bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Porphyromonas gingivalis infection exacerbates the onset of rheumatoid arthritis in SKG mice
Authors: Yamakawa M , Ouhara K , Kajiya M , Munenaga S , Kittaka M , Yamasaki S , Takeda K , Takeshita K , Mizuno N , Fujita T , Sugiyama E , Kurihara H
Published: July 2016

Epidemiological studies have linked periodontitis to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) was reported recently to produce citrullinated protein (CP) and increase anti-cyclic CP antibody (ACPA), both of which have been identified as causative factors of RA. In the present study, we determined the effects of Pg infection on the exacerbation of RA in a mouse model. RA model mice (SKG mice) were established by an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of laminarin (LA). Mice were divided into six groups, Ctrl (PBS injection), LA (LA injection), Pg/LA (Pg + LA injection), Pg (Pg injection), Ec/LA (Escherichia coli and LA injection) and Ec (E. coli injection). In order to evaluate RA, joint swelling by the arthritis score, bone morphology by microcomputed tomography (microCT), haematoxylin and eosin staining, ACPA, matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) and cytokine level in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were determined. Osteoclast differentiation from bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMCs) was examined to clarify the underlying mechanisms of RA. The presence of Pg and CP in joint tissue was also investigated. The arthritis score was threefold higher in the Pg/LA group than in the LA group. Severe bone destruction was observed in joint tissue of the Pg/LA group. A microCT analysis of the Pg/LA group revealed a decrease in bone density. ACPA, MMP-3, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, CXCL1 and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α levels from the Pg/LA group were the highest. The osteoclastogenesis of BMCs was enhanced in the Pg/LA group. Furthermore, large amounts of Pg components and CP were detected in the Pg/LA group. In conclusion, Pg infection has the potential to exacerbate RA.
Peripheral blood flow changes in response to postexercise cold water immersion
Authors: Choo Hui C. , Nosaka Kazunori , Peiffer Jeremiah J. , Ihsan Mohammed , Yeo Chow C. , Abbiss Chris R.
Published: July 2016

This study compared the effect of postexercise water immersion (WI) at different temperatures on common femoral artery blood flow (CFA), muscle (total haemoglobin; tHb) and skin perfusion (cutaneous vascular conductance; CVC), assessed by Doppler ultrasound, near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and laser Doppler flowmetry, respectively. Given that heat stress may influence the vascular response during cooling, nine men cycled for 25 min at the first ventilatory threshold followed by intermittent 30‐s cycling at 90% peak power until exhaustion at 32·8 ± 0·4°C and 32 ± 5% RH. They then received 5‐min WI at 8·6 ± 0·2°C (WI9), 14·6 ± 0·3°C (WI15), 35·0 ± 0·4°C (WI35) or passive rest (CON) in a randomized, crossover manner. Heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), muscle (Tmu), thigh skin (Tthigh), rectal (Tre) and mean body (Tbody) temperatures were assessed. At 60 min postimmersion, decreases in Tre after WI35 (−0·6 ± 0·3°C) and CON (−0·6 ± 0·3°C) were different from WI15 (−1·0 ± 0·3°C; P<0·05), but not from WI9 (−1·0 ± 0·3°C; P = 0·074–0·092). WI9 and WI15 had reduced Tbody, Tthigh and Tmu compared with WI35 and CON (P <0·05). CFA, tHb and CVC were lower in WI9 and WI15 compared with CON (P<0·05). tHb following WI9 remained lower than CON (P = 0·044) at 30 min postimmersion. CVC correlated with tHb during non‐cooling (WI35 and CON) (r2 = 0·532; P<0·001) and cooling recovery (WI9 and WI15) (r2 = 0·19; P = 0·035). WI9 resulted in prolonged reduction in muscle perfusion. This suggests that CWI below 10°C should not be used for short‐term (i.e. <60 min) recovery after exercise.
Climate change‐associated trends in net biomass change are age dependent in western boreal forests of Canada
Authors: Chen Han Y. H. , Luo Yong , Reich Peter B. , Searle Eric B. , Biswas Shekhar R.
Published: July 2016

The impacts of climate change on forest net biomass change are poorly understood but critical for predicting forest's contribution to the global carbon cycle. Recent studies show climate change‐associated net biomass declines in mature forest plots. The representativeness of these plots for regional forests, however, remains uncertain because we lack an assessment of whether climate change impacts differ with forest age. Using data from plots of varying ages from 17 to 210 years, monitored from 1958 to 2011 in western Canada, we found that climate change has little effect on net biomass change in forests ≤ 40 years of age due to increased growth offsetting increased mortality, but has led to large decreases in older forests due to increased mortality accompanying little growth gain. Our analysis highlights the need to incorporate forest age profiles in examining past and projecting future forest responses to climate change.
Interaction effect of adjacent small defects on the fatigue limit of a medium carbon steel
Authors: Åman M. , Okazaki S. , Matsunaga H. , Marquis G.B. , Remes H.
Published: July 2016

Structural steels contain various material irregularities and natural defects which cause local stress concentrations from which fatigue cracks tend to initiate. Two defects in close proximity to each other may affect local stress distributions, and thus, begin to interact. In this paper, the effect of interacting small cracks on the fatigue limit is systematically investigated in a medium carbon steel. The growth of interacting cracks, as well as the characteristics of non‐propagating cracks and microstructural aspects, was closely examined via the plastic replica method. It was found that although the fatigue limit is essentially controlled by the mechanics of interacting cracks, based on their configuration, the local microstructure comprised ferrite and pearlite has a statistical scatter effect on the behaviour of interacting cracks and non‐propagating thresholds. With respect to the fatigue limit, when two defects were in close proximity, they behaved as a larger single defect. However, with greater spacing between defects, rather than mechanical factors, it is the local microstructure which determines the location and characteristics of non‐propagating cracks.
Strain‐Induced Structural Phase Transition and its Effect on Piezoelectric Properties of (BZT‐BCT)‐(CeO2) Ceramics
Authors: Chandrakala Elugu , Paul Praveen John , Kumar Ajeet , James Ajit R. , Das Dibakar
Published: July 2016

A strain‐induced structural phase transition and its subsequent effect on the piezoelectric properties of BZT‐BCT–x CeO2 (x = 0–0.1 wt%) ceramics have been reported in this manuscript. BZT‐BCT–x wt% CeO2 lead‐free piezoceramics were successfully been prepared using sol–gel method. X‐ray diffraction spectra of BZT‐BCT–x wt% CeO2 (x = 0–0.10 wt%) ceramics showed a purely single‐phase perovskite structure and a change in crystal structure between tetragonal and rhombohedral phases with increasing CeO2 content. The strain‐induced structural phase transition has resulted in excellent piezoelectric properties, d33 = 673 pC/N, kp ~ 56%, and Tc = 110°C for BZT‐BCT–0.08 wt% CeO2 ceramics. Greatly improved temperature stability of the piezoelectric properties has been observed over a temperature range between 20°C and 90°C. The ferroelectric–paraelectric transition temperature, Tc obtained in this study is 17°C higher than those reported earlier.
Oxygen Nonstoichiometry and Thermodynamic Explanation of Large Oxygen‐Deficient Ruddlesden–Popper Oxides LaxSr3−xFe2O7−δ
Authors: Ling Yihan , Wang Fang , Okamoto Yusuke , Nakamura Takashi , Amezawa Koji
Published: July 2016

The oxygen nonstoichiometry of large oxygen‐deficient Ruddlesden–Popper oxides LaxSr3−xFe2O7−δ (LSFO7‐x) (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5) was measured by the high‐temperature gravimetry and the coulometric titration. In the composition series, the P(O2) dependencies exhibited typical plateaus at δ = (2−[])/2. Meanwhile, La0.5Sr2.5Fe2O7−δ showed the smallest oxygen nonstoichiometry and was the most thermochemically stable compound against P(O2), temperature, and the La content. Based on the defect equilibrium model and the statistical thermodynamic calculation derived oxygen nonstoichiometric data, the substitution of La for Sr‐site can promote the forward reaction of oxygen incorporation, the backward reaction of the disproportionation of the charge carriers, and oxygen redistribution between the O1 and O3 sites, resulting in the reduction of oxygen‐deficient and the lower decomposition P(O2). The obtained thermodynamic quantities of the partial molar enthalpy of oxygen, , and the partial molar entropy of oxygen, , calculated from the statistical thermodynamic calculation are in good agreement with those using the Gibbs–Helmholtz equation.
Cellular response to alkylating agent MNNG is impaired in STAT1‐deficients cells
Authors: Ah‐Koon Laurent , Lesage Denis , Lemadre Elodie , Souissi Inès , Fagard Remi , Varin‐Blank Nadine , Fabre Emmanuelle E. , Schischmanoff Olivier
Published: July 2016

The SN1 alkylating agents activate the mismatch repair system leading to delayed G2/M cell cycle arrest and DNA repair with subsequent survival or cell death. STAT1, an anti‐proliferative and pro‐apoptotic transcription factor is known to potentiate p53 and to affect DNA‐damage cellular response. We studied whether STAT1 may modulate cell fate following activation of the mismatch repair system upon exposure to the alkylating agent N‐methyl‐N′‐nitro‐N‐nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). Using STAT1‐proficient or ‐deficient cell lines, we found that STAT1 is required for: (i) reduction in the extent of DNA lesions, (ii) rapid phosphorylation of T68‐CHK2 and of S15‐p53, (iii) progression through the G2/M checkpoint and (iv) long‐term survival following treatment with MNNG. Presence of STAT1 is critical for the formation of a p53‐DNA complex comprising: STAT1, c‐Abl and MLH1 following exposure to MNNG. Importantly, presence of STAT1 allows recruitment of c‐Abl to p53‐DNA complex and links c‐Abl tyrosine kinase activity to MNNG‐toxicity. Thus, our data highlight the important modulatory role of STAT1 in the signalling pathway activated by the mismatch repair system. This ability of STAT1 to favour resistance to MNNG indicates the targeting of STAT1 pathway as a therapeutic option for enhancing the efficacy of SN1 alkylating agent‐based chemotherapy.
Intrasexual selection favours an immune‐correlated colour ornament in a dragonfly
Authors: Moore M. P. , Martin R. A.
Published: July 2016

Sexual signalling is predicted to shape the evolution of sex‐specific ornamentation, and establishing the costs and benefits of ornamentation and the information that ornamentation provides to receivers is necessary to evaluating this adaptive function. Here, we assessed the adaptive function of a common colour ornament in insects, melanin wing ornamentation, using the dragonfly Pachydiplax longipennis. We hypothesized that greater ornamentation would improve territory‐holding success by decreasing aggression that males receive from territorial rivals, but that more ornamented males may have shorter lifespans. Using mark–recapture field observations, we found that more ornamented males had greater territory‐holding success and that viability selection did not act on wing melanization. We then compared the aggression of territorial rivals to decoy males before and after experimentally augmenting wing melanization, finding that males significantly reduced aggression following the manipulation. We next hypothesized that wing melanization would signal fighting ability to territorial rivals by reflecting condition via investment in the costly melanin synthesis pathway. We observed a positive relationship between ornamentation and the likelihood of winning territorial disputes, suggesting that wing melanization provides information about fighting ability to rivals. We also found a positive relationship between melanin‐based immune defence and ornamentation, supporting a link between the signal and condition. We conclude that wing melanization is a condition‐related signal of fighting ability and suggest that this may be a common mechanism promoting the evolution of melanin ornamentation.
An Interprofessional Approach to Reducing the Risk of Falls Through Enhanced Collaborative Practice
Authors: Eckstrom Elizabeth , Neal Margaret B. , Cotrell Vicki , Casey Colleen M. , McKenzie Glenise , Morgove Megan W. , DeLander Gary E. , Simonson William , Lasater Kathie
Published: July 2016

Falls are the leading cause of accidental deaths in older adults and are a growing public health concern. The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and British Geriatrics Society (BGS) published guidelines for falls screening and risk reduction, yet few primary care providers report following any guidelines for falls prevention. This article describes a project that engaged an interprofessional teaching team to support interprofessional clinical teams to reduce fall risk in older adults by implementing the AGS/BGS guidelines. Twenty‐five interprofessional clinical teams with representatives from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work were recruited from ambulatory, long‐term care, hospital, and home health settings for a structured intervention: a 4‐hour training workshop plus coaching for implementation for 1 year. The workshop focused on evidence‐based strategies to decrease the risk of falls, including screening for falls; assessing gait, balance, orthostatic blood pressure, and other medical conditions; exercise including tai chi; vitamin D supplementation; medication review and reduction; and environmental assessment. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using chart reviews, coaching plans and field notes, and postintervention structured interviews of participants. Site visits and coaching field notes confirmed uptake of the strategies. Chart reviews showed significant improvement in adoption of all falls prevention strategies except vitamin D supplementation. Long‐term care facilities were more likely to address environmental concerns and add tai chi classes, and ambulatory settings were more likely to initiate falls screening. The intervention demonstrated that interprofessional practice change to target falls prevention can be incorporated into primary care and long‐term care settings.
Mitigating Chinese–Indian rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) hybridity at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC)
Authors: Kanthaswamy Sree , Ng Jillian , Broatch Jennifer , Short Jennifer , Roberts Jeffrey
Published: July 2016

The effectiveness of abating hybridity in a rhesus breeding colony was evaluated. STR data from the 2006 to 2015 newborns were analyzed. Hybridity decreased over successive years. Birth cohorts retained high genetic variability without signs of inbreeding and differentiation. Hybridity was minimized without compromising overall genetic variability.
Measuring Oxytocin and Vasopressin: Bioassays, Immunoassays and Random Numbers
Authors: Leng G. , Sabatier N.
Published: July 2016

In this review, we consider the ways in which vasopressin and oxytocin have been measured since their first discovery. Two different ways of measuring oxytocin in widespread use currently give values in human plasma that differ by two orders of magnitude, and the values measured by these two methods in the same samples show no correlation. The notion that we should accept this seems absurd. Either one (or both) methods is not measuring oxytocin, or, by ‘oxytocin’, the scientists that use these different methods mean something very different. If these communities are to talk to each other, it is important to validate one method and invalidate the other, or else to establish exactly what each community understands by ‘oxytocin’. A similar issue concerns vasopressin: again, different ways of measuring vasopressin give values in human plasma that differ by two orders of magnitude, and it appears that the same explanation for discrepant oxytocin measurements applies to discrepant vasopressin measurements. The first assays for oxytocin and vasopressin measured biological activity directly. When immunoassays were introduced, they encountered problems: high molecular weight factors in raw plasma interfered with the binding of antibodies to the hormones, leading to high and erroneous readings. When these interfering factors were removed by extraction of plasma samples, immunoassays gave measurements consistent with bioassays, with measures of turnover and with the sensitivity of target tissues to exogenous hormone. However, many recent papers use an enzyme‐linked immunoassay to measure plasma levels without extracting the samples. Like the first radioimmunassays of unextracted plasma, this generates impossibly high and wholly erroneous measurements.
The Role of Boomerang Fathers in Adolescent Female Depression
Authors: Hernandez Daphne C. , Pressler Emily , Dorius Cassandra
Published: July 2016

Data from the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth were employed to explore the association between boomerang fathering from birth to age 18 on adolescent depressive symptomatology (N = 3,731). We examined the effects of experiencing a biological father exiting and entering the home because of breaking up and repartnering with an adolescent's mother (i.e., “boomerang fathering”) when compared with other father residential patterns on adolescent depression. Findings suggest that boomerang fathering is more beneficial than harmful. Adolescent females exposed to boomerang fathering, as well as those exposed to fathers who resided with them from birth to age 18, reported significantly lower depressive symptoms when compared with females exposed to fathers who exited the household and never returned. Boomerang fathering was not significantly associated with male adolescent depressive symptomatology. Providing greater family support during times of instability may assist in unifying families and be an indirect source of mental health prevention.
Religion, Marriage Markets, and Assortative Mating in the United States
Authors: McClendon David
Published: July 2016

As interfaith marriage has become more common, religion is thought to be less important for sorting partners. Nevertheless, prior studies on religious assortative mating use samples of prevailing marriages, which miss how local marriage markets shape both partner selection and marriage timing. Drawing on search theory and data from 8,699 young adults (ages 18–31 years) in the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1997, the author examined the association between the concentration of coreligionists in local marriage markets and marriage timing and partner selection using event history methods. Religious concentration is associated with higher odds of transitioning to marriage and religious homogamy (conditional on marriage) for women and men at older ages (24–31 years) but not at younger ages (18–23 years). The association was also stronger for non‐Hispanic Whites when compared with other racial and ethnic groups. The findings indicate that religion remains relevant in sorting partners for many young adults in today's marriage market.
Synergistic effect of honokiol and 5‐fluorouracil on apoptosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells
Authors: Ji Ning , Jiang Lu , Deng Peng , Xu Hao , Chen Fangman , Liu Jinli , Li Jing , Liao Ga , Zeng Xin , Lin Yuchun , Feng Mingye , Li Longjiang , Chen Qianming
Published: July 2016

Background

5‐Fluorouracil (5‐FU) is an essential chemotherapeutic agent for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, toxic side effects have limited its role in OSCC therapy. The aim of this study was to explore whether combination therapy with 5‐FU and honokiol (HNK), a small natural organic molecule shown to induce apoptosis in OSCC cells, could enhance the anticancer activity of 5‐FU without notably increasing its toxicity.

Methods

5‐FU and/or HNK were used to treat OSCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. The therapeutic effect and underlying mechanisms were evaluated by cell viability assay, flow cytometry, OSCC xenograft mouse model, and Western blot. Tumor tissue apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick‐end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Toxicity was assessed following hematoxylin and eosin staining.

Results

Exposure to HNK + 5‐FU produced a synergistic cytotoxic effect on OSCC cells. Both HNK and 5‐FU could induce apoptosis through the mitochondria‐mediated intrinsic pathway, and their specific signaling pathways were different. In the mouse OSCC xenograft model, treatment with 5‐FU + HNK substantively retarded tumor growth, as compared to treatment with either drug individually. TUNEL analysis further confirmed that the superior in vivo antitumor efficacy of 5‐FU + HNK was associated with enhanced stimulation of cell apoptosis. Notably, HNK did not increase the toxicity of 5‐FU.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that HNK and 5‐FU exert a synergistic therapeutic effect on OSCC by inducing apoptosis. HNK might thus enhance the clinical therapeutic efficacy of 5‐FU without increasing its toxicity.
Development of carvedilol-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes using fluid-bed granulation: a novel solid-state complexation alternative with technological advantages
Authors: Alonso Ellen C P , Riccomini Karina , Silva Luis Antônio D , Galter Daniela , Lima Eliana M , Durig Thomas , Taveira Stephania F , Martins Felipe Terra , Cunha-Filho Marcílio S S , Marreto Ricardo N
Published: July 2016

Objectives

This study sought to evaluate the achievement of carvedilol (CARV) inclusion complexes with modified cyclodextrins (HPβCD and HPγCD) using fluid-bed granulation (FB).

Methods

The solid complexes were produced using FB and spray drying (SD) and were characterised by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction, SEM, flowability and particle size analyses and in vitro dissolution.

Key findings

The DSC, FTIR and powder X-ray diffraction findings suggested successful CARV inclusion in the modified β- and γ-cyclodextrins, which was more evident in acidic media. The CARV dissolution rate was ~7-fold higher for complexes with both cyclodextrins prepared using SD than for raw CARV. Complexes prepared with HPβCD using FB also resulted in a significant improvement in dissolution rate (~5-fold) and presented superior flowability and larger particle size.

Conclusions

The findings suggested that FB is the best alternative for large-scale production of solid dosage forms containing CARV. Additionally, the results suggest that HPγCD could be considered as another option for CARV complexation because of its excellent performance in inclusion complex formation in the solid state.
A Facebook Follow‐Up Strategy for Rural Drug‐Using Women
Authors: Dickson Megan F. , Staton‐Tindall Michele , Smith Kirsten E. , Leukefeld Carl , Webster J. Matthew , Oser Carrie B.
Published: July 2016

Purpose

Facebook (FB) use has grown exponentially over the past decade, including in rural areas. Despite its popularity, FB has been underutilized as a research follow‐up approach to maintain contact with research participants and may have advantages in less densely populated areas and among more hard‐to‐reach, at‐risk groups. The overall goal of this study was to examine FB as a supplemental follow‐up approach to other follow‐up strategies with rural drug‐using women.

Methods

Face‐to‐face interviews were conducted with randomly selected women who completed baseline interviews in 3 rural jails in 1 state. Analyses focus on participants who were released from jail and were eligible for 3‐month follow‐up (n = 284). Bivariate analyses were used to examine differences between FB users and nonusers, and multivariate logistic regression models examined predictors of 3‐month follow‐up participation and being located for follow‐up using FB.

Findings

About two‐thirds (64.4%) of participants were regular FB users. Bivariate analyses indicated that FB users were younger, more educated, and more likely to have used alcohol in the 30 days before incarceration but less likely to have a chronic health problem. Regression analyses indicated that rural FB users had more than 5 times the odds of being located for the 3‐month follow‐up interview, even after controlling for other variables. There were no significant predictors of being followed up using FB.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that FB is widely used and well accepted among rural drug‐using women. Among hard‐to‐reach populations, including those in rural, geographically isolated regions, FB serves as a method to improve participant follow‐up.
Differences in epidemiology of candidaemia in the Nordic countries – what is to blame?
Authors: Hesstvedt Liv , Arendrup Maiken C. , Poikonen Eira , Klingpor Lena , Friman Vanda , Nordøy Ingvild ,   The Swedish fungal Surveillance Group Collaborators (16)
Published: July 2016

National data from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden demonstrate remarkable differences in candidaemia epidemiology. Only Denmark has reported a high incidence of 10 per 100 000 inhabitants and a species shift towards increased C. glabrata candidaemias. The reasons for this development remain unclear. The aim of this study was to explore possible contributing factors for the differences in Candida epidemiology in the Nordic countries. We used public data from 2011 from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden on epidemiology, demographics, health facilities, predisposing risk factors, consumption of antimicrobial drugs and fungicides in agricultural industry. Only the prevalence of haematological malignancies (P < 0.001) was significantly higher in Denmark compared to the other Nordic countries. The antibacterial drug use of metronidazole, piperacillin‐tazobactam, ciprofloxacin, colistin and carbapenems, and antifungal use of fluconazole in humans (P < 0.001), were significantly higher in Denmark compared to the other Nordic countries (all P < 0.001). Our findings suggest haematological malignancy, the use of certain antibacterial drugs and azoles in humans as possible contributing factors for the differences in Candida epidemiology. However, our results should be interpreted with caution due to the lack of long‐term, case‐specific data. Further studies are needed.
Enhancing Environmental Quality and Sustainability through Negotiation and Conflict Management: Research into Systems, Dynamics, and Practices
Authors: Elliott Michael L. , Kaufman Sanda
Published: July 2016

In a world of rapid population growth, urbanization, and climate change, sustainability and environmental integrity are increasingly central concerns. The frequent recurrence of conflict within these arenas, coupled to the difficulty in determining their impact on social–ecological systems, challenges governance at all levels of society. Negotiation‐based conflict management provides a promising response to these challenges. This guest editor's article examines: (a) the emergence and conduct of environmental and public policy (EPP) conflict management as a distinctive practice over the past 40 years; (b) the interplay between theories of environmental decision‐making and practices ofEPPconflict management; (c) trends in research intoEPPconflict management systems, the dynamics of interventions into these systems to resolve conflict, and the efficacy and impact ofEPPconflict management practices; and (d) the contributions of the articles contained in this special issue to this literature and future directions in the field.
Eating and arterial endothelial function: a meta‐analysis of the acute effects of meal consumption on flow‐mediated dilation
Authors: Thom N. J. , Early A. R. , Hunt B. E. , Harris R. A. , Herring M. P.
Published: July 2016

Given that endothelial dysfunction precedes atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, exploring the parameters that modify postprandial flow‐mediated dilation (FMD) is important for public health. The objectives of the study are to estimate the population effect of meal ingestion on FMD and to determine how the effect varied based on patient characteristics and modifiable methodological features. Articles published before June 2015 were located using MEDLINE, PubMed and Web of Science. One hundred fifty‐four effects were derived from 78 articles involving 2,548 subjects were selected. Included articles required measurement of FMD in adults before and after meal ingestion. Effects were analysed using an unstandardized mean gain random effects model, and significant moderators were analysed using meta‐regression. Meal consumption significantly reduced FMD by a heterogeneous mean effect size delta (Δ) of −2.03 (95% CI: [−2.28, −1.77]), an ~2% reduction in FMD. FMD reductions were larger among normal weight individuals, males, those with a cardio‐metabolic disorder, those with elevated baseline FMD, and individuals with impaired glucose tolerance at baseline. Macronutrient meal ingestion significantly reduced FMD, an effect that was moderated by body mass index, sex and two‐way interactions between disease status and both baseline FMD and baseline blood glucose levels.
Epistemic Injustice
Authors: McKinnon Rachel
Published: July 2016

There's been a great deal of interest in epistemology regarding what it takes for a hearer to come to know on the basis of a speaker's say‐so. That is, there's been much work on the epistemology of testimony. However, what about when hearers don't believe speakers when they should? In other words, what are we to make of when testimony goes wrong? A recent topic of interest in epistemology and feminist philosophy is how we sometimes fail to believe speakers due to inappropriate prejudices – implicit or explicit. This is known as epistemic injustice. In this article, I discuss Miranda Fricker's groundbreaking work on epistemic injustice, as well as more recent developments that both offer critique and expansion on the nature and extent of epistemic injustice.
The Historical Presidency: Lyndon Johnson's Ambivalent Reform: The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
Authors: Tichenor Daniel
Published: July 2016

Among the flurry of legislative reforms achieved by Lyndon Johnson, few have proven more transformative than the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 (INA). Hailed at its recent fiftieth anniversary as one of the Great Society's egalitarian triumphs, few observers realize how reluctant LBJ was to champion the measure in the first place or how close it came to defeat in Congress. Saved by difficult compromises, the INA ultimately supplanted racist national origins quotas with a competing set of immigration opportunities and restrictions. The result was a contradictory law that recast the U.S. demographic landscape in spite of itself.
INFLUENCE OF OIL PALM EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH (OPEFB) AGRO-WASTE PROPERTIES AS FILTRATION MEDIUM TO IMPROVE URBAN STORMWATER
Authors: Bolong Nurmin , Saad Ismail , Makinda Jodin , Yaser Abu Zahrim , Abdullah Mohd Harun , Ismail Ahmad Fauzi
Published: July 2016

Oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) is recommended as a filtration medium due to its fibrous characteristics and abundance as an agricultural byproduct. OPEFB is utilized to treat urban stormwater using a deep bed filter column. Urban stormwater samples were collected from Sembulan River, which flows through the Kota Kinabalu city area of Sabah, Malaysia. The samples were filtered through single and combination designs of OPEFB and river sand (RS) in mix ratios ranging between 25-75%. Each design’s performance was evaluated in terms of Total Suspended Solid (TSS), turbidity, colour, temperature, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), and Ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) removal. Single medium designs demonstrated the poorest performance compared to dual mediums design. The optimum mixed design was 50:50 with ability to remove 52% color, 49% turbidity, 44% TSS, 59% COD, 84% BOD, and 94% NH3-N. Further OPEFB water-washing treatment followed by a backwashing process achieved better separation results than a straightforward maintenance process. The optimized dual-filtration of stormwater was able to increase the urban stormwater quality from Class III up to Class I according to the Malaysian Interim National Water Quality Standard (INWQS), thus classified as suitable for water supply and conservation for natural environment uses.
A MALAY TEXT CORPUS ANALYSIS FOR SENTENCE COMPRESSION USING PATTERN-GROWTH METHOD
Authors: Alias Suraya , Mohammad Siti Khaotijah , Keng Hoon Gan , Tien Ping Tan
Published: July 2016

A text summary extracts serves as a condensed representation of a written input source where important and salient information is kept. However, the condensed representation itself suffer in lack of semantic and coherence if the summary was produced in verbatim using the input itself. Sentence Compression is a technique where unimportant details from a sentence are eliminated by preserving the sentence’s grammar pattern. In this study, we conducted an analysis on our developed Malay Text Corpus to discover the rules and pattern on how human summarizer compresses and eliminates unimportant constituent to construct a summary. A Pattern-Growth based model named Frequent Eliminated Pattern (FASPe) is introduced to represent the text using a set of sequence adjacent words that is frequently being eliminated across the document collection. From the rules obtained, some heuristic knowledge in Sentence Compression is presented with confidence value as high as 85% - that can be used for further reference in the area of Text Summarization for Malay language.
EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN VALVE RELIABILITY FUNCTION TEST BY AUTOMATED PARTIAL STROKE TESTING SYSTEM
Authors: Ahmad Borhanuddin , Abdul Wahab Norhaliza , A. Rahman Amirah
Published: July 2016

Partial stroke testing (PST) is a technique that is regularly practiced in oil and gas industries to test the emergency shutdown (ESD) valve by closing a certain percentage of the valve position and stop any flow through the pipeline. Generally, it only functions when there is an emergency occurring in the production system. When the ESD valve remains in one position for a long period, there is a risk and potential of fail on demand which is, the ESD valve fail to operate during the emergency shutdown. This testing can reveal approximately 75% of unrevealed failures in valves. It can also provide predictive maintenance data that can contribute to the extension of the preventive maintenance for the ESD valve. The objectives of this paper are to design, simulate, build and test the performance of the automated PST system based on PLC. Four guidelines and methodology are used in this work. First, understanding the operation of the PST system. Then, the utilization of the capability of MATLAB-Simulink software as the simulation tool for the PST design system. Next, designing the PST automated system based on PLC design and lastly, testing the performance of the PST design system using lab scale PST system prototype that has been built. Results of the project shows that the PST system is successfully designed and simulated via MATLAB-Simulink and the PLC programming is working in the correct order as performed on the prototype.
OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM: APPLICATION OF CHARGE COUPLED DEVICE (CCD) FOR SOLID AND TRANSPARENT OBJECTS DETECTION
Authors: Jamaludin Juliza , Abdul Rahim Ruzairi , Abdul Rahim Herlina , Fazalul Rahiman Hafiz , Mohd Muji Siti Zarina , Jumaah Mohd Fahjumi , Mohd Fadzil Naizatul Shima , Kok San Chan , Green R. G.
Published: July 2016

This research presents an application of Charge Coupled Device (CCD) linear sensor and laser diode in an optical tomography system. These optoelectronic sensors are believed to detect solid objects rather than transparent objects. Based on the research results, the development of optical tomography system using Charge Coupled Device (CCD) and laser diode has helped to enhance the potential of these sensors in detecting high to low opacity objects. Experiments for detecting a solid rod, glass rod and transparent hollow straw in non-flowing crystal clear water were conducted in this study. Investigation on the effect of number of views also studied in this research. From the image reconstruction results, it clearly shows a cross-sectional image of a pipeline system with the existence of opaque and transparent objects in multiphase flows. For 320 views image reconstruction, it gives high resolution of image results compared to 160 views image reconstruction.
EMPIRICAL MODELLING OF ACTIVATED SLUDGE PROCESS VIA SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION
Authors: Norzain Norul Ashikin , Sahlan Shafishuhaza , Ab Halim Fatah , Abdul Wahab Norhaliza
Published: July 2016

Activated sludge process is an important stage in Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). In this study, model of the activated sludge process from Bunus Regional Sewage Treatment Plant Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is developed. This paper focuses on modelling and model reduction of the WWTP system. The model with best fits of higher than 80% and the order of less than 10 is selected. For modelling purposes, data obtained is stimulated and modelled using System Identification technique which employ linear model ARX. For model reduction purposes, the high order model is reduced using model order reduction (MOR) of a combination of Singular Perturbation Approximation (SPA) and Frequency Domain Gramian based Model Reduction (FDIG) method. From the modelling results obtained, the ARX model with best fit of 85.11% is selected. Meanwhile, for the MOR FD-SPA technique, a 9th order model is selected with  reduction error between frequencies 0.05 rad/s and 1.4 rad/s.
DETERMINATION OF EPOCH LENGTH AND REGRESSION MODEL FOR 15-SECOND SEGMENT OF SEMG SIGNAL USED IN JOINT ANALYSIS OF ELECTROMYOGRAPHY SPECTRUM AND AMPLITUDE
Authors: Mohamad Ishak Nurul Ain , Khalid Puspa Inayat , Mahmood Nasrul Humaimi , Harun Mokhtar
Published: July 2016

Regression model is one of the techniques employed in Joint Analysis of Electromyography Spectrum and Amplitude (JASA) to investigate the behaviour of muscle fatigue indices. However, the analysis of the electromyography signal is influenced by the epoch length and regression model used. To meaningfully describe the behaviour of fatigue indices, this study was conducted to determine the appropriate epoch length and regression model for 15-second segment of electromyography signal. Ten subjects participated in this study. With their right forearm and upper arm formed an angle of 90 degree, the subjects were asked to hold a 2-kg dumbbell and stayed in that position for 2 minutes. Surface electromyography (sEMG) was used to record the signal from the biceps brachii muscle. Two fatigue indices were extracted: Root Mean Square (RMS) and Mean Frequency (MNF). The 120-second sEMG signal from each subject was then sliced into 8 segments (15 seconds each). In each segment, the effect of different epoch lengths (1-second, 3-second, and 5-second) was studied. Standard Error Estimate (SEE) was used to decide the suitable epoch length. The 3-second and 5-second epoch lengths were found to fit the regression model better (smaller SEE value). When 3-second and 5-second epoch lengths were applied in different regression models (linear and polynomial), polynomial regression was found to better estimate the behaviour of the fatigue indices (higher correlation coefficient). This study concludes that 3-second and 5-second epoch length can fit the polynomial regression well. However, fatigue behaviour (pattern of changes in fatigue indices) for every 15-second segment of sEMG signal is better described by JASA using polynomial regression with 3-second epoch length.
UPC BARCODE APPS FOR DRUG REGISTERED VERIFICATION
Authors: Mohamad Roslan Fathin Noorshazlina , Othman Mohd Afzan , Abdul Razak Mohd Azhar
Published: July 2016

In pharmacology, drug is used to prevent and cure diseases and to improve the physical or mental well-being. All medicinal products must be registered with Drug Control Authority (DCA) of Malaysia before being marketed. However, there are still numerous unregistered products being sold in night markets and grocery stalls that contained unknown materials that could harm our bodies. As nowadays most people own smartphones, thus it will be great if the smartphone is being utilized to become a mobile apps that can prevent consumers from buying unregistered products. This study described the process of creating a barcode reader application for drug registered verification. The application is created using Android Studio software, Java programming language and source code from GitHub, which is then synchronized with the database of some medicinal products. The barcode scanner is then tested to read the UPC barcode on the products and the result of registration confirmation will be shown on the screen of the smartphone. Thus, it will aware the user from buying the unregistered products.
SMART WEARABLE STRESS MONITORING DEVICE FOR AUTISTIC CHILDREN
Authors: Gul Airij Awais , Bakhteri Rabia , Khalil-Hani Mohd
Published: July 2016

Vital sign monitoring is the process of recording human physiological signals in order to determine the mental stress level. High stress levels can prove to be dangerous especially for certain individuals such as autistic children who are not able to express mounting levels of stress before it leads to a full anxiety attack. This paper presents the prototype design of a real-time embedded device that accurately measures heart rate and galvanic skin response (GSR) in a non-invasive and non-intrusive way which is then used by the intelligent decision making module that uses fuzzy logic to determine the stress level of the user. Such a device could be used with autistic children in order to give early warning of an impending anxiety attack and help adults to prevent it from happening. The prototype was designed using Arduino mega platform and tested with 35 clinical patients in three experimental settings targeted to induce low stress, medium stress and high stress response. Initial results have shown that the device is capable of detecting and displaying the various stress levels efficiently.
SOC-BASED BIOMEDICAL EMBEDDED SYSTEM DESIGN OF ARRHYTHMIA DETECTOR
Authors: Lin Kam Kui , Weng Ow Tze , Yong Chia Wan , Bakhteri Rabia , Ramli Norhafizah , Wen Hau Yuan
Published: July 2016

Arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat where the blood may not be delivered effectively throughout the body and cause sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Immediate treatment is required to prevent SCA. However, most of the existing electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring devices are bulky, cost expensive and lack arrhythmia detection and classification system. This paper proposes a front-end on-board graphical interface design of System-on-Chip (SoC) based arrhythmia detector which can be used as a first screening device for cardiac disease patient. The system consists of a knowledge-based arrhythmia classifier which is able to identify three types of arrhythmias which are ventricular fibrillation (VF), premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and second-degree atrioventricular (AV) block. The system has been evaluated and benchmarked with ECG data from MIT-BIH arrhythmia database. The results show that its accuracy is up to 99.25% with a computation time of 6.385 seconds. It is highly portable and relatively inexpensive for installation in small clinics and home monitoring.
AN OVERVIEW OF VEHICLES LANE CHANGING MODEL DEVELOPMENT IN APPROACHING AT U-TURN FACILITY ROAD SEGMENT
Authors: Mohd Shafie Nemmang, , Rahman Raha
Published: July 2016

Accidents are in rising mode and became the main problem in all over the world, especially in Malaysia. Many reasons have contributed to an accident including the condition of the road, driver’s behavior and the environment of the road that may lead the drivers to make a lane changing. Lane changing is a process that experienced by all drivers such as in U-turn segment. In approaching U-turn segment, drivers need to make a decision whenever any disruption in front of them such as diverge vehicle because they have their own perspective and desire. However, the lane changing model in approaching U-turn road segment yet to develop. Therefore, this study will develop a model to determine the relationship between the reaction time (RT), speed (V) and distance from the behind vehicle to the front vehicle due to the changing lane at U-turn facility road segment. For that purpose, this study is focusing on the safe distance entry of a vehicle to the fast lane with the fast lane and slow lane vehicles before make a decision to change the lane in this U-turn facility. The data will be taken from the field and driving simulator. The equipment to be used to collect the field data is automatic traffic counting (ATC), controller area network-bus (CAN-bus), radar gun and video recording. The video recording will be used to simulate the driving simulator. Furthermore, driving simulator will be used to achieve the objective of the study. Regression analysis will be done for final model for estimating the safe distance entry of a vehicle to the fast lane with the fast lane and slow lane vehicles before making a decision to change the lane in this U-turn facility road segment to make sure that the model development is valid. Finally, the model can be used to estimate the safe distance for the road user to slow down their rate of speed while approaching the U-turn facility road segment and can be used to estimate the speed and safe distance in lane changing process.
PERFORMANCE OF STONE MASTIC ASPHALT MIX USING SELECTED FIBRES
Authors: Arshad Ahmad Kamil , Mansor Syahirah , Shafie Ekarizan , Hashim Wardati
Published: July 2016

Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) is a gap-graded asphalt mixture that depends on the stone-to-stone contact to provide its load carrying capacity against rutting. However, binder draindown is a problem for SMA mixtures, due to its intentional high binder content. This paper details the performance evaluation of two different cellulose fibres used in SMA14 mix; synthetic fibre (Viatop66) and natural fibre (Kenaf) to prevent binder drainage. The cellulose fibres, 0.3 percent by weight of the mixture, were uniformly combined with the dried aggregate before the asphalt cement was added during mixing process. Laboratory specimens were prepared using 50 blows of the Marshall hammer per side. The Optimum Binder Content (OBC) for the SMA14 mix with Viatop66 was found to be 6.1 percent, while the OBC for the SMA14 mix with Kenaf was found to be 5.9 percent. Rut depth obtained for SMA14 mix Kenaf was lower (1.6 mm) compared with SMA14 mix with Viatop66 (1.8 mm).  The tensile strength ratio recorded for both mixes are greater than 80 percent, indicating adequate stripping resistance. The fibres were found to interact well with other substances in the SMA14 mix using the Environment Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM). This indicates that the natural fibre could efficiently retain the binder in the mix. Therefore, natural fibre (Kenaf) could be an alternative material to replace the synthetic fibre for the SMA14 mixture.
THE EFFECT OF COCONUT SHELL ON ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF POROUS ASPHALT MIXTURE
Authors: M Norhafizah , P. J Ramadhansyah , J Siti Nur Amiera , M Nurfatin Aqeela , A. H Norhidayah , Hainin Mohd Rosli , C. W Che Norazman
Published: July 2016

This paper presents the results of an investigation carried out on the properties of porous asphalt mixture that are prepared by using granite aggregate and coconut shell. Four coconut shells (CS) as substitutes for conventional coarse aggregate were considered in the study: 0%, 10%, 30%, and 50% by weight of volume. The porous asphalt properties are characterized by voids in total mix, voids in filled bitumen, stability, abrasion loss, binder drainage, and permeability. In addition, the noise reductions of porous asphalt mixture were identified through impedance tube test. The results of the tests showed that coconut shell cannot be satisfactorily used as an aggregate replacement material in order to increases the properties of porous asphalt. However, in comparison between coconut shell replacement levels, 10% CS showed excellent performance. On the other hand, the incorporation of coconut shell in porous asphalt mixture has significantly reduces the traffic noise coefficient.