bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in Health-Seeking Behavior Did Not Result in Increased All-Cause Mortality During the Ebola Outbreak in Western Area, Sierra Leone
Authors: Vygen Sabine , Tiffany Amanda , Rull Monica , Ventura Alexandre , Wolz Anja , Jambai Amara , Porten Klaudia
Published: July 2016

Little is known about the residual effects of the west African Ebola virus disease (Ebola) epidemic on non-Ebola mortality and health-seeking behavior in Sierra Leone. We conducted a retrospective household survey to estimate mortality and describe health-seeking behavior in Western Area, Sierra Leone, between May 25, 2014, and February 16, 2015. We used two-stage cluster sampling, selected 30 geographical sectors with probability proportional to population size, and sampled 30 households per sector. Survey teams conducted face-to-face interviews and collected information on mortality and health-seeking behavior. We calculated all-cause and Ebola-specific mortality rates and compared health-seeking behavior before and during the Ebola epidemic using χ2 and Fisher's exact tests. Ninety-six deaths, 39 due to Ebola, were reported in 898 households. All-cause and Ebola-specific mortality rates were 0.52 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.29–0.76) and 0.19 (95% CI = 0.01–0.38) per 10,000 inhabitants per day, respectively. Of those households that reported a sick family member during the month before the survey, 86% (73/85) sought care at a health facility before the epidemic, compared with 58% (50/86) in February 2015 (P = 0.013). Reported self-medication increased from 4% (3/85) before the epidemic to 23% (20/86) during the epidemic (P = 0.013). Underutilization of health services and increased self-medication did not show a demonstrable effect on non-Ebola-related mortality. Nevertheless, the residual effects of outbreaks need to be taken into account for the future. Recovery efforts should focus on rebuilding both the formalized health system and the population's trust in it.
Agreement Between the Douleur Neuropathique in 4 Questions and Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs Questionnaires to Classify Neuropathic Pain Among Patients with Leprosy
Authors: Santana Jamilly C. V. , Santos Victor S. , Gurgel Ricardo Q. , Santana Julianne C. V. , Reis Francisco P. , Cuevas Luis E. , Feitosa Vera L. C.
Published: July 2016

Neuropathic pain (NP) often occurs during the course of leprosy, and screening tools to differentiate NP from non-NP are often used. However, their performance varies in different settings. The most frequently used scales are the Douleur Neuropathique in 4 questions (DN4) and the Leeds assessment of neuropathic symptoms and signs (LANSS) questionnaires. Thus, we conducted a study to evaluate the agreement between DN4 and LANSS questionnaires to classify NP in 195 leprosy patients attending two reference centers in Sergipe, Brazil. The DN4 and LANSS classified 166 and 110 patients, respectively, as having NP. One hundred and seven (54.8%) were classified as NP by both questionnaires; 59 (30.2%) solely by the DN4 questionnaire and three (1.5%) solely by the LANSS. The agreement of the questionnaires was 66.2% (weak agreement, Kappa = 0.30). Although both questionnaires identified a high proportion of NP, the development of more robust instruments is necessary to ensure the accuracy of diagnosis of leprosy patients classified as having NP.
Evaluation of Business-Oriented Performance Metrics in e-Commerce using Web-based Simulation
Authors: Mitrevski Pece , Hristoski Ilija
Published: July 2016

The Web 2.0 paradigm has radically changed the way businesses are run all around the world. Moreover, e-Commerce has overcome in daily shopping activities. For management teams, the assessment, evaluation, and forecasting of online incomes and other business-oriented performance measures have become ‘a holy grail’, the ultimate question imposing their current and future e-Commerce projects. Within the paper, we describe the development of a Web-based simulation model, suitable for their estimation, taking into account multiple operation profiles and scenarios. Specifically, we put focus on introducing specific classes of e-Customers, as well as the workload characterization of an arbitrary e-Commerce website. On the other hand, we employ and embed the principles of the system thinking approach and the system dynamics into the proposed solution. As a result, a complete simulation model has been developed, available online. The model, which includes numerous adjustable input variables, can be successfully utilized in making ‘what-if’-like insights into a plethora of business-oriented performance metrics for an arbitrary e-Commerce website. This project is, also, a great example of the power delivered by InsightMaker®, free-ofcharge Web-based software, suitable for a collaborative online development of models following the systems thinking paradigm.
Applied Webscraping in Market Research
Authors: Herrmann Markus , Hoyden Laura
Published: July 2016

Modern Webscraping tools and APIs facilitate the extraction of information from the Internet significantly, especially if the data is not offered for download in a structured format. In this abstract we outline, that Webscraping, as a common practice to load, prepare and statistically analyze specific structured or unstructured data from the Internet, has become an essential application in Marketing and Data Science. Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of Open Data and social media data as a scraping target and illustrate examples of Open Data and social media data integration, Sentiment Analysis and website content classification as a utilization of Webscraping in a Market Research environment. While we argue that Webscraping of internet data is an enabler and driver of product innovation in Market Research it should also be noted that there are some legal restrictions involved.
The impact of Internet on the artist reputation
Authors: De la Poza Elena , Castelló Daniel , Guadalajara Natividad
Published: July 2016

