Using the linearized Euler equation, the formulation can be recast in terms of the zeroth-order gradient of the acoustic pressure along with the zeroth- and first-order gradient of the particle acceleration. In this case, the zeroth-order terms can be measured directly with an omni-directional hydrophone and a neutrally buoyant accelerometer. The gradient of the particle acceleration can be measured indirectly using finite differences or directly by measuring the angular acceleration akin to a Rayleigh disk. Of particular interest is the use of scalar, vector, and dyadic sensors to localize sources of sound using arc-tangent-squared processing and cardioid-squared processing as opposed to conventional arc-tangent and cardioid processing. [Work supported by ONR 321SS.]
Wave propagation in viscoelastic horns using a fractional calculus rheology model
Authors: Margulies Timothy
Published: October 2013

The complex mechanical behavior of materials are characterized by fluid and solid models with fractional calculus differentials to relate stress and strain fields. Fractional derivatives have been shown to describe the viscoelastic stress from polymer chain theory for molecular solutions [Rouse and Sittel, J. Appl. Phys. 24, 690 (1953)]. Here the propagation of infinitesimal waves in one dimensional horns with a small cross-sectional area change along the longitudinal axis are examined. In particular, the linear, conical, exponential, and catenoidal shapes are studied. The wave amplitudes versus frequency are solved analytically and predicted with mathematical computation. Fractional rheology data from Bagley [J. Rheol. 27, 201 (1983); Bagley and Torvik, J. Rheol. 30, 133 (1986)] are incorporated in the simulations. Classical elastic and fluid ‘‘Webster equations’’ are recovered in the appropriate limits. Horns with real materials that employ fractional calculus representations can be modeled to examine design trade-offs for engineering or for scientific application.
Sound source localization with a gradient array using a coherence test
Authors: Mohan Satish , Lockwood Michael E. , Jones Douglas L. , Su Quang , Miles Ronald N.
Published: October 2013

The localization of sound sources is difficult when the number of sources is greater than the number of sensors. An algorithm is described that can localize in such acoustic scenes by utilizing a statistical coherence test to identify desirable time–frequency bins where the MUSIC and minimum-variance spectral estimators are applied. Localization results are then obtained by integrating across the selected time–frequency bins. The algorithm was used to localize signals in azimuth and elevation from a co-located microphone array consisting of one omnidirectional microphone and three gradient microphones. With 2.5 seconds of five speech sources, the azimuth and elevation estimates produced by the algorithm, over a hundred realizations of additive white Gaussian noise, had biases under four degrees and standard deviations less than two degrees. The algorithm was also used to compare the localization performance, in azimuth, of an array of two co-located gradient microphones with an array of two 15-cm-spaced omnidirectional microphones in the free-field.
An echological theory of language learning
Authors: Lacerda Francisco , Sundberg Ulla
Published: October 2013

An ecological theory of language acquisition (ETLA), attempting to account for the linguistic development during about the first 18 months of age, is proposed in this contribution. The theory does not assume that the infant is endowed with specialized linguistic devices or strategies at the onset of life. ETLA considers instead the multi-sensory aspects of the adult-infant interaction and the typical ecological setting of that interaction. Rather than focusing on the speech signal per se, ETLA considers the infant’s multi-sensory exposure to the phonetic, prosodic, syntactic and semantic characteristics along with visual, tactile, olfative and other sensory information as a key to the spontaneous emergence of linguistic structure early in life—a structure implicit in the adults use of the language, and that is partly simplified by the infant’s limited production, perception and representation capacities. A functional model illustrating how such general-purpose mechanisms interacting with the typical sensory input available to the infant may lay the ground for linguistic structure will be presented for discussion. [Research supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council and the Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation.]
Temporal integration in a California sea lion and a harbor seal: Estimates of aerial auditory sensitivity as a function of signal duration
Authors: Holt Marla M. , Southall Brandon L. , Kastak David , Schusterman Ronald J. , Reichmuth Kastak Colleen
Published: October 2013

Stimulus durations shorter than some critical value result in elevated signal-detection thresholds due to temporal integration (or temporal summation) properties of the auditory system. These properties are important from a theoretical perspective in terms of the trade-offs of stimulus duration and intensity on sensitivity. From a methodological perspective, temporal integration is important because absolute detection thresholds measured using signal durations shorter than the temporal integration period may underestimate hearing sensitivity. In this study, aerial sound-detection thresholds were estimated at 2500 and 3530 Hz in a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) and a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina). Thresholds were measured for each frequency at seven stimulus durations ranging from 100 to 500 ms using behavioral psychophysics in a hemianechoic chamber. In general, thresholds increased as tone duration decreased for durations shorter than approximately 300 ms. For tone durations longer than 300 ms, thresholds were not different from those measured with the longest duration tested. These results suggest temporal integration times of approximately 300 ms for these species, which are consistent with data collected on other mammals. Our findings suggest that tone durations longer than 300 ms should be used in estimating pinniped auditory sensitivity.
Decoding Signaling and Function of the Orphan G Protein–Coupled Receptor GPR17 with a Small-Molecule Agonist
Authors: Hennen Stephanie , Wang Haibo , Peters Lucas , Merten Nicole , Simon Katharina , Spinrath Andreas , Blättermann Stefanie , Akkari Rhalid , Schrage Ramona , Schröder Ralf , Schulz Daniel , Vermeiren Celine , Zimmermann Katrin , Kehraus Stefan , Drewke Christel , Pfeifer Alexander , König Gabriele M. , Mohr Klaus , Gillard Michel , Müller Christa E. , Lu Q. Richard , Gomeza Jesus , Kostenis Evi
Published: October 2013

Activation of GPR17 prevents oligodendrocyte maturation and reveals that inhibiting GPR17 may be a therapeutic strategy to treat multiple sclerosis.
Types and Prevalence of Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii Complex in Northern Taiwan
Authors: Hsieh Wen-Shyang , Wang Nai-Yu , Feng Jou-An , Weng Li-Chuan , Wu Hsueh-Hsia
Published: October 2013

The frequency of the carbapenem-resistant
Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii
(CRACB) complex increases annually in our hospitals. However, the types and prevalence of carbapenemases among isolates still remain unclear. In this study, we identified and collected 672 carbapenem-resistant isolates from a medical center in Northern Taiwan between April and December of 2010. There were 577 genospecies 2 (
Acinetobacter baumannii
), 79 genospecies 13TU, and 16 genospecies 3 isolates. The isolates had an acquired
bla
OXA-24
-like gene, which was confirmed by sequencing for the encoded OXA-72 carbapenemase, and were often associated with high-level carbapenem resistance. These CRACB complex isolates remained susceptible to colistin (100%). The genotyping of isolates was conducted using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis with ApaI digestion. In most clonally related groups, patients were from both branch hospitals. The results indicate that interhospital dissemination of clones occurred. This study provides updated data on the types and prevalence of the CRACB complex. In addition, it presents a warning on the emergence and spread of CRACB complex harboring
bla
OXA-24
-like genes in northern Taiwan.
DISCRETE-TIME GIX/GEO/1/N QUEUE WITH WORKING VACATIONS AND VACATION INTERRUPTION
Authors: GAO SHAN , LIU ZAIMING , DU QIWEN
Published: October 2013

In this paper, we study a discrete-time finite buffer batch arrival queue with multiple geometric working vacations and vacation interruption: the server serves the customers at the lower rate rather than completely stopping during the vacation period and can come back to the normal working level once there are customers after a service completion during the vacation period, i.e., a vacation interruption happens. The service times during a service period, service times during a vacation period and vacation times are geometrically distributed. The queue is analyzed using the supplementary variable and the imbedded Markov-chain techniques. We obtain steady-state system length distributions at pre-arrival, arbitrary and outside observer's observation epochs. We also present probability generation function (p.g.f.) of actual waiting-time distribution in the system and some performance measures.
ON STRONGLY NONLINEAR AUTOREGRESSIVE MODELS: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE THEORY OF TRANSIENT AND STATIONARY RESPONSES OF MANY-BODY SYSTEMS
Authors: FRANK T. D. , MONGKOLSAKULVONG S.
Published: October 2013

Two widely used concepts in physics and the life sciences are combined: mean field theory and time-discrete time series modeling. They are merged within the framework of strongly nonlinear stochastic processes, which are processes whose stochastic evolution equations depend self-consistently on process expectation values. Explicitly, a generalized autoregressive (AR) model is presented for an AR process that depends on its process mean value. Criteria for stationarity are derived. The transient dynamics in terms of the relaxation of the first moment and the stationary response to fluctuations in terms of the autocorrelation function are discussed. It is shown that due to the stochastic feedback via the process mean, transient and stationary responses may exhibit qualitatively different temporal patterns. That is, the model offers a time-discrete description of many-body systems that in certain parameter domains feature qualitatively different transient and stationary response dynamics.
Post-Ordering by Parsing with ITG for Japanese-English Statistical Machine Translation
Authors: Goto Isao , Utiyama Masao , Sumita Eiichiro
Published: October 2013

Word reordering is a difficult task for translation between languages with widely different word orders, such as Japanese and English. A previously proposed post-ordering method for Japanese-to-English translation first translates a Japanese sentence into a sequence of English words in a word order similar to that of Japanese, then reorders the sequence into an English word order. We employed this post-ordering framework and improved upon its reordering method. The existing post-ordering method reorders the sequence of English words via SMT, whereas our method reorders the sequence by (1) parsing the sequence using ITG to obtain syntactic structures which are similar to Japanese syntactic structures, and (2) transferring the obtained syntactic structures into English syntactic structures according to the ITG. The experiments using Japanese-to-English patent translation demonstrated the effectiveness of our method and showed that both the RIBES and BLEU scores were improved over compared methods.
Spectral Asymmetry and Higuchi’s Fractal Dimension Measures of Depression Electroencephalogram
Authors: Bachmann Maie , Lass Jaanus , Suhhova Anna , Hinrikus Hiie
Published: October 2013

This study was aimed to compare two electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis methods, spectral asymmetry index (SASI) and Higuchi’s fractal dimension (HFD), for detection of depression. Linear SASI method is based on evaluation of the balance of powers in two EEG frequency bands in one channel selected higher and lower than the alpha band spectrum maximum. Nonlinear HFD method calculates fractal dimension directly in the time domain. The resting EEG signals of 17 depressive patients and 17 control subjects were used as a database for calculations. SASI values were positive for depressive and negative for control group (P<0.05). SASI provided the true detection rate of 88% in the depressive and 82% in the control group. The calculated HFD values detected a small (3%) increase with depression (P<0.05). HFD provided the true detection rate of 94% in the depressive group and 76% in the control group. The rate of correct indication in the both groups was 85% using SASI or HFD. Statistically significant variations were not revealed between hemispheres (P>0.05). The results indicated that the linear EEG analysis method SASI and the nonlinear HFD method both demonstrated a good sensitivity for detection of characteristic features of depression in a single-channel EEG.
Seizure, Deafness, and Renal Failure: A Case of Barakat Syndrome
Authors: Maleki Nasrollah , Bashardoust Bahman , Iranparvar Alamdari Manouchehr , Tavosi Zahra
Published: October 2013

Barakat syndrome (also known as HDR syndrome) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by hypoparathyroidism, sensorineural deafness, and renal disease caused by mutation of the GATA3 gene located at chromosome 10p15. The exact prevalence of this disorder is not known but is very rare, with only about a dozen cases reported in the literature. Here, we report a case of 58-year-old man from Ardabil who presented with seizure due to hypocalcemia. Further history revealed bilateral deafness. Audiogram confirmed sensorineural hearing loss of both sides. His laboratory data were consistent with hypoparathyroidism and renal failure. He was diagnosed to have Barakat syndrome based on his clinical and laboratory data. In conclusion, we need to be aware of rare inherited conditions in a patient with abnormal physical and laboratory findings even though their initial presentation was seizure and hypocalcemia.
Semi-Idealized Study on Estimation of Partly and Fully Space Varying Open Boundary Conditions for Tidal Models
Authors: Zhang Jicai , Chen Haibo
Published: October 2013

Two strategies for estimating open boundary conditions (OBCs) with adjoint method are compared by carrying out semi-idealized numerical experiments. In the first strategy, the OBC is assumed to be partly space varying and generated by linearly interpolating the values at selected feature points. The advantage is that the values at feature points are taken as control variables so that the variations of the curves can be reproduced by the minimum number of points. In the second strategy, the OBC is assumed to be fully space varying and the values at every open boundary points are taken as control variables. A series of semi-idealized experiments are carried out to compare the effectiveness of two inversion strategies. The results demonstrate that the inversion effect is in inverse proportion to the number of feature points which characterize the spatial complexity of open boundary forcing. The effect of ill-posedness of inverse problem will be amplified if the observations contain noises. The parameter estimation problems with more control variables will be much more sensitive to data noises, and the negative effects of noises can be restricted by reducing the number of control variables. This work provides a concrete evidence that ill-posedness of inverse problem can generate wrong parameter inversion results and produce an unreal “good data fitting.”
Lymph Drainage in Pregnant Women
Authors: Cataldo Oportus Sylvia , de Paiva Rodrigues Lilian , Pereira de Godoy José Maria , Guerreiro Godoy Maria de Fátima
Published: October 2013

Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of lymph drainage to reduce edema of pregnant women.Method.Pregnant women (30 limbs) from the Obstetrics Outpatient Clinic of the Medical School of Santa Casa in São Paulo in the period December 2009 to May 2010 were enrolled in this quantitative, prospective study. The patients, in the 5th to 8th months of gestation, were submitted to one hour of manual lymph drainage of the legs. The volume of the legs was measured by water displacement volumetry before and after one hour of drainage using the Godoy & Godoy manual lymph drainage technique. The pairedt-test was used for statistical analysis with an alpha error of 5% being considered significant.Results. Manual lymph drainage significantly reduced swelling of the legs of pregnant women during the day (P=0.04).Conclusion. Manual lymph drainage helps to reduce limb size during the day of pregnant women.
The Treatment Outcome and Radiation-Induced Toxicity for Patients with Head and Neck Carcinoma in the IMRT Era: A Systematic Review with Dosimetric and Clinical Parameters
Authors: Kouloulias Vassilis , Thalassinou Stella , Platoni Kalliopi , Zygogianni Anna , Kouvaris John , Antypas Christos , Efstathopoulos Efstathios , Nikolaos Kelekis
Published: October 2013

A descriptive analysis was made in terms of the related radiation induced acute and late mucositis and xerostomia along with survival and tumor control rates (significance level at 0.016, bonferroni correction), for irradiation in head and neck carcinomas with either 2D Radiation Therapy (2DRT) and 3D conformal (3DCRT) or Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). The mean score of grade>II xerostomia for IMRT versus 2-3D RT was 0.31 ± 0.23 and 0.56 ± 0.23, respectively (Mann Whitney,P<0.001). The parotid-dose for IMRT versus 2-3D RT was 29.56 ± 5.45 and 50.73 ± 6.79, respectively (Mann Whitney,P=0.016). The reported mean parotid-gland doses were significantly correlated with late xerostomia (spearman test, rho = 0.5013,P<0.001). A trend was noted for the superiority of IMRT concerning the acute oral mucositis. The 3-year overall survival for either IMRT or 2-3DRT was 89.5% and 82.7%, respectively (P=0.026, Kruskal-Wallis test). The mean 3-year locoregional control rate was 83.6% (range: 70–97%) and 74.4 (range: 61–82%), respectively (P=0.025, Kruskal-Wallis). In conclusion, no significant differences in terms of locoregional control, overall survival and acute mucositis could be noted, while late xerostomia is definitely higher in 2-3D RT versus IMRT. Patients with head and neck carcinoma should be referred preferably to IMRT techniques.
Neglected Wools: Fundamental Steps to Counteract the Loss of Potentially Valuable Materials Derived from Native Sheep Breeds
Authors: Bacci Laura , Camilli Francesca , Di Lonardo Sara , Duce Pierpaolo , Vagnoni Enrico , Mauro Antonio
Published: October 2013

In order to enhance the textile value of Italian native and local wools, research projects were carried out by starting mapping wools from some Italian sheep breeds through a preliminary morphological characterization of wool fibres. Furthermore, textile processing procedures differing from the commonly used woolling techniques have been set up. The results have shown that, at national level, native and local wools, beyond being more widely employed in the carpets production, could be also used in the higher added value sector of clothing and fashion.
Paired Measurements of Paraoxonase 1 and Serum Amyloid A as Useful Disease Markers
Authors: Kotani Kazuhiko , Yamada Toshiyuki , Gugliucci Alejandro
Published: October 2013

Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) and serum amyloid A (SAA) are proteins carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles. Among the HDL-associated protein molecules, SAA, an inflammation-related marker, and PON1, an antioxidant marker, tend to change in relatively clear opposite directions in physiological situations. In clinical chemistry, paired measurements of both markers may provide useful information to understand dysfunctional HDL in diseases with inflammation and oxidative stress conditions. Actually, limited clinical studies have suggested that the combined use of PON1 and SAA may be a tool for observing the pathophysiology of some disease entities. From the findings of experimental studies, PON1 appears to be cooperatively regulated by inflammation- and oxidative stress-related molecules linked with SAA regulation in humans. More studies remain to be performed to ascertain the value of paired measurements of both promising markers in clinical practice.
New aQTL SNPs for the CYP2D6 Identified by a Novel Mediation Analysis of Genome-Wide SNP Arrays, Gene Expression Arrays, and CYP2D6 Activity
Authors: Jiang Guanglong , Chakraborty Arindom , Wang Zhiping , Boustani Malaz , Liu Yunlong , Skaar Todd , Li Lang
Published: October 2013

Background. The genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been successful during the last few years. A key challenge is that the interpretation of the results is not straightforward, especially for transacting SNPs. Integration of transcriptome data into GWAS may provide clues elucidating the mechanisms by which a genetic variant leads to a disease.Methods. Here, we developed a novel mediation analysis approach to identify new expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) driving CYP2D6 activity by combining genotype, gene expression, and enzyme activity data.Results. 389,573 and 1,214,416 SNP-transcript-CYP2D6 activity trios are found strongly associated (P<10-5,FDR=16.6% and 11.7%) for two different genotype platforms, namely, Affymetrix and Illumina, respectively. The majority of eQTLs are trans-SNPs. A single polymorphism leads to widespread downstream changes in the expression of distant genes by affecting major regulators or transcription factors (TFs), which would be visible as an eQTL hotspot and can lead to large and consistent biological effects. Overlapped eQTL hotspots with the mediators lead to the discovery of 64 TFs.Conclusions. Our mediation analysis is a powerful approach in identifying the trans-QTL-phenotype associations. It improves our understanding of the functional genetic variations for the liver metabolism mechanisms.
Relative Infinite Determinacy for Map-Germs
Authors: Shi Changmei , Pei Donghe
Published: October 2013

The infinite determinacy for smooth map-germs with respect to two equivalence relations will be investigated. We treat the space of smooth map-germs with a constraint, and the constraint is that a fixed submanifold in the source space is mapped into another fixed submanifold in the target space. We study the infinite determinacy for such map-germs with respect to a subgroup of right-left equivalence group and finite and infinite determinacy with respect to a subgroup of contact group and give necessary and sufficient conditions for the corresponding determinacy.
Hypovitaminosis D in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Relation to Disease Control and Complications
Authors: Ahmadieh Hala , Azar Sami T. , Lakkis Najla , Arabi Asma
Published: October 2013

Aims. This study aims at assessing the relationship between 25 (OH) vitamin D (25-OHD) levels and microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). Methods. 136 patients (59 ± 11 years) with DM2 (disease duration 8.6 ± 7 years) participated in this cross-sectional study. Anthropometric data, HbA1c, 25-OHD levels, serum creatinine, and urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio were collected. Dilated retinal exam was performed, and diabetic neuropathy was assessed using the United Kingdom Screening Score. Results. Serum 25-OHD correlated negatively with HbA1c (r=-0.20,  P=0.049). Mean 25-OHD levels were lower in subjects with diabetic retinopathy compared to those without retinopathy (12.3 ± 5.5 versus 21.8 ± 13.7, P<0.001) and lower in subjects with diabetic neuropathy compared to those without neuropathy (16.4 ± 10.4 versus 23.5 ± 14.5, P=0.004). After adjustment for BMI, diabetes duration, and smoking, 25-OHD was an independent predictor of HbA1c (β  −0.14; P=0.03). After adjustment for HbA1c, age, smoking, BMI and disease duration, 25-OHD were independent predictors for diabetic retinopathy: OR 2.8 [95% CI 2.1–8.0] and neuropathy: OR 4.5 [95% CI 1.6–12] for vitamin D < 20 versus vitamin D ≥ 20 ng/mL. Conclusion. Low serum 25-OHD level was an independent predictor of HbA1c, diabetic neuropathy, and diabetic retinopathy in patients with DM2.
Varicella-Zoster-Mediated Radiculitis Reactivation following Cervical Spine Surgery: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Drazin Doniel , Hanna George , Shweikeh Faris , Jeswani Sunil , Lovely Leah , Sokolov Richard , Liu John C.
Published: October 2013

Varicella-zoster virus and herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 are neurotropic viruses that can be reactivated after a surgical or stressful intervention. Although such cases are uncommon, consequences can be debilitating, and variable treatment responses merit consideration. We describe a 41-year-old male with a history of varicella-mediated skin eruptions, who presented with continuing right arm pain, burning, and numbness in a C6 dermatomal distribution following a C5-6 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion and epidural steroid injections. The operative course was uncomplicated and he was discharged home on postoperative day 1. Approximately ten days after surgery, the patient presented to the emergency department complaining of severe pain in his right upper extremity and a vesicular rash from his elbow to his second digit. He was started on Acyclovir and discharged home. On outpatient follow-up, his rash had resolved though his pain continued. The patient was started on a neuromodulating agent for chronic pain. This case adds to the limited literature regarding this rare complication, brings attention to the symptoms for proper diagnosis and treatment, and emphasizes the importance of prompt antiviral therapy. We suggest adding a neuromodulating agent to prevent long-term sequelae and resolve acute symptoms.
Preparation and Characterization of R.F. Magnetron Sputtered Mo:ZnO Thin Films
Authors: Srinivasarao K. , Srinivasarao G. , Madhuri K. V. , Krishna Murthy K. , Mukhopadhyay P. K.
Published: October 2013

The ZnO and Mo:ZnO thin films were deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering on quartz and intrinsic silicon (100) substrates at a fixed combined partial pressure 1×10−2 mbar of Ar + O2 and substrate temperatures of 473 K and 673 K. The effect of Molybdenum doping on ZnO thin films with different Molybdenum concentrations (1-2 atomic percent) was studied with the help of structural and microstructural characterization techniques. The films deposited at a substrate temperature of 473 K exhibited strong c-axis orientation with predominant (002) peak. At 673 K, along with (002) orientation, other orientations (100), (101), (220), and (103) were also observed. Among these, the (220) peak indicates the cubic phase of ZnO. With increasing Molybdenum concentration, the cubic phase of ZnO disappeared, and the (002) orientation became strong and intense. The composition analysis reveals that the undoped ZnO films deposited at 473 K have oxygen deficiency, and the ratio of Zn/O is improved with increasing Mo atomic percent in ZnO. The surface morphological features reveal that the undoped ZnO films were found to be uniform and have grain size of around 30 nm. The optical energy gap of the undoped ZnO films is 3.05 eV and increases with increasing Mo concentration. The thickness of the films is around 456 nm.
Prenatal Diagnosis of Congenital High Airway Obstruction Syndrome: Report of Two Cases and Brief Review of the Literature
Authors: Artunc Ulkumen Burcu , Pala Halil Gursoy , Nese Nalan , Tarhan Serdar , Baytur Yesim
Published: October 2013

Congenital high airway obstruction syndrome (CHAOS) is the obstruction of the fetal upper airways, which may be partial or complete. It is usually incompatible with life. Prenatal recognition of the disease is quite important due to the recently described management options. We report here two cases of CHAOS due to tracheal atresia diagnosed by antenatal ultrasonography and fetal MRI. We also briefly review the relevant literature with the associated management options.
Comparison of Uric Acid Quantity with Different Food in Human Urine by Flow Injection Chemiluminescence Analysis
Authors: Wang Jiajia , Tan Xijuan , Song Zhenghua
Published: October 2013

Based on the inhibitory effect of uric acid (UA) on luminol-Co2+chemiluminescence (CL) system, a sensitive method for the determination of UA at nanomolar level by flow injection (FI) CL was proposed. The proposed method was successfully applied to real-time monitoring of UA excretion in human 24 h urine with different food intake, showing that meats, vegetables, and porridge intake caused differential UA excretions of 879, 798, and 742 mg, respectively. It was also found that UA concentrations in urine under the three kinds of food intake simultaneously reached maximum at 2 h after meals with the values of 417, 318, and 288 μg mL−1, respectively. The UA concentration in human serum was also determined by this approach, and the possible mechanism of luminol-Co2+-UA CL reaction was discussed in detail.
Effect of Ethyl Oleate Pretreatment on Drying of Ginger: Characteristics and Mathematical Modelling
Authors: Deshmukh A. Waheed , Varma Mahesh N. , Yoo Chang Kyoo , Wasewar Kailas L.
Published: October 2013

Ginger is of high value and export oriented commodity crop, which plays an important role in agricultural sector. Proper drying techniques are required to capitalize this crop. In the present study, the effect of chemical pretreatment of alkaline ethyl oleate on drying behaviour of ginger was investigated and compared with untreated ginger at selected temperatures of 45, 55, and 65°C at a constant air velocity of 1.8 m/s. The drying rate curves showed that drying occurred in falling rate period and the drying times of pretreated ginger were shorter than those of untreated ginger. Thin‐layer drying models such as Newton, Page, Modified Page, Henderson and Pabis, and Wang and Singh were evaluated based on statistical criteria. The Page model was found to be a better model for describing the drying kinetics of the ginger. The rehydration capacity of pretreated sample was more than that of untreated sample and increased with drying temperature. The transport of water during drying was temperature dependent and described by Fick’s equation. The effective diffusivity varied from 3.87 × 10−10 to 1.55 × 10−9 m2/s and 4.43 × 10−10 to 1.89 × 10−9 m2/s with drying temperature for untreated and pretreated ginger slices, respectively.
Practical Guidance for Implementing Predictive Biomarkers into Early Phase Clinical Studies
Authors: Marton Matthew J. , Weiner Russell
Published: October 2013

The recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) coapprovals of several therapeutic compounds and their companion diagnostic devices (FDA News Release, 2011, 2013) to identify patients who would benefit from treatment have led to considerable interest in incorporating predictive biomarkers in clinical studies. Yet, the translation of predictive biomarkers poses unique technical, logistic, and regulatory challenges that need to be addressed by a multidisciplinary team including discovery scientists, clinicians, biomarker experts, regulatory personnel, and assay developers. These issues can be placed into four broad categories: sample collection, assay validation, sample analysis, and regulatory requirements. In this paper, we provide a primer for drug development teams who are eager to implement a predictive patient segmentation marker into an early clinical trial in a way that facilitates subsequent development of a companion diagnostic. Using examples of nucleic acid-based assays, we briefly review common issues encountered when translating a biomarker to the clinic but focus primarily on key practical issues that should be considered by clinical teams when planning to use a biomarker to balance arms of a study or to determine eligibility for a clinical study.
A Quantitative Analysis of the Impact on Chromatin Accessibility by Histone Modifications and Binding of Transcription Factors in DNase I Hypersensitive Sites
Authors: Cui Peng , Li Jing , Sun Bo , Zhang Menghuan , Lian Baofeng , Li Yixue , Xie Lu
Published: October 2013

It is known that chromatin features such as histone modifications and the binding of transcription factors exert a significant impact on the “openness” of chromatin. In this study, we present a quantitative analysis of the genome-wide relationship between chromatin features and chromatin accessibility in DNase I hypersensitive sites. We found that these features show distinct preference to localize in open chromatin. In order to elucidate the exact impact, we derived quantitative models to directly predict the “openness” of chromatin using histone modification features and transcription factor binding features, respectively. We show that these two types of features are highly predictive for chromatin accessibility in a statistical viewpoint. Moreover, our results indicate that these features are highly redundant and only a small number of features are needed to achieve a very high predictive power. Our study provides new insights into the true biological phenomena and the combinatorial effects of chromatin features to differential DNase I hypersensitivity.