This work analyzes the relationship between the digital information provided by search engines on the Internet and the volume of sales or revenues in the art market in order to quantify the variable artist's reputation. In particular, the usefulness of digital media information is analyzed to interpret past sales in the art market or, conversely, to estimate future sales in the short term. Finally, we study the ability of digital information to explain the volume of activity (number of lots sold) or what is the same the degree of liquidity of the secondary market of artworks.
Nowcasting with Google Trends, the more is not always the better
Authors: Combes Stéphanie , Bortoli Clément
Published: July 2016

National accounts and macroeconomic indicators are usually published with a consequent delay. However, for decision makers, it is crucial to have the most up-to-date information about the current national economic situation. This motivates the recourse to statistical modeling to “predict the present”, which is referred to as “nowcasting”. Mostly, models incorporate variables from qualitative business tendency surveys available within a month, but forecasters have been looking for alternative sources of data over the last few years. Among them, searches carried out by users on research engines on the Internet – especially Google Trends – have been considered in several economic studies. Most of these exhibit an improvement of the forecasts when including one Google Trends series in an autoregressive model. But one may expect that the quantity and diversity of searches convey far more useful and hidden information. To test this hypothesis, we confronted different modeling techniques, traditionally used in the context of many variables compared to the number of observations, to forecast two French macroeconomic variables. Despite the automatic selection of many Google Trends, it appears that forecasts’ accuracy is not significantly improved with these approaches.
Simulación numérica de inundación de valles fluviales mediante un modelo difusivo implícito
Authors: Fernández-Pato J. , García-Navarro P.
Published: July 2016

En este trabajo se presenta un modelo difusivo de flujo superficial para la resolución eficiente de problemas de inundación de valles fluviales. La discretización espacial se realiza mediante un esquema upwind de volúmenes finitos, aplicado en una malla triangular no estructurada. Para la discretización temporal se ha empleado un esquema implícito, lo que conlleva la generación de un sistema de tantas ecuaciones como celdas de cálculo tenga la malla computacional. Para su resolución, se ha empleado el método del Gradiente Biconjugado Estabilizado (BiCGStab). La eficiencia computacional se mide realizando una comparación de tiempos de CPU de las versiones explícita e implícita del mismo esquema numérico aplicado al modelo de onda difusiva. El estudio demuestra que, en general, el modelo difusivo se beneficia de una discretización temporal implícita, aumentando su eficiencia en gran medida frente al uso de un esquema explícito. Debido al carácter no lineal de la ecuación difusiva, un paso de tiempo mayor no siempre garantiza un menor coste computacional y resulta necesario encontrar el paso de tiempo óptimo para cada problema. Se ha aplicado el modelo difusivo a un caso test de inundación de valle fluvial propuesto por la UK Environmetal Agency para evaluar su capacidad predictiva en relación a modelos comerciales. Por último, se han comparado los resultados de calado y nivel de agua proporcionados por el modelo propuesto con los generados por una formulación matemática basada en las ecuaciones completas de aguas poco profundas no encontrándose diferencias relevantes en el ejemplo analizado.
Aproximación estocástica al análisis de observabilidad en redes de abastecimiento de agua
Authors: Díaz S. , Mínguez R. , González J.
Published: July 2016

Este artículo presenta una técnica alternativa a los métodos existentes en la literatura para el análisis de observabilidad (AO) de redes de agua, paso previo imprescindible para la adaptación de las técnicas de estimación de estado (EE) a estos sistemas. La metodología propuesta parte de un estado de flujo conocido y asume distribuciones aleatorias normales para la incertidumbre de algunas variables hidráulicas, que se propaga luego al resto del sistema. Este proceso se repite a continuación para valorar el cambio en la incertidumbre de la red al añadir aparatos de medida cuyo error se considera nulo, en base al cual se puede evaluar la observabilidad de la red. El potencial del método se presenta mediante un ejemplo ilustrativo, que pone de manifiesto la información adicional que esta metodología aporta con respecto a los enfoques de AO tradicionales. Esta propuesta permite un mejor conocimiento de la red y es una herramienta útil para priorizar la colocación de nuevos equipos de medida, contribuyendo a la transformación de los grandes núcleos urbanos en smart cities.
People Seeking Asylum in Australia and their Access to Employment: Just What Do We Know?
Authors: Fleay Caroline , Lumbus Anita , Hartley Lisa
Published: July 2016

Public and political claims about the employment of people from a refugee background in Australia do not always reflect the research findings in this area. For example, recent claims by a senior Coalition Government Minister about people seeking asylum who arrived to Australia by boat during the previous Labor Government’s terms in office (2007-13) posit that many have limited employment prospects. However, given there is little research or government reporting on the experiences of asylum seekers who arrived during this time, and none that focuses specifically on their employment, there is no evidence to support this. A review of research on the employment experiences of people from a refugee background, and Australian policies, suggests a more nuanced picture. This includes research that found while initially people from a refugee background are more likely to be unemployed, have temporary jobs and lower incomes than other newly arrived immigrants, over the longer term second-generation refugees have higher levels of labour market participation than the general population and refugees and their families make significant economic and community contributions to Australia. Research also highlights that refugees may experience a range of barriers to accessing employment, including discrimination, and a review of Australian policies indicates these are likely to have exacerbated some of these barriers for asylum seekers who arrived to Australia by boat. In addition, given previous findings that public attitudes can be influenced by representations made in public and political discourses, the public statements of senior Ministers may be further deepening barriers to accessing employment faced by asylum seekers who arrived by boat.
Morphological properties of tunnel valleys of the southern sector of the
Laurentide Ice Sheet and implications for their formation
Authors: Livingstone Stephen J. , Clark Chris D.
Published: July 2016

Abstract. Tunnel valleys have been widely reported on the bed of former ice sheets and are considered an important expression of subglacial meltwater drainage. Although known to have been cut by erosive meltwater flow, the water source and development of channels has been widely debated; ranging between outburst flood events through to gradually occurring channel propagation. We have mapped and analysed the spatial pattern and morphometry of tunnel valleys and associated glacial landforms along the southern sector of the former Laurentide Ice Sheet from high-resolution digital elevation models. Around 2000 tunnel valleys have been mapped, revealing an organised pattern of sub-parallel, semi-regularly spaced valleys that form in distinctive clusters. The tunnel valleys are typically  < 20 km long, and 0.5–3 km wide, although their width varies considerably down-valley. They preferentially terminate at moraines, which suggests that formation is time dependent; while we also observe some tunnel valleys that have grown headwards out of hill-hole pairs. Analysis of cross-cutting relationships between tunnel valleys, moraines and outwash fans permits reconstruction of channel development in relation to the retreating ice margin. This palaeo-drainage reconstruction demonstrates incremental growth of most valleys, with some used repeatedly or for long periods, during deglaciation, while others were abandoned shortly after their formation. Our data and interpretation support gradual (rather than a single-event) formation of most tunnel valleys with secondary contributions from flood drainage of subglacial and or supraglacially stored water down individual tunnel valleys. The distribution and morphology of tunnel valleys is shown to be sensitive to regional factors such as basal thermal regime, ice and bed topography, timing and climate.
Identifying water deficit and vegetation response during the 2009/10
drought over North China: Implications for the South-to-North Water Diversion project
Authors: Zhu Bowen , Xie Xianhong , Zhang Kang
Published: July 2016

Abstract. Drought frequently occurs in North China and is the most damaging disaster in this region owing to its large-scale impact on hydrology and ecosystems. This is the main reason that China implemented the world-famous South-to-North Water Diversion (SNWD) project. However, quantifying the drought-induced water deficit at a regional scale is still a significant challenge. Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites monitor temporal variations in the Earth’s gravitational potential and provide quality data sets for water storage analysis. In this study, we quantify the water deficit over North China in the context of the implementation of the SNWD project by focusing on a recent drought event, the 2009/10 drought, and identifying its onset, persistence, and recovery. As confirmed with ground-measured and land surface modelling data sets, GRACE can successfully capture temporal variations in total water storage. Total water storage shows a declining trend, reaching a low point during the 2009/10 drought with a water storage deficit of up to 25 km3 (~ 22 mm). Groundwater storage shows a similar pattern, with a trend of −6.97 mm yr−1. Together with the water deficit, vegetation growth is substantially restricted, as indicated by a reduction in the leaf area index. The amount of water transfer by the SNWD project can roughly meet the water deficit in North China but the effectiveness of the SNWD will depends on specific water configuration strategies.
Simple and approximate upper-limit estimation of future precipitation
return-values
Authors: Benestad Rasmus E. , Parding Kajsa M. , Mezghani Abdelkader , Dyrrdal Anita V.
Published: July 2016

Abstract. We present estimates for an upper limit for twenty-year return-values for 24-hr precipitation at different locations in Europe and a crude method to quantify bounds of likely intervals. Our results suggest an increase by as much as 40–50 % projected for 2100, assuming a high emission scenario, RCP8.5. The new strategy is based on combining physics with the limited available information, and utilises the covariance between the mean seasonal variations in precipitation and the North Atlantic saturation vapour pressure to estimate the maximum effect that a temperature change can have on precipitation, rather than the actual expected values. Return-value projections were derived through a simple and approximate scheme that combines the one-year 24-hr precipitation return-value and downscaled annual wet-day mean precipitation for a 1-in-20 year event. The twenty-year return-value was estimated by the 95th percentile of multi-model ensemble spread of downscaled climate model results. We found geographical variations in the shape of the seasonal cycle of the wet-day mean precipitation which suggest that different rain-producing mechanisms dominate in different regions. These differences indicate that the simple method used here to estimate upper limits was more appropriate for convective precipitation than for orographic rainfall.
Aragonite saturation states and pH in western Norwegian fjords:
seasonal cycles and controlling factors, 2005–2009
Authors: Omar Abdirahman M. , Skjelvan Ingunn , Erga Svein Rune , Olsen Are
Published: July 2016

Abstract. The uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) by the ocean leads to a process known as ocean acidification (OA), which lowers the aragonite saturation state (ΩAr) and pH, and this is poorly documented in coastal environments including fjords due to lack of appropriate observations.Here we use weekly underway data from the Voluntary Observing Ships (VOS) program covering the period 2005–2009 combined with data from research cruises to estimate ΩAr and pH values in several adjacent western Norwegian fjords, and to evaluate how seawater CO2 chemistry drives their variations in response to physical and biological factors.The OA parameters in the surface waters of the fjords are subject to strong seasonal and spatially coherent variations. These changes are governed by the seasonal changes in temperature, salinity, formation and decay of organic matter, and vertical mixing with deeper, carbon-rich coastal water. Annual mean pH and ΩAr values were 8.13 and 2.21, respectively. The former varies from minimum values ( ≈  8.05) in late December – early January to maximum values of around 8.2 during early spring (March–April) as a consequence of the phytoplankton spring bloom, which reduces dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). In the following months, pH decreases in response to warming. This thermodynamic decrease in pH is reinforced by the deepening of the mixed layer, which enables carbon-rich coastal water to reach the surface, and this trend continues until the low winter values of pH are reached again. ΩAr, on the other hand, reaches its seasonal maximum (> 2.5) in mid- to late summer (July–September), when the spring bloom is over and pH is decreasing. The lowest ΩAr values ( ≈  1.3–1.6) occur during winter (January–March), when both pH and sea surface temperature (SST) are low and DIC is its highest. Consequently, seasonal ΩAr variations align with those of SST and salinity normalized DIC (nDIC).We demonstrate that underway measurements of fugacity of CO2 in seawater (fCO2) and SST from VOS lines combined with high frequency observations of the complete carbonate system at strategically placed fixed stations provide an approach to interpolate OA parameters over large areas in the fjords of western Norway.
Computerized Finger Tapping Task in Adult Unipolar Depressed Patients and Healthy Subjects: Influence of Age, Gender, Education, and Hand Dominance
Authors: Moniz Marco , De Jesus Saul Neves , Pacheco Andreia , Gonçalves Eduardo , Viseu João
Published: July 2016

Introduction: Current diagnostic criteria for depression include psychomotor retardation, being the Finger Tapping Test (FTT) as one of the most utilized instruments to assess fine psychomotor performance.

Method: This study aimed to compare the performance of a sample of 51 unipolar depressed patients (30 women and 21 men, with a mean age of 45.12 years old [SD = 14.09]) with 51 healthy controls (29 women and 22 men, with a mean age of 44.49 years old [SD = 15.59]) in a computerized version of the Finger Tapping Test (FTT) from the Psychology Experiment Building Language (PEBL). Another objective was to test this version’s validity in comparison to other FTTs.

Results: We found significant differences between depressed patients and healthy controls. Significant effects of age and gender were found.
Conclusion: Results allowed us to identify differences in performance between the two groups, therefore this version of the FTT revealed adequate reliability values, one instrument accessible to all clinicians.
In Vitro Antihepatoma Activity of Novel 3D-Copper Cyanide Supramolecular Coordination Polymers
Authors: Darwish Noura M , Sultan Ahmed S , Malki Ahmed M , Khamis Hossam , El-Ziady Mohamed
Published: July 2016

This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of novel 3D-organocopper supramolecular coordination polymers (SCPs) on the invasive potential of HepG2 cells. Chemoprevention could represent an important means to inhibit the process of hepatocarcinogenesis. The inhibitory effect of an SCP compound on the proliferation of HepG2 hepatoma cells was evaluated by cell vibility assay. DNA ladder bands were observed by DNA agarose gel electrophoresis. The influence of the SCP compound on phosphorylated ERK1/2, Bcl-2, and β-catenin protein expression of HepG2 cells was analyzed by Western blot. The SCP compound exerted an inhibitory effect on HepG2 cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. This inhibitory effect was confirmed by examination of cell morphology and DNA fragmentation. Furthermore, Western blot analysis revealed that phosphorylated ERK1/2 and β-catenin protein expression was inhibited after 24 h of treatment with the SCP compound, and that this event was associated with decreased Bcl-2 expression. We concluded that SCP can effectively inhibit the invasive potential of the ERK signaling pathway in HepG2 cells by altering apoptosis and by inhibiting Bcl-2 and β-catenin, which may play a significant role in this process.
Hair Follicle and Sebaceous Gland De Novo Regeneration With Cultured Epidermal Stem Cells and Skin-Derived Precursors
Authors: Wang Xiaoxiao , Wang Xusheng , Liu Jianjun , Cai Ting , Guo Ling , Wang Shujuan , Wang Jinmei , Cao Yanpei , Ge Jianfeng , Jiang Yuyang , Tredget Edward E. , Cao Mengjun , Wu Yaojiong
Published: July 2016

Stem cell-based organ regeneration is purported to enable the replacement of impaired organs in the foreseeable future. Here, we demonstrated that a combination of cultured epidermal stem cells (Epi-SCs) derived from the epidermis and skin-derived precursors (SKPs) was capable of reconstituting functional hair follicles and sebaceous glands (SG). When Epi-SCs and SKPs were mixed in a hydrogel and implanted into an excisional wound in nude mice, the Epi-SCs formed de novo epidermis along with hair follicles, and SKPs contributed to dermal papilla in the neogenic hair follicles. Notably, a combination of culture-expanded Epi-SCs and SKPs derived from the adult human scalp were sufficient to generate hair follicles and hair. Bone morphogenetic protein 4, but not Wnts, sustained the expression of alkaline phosphatase in SKPs in vitro and the hair follicle-inductive property in vivo when SKPs were engrafted with neonatal epidermal cells into excisional wounds. In addition, Epi-SCs were capable of differentiating into sebocytes and formed de novo SGs, which excreted lipids as do normal SGs. Thus our results indicate that cultured Epi-SCs and SKPs are sufficient to generate de novo hair follicles and SGs, implying great potential to develop novel bioengineered skin substitutes with appendage genesis capacity.

Significance

In postpartum humans, skin appendages lost in injury are not regenerated, despite the considerable achievement made in skin bioengineering. In this study, transplantation of a combination of culture-expanded epidermal stem cells and skin-derived progenitors from mice and adult humans led to de novo regeneration of functional hair follicles and sebaceous glands. The data provide transferable knowledge for the development of novel bioengineered skin substitutes with epidermal appendage regeneration capacity.
Impacts Evaluation of Chashma Right Bank Canal on the Water-Table of District Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan
Authors: Atta-ur-Rahman  , Amir Nawaz Khan  , Samiullah  , Shehla Gul  , Shakeel Mahmood
Published: July 2016

This paper analyses the impact evaluation of Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC) on the water-table of district D.I. Khan, Pakistan. The study area falls in the arid agro-ecological zone of Pakistan. In order to achieve objectives of the study, data were gathered from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were obtained through a detailed field survey, where five sample villages were also selected by random means for micro-level analysis. Out of which four from CRBC command areas and one village from outside the command area. Data were also collected during focused group discussion with the farmers and elderly people to grasp the ex post impact of CRBC on water-table. In addition to this, pre-CRBC data were obtained from WAPDA. The analysis reveals that in the study area water-table varies from area to area. A large tract of saline groundwater is available in the western section, whereas the eastern section has good quality of freshwater aquifers. After the construction of CRBC, there has been a gradual rise in water-table due to intensive irrigation, introduction of water loving crops, high cropping intensity and unlined irrigation network. The analysis further reveals that in certain areas, the rise in water-table is very alarming. Such threatening situation may encourage waterlogging, soil salinization that may halt agricultural productivity.
Trend Topic Analysis for Wind Energy Researches: A Data Mining Approach Using Text Mining
Authors: Eroglu Yunus , U. Seçkiner Serap
Published: July 2016

This study reviews and analyses the recent research and development and trends in the applications of wind energy and it also discusses and summarizes the topic. We show the usage and the influence of text mining on the different aspects of wind energy systems especially for hot topics and trends of wind energy area. Text mining provides the state of the art in this area that will be a good guidance for future research work. The main results achieved from the study have shown that the text mining technique are adequate for serving as a proof of concept and as a test-bed for deriving requirements for the development of more generally applicable text mining tools and services within wind energy science.
Computational fluid dynamics modelling of left valvular heart diseases during atrial fibrillation
Authors: Scarsoglio Stefania , Saglietto Andrea , Gaita Fiorenzo , Ridolfi Luca , Anselmino Matteo
Published: July 2016

Background:Although atrial fibrillation (AF), a common arrhythmia, frequently presents in patients with underlying valvular disease, its hemodynamic contributions are not fully understood. The present work aimed to computationally study how physical conditions imposed by pathologic valvular anatomy act on AF hemodynamics.

Methods:We simulated AF with different severity grades of left-sided valvular diseases and compared the cardiovascular effects that they exert during AF, compared to lone AF. The fluid dynamics model used here has been recently validated for lone AF and relies on a lumped parameterization of the four heart chambers, together with the systemic and pulmonary circulation. The AF modelling involves: (i) irregular, uncorrelated and faster heart rate; (ii) atrial contractility dysfunction. Three different grades of severity (mild, moderate, severe) were analyzed for each of the four valvulopathies (AS, aortic stenosis, MS, mitral stenosis, AR, aortic regurgitation, MR, mitral regurgitation), by varying–through the valve opening angle–the valve area.

Results:Regurgitation was hemodynamically more relevant than stenosis, as the latter led to inefficient cardiac flow, while the former introduced more drastic fluid dynamics variation. Moreover, mitral valvulopathies were more significant than aortic ones. In case of aortic valve diseases, proper mitral functioning damps out changes at atrial and pulmonary levels. In the case of mitral valvulopathy, the mitral valve lost its regulating capability, thus hemodynamic variations almost equally affected regions upstream and downstream of the valve. In particular, the present study revealed that both mitral and aortic regurgitation strongly affect hemodynamics, followed by mitral stenosis, while aortic stenosis has the least impact among the analyzed valvular diseases.

Discussion:The proposed approach can provide new mechanistic insights as to which valvular pathologies merit more aggressive treatment of AF. Present findings, if clinically confirmed, hold the potential to impact AF management (e.g., adoption of a rhythm control strategy) in specific valvular diseases.
Phage on tap–a quick and efficient protocol for the preparation of bacteriophage laboratory stocks
Authors: Bonilla Natasha , Rojas Maria Isabel , Netto Flores Cruz Giuliano , Hung Shr-Hau , Rohwer Forest , Barr Jeremy J.
Published: July 2016

A major limitation with traditional phage preparations is the variability in titer, salts, and bacterial contaminants between successive propagations. Here we introduce the Phage On Tap (PoT) protocol for the quick and efficient preparation of homogenous bacteriophage (phage) stocks. This method produces homogenous, laboratory-scale, high titer (up to 1010–11PFU·ml−1), endotoxin reduced phage banks that can be used to eliminate the variability between phage propagations and improve the molecular characterizations of phage. The method consists of five major parts, including phage propagation, phage clean up by 0.22 μm filtering and chloroform treatment, phage concentration by ultrafiltration, endotoxin removal, and the preparation and storage of phage banks for continuous laboratory use. From a starting liquid lysate of > 100 mL, the PoT protocol generated a clean, homogenous, laboratory phage bank with a phage recovery efficiency of 85% within just two days. In contrast, the traditional method took upwards of five days to produce a high titer, but lower volume phage stock with a recovery efficiency of only 4%. Phage banks can be further purified for the removal of bacterial endotoxins, reducing endotoxin concentrations by over 3,000-fold while maintaining phage titer. The PoT protocol focused on T-like phages, but is broadly applicable to a variety of phages that can be propagated to sufficient titer, producing homogenous, high titer phage banks that are applicable for molecular and cellular assays.
Construction and use of aCupriavidus necatorH16 soluble hydrogenase promoter (PSH) fusion togfp(green fluorescent protein)
Authors: Jugder Bat-Erdene , Welch Jeffrey , Braidy Nady , Marquis Christopher P.
Published: July 2016

Hydrogenases are metalloenzymes that reversibly catalyse the oxidation or production of molecular hydrogen (H2). Amongst a number of promising candidates for application in the oxidation of H2is a soluble [Ni–Fe] uptake hydrogenase (SH) produced byCupriavidus necatorH16. In the present study, molecular characterisation of the SH operon, responsible for functional SH synthesis, was investigated by developing a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter system to characterise PSHpromoter activity using several gene cloning approaches. A PSHpromoter-gfp fusion was successfully constructed and inducible GFP expression driven by the PSHpromoter under de-repressing conditions in heterotrophic growth media was demonstrated in the recombinantC. necatorH16 cells. Here we report the first successful fluorescent reporter system to study PSHpromoter activity inC. necatorH16. The fusion construct allowed for the design of a simple screening assay to evaluate PSHactivity. Furthermore, the constructed reporter system can serve as a model to develop a rapid fluorescent based reporter for subsequent small-scale process optimisation experiments for SH expression.
Effects of cold-shock triploidy induction treatment on cell cleavage, hatching rate, and survival of triploid larvae of spotted sand bass (Paralabrax maculatofasciatus)
Authors: Alcántar-Vázquez Juan Pablo , Dumas Sylvie , Peña Renato , Ibarra Ana M
Published: July 2016

Three experiments assessed the effects of cold-shock induced triploidy on (1) the incidence of abnormal cell cleavage during embryogenesis, (2) hatching success and the proportion of live yolk-sac larvae in normally cleaved versus abnormally cleaved embryos, and (3) survival of triploid larvae of spotted sand bass (Paralabrax maculatofasciatus). All spawns were obtained by hormonal induction (LHRHa). Triploidy was induced by cold shock shortly after fertilization. In experiment 1, the percentage of abnormal cell cleavage was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the cold-shocked group than in the control group, while the hatching rate and the proportion of live yolk-sac larvae were significantly lower (P < 0.05). In experiment 2, when normally and abnormally cleaved embryos from the control and cold-shocked groups were incubated separately, normal cleaved embryos in the cold-shocked group showed a significantly higher hatching rate and proportion of live yolk-sac larvae than abnormally cleaved embryos in the same group. No difference was observed in the control group. In experiment 3, a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in the triploidy count was observed throughout the larval period. Final survival was drastically lower for triploid larvae compared to cold-shocked diploids and untreated eggs. Low triploidy percentages at the end of the larval period would seriously hinder the development of triploid sand bass culture.
Temporal changes in the biomass and distribution of Sargassum beds along the southeastern coast of the Baja California Peninsula
Authors: Casas-Valdez Margarita , Sánchez-Rodríguez Ignacio , Serviere-Zaragoza Elisa , Aguila-Ramirez Ruth N
Published: July 2016

Changes in the distribution, surface canopy, biomass, and standing crop of Sargassum beds (Phaeophyceae) along the southeastern coast of the Baja California Peninsula (Mexico) are described and compared with previous estimates. Also, Sargassum biomass was correlated with latitude. Species were identified and surface canopy, biomass, standing crop, and length structure were estimated for 72 Sargassum beds in 3 localities in 2006. The extent of each bed was determined using GPS. The perimeter of each bed was drawn and its canopy area was calculated. The average biomass was estimated, using quadrats that were randomly distributed over the beds. The highest average biomass was found at Mulegé, with significant differences in the other 2 study areas (Concepción and La Paz bays). The largest bed, surface canopy area, and standing crop were recorded in Concepción Bay. Coverage area, location, and seasonal changes in surface canopy, standing crop, and biomass of Sargassum beds along the southeastern coast of the Baja California Peninsula were compared with the different phenological stages of Sargassum thalli, variations in the available rocky sea floor, and oceanographic characteristics. These aspects must be considered to maintain sustainable exploitation of this potential resource.
Amamentação e sexualidade: uma interface na vivência do puerpério Breastfeeding and sexuality: an interface in the experience of puerperium
Authors: Pissolato Liese Klimeck Brauner Pissolato , Alves Camila Neumaier , Prates Lisie Alende , Wilhelm Laís Antunes , Ressel Lúcia Beatriz
Published: July 2016

Objetivo: compreender a influência da amamentação na vivência da sexualidade, sob a ótica de um grupo de puérperas. Método: pesquisa qualitativa descritiva, realizada com mulheres que estavam vivenciando o puerpério. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevista individual semiestruturada e submetidos à análise de conteúdo temática da proposta operativa. Resultados: a vivência da sexualidade durante a amamentação foi marcada por desconfortos relacionados às mudanças no relacionamento sexual, alterações corporais, tempo restrito da mulher com o parceiro, além de alguns comportamentos negativos do companheiro. Em outros casos, a amamentação não trouxe mudanças significativas na vivência da sexualidade, contribuindo para o companheirismo e parceria entre o casal. Conclusões: é preciso ampliar o olhar sobre a temática da sexualidade durante a amamentação, percebendo-a como uma necessidade humana básica, que precisa ser discutida entre mulheres, casais e profissionais de saúde.
Meios de comunicação utilizados pelos pacientes: informações sobre o câncer após o diagnóstico e durante o tratamento Media used by patients: information about cancer after diagnosis and during treatment
Authors: Hey Ana Paula , Caveião Cristiano , Motezeli Juliana Helena , Visentin Angelita , Takano Thaisa Maiume , Buratti Fracieli Munis da Silva
Published: July 2016

Objetivo: identificar os meios de comunicação utilizados pelos pacientes para obter informações sobre o câncer após o diagnóstico e durante o tratamento. Método: pesquisa qualitativa descritiva realizada em um hospital filantrópico no Paraná. Os dados foram coletados na unidade de internamento e no ambulatório de oncologia. Resultados: estruturadas quatro categorias: informações técnicas dos profissionais da saúde; a internet como meio de obtenção de informações e apoio; informações obtidas com pacientes oncológicos; e informações obtidas por meio da mídia impressa e audiovisual. Conclusão: os principais meios de comunicação utilizados pelos entrevistados para obter informação foram: mídia impressa e audiovisual; internet; amigos e pacientes com o mesmo diagnóstico; e profissionais da saúde.
Processo de Enfermagem: instrumento da Sistematização da Assistência de enfermagem na percepção dos enfermeiros Nursing process: systematization of the nursing care instrument in the perception of nurses
Authors: Benedet Silvana Alves , Gelbcke Francine Lima , Amante Lucia Nazareth , Padilha Maria Itayra de Souza , Pires Denise Pires de
Published: July 2016

Objetivo: com objetivo de identificar a percepção dos enfermeiros acerca da contribuição do Processo de Enfermagem para a Sistematização da Assistência de Enfermagem realizado em Hospital de Ensino do Sul do Brasil. Método: estudo qualitativo com caráter descritivo e exploratório. Os participantes da pesquisa foram 38 enfermeiros. A análise qualitativa foi de conteúdo e com os recursos do software Atlas Ti®. Resultados: após a análise foram encontradas as seguintes categorias temáticas: aspectos operacionais do Processo de Enfermagem; o Processo de Enfermagem e sua aplicação prática; facilidades e dificuldades na implementação do Processo de Enfermagem. Conclusão: a utilização de um modelo assistencial para guiar a prática de enfermagem há mais de três décadas, tem repercutido de maneira positiva na qualidade da assistência prestada, bem como na satisfação dos enfermeiros ao perceberem seu trabalho reconhecido. O Processo de Enfermagem melhora a sistematização da assistência de enfermagem, com a filosofia da Instituição e do Serviço de Enfermagem alinhadas a uma política de educação permanente.
Compreensão dos acadêmicos de enfermagem sobre trabalho colaborativo Understanding of nursing students about collaborative work
Authors: Caveião Cristiano , Peres Aida Maris , Visentin Angelita , Brey Christiane , Xavier Ana Paula Silvério , De Olivera Juliana Becker
Published: July 2016

Objetivo: identificar a compreensão dos acadêmicos de enfermagem no que tange ao trabalho colaborativo. Método: estudo exploratório descritivo, com abordagem qualitativa, com entrevista semiestruturada, realizado em uma Faculdade de Curitiba –PR. Participaram 30 acadêmicos de enfermagem. Resultados: Através da análise de Conteúdo de Bardin foi possível identificar as seguintes categorias: trabalho colaborativo visto como trabalho em equipe; trabalho colaborativo entre a equipe de enfermagem: as áreas de utilização; tomada de decisões: compreensão dos acadêmicos; decisão compartilhada: compreensão dos acadêmicos. Considerações finais: a colaboração abre um espaço de crescimento e valorização positiva para os indivíduos, pois além de obter resultados diferenciados em relação com aqueles obtidos mediante esforço individual, a relação entre os membros do grupo opera sobre uma dependência construtiva em termos de valorização do outro.
Determinação dos fatores da suspensão de cirurgia e suas contribuições para assistência de enfermagem Determination of surgery suspension factors and their constributions with nursing assistance
Authors: Gonçalves Renan Araújo , Sampaio Carlos , Júnior Hélio
Published: July 2016

Objetivo: determinar o perfil dos pacientes submetidos a procedimentos cirúrgicos; identificar as principais cirurgias realizadas em uma unidade de saúde; analisar os fatores determinantes de suspensões cirúrgicas. Método: abordagem quantitativa, descritiva e exploratória. A coleta de dados foi realizada no arquivo de um hospital situado no Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Resultados: dos 260 prontuários pesquisados, observou-se um total de 55 suspensões (21,2%). Notou-se uma tendência de suspensões ocorrerem mais frequentemente em pacientes acima dos 40 anos de idade. Os procedimentos mais comuns foram correções de herniações (33,8%), prostatectomias (30%), colelitíases (26,8%), correção de varizes (26,1%) e aquelas relacionadas à tumorações variadas (25%). Conclusão: os motivos mais encontrados para a justificativa das suspensões foram: falta de anestesista (18,2%) e crises hipertensivas (12,7%); encontrou-se, também, um elevado índice de motivos não declarados em prontuário (34,5%). Descritores: Cirurgia geral, Enfermagem de Centro Cirúrgico, Suspensão de tratamento.
Efeito do suporte social na vida de adultos com HIV/AIDS Effect of social support in the lives of adults with HIV/AIDS
Authors: Galvão Marli Teresinha Gimeniz
Published: July 2016

Objetivo: Analisar o efeito do suporte social na vida de pacientes adultos com Vírus da Imunodeficiência Humana (HIV)/Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida (aids). Método: A revisão integrativa da literatura foi realizada em seis bases de dados, entre os meses de agosto a outubro de 2014. Utilizaram-se os descritores aids e suporte social, nos idiomas português, inglês ou espanhol e o operador booleano and. Foram encontrados 1.561 artigos e selecionados 33. Resultados: Identificou-se que o suporte social tem efeito positivo sobre a saúde mental, aderência à terapia antirretroviral, estado de saúde, qualidade de vida e manutenção do sexo seguro. Conclusão: Considera-se que o estabelecimento de relações mais profundas entre o suporte social e outros aspectos da vida das pessoas com HIV/aids, possam ser utilizados para a promoção da saúde desses indivíduos, com o intuito de diminuir a morbidade e aumentar a sobrevida desses pacientes. Descritores: HIV, Síndrome de Imunodeficiência Adquirida, Apoio Social.
Europa's surface composition from near‐infrared observations: A comparison of results from linear mixture modeling and radiative transfer modeling
Authors: Shirley James H. , Jamieson Corey S. , Dalton J. Bradley
Published: July 2016

Quantitative estimates of the abundance of surface materials and of water ice particle grain sizes at five widely separated locations on the surface of Europa have been obtained by two independent methods in order to search for possible discrepancies that may be attributed to differences in the methods employed. Results of radiative transfer (RT) compositional modeling (also known as intimate mixture modeling) from two prior studies are here employed without modification. Areal (or “checkerboard”) mixture modeling, also known as linear mixture (LM) modeling, was performed to allow direct comparisons. The failure to model scattering processes (whose effects may be strongly nonlinear) in the LM approach is recognized as a potential source of errors. RT modeling accounts for nonlinear spectral responses due to scattering but is subject to other uncertainties. By comparing abundance estimates for H2SO4 · nH2O and water ice, obtained through both methods as applied to identical spectra, we may gain some insight into the importance of “volume scattering” effects for investigations of Europa's surface composition. We find that both methods return similar abundances for each location analyzed; linear correlation coefficients of ≥ 0.98 are found between the derived H2SO4 · nH2O and water ice abundances returned by both methods. We thus find no evidence of a significant influence of volume scattering on the compositional solutions obtained by LM modeling for these locations. Some differences in the results obtained for water ice grain sizes are attributed to the limited selection of candidate materials allowed in the RT investigations.
On the evolution and form of coherent flow structures over a gravel bed: Insights from whole flow field visualization and measurement
Authors: Hardy R. J. , Best J. L. , Parsons D. R. , Marjoribanks T. I.
Published: July 2016

The microtopography of a gravel bed river has been shown to generate turbulent flow structures that originate from shear flow generated in the near‐bed region. Although field and laboratory measurements have shown that such flows contain a range of coherent flow structures (CFS), the origin, evolution, and characteristics of the turbulent structures are poorly understood. Here we apply a combined experimental methodology using planar laser‐induced fluorescence and particle imaging velocimetry (LIF‐PIV) to measure simultaneously the geometric, kinematic, and dynamic characteristics of these CFS. The flow structures were analyzed by applying standard Reynolds decomposition and Lagrangian vortex detection methods to understand their evolution, propagation, and growth in the boundary layer and characterize their internal dynamical complexity. The LIF results identify large, individual, fluid packets that are initiated at the bed through shear that generate a bursting mechanism. When these large individual fluid packets are analyzed through direct flow measurement, they are found to contain several smaller scales of fluid motion within the one larger individual fluid parcel. Flow measurements demonstrate that near‐bed shear controls the initiation and evolution of these CFS through merging with vortex chains that originate at the bed. The vortex chains show both the coalescence in the formation of the larger structures and also the shedding of vortices from the edges of these packets, which may influence the life span and mixing of CFS in open channels. The life span and geometric characteristics of such CFS are critical in influencing the duration and intensity of near‐bed stresses that are responsible for the entrainment of sediment